El Kanno

This week we studied El Kanno, The LORD whose Name is Jealous. Many of us have trouble wrapping our mind around the idea that God is jealous. How can that be? The preconceived negative meaning of what we believe jealousy to be flies in the face of the very character of God. After finishing the homework and listening to Eva’s teaching I believe we came away with a solid understanding of who El Kanno is.

What I Learned in the Homework

Before delving into the homework, I just wanted to let you know that we were blessed with a new homework writer this week – thank you Marcy! As we have in the past, we began our lesson by looking to the first mention of El Kanno in the Bible: “Watch yourself that you make no covenant with the inhabitants of the land into which you are going, or it will become a snare in your midst. But rather, you are to tear down their altars and smash their sacred pillars and cut down their Asherim. Do not worship any other god, for the LORD, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God.  Otherwise you might make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land and they would play the harlot with their gods and sacrifice to their gods, and someone might invite you to eat of his sacrifice, and you might take some of his daughters for your sons, and his daughters might play the harlot with their gods and cause your sons also to play the harlot with their gods” (Ex. 34:12-16, NASB).

The homework gave us the all-important context of these Scriptures.  After Moses had met with the LORD and received the Ten Commandments he returned to the camp to find the Israelites worshiping the golden calf.  You will remember that Moses then destroyed the stone tablets in his anger at the people.  He again ascended to the mountain of the LORD to plead for forgiveness. God reassured Moses of His faithfulness but included a very strong warning against idolatry.  God made Himself known to the Israelites as El Kanno in light of their propensity to fall into idol worship.

The Hebrew word kanno  is associated with redness, fire, and heat. It describes a burning, passionate emotion. We also learned that the word kanno is translated two different ways in the Bible.  It can mean zealous or jealous.

 Negative Kanno:

“When the Jews saw the crowds, they were filled with jealousy” (Acts 13:45b).

“When feelings of jealousy come over a man because he suspects his wife” (Numbers 5:30).

When we think of human jealousy here are a few of the definitions that may come to mind: fearful or wary of losing affection or position, resentful or bitter, or inclined to suspect rivalry.  

Positive Kanno:

“When they heard this, they praised God. Then they said to Paul: "You see, brother, how many thousands of Jews have believed, and all of them are zealous for the law” (Acts 21:20).

“Since he was as zealous for my honor among them as I am, I did not put an end to them in my zeal” (Numbers 25:11).

We are probably less familiar with another definition of jealousy. It can mean to be vigilant in guarding something.  This brings us to the type of kanno that is used in conjunction with the LORD.

God’s Kanno

“I am jealous for you with a godly jealousy. I promised you to one husband, to Christ, so that I might present you as a pure virgin to him” (2 Corinthians 2:11).

The above verse shows us how different godly jealousy is from human jealousy.  Paul wants the Corinthians to have the kind of relationship with the LORD that he has. Negative jealousy wants to take.  Godly jealousy wants to give.

The homework stressed that God is passionate about us. He wants us to feel the same way about Him as He feels for us. It describes the relationship as a ‘romance of exclusivity’.  Our relationship with God is not one characterized by unhealthy possessiveness or of co-dependence. We will find joy in healthy submission to the God who loves us unconditionally!

What I Learned in Class

Eva began her lesson by bringing us to Exodus 20: "You shall not make for yourself an image in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God” (Exodus 20:4-5).  She pointed out that these verses are found before Exodus 34:4 where God first identifies himself as The LORD whose Name is Jealous.  In this passage God characterizes Himself as being jealous. When God gave the Israelites the Ten Commandments He made His intentions very clear.  It says in Deut. 5:7, “You shall have no other gods before me.  He alone is God and will not tolerate sharing this position with anyone or anything. He goes on to tell us: “You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God” (Deut. 5:9).

As we also learned in the homework, Eva touched on the difference between human jealousy and Divine jealousy.

Human Jealousy

She explained that human jealousy can be righteous. An example of this could be when a woman flirts with a married man. It would be right for the wife to feel jealousy because the other woman was no right to that woman’s husband. Selfish jealousy is very different. This type of jealousy would be characterized by wanting what someone else has. Taking the above example, a single woman may be jealous of a married woman, wishing she were married too. Eva then explained the difference between jealousy and envy. Still sticking with the above example, envy is when the single woman would not only be jealous of the married woman, but her desire would be to deny that other woman of her husband.

