Archives For rajesh

Another Glorious Dimension of the Goodness of God

March 14, 2016

The entire Bible testifies to the inexhaustible goodness of God. God gave the Israelites revelation concerning the Sabbath that testifies to another glorious dimension of His goodness that I had not given much thought to until recently.

Speaking directly to Moses, God declared the following concerning the Sabbath:

Exodus 23:12 Six days thou shalt do thy work, and on the seventh day thou shalt rest: that thine ox and thine ass may rest, and the son of thy handmaid, and the stranger, may be refreshed.

In giving the Sabbath to His people, God displayed that He cared not just for the well-being of humans but also for the well-being of their animals! God is so good that He wanted even the Israelites’ oxen and donkeys to have one day out of seven that they could rest physically from the exhausting labors that they endured on the other six days of each week!

Let us praise our God for this glorious dimension of His infinite goodness!

Copyright © 2011-2024 by Rajesh Gandhi. All rights reserved.

In Exposition, Theology
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Elisha’s Glory as A Man of God

March 7, 2016

Scripture speaks to us of thousands of different people. Many of those people are named, but a sizable number are not.

Of the thousands that are named, only eight share the distinction of having Scripture explicitly speak of them as being men of God.

The following table presents the 78 times in Scripture that men are designated as being men of God.

David 2Ch 8:14 And he appointed, according to the order of David his father, the courses of the priests to their service, and the Levites to their charges, to praise and minister before the priests, as the duty of every day required: the porters also by their courses at every gate: for so had David the man of God commanded.
David Neh 12:24 And the chief of the Levites: Hashabiah, Sherebiah, and Jeshua the son of Kadmiel, with their brethren over against them, to praise and to give thanks, according to the commandment of David the man of God, ward over against ward.
David  36 And his brethren, Shemaiah, and Azarael, Milalai, Gilalai, Maai, Nethaneel, and Judah, Hanani, with the musical instruments of David the man of God, and Ezra the scribe before them.
Elijah 1Ki 17:18 And she said unto Elijah, What have I to do with thee, O thou man of God? art thou come unto me to call my sin to remembrance, and to slay my son?
Elijah  24 And the woman said to Elijah, Now by this I know that thou art a man of God, and that the word of the LORD in thy mouth is truth.
Elijah 2Ki 1:9 ¶ Then the king sent unto him a captain of fifty with his fifty. And he went up to him: and, behold, he sat on the top of an hill. And he spake unto him, Thou man of God, the king hath said, Come down.
Elijah  10 And Elijah answered and said to the captain of fifty, If I be a man of God, then let fire come down from heaven, and consume thee and thy fifty. And there came down fire from heaven, and consumed him and his fifty.
Elijah  11 ¶ Again also he sent unto him another captain of fifty with his fifty. And he answered and said unto him, O man of God, thus hath the king said, Come down quickly.
Elijah  12 And Elijah answered and said unto them, If I be a man of God, let fire come down from heaven, and consume thee and thy fifty. And the fire of God came down from heaven, and consumed him and his fifty.
Elijah  13 ¶ And he sent again a captain of the third fifty with his fifty. And the third captain of fifty went up, and came and fell on his knees before Elijah, and besought him, and said unto him, O man of God, I pray thee, let my life, and the life of these fifty thy servants, be precious in thy sight.
Elisha 2Ki 4:7 Then she came and told the man of God. And he said, Go, sell the oil, and pay thy debt, and live thou and thy children of the rest.
Elisha  9 And she said unto her husband, Behold now, I perceive that this is an holy man of God, which passeth by us continually.
Elisha  16 And he said, About this season, according to the time of life, thou shalt embrace a son. And she said, Nay, my lord, thou man of God, do not lie unto thine handmaid.
Elisha  21 And she went up, and laid him on the bed of the man of God, and shut the door upon him, and went out.
Elisha  22 And she called unto her husband, and said, Send me, I pray thee, one of the young men, and one of the asses, that I may run to the man of God, and come again.
Elisha (2x)  25 ¶ So she went and came unto the man of God to mount Carmel. And it came to pass, when the man of God saw her afar off, that he said to Gehazi his servant, Behold, yonder is that Shunammite:
Elisha (2x)  27 And when she came to the man of God to the hill, she caught him by the feet: but Gehazi came near to thrust her away. And the man of God said, Let her alone; for her soul is vexed within her: and the LORD hath hid it from me, and hath not told me.
Elisha  40 So they poured out for the men to eat. And it came to pass, as they were eating of the pottage, that they cried out, and said, O thou man of God, there is death in the pot. And they could not eat thereof.
