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Christ Our high Priest

by Esther Griggs
written by Esther Griggs

The Book of Hebrews is a mine. Like any gem of great value, digging is required. The more it is studied, the greater the reward. Hopefully, something within these brief reflections sparkles enough to catch your attention and encourage you to dig deeper for the treasures beneath. In Hebrews four, five and six, we look at entering His rest, our High Priest and the danger of immaturity.

Entering His Rest

Entering His rest is a promise. The good news was preached, but those who did not mix it with faith did not profit. They were denied rest. But there is still the promise of rest for the people of God, to cease from their works, as God did after creation. So, be diligent to enter and obey. The Word of God, which is alive and powerful, is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. God sees it all, and one day will require an accounting.

Our High Priest

Our High Priest stands with believers in things pertaining to God. Jesus, the Son of God, has passed through the heavens. He was tempted in all things so He could sympathize with our weakness. Therefore, we don’t enter His presence in fear, but with boldness to receive mercy and find grace in our time of need. Jesus, fully qualified, was appointed by God. He learned obedience through suffering and now sits at the Father’s right hand as the author of eternal salvation for those who obey Him.

Immaturity

There is, however, the danger of immaturity regarding the things of God. The author writes that by now they should teach others; they are still like babies existing on a milk diet. He also writes that some fall away after experiencing the heavenly gift, being partakers with the Holy Spirit, tasting the good Word of God and the powers of the world to come. In doing so, they crucify Christ again and bring shame upon Him. He, thankfully, does not leave it there but writes that God has better things in store for them. He remembers their work and labor of love. He concludes chapter six with hope. There is hope which fastens behind the veil, the place of His presence, where Jesus, our forerunner has entered. It is sure. It is steadfast.

Let us enter His rest and grow up into Him in all things, daily experiencing the Living Word, and holding on to the living hope.

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Bible reflectionThe Father

Jesus and His Father

by Esther Griggs
written by Esther Griggs

From the time Jesus was a boy about his Father’s business, to His present position at the Father’s right hand, He holds a unique relationship with His father. The scriptures give us insight. We learn from the apostles in The Letter to the Philippians, the Colossians, and the book of Hebrews.

The Philippians

Firstly, in the Letter to the Philippians, Paul writes, Jesus was in the form of God and did not consider it robbery to be equal to God. Still, he took on servanthood in human flesh and was obedient to God’s plan even when it meant an excruciating death. As a result, God exalted His Beloved Son, giving Him the name above every name.

Colossians

Secondly, in Colossians, Paul wrote God is God and Father to Jesus. Jesus is the image of the invisible God. His Son bears His image and is the firstborn over all creation. It pleased the Father for Jesus to have His fullness, all the fullness of the Godhead. Christ is sitting at the Father’s right hand. It is through Jesus He reconciles all things. It is God who has translated us to the Kingdom of His Son.

Hebrews

Finally in Hebrews, we discover God communicated to us through His Son. God appointed Him heir of all things and made the world through Him. Jesus is the brightness of His glory, the express image of His person, Again, it is stated that Jesus is seated at the right hand of the Majesty. He is God’s Son begotten of the Father.

While God is the position of authority, Jesus desires to do His will. God is the source of all plans and purpose. Jesus took on humility to support the Father’s plan. God exalted Him. The Son teaches us about the Father. The Father qualifies us to participate in the Kingdom of His Son. It is a relationship of love and trust, of authority and submission, and of unity in purpose.

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Bible reflectionUncategorized

What Love Is Not

by Esther Griggs
written by Esther Griggs

After witnessing the king of love in action, we turn our attention to what love is not. The strongest illustrations come from the treatment delivered to God’s beloved Son. We consider the religious leaders, one of His followers, and his kin.

Religious Leaders

To the religious leaders, Jesus spoke truth. It disrupted those who had shaped their traditions and rituals, which provided a structure of life to give them a sense of security and comfort. They responded by wanting to bring him down. They shot twisted questions and statements of pride, trying to make him appear a fool and to showcase their own knowledge. Jesus, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge, outshone them every time.

One of His Followers

Then there was one of His followers. Jesus chose twelve men to be his disciples. He lived life with them, teaching and modelling the abundant life of His kingdom. They were not servants. Instead, he called them friends and washed their feet. Yet one, for the coins which purchased his burial place, gave him up with a kiss.

