We’re going through the whole Bible to extract references that explain the tenets of The Greater Context (TGC). These tenets will be identified in these notes using hashtags. Here is the living list of hashtags used:
#wreakinghavoc #warringnation
#takingover #manup #endgame #namesofgod #natureofgod #godsenseofhumor
#badassjesus #buildingheritage #startingamovement #adultintheroom
What is ‘The Greater Context?’
Briefly, the context of the gospel, and earth and humanity, is greater than we’ve been led to believe. Spoiler alert: It’s not about us.
The Greater Context came about as an answer to my question “Why did Jesus die?”The short answer is that Satan, a created being, doubted and challenged God, the creator, in every aspect of His nature. This was “the fall,” the original sin.
He then created the heavens and the earth, and a new being, mankind, in His own image and likeness- totally unique from anything that had been created, and with a unique purpose. As planned, man would fall into the deception and corruption of Satan. And as planned- in the very founding of earth (Rev 13:8) - even as the purpose of earth and time- God would answer “Am I faithful?’ ‘Am I sovereign?’ ‘Am I able?’ ‘Am I good?’ ‘Am I Love?” by giving Jesus the Son of God, as a lamb to be slain for the reconciliation of deceived, fallen men back to relationship with God. He continues today, and for the remainder of time, until He ends this conflict, to answer.
This changes what He made men for! It changes who we are as men of faith… what we are called to be… and what we were made for. The answer to my question of why Jesus died indicates a greater context, and that changes the purpose of earth and time and mankind. All of ‘this’ is God purposefully answering the challenges to His nature, and He has made mankind to be central in resolving that eternal conflict in the heavens. That changes what we’re made for.
This thesis has come to have certain tenets. The effort on these pages is to establish the scriptural basis for them. The tenets themselves will be explained with scriptures following this exercise (see hashtags for hints) but they are about the role of man in the context of God's purpose of demonstrating Himself to His "questioner." It's not so much a war, as in two comparable parties seeking victory over the other, as it is an unquestionable response to a mopey, brooding, self-abosrbed, small-minded accuser. God's answers are often like what Jesus said in Mark 3:27 "no one can enter a strong man's house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man. Then indeed he may plunder his house." He was explaining what the Pharisees had just seen him do (he had healed a demon oppressed man who was blind and mute). "You just saw me bind the strong man and plunder his house." So, yeah, get used to the idea that God mocks His enemy at times.
Check out Rev 13:8 for the purpose of earth and mankind, and the whole story of Samson in Judges for the role of man in wreaking havoc in the enemy camp- also Jonathan for this - in 1 Sam 13;3 and 14;1-14.
Feb. 26,
2017
·
Gen 22:17
That in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed
as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand which is upon the sea shore;
and thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies;
·
Gen 24:60
And they blessed Rebekah, and said unto her, Thou art our sister, be thou the
mother of thousands of millions, and let thy seed possess the gate of
those which hate them.
I felt
these are references to an attitude of not making peace with enemies, but
taking them over, possessing them (their gates). An important principle
for warriors. #warringnation #takingover
Feb.28,
2017
·
Ex 3:22 ...
and you shall plunder the Egyptians
As in
“I’m just telling you…” Another “promise” from God to His people, or perhaps,
a prophecy. It’s just more badass Jesus… stuff I see in His personality.
#badassjesus
·
Ex 3:14, 15 Thus
shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you. And
God said moreover unto Moses, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of
Israel, The LORD (Yahweh), God (elohim) of your fathers, the
God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, hath sent me unto
you: this is my name for ever
·
Ex 6:2,3
God (ELOHIM) spoke to Moses and said to him, "I am Yahweh.” And I
appeared unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob, by the name of God Almighty
(EL SHADDAI), but my name Yahweh, I did not reveal to them.
These
verses indicate that God was introducing Himself to his people, thru Moses, in
a new way. So new, that He was giving Himself a new name- Yaweh from now on,
forever. Now, Moses would be going to a people who have not known Yahweh,
but only God Almighty- the way He was known to Abraham, etc. This feels
important regarding God introducing Himself in a new way to His people. This
name goes viral and its used all over, as you read through this episode with
Pharaoh… #namesofgod
Another
note here is that Pharaoh’s reply in Ex 5:2 is
‘who is Yahweh? That I should listen to him? I don’t know Yahweh.’ This
indicates to me that the name YHVH is what was being used as the name of the
Hebrew God, and NOT ‘The LORD God’ or Yahweh God, just simply God’s name is
YHVH, or YEHoVAH. #namesofgod
·
Ex 4:10 Moses
said unto Yahweh, “O Adonai...I’m not the man…”
Note
here how much Moses shriveled up at the scope and power given to him to bring
to Israel and to Pharaoh. “Moses said unto Yahweh, “O Adonai...I’m not the
man…” He did not call God by His name Yahweh. God was not happy with that. “Man
up!” I hear in the Lord’s way with Moses… #manup
·
Ex 6: 29,30 Yaweh
spoke unto Moses, saying, “I am Yahweh: speak thou unto Pharaoh king of Egypt
all that I say unto thee.” And Moses said before the LORD (Yahweh),
Behold, I am of uncircumcised lips, and how shall Pharaoh hearken unto me?