Elisha  42 ¶ And there came a man from Baalshalisha, and brought the man of God bread of the firstfruits, twenty loaves of barley, and full ears of corn in the husk thereof. And he said, Give unto the people, that they may eat.
Elisha 2Ki 5:8 ¶ And it was so, when Elisha the man of God had heard that the king of Israel had rent his clothes, that he sent to the king, saying, Wherefore hast thou rent thy clothes? let him come now to me, and he shall know that there is a prophet in Israel.
Elisha  14 Then went he down, and dipped himself seven times in Jordan, according to the saying of the man of God: and his flesh came again like unto the flesh of a little child, and he was clean.
Elisha  15 ¶ And he returned to the man of God, he and all his company, and came, and stood before him: and he said, Behold, now I know that there is no God in all the earth, but in Israel: now therefore, I pray thee, take a blessing of thy servant.
Elisha  20 But Gehazi, the servant of Elisha the man of God, said, Behold, my master hath spared Naaman this Syrian, in not receiving at his hands that which he brought: but, as the LORD liveth, I will run after him, and take somewhat of him.
Elisha 2Ki 6:6 And the man of God said, Where fell it? And he shewed him the place. And he cut down a stick, and cast it in thither; and the iron did swim.
Elisha  9 And the man of God sent unto the king of Israel, saying, Beware that thou pass not such a place; for thither the Syrians are come down.
Elisha  10 And the king of Israel sent to the place which the man of God told him and warned him of, and saved himself there, not once nor twice.
Elisha  15 ¶ And when the servant of the man of God was risen early, and gone forth, behold, an host compassed the city both with horses and chariots. And his servant said unto him, Alas, my master! how shall we do?
Elisha 2Ki 7:2 Then a lord on whose hand the king leaned answered the man of God, and said, Behold, if the LORD would make windows in heaven, might this thing be? And he said, Behold, thou shalt see it with thine eyes, but shalt not eat thereof.
Elisha  17 And the king appointed the lord on whose hand he leaned to have the charge of the gate: and the people trode upon him in the gate, and he died, as the man of God had said, who spake when the king came down to him.
Elisha  18 And it came to pass as the man of God had spoken to the king, saying, Two measures of barley for a shekel, and a measure of fine flour for a shekel, shall be to morrow about this time in the gate of Samaria:
Elisha  19 And that lord answered the man of God, and said, Now, behold, if the LORD should make windows in heaven, might such a thing be? And he said, Behold, thou shalt see it with thine eyes, but shalt not eat thereof.
Elisha 2Ki 8:2 And the woman arose, and did after the saying of the man of God: and she went with her household, and sojourned in the land of the Philistines seven years.
Elisha  4 And the king talked with Gehazi the servant of the man of God, saying, Tell me, I pray thee, all the great things that Elisha hath done.
Elisha  7 ¶ And Elisha came to Damascus; and Benhadad the king of Syria was sick; and it was told him, saying, The man of God is come hither.
Elisha  8 And the king said unto Hazael, Take a present in thine hand, and go, meet the man of God, and enquire of the LORD by him, saying, Shall I recover of this disease?
Elisha  11 And he settled his countenance stedfastly, until he was ashamed: and the man of God wept.
Elisha 2Ki 13:19 And the man of God was wroth with him, and said, Thou shouldest have smitten five or six times; then hadst thou smitten Syria till thou hadst consumed it: whereas now thou shalt smite Syria but thrice.
Igdaliah Jer 35:4 And I brought them into the house of the LORD, into the chamber of the sons of Hanan, the son of Igdaliah, a man of God, which was by the chamber of the princes, which was above the chamber of Maaseiah the son of Shallum, the keeper of the door:
Moses Deu 33:1 ¶ And this is the blessing, wherewith Moses the man of God blessed the children of Israel before his death.
Moses Jos 14:6 ¶ Then the children of Judah came unto Joshua in Gilgal: and Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenezite said unto him, Thou knowest the thing that the LORD said unto Moses the man of God concerning me and thee in Kadeshbarnea.
Moses 1Ch 23:14 Now concerning Moses the man of God, his sons were named of the tribe of Levi.
Moses 2Ch 30:16 And they stood in their place after their manner, according to the law of Moses the man of God: the priests sprinkled the blood, which they received of the hand of the Levites.
Moses Ezr 3:2 Then stood up Jeshua the son of Jozadak, and his brethren the priests, and Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and his brethren, and builded the altar of the God of Israel, to offer burnt offerings thereon, as it is written in the law of Moses the man of God.
Moses Psa 90:1 <A Prayer of Moses the man of God.> Lord, thou hast been our dwelling place in all generations.
Samuel 1Sa 9:6 And he said unto him, Behold now, there is in this city a man of God, and he is an honourable man; all that he saith cometh surely to pass: now let us go thither; peradventure he can shew us our way that we should go.
Samuel  7 Then said Saul to his servant, But, behold, if we go, what shall we bring the man? for the bread is spent in our vessels, and there is not a present to bring to the man of God: what have we?
