Dogs in the Bible

  Yesterday evening in our small group Bible study, a couple of us were interested in this reference: "But not a dog shall growl against any of the people of Israel, either man or beast, that you may know that the LORD makes a distinction between Egypt and Israel." It's in the context of the angel of death who is going to execute the firstborn sons throughout Egypt, and it is of rather minor theological significance. However, in a culture which loves puppies, it is interesting: this appears to be the first reference to dogs in Scripture.

 So, how are canines mentioned in the Bible? Well, honestly, the references to dogs don't seem particularly different from today.

"Pets" (domesticated or household dogs)

- Exodus 22:31; Matthew 15:26-27 & Mark 7:27-28 (food thrown to dogs)

- Job 30:1 (sheep dogs)

- Psalm 68:23 - 'the tongues of your dogs may have their portion from the foe' - sounds like guard dogs

- Isaiah 56:10-11 - watchdogs

Name-calling or Self-deprecating humility

 - 1 Samuel 17:43; 24:14; 2 Samuel 9:8; 16:9; 2 Kings 8:13; Psalm 22:20; Philippians 3:2; Revelation 22:15

Packs of Dogs

- The above Exodus 11:7 reference seems to be concerned with possible violence from a dog. It could be a watchdog, but it seems more likely to refer to packs of dogs in light of some of the later references. Other references in this category would include 1 Kings 14:11; 16:4; 21:19, 23-24; 22:38; 2 Kings 9:10, 36; Psalms 22:16; 59:6, 14; Jeremiah 15:3

As dirty animals or animals with dirty or inappropriate-for-a-human habits

- Judges 7:5 - "a dog laps"

- Proverbs 26:11; 2 Peter 2:22 - "A dog returns to its vomit"

- Matthew 7:6 - "do not give dogs what is holy"

Unclear or Random 

- Deuteronomy 23:18 - "wages of a dog" - maybe a dog loaned out for hunting purposes???

- Proverbs 26:17 - "a passing dog"

- Ecclesiastes 9:4 - "a living dog is better than a dead lion" - maybe for guarding???

- Luke 16:21 - dogs licking sores - this could be seen as sympathetic and healing, or a sign of misery; the dogs could be from the household or a pack potentially ???

 

**Prov 30:31 mentions an animal which is unclear for translation ("girt of loins"), possibly a greyhound or a strutting rooster.

Philippians and the Presence

 

The Albanian Alps

 

  That the Maker of this unimaginably great universe would approach -draw near to- creatures he made is one of the great mysteries and realities in the Bible. What kind of God cares about minute creatures on a tiny planet in the midst of this stunning magnificence, especially ones who have rejected his lordship? Yet, throughout Scripture, we do not only find the Maker coming as a Judge of rebels, though that is certainly part, and we do not only find a Presence through pure symbol like fire or cloud or dove, but we also see the approach of intimate call to relationship and friendship with the One. Of course, this was manifested ultimately when God became human enfleshed. [This is not the often-accused impossibility that a human should somehow became GOD, but the belief that GOD stooped low to become one of us.]

  As I've been reading in Paul's letter to the Philippians, I was struck by the practical relevance of the Lord's presence for the Jesus-follower. In 4:5-6 (below), the soon-coming or approach of the Lord is the basis for not worrying. In other words, don't worry about the future because the Lord will be there. Several verses later, Paul says, the way to practice right thought and action is with the knowledge of the God of peace's current presence with you. In other words, you can live in God's way now because the God who will gives peace is actually with you. 

  Since these verses about the presence of God in the future and the present came so close together, I wonder if this letter mentioned the presence of God in the past with these sorts of practical implications. And it does. In chapter 2:4-8, Paul writes that Jesus-followers are to have a sacrificial and unified attitude towards each other and others. Then he gives the basis of this as such an attitude is already 'yours in Christ Jesus' because of Jesus' past presence in coming and dying, along with his exaltation. From other Scriptures, we can see that being 'in Christ Jesus' relates directly to our being in the Presence. So, we have here the past presence of God enabling a God-ward present inner life and attitude. 

Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you. (Phil 4:5-9, ESV)

Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. (Phil 2:4-8, ESV)

the incredibly important interests of pagans

   According to Philippians 2:3-8, Jesus looked out for the interests of His pagan enemies more than His own interests as the Creator-Prince of Heaven and Earth!  Do I count the unbeliever's (and believer's) interests as more significant than my own and live accordingly?

    Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. (Philippians 2:1-8 ESV) 

(These thoughts were spawned from yesterday's sermon on Humility by Ben Toomer.)

To Glory in Knowing God

A heart-poem written and posted by MKC. Well worth reading and pondering for a while...

An old song that was brought to mind from my reading in Philippians this morning. I've adjusted a few of the words so it's closer to the way I remember it.

Running In The Steps

A lot of people think that they've attained to the height of Christian grace
They thinking that being a Christian is easy and no big thrill
But the Christian life in Jesus is something like running a race
And you're not living for the Lord if You're standing still

Forgetting those things that are behind
And reaching for the things before
Pressing toward the mark of the prize of God
I'm running like I've never run before
Counting everything I won but loss
Conforming to His will
I'm running in the steps, Running in the steps
I'm running in the steps of the Lord.

Fear, Terror, and the Believer

  As I sat in a service last week, a reference was made to “terrorist attacks” against a church or believers. It set me to pondering another aspect of fear. A while back I had began thinking about I Jn. 4:18 which speaks of perfect love casting out fear. And so as I began pondering terrorism against believers, it was within a framework of related thoughts. Consider the purpose of a terrorist attack; the purpose is to create terror/fear. Thus, a terrorist attack against a church is meant to create fear within the church. At this point, the passage in Phil. 1:27-28 came to mind which speaks of believers not being at all frightened by their opponents; and this lack of fear is a sign of salvation. There should never be such a thing as a “successful” (terror-producing) terrorist attack on believers.
   So, I set out to look at the topic more in depth. What should a believer fear Biblically, and what shouldn’t they fear? Here are the results of that further study. We are to fear the Lord God of heaven. This is a long, intricate discussion, so I will not delve into it completely. Consider two passages though: Ps. 25:14 which says that the friendship of the Lord is for the ones who fear Him. Also, Ps. 33:18 which speaks of the Lord watching those who fear Him, who hope in His steadfast love. The fear of the Lord is worth deep study to seek out the Biblical meaning; here are some additional relevant Scriptures (Deut. 6:13; Prov. 1:7; Job 1:8; Isa. 8:12-13). The fear of the Lord is the only fear that I find highlighted throughout Scripture. A proper fear of sinning is also mentioned (I Tim. 5:20). And Paul speaks of fearing that his time ministering among certain groups was pointless (throughout 2 Corinthians; I Thess. 3:5).
And what of the things that we need not fear? Ps. 23:4, we should not fear evil, because the Lord is with us. That is a highly significant statement; those who have the Lord as their protector never need to fear evil! We should not fear those who may attack us, if we have the Lord with us. There is nothing that they can possibly do without His permission (Ps. 27:1-3; 3:6; 118:6). And more specifically along these lines, we should not fear those who can kill the body (in context the persecution is for religious reasons)(Mt. 10:16-31; cf. Lk. 12:4). We should not fear death (Heb. 2:14-15). This is a major one, so take some time to look through Heb. 2 carefully. Christ destroyed the power of death with the purpose of delivering us from the fear of death!
   Two more highly relevant passages before a conclusion. Rom. 8:15 indicates that believers are set free from fear when they became children of God. They have a Father to cry out to for help, and thus, no need for fear. The second passage is 1 Peter 3:14-15 which says that when believers suffer for doing right, they should not be afraid of their persecutors, but rather to know that God will do what is right.
   As I was reading through these various passages I began to realize that the only basis that the believer is given in Scripture for a fear-free life is who God is. God’s character is the only anchor that can assure a purpose that nothing can hurt me. Psalm 91 and Isaiah 43:1-7ff are essentially discourses on how the character of God is the basis for a fear-free life. None of these passages promises an easy life; they simply say that God is in control and will certainly work all things out for the best and the ultimate security of His precious children.
   If you read this and are not certain of your relationship with God, God promises peace and freedom from fear only to those who put their trust in His Son, Jesus. He offers this gift to all freely, but for those who reject it there is much to fear. For God has said that everyone who rejects Him will face eternal judgment. Read and consider the various sections of the Bible that I mentioned and those that surround them for a fuller understanding of what God’s Word says to all of us.

