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Every “6:7” Verse in the New Testament: The Pattern That Stands Out When You Line Them Up

Estimated Reading Time of this Section: 2min

Even though I don’t understand why the 6/7 hype is so hilarious, I decided that we should look at all the Chapter 6 Verse 7 verses in the Bible, and we’re up to the New Testament! You can check out the Old Testament Part One and Part Two posts as well, but let’s dive in, shall we!

As I went through this exercise, I realised that each 6:7 verse had a flow into the other, and the ultimate story of scripture. In light of that, I have posted the entire 6:7 journey as an uninterrupted section of reading for the New Testament, then the individual verses below with a little bit of context of what was happening in each section.

And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. Calling the twelve to him, he began to send them out two by two and gave them authority over impure spirits. The Pharisees and the teachers of the law were looking for a reason to accuse Jesus, so they watched him closely to see if he would heal on the Sabbath. Phillip answered him, “It would take more than half a year’s wages to buy enough bread for each one to have a bite!” So the word of God spread. The number of disciples in Jerusalem increased rapidly, and a large number of priests became obedient to the faith.
Anyone who has died has been set free from sin. The very fact that you have lawsuits among you means you have been completely defeated already. Why not rather be wronged? Why not rather be cheated? In truthful speech and in the power of God with weapons of righteousness in the right hand and the left. Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. Whoever sows to please their flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction; whoever sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life.
Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not people. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing our of it. Land that drinks in the rain often falling on it and that produces a crop useful tot hose for whom it is farmed receives the blessing of God. When the Lamb opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature say, “Come!’

Estimated Reading Time of this Section: 8min

The Promised Messiah

Matthew 6:7

And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words.

The religious leaders of Jesus’ day made a big ‘to do’ about praying – about everything spiritual really. Whenever they had a chance to show everyone how important they were, how “holy” they were and how much better than everyone else they were, they would. This was how the pagans of the day acted also. They said long prayers that didn’t have any real heart, and Jesus was not having it. When He modeled an example of how to pray, He wasn’t saying you had to say that word for word every time or it didn’t count. He was showing that your prayers could be simple, they could seek after God, and everyone could pray without the show.

Mark 6:7

Calling the twelve to him, he began to send them out two by two and gave them authority over impure spirits.

When Jesus was doing His ministry, He gave the authority that He carried to His disciples, and sent them out to the neighbouring places to use it and heal people and share about Him. This is the moment. The one where Jesus, while still alive, gave them a taste into what they would be doing when He finally went back to be with the Father. When they returned, they got a chance to debrief with Him. What a special gift to prepare their ministry when He wasn’t with them any longer.

Luke 6:7

The Pharisees and the teachers of the law were looking for a reason to accuse Jesus, so they watched him closely to see if he would heal on the Sabbath.

Jesus challenged the somewhat twisted version of the law and power and authority that the Pharisees had instituted in the days since God had stopped speaking at the end of the Old Testament to now. They had meant well, I’m sure, in keeping the law and traditions in tact, but had managed to become corrupted with how they went about enforcing things. When Jesus taught that they had missed the mark, they were pretty upset with Him for it. They kept watching and waiting for Jesus to trip up in such a way that they could then accuse Him legally (which was their whole thing.. the law). They were missing the point of the Sabbath, which was a gift from God to have a day without working, not a day without lifting a single finger, even to help someone in need.

John 6:7

Phillip answered him, “It would take more than half a year’s wages to buy enough bread for each one to have a bite!”

We are smack dab in the middle of Jesus feeding the 5,000 (men, by the way, not counting women and children who would have been present – that jumps the number up to approximately 20,000 in all estimations). It was time for some food after a day of preaching, and the disciples didn’t know where they were going to get it. Then Jesus asked a question that might have seemed silly, and Philip sure thought so – “where shall we buy bread for these people to eat?” Too many people to pay for food, and no place to get to easily to find any – but Jesus was preparing them for a miracle!

The Gospel Goes Out

Acts 6:7

So the word of God spread. The number of disciples in Jerusalem increased rapidly, and a large number of priests became obedient to the faith.

We often use the word ‘disciple’ and ‘apostle’ without remembering that the 12 original disciples became the apostles, but they weren’t the only followers of Jesus at the time. There were many others – and disciple just means an active learner and devoted follower. Jesus inspired many to follow Him and seek to learn more about what He had to say, even before His death and resurrection.

Faith in Action

Romans 6:7

Anyone who has died has been set free from sin.

