Friday, November 3, 2017

NL-DBRP_308 EZK.41 ISA.17 HEB.11.17-40


EZEKIEL 41:
Yesterday we started Ezekiel’s account of his long vision about the future and ideal temple of God, and this is another vision that is referred to in the book of Revelation. The reason for this vision is given in chapter 43:

Ez. 43:10 NLT “Son of man, describe to the people of Israel the Temple I have shown you, so they will be ashamed of all their sins. Let them study its plan, 
11 and they will be ashamed of what they have done.

ISAIAH 17:
Yesterday we finished the two chapter oracle concerning Moab. It was really not so much a prophecy of condemnation, but a lament for the people.

HEBREWS 11b:
The Faith Chapter of Hebrews is an exposition of the verse quoted from Habbakuk 2:

Heb. 10:38 NLT And my righteous ones will live by [fully believing in Me//faith].
But I will take no pleasure in anyone who turns away.”

It is unfortunate that the King James Version of the first verse of Hebrews 11 doesn’t make good sense but is still so often quoted as the definition of faith. The KJV says, “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for …” But how can I use that idea of ‘substance’? This became the definition that is quoted, but no one can figure out what to do with it after quoting it. No one can— so to speak, put their finger on that ‘substance’. The Greek word translated as ‘substance’ can also be translated ‘confidence’. And using that word, our definition makes sense.

GNT Translation notes:
Heb. 11:17 It was [Abraham’s belief in God’s promise//faith] that [moved him to//made Abraham] offer his son Isaac as a sacrifice when God put Abraham to the test. Abraham was the one to whom God had made the promise, yet he was ready to offer his only son as a sacrifice.
13 [All these people kept on fully believing until they died.//It was in faith that all these persons died.] They did not receive the things God had promised, but from a long way off they saw them and welcomed them, and admitted openly that they were foreigners and refugees on earth.
20 [It was Isaac’s belief in God’s promises that moved him to promise//It was faith that made Isaac promise] blessings for the future to Jacob and Esau.
21 [It was Jacob’s belief in God’s promises that moved him to//It was faith that made Jacob] bless each of the sons of Joseph just before he died. He leaned on the top of his walking stick and worshiped God.
22 [It was Joseph’s belief in God’s promises that moved him— when he was about to die, to//It was faith that made Joseph, when he was about to die,] speak of the departure of the Israelites from Egypt, and leave instructions about what should be done with his body.
23 [Moses’ parents believed in God’s promises. And that is what moved them to hide//It was faith that made the parents of Moses hide] him for three months after he was born. They saw that he was a beautiful child, and they were not afraid to disobey the king's order.
24 [When Moses had grown up, it was his belief in God’s promises that moved him to//It was faith that made Moses, when he had grown up,] refuse to be called the son of the king's daughter.
27 [It was his belief in God’s promises that moved him to lead the people of Israel out of//It was faith that made Moses leave] Egypt without being afraid of the king's anger. As though he saw the invisible God, he refused to turn back. 
28 [The same beliefs moved him to//It was faith that made him] establish the Passover and order the blood to be sprinkled on the doors, so that the Angel of Death would not kill the first-born sons of the Israelites.
29 [It was the Israelites’ belief in God that enabled them//It was faith that made the Israelites able] to cross the Red Sea as if on dry land; when the Egyptians tried to do it, the water swallowed them up.
30 [It was the Israelites’ belief in God that//It was faith that] made the walls of Jericho fall down after the Israelites had marched around them for seven days. 
31 [It was Rahab’s belief in God that kept her//It was faith that kept the prostitute Rahab] from being killed with those who disobeyed God, for she gave the Israelite spies a friendly welcome.
33 [Their belief in God enabled them to be overthrow other kingdoms.//Through faith they fought whole countries and won.] They did what was right and received what God had promised. They shut the mouths of lions, 
34 put out fierce fires, [and] escaped being killed by the sword. They were weak, but became strong; they were mighty in battle and defeated the armies of foreigners. 
35 [By means of their full belief in God,//faith] women received their dead relatives raised back to life.
Others, refusing to accept freedom, died under torture in order to be raised to a better life. 
39 What a record all of these have won by [means of their full belief in God and his promises!//their faith!] Yet they did not receive what God had promised,

NLT Translation notes:
Heb. 11:32 How much more do I need to say? It would take too long to recount the stories of [how these people fully believed://the faith of] Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel, and all the prophets. 
33 By [fully believing//faith] these people overthrew kingdoms, ruled with justice, and received what God had promised them. They shut the mouths of lions, 
34 quenched the flames of fire, and escaped death by the edge of the sword. Their weakness was turned to strength. They became strong in battle and put whole armies to flight. 
35 Women received their loved ones back again from death.
39 All these people earned a good reputation because of their [fully believing//faith], yet none of them received all that God had promised. 
40 For God had something better in mind for us, so that they would not reach perfection without us.


Check out this episode!

No comments:

Post a Comment