Divine Jealousy

“You adulterous people, don't you know that friendship with the world means enmity against God? Therefore, anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God or do you think Scripture says without reason that he jealously longs for the spirit he has caused to dwell in us?” (James 4:4-5).

In the verses that we covered in the homework and the above verse from James, we can see how seriously God takes the covenant He has made with His people. God consistently likens idol worship to adultery and prostitution. We have discussed through the year how idolatry plays into our own lives. We may not pay homage to a golden statue but there are things that take a position that only God should have (children, relationships, possessions, even ministry). These things may even be good things, but good or evil, God sees it as spiritual adultery.

Eva left us with a very powerful point. She asked us to think about a marriage relationship. Suppose one partner was flagrantly involved in an extra-marital affair yet the wronged spouse was totally unmoved by this. In fact, the spouse encouraged the relationship. How would you characterize this marriage? Is it one of love? Saint Augustine had said “He who is not jealous is not in love.”  It is right for a husband and wife to desire and expect faithful love from their partner. God’s intense jealousy for us is a manifestation of His intense love for us.

God’s jealousy for us is not characterized by a passing emotion. His desire is for our best. He loves us so much that He knows that nothing short of our full-fledged faithfulness to Him will satisfy us. It says in 1 Corinthians 10:22“Are we trying to arouse the Lord's jealousy? Are we stronger than he?”. Eva encourages us to be in a place where we satisfy God’s jealousy and never provoke it.

"I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with unfailing kindness.” (Jer. 31:3).

El Olam

This week in Bible Study we learned about El Olam, the Everlasting* God. We know from what we have studied this year that the first mention of anything in scripture is significant and sheds light on future occurrences. The LORD is first revealed as the Everlasting God in Genesis 21:33: “Abraham planted a tamarisk tree in Beersheba, and there he called on the name of the LORD, the Everlasting God”.  In September we learned that the name El or Elohim means strong or mighty Creator.  The Hebrew word olam means time or age and has roots in the Hebrew word that means hidden, underscoring the mysterious nature of God. 

What I Learned from the Homework

Before continuing, please read Genesis 21:22-34.  In the beginning of this passage Abraham and Abimelechek are arguing over a well at Beersheba.  The passage ends with the declaration by Abraham that the LORD is the Everlasting God.  These two things would seem to be unrelated but as we studied we learned of the connection.

In Genesis 17:1-8 God confirmed His covenant with Abraham. There are two specific promises that God had made to Abraham. The first promise: "As for me, this is my covenant with you: You will be the father of many nations.” Genesis 17:4.  The second promise: “The whole land of Canaan, where you now reside as a foreigner, I will give as an everlasting possession to you and your descendants after you; and I will be their God.” Genesis 17:8.

1) God promised that Abraham would be the father of many nations.

2) God promised Abraham land.

In this passage is the following verse: “I will establish my covenant as an everlasting covenant between me and you and your descendants after you for the generations to come, to be your God and the God of your descendants after you”  Genesis 17:7.

It is key to notice that the two things God had promised Abraham in Genesis 17 were part of His everlasting covenant.  We had learned in the homework that the first part of the covenant, which promised Abraham would be the father of many nations, had been fulfilled by the birth of Isaac.  Now let’s get back to the second part of the everlasting covenant.  This brings us to Abraham’s and Abimelech’s encounter at the well in Beersheba in Genesis 21.  As you read through these verses you will see that what had actually happened in this passage of scripture was that Abraham had bought the land that the well was on from Abimelech. That well was in Beersheba. Beersheba was in the Promised Land. And there you have it!  The second part of the everlasting covenant was fulfilled.  Abraham had the land!!  So why did Abraham plant the tree and call on the Everlasting God? Abraham had known that the LORD was an everlasting God but by his experience he now REALLY knew THE Everlasting God!!

The homework pointed out that Abraham had to go through certain circumstance to truly know the LORD, The Everlasting God, in a personal way. God will work in our lives in a similar fashion.   I will ask you what the homework asked us. Are you going through a confusing season that you sense God might be causing you to know something about Him in a deeper, more personal way?  Be encouraged! The joy of knowing Him more awaits you on the other side!

