Live the Word Bible Studies

Welcome to Live the Word

I am happy you have visited this site, where my goal since 2001 has been to help people all over the world understand and then apply the word of God in their lives. If you look on the right hand side of this blog site, you will see the name of each book in the New Testament, where you will find what I call a devotional commentary for every verse in those books. My goal was not to do a technical study, but rather a practical one that presented not only insights, but also questions and recommendations to help you apply or live the word. I have now published those studies in book form, but it's time to expand my work with something new (pictured here are two of my commentary covers, and they are all available in paper or Kindle format from Amazon).

For several years, I have had the idea to develop a Purpose Study Bible, similar to others on the market like The Spirit-Filled Bible, The Leadership Bible, The African Bible, and The Student Bible. Each one of those incorporates insights about a particular topic right in the Bible itself, like an easy-to-use commentary. I have been teaching on the topics of purpose, creativity, goal setting, time management, and faith since 1991, and have gained insight and often taught about or written about those topics from a biblical perspective. For the remainder of my days, I want to share what I have learned with my readers on these five topics I have labeled the five Gold Mine Principles, and this format seems like an economical way to do so (since I am not ready to undertake publishing a Bible). This particular study will begin in Genesis and move on in an orderly fashion through the rest of the Old Testament. Should God prolong my days, I will then move into the New Testament.

I also want to learn from my readers, so I invite you to post comments to supplement, adjust, or augment what I have written. My goal, however, is not to make us all experts on what the Bible has to say about purpose or creativity, but rather to help us become people of purpose, for as Jesus said, "Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them" (John 13:17). That is why my commentaries are called Live the Word, for that is what we are expected to do.

I hope you enjoy reading these studies as much as I enjoy writing them, and I hope you will be an active participant by sharing your own insight and testimonies. Thank you, and may the Lord bless the study and reading of His word!

Purpose Study Bible 89: Art and Crafts

In the last study, we saw how the Lord directed the artistic designs to be included in the wilderness worship tabernacle. Here is a  list of all the artistic expressions God expected to be involved when we read Exodus 25-28:

1. art and sculpture
2. metalwork
3. furniture making
4. woodwork and carpentry
5. interior design (lighting, decorations, layout)
6. textiles and fabric
7. fashion design
8. seamstress and tailor work
9. baking
10. perfumers
11. handcrafts
12. jewelers

If you are involved in any of the above artistic expressions, then you are involved in something that God established and endorses. He wants you to honor them by using them, recognizing them as gifts from God. While those in the wilderness journey used their artistic talents to construct the tabernacle, we have no reason to believe that is the only way they used them. They undoubtedly exercised them to beautify or equip the daily lives of those in the exodus journey.

What expressions are you interested in from the list above? Are these only hobbies or do you find ways to incorporate them into your work and life? Do you pray for God's wisdom as you express them? What more can you do to make the gifts you have in these areas all they can be?

Purpose Study Bible 88: Art Lessons

After the people gave an offering as directed, the Lord said to Moses,

“Then have them make a sanctuary for me, and I will dwell among them. Make this tabernacle and all its furnishings exactly like the pattern I will show you" (Exodus 25:8-9).

The tabernacle consisted of the ark of the covenant, a table, a lampstand, an altar, oil, priestly garments, and a compound that consisted of a courtyard and the Holy of Holies where the ark would reside. All this was contained within a bordered area that was to be laid out to the specifications God gave. Notice that God assigned artistic pieces to be made that would communicate spiritual truths, which indicates we can still use our creative gifts to illustrate the things of God. This does not mean that God will direct all artistic efforts with the specificity He demonstrated here, for the tabernacle was a shadow or foretaste of Christ's ministry:  "But when Christ came as high priest of the good things that are now already here, he went through the greater and more perfect tabernacle that is not made with human hands, that is to say, is not a part of this creation" (Hebrews 9:11).

