I've given up trying to type out all my notes for my reviews. Instead I'll turn them into some audio My Takes that let me express a little bit more fluidly. Or perhaps more confusingly. You decide.
Multiple symbolic events occur in the conclusion of this covenant making with Abram that it is fitting to focus on each of them briefly. Adam too was put into a deep sleep in the creation of his wife (Gen 2:21). This event ultimately looks forward to the burial of Jesus Christ and the resurrection of His body which is the church (John 11:25; Eph 1:22-23).
This psalm is different from the rest in that it does not have a portion about the unrighteous. Instead this psalm begins in a strongly covenantal way. The word “preserve” is used early in the OT with reference to covenant obligations (Gen 2:15; 17:9-10; 18:19). Here the request is from man to God to keep us within His covenant. Similar statements can be found even within the New Testament (John 10:29; Jude 1:24).
So do kids fall away? Of course. They fall away from lack of faith. But the Bible is so full of promises that God honors His faithful that we must ask why this is so common in our day and age. The answer is obvious: we don't live in faith of God's promises and we don't raise our kids as if they are the recipients of that promise.
The second important lesson is that evil is specific. The devil is the adversary of God. And thus the devil is the adversary of God’s people. He looks to destroy us but our faith in Christ delivers us (1 Pet 5:8-9).
Round 2 - Feb's Week of Photos
The
The first important lesson from this portion of the Lord’s Prayer is that we are to be delivered from all evil. Idolatry is evil. Lying is evil. But all evil stems from placing things before God (Deut 5:7; 6:4). God delivers us from evil by focusing us on Him.
The word “us” has been studied throughout the Lord’s Prayer. Again here it is used to remind us that deliverance is not individualistic. It is first corporate. Jesus is washing the church to be His bride (Eph 5:25-27) and this bride is made up of many members (1 Cor 12:12-13; Eph 4:4).
A Response to "Looking at Christian Obedience"
One should not seek assurance from their works. One should not presume to be under God's wrath because they slip up occasionally (or even regularly). But works are valuable both to others and ourselves. They are essential for "saving faith" (Hebrews 5:9). And when we see the fruits of God working in us through the power of the Holy Spirit we should be encouraged and edified. Likewise, when we see the Holy Spirit producing fruits in other we should also be edified.
Peter says we’ve been ransomed by God’s blood (1 Pet 1:18-19) and escaped corruption (2 Pet 1:4). This has been done for us. And this is how God relates to us. And this is why we can be confident to pray in this way.