What I Learned in Class

Sandee began her lesson by helping us wrap our minds around the significance of God as our Everlasting God.  Some of the English translations of God’s Hebrew name El Olam  are: The God of Eternity, The Eternal God,  God of All Time, God of the Ages, The Unchangeable God,  and The God of Perpetuity. These names speak of the mysterious, infinite nature of our LORD.

As Sandee taught on Abraham’s time at the well at Beersheba found in Genesis 17, one of her focus points stemmed from the key verse as translated in the New Living Translation of the Bible: “Then Abraham planted a tamarisk tree at Beersheba, and there he worshiped the Lord, the Eternal God.” Genesis  21:33, NLT.

Abraham worshiped the LORD, the Everlasting God at Beersheba. The question she asked us…what exactly is worship?

When we think of worship, what might come to mind is singing hymns or modern songs of praise about the LORD during a Sunday morning church service. Sandee showed us that there is so much more to worship than that.

• Worship is a conversation between man and God.
• Worship is our heart’s expression of love, adoration, and praise to God. It is accompanied by an attitude and acknowledgement of His supremacy and Lordship in our lives.
• Worship is the ability to magnify God with our whole being – our bodies, souls, and spirits.
• Worship is extravagant love and extreme obedience.

Sandee gave us five points that helped to define what worshipping the LORD looks like in our own lives:

1) Worship is an intimate experience that brings us close to the heart of God. The basis of this experience is relationship. This relationship is a two way street.  It is about giving and receiving.

2) Worship is not a musical activity but a function of the heart. This is depicted so beautifully in Luke 7:“A woman in that town who lived a sinful life learned that Jesus was eating at the Pharisee's house, so she came there with an alabaster jar of perfume. As she stood behind him at his feet weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them and poured perfume on them” (Luke 7:37-38).  She poured out her heart in worship at the feet of Jesus.

3) The true worshiper will worship even under emotionally devastating circumstances. Job is an example of that.  We are all familiar with the catastrophic losses he suffered but this is what he declared: “At this, Job got up and tore his robe and shaved his head. Then he fell to the ground in worship and said: "Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked I will depart. The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away; may the name of the LORD be praised” (Job 1:20-21).  Despite his losses, Job affirmed God’s sovereignty.

4) We learn worship by doing it. “Blessed are those who have learned to acclaim you, who walk in the light of your presence, LORD” Psalm 89:15.

5) Worship is no longer bound to a certain time or place but a function of the spirit of man reaching out to the Spirit of God through Jesus Christ. “Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks" John 4:23.

Wrapping it All Up

We know that the world in which we live is temporary. It is passing away. The homework pointed to verse 3:11 of Ecclesiastes: “He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart, yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end”. The LORD is eternal and He has set that eternity in our hearts. While we are on the earth there will always be a longing for something more. That something more is eternity. The homework encourages us to take heart, and, when life is overwhelming, remember this is not all there is-- there is eternally more!!!

“Praise be to the LORD, the God of Israel, from everlasting to everlasting. Let all the people say, "Amen!" Praise the LORD.” Psalm 106:48

*The most commonly-used versions of the Bible we read from use the words ‘everlasting’ and ‘eternal’. For the sake of consistency, I am going to use ‘everlasting’.

Jehovah Tsuri

This week we have been studying Jehovah Tsuri, The LORD is My Rock.  Pastor Grace began our lesson by giving us several instances in Scripture where the LORD is called s our Rock.  Moses proclaims in Deuteronomy 32:4, “He is the Rock, his works are perfect, and all his ways are just.  A faithful God who does no wrong, upright and just is he."   What does it mean that the LORD is our rock? She reminded us that a rock is a place of safety and strength. It says in Psalm 144:1-2, “Of David. Praise be to the LORD my Rock, who trains my hands for war, my fingers for battle. He is my loving God and my fortress, my stronghold and my deliverer, my shield, in whom I take refuge, who subdues peoples under me."