Does Paul mean literal death? Sure. Is he also talking about spiritual death? Absolutely. When you accept Jesus as LORD and saviour over your life, and you want to follow Him and His ways, you die to the person you were – the one stuck in sin – and you are now a new creation that is no longer spiritually dead, and will spend eternity in life with God. How amazing is that!

1 Corinthians 6:7

The very fact that you have lawsuits among you means you have been completely defeated already. Why not rather be wronged? Why not rather be cheated?

Paul is pretty unhappy for a few reasons. One, God’s people were trying to take their disputes to the secular law courts instead of dealing with things properly amongst each other and Two, they were cheating each other in a manner that needed a law court/trial against each other. We shouldn’t be doing these things to each other in the first place, but to let it reach such a point where we then need to involve the courts instead of fixing it ourselves, is not the ideal situation to be in. We should be dealing with each other (and those outside the church too!) with love, compassion and equity – not cheating each other to where we then take it to a legal system that isn’t designed to keep God and His commandments in mind.

2 Corinthians 6:7

In truthful speech and in the power of God with weapons of righteousness in the right hand and the left

This time, we see Paul talking about not putting a stumbling block in front of another believer, and instead, living while keeping a list of things in mind. One of those things, is to be truthful in everything you say, holding onto righteousness (equity in the Greek) and using that as your weapon against injustice.

Galatians 6:7

Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. Whoever sows to please their flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction; whoever sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life.

God knows your heart. If you are trying to be ‘sneaky’ about something in front of God.. forget about it. It won’t work. God knows your motivations, and He won’t just let you get away with it because you were ‘just kidding’ or ‘didn’t realise’. He sees and knows the part of you that you may not even realise yet, and He knows the motives of your heart. He’ll let you do what you wish to do, but that doesn’t mean He is pretending along with you.

Ephesians 6:7

Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not people

We should be working together, helping each other, and showing the servant heart that Jesus did as Christian believers today. It was relevant for God’s people in the early church, and it’s still relevant for us now. With our whole heart, not begrudgingly. If you were serving, helping, assisting God Himself, wouldn’t you do that with a joyful heart, glad to be part of everything? That’s the mindset and heart posture we should have while dealing with God’s people (even the ones that drive us nuts!).

1 Timothy 6:7

For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing our of it.

The things of this world can be great while we’re here. They can provide shelter, sustenance, comfort and support. That’s all they will be though – helpful here. You don’t get special props in heaven because you had lots of stuff down here. You don’t hold sway, or have any special positions. You aren’t given more respect or preference. You are the same as everyone else who comes to the feet of Jesus. If this is the case, why do we put so much time, effort and focus on storing those things up….?

The Coming King

Hebrews 6:7

Land that drinks in the rain often falling on it and that produces a crop useful tot hose for whom it is farmed receives the blessing of God.

While it seems unusually written, this sentence can hold a lot of weight if you look for it. The author of Hebrews is in the midst of talking about falling away from the truth of Jesus. When you have discovered the truth of Jesus, it is possible for you to still decide to turn away from Him again. We are all human, and all have the potential to be distracted, disheartened and disappointed… but to those who choose to leave it behind when they’ve known the truth, that is not a great place to be it. When you want to grow and learn, you are what’s listed above – good soil that gets fed by the rain and is good for harvest. As verse 8 continues on, however, if you aren’t, you are like land with thorny and unusable soil for producing crops. In the end, it is burned. Which do you want to be?

Revelation 6:7

When the Lamb opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature say, “Come!’

This part of Revelation is looking at some allegorical things. We are watching the opening of the scrolls and seals. Without delving too deeply into the study of Revelation (there are A LOT of things we could cover and go deep into), if we back up to Chapter 5, we see that nobody is worthy to open the scrolls and break the seals but Jesus Himself. The angels have just finished praising Jesus and the sacrifice that He made, and now we see what each seal unlocks. This one, is the fourth, and when it’s opened, the pale horse of death is revealed. Without Jesus, our eternity is death and separation from God forever. No rest, no more chances. I don’t want that to be what happens to me, so I am blessedly assured in my salvation.
Are you?

Special reference to those that don’t have a Chapter 6, Verse 7:
Philippians, Colossians, 1 Thessalonians, 2 Thessalonians, 2 Timothy, Titus, Philemon, James, 1 Peter, 2 Peter, 1 John, 2 John, 3 John, and Jude.

This journey was so interesting, and I am so glad that I decided to go on it. It started as a bit of fun, but the discoveries in how the verses can smoothly move through each other, and the encouragement and reminders that we received, was worth the exercise. I hope you enjoyed seeing it, and that you keep discovering more of God’s love letter to us – His Word.

