Author: jaredharfield

Today I bought an old Cooey .22 rifle from a retired man here in Calgary. By old, I mean it’s 70 years old. Built in 1955.

Lots of Canadian history in the Cooey name and it’s one of those guns that everybody’s Grandpa owned.

The man tells me the family history:

His Dad bought the rifle for his sons to all share, using it for target practice, rabbit and squirrel hunting, etc.

Every summer, Dad gave each son a box of 50 rounds. They didn’t have lots of money. Every shot had to count.

The boys shared the rifle even into adulthood, often changing hands. Sold from one to another and then back again. A significant childhood keepsake.

The old Cooey, for reasons not made known to me, was now ready to be passed onto a new owner. Packing it up, the man caressed the rifle and slid it into its case. I told him how I hope to teach my sons how to shoot using this .22 and how it will continue to create special family memories for the years to come.

Just before he closed up the case fully, the man carefully placed a small box inside: 50 rounds.

Driving away, I knew I had something in my possession that was more than just a rifle.

I had a family legacy, childhood memories, and the potential to use it in the same way for decades to come.

Not something you get to see everyday. Pretty special.

Now in my mid-30’s, I’m beginning to recognize something. I’m no longer a young guy. I’m not an old guy, but certainly not a young guy. I’m getting older.

I’m going to die one day, and that reality helps me sharpen my focus on what I should do with my life.

Psalm 145:4 – “One generation shall commend your works to another, and shall declare your mighty acts.”

So I am embarking on a new venture, with the end in view. When I die, I want to leave a legacy to my kids. A legacy of my own bravado and sufficiency? No. A legacy of weakness.

I’m a weak man, but the Almighty God has set his adopting love upon me and brought me into his family. That’s what I want for my kids, more than anything else.

So I have this plan. I bought a nicer Bible with a durable cover that should last for decades and decades. As I read, I’m planning to jot down simple notes and observations in the side columns. I’m not scholar, but the Lord does “open my eyes that I may behold wondrous things out of your law” (Ps. 119:18)

Lord willing, one day when I’m long gone, my kids will still have this enduring legacy of weakness. They can read what Jesus taught me in His word. That the same God who richly lavished grace upon their Dad intends to do the same to them.

John 6:68 – Simon Peter replied, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life, and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God.”

“David…a man after my own heart…”
(Acts 13:22)

For years I’d always thought there was an invisible footnote here that would say something like, “Except for that whole Bathsheba thing”.

Granted, this was first written of David in 1 Samuel 13:14, before David’s reign and before David’s major moral failures. But interestingly this commendation is carried forward and included in Paul’s speech in Acts 13.

This is strange, isnt it? David did not have a blemish free reputation. How can a man who sinned so flagrantly be commended as being a man after God’s own heart?

The Backstory of 1 Samuel 11 & 12

King David slept with another man’s wife and tried to cover it up. But when it couldn’t be covered up, he arranged the death of the man, took his wife as his own and carried on with his life. From all appearances, David’s conscience was calloused and hardened. At that point the LORD sent Nathan the prophet to confront David about his sin. The story pivots when David responded: “I have sinned against the LORD.”

Exposed and Repentant

After burying his compounded sins, he recognized his sin could not be hidden from God—he was exposed. Here is where David proves yet again that he is a man after God’s own heart.

He goes down low, bowing his heart in deep meaningful repentance, out of which he writes Psalm 51:

“Have mercy on me, O God,
   according to your steadfast love;
according to your abundant mercy
   blot out my transgressions.” (Ps. 51:1)

God’s heart is full of unceasing love, abundant mercy, and willingness to forgive those who ask for it. A man after God’s own heart doesn’t go to God with a clean conscience, he goes to God *for* a clean conscience.

David royally messed up, but God’s mercy was greater than even the vilest transgression.

He models for all Christians how we are to think about our sins: In the midst of your guilt and recognition of wrong, RUN to God.

Though there are often unavoidable consequences for our sins (in David’s case, the death of his son), there is peace and relief found in being reconciled to God.

David’s greater son, Jesus Christ, would also one day die for sins not his own, but for the sins of his people.

David knew the heart of God better than many, not because he was morally perfect, but because he recognized his need of God’s mercy and experienced the refreshing power of divine forgiveness.