Pastor Grace cautioned us about standing on man-made rocks. They will never be able to support us as Jehovah Tsuri can. She asked us to consider the effects of what happens when we choose to stand on a rock that is not the LORD. The result can be devastation, not only in our own lives, but the lives of those we love.  The words of Solomon attest to this fact: “The wise woman builds her house, but with her own hands the foolish one tears hers down” (Proverbs 14:1).  Pastor Grace reminded us that we should tell the LORD that we want to trust Him as our rock.  He is worthy of our trust; "The LORD is upright; he is my Rock, and there is no wickedness in him” (Psalm 92:15).

We learned in the homework that the first time this name is used was to describe Joseph’s relationship with the LORD:  “Joseph is a fruitful vine, a fruitful vine near a spring, whose branches climb over a wall.  With bitterness archers attacked him; they shot at him with hostility. But his bow remained steady, his strong arms stayed  limber, because of the hand of the Mighty One of Jacob, because of the Shepherd, the Rock of Israel” (Genesis 49:22-24).  The homework gave us three elements of Joseph’s relationship with the LORD as his Rock.  The Rock was: the source of his stability, the source of his strength, and the source of his safety.  We learned how these same three elements were also reflected in the relationship between David and Jehovah Tsuri.

The Rock as the Source of Stability

“For who is God besides the LORD? And who is the Rock except our God? You provide a broad path for my feet, so that my ankles do not give way”. (2 Sam. 22:32, 37)

David knew that it was the LORD that gave him the ability to stand firm in the face of adversity.

The concept that God is the source of our stability is also found in the New Testament in Matthew 7:24-27.  It says in verse 24-25, "Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. ”  The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock.”  This has such an important application to our own lives. We all want the LORD to be the source of our stability but it just doesn’t just happen. We need to actually walk in obedience to Jesus’ words.

The Rock as the Source of Strength

“It is God who arms me with strength and keeps my way secure. He trains my hands for battle; my arms can bend a bow of bronze.” (2 Sam. 22:33, 35). 

 Not only did the LORD give David strength, He also trained David for the battles he would face.  The homework suggests that the source of our strength is something we carry away from the spiritual battles we have fought.  As we go through trials with the LORD by our side we are strengthened for the battles that lie ahead.

The LORD was the Rock in the apostle Paul’s life. It says in 2 Tim. 4:16-17a “At my first defense, no one came to my support, but everyone deserted me. May it not be held against them.  But the Lord stood at my side and gave me strength,” (2 Tim 4:16-17a).  Like Paul, there will be times that we feel we are left alone by those closest to us in the midst of hardship. We can stand on the promise that God will be at our side as well, giving us the strength we need.

The Rock is the Source of Safety

“He said: "The LORD is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation. He is my stronghold, my refuge and my savior— from violent people you save me. "I called to the LORD, who is worthy of praise, and have been saved from my enemies.” (2 Sam. 22:2-4).

We learned that rocks and caves were often used as shelters or protective hiding places in the times which David lived.  David drew a strong symbolic parallel between the LORD his rock and what that relationship meant to him. We were reminded that although the LORD does call us to engage in the battle it is He who will bring us to safety.

Wrapping It Up

Before continuing, please take a few minutes to read Psalm 62. This psalm is a song of praise by David and reflects his relationship with Jehovah Tsuri.  We can see the same three concepts (stability, strength, and safety) reflected in Psalm 62 as we studied in 2 Samuel 22.

Stability: “Truly he is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will never be shaken.” (Psalm 62:2)

Strength: “One thing God has spoken, two things I have heard: "Power belongs to you, God.” (Psalm 62:11)

Safety: “My salvation and my honor depend on God; he is my mighty rock, my refuge.” (Psalm 62:7)

There is an awesome point to be made by comparing what we learned in 2 Samuel 22 to Psalm 62.  You’ll remember from 2 Samuel 22 :1, “David sang to the LORD the words of this song when the LORD delivered him from the hand of all his enemies and from the hand of Saul.”  We learned that David praised the LORD as the source of his stability, strength and safety after he was delivered from the hand of Saul. But the context of Psalm 62 is much different. The homework tells us that it is believed that this psalm was written in the midst of adversity, around the time that David’s son Absalom rebelled against him.  What does this tell us? That David’s perspective of Jehovah Tsuri remained the same through times of both victory or adversity.