Again
here is Moses whining and afraid to believe Yaweh has given it to him to be the
man to bring the word and the power of God. Man up Moses!!! You are
indeed the man. Just a word to be ready, man of God. You may have
something to bring. #manup
·
Ex 12:49 One law
shall be to the native and to the stranger that sojourns among you.
See
also Num 9:14 Anyone who wants to celebrate the passover must
be circumcised, and then he shall be as one who was born in the land. I
somehow like this “One law” declaration. Not sure why, but it seems to answer a
lot of whiney questions I perceive today…
March 1,
2017
·
Ex 15:3 “Yahweh
is a man of war! Yahweh is His name!”
Israel
just came through the sea and then watched that sea crush Pharaoh’s army. Two
things. First, Moses is so exhilarated he says, Yahweh is a man of war! Yeah,
He is!
Second,
Moses is using God’s name! Like God gave Him. Singing it out loud “Yahweh is
His name!” You go, Moses! All through Ex15 he does this! I think this was a
turning point for Moses. V.6: Your right hand, Yahweh, has shattered the enemy!
V 11: Who is like you among the gods, Yahweh?! #manup #namesofgod #takingover
#warringnation
Then he
contemplates what all this will mean- when the armies of Philistia, Edom and
Moab hear the the Lord has defeated the Egyptian armies for Israel, they will
tremble in fear.
Yahweh
shall reign forever and ever. “Sing to Yahweh, for He has triumphed
gloriously.”
·
Ex 15:26 “If
you listen to Yahweh, your God, and obey… I will not bring the diseases on you
that I put on the Egyptians, for I am Yahweh raffa (who heals).”
God
introduces Himself to His people as Yahweh Who Heals. #namesofgod
·
Ex 17:15 And
Moses built an altar. And he called its name, Yahweh nissi (My Banner).
Another
nickname for Yahweh, or for the altar… But this was given by Moses, not spoken
by Yahweh Himself. #namesofgod
March 2,
2017
·
Ex 28:9, 10 You
shall take two onyx stones, and engrave on them the names of the sons of
Israel, six of their names on the one stone, and the names of the remaining six
on the other stone, in the order of their birth.
Suddenly,
the people of Israel, the nation, aren’t a nameless mass of people. Instead,
God says, in the midst of his instructions on construction and design, He says
put the names of the 12 men who were the sons of Jacob (Israel). This creates
identity and heritage for the new nation. They would be a nation of
connected bloodlines, each one an heir of one of the sons of Jacob- sons of
promise. Now the temple and the priesthood would not just be Aaron and those
guys doing their thing, but would personally include every tribe within Israel.
Note the care of engraving the names by skilled craftsmen, and set in settings
of gold.
All of
Ex 28 and 29- I notice that God is explaining exactly what these people are a
part of. He is building a careful and glorious temple and temple service. He is
naming names and giving identity to each of the lineages of the sons of Israel.
#buildingheritage #startingamovement
·
Ex 29:45,46 And I
will dwell among the children of Israel, and will be God to them- that they
shall know that I am Yahweh, their God who brought them forth out of the land
of Egypt (so) that I may dwell among them. I am Yahweh their God.
NOTE!:
This is the final state of God and man described in Revelation. #endgame
·
Rev 21:3 “And I
heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Behold, the dwelling place of
God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God
himself will be with them as their God.”
·
Ex 30:15 The rich
shall not give more, and the poor shall not give less, than the half shekel,
when you give the LORD's offering to make atonement for your lives.
See Ex
12:49 above. Here’s this concept again of one law, no negotiations or
whining.
·
Ex 30:25 And
you shall make of these ((ingredients) a sacred anointing oil blended as by the
perfumer; it shall be a holy anointing oil.
See how
God enlists and dignifies the skills of the perfumer- another craft worker
contributing to the temple worship, and to the identity of the nation Israel.
Also v.35 and more so in 31: 1-6 #startingamovement #buildingheritage
·
Ex 32 All
the while as God was passing on the vision of his government
and His temple, and the honor and dignity to be the inheritance of His people
and the identity to be given to them as a nation unto Himself, the people were
sinning greatly and having no sense at all of who they were.
I’m
touched that all of Ex 24:12 thru 31, forty days and nights, God was passing on
His vision to Moses, and it was full of beauty and dignity and heaven. But when
Moses came down, the people, whom God had included dearly and intricately in
His plans, were sinning, unrestrained, like they were trash.