When Jesus came, He also used His creative gifts to impart God's truth, this time using word pictures in the form of parables as He taught. Like the works of art in Exodus 25 and 26, His "words of art" gave people a mental picture that they could reflect on and thus grasp the lesson. We can then assume that God is eager for you to use your creativity in ways that will speak to His eternal truths. Are you using your creative gifts to communicate what God is teaching you? Are you willing to share them with others and even take the time to explain them or teach others how to use their gifts in the same way? Are you open to God's direction in your creativity but not relying totally on Him for every initiative?

Purpose Study Bible 87: Heart Prompts

In the last study, we read how God instructed the people to give an offering for the construction of the Tabernacle and its furnishings. This is how they would know they were to give for the work to be done:

“Tell the Israelites to bring me an offering. You are to receive the offering for me from everyone whose heart prompts them to give" (Exodus 25:2).

It was not that the people had to give, but were to give as their heart "prompted" or "moved" them to do. This raises the role of  free will as we serve the Lord. In this instance, the Lord certainly directed what the offering should be composed of, but He did not mandate who had to give. That was up to each individual.

We are regularly reminded of how wicked our heart is as described in Jeremiah 17:9, "The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?" Yet the Lord did not seem concerned that the heart of the people in the Wilderness was so wicked that it could not move them to give the necessary offering. That indicates we can trust our "heart prompts" more often than we do, especially because of the promise God made later in Jeremiah: "I will give them a heart to know Me, for I am the Lord; and they will be My people, and I will be their God, for they will return to Me with their whole heart" (Jeremiah 24:7).

This has important implications for your purpose, creativity, and goals for it seems you have a role to play in what you will do and especially how you will do it: "Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver." (2 Corinthians 9:7). This giving can extend beyond money to creative gifts and expressions that are unique to who God made you to be. While God does and will direct some of our creative endeavors, He does not direct all of them, and that is where your individuality comes into play.

Are you afraid to follow your heart? Do you see now that God wants to train you and instill a new heart that will flow with His will and purpose for you? What can you do now to express your ability and freedom to choose what you will give as an offering to the Lord from your creativity and individual gifts? Don't put all the responsibility for your creative generosity on God, but learn to obey those heart prompts that come from the new heart He has promised to give you.

Purpose Study Bible 86: Lapis Lazuli

After God gave Moses some practical instruction concerning justice for wrongs committed in the community, He then summoned the leaders for a pow-wow:

Moses and Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, and the seventy elders of Israel went up and saw the God of Israel. Under his feet was something like a pavement made of lapis lazuli, as bright blue as the sky. But God did not raise his hand against these leaders of the Israelites; they saw God, and they ate and drank. (Exodus 24:9-11)

Shortly after that meeting, God gave instructions for the offering of materials to be used in the construction of the Tabernacle and its furnishings:

The Lord said to Moses, “Tell the Israelites to bring me an offering. You are to receive the offering for me from everyone whose heart prompts them to give. These are the offerings you are to receive from them: gold, silver and bronze; blue, purple and scarlet yarn and fine linen; goat hair; ram skins dyed red and another type of durable leather; acacia wood; olive oil for the light; spices for the anointing oil and for the fragrant incense; and onyx stones and other gems to be mounted on the ephod and breastpiece" (Exodus 25:1-7).

Let's not examine the meaning of the colors or the other materials referred to in these passages. The point I want to make is that God loves color, and directed His people to surround Him (and themselves) with brightly multi-colored materials when dressing the priests or building the place where His presence would dwell. As a prelude to the offering, the leaders saw God on the mountain where He was standing on something "like" pavement made of lapis lazuli (pictured here). How much lapis would it take to construct pavement under God's feet? Probably a lot, so God didn't just want color, He also wanted big things that represented His love for His creation and its magnificent hues.

What is your favorite color? Do you involve it in your worship of God? Do you appreciate and celebrate the colors of nature or of man-made things that involve bright and unusual colors and their combinations? If you are an artist, do you pay attention to color and even ask God to help you put together your color schemes? It appears that God celebrates color, so therefore give Him something to celebrate. Oh yes, and He would also would also enjoy your "colorful" personality if you can overcome the fear of expressing who God made you to be without worrying about what others think.

