The FaithOfJesus2 Daily Devotional

Focus:

kjv@Revelation:14:12 @ Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.

( FaithOfJesus thread begun by rRandyP )

Today's Verse:

kjv@Mark:12:28-34

kjv@Mark:12:28 @ And one of the scribes came, and having heard them reasoning together, and perceiving that he had answered them well, asked him, Which is the first commandment of all?

kjv@Mark:12:29 @ And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord:

kjv@Mark:12:30 @ And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment.

kjv@Mark:12:31 @ And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these.

kjv@Mark:12:32 @ And the scribe said unto him, Well, Master, thou hast said the truth: for there is one God; and there is none other but he:

kjv@Mark:12:33 @ And to love him with all the heart, and with all the understanding, and with all the soul, and with all the strength, and to love his neighbour as himself, is more than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices.

kjv@Mark:12:34 @ And when Jesus saw that he answered discreetly, he said unto him, Thou art not far from the kingdom of God. And no man after that durst ask him any question.

Today's notes:

Context:

Before - therefore do greatly err
After - The LORD said to my Lord

Key Concepts:

sl[kjv@Deuteronomy:6]

What is God's righteousness observed doing?:

Confirming the primary commandments to be the same as stated by Moses.

What does this tell us about God's righteousness?:

The root of the first command is not to love, it is to Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord. From that comes the direction to love with all. As God takes many forms in the minds of men, so to does man's affections towards those many divergent forms. If to love with all, better to love the correct image of God, the image God HIMSELF reveals. Just as to love thy neighbor as they actually are.
The man truthfully is not far from the kingdom of God, he is approximately an arms length distant without knowing it. That kingdom spiritually could be even closer inside his heart the very second that he believed on Jesus the Son of God sent in the flesh.

How is man reacting?:

Option One: Hearing the answers given by Jesus to the others, this scribe is seeking the intermediary common ground of the law to bring both sides closer together. Jesus acknowledges the attempt at discernment and discretion. In a sense this brave act by the scribe is a fulfillment of the very command that they are discussing.
Option Two: The same account kjv@Matthew:22:35 has the scribe attempting to tempt Jesus. He thought that he had caught Jesus in the "God is one Lord" quote and was implying that Jesus' love for our mutual Father could be better served by love rather than driving the nation to the brink by the sacrifice that He had determined Himself to offer. The scribe knows what the others are planning. This is his effort to avoid that having to happen.

Notes:

kjv@1Samuel:15:22 - obedience better than sacrifice

Loving neighbor: kjv@Leviticus:19:18 not avenge nor bear grudge

One God no other: kjv@Deuteronomy:4:35-36 kjv@Deuteronomy:4:39 kjv@Isaiah:42:8 kjv@Isaiah:44:6-8 kjv@Isaiah:45:5-6 kjv@Isaiah:45:18 kjv@Isaiah:45:21 kjv@Jeremiah:10:10-11 kjv@John:17:3 kjv@1Corinthians:8:4-6 kjv@1Timothy:2:5

Some scholars transliterate the frequent OT "LORD is/thy God" = Jehovah (self existent eternal) is Elohim (God (*plural? (with plural verb -im))). Or kjv@Isaiah:45:21-22 (there is no) Elohiym (god- plural?) zuwlah (except me); (a) tsaddiyq (just or lawful) el (God) (and a) yasha' (rescuer or saviour); (there is) ayin (nothing existing) biladey (beside or without me). This translation relies upon the strict interpretation that plural verb makes plural noun which it does in certain cases. Others suggest that the form has morphed from a more archaic use gods multiple to the Hebrew God singular over time with divine revelation (see:http://www.gci.org/god/elohim4 ). There are strong arguments on both sides though the singular is most commonly held.

Where either the standard transliteration or the modern translation gets tricky is with further context like kjv@Genesis:1:26 kjv@Genesis:3:22 kjv@Genesis:11:6-7. one or the other has to be explained.

Another OT question then arises, that if no man has seen nor can see God, with whom did Adam walk in the garden, who did Abram plead before, who did Jacob wrestle? filter:OT LORD+appeared+NOT+angel filter:OT LORD+appeared+NOT+glory

Trinity: dict:torrey Trinity dict:torrey Unity of God dict:easton Godhead kjv@John:10:30

Trinity can be thought of as being like to water. There is no denial that water is one thing: water. Closer to the truth though is that it is H20, three fundamental molecules bound as one. H20 is not an argument against water and water is not an argument that it is not H20, they are logically complimentary. Light is undeniably light, but through a prism it is three distinct colors/wave lengths. Relativity is defined as three energy time and mass. If one undeniable thing can be comprised of three distinct inseparable elements in nature, then why not in super nature? How do we know then that this triune godhead does not consist of more than three or that there is more than one godhead? The LORD says that there is none other than one and the three can be scripturally shown to have testified of each other.

Key Messages:

What does this say about our present condition?

Love the Lord can mean absolutely anything we want it to be if we are not going to love the Lord God Himself. How many would allow themselves to love the Lord three in one? With all heart/soul/mind/strength (if that is what He is saying)? How different would that love be toward neighbor? This would be intolerable at this point to many. Thus the difficulty of the great command is revealed.
The doctrine of the triune God is misunderstood today even by many believing Christians. The ability to sensibly explain it to Hebrew and Muslim inquirers is impeded by the lack of understanding of how it comes down to one God just the same.

Further Resources:

Comment Board:Mark:12:28-34
index:FAITHOFJESUSDEVOTION - Devotional Index
strkjv@Mark:12:28-34 rwp@Mark:12:28-34 mhcc@Mark:12:28-34
FaithOfJesus2 - Devotion Index

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