Category Archives: Bible Study

Paths and Ways

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Jesus is the Path – no that’s not right, Jesus is the Way!

In modern English we think of a “way” and a “path” as being almost the same thing and translators frequently interchange the words but there is a difference in meanings in Hebrew.  In the Greek the ideas are similar but I have always thought that many New Testament writers just express Hebrew thoughts with Greek words. (I will be using NIV scriptures and be referencing my KJV Strong’s Concordance with Vine’s Dictionary)

Orach is the main word used for both path and way it means well-trodden road, caravan route. The word derek (synonymously parallels orach) means a road or course of life, mode of action. Other words for path are: nethibah – to tramp, a beaten path, magalah – a track (circle), rampart.  I like the thought with magalah in Psalm 23:3, that path of righteousness that may lead into the dark valley has the image of a running track that has walls on its side – your protected!

Back to orach and derek.  The best way I figured out how to explain this is if you ask some one where a city in your area is they may point and say it is that way; you now have the general idea where it is. Now if you ask the same person how to get there they may give you a specific path, like take Road 123 and turn left at Route 66. Then some one says no take Road 456 and then a right on Road 21. So you study a map and you find out both of those “paths” will take you to that town. As a kid growing up in Boy Scouts we would go “that way” using a compass and a topographic map; if there was a path great if not we made our own.

Proverbs 3:17 “Her (wisdom) ways are pleasant ways, and all her paths are peace. (NIV)” Like many Proverbs this one uses way and path together and I think it illustrates the point well. As long as you are going the right direction the actual road will be good.

Jesus is the Way! I won’t waver on that idea but I know that within Him each of us has our own path.  Our paths may cross similar places in the Way and may even join for a season but it is still my path. For things you can do on a path see “Follow Me.”

Power in The Name

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I know you have heard it, someone gets mad and says, “Jesus Christ!” or to be funny as you walk into the room you hear “O Lord.”  I am sure that these get to you, so try these comebacks and maybe you can witness at the same time.  For the loud exclamation of “Jesus Christ” bounce back a “where!”  I have often thanked my students and others who release an “O Lord” when I walk into the room with, “I really look like Jesus” or “See they think I am God.”

These are quaint comebacks but the underlying thought is interesting. People are using the name of Jesus by calling on His name.  Now I will grant that many times it is not edifying, but they are unconsciously acknowledging Jesus as a power.

They could be using any name, like their favorite singer or band if they just wanted to make a flashy statement.  Could you image someone getting mad and blurting out, “O bomb ma!” But as you know they don’t.

I have heard that there is a God-shaped hole in every person, maybe people using/misusing His name is an attempt to work at that void.

Be Still and Know God #2

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Psalm 46:10 – Be still, and know that I AM God. 

“Know” is yada it means knowing by observing and reflecting on things or by experiencing it.

I really did not deal with the knowing part of the verse in the first study, mostly because I did not have an idea of how too. But talking before a church service with my Pray Partner Team, more or less on this subject it gave me some direction.

How do you know God and how do you know God was the two questions that came out of that conversion.  No, they really are not the same question. Let me try again.

Do you know God by studying, praying and or fasting?  Then, how do you know God: Savior, Healer, Teacher, the Big Man upstairs, is He my Lord or your Lord or Someone you visit three times a year?

A problem I had with this question was the people that read their Bible cover to cover every year and have read it in several translations and do a lot of good things and Jesus will still say, “Depart from me for I never knew you (Matthew 25:41).” Brother Darwin helped with this question when he stated a difference between logos and rhema words of God. People can have a logos word by reading and that is all they ever have; then there are people who have had a rhema word and it changes them. Rhema words are those special words that speak to your heart and change you in some way.

Back to yada and my questions of “how do you know God?” If you want an answer, you will have to have both, as an example let me use two of my favorite examples – Peter and Paul.  Peter “grew up” with Jesus, he walked and talked with Him, healed, ministered and listened to Him teach – truly a logos experience. Peter also denied Jesus but because Jesus loved him after the denials he had a rhema experience.  Paul also had logos as a Pharisee but tried to destroy the church until he had his rhema experience (Acts 9). He then spent the rest of his life experiencing Jesus as he ran his race.

Follow Me – The 13th Disciple

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Oh! You mean the guy in Acts. No, I mean the ones that were invited and never followed.

But let’s start with the one in Acts 1:20 – 26.  Matthias was the one picked over Joseph/Barsabbas/Justus; both had met certain requirements but God used the roll of the dice to pick him.  Ok, casting lots (rolling dice, modern counterpart), picking a stone from the Urim and Thummim (Numbers 27:21, 1 Samuel 28:6), flipping coins or drawing straws it was still God choosing and the disciples believing that He could direct the “lot.”  Nothing is recorded about him after this brief mention in Acts and the Catholic Encyclopedia has several possible stories of his life and times but nothing of any relibality. If you are triskaidekaphobia he can be the 2nd 12th disciple.

I am talking about a legitimate number 13 like the rich young ruler in Matthew 19:21, Mark 10:17 and Luke 18:18, who got a “come follow me” from Jesus OR the person in Luke 9:59 who had to bury his father first. We don’t even know if the man was dead, probably not because he “would have stinketh by then!” These three stories lead to a discourse about the cost of following Jesus and the promise that if you leave everything you will get that and more back.

Has it cost you something? Did you leave anything behind and not tried to replace it?

The phrase “follow me” carries the idea of choosing to be on a road with someone and going with them.  Paths and ways are another study but there are four things you can do on a road: 1. Stay on it and go with Him. 2. Turn and go the other direction. 3.Just get off. 4. Stand still.   Hot, cold or lukewarm.

I started to rethink this topic after looking at the Man of Gerasenes and his desire to follow Jesus and the Master’s redirecting him stay at home and witness there. Why?

Was he not ready? Had he already paid the price and this was his reward? Was he, because of his experience, in a different place in “the walk” than the twelve and Jesus knew they would not mix?

The picture of St. Matthias is from http://www.catholic-forum.com/saints/stm17001.jpg

The Number 10

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After I wrote the Number 13 blog someone asked about the number 10. Things happened  and I lost the comment without replying. So here is an answer.

Ten is a complete number; it shares that title with several other numbers according to my Bible dictionary. That may be why there were ten specific commands written on Moses’ tablets.  It is also a natural number – ten fingers. Now if you put those two ideas together it is a great training aid; one command for each finger.

The other number tens that I always think of are in the Book of Revelations and are connected with the Beast-ten horns/kings in Revelation 17:10.