3:1 O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? It was before your eyes that Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified. 2 Let me ask you only this: Did you receive the Spirit by works of the law or by hearing with faith? 3 Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by1 the flesh? 4 Did you suffer2 so many things in vain—if indeed it was in vain? 5 Does he who supplies the Spirit to you and works miracles among you do so by works of the law, or by hearing with faith—6 just as Abraham “believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness”?
7 Know then that it is those of faith who are the sons of Abraham. 8 And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify3 the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, “In you shall all the nations be blessed.” 9 So then, those who are of faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith.
10 For all who rely on works of the law are under a curse; for it is written, “Cursed be everyone who does not abide by all things written in the Book of the Law, and do them.” 11 Now it is evident that no one is justified before God by the law, for “The righteous shall live by faith.”4 12 But the law is not of faith, rather “The one who does them shall live by them.” 13 Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us—for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree”—14 so that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we might receive the promised Spirit5 through faith.
15 To give a human example, brothers:6 even with a man-made covenant, no one annuls it or adds to it once it has been ratified. 16 Now the promises were made to Abraham and to his offspring. It does not say, “And to offsprings,” referring to many, but referring to one, “And to your offspring,” who is Christ. 17 This is what I mean: the law, which came 430 years afterward, does not annul a covenant previously ratified by God, so as to make the promise void. 18 For if the inheritance comes by the law, it no longer comes by promise; but God gave it to Abraham by a promise.
19 Why then the law? It was added because of transgressions, until the offspring should come to whom the promise had been made, and it was put in place through angels by an intermediary. 20 Now an intermediary implies more than one, but God is one.
21 Is the law then contrary to the promises of God? Certainly not! For if a law had been given that could give life, then righteousness would indeed be by the law. 22 But the Scripture imprisoned everything under sin, so that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe.
23 Now before faith came, we were held captive under the law, imprisoned until the coming faith would be revealed. 24 So then, the law was our guardian until Christ came, in order that we might be justified by faith. 25 But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian, 26 for in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith. 27 For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. 28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave7 nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. 29 And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s offspring, heirs according to promise.
[1] 3:3
[2] 3:4
[3] 3:8
[4] 3:11
[5] 3:14
[6] 3:15
[7] 3:28
(ESV)
I often joke that cyclists like wearing disguises. We travel incognito. If you haven't ridden with a group of cyclists you may not know what I mean, but take note the next time you see a cycling club out for a ride. Everyone is wearing their club jersey. They're all wearing black spandex shorts. They all have on helmets and wrap around sunglasses. So unless you actually ride right alongside a person and talk to them, it's hard to tell one rider from another. I've ridden right past cyclists I know well going the other direction on a street or trail, and I didn't even recognize them because of their equipment and kit. It's hard to tell the men from the women, or the younger riders from the older ones until you get up close and personal.
In a sense, Paul says something similar about Christians in Galatians 3. "You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus" (vv. 26-28). Paul says there's something similar about Christians as well. We are all wearing the same kit, "for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ."
Every one of us who is a Christian has been robed in the righteousness of Christ. We are seen in God's eyes as holy and without sin for Jesus' sake. But it's not only in God's eyes, because when we are born again we begin to clothe ourselves with Christ, that is put on Christ's character so that we become more like him. As we grow in Christ-likeness we begin to look more and more alike since our words and actions are a reflection of the Son of God who lives in us (Gal. 2:20).
There's another sense in which we are alike as well, and that is in our rights and privileges as those who belong to Christ. I've occasionally met a woman who was offended by verse 25: "You are all sons of God through faith in Christ." She thought Paul was being chauvanistic, and that he should have said that we are all sons and daughters. On the contrary, Paul was being the exact opposite. In the culture and society where Paul lived women did not posses the same rights and privileges as men. Therefore, by saying that we are all sons of God, whether male or female, Paul was saying that we have the same status, the same privileged standing, and the same inheritance regardless of our sex.
Because in Christ there are no distinctions. All who come to him in faith are declared righteous by God. All who come to him are forgiven and free. All who come to him have the gift of eternal life. All who come to him are being transformed into his image. So we are all one in Christ, thank God!
"You foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? Before your very eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed as crucified." (vs. 1)
I am reading the book "Strong Fathers, Strong Daughters" with a few other men.