#startingamovement #buildingheritage
·
Ex 34 Here
God just got through saying he wouldn’t go with Israel because He’d smite them
because they’re so stiff necked. Yet He goes on to say He’s about to do things
they’ve never heard of from any nation. He’s about to fight for them and
utterly kick out the Hittites, etc. He tells them this so they won’t make peace
with these enemies.
No
peace, only utter expulsion/extinction. #natureofgod #takingover
·
Ex 35:22 They
came, both men and women, as many as had a willing heart…
·
Ex 35:26 The
children of Israel brought a free will offering to the Lord, as many as had a
willing heart.
#startingamovement
#buildingheritage
March
13, 2017
·
Num 11:25-29 Seventy
elders gathered at the tent and God put His spirit on them and they prophesied.
Two, however, were not at the tent but in the camp, yet they received the
spirit and prophesied. Moses said, “I wish all the people of Yahweh
were prophets- that Yahweh would put His spirit on them.”
I like
this for its epoch prophetic-ness. Moses carried God’s own heart here. God
would indeed do this in the age of the church. #natureofgod
·
Num 12:1-4 Aaron
and Miriam say “Has God only spoken through Moses? Has He not also spoken
through us?” And the Lord heard it. He called all three to the tabernacle and
said, “If there is a prophet, Yahweh will speak to Him in a vision or a dream.
Not so with Moses. With him, I speak face to face, plainly. And God struck
Miriam with leprosy.”
The
spirit of prophecy Moses hoped for all (in Num 11), was indeed NOT upon Miriam.
She and Aaron were rejecting God’s anointed one. They failed to recognize just
how set apart by God and for God Moses was. God straightened them out on that
matter. #badassjesus
·
Num 12:14
Miriam was shut out of the camp seven days after that.
Instructive
example regarding restoration following offense. It’s not always forgive and
forget. She had committed a great offense and required time to consider her
offense. #adultintheroom
·
Num 13:26- Num 14 Fruitful
land, but oh the sons of Anak! The giants. And the sons of Hebron- the
Hittites! We were grasshoppers. Please don’t make us go! Don’t make us
fail! We will die!
I
confess I sound like this most of the time. God, I’m not the man. I don’t want
to fail! You’re so wrong about me. But rise up man of God. Be strong and
courageous. This is the message of Num 13 and 14. #manup
·
Num 14:12-16 I
will smite the people for their disbelief after all they’ve seen me do for
them.
Moses’
prayer here is so relatable. “Yahweh, then the Egyptians will hear of it, and
the people of this land as well! That you were a God who dwelt among His
people, but You could not bring them into the land You swore to them.”
This is my own fear as well in times of disbelief. “God, I believed this
about You. But if I fail here, everything I believed about YOU is not true!”
This often feels terminal. Helps to see Moses there too. #manup
·
Num 14:24 God
says, “My servant Caleb, who has a different spirit in him, I will bring him
into the land!”
Faith is
your weapon and strength for your heart. Align your spirit with what Holy
Spirit is doing on the earth, then stay in faith. #manup
May 10,
2017
·
Deut 3;1,2 Then we
turned and went up the way of Bashan, and Og, the king of Bashan, came out
against us, to battle at Edrei. And the Lord said unto me, ‘Fear him not,
for I will deliver him and all his people, and his land into your hand.’
Og, King
of Bashan, was a Giant, a mighty man of renown. You can find stories about him
and his kingdom- the valley of Giants. Likely known to the people of Israel as
well.
This
again speaks to me of God’s personality. Og’s renown is immaterial, a
non-issue. Don’t pay it any mind at all. The only thing that matters here is
that I’m telling you to go in and take him down, and take his land. God is only
about His own renown.
This is
less about the land and more about the reputation of God. I feel this is a
central part of God’s purpose in creating the earth and mankind. #takingover
#natureofgod
http://bit.ly/2ubcFGY -
The Giant Cities of Bashan, and Syria’s Holy Places.
July 7,
2017
·
Judges 13:5 ...for the
child (Samson) shall be a Nazarite unto God from the womb: and he shall begin
to deliver Israel out of the hand of the Philistines.
·
14;1,2
Samson told his father and mother, “I saw one of the daughters of the
Philistines at Timnah. Now get her for me as my wife.”
·
4 ...but it was from
the LORD, for he was seeking an opportunity against the Philistines.
Samson
goes on to do mischief, kill and taunt the Philistines like crazy. He was a
firebrand and was let loose on them. He killed men and stripped their clothing,
he set fire to their fields using 300 foxes, he killed a thousand with the
jawbone of a donkey, and finally pulled down their temple and killed more in
his death than in his life. He wreaked some serious havoc on the
Philistines. God’s angel said Samson would be made for this.
Look at the person of God in this plan, in this man.
He loves to wreak havoc upon the enemy. This is the man he used to
begin to deliver Israel from the Philistines- a work continued by Jonathan and
finally completed by David. #wreakinghavoc