We can truly apply what we have learned about David’s relationship with Jehovah Tsuri to our own relationship with the LORD our Rock.  As the homework pointed out, we probably all would like our words in the times of trial to mirror our words in times of victory.  We have the same capacity to trust the LORD as David did.  David didn’t look at his circumstances to tell him who his God was. He knew who his God was and he saw his circumstances through the eyes of faith. As you might recall, God declared David a man after His own heart!

“My soul, wait silently for God alone, For my expectation is from Him. He only is my rock and my salvation; He is my defense; I shall not be moved. In God is my salvation and my glory; The rock of my strength, And my refuge, is in God.  Trust in Him at all times, you people; Pour out your heart before Him; God is a refuge for us.” (Psalm 62:5-8, NKJV)

Jehovah Melek

Royalty. What image does that conjure up in your head? A throne? A crown? Perhaps Princess Di walking down the aisle of Westminster Cathedral? What about absolute power? Unquestioned authority? In the 21^st century royal titles are more about prestige than real power. As believers in the Lord Jesus Christ, the title “King” is very relevant to our lives. This week we studied Jehovah Melek, God My King.

In her lesson on Tuesday, Janet opened with the words from Psalm 68:24 (NASB), “They have seen Thy procession, O God, The procession of my God, my King into the sanctuary”. She explained that this psalm reviews the works of God on behalf of His people and an anticipation of the final victory of God over His enemies. Janet also pointed us to Psalm 5:1-3. It says in verse 2, “Hear my cry for help, my King and my God, for to you I pray”.  She taught that this psalm is a prayer for protection and guidance made to Jehovah Melek.

Janet asked us the question, ‘who is truly reigning on the throne of our hearts?’. It should be the King of Kings, she stressed, not ourselves. Our perception of God as King needs to go beyond an intellectual acknowledgement to the place where we are experiencing God as King in our lives. As we pray to our King, we bow in reverence. We approach Him with humility. Janet reminded us that we need to make a conscious and deliberate action to turn from the pain in our lives and look to the King.

In the homework this week we learned about three aspects of God’s position as King. We focused on His sovereignty, His statesmanship and His stewardship. (Please note that in the Bible verses you will read, although they may not call God ‘King’, in the context of the verses the LORD is being described as King.)

The King is Sovereign

“…he who is the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone has immortality, who dwells in unapproachable light, whom no one has ever seen or can see. To him be honor and eternal dominion.” (1 Timothy 6:15-16,ESV).

Some of the words I found that describe sovereign are: a ruler having supreme rank, power, or authority: greatest in degree; utmost or extreme; being above all others in character, importance, or excellence. God is the ONLY Sovereign! Let’s look at some of the things over which the King is sovereign:

Creation & Nature: “For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him.” Col. 1:16

Earthly Rule: “The king's heart is in the hand of the Lord; he directs it like a watercourse wherever he pleases.” (Proverbs 21:1)

There is nothing created in heaven or earth, nothing visible or invisible, nor any power, over which the King is not sovereign. I don’t think any of us struggle with unbelief in this area. But let’s make it a little more personal…

Circumstances in the life of a believer: “In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will, in order that we, who were the first to put our hope in Christ, might be for the praise of his glory.” (Eph. 1:11-12)

There is so much in our lives that is uncertain. If we are not dealing with a situation now, chances are we will be very soon. Every time we face uncertainty it is an opportunity to trust our Sovereign King. As we trust Him, one step at a time and one circumstance at a time, we build a walk of faith. He is the One with the plan and He will work it out to the conformity of His will and in the end, He will be glorified.

The King is a Statesman

Not only is Jehovah Melek a sovereign king, but He is also a statesman. As it is in our government, in God’s kingdom laws are made, obedience to these rules are judged, and justice is carried out. It says in Isaiah 33:22. “For the LORD is our judge, the LORD is our lawgiver, the LORD is our king; it is he who will save us”. This verse tells us that the Lord is our King but it also tells us that He is our judge and our lawgiver.