His Kinfolk

In addition, there were his kinfolk. In his hometown, his healing power was reduced because they lacked faith in him. They knew the family. “Isn’t this the carpenter’s son? Isn’t his mother’s name Mary?” John writes how he came to his own, but they received him not. This was not the one they expected to come and release them from their Roman oppressors. And in the end, moved by the source of all darkness they cried, “Release Barrabas”, and “Crucify him”.

The love of God met what is not love. Jesus came, lived, died, and came back to life as the king of love.

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Bible reflectionKing SaulSaul: anointed

Saul’s First Battle

by Esther Griggs
written by Esther Griggs

Saul has been anointed, and proclaimed king, but has yet to prove his metal. He already has loyal allies and haters. In 1 Samuel 11, we read the story of his first battle. As the situation is laid out before us, we witness Saul’s part in it and rejoice in God’s salvation.

The Situation

The situation came about when Nahash the Ammonite encamped around Jabesh Gilead. The men of Jabesh were ready to negotiate, but not Nahash. He did however give them seven days to find help. When the news surfaced, the people wept, and Saul heard them.

Saul’s Part

Saul had been anointed by God to deliver his people from their enemies. When he heard their cries, the Spirit of God came upon him, and he was angry. He slaughtered a pair of oxen, cut them up, and sent the pieces out to collect an army. “Whoever does not go out with Samuel and Saul to battle, so shall it be done to his oxen.” It worked. 300,000 from Israel and 30,000 from Judah came. Notice of aid was sent and Saul organized his troops. A fierce battle ensued.

The Result

The people, rejoicing in their victory, asked Samuel for those who were against Saul. They wanted them dead. But Saul said, “Not a man shall be put to death, this day, for today, the Lord has accomplished salvation in Israel.”

It was a day of celebration. Samuel gathered the people to Gilgal where they made Saul King before the Lord. Then they made sacrifices of peace offerings before the Lord. Thus, we have read of Saul’s first battle, witnessed his part in it, and rejoice in the salvation of God for His people.

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Bible reflectionOur Great Deliverer

Ebenezer

by Esther Griggs
written by Esther Griggs

Ebenezer is a strange word that we encounter in the hymn Come thou fount of every Blessing. Here is the story behind it. The Ark of the Covenant now rested at the house of Abinadab on the hill. Eleazar was consecrated to care for it. During this time, Samuel exhorted the people to return to the Lord, put away their foreign gods and prepare their hearts. Samuel then gathered the people at Mizpah to pray for them. In 1 Samuel 7, we read of the Israelites turning to God, an encounter with their enemy, and God’s intervention on their behalf.

Repentance

When Samuel spoke to the people, they put away their false idols and served only the true God. They came at Samuel’s call to Mizpah where they fasted and confessed their sin.

Encounter with the Enemy

While at Mizpah the enemy came. How often does a test come to prove the work of God in the heart of His people? Gathered there, the lords of the Philistines came against them. Their fear, instead of turning back to the old ways, caused them to call on Samuel to intercede for them.

God’s Intervention

God intervened. When Samuel made an offering there and cried out to God. The Lord answered. He sent a loud thunder which confused the enemy, and the Israelites overcame them. Samuel then built an altar and called it Ebenezer, stating, “Thus far, the Lord has helped us.” Because they returned to God, when the enemy came, God’s power was there to deliver them. Because of Jesus, when our hearts are turned toward God, we call on Abba Father in our fear. Even though our faith may be as small as a grain of mustard seed, He will deliver us as He did the Israelites from the Philistines. These times should be memorialized, to give us something to encourage our feeble memories. In 1 Samuel 7, we read of the Israelites turning to God, an encounter with their enemy, and God’s intervention on their behalf.

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Alive in ChristBible reflection

Jesus: The Resurrection and the Life

by Esther Griggs
written by Esther Griggs

On the day Jesus spoke these words to Martha, her brother had been in the tomb for four days. He knew He would perform a miracle that day, as well as build faith in the lives of His friends. Let us consider Martha’s faith, when it was tested, and the fall out after the miracle.

Martha’s Faith

Mary had experienced Jesus as a healer. “If You had been here, he would not have died. and even now, whatever You ask of God, He will do for you.” When Jesus said her brother would rise again, she understood that he would rise at the resurrection on the last day. But Jesus said, “I am the resurrection and the life.” It is not just words you have heard, it is not only a philosophy or some system, I myself, am the resurrection and the life. Martha then confirmed her faith in Jesus as the Christ, the Son of God, the One for whom the world had been waiting.