In this week's reading we were reminded that there are voices in our culture that want to make our daughters believe life is all about them - their external beauty, that they are entitled to anything they want... that happiness, and pursuing happiness, should be their main goal in life.
Paul says in our reading today... "who has bewitched you?"
The Galatian Christians were being tempted to believe things other than God's Word, and the life example of Jesus Christ. That temptation continues today.
What is interesting is that Paul is not saying the Galatians lack intelligence, they are simply acting in a way that lacks wisdom. They are being "foolish", not thinking before they act.
Rather than letting the culture "cast a spell" over us, damaging who we are and the quality of the life God has given us... spend some time today evaluating the voices and sound bites of information you receive.
If they are consistent with God's Word, listen in.
If they are in-consistent with God's Word and in-consistent with what Jesus modeled for us when he walked the earth... beware.
We have a Heavenly Father, who wants to raise "strong children". Listening to his voice is central for His strength being infused into our lives.
Every other voice, is simply a weak substitute that will oversell and under deliver.
One of the great concerns looming on the American political landscape these days are the endless bailout packages relentlessly being pushed through Washington DC. A bailout for the subprime mortgage lenders. A bailout for Wall Street. A bailout for the automakers. Many Americans, in the face of such astronomical government spending, are suffering from what has been popularly deemed as "bailout fatigue," both because they are exhausted by the expenditures of countless dollars and because many are not so sure that even these huge injections of capital into ailing industries will actually accomplish its stated goal of stimulus. Indeed, one of the most pointed questions concerning these bailout packages was by Representative Gresham Barrett from South Carolina to Timothy Geithner, Secretary of the Treasury, when he asked, "The $64 trillion question is, 'What's the backup plan?' I mean, if everything fails, what do we do?" Geithner's response was clear and unequivocal: "Congressman, this plan will work." In other words, there's no need for a plan b because Geithner's plan a is so sure and sturdy.
When reading the Bible, many people assume that the Old Testament and the New Testament represent God's plan a and plan b respectively. In the Old Testament, we meet a man named Moses who "lays down the law," so to speak, with the Ten Commandments and other such pedagogical guidance. Tragically, however, the ancient Israelites break these laws and so require salvation from their transgressions. Enter the New Testament and God's plan b of Jesus who comes not with the law of God, but with the grace of God to forgive us our sins. Such is the view of many Christians.
As popular as this view might be among many of the faithful, we learn in our reading for today from Galatians 3 that it's incorrect. The Old Testament was not God's plan a the New Testament is not God's plan b. Instead, throughout the ages, there has been only one plan: Jesus. Indeed, Paul says that Abraham, who lived in the Old Testament and 430 years before Moses received the law from God, knew of only one divine plan. And this divine plan was the plan of Jesus: "The promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. The Scripture does not say 'and to seeds,' meaning many people, but 'and to your seed,' meaning one person, who is Christ" (verse 16). Paul, quoting Genesis 12:7, insists that God planned to save the world through Jesus and his grace all along. He never planned to save us through a laundry list of laws.
What, then, is the purpose of Moses and the law? Paul says, "It was added because of transgressions until the Seed to whom the promise referred had come... So the law was put in charge to lead us to Christ that we might be justified by faith" (verses 19, 24). The purpose of the law was simply to point us to God's singular plan of Christ and the salvation to be found in him and him alone.
Why is this important? For two reasons. First, it reminds us that our salvation is not of our own doing. It is not due to our own morality, integrity, intelligence, or decency. Our salvation is wholly the work of Christ. Second, it reminds us that we need never fear whether or not God's plan of salvation will work. After all, it's not as if God tried to save us through the law of Moses, but then that didn't work and so now he's trying to save us through the cross of Christ, and if that doesn't work, maybe he'll try something else. No. God's plan has always and only been Jesus for the forgiveness of our sins and the salvation of our souls. "But," we may ask, "What's the backup plan? I mean, if Jesus fails, what do we do?" To which our heavenly Father responds, "This plan will work." Indeed, this plan already has worked. For Christ has already conquered sin, death, and Satan. And he's surer and sturdier than even a bailout package.