The King as lawgiver: “You came down on Mount Sinai; you spoke to them from heaven. You gave them regulations and laws that are just and right, and decrees and commands that are good.” (Nehemiah 9:13)

This year we have learned that obedience is very important to God. God’s laws are just, right and good. God has given us His laws because they are good for us, not to burden us. When the Israelites walked in disobedience they hurt themselves and others. When they obeyed, not only were they blessed but, more importantly, there was peace in their relationship with God. Many of us struggle with the idea of how we can really love God in our relationship with Him, not just with feeling, but in actions.

The King as judge: “The LORD reigns forever; he has established his throne for judgment. He rules the world in righteousness and judges the peoples with equity.” (Psalm 9:7-8)

The King is a Steward of His People

All kings have subjects over which they rule. It says in Psalm 100:3, “Know that the LORD is God. It is He who made us, and we are His; we are His people, the sheep of His pasture”. Psalm 145 opens with David exalting his King. He praises our God, the King, for who He is, His splendor and majesty, and all His mighty works. Not only does David praise the King, but he tells us much about the King’s stewardship of His people.

Psalm 145:9 “The LORD is good to all; He has compassion on all He has made.”

Psalm 145:14 “The LORD upholds all who fall and lifts up all who are bowed down.”

Psalm 145:16 “You open Your hand and satisfy the desires of every living thing.”

Psalm 145:20a “The LORD watches over all who love Him.”

Jehovak Melek is our Lord and our King. Earthly rulers will come and go. Kingdoms will rise and fall. Our God and His kingdom are everlasting. He is the King of Kings. No one comes close to comparing to Him, not in power, not in authority, and not in love. He is the King who rules in every sense of the word.

We learned about the King’s sovereignty and rule. These aspects of who He is inspire godly fear and reverence. But when we look at the stewardship of His people, we see the evidence of His tender care.

  

"Yours, O Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the majesty and the splendor, for everything in heaven and earth is yours. Yours, O Lord, is the kingdom; you are exalted as head over all.” (1 Chronicles 29:11)

Jehovah El Gmolah, The LORD of Retribution

What I Learned in Class

Sandee began her lesson on Tuesday with the definition of retribution.  It means to give something by way of compensation (as for a service rendered or damage incurred), repayment, or restitution. 

Before digging into Scripture where God reveals Himself as Jehovah El Gmolah, Sandee set the stage by giving us a picture of Israel’s history. In Deuteronomy the LORD made His expectations of Israel very clear: “If you fully obey the LORD your God and carefully follow all his commands I give you today, the LORD your God will set you high above all the nations on earth” (Deut. 28:1); “However, if you do not obey the LORD your God and do not carefully follow all his commands and decrees I am giving you today, all these curses will come upon you and overtake you” (Deut. 28:15).  As we have studied this year, the path that Israel chose was one that brought the curses of God upon them. 

In the book of Jeremiah God pronounced His judgment upon Israel and prophesied on their future (see Jer. 25:5-14).  In these verses the LORD tells Israel that they would be taken captive by the Babylonians and that the land of Israel would become a desolate wasteland. He also told them that their captivity would last 70 years.

In Jeremiah 52 we can read about the harsh treatment the Israelites endured at the hands of the Babylonians: the king was harshly maimed, his sons were killed before his eyes, the temple was burned, its treasures were plundered, the priests were killed, and finally they were uprooted from their home to live in a foreign land. Imagine living through this and the hopelessness that could overtake you, especially in light of the strong warning they had previously received from Jeremiah.

Sandee brought us to a verse that most of us have known and held dear; “For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future” (Jer. 29:11).  The question was, have we ever looked at this verse in context?  She examined the passage that covers Jeremiah  29:10-14,  focusing on  Jeremiah 29:10:  “This is what the LORD says: "When seventy years are completed for Babylon, I will come to you and fulfill my gracious promise to bring you back to this place” (Jer. 29:10).  The LORD was giving the Israelites hope in the midst of their punishment! The plans He had for them were good! They could hold on to the hope of His promise!

We have learned that the Israelites were under the LORD’s judgment and were harshly treated by the Babylonians.  But God would not leave their oppressors in peace and prosperity.  We read in Jeremiah 50:34, “Yet their Redeemer is strong; the LORD Almighty is his name. He will vigorously defend their cause so that he may bring rest to their land, but unrest to those who live in Babylon”. 