Samuel  8 And the servant answered Saul again, and said, Behold, I have here at hand the fourth part of a shekel of silver: that will I give to the man of God, to tell us our way.
Samuel  10 Then said Saul to his servant, Well said; come, let us go. So they went unto the city where the man of God was.
Shemaiah 1Ki 12:22 But the word of God came unto Shemaiah the man of God, saying,
Shemaiah 2Ch 11:2 But the word of the LORD came to Shemaiah the man of God, saying,
Timothy 1Ti 6:11 ¶ But thou, O man of God, flee these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness.
Unnamed1 Jdg 13:6 Then the woman came and told her husband, saying, A man of God came unto me, and his countenance was like the countenance of an angel of God, very terrible: but I asked him not whence he was, neither told he me his name:
Unnamed1  8 ¶ Then Manoah intreated the LORD, and said, O my Lord, let the man of God which thou didst send come again unto us, and teach us what we shall do unto the child that shall be born.
Unnamed2 1Sa 2:27 ¶ And there came a man of God unto Eli, and said unto him, Thus saith the LORD, Did I plainly appear unto the house of thy father, when they were in Egypt in Pharaoh’s house?
Unnamed3 1Ki 13:1 ¶ And, behold, there came a man of God out of Judah by the word of the LORD unto Bethel: and Jeroboam stood by the altar to burn incense.
Unnamed3  4 And it came to pass, when king Jeroboam heard the saying of the man of God, which had cried against the altar in Bethel, that he put forth his hand from the altar, saying, Lay hold on him. And his hand, which he put forth against him, dried up, so that he could not pull it in again to him.
Unnamed3  5 The altar also was rent, and the ashes poured out from the altar, according to the sign which the man of God had given by the word of the LORD.
Unnamed3 (2x)  6 And the king answered and said unto the man of God, Intreat now the face of the LORD thy God, and pray for me, that my hand may be restored me again. And the man of God besought the LORD, and the king’s hand was restored him again, and became as it was before.
Unnamed3  7 And the king said unto the man of God, Come home with me, and refresh thyself, and I will give thee a reward.
Unnamed3  8 And the man of God said unto the king, If thou wilt give me half thine house, I will not go in with thee, neither will I eat bread nor drink water in this place:
Unnamed3  11 ¶ Now there dwelt an old prophet in Bethel; and his sons came and told him all the works that the man of God had done that day in Bethel: the words which he had spoken unto the king, them they told also to their father.
Unnamed3  12 And their father said unto them, What way went he? For his sons had seen what way the man of God went, which came from Judah.
Unnamed3 (2x)  14 And went after the man of God, and found him sitting under an oak: and he said unto him, Art thou the man of God that camest from Judah? And he said, I am.
Unnamed3  21 And he cried unto the man of God that came from Judah, saying, Thus saith the LORD, Forasmuch as thou hast disobeyed the mouth of the LORD, and hast not kept the commandment which the LORD thy God commanded thee,
Unnamed3  26 ¶ And when the prophet that brought him back from the way heard thereof, he said, It is the man of God, who was disobedient unto the word of the LORD: therefore the LORD hath delivered him unto the lion, which hath torn him, and slain him, according to the word of the LORD, which he spake unto him.
Unnamed3  29 And the prophet took up the carcase of the man of God, and laid it upon the ass, and brought it back: and the old prophet came to the city, to mourn and to bury him.
Unnamed3  31 And it came to pass, after he had buried him, that he spake to his sons, saying, When I am dead, then bury me in the sepulchre wherein the man of God is buried; lay my bones beside his bones:
Unnamed3 2Ki 23:16 And as Josiah turned himself, he spied the sepulchres that were there in the mount, and sent, and took the bones out of the sepulchres, and burned them upon the altar, and polluted it, according to the word of the LORD which the man of God proclaimed, who proclaimed these words.
Unnamed3  17 Then he said, What title is that that I see? And the men of the city told him, It is the sepulchre of the man of God, which came from Judah, and proclaimed these things that thou hast done against the altar of Bethel.
Unnamed4 1Ki 20:28 And there came a man of God, and spake unto the king of Israel, and said, Thus saith the LORD, Because the Syrians have said, The LORD is God of the hills, but he is not God of the valleys, therefore will I deliver all this great multitude into thine hand, and ye shall know that I am the LORD.
Unnamed5 2Ch 25:7 But there came a man of God to him, saying, O king, let not the army of Israel go with thee; for the LORD is not with Israel, to wit, with all the children of Ephraim.
Unnamed5 (2x)  9 And Amaziah said to the man of God, But what shall we do for the hundred talents which I have given to the army of Israel? And the man of God answered, The LORD is able to give thee much more than this.
Generic 2Ti 3:17 That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.