2:1 The LORD spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying, 2 “The people of Israel shall camp each by his own standard, with the banners of their fathers’ houses. They shall camp facing the tent of meeting on every side. 3 Those to camp on the east side toward the sunrise shall be of the standard of the camp of Judah by their companies, the chief of the people of Judah being Nahshon the son of Amminadab, 4 his company as listed being 74,600. 5 Those to camp next to him shall be the tribe of Issachar, the chief of the people of Issachar being Nethanel the son of Zuar, 6 his company as listed being 54,400. 7 Then the tribe of Zebulun, the chief of the people of Zebulun being Eliab the son of Helon, 8 his company as listed being 57,400. 9 All those listed of the camp of Judah, by their companies, were 186,400. They shall set out first on the march.
10 “On the south side shall be the standard of the camp of Reuben by their companies, the chief of the people of Reuben being Elizur the son of Shedeur, 11 his company as listed being 46,500. 12 And those to camp next to him shall be the tribe of Simeon, the chief of the people of Simeon being Shelumiel the son of Zurishaddai, 13 his company as listed being 59,300. 14 Then the tribe of Gad, the chief of the people of Gad being Eliasaph the son of Reuel, 15 his company as listed being 45,650. 16 All those listed of the camp of Reuben, by their companies, were 151,450. They shall set out second.
17 “Then the tent of meeting shall set out, with the camp of the Levites in the midst of the camps; as they camp, so shall they set out, each in position, standard by standard.
18 “On the west side shall be the standard of the camp of Ephraim by their companies, the chief of the people of Ephraim being Elishama the son of Ammihud, 19 his company as listed being 40,500. 20 And next to him shall be the tribe of Manasseh, the chief of the people of Manasseh being Gamaliel the son of Pedahzur, 21 his company as listed being 32,200. 22 Then the tribe of Benjamin, the chief of the people of Benjamin being Abidan the son of Gideoni, 23 his company as listed being 35,400. 24 All those listed of the camp of Ephraim, by their companies, were 108,100. They shall set out third on the march.
25 “On the north side shall be the standard of the camp of Dan by their companies, the chief of the people of Dan being Ahiezer the son of Ammishaddai, 26 his company as listed being 62,700. 27 And those to camp next to him shall be the tribe of Asher, the chief of the people of Asher being Pagiel the son of Ochran, 28 his company as listed being 41,500. 29 Then the tribe of Naphtali, the chief of the people of Naphtali being Ahira the son of Enan, 30 his company as listed being 53,400. 31 All those listed of the camp of Dan were 157,600. They shall set out last, standard by standard.”
32 These are the people of Israel as listed by their fathers’ houses. All those listed in the camps by their companies were 603,550. 33 But the Levites were not listed among the people of Israel, as the LORD commanded Moses.
34 Thus did the people of Israel. According to all that the LORD commanded Moses, so they camped by their standards, and so they set out, each one in his clan, according to his fathers’ house.
3:1 These are the generations of Aaron and Moses at the time when the LORD spoke with Moses on Mount Sinai. 2 These are the names of the sons of Aaron: Nadab the firstborn, and Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar. 3 These are the names of the sons of Aaron, the anointed priests, whom he ordained to serve as priests. 4 But Nadab and Abihu died before the LORD when they offered unauthorized fire before the LORD in the wilderness of Sinai, and they had no children. So Eleazar and Ithamar served as priests in the lifetime of Aaron their father.
5 And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 6 “Bring the tribe of Levi near, and set them before Aaron the priest, that they may minister to him. 7 They shall keep guard over him and over the whole congregation before the tent of meeting, as they minister at the tabernacle. 8 They shall guard all the furnishings of the tent of meeting, and keep guard over the people of Israel as they minister at the tabernacle. 9 And you shall give the Levites to Aaron and his sons; they are wholly given to him from among the people of Israel. 10 And you shall appoint Aaron and his sons, and they shall guard their priesthood. But if any outsider comes near, he shall be put to death.”
11 And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 12 “Behold, I have taken the Levites from among the people of Israel instead of every firstborn who opens the womb among the people of Israel. The Levites shall be mine, 13 for all the firstborn are mine. On the day that I struck down all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, I consecrated for my own all the firstborn in Israel, both of man and of beast. They shall be mine: I am the LORD.”