What I Learned in the Homework

Now we will move on to where God reveals Himself as Jehovah El Gmolah ;

 “A destroyer will come against Babylon; her warriors will be captured, and their bows will be broken. For the LORD is a God of retribution; he will repay in full” (Jer. 51:56).

You might be asking why God is dealing so severely with Babylon? We had learned that it was God who told the Israelites that He would be using Babylon against them as His arm of judgment in the first place. Jeremiah 50:11 gives us the answer: "Because you rejoice and are glad, you who pillage my inheritance, because you frolic like a heifer threshing grain and neigh like stallions”.  The homework makes the point that Babylon had gone too far.  We learned that God is angry at those who take joy in the suffering of those that are His. God will use others as instruments of His discipline but a line is crossed when they go beyond the LORD’s plan.

There is something very important to take note of. According to Jeremiah 51:56, who will repay for the suffering brought upon the Israelites? It was the LORD. The Israelites did not take vengeance upon themselves.  As New Testament Christians it is no different for us.  It says in Romans 12:19: “Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God's wrath, for it is written: "It is mine to avenge; I will repay," says the Lord”.  God also speaks to us about retribution in 1 Peter 3:9: “Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult, but with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing” (1 Peter 3:9).

The homework gave us a historical context for the words of Paul and Peter that illuminated the above verses.  At the time their letters were penned, Nero Claudius Caesar was ruling Asia. His persecution of Christians was beyond brutal; they were being burned at the stake, torn apart by dogs for amusement….truly horrible. In spite of this, Paul and Peter, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, admonished their readers (and us as well) not to take revenge into their own hands. As a note on God’s faithfulness, Nero himself met with a devastating end. His own people declared him an enemy, he was abandoned and dethroned, sentenced to death.

Now let’s go back and look at the end of the Babylonian story. Keep in mind the promise from 1 Peter 3:9, “so that you may inherit a blessing “. “In the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, in order to fulfill the word of the LORD spoken by Jeremiah, the LORD moved the heart of Cyrus king of Persia to make a proclamation throughout his realm and to put it in writing: "This is what Cyrus king of Persia says: "'The LORD, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth and He has appointed me to build a temple for Him at Jerusalem in Judah." (2 Chron. 36:22-23).

Not only did God deal with those who afflicted His people, He restored a blessing (through a pagan king, no less).  His desire was not to destroy but to rebuild and restore. The homework express this well, “While God uses trials and difficulties to shape and mold us, you can rest assured His desire is that they do not go beyond what is needed for our growth and restoration, if they do, they will answer to Jehovah El Gmolah, the LORD God of Recompenses” (A. Solomon, Jehovah El Gmolah).

Wrapping It Up

Earlier this year we studied Jehovah Mekadesh, The Lord Who Makes You Holy.  We learned in that lesson that God has set us apart as His people. Being set apart makes us distinctive.  I couldn’t help but think of this as we studied the God of Retribution. The way we deal with revenge needs to look different than the rest of the world. Sandee reminded us of Jesus’ words in Matthew 5:38-39a, “You have heard that it was said, 'Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth’. But I tell you, Do not resist an evil person”.  We also learned that our God is the God of Recompenses and we can trust Him to work on our behalf when our enemy plots destruction.  He is faithful. But not only that, but remember what we learned in 1 Peter 3:9?  “so that you may inherit a blessing” (1 Peter 3:9). Our God is an awesome God!!!

Jehovah Hoseenu

What I Learned in Class

Pastor Grace began her lesson by making an important distinction. You may remember in the beginning of our study on the names of God we learned about Elohim, God Mighty Creator. This week we studied Jehovah Hoseenu, The LORD our Maker.  She explained that a creator is a person that brings something into existence (i.e. an architect). She gave us the definition of a maker as one who makes or produces something (i.e. a construction worker). An architect creates out of nothing while the construction worker builds from something already created.  So how does Jehovah Hoseenu fit into this?  He is the Maker who takes what has already been created and molds and shapes it.

Pastor Grace brought us back to the beginning of Genesis where we saw Jehovah Hoseenu at work,  “The LORD God formed the man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being” (Genesis 2:7).   The LORD took the dust that had already been created and formed man and then breathed His life into us. Truly, God is the Potter!