As can be plainly seen from the table, Elisha the prophet has the glory of being called a man of God far more times than any other man!

Elisha (29x)

Elijah (7x)

Moses (6x)

Samuel (4x)

David (3x)

Shemaiah (2x)

Igdaliah, Timothy (1x)

It is fascinating to ponder why the Holy Spirit inspired the Scripture writers to emphasize this designation for Elisha in this profound way. If you have any thoughts about why this might be, I would love to hear what you think.

Copyright © 2011-2024 by Rajesh Gandhi. All rights reserved.

In Bible reading, Theology
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Matthew 6:33 and American Presidential Politics

February 29, 2016

How should Christians who have the opportunity to vote decide which candidates they should vote for? Many people seem to answer this question by voting for the candidates that they think will have the best policies that will most benefit them, especially economically.

In the Sermon on the Mount, however, Jesus taught that God’s people must always prioritize God’s kingdom and His righteousness above all other concerns, including even such essentials as seeking what they will eat, drink, and wear:

Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? 32 (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. 33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you (Matthew 6:31-33).

As you consider whom you will vote for in this year’s elections, especially for determining who will be the next president of our country—if you are a Christian—you must keep in mind that God demands that you put His interests first in your deciding which candidates you choose to vote for and support in other ways. You must, therefore, carefully examine how each candidate rates concerning who they are in the sight of God and what they have done and will do concerning the things that matter most to God!