*The Bible references that are italicized each have significantly more to say on this topic than I had space to present and they deserve careful study. Other major passages for study on this topic: Phil. 2:12; 2 Tim. 1:7; Prov. 3:21-26

Sanctification

Below is the daily devotional from Miles Stanford for today. It is, I think, a fair representation of the oringinal teaching of the Keswick/identification movement. This is what was meant, as I understand it from my reading. However, the Holiness Movement that came from those origins morphed into something that would have been abhorrent to the original proclaimers of "Keswick" theology.
I have put in bold what I thought were the main truths of this article. That is, that we must know (cognitively) our position as dead with Christ, raised to new life with Christ, and in the heavenlies with Christ; and then, we must learn (practically) to walk in the victory which we have been given positionally. This is why it is called "identification", because all this is based on being "with Christ."
Thus, the original teachings of Keswick teaches were not that believers reached some new higher plane where they no longer sinned; but rather that they learned more fully to walk in the position that they truly had with/in Christ. Thus, while they still sinned, they had learned to seek and to know the victory which Christ had bought for them. When it's put in these terms, I don't think it sounds quite so wild as some people say, but hey, to each their own.
Champ

POSITION AND POSSESSION

"I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus" (Philippians 3:12).

To know our position in the Lord Jesus is necessary so that we may understand His ways and rest in His means. Then, by processing through the years He slowly narrows the discrepancy between our heavenly position and our personal condition. Truth is received in the mind, assimilated in the heart, and manifested in the walk.

"First, the believer, like a bird, flies at once to the top and sees everything accomplished on his behalf, and then he, as it were, comes back and creeps up every inch of the way. It is like ascending a ladder of grace.

"The first step is, we believe that the Lord Jesus was sent of the Father; second, that in the fullness of His work we are justified; third, we make His acquaintance, fourth, we come to see Him in heaven–we know our association with Him there, and His rest here, fifth, we learn the mystery, the great things we are entitled to because of being in His Body, His Bride; sixth, that we are seated in heavenly places in Him; seventh, we rejoice in wonder and in praise in the knowledge of Himself." -J.B.S.

"As the result of the work of His Cross and resurrection, eternal life is received complete by those who believe. But while that life is itself victorious incorruptible, and indestructible, the believer has to come by faith to prove it, to live by it, to learn its principles, to be conformed to it. The life in itself in the believer needs no addition, so far as its quality and quantity are concerned. So far as its power, its glory, its potentialities are concerned nothing can be added to it. But the course of spiritual experience, of spiritual life, is to discover, to appropriate, and to grow in all that the life represents and means." -T. A-S.

"Rooted and built up in Him, and established" (Colossians 2:7).

A Summary of my Recent Thoughts on Giving and 2 Corinthians 8-9

These are simply some thoughts that I organized and did further research on the last couple days. I have been seriously considering this topic for over two years now. If any of you have thoughts on aspects of this that I have missed, please give them. I am especially interested in arguments for tithing that I may have overlooked, since I cannot see any good reason why it is still so dogmatically practiced. I would have thought that if it has as little support as I see, it would have been destroyed by dispensationalism by now. Seeking to grow in Him...
__________________

Thoughts on Giving, with particular attention paid to 2 Corinthians 8-9
Giving: this is a topic which has many facets which must be dealt with biblically and thoroughly; it is without doubt that we must give, but the details are often more difficult to discern. What are we to give? When are we to give? Does God require a particular percentage? Basically, what are the Biblical parameters for the Christian’s giving? In seeking answers to these questions, the Biblical passage that will be dealt with primarily is 2 Corinthians 8-9; this is because this passage is the most comprehensive passage on believers’ giving in the Scripture. Let’s look at seven statements that can be used to summarize the teaching of Paul in these chapters.

Giving is a grace (2 Cor. 8:1, 6, 7, 19; 9:14; Rom. 12:8). Paul makes it very evident that giving can only be done properly be the grace of God. The Macedonians had God’s grace given to them in order that they might give freely to the saints in Jerusalem. Paul then sent Titus to help the Corinthians have this grace completed in them as well. They had the prospered well in many of the other graces, but this one had not yet been completed in them. Thus, if we are to give properly, we must once more remember that it is “all of grace, and all of God.”
Another thought that is connected to this is that giving is a spiritual gift just as preaching, helping, and administering are.