See You in the Adventures!
Christy Grace

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Every “6:7” Verse in the Old Testament (Part 2): What Kept Repeating Across Books

Estimated Reading Time of this Section: 3min

We are back with part 2 of the Old Testament – it’s such a big portion of reading, that I have the second section of it here, and a final part for the New Testament coming soon (don’t think I didn’t forget!). The interest in the letters 6/7 is unusual for some of us, so I thought I could interject some Biblical 6/7 into the conversation!

Enjoy the Chapter 6 verse 7 of the second part of the Old Testament, along with below where each 6:7 verse is placed into a paragraph where the verses flow into the other, and the ultimate story of scripture. As before, the individual verses will be below with a little bit of context of what was happening in each section.

Do not interfere with the work on this temple of God. Let the governor of the Jews and the Jewish elders rebuild this house of God on its site. “and have even appointed prophets to make this proclamation about you in Jerusalem: ‘There is a king in Judah!’ Now this report will get back to the king; so come, let us meet together.” So he answered the king, “For the man the king delights to honour, have them bring a royal robe the king has worn and a horse the king has ridden, one with a royal crest placed on its head.

I refuse to touch it; such food makes me ill. My eyes grow weak with sorrow; they fail because of all my foes. It has no commander, no overseer or ruler. Everyone’s toil is for their mouth, yet their appetite is never satisfied. Your cheeks are like halves of a pomegranate behind your veil. With it he touched my mouth and said, “See this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for.”

As a well pours out its water, so she pours out her wickedness. Violence and destruction resound in her; her sickness and wounds are ever before me. Your people will fall slain among you, and you will know that I am the LORD. The royal administrators and satraps, advisors and governors have all agreed that the king should issue an edict and enforce the decree that anyone who praise to any god or human being during the next thirty days, except to you, Your Majesty, shall be thrown into the lion’s den. As at Adam, they have broken the covenant; they were unfaithful to me there. Therefore you will be among the first to go into exile; your feasting and lounging will end.

Will the LORD be pleased with thousands of rams, with ten thousand rivers of olive oil? Shall I offer my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul? When the powerful horses went out, they were straining to go throughout the earth. And he said, “Go throughout the earth!” So they went throughout the earth.

Estimated Reading Time of this Section: 9min

The Temple and the Kings

Ezra 6:7

Do not interfere with the work on this temple of God. Let the governor of the Jews and the Jewish elders rebuild this house of God on its site.

Even though God’s people had been taken captive, God still made a way for His temple – the place where His presence would dwell in the Old Testament – to be built. A way for His people to atone for their sins, and worship Him the way He called them to do. The King of their enemies was the one to make this decree.

Nehemiah 6:7

“and have even appointed prophets to make this proclamation about you in Jerusalem: ‘There is a king in Judah!’ Now this report will get back to the king; so come, let us meet together.”

This is an interesting one. Nehemiah was determined to rebuild the city of Jerusalem for God’s people to return to it after being help in captivity. There were people around the area who did NOT want this to happen, and this sentence was part of a message they were sending Nehemiah to get him to abandon his cause and make trouble for him so he could not continue. Fortunately, he saw right through their tricks and kept on building.

Esther 6:7

So he answered the king, “For the man the king delights to honour, have them bring a royal robe the king has worn and a horse the king has ridden, one with a royal crest placed on its head.

The king in the story of Esther was a bit fickle. He banished his queen when she didn’t do what he wanted at a party, ‘auditioned’ all the virgins in the land to be his new queen, and clearly had a temper because if you came to him unannounced, you might be killed just for that alone. Yet, in this moment, we see him planning on how to honor a man who saved his life (much to that mans dismay). What we see here, is what God does for His children. He shares the royal family with us, as we are co-heirs in His kingdom with Jesus. We get His royal robe and crest (family identification) when we follow Him.

Wisdom for Life

Job 6:7

I refuse to touch it; such food makes me ill.

Ah, Job. This poor guy had his life thrown upside down. This verse talks to all of us who lose our hunger in the face of difficult times (not me, but I know you exist out there). Through many troubles, Job remains faithful, but a small verse like this shows us just how difficult it was for him in all the things that he faced.

Psalms 6:7

My eyes grow weak with sorrow; they fail because of all my foes.

Keeping with the theme of struggles, we see in this song/poem of David how much his sorrow grips him, and how much he is struggling with. He is not struggling alone though, for his cries of anguish and pain are sent to God, whom he knows it is safe to lament to.