“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
(1 John 1:9)

Friend, is there anything you are trying to cover up and hide? God knows, and God is ready to forgive. Go to him.

Looking to Jesus, confessing our sins, we can all share the same comfort from Nathan: “The LORD has put away your sin”. (2 Samuel 12:13)

What are you waiting for?

Biblical theology is an important element to understanding many books of the Bible, but for Hebrews, it is an absolute necessity.

Hebrews is a letter that draws attention to the New Covenant supremacy of Jesus Christ, contrasted by the inferiority or mere anticipatatory nature of notable persons and events under the Old Covenant. If you read Hebrews, you’re already doing biblical theology.

Lexham Academic has published another Evangelical Biblical Theology Commentary (EBTC) volume for Hebrews, written by none other than Dr. Thomas Schreiner (James Buchanan Harrison Professor of New Testament Interpretation at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary).

For those who pay attention to Christian publishing, you may already be aware that this commentary on Hebrews was originally published in 2015 by B&H Publishing under their Biblical Theology for Christian Proclamation series, but has since been sold to Lexham Academic for inclusion in their EBTC series. If you already own the first version, there’s really no need to buy the Lexham since it is identical (apart from Lexham’s stunning cover design!). From what I can tell, even the typesetting is identical without any significant content changes.

I really like this commentary for a few reasons. Mainly, it is very accessible and easy to read. Obviously this isn’t a technical commentary, so the emphasis is placed on overarching themes explained succinctly. But also, I appreciate the pastoral sensitivity Schreiner uses, with a kind of warm fatherly tone:

“Faith trusts God in triumphs and tragedies, in the highs and lows of life. Faith gives itself entirely to God. If he ordains victory through faith, as he did through many of the judges and David, faith rejoices in the goodness God gives. If there is torture, death, and suffering, faith holds onto God, knowing a “better resurrection” is coming and that the pain and torment of the present world will not last.”

Schreiner on Hebrews 11:32-40, p. 374

One might say the best way to understand the theology of Hebrews is by biblical theology, and Schreiner’s commentary is an excellent contribution. I highly recommend it.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Lexham Academic in exchange for an unbiased review.

There’s a reason why the letter to the Galatians is in the Bible: all Christians must be alert to the danger of legalism.

Legalism takes many different forms, but is essentially the spirit of earning the approval of God rather than receiving his approval by grace alone in the gospel. If you lose the purity of the gospel, you lose Christ, and you perish in your sins.

This was Paul’s concern for the churches in the region of Galatia (modern day Turkey). He and Barnabas planted the churches, but it wasn’t long before word got back that false teaching was beginning to sway the churches away from saving faith. A strong rebuke was needed to correct and redirect the churches to doctrinal clarity.

Christians then and Christians today are often a little fuzzy on how to understand the Bible’s teaching on the law and salvation. In particular, what role does the Mosiac Law play in the Christian life? How should we understand the different covenants in their distinctions and progression?

Thankfully, the people at Lexham Press have published a helpful commentary on Galatians, written by Matthew Harmon (PhD, Wheaton College), Professor of NT Studies at Grace Theological Seminary (Winona Lake, Indiana).

Now, I know the sage advice for buying commentaries, that you should buy volumes and not commit to whole sets (on account of occasional duds), but the Evangelical Biblical Theology Commentary (EBTC) series has not let me down yet. We keep my (growing) collection of this set in our main living room because of how accessible and theologically dependable they are. Plus—they are beautifully designed.

The EBTC series, as you would expect, highlights and locates the placement of the biblical book in the grand storyline of redemptive history. This is a very helpful foundation for all books of the Bible, and perhaps especially the letter to the Galatians. Understanding the time frame and distinctives of the Abrahamic and Mosaic covenants, for example, will greatly help a proper reading of Galatians. Harmon is especially helpful in laying out a biblical theological treatment of Paul’s explanation of the Mosaic law’s role in redemptive history.

The EBTC volumes always give a section devoted to biblical theological themes and this volume includes the Galatian themes of:

• Salvation History and/or Apocalypticism
• God
• The Servant of the Lord
• Seed/Offspring
• The Law
• Justification and Righteousness
• Humanity
• Faith
• Paul’s Use Of The OT in Galatians

The strengths of this commentary include appropriate attention to the overarching plotline of the Bible (which is crucial for a proper understanding of Galatians), exegetical soundness drawing upon the Greek, and pastoral sensitivity. One very small weakness is how certain sections in the early part of the exposition seem to have been written for a different purpose (more like a sermon than a commentary).

