Planned Talents

Exodus 31:1-5

Now the Lord spoke to Moses saying, "See, I have called by name Bezalel, the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah. I have filled him with the Spirit of God in wisdom, in understanding, in knowledge, and in all kinds of craftsmanship,"

I found this verse in reading through the instructions for building the tabernacle. These passages are usually looked at as just plain boring, but it is all God's Word and we can learn from any portion of it.

I think these verses are a great comfort/reminder that we aren't in charge of our talents. They were given to us by God.

Praise Him for His marvelous gives!

Does God Condone Sin?

I was reminded today of Rahab in Joshua 2. Reading the passage, it begs a question asked of it.

Two Israelite spies have snuck into Jericho and have found the home of Rahab.

3 And the king of Jericho sent word to Rahab, saying, “Bring out the men who have come to you, who have entered your house, for they have come to search out all the land.”
4 But the woman had taken the two men and hidden them, and she said, “Yes, the men came to me, but I did not know where they were from.
5 “It came about when it was time to shut the gate at dark, that the men went out; I do not know where the men went. Pursue them quickly, for you will overtake them.”
6 But she had brought them up to the roof and hidden them in the stalks of flax which she had laid in order on the roof.
7 So the men pursued them on the road to the Jordan to the fords; and as soon as those who were pursuing them had gone out, they shut the gate.

She is mentioned again in James 2:

22 You see that faith was working with his works, and as a result of the works, faith was perfected;
23 and the Scripture was fulfilled which says, “And Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness,” and he was called the friend of God.
24 You see that a man is justified by works and not by faith alone.
25 In the same way, was not Rahab the harlot also justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out by another way?
26 For just as the body without the spirit is , so also faith without works is .

Wait a minute. So lying is a good work?

Anyway, here’s the question:
Is lying okay (at least in some situations)?

An OT Example of God's Grace

Genesis 48:11
Israel said to Joseph, "I never expected to see your face, and behold, God has let me see your children as well."

Background:
Jacob has journeyed from the land of Canaan to Egypt in order to be reunited with his long-lost son Joseph, who was sold as a slave by his brothers. After selling him, Joseph’s brothers reported to Jacob that Joseph had been eaten by wild animals. Jacob immodestly tore his clothes and went into morning for his favorite son. After many years, Jacob gave up all hope of ever seeing Joseph again, but Joseph, through a series of events, had become Pharaoh’s second in command and was set in charge of all Egypt. A famine brings Jacob’s sons to Egypt looking for food, and they eventually (though a course of events that won’t be detailed here) found Joseph and the family was reunited.

God bestows so much grace on us. He gives us so many things we simply don’t deserve. In this passage, we see Jacob’s (Israel) thanks to God for giving him something he never even thought to hope for. God gave him blessings, beyond the scope of His imagination.

This is simply one example of God’s love and grace. Praise Him for His marvelous works.

This Blog's Purpose

Welcome to F.o.r.m.e.r.l.y. D.e.a.d.

This, the first post, will be used to lay a bit of a foundation for this blog and its purpose.

First of all, this blog is not about me. This is a blog created for the purpose of glorifying God and allowing Christians to praise His name, discuss His attributes, and marvel at His works.

The setup of F.o.r.m.e.r.l.y. D.e.a.d. will be like that of a Bible reading journal. At least once a week, there will be a new post on some aspect of teaching or doctrine that God has recently pressed on me. I would highly encourage everyone to leave their comments.

Please notice that the purpose of this blog is to be a platform for theological discussions. Please, do not hesitate to comment on, bring issue against, or correct anything that I say in a post, but please do it in a kind and considerate manner, so as not to dishonor the name of God. I pray that this blog will inspire many enlightening, insightful, God-magnifying conversations and I pray that people of the Lord will grow in their walk with Him as a result of this blog.