When Tested

The test came when Jesus asked for the stone to be removed. Martha’s practical side took over, “Lord, he has been dead for four days. He will stink.” Jesus asks, “Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?” Jesus was asking her to follow Him further, and to trust Him more fully.

Fall out after the Miracle

The words spoken next, reverberate through history. “Lazarus come forth.” Still bound in burial wraps, out walked the man who had been dead. “Free him of the wraps and let him go,” Jesus said. The reactions were as diverse as the individuals there. Many believed. Others went straight to the Pharisees. What a threat to the world as they knew it, if this man had such power. They sought all the more to kill Him.

But how do you kill life? It cannot be overcome. Jesus is the resurrection and the life. “Whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?” As we face this new year, our faith in Jesus, as the resurrection and the life, fills our days with living hope.

We have considered Martha’s faith, when it was tested, and the fall out after the miracle.

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Bible reflectionBiblical Historycovenants

After the Storm

by Esther Griggs
written by Esther Griggs

It took time for the earth to dry out, but eventually, God told Noah to come out and bring every living thing with him. Perhaps it was the feel of earth beneath his feet, and the warmth of the sun on his skin which moved Noah to build an altar and offer sacrifices to the God who delivered them. To God, the soothing aroma of the sacrifice, caused Him to act. He made a covenant with the earth, changed a few things, and set a reminder in the clouds.

A Covenant with the Earth

God made a covenant with the earth. Previously He cursed the earth when Adam and Eve disobeyed. Here again in Noah’s day, the earth was cursed for the sin of mankind. God saw the imaginations of man’s heart were evil from youth, but never again would He curse the ground for man’s sake. Instead He set stability into the rhythms of the earth;

“Seedtime and harvest

Cold and heat

Winter and summer

Day and night.”

And God blessed Noah and his sons, “Be fruitful, multiply, fill the earth and subdue it.”

Made Changes

But God made changes. For one, He set the dread and fear of man into the beasts of the earth, the birds of the sky and the fish of the sea. For another, God no longer restricted man to a vegetarian diet, but allowed them meat without blood. In addition, accountability was required from man and beast, for taking the life of man because man was made in God’s image. Finally, He established His covenant with man and the earth to never again send a flood to destroy it.

A Reminder in the Clouds

God then placed a reminder in the clouds, a sign of the covenant between Himself, man and every living creature. He set His rainbow in the clouds. When He sees His rainbow, He remembers His covenant, that the waters would never again flood the earth to destroy it. In response to Noah’s act of worship, God made a covenant with the earth, changed a few things, and set a reminder in the clouds.

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Bible reflectionBody of Christvictorious living

Another Letter

by Esther Griggs
written by Esther Griggs

We don’t write letters the same anymore but in the apostle’s time, it provided communication over the distance. Although never adequate, it served a purpose that still ministers to us centuries later. When John wrote his second letter, he ensured each part carried the depths of his heart whether in the greeting, the body of the letter or its closing. His letter gave a promise in the greeting, solid teaching in the body and expressed his heart in its conclusion.

In the Greeting

In the greeting there is a promise. First he refers to himself as the elder and then addresses the elect or chosen lady and her children. I like to think he is referring to the bride of Christ spoken of in Revelation, “the bride, the Lamb’s wife ,” or the Spirit and the bride who extend the grand invitation “Come! And let him who thirsts come. Whoever desires, let him take the water of life freely.” for he loves her in truth as do all who know the truth which dwells within the believer forever.

There is a promise next. In his greeting he writes, “Grace, mercy and peace,” but not just as a greeting but as a promise, “will be with you, from God the Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ,” To receive the things we don’t deserve, to not receive the things we do deserve and to know a peace we will never understand, are promised in truth and love.

The Body

The meat of his letter, good solid teaching, comes in the body. He had received encouraging news that her children followed the truth. To further strengthen them he admonishes, “Love one another,” “This is love that we walk according to His commandments.”

Then he warns them, “Many deceivers have gone out into the world.” They deny that Jesus Christ came in the flesh. You worked hard he tells them, coming to faith in Jesus in perilous times took hard work physically and spiritually. John desired that they remain faithful and not lose their reward. Stay in the doctrine of Christ, let it be where you live. If anyone comes to you with a different doctrine don’t take part in it by allowing them even into your home, he writes.

The Conclusion

In the conclusion, John’s expresses his heart to see them. Letters just aren’t good enough he wants to see them face to face. It is fulfillment of joy for both he and those he instructs. He has so much to share with them.