14 And the LORD spoke to Moses in the wilderness of Sinai, saying, 15 “List the sons of Levi, by fathers’ houses and by clans; every male from a month old and upward you shall list.” 16 So Moses listed them according to the word of the LORD, as he was commanded. 17 And these were the sons of Levi by their names: Gershon and Kohath and Merari. 18 And these are the names of the sons of Gershon by their clans: Libni and Shimei. 19 And the sons of Kohath by their clans: Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel. 20 And the sons of Merari by their clans: Mahli and Mushi. These are the clans of the Levites, by their fathers’ houses.
21 To Gershon belonged the clan of the Libnites and the clan of the Shimeites; these were the clans of the Gershonites. 22 Their listing according to the number of all the males from a month old and upward was1 7,500. 23 The clans of the Gershonites were to camp behind the tabernacle on the west, 24 with Eliasaph, the son of Lael as chief of the fathers’ house of the Gershonites. 25 And the guard duty of the sons of Gershon in the tent of meeting involved the tabernacle, the tent with its covering, the screen for the entrance of the tent of meeting, 26 the hangings of the court, the screen for the door of the court that is around the tabernacle and the altar, and its cords—all the service connected with these.
27 To Kohath belonged the clan of the Amramites and the clan of the Izharites and the clan of the Hebronites and the clan of the Uzzielites; these are the clans of the Kohathites. 28 According to the number of all the males, from a month old and upward, there were 8,600, keeping guard over the sanctuary. 29 The clans of the sons of Kohath were to camp on the south side of the tabernacle, 30 with Elizaphan the son of Uzziel as chief of the fathers’ house of the clans of the Kohathites. 31 And their guard duty involved the ark, the table, the lampstand, the altars, the vessels of the sanctuary with which the priests minister, and the screen; all the service connected with these. 32 And Eleazar the son of Aaron the priest was to be chief over the chiefs of the Levites, and to have oversight of those who kept guard over the sanctuary.
33 To Merari belonged the clan of the Mahlites and the clan of the Mushites: these are the clans of Merari. 34 Their listing according to the number of all the males from a month old and upward was 6,200. 35 And the chief of the fathers’ house of the clans of Merari was Zuriel the son of Abihail. They were to camp on the north side of the tabernacle. 36 And the appointed guard duty of the sons of Merari involved the frames of the tabernacle, the bars, the pillars, the bases, and all their accessories; all the service connected with these; 37 also the pillars around the court, with their bases and pegs and cords.
38 Those who were to camp before the tabernacle on the east, before the tent of meeting toward the sunrise, were Moses and Aaron and his sons, guarding the sanctuary itself, to protect2 the people of Israel. And any outsider who came near was to be put to death. 39 All those listed among the Levites, whom Moses and Aaron listed at the commandment of the LORD, by clans, all the males from a month old and upward, were 22,000.
(ESV)
God arranged the tribes of Israel into military camps, prepared for marching into battle. Three tribes were situated on each side of the Tabernacle. Banners indicated the location of individual families within each tribal camp, acting as something like modern street names to help locate families. Jewish tradition taught that the color of the banner of each tribe corresponded to the color of the stone representing that tribe in the ephod of the High Priest. Tradition also held that the standard or flag of each group of three tribes corresponded to the four living creatures in Ezekiel's vision—a lion, a man, an ox and an eagle. When on the march, the Levites with the Tabernacle and its furnishings would travel in the middle of the column, with six tribes ahead and six tribes behind the tent of meeting. Even the families of the Levites were arranged by God around the Tabernacle, with Moses and Aaron camping to the east at the entrance to the Tabernacle. Thus, God showed great care in arranging for Israel's journey to the Promised Land.
61:1 Hear my cry, O God,
listen to my prayer;
2 from the end of the earth I call to you
when my heart is faint.
Lead me to the rock
that is higher than I,
3 for you have been my refuge,
a strong tower against the enemy.
4 Let me dwell in your tent forever!
Let me take refuge under the shelter of your wings! Selah
5 For you, O God, have heard my vows;
you have given me the heritage of those who fear your name.
6 Prolong the life of the king;
may his years endure to all generations!
7 May he be enthroned forever before God;
appoint steadfast love and faithfulness to watch over him!
8 So will I ever sing praises to your name,
as I perform my vows day after day.
(ESV)