Christians are responsible before God to vote for candidates on the basis of a thoroughly biblical assessment of the things that most directly concern the kingdom of God and His righteousness.

Copyright © 2011-2024 by Rajesh Gandhi. All rights reserved.

In Discipleship, Interpretation
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Through the Bible in 59 Days in 2016!

February 28, 2016

I began this year reading the Bible with an intense desire to read as much of the Bible as I could in preparation for teaching two combined Sunday school classes at my church. I praise God tonight that He has given me grace and perseverance to finish reading the Bible through for this year in 59 days!

Having read the Bible in English this year, my goal now is to try to read through the Bible in Spanish by the end of the year. Because I have not taught the second combined Sunday school class yet, I will also be studying many passages in the Bible in English intensely until I have taught that second class.

Copyright © 2011-2024 by Rajesh Gandhi. All rights reserved.

In Bible reading, Sunday School
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Getting closer!

February 21, 2016

1051 chapters read in the Bible this year; 138 to go!

Copyright © 2011-2024 by Rajesh Gandhi. All rights reserved.

In Bible reading
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Bible Reading Update 2.15.16

February 15, 2016

I have now read 915 chapters of the Bible this year, praise the Lord! To finish by the end of the month, I will need to read 274 chapters in the next 14 days.

Copyright © 2011-2024 by Rajesh Gandhi. All rights reserved.

In Bible reading
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“Faithful Spiritual Leadership” (1 Samuel 12)

February 11, 2016

I praise God for the encouraging feedback that I received last night about how God ministered through me as I preached my message, “Faithful Spiritual Leadership,” from 1 Samuel 12! May He see fit to continue to use it to advance His kingdom and righteousness.

Here is the audio of my message:

 

My message was enhanced through the use of two graphics that I made that bring out key features of this passage. This first graphic shows how 1 Samuel 12 records the extensive dialogue between Samuel (in green) and the people of Israel (in blue).

1Sam 12 as dialogue

 

This second graphic shows how profoundly Samuel emphasized God as the Lord (Heb. Yahweh) to these people as he ministered to them (31x, highlighted in yellow; the people spoke of God as the Lord once, which is highlighted in blue).

1Sam 12 the Lord highlighted

 

For the main points of this message, see this previous post.

Copyright © 2011-2024 by Rajesh Gandhi. All rights reserved.

In Mount Calvary Baptist Pulpit, Preaching
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How Christ Illumines a Profound Truth about the Old Testament!

February 6, 2016

One of the most striking truths that I discovered through my recent preparation for teaching a Sunday school class was how Christ illumined the OT with specific statements that taken together reveal a profound truth about God the Father. The following five-fold comparison of OT statements with the teaching of Christ guide us to understand this glorious truth plainly.

I. Jeremiah 31:35 compared with Matthew 5:45

The prophet Jeremiah proclaimed the Lord as the One who gives the sun for a light by day:

Jer 31:35 Thus saith the LORD, which giveth the sun for a light by day, and the ordinances of the moon and of the stars for a light by night, which divideth the sea when the waves thereof roar; The LORD of hosts is his name:

Jesus taught that the Father who is in heaven is the One who makes His sun to rise on all people.

Mat 5:45 That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.

Comparing Jeremiah 31:35 with Matthew 5:45, we learn that Jeremiah 31:35 is a statement about the Father who gives the sun to shine on all people!

II. Psalm 147:7-8 compared with Matthew 5:45

The psalmist teaches us that the Lord, our God, prepares rain for the earth:

Psa 147:7 Sing unto the LORD with thanksgiving; sing praise upon the harp unto our God: 8 Who covereth the heaven with clouds, who prepareth rain for the earth, who maketh grass to grow upon the mountains.

Jesus illumines our understanding of that statement by His teaching that the Father who is in heaven is the One who sends rain on all people:

Mat 5:45 That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.