Purpose Study Bible 85: Growth Plan

We ended last week in Exodus 20 with the words God spoke right after He delivered the Ten Commandments. The next three chapters outline numerous steps to take to ensure that economic and social justice were administered for wrongs committed, whether intentional or not. Then the Lord addressed their transition into what is today called the Promised Land by saying this:

"But I will not drive them out in a single year, because the land would become desolate and the wild animals too numerous for you. Little by little I will drive them out before you, until you have increased enough to take possession of the land" (Exodus 23:29-30).

The Lord promised His angel would accompany the people into the Land and make room for them among those who were not going to be happy to see them arrive. However, the Lord promised to be strategic and tie their expansion to their growth, both in numbers and their ability to manage. He would not give them too much too fast, otherwise they would not be able to manage what they inherited.

God also has a plan for your development and growth. He will not give you responsibility beyond your capability but will increase your sphere of influence as you increase your ability to handle what you have. Jesus was clear through His parables that God required His followers to increase and that would require them to increase in faithfulness and integrity:

“Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much. So if you have not been trustworthy in handling worldly wealth, who will trust you with true riches? And if you have not been trustworthy with someone else’s property, who will give you property of your own? No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money" (Luke 16:10-13).

Do you want "more" responsibility or resources? Then are you willing to increase your ability to handle them before you get them? Do you trust the Lord's plan for your personal and professional growth and duties? Do you do what you do for money or because you love what you do? Are you in your Promised Land?

 

Purpose Study Bible 84: Careful Creativity

Immediately after the Lord gave Moses the Ten Commandments, He gave some additional instructions:

“Tell the Israelites this: ‘You have seen for yourselves that I have spoken to you from heaven: Do not make any gods to be alongside me; do not make for yourselves gods of silver or gods of gold. ‘Make an altar of earth for me and sacrifice on it your burnt offerings and fellowship offerings, your sheep and goats and your cattle. Wherever I cause my name to be honored, I will come to you and bless you. If you make an altar of stones for me, do not build it with dressed stones, for you will defile it if you use a tool on it. And do not go up to my altar on steps, or your private parts may be exposed'" (Exodus 20:23-26).

The Lord addressed what Israel was to do and not do with their creativity. Keep in mind God gave the Israelites their creativity but their craft was learned and honed in Egypt, perhaps with training from Egyptian overlords when they were in bondage. The Lord warned them not to use their skills to make or shape another god besides Him. If they were going to use their creativity in their worship, they were to follow some specific guidelines: no crafting a fancy altar that drew attention to their efforts rather than God and no steps leading up to the altar to maintain their dignity.

It is interesting that the Lord addressed this in the context of the Commandments for He was warning them (and us) that we would be tempted to use our creativity for ungodly and even idolatrous endeavors. What's more, He was warning creative people not to express their creativity in ways that would offend Him, which we see creative people doing regularly through vulgar, humanistic, or rebellious projects that indicate their desire to be independent from God's will and purpose.

Are you using your creativity for godly purposes? Have you submitted your creative gifts to God's oversight or do you rent them out to the highest bidder and use them as you see fit? Is your creativity a hobby or something over which you maintain control or do you look for ways to utilize your creative gifts in the service of and for the good and enjoyment of others?

Purpose Study Bible 83: The Name of the Lord

As the children of Israel continued their journey, they came to Mt. Sinai where the Lord summoned Moses to the top of the mountain and gave Him what we know as the Ten Commandments. The Third Commandment is as follows:

“You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God, for the Lord will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name" (Exodus 20:7).