Throughout the year we have looked at the LORD’s relationship with Israel. Pastor Grace reminded us how God called Israel out of Egypt. While they were in the wilderness for 40 years God tried to reshape and remold His people.  There were many who rejected His molding hands and quarreled against Him.  "Woe to him who quarrels with his Maker, to him who is but a potsherd among the potsherds on the ground. Does the clay say to the potter, 'What are you making?' Does your work say, 'He has no hands'?” (Isaiah 45:9).  Pastor Grace pointed out that the remolding process can be a rough one.

She then brought us to Jeremiah 18:1-8.  In this passage Jeremiah goes to the Potter’s House and speaks with the LORD, the Potter.  The LORD tells Jeremiah, "O house of Israel, can I not do with you as this potter does?" declares the LORD. "Like clay in the hand of the potter, so are you in my hand, O house of Israel “ (Jer. 18:6).  Pastor Grace pointed out that as God can shape and reshape a nation, He will also do this with us. He takes us as we are, in our carnal ways and shapes us into a vessel He can use. It says in Romans 9:21,: “Does not the potter have the right to make out of the same lump of clay some pottery for noble purposes and some for common use?”.  Sometimes God will mold us to meet the need of a moment. He may fashion us for a certain time, with a specific task in mind. Our part is to walk in obedience for that moment that He has called us to.

What I Learned from the Homework

In the homework we also studied the difference between ‘Maker’ and ‘Creator’, using the original Hebrew to make an important distinction. We were reminded that Creator comes from the word bara, which means to create out of nothing. The word for Maker comes from asah, which is similar to bara but emphasizes the fashioning of created objects.

God has Fashioned You 

We began by looking at Psalm 139:13-16 (NASB): “For You formed my inward parts; You wove me together in my mother’s womb. I will give thanks to You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Wonderful are Your works, and my soul knows it very well. My frame was not hidden from You when I was made in secret, and skillfully wrought in the depths of the earth.  Your eyes have seen my unformed substance; and in Your book were all written The days that were ordained for me, When as yet there was not one of them.”

We learned that before we were even born that God had formed our innermost being – our spirits, hearts and minds. The psalmist (David) expressed that he was fearfully and wonderfully made. David was looking at himself even before he was born.  When we were fashioned by our Maker we were wonderfully made, yet, life happens.  We are hurt and bruised; our hearts are broken; what the LORD had originally intended becomes marred. 

God is Refashioning You

In our class lesson we looked at Jeremiah 18 where we saw the LORD as a potter, reforming a marred pot.   In the homework we looked at how the refashioning process is worked by the LORD in our own lives. The Maker takes that what was marred and reshapes it to be the beautiful vessel He intended. That’s what He does with us!!

The homework pointed out that many of us have had pasts that have steered us off the course of the Maker’s original intention. We looked at Romans 8:28-29, which gives us hope. “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him,  who  have been called according to his purpose. For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers” (Romans 8:28-29).  God can take all things, all those things that have marred us as we have walked through life, and use them to transform us into the image of Jesus.  We were encouraged to know that our pasts do not need to dictate who we become. How freeing is that!!!

God’s Work Never Goes out of Fashion

“For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do” (Eph. 2:10).  

What does it mean to you when you read that you are God’s workmanship?  Remember, we are the clay in the hands of the Potter. The word for workmanship comes from the word poiema.  Can you see it? We are God’s poem. It can also mean we are His masterpiece!  Something key to keep in mind, this word also conveys that we are a work in process. This process can be uncomfortable and confusing but remember, submitting to the loving hands of the Maker will bring about beauty and wholeness.

Wrapping It Up

I pray that as you read through this post that the truth of God’s Word has penetrated your hearts. It is easy to forget or take for granted that the LORD really is our Maker. We can see ourselves through critical eyes. He sees us through eyes of love and compassion.  As we learned, we are a work in process. Be patient with yourself as the Potter reshapes your broken places. You can trust that what He is doing is a beautiful thing!

 “The LORD will perfect that which concerns me; Your mercy, O LORD, endures forever; Do not forsake the works of Your hands.” (Psalm 138:8)