Through this comparison, Jesus teaches us that Psalm 147:8 is a statement about the Father who sends rain on all people!

III. Psalm 147:7-9 compared with Matthew 6:26

The psalmist teaches us that the Lord, our God gives food to the young ravens which cry:

Psa 147:7 Sing unto the LORD with thanksgiving; sing praise upon the harp unto our God: 8 Who covereth the heaven with clouds, who prepareth rain for the earth, who maketh grass to grow upon the mountains. 9 He giveth to the beast his food, and to the young ravens which cry.

In parallel teaching, we learn from Jesus that the Father feeds the birds of the air:

Mat 6:26 Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they?

Jesus illumines us to understand through this comparison that Psalm 147:9 is teaching about the Father who gives food to the young ravens who cry to Him!

IV. Psalm 50:11 compared with Matthew 10:29

The psalmist tells us that our God knows all the birds of the mountains:

Psa 50:7 Hear, O my people, and I will speak; O Israel, and I will testify against thee: I am God, even thy God. . . . 11 I know all the fowls of the mountains: and the wild beasts of the field are mine.

Jesus informs us that not even one sparrow falls to the ground without our heavenly Father:

Mat 10:29 Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? and one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father.

From this comparison, we learn from Jesus that Psalm 50:11 is truth about the Father who knows every bird!

V. Isaiah 54:13 compared with John 6:44-45

Isaiah prophesied of a glorious future event when the Lord would teach His people:

Isa 54:13 And all thy children shall be taught of the LORD; and great shall be the peace of thy children.

Jesus quotes that very statement from Isaiah and explains that statement is fulfilled when the Father teaches everyone who comes to Christ to come to Him:

Joh 6:44 No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day. 45 It is written in the prophets, And they shall be all taught of God. Every: man therefore that hath heard, and hath learned of the Father, cometh unto me.

Jesus thus illumined our understanding of Isaiah 54:13 by teaching us that it speaks of the Father’s teaching His people to come to Christ!

Discussion

Jesus testified that all His teaching was from the Father (John 7:16-17; 8:28). All of Jesus’ teaching thus was the Father’s teaching.

The writer of Hebrews extends our understanding of the Father’s teaching further by saying that the Father who has spoken to us in these last days is also the One who spoke to the fathers long ago by the prophets (Heb. 1:1-2; cf. Dan. 9:10). The five-fold comparison presented above between the teaching of Jesus and the teaching of the OT shows that what we read in these statements from the prophets is not just teaching from the Father—it is also teaching about the Father!

Conclusion

Jesus not only teaches us about the Father through the direct statements that He made about the Father, but also He teaches us about the Father by illumining how various OT statements about the Lord, our God, are teaching about the Father!

 

 

Copyright © 2011-2024 by Rajesh Gandhi. All rights reserved.

In Interpretation, Theology
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Audio, handout for “The Ministry of the Father as Teacher”

February 1, 2016

Through the Lord’s help and the prayers of many people, I taught a Sunday school class yesterday that examined much biblical teaching about the teaching ministry of God the Father. I praise God for giving me this opportunity to profit His people and commend His glory to them!

Here are some resources for anyone who is interested in learning more about this subject:

Audio of my message, The Ministry of the Father as Teacher

 

Handout for this message

Copyright © 2011-2024 by Rajesh Gandhi. All rights reserved.

In Sunday School, Theology
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Teaching Sunday School tomorrow!

January 30, 2016

After studying for many weeks and reading 699 chapters in the Bible since January 1, I am eagerly looking forward to teaching Sunday school tomorrow, God willing, and profiting God’s people with what He has given me to teach about the ministry of God the Father as teacher!

Here are the books that I have read this year:

OT: Exodus, Deuteronomy, Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Daniel (439 chapters)

NT: All 27 books (260 chapters)

Praise the Lord!

Copyright © 2011-2024 by Rajesh Gandhi. All rights reserved.

In Bible reading, Sunday School
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