The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him and what came to my heart and mind in 1 Samuel 9:9,
"Formerly in Israel, if someone went to inquire of God, they would say, 'Come, let us go to the seer,' because the prophet of today used to be called a seer."
Among the things this verse points to, such as the realization that 1 and 2 Samuel were written, or at least compiled, some time after Samuel's day (at least long enough later such that some of the words in the culture had changed) is the point that if anyone wanted to inquire of God, an intermediary had to be used. A person had to bring an inquiry to God through someone appointed for the task. If you lost your donkeys and wanted God's help, you had to go to the "seer".
I am reminded that we live in a wonderful age when we can approach our God directly without the need for a third person as a mediator. We don't have to find a priest, a pastor, a prophet, or anyone else. Believers have direct access to God! Each and every one of us! No need to be concerned that we come up with a "gift" for some go-between in order to approach God as Saul had to be, "Saul said to his servant, 'If we go, what can we give the man? The food in our sacks is gone. We have no gift to take to the man of God. What do we have?'" Verse 7.
This access to our Creator God has been provided us through Jesus Christ. Those who have rejected Jesus Christ don't have it, while those who have embraced Jesus Christ have direct access! We are told that Jesus Christ has provided us this opportunity by making believers acceptible (holy!) when we place our faith and trust in him, "For by one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy." Hebrews 10: 14. "Therefore, brothers and sisters, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near to God with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith brings, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water." Hebrews 10:19-22.
Listen to the writer of Hebrews, "Let us then approach God's throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need." Hebrews 4:16. Also, "There is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all people... Therefore I want the men everywhere to pray, lifting up holy hands..." 1 Timothy 2:5-8.
When it comes to access to God, we don't need a pope! When it comes to access to God, we don't need a priest! When it comes to access to God, we don't need a pastor! When it comes to access to God, we don't need an elder! When it comes to access to God, we don't need a seer or a prophet! We don't need the TV evangelists, we don't need theologians, when it comes to access to God we don't need all those authors of the popular Christian books...
All we need is Jesus Christ!
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just respond and let me know.
Trevor Fisk
trevor.fisk@gmail.com
"Formerly in Israel, if someone went to inquire of God, they would say, 'Come, let us go to the seer,' because the prophet of today used to be called a seer."
Among the things this verse points to, such as the realization that 1 and 2 Samuel were written, or at least compiled, some time after Samuel's day (at least long enough later such that some of the words in the culture had changed) is the point that if anyone wanted to inquire of God, an intermediary had to be used. A person had to bring an inquiry to God through someone appointed for the task. If you lost your donkeys and wanted God's help, you had to go to the "seer".
I am reminded that we live in a wonderful age when we can approach our God directly without the need for a third person as a mediator. We don't have to find a priest, a pastor, a prophet, or anyone else. Believers have direct access to God! Each and every one of us! No need to be concerned that we come up with a "gift" for some go-between in order to approach God as Saul had to be, "Saul said to his servant, 'If we go, what can we give the man? The food in our sacks is gone. We have no gift to take to the man of God. What do we have?'" Verse 7.
This access to our Creator God has been provided us through Jesus Christ. Those who have rejected Jesus Christ don't have it, while those who have embraced Jesus Christ have direct access! We are told that Jesus Christ has provided us this opportunity by making believers acceptible (holy!) when we place our faith and trust in him, "For by one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy." Hebrews 10: 14. "Therefore, brothers and sisters, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near to God with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith brings, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water." Hebrews 10:19-22.
Listen to the writer of Hebrews, "Let us then approach God's throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need." Hebrews 4:16. Also, "There is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all people... Therefore I want the men everywhere to pray, lifting up holy hands..." 1 Timothy 2:5-8.
When it comes to access to God, we don't need a pope! When it comes to access to God, we don't need a priest! When it comes to access to God, we don't need a pastor! When it comes to access to God, we don't need an elder! When it comes to access to God, we don't need a seer or a prophet! We don't need the TV evangelists, we don't need theologians, when it comes to access to God we don't need all those authors of the popular Christian books...
All we need is Jesus Christ!
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just respond and let me know.
Trevor Fisk
trevor.fisk@gmail.com
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