Giving is to be voluntary (2 Cor. 8:3-4, 8, 24; 9:5; Phil. 4:15-16). All the New Testament passages that call for giving, particularly for giving to the church or the minister of God call for a voluntary offering of one’s resources to God. There is never a particular standard set (e.g. 10%) except that one give himself fully to God and give what he is able to give to meet the need at hand. Paul talks of the believer’s duty of giving, but he speaks of it as he speaks of the other Christian duties; it is one that we will fulfill more fully as we draw closer to God. This is closely related to the fact that giving is a grace.
The best argument that I have heard for a tithing system as opposed to the free-will, grace offering is that tithing was pre-Law and thus is universal. This argument however does not seem to be borne out in Scripture. John MacArthur points out that both sacrifices and the Sabbath were also pre-Law but were abolished for the Church. Further, he goes on to show that tithing was a tax based on the fact that Israel was a theocracy: God’s priests were His government officials; they were to be paid by the citizens of the land. While tithing is mentioned in the New Testament (Mt., Lk., and Heb.), it is never in relation to the church. Also, the two pre-Law instances of tithing, Abraham and Jacob, were both one-time events; and Abraham was not even tithing his own possessions. (For more study, read MacArthur’s 2 Corinthians; he has 50 pages on chapters 8 and 9 or his book Whose Money is it Anyways?)

Giving should begin with one’s self before one’s wallet (2 Cor. 8:5; I Sam. 15:22). Not only did the Macedonians give freely of their possessions, but they also surrendered themselves fully to God. This was not exactly what Paul had expected, but it was just what he wanted, for they submitted to God and His will and out of that gave their gift.

Giving is rewarded by God (2 Cor. 8:10; 9:10-11; Phil. 4:17; Lk. 6:38; Acts 20:35). This is the consistent teaching of Scripture. We cannot outgive God, for He will always take care to meet all our needs. He has supplied all that we have including the gift of salvation. But even more than that, He is able to make it so that “You will be enriched in every way for all your generosity.” This point does not need to be belabored for God has promised abundant provision for those who follow his example and give as He gave.

Giving is measured by ability (2 Cor. 8:3, 12; I Cor. 16:2; Acts 11:29; Lk. 21:1-4; Mk. 14:8). Interestingly enough, when one gives according to what he is able rather than a pre-set figure, it will almost inevitably come out to a higher quantity what tithe would. The widow with the two mites gave everything; the Macedonians gave beyond what they were able, and Mary gave almost an entire years wages simply pouring it out on the Master. This is in keeping with the fact that God requires faithfulness from the believer, not results; God brings the increase.

Giving is to be done joyfully (2 Cor. 9:7; Acts 2:45-6). Paul here goes to great lengths to show that we are not to give reluctantly or because we feel obligated to because God loves joyful giving. If we are giving because we will feel guilty if we don’t, have we given Biblically? I don’t think so, according to what this passage says. We must give joyfully.

Giving should meet a real need (Jam. 1:27; 2:15-6; 2 Cor. 8; Acts 2:44-5; 4:37; 9:36; 24:17; Rom. 12:13). This seems to be exceedingly self-evident, but since it came up so much in the study that I was doing, I figured it would be worth mentioning. There are many genuine needs in today’s world. Places to which the Bible speaks of giving include the poor who are not in the church (Lk. 12:33; 19:8; Jn. 13:29; Mt. 6:2-3), the widows and fatherless (Jam. 1:27), a needy believer (Jam. 2:15-16; 2 Cor. 8-9), or servants of Christ (Phil. 4:10-20; I Cor. 9:6-15; I Tim. 5:17-18)

In conclusion, I have come to believe that giving in this Church Age is based upon one’s ability to give. Giving is to be sacrificial and based on the sacrifice of our Lord. If giving is done with guilt or reluctance, it cannot truly be called Christian giving. Further, as we grow in our walk with the Lord, we will give more, for giving is a grace in which we must grow.
One final question for you to think on is this: Why did Paul motivate the Corinthians to give based on the giving of the believers in Macedonia rather than the need of the saints in Jerusalem? Is this not a matter of comparison; why does he not use the emotional appeal of the impoverished saints?