We have typically taken this to mean that we are not to use certain terms of profanity with God's name in it. While that is inappropriate, that is not what the commandment intended. It means we are not to call ourselves the people of God and do nothing with the name that we use to identify ourselves. That fits in nicely with what James wrote, "So too, faith by itself, if it does not result in action, is dead." (James 2:17, Berean). If you wear God's name, if you use God's name, then you should do something in the power or authority of that name. Otherwise, you take that name in vain. Jesus said this about His name and prayer

Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it" (John 14:12-14).

In John 15, Jesus had this to say about fruit: "If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you" (John 15:7). Since your purpose and creativity are what you will use to bear fruit, then you can ask for whatever you need to bear fruit and God will answer that prayer. This is using the Lord's name appropriately and treating it with reverence and respect.

Is your prayer life working in that you are asking for what you need to fulfill God's will and you are receiving it? Are you using the name of the Lord in a way that pleases Him by helping you bear fruit? What changes do you need to make to your prayer life and your expectations from your prayer life as a result of this truth?

Purpose Study Bible 82: Midianite Advice

In Exodus 18, we read that Moses had a reunion of sorts with his Jethro, his-father-in-law. who was a "priest of Midian." When he heard all that the Lord had done for His people, Jethro offered sacrifices to the Lord and worship Yahweh, Moses' God. Then Jethro observed Moses' work habits and gave his now famous and oft-followed advice:

Moses’ father-in-law replied,  What you are doing is not good. You and these people who come to you will only wear yourselves out. The work is too heavy for you; you cannot handle it alone. Listen now to me and I will give you some advice, and may God be with you. You must be the people’s representative before God and bring their disputes to him. Teach them his decrees and instructions, and show them the way they are to live and how they are to behave. But select capable men from all the people—men who fear God, trustworthy men who hate dishonest gain—and appoint them as officials over thousands, hundreds, fifties and tens. Have them serve as judges for the people at all times, but have them bring every difficult case to you; the simple cases they can decide themselves. That will make your load lighter, because they will share it with you. If you do this and God so commands, you will be able to stand the strain, and all these people will go home satisfied" (Exodus 18:17-23).

Every commentary or sermon on this passage indicates that Jethro taught Moses how to delegate and this model is accepted as the gospel truth. (Well, maybe not gospel because it is in the Old Testament, but you get what I mean.) Because that is the standard interpretation that is accepted without question, let's spend just a brief moment to see if there could be another way of looking at Jethro's advice.

In the New Testament, no hierarchy of leadership was established such as the one in Exodus 18. In Acts 6 when the widows were not being cared for, the apostles put the burden back on the people to solve their own problems, so they held an election and the apostles gave all the authority to handle the issue to those elected officials. Then in another instance, a man cried out to Jesus for justice:

“Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.” Jesus replied, “Man, who appointed me a judge or an arbiter between you?” Then he said to them, “Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in an abundance of possessions” (Luke 12:13-15).

In essence, Jesus, like the apostles in Acts 6, refused to get involved, instead describing general principles that should be followed and leaving the problem for others to settle.

Could it be that Jethro imparted a Midianite technique to management that seems to be wise but is not? (Keep in mind, this did not help Moses with his work overload for the people continued to look to him to do what only the Lord could do.). Does the Bible include this story to endorse this method of leadership or is it included simply because it was factual and indicated the dysfunction of the people and their deficient spirituality? Where have you accepted a biblical interpretation without examining it for yourself or challenging the commonly-held conclusions? Where have we set up a system that establishes our leaders as problem-solvers they are not equipped or called to handle?

At the end of the day, the lesson of this story may very well be the usual interpretation preached and taught everywhere. Then again, part of your creativity may be to vary your approach to stories whose truth you have assumed you knew only to find that there are other lessons you failed to examine because you accepted what others had to say and didn't study it for yourself.

