Bible Lens—December 7–13, 2015
Subject: God the Preserver of Man
The Lord preserveth all them that love him.
Exploring Bible Verses
from the Responsive Reading
God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea; though the waters thereof roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof.
Psalm 46 is often called “Luther’s psalm.” Martin Luther, 16th-century German theologian and reformer, is known to have turned to it in times of trouble, and used it as the inspiration for his well-loved hymn “A Mighty Fortress is our God” (Ein’ Feste Burg).
from Section 1
Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time: casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.
Peter is writing to a group of Christians whose lives have changed dramatically since their conversion. Previously embraced in the social and cultural activities of their communities, they are now considered part of an unwelcome sectarian movement. Researchers believe this letter was written late in the first century ad , when Roman authorities had begun to mistreat Christians—having discovered that Christians were not, as earlier assumed, a sect within Judaism. Peter counsels humility, assuring his readers that their present persecutions, like those of Christ Jesus, will be rewarded (see I Peter 1:9 and 4:13).
from Section 2
6 | Joshua 1:9
Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.
Joshua was Moses’ servant, a strong military commander and humble follower of God. He became ruler of the Hebrew nation after Moses’ death, overseeing the crossing of the Jordan River into the Promised Land, the fall of Jericho, and the conquest of Canaan. The demand to be strong and courageous was voiced by Moses in charging Joshua with the leadership of the children of Israel (see Deuteronomy 31:23), and is repeated three times in God’s message to him in Joshua 1.
7 | Daniel 3:12
There are certain Jews whom thou hast set over the affairs of the province of Babylon, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were the Babylonian names given to Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah (see Daniel 1:7). Their Hebrew names each held a reference to the God of Israel. Scholars comment that the pagan names were intended to cause the boys to forget their religious heritage, as well as to indicate servitude to King Nebuchadnezzar.
from Section 3
8 | Matthew 4:23
Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all manner of sickness and all manner of disease among the people.
Each synagogue Jesus visited would likely have been started by a group of ten learned Hebrew men. Evidence shows that well over 450 of these local houses of worship existed in Jerusalem before Roman rule, and many more extended throughout Syria, Asia Minor, and Greece. Synagogues provided regular reading of the law and talks on theological points, and were also centers of justice and schooling. Any man with knowledge of the law could read or speak, furnishing Jesus opportunities for public preaching.
from Section 4
11 | John 11:21, 22, 25
Then said Martha unto Jesus, Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died. But I know, that even now, whatsoever thou wilt ask of God, God will give it thee. . . . Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live.
In Jesus’ time, prevalent Jewish thought allowed that the soul could reenter the body within three days of death, but no later. Resurrection after more than three days was considered a possibility only on the “last day,” an end-time event in which it was believed that all souls would be raised up together. Jesus’ statement “I am the resurrection, and the life” redefined existence as eternal and found in Christ.
from Section 5
12| Numbers 6:24–26
The Lord bless thee, and keep thee: the Lord make his face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee: the Lord lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace.
This “priestly blessing” or “Aaronite benediction” was given by God to Moses for his brother’s use: “Speak unto Aaron and unto his sons, saying, On this wise ye shall bless the children of Israel” (Numbers 6:23). The blessing is echoed in Psalms 4:6—“Lord, lift thou up the light of thy countenance upon us”—and is still used in present-day churches and synagogues.
from Section 6
19 | Jude 1:24, 25
Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy, to the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen.
These verses are a doxology, an expression of praise to God. The word doxology derives from the Greek doxologia, “praise, glory,” and logos, “a speaking.” Many church hymnals today include a hymn of praise known as the Doxology. Two familiar versions begin “Praise God, from whom all blessings flow” (Thomas Ken, 1674) and “Be Thou, O God, exalted high” (Nahum Tate and Nicholas Brady, 1696).
Related Healing Ideas
Ben and the fiery furnace
By Wendy Joy Spille
From the February 27, 1995, issue of the Christian Science Sentinel
Ben likes to work with his dad. He even has his own set of tools. It can be a lot of fun helping to fix things.
One day Ben was helping Dad work on the furnace. They live in a two-family house, and there are two furnaces that sit side by side in the basement. The furnace Dad was working on was turned off, but the neighbor’s was still running. While they were working, Ben rested his hand against the flue of their own furnace. (The flue is the pipe that carries the smoke from the furnace to the chimney.) It was just a little warm. Then he touched the flue of the other furnace, which was running. It was very hot, and he pulled his hand away quickly. Ben’s hand hurt—a lot!
Because they were Christian Scientists, it was natural for Ben and his family to turn to God when they felt scared or hurt. Mom had heard Ben’s cry and joined Ben and Dad in the basement. Together, they talked about God’s great love for all of His children, including Ben. They affirmed that God was always with them, caring for them, and that God’s child was spiritual, so he couldn’t really be touched or harmed by anything material.
While Ben cleaned up, he and Mom talked about the Bible story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who were cast into the fiery furnace because they would not worship King Nebuchadnezzar’s image of gold (see Daniel 3:1–30). Even though they were in the middle of the furnace, they were not touched by the fire. They had trusted in and obeyed God, and so were able to prove His constant care. Ben was safe in God’s care, too.
Ben felt a lot calmer. But when bedtime came, he wasn’t quite ready to go to sleep. He was a little scared. “Is it going to hurt forever?” he asked.
Mom comforted him and reminded him of something odd that had happened when he was washing up. The same water that had felt cold to one hand had felt hot to the other.
“You can’t trust matter to tell you what’s true,” Mom said. She knew matter itself was a lie. “But you can trust God. Listen to what God is telling you.”
Ben was quiet for a little while. He knew that God loved him and was always with him. He also knew a special word that he had learned in Sunday School—omnipotence. He knew that this word describes God’s all-power. Because God is good, He would never use His power in a way that would hurt His children; and there simply isn’t another power besides good! Soon Ben wasn’t scared anymore, and he was ready to go to bed.
The next morning, he didn’t think about his hand. He went to school as usual, and came home very excited. His class had worked on the horizontal ladder in the gym. On the ladder, each student had swung hand over hand as far as he or she could go. Ben had gone almost the whole way—farther than ever before!—and his hand hadn’t bothered him a bit. He was so glad to have learned more about listening to God.
Parent’s note: In the morning, I wondered whether I should send a note to school with Ben, because I knew he was scheduled to have gym that day. But when I saw how free he was of the entire incident, I knew there was no need for a note. He was truly untouched, and he proved it!
For Further Study: Resources used in this issue
© 2015 The Christian Science Publishing Society. The Cross and Crown seal is a trademark of the Christian Science Board of Directors, registered in the US, the EU, and other countries, and is used by permission. Bible Lens is a trademark of The Christian Science Publishing Society.