Overall, I highly enjoyed this commentary and found it personally edifying. I commend it for personal study and Bible-teaching.

I received this complimentary copy from Lexham Press in exchange for an unbiased review.

Many marriages feel the squeeze of financial frustration. If the couple’s finances were a car, it’s often the case that one person is the Gas, and the other person is the Brakes.

The Gas is a person inclined to spend money. The Brakes is a person inclined not to spend money.

This generalization won’t apply neatly to all individuals, but there often is at least a subtle dynamic within a relationship. Obviously, each spouse had their own proclivities towards money before getting married, and then life together often brings out the differences.

Example: The Gas is usually fine with impulse purchases like drive-thru coffees and Amazon whims. The Brakes would rather save the $4 by making the coffee at home, and doubt whether the Amazon purchase is really necessary.

It would seem that the Brakes is a more virtuous position, since he/she shows prudence and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23). But the Brakes can also be motivated by fear and resisting good things from the hand of God.

The Gas might seem to be an immature position, with impulsivity coloring many purchases. But the Gas can be viewed positively as one who enjoys the simple pleasures of life (Ecclesiastes 9:7-9) as tokens of God’s generousity (James 1:17).

Questions To Ask

How well do you understand the angle from which the other spouse is viewing the household finances? Opinions on money never develop in a vacuum, and so here are a few basic questions to help understand each spouse’s background.

1. What was each spouse’s upbringing like (affluent, average or poor)?

2. Was there steady income or dependence on help (credit card debt, government income assistance, etc)?

3. Was money spent easily or rarely? Wisely or poorly?

4. Have there been any significant life events that would alter the way they view money?

Whatever the blend, these factors from the past have shaped their view of money today.

We aren’t only influenced by the past, but also the present. Its worth also considering how does one spouse’s view of money today provoke a reaction from the other?

If one spouse spends spends spends, the other may want to rein things in. If one spouse resists spending, the other might want to to live a little. The dynamic now shows itself to be partially preference, but also partially reactionary.

A Path Forward

1. Recommit to God’s Design for Marriage

Married couples need to remember their God-wrought one-flesh union (Gen 2:24, Mark 10:8) where Christ-like humility and other-mindedness triumphs. No one ever hated their own flesh (Eph 5:29) and whatever decisions you make financially should honour God and each other.

Husbands are to lovingly live with their wives in an understanding way, and wives are to intelligently submit to their husband’s direction (Ephesians 5, 1 Peter 3).

Maybe there’s tension in your marriage over finances. It can be an act of worship if both spouses commit to loving and respecting their spouse before they “deserve” it.

2. Study Your Spouse

Look for the good in them. Is there vitality of life, or perhaps prudent restraint? There is goodness there. Press in to grasp the shaping effect of their childhood and various experiences. Lastly, as you may recognize potential sinful desires in your spouse, pray God would grow him or her.

3. Discuss Expectations and Priorities

What kind of quality of life do both spouses aspire to, and why?

We live in an Instagram age of ‘keeping up with the Jones’ where materialism is king. Where will you find the balance between laying up treasures in heaven and enjoying God’s good gifts?

4. Set Your Budget

With steps 1-3 as the foundation, the couple can now talk about numbers and goals with appreciation for each other’s strengths and accomodation for each other’s differences.

Maybe the income/expenses margins are so tight that there really isn’t any room for unthoughtful purchases. That’s important.

Or maybe there is cushion room and there are different options for spending that extra $100 a month. Does that go to a Date Night, or personal allowances, or hospitality, or savings?

Talk about your budget, and work together to be singing from the same hymnal, agreeing to live in line with it. There are lots of resources out there to help creating a budget if needed.

5. Cultivate Contentment

Finances can ebb and flow with life circumstances and cost of living. Whether booming or busting, soaring or slumping, we can learn the secret to contentment (Phil 4:11-12). Christ is our treasure and we are secure in him.

Conclusion

Don’t be intimidated by money squabbles in marriage. Instead, be expectant for how God intends to deepen your trust in him and love for each other. The spade work of studying and honoring your spouse will certainly be worthwhile.