Purpose Study Bible 81: Write It to Remember It

When the children of Israel entered the Wilderness, they had food, water, and security problems as we read in Exodus 17:10-14:

So Joshua fought the Amalekites as Moses had ordered, and Moses, Aaron and Hur went to the top of the hill. As long as Moses held up his hands, the Israelites were winning, but whenever he lowered his hands, the Amalekites were winning. When Moses’ hands grew tired, they took a stone and put it under him and he sat on it. Aaron and Hur held his hands up—one on one side, one on the other—so that his hands remained steady till sunset. So Joshua overcame the Amalekite army with the sword. Then the Lord said to Moses, “Write this on a scroll as something to be remembered and make sure that Joshua hears it, because I will completely blot out the name of Amalek from under heaven.”

The Lord directed Moses to write down what had happened and also mentioned to Joshua that he was writing it. This probably indicated that there were other scrolls or documents that chronicled the significant events for the people along the way. The implications are obvious, for unless we leave a written record, we tend to forget all that the Lord has done. This would seem to suggest a journal for an individual or a historian for an organization.

The Lord spoke to His people through the psalmist in Psalm 50 and one of the things He said was, "You hate my instruction and cast my words behind you." This sounds like the people had taken God's word and thrown it away, but that's not what necessarily happened. All it takes to cast God's words behind you is to go forward and not to have a way to take what He said along for the ride. It is all too easy to hear a word and then forget it as life moves on and you with it.

Do you have some means by which you can record what you believe the Lord is revealing or saying to you? Do you go through those journals to reminisce and remember His word to you? Does your organization have a means through which it can keep the word of the Lord or lessons from current events uppermost in the people's minds? Do you see that your creative expressions can help you and others remember the milestone happenings of your walk with the Lord?

Purpose Study Bible 80: Maggots

Moses gave these instructions concerning the manna God provided for the people in response to their cry for food:

Then Moses said to them, “No one is to keep any of it until morning.” However, some of them paid no attention to Moses; they kept part of it until morning, but it was full of maggots and began to smell. So Moses was angry with them. Each morning everyone gathered as much as they needed, and when the sun grew hot, it melted away. On the sixth day, they gathered twice as much—two omers for each person—and the leaders of the community came and reported this to Moses. He said to them, “This is what the Lord commanded: ‘Tomorrow is to be a day of sabbath rest, a holy sabbath to the Lord. So bake what you want to bake and boil what you want to boil. Save whatever is left and keep it until morning.’” So they saved it until morning, as Moses commanded, and it did not stink or get maggots in it (Exodus 16:19-24).

It was like the Lord controlled a provision faucet that He would turn it on and shower the people with the exact amount needed for each day. There was even a double portion on the Sabbath eve so the people would not have to gather on the Sabbath, but they were to consume everything they gathered on every other day as they received it. If they tried to hoard or save some of what they had, it would smell and maggots would infest and eat it.

There are a few purpose and creativity lessons in this story for us. One is that the Lord will provide what you need for each day—no more and no less. You are to use and enjoy it that day and trust the Lord for what you need tomorrow. There is to be no hoarding for fear that God will not "come through" tomorrow. Jesus taught us to pray with that expectation through the phrase in the Lord's Prayer "give us this day our daily bread." The same is true for your creativity and purposeful good deeds. You are to fulfill them today and not worry about whether God will give you more ideas, customers, or opportunities tomorrow. Do it, create it, teach it, say it, and give it today.

The second lesson is that if you don't use what God gives you, then something will happen to it. It will be useless and instead of being a fragrant aroma before the Lord, the stench of your inactivity or doubt will ascend to Him. When the people did not consume the gathered manna, the maggots were only too glad to eat it. Have you ever had an idea and then see someone make that idea a reality? What you didn't follow through on turned sour for you while someone else found a way to do it. The third and final lesson is that when you have a testimony today, you must find a way to share it. Don't store it for future use or put off until tomorrow what you should do or give today. Don't let the fresh bread God gives you become stale.

Are you living and giving today, trusting the Lord for what you use or give away to be replenished tomorrow? Are you freely using your ideas today, knowing full well that there are plenty more where they came from in the Lord? Are maggots consuming your lunch or are you eating it, enjoying to the fullest what God has for you with confidence He will give you your daily bread as you need it?