Day 166
2 Samuel 23:8-24:25, Acts 9:32-10:23, Psalms 74:1-9
Although we have just read the last part of 2 Samuel, and David seemed to have annoyed the Lord, I want to concentrate on Acts today as it is one of the pivotal parts, outside the gospels, in relation to our understanding of Grace v.s Law. Peter’s vision here completely undoes the Jewish understanding of the food laws and so sheds new light on much of what we have read so far in the Old Testament, so it deserves a little more unpacking.
Jesus spent a great deal of time saying that he was coming to undo the old laws and take people to a new place, but people didn’t listen! Peter’s vision ties in with Mark 7:19 where Jesus declared all foods clean, but God has to say it again and this time uses pictures. We know that Jesus ministry and mission was definitely not just to the Jews and yet the bulk of his audience was Jewish. The rules that we covered way back in the Old Testament were of real relevance to their day to day lives, including all the rules on food. This vision was real drastic stuff then, breaking open the rules of the Old law.
The key lies within the line “do not call anything impure that God has made clean”. God has made the food clean but what about all the other rules, does this mean that God has undone all the laws and made everything clean. We can ask though “would God make that clean?” Take the 10 commandments for example, clearly these stay for they are to God’s glory. There is more than just murder or adultery that would not be for the glory of God, and it is this that should be our test.
This reading is pivotal in more ways than one for it does not just relate to food. In its more immediate application God is talking about people as God then calls Peter to the house of a Gentile who will become the first gentile convert. God breaks open the laws and then breaks open his grace for all people and not just the Jews.
As we live our lives for God we can only pray that all we do is for the glory of God and that it shares his Grace with all people.
Although we have just read the last part of 2 Samuel, and David seemed to have annoyed the Lord, I want to concentrate on Acts today as it is one of the pivotal parts, outside the gospels, in relation to our understanding of Grace v.s Law. Peter’s vision here completely undoes the Jewish understanding of the food laws and so sheds new light on much of what we have read so far in the Old Testament, so it deserves a little more unpacking.
Jesus spent a great deal of time saying that he was coming to undo the old laws and take people to a new place, but people didn’t listen! Peter’s vision ties in with Mark 7:19 where Jesus declared all foods clean, but God has to say it again and this time uses pictures. We know that Jesus ministry and mission was definitely not just to the Jews and yet the bulk of his audience was Jewish. The rules that we covered way back in the Old Testament were of real relevance to their day to day lives, including all the rules on food. This vision was real drastic stuff then, breaking open the rules of the Old law.
The key lies within the line “do not call anything impure that God has made clean”. God has made the food clean but what about all the other rules, does this mean that God has undone all the laws and made everything clean. We can ask though “would God make that clean?” Take the 10 commandments for example, clearly these stay for they are to God’s glory. There is more than just murder or adultery that would not be for the glory of God, and it is this that should be our test.
This reading is pivotal in more ways than one for it does not just relate to food. In its more immediate application God is talking about people as God then calls Peter to the house of a Gentile who will become the first gentile convert. God breaks open the laws and then breaks open his grace for all people and not just the Jews.
As we live our lives for God we can only pray that all we do is for the glory of God and that it shares his Grace with all people.
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