And then once you find the right balance between Gas and Brakes, the two of you will be cruising into the sunset of God’s wise provision with the top down.

Which gospel comes to mind when you think of Christology? Many would think of John’s gospel, but there is good reason not to neglect Matthew’s gospel.

In Matthew, Jesus is revealed as the Son of Man, Lord, Son of God, Immanuel, Son of David, the Messiah, a prophet like Moses, fulfilling Isaianic prophecies, ushering in the New Covenant by his blood. Surely, if one is looking to understand the Christ of Christology, the gospel of Matthew is in the big leagues alongside the gospel of John.

Thankfully, there are many excellent resources on the gospel of Matthew available to us today, but I’d like to draw my readers’ attention to a notable new release from Lexham Press.

Charles Quarles, professor at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary, is an expert on Matthew’s gospel. He’s written and taught on it extensively, including his volume in the Exegetical Guide to The Greek New Testament (EGGNT) series from B&H. Channeling his scholarly familiarity in a fresh presentation, he has written this new commentary “Matthew” for Lexham Press’s Evangelical Biblical Theology Commentary series (EBTC).

I used this commentary as I read through Matthew in my devotions in January, and it was very helpful to me. Many times I was struck with how profound the observations were, most often written in clear simple language. As a matter of fact, one of the reasons I so enjoyed this commentary was because of how straight-to-the-point Quarles is. Here are some examples:

Jesus refused to exhibit the kind of faith that Satan encouraged because it was the same kind of superficial faith that the Israelites displayed at Massah, the so-called faith that trusts God only when he provides miraculous rescue.

Quarles, Matthew (on Jesus being tempted by Satan in Matthew 4:1-11) p. 150

Jesus’s cleansing of the temple serves as an initial but partial fulfillment of the eschatological hope for the purification of the temple and its priesthood.

Quarles, Matthew (on the cleansing of the temple in Matthew 22:12-17) p. 524

The irony of both these parables related to the delay of the parousia is that Jesus will come later than people expect, but sooner than many are ready for.

Quarles, Matthew (on the parable of the ten virgins in Matthew 25:1-13) p. 649

The commentary doesn’t offer a verse-by-verse treatment, but does draw particular attention to the key themes and main point(s) of the passage in view. Sometimes Quarles gives a brilliant observation to the question you came looking for help on. Other times, Quarles helps you recognize a passage’s deeper layer of significance you may have not known to look for.

Of course this reveals the ultimate goal of the EBTC series to connect each biblical book to the themes and overarching storyline found from Genesis to Revelation. As the series is advertised from Lexham Press, “the EBTC doesn’t just help you see the forest for the trees; it reveals a breathtaking view of an entire biblical world most Christians have rarely explored.”

I have become a big fan of the EBTC series. I’ve reviewed other titles from this series including Psalms and 1-2 Timothy & Titus. Ultimately, these commentaries always live up to the hype. Less importantly but still notable, they are beautifully designed and look very attractive on the shelf. I highly recommend Matthew, and the entire series.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Lexham Press in exchange for an unbiased review.

The question put to kids growing up used to be: “What career would you like?”

But responsible Christian parents today will necessarily re-word the question to: “Biblical Christians will find their faith to be career-limiting. What career *can* you do with a clear conscience?

For example:

Can you in good conscience plan to enter a career in human resources with all the social-political agendas you’ll need to abide by (read: enforce)?

Can you in good conscience go into healthcare with the increased promotion of abortion and MAiD?

Our children are growing up in a strange new world, one where Christ and natural law is forsaken. It’s no longer what do you want to do, but what can you do?

Aptitudes and personalities are real, but our young people may not have the luxury of choice that other generations did for career path.

Young men in particular might do well to develop “hard skills” over “soft skills” (ie. trade, skillset, etc), even if it’s not their *thing*. But it is a noble thing “to aspire to live quietly, and to mind your own affairs, and to work with your hands…” (1 Thess. 4:11).

This recalibrates our priorities for our children. Ultimately, we want our kids to grow up with a head full of biblical knowledge, a heart ablaze with love for God and fellow man, the ability to provide for himself/herself (and a family if a man) all the while striving to be a good citizen whose ultimate citizenship is in heaven.