His letter gave a promise in the greeting, solid teaching in the body and expressed his heart in its conclusion.

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Bible reflectionpeace

Jesus, the Answer to “Noise Pollution”

by Esther Griggs
written by Esther Griggs

Noise implies a multitude of distractions which clutter our souls and disrupt our peace. Raging storms have become a metaphor for noise. Essentially, noise is anything that steals our peace. Jesus is the answer to “Noise Pollution.” He gives us not only a place to hide, but the gift of peace, and He is above the storm.

God’s Word to the Storm

A Place to Hide

The Psalmist knew God as a refuge. In times of trouble which he described in scenes of the earth being removed, the earth being thrown into the sea, roaring waters and shaking mountains, he writes, “He is a very present help in trouble.” He refers to God also as his hiding place. He knows God will preserve him in trouble and provide songs of deliverance. God’s word to him and to us? “Be still and know that I am God.”

The Gift of Peace

Jesus became one of us. He knows the fears of our hearts, the things that trouble us, the noise that disrupts our peace. Therefore, he tells us, “Let not your heart be troubled, You believe in God, believe also in Me.” “Peace I leave with you.” He says, “My peace I give to you.” It isn’t the peace the world gives, it is eternal. Amidst a perfect storm, we can experience what Isaiah calls a “perfect peace” as we keep our mind on Him and trust Him.

He is Above the Storm

Remember when Jesus was asleep in the boat with his disciples and the storm came? These men knew these waters and the storms that haunted them. They aroused Jesus, and then they accused Him of not caring for them. Jesus arose, rebuked the wind and told the sea, “Peace, be still!” Because He is above the storm, we need only trust. The Psalmist describes trust for himself by saying, “I have calmed and quieted my soul, like a weaned child with his mother.” Zephaniah states, “The King of Israel, the Lord is in your midst,… He will quiet you with His love.”

When you tire of the noise, remember that Jesus is the answer to noise pollution. Find the Hiding Place, rest in His peace, and remember He is above the storm.

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Bible reflectionpraise

Against All Odds

by Esther Griggs
written by Esther Griggs

We become participants in one of the greatest praise celebrations in history when we read Exodus 15. Moses and the children of Israel had just crossed the Red Sea on dry land. Then only moments later the same dry land became a watery grave to Pharaoh and his army. Finally safe, and freed from their Egyptian captors, the children of Israel turned their faces to the Lord, who against all odds, triumphed gloriously to become their salvation. This is the song they sang,

“I will sing to the Lord, For He has triumphed gloriously!”

“The horse and its rider He has overthrown into the sea!”

Against all Odds

I Will Sing

This song was the first act of their praise. Moses sang a great song of victory. It not only declared the victory, but praised He who had won it. His song of praise rose to his God, and the God of his father. The song caused others to lift their praise. His declarations of the victory and of the Victor caused a rippling affect. For afterward, his sister Miriam, followed by the women, took up the song of praise.  There was singing, dancing and the shaking of the tambourines. Their minds, hearts, and actions aligned to offer praise to the Lord who had triumphed.

To the Lord

It was not to some unknown God they sang their praises. Moses claimed Him not only as the centre of his own worship but that of his father. There was a relationship here with history. Moses knew the Lord as a man of war. By His right hand He fought for His people, defeating their enemies. Moses had seen God’s victory in each of the plagues. The enemy had his plans. Pharaoh’s desire was to wipe out the Israelites, but the Lord used those plans. They were His opportunity to show forth His glorious holiness. He led forth His people in mercy, those He had redeemed out of Egypt and was guiding them to dwell in the mountain of His inheritance, the place where He would dwell.

He Has Triumphed Gloriously

When Moses and the children of Israel faced the Red Sea, they felt the ground shake as Pharaoh, his mighty horses and chariots raced toward them. They cried out to God and murmured at Moses, “Because there were no graves in Egypt, have you taken us away to die in the wilderness?” Fear gripped them. They could only see the present situation. The message it sent foretold annihilation. God, however, had a plan to reveal His power not only to the Egyptians but to the other nations into which He was sending His people to inherit their land. God worked powerfully on behalf of His people. He got them through on dry land, then destroyed their enemies. The battle they faced was but a foreshadowing of the greatness of the victory.

God did a mighty work! Throughout history, men have tried to explain it away. The children of Israel were there. He had done it for them. They sang a song to the Lord, who had triumphed gloriously. He was the glorious victor who did it against all odds! Today, remember what marvellous things God has done for you and raise your songs of praise.

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