Proverbs 6:7

It has no commander, no overseer or ruler

Alright, what the heck is happening here? If you back up just a few verses, we can see this verse in proverbs (a book of wise sayings and things to keep in mind for your life) is talking about if you’ve been led astray. It talks about leaving that place and that person, making sure to store up things that matter (like an ant stores up food for the winter). We are called to store up treasures in heaven, not on this earth, and if we’re being led in the wrong directions by people (well meaning or not), we need to run from them, and back to the One who knows the good ways from the bad.

Ecclesiastes 6:7

Everyone’s toil is for their mouth, yet their appetite is never satisfied.

We’ve gotten quite a few disheartening sounding verses in this portion of Scripture, but let’s have a closer look at this one. Solomon is again giving us some wisdom, even if it’s in the form of difficult things, and this one is focussing on how the things of this world, that we can eat or say with our mouths, will never satisfy us in the long run. We may want to ingest foods, or illicit substances to try and gain pleasure or wisdom, or even relief from stress, but it will never truly satisfy. We are looking to things that will not give us rest, fulfilment, or security. You can do all the work you want to to make sure you are fed and provided for, but that will never last – and you will keep searching if that’s where you’re putting your hope in your security.

Song of Songs 6:7

Your cheeks are like halves of a pomegranate behind your veil

Okay, I hear what you’re thinking – the Song of Songs part was destined to be juicy verse, right? Sadly, it wasn’t, but hear me out. This is part of just one section where the groom (represented by Jesus) is talking to his bride (represented by the church) about how beautiful He finds us. He notices small things about you, things that others may not see because they are on the inside. He sees the outside as beautiful too – every part, not just the ‘obvious’ ones that humans look at and notice. God sees you – fully, with no veil/covering to hide – and He finds you beautiful.. how amazing is that!

The Voice of the Prophets

Isaiah 6:7

With it he touched my mouth and said, “See this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for.”

This verse is an AMAZING one in the light of salvation. In the Old Testament, all we saw was how many (many many many) things could make you ‘unclean’ and unable to be in the presence not only of God, but the people around you because being unclean was catchy. In this prophetic vision, Isaiah gets to see the messiah (Jesus) before He walked the earth, and instead of becoming unclean when he touched the sinful Isaiah, his cleanness rubbed off on Isaiah instead, making him clean! It was scandalous and unheard of – and only possible through Jesus.

Jeremiah 6:7

As a well pours out its water, so she pours out her wickedness. Violence and destruction resound in her; her sickness and wounds are ever before me.

Let’s start out with saying, this verse is not talking about a literal woman. Okay, now that’s out of the way, Jeremiah was a prophet who the people did NOT want to listen to. He was the ‘doom and gloom’ guy, when all they wanted was a pick me up happy message. Here, Jeremiah was relaying a message warning God’s people that they were become like the people around them – turning to false gods and allowing wickedness to enter into their lives and hearts. This defeated the purpose of being set apart by God as His people.. how can the world around you see that you loved by a special God that is above all other (fake) ones, if you act like they do?

Ezekiel 6:7

Your people will fall slain among you, and you will know that I am the LORD.

Oof, this one is a hard one. Here, we see God warning the Israelites that because of their idolatry in following other gods and allowing evil to infiltrate their lives and hearts, He is going to destroy a lot of them. Only the ones who remember God will be left. There are consequences to the actions we take, and these ones were swift and hard to swallow.

Daniel 6:7

The royal administrators and satraps, advisors and governors have all agreed that the king should issue an edict and enforce the decree that anyone who praise to any god or human being during the next thirty days, except to you, Your Majesty, shall be thrown into the lion’s den.

What a trap to lay for Daniel. These guys (the politicians of the day) were so threatened by Daniel, and they couldn’t get any real ‘dirt’ on the guy, because he was a good man following the rules and God’s laws. Instead of living with it, or moving on, they trapped him because they knew that Daniel was a praying man. Every day for several hours. There was no way that Daniel was going to stop praying just because of this, and ultimately it did lead to him being thrown into a den of lions… but it didn’t work out the way the politicians had hoped because God is good!

Hosea 6:7

As at Adam, they have broken the covenant; they were unfaithful to me there.

Sadly, we see many times that God’s people – the ones he chose to be a representation of Him to the other people around them, turned to other idols and little g fake “gods”. They relied on themselves, listened to the influence of people who believed in the false gods, and turned their backs on God so many times. This entire book of prophecy is a sad warning of when they blew the many chances that God gave them.

Amos 6:7

Therefore you will be among the first to go into exile; your feasting and lounging will end.

The people were almost mocking God at this point, thinking that there would be no consequences for their actions (or inactions). Feasting and lounging? In the face of utter disobedience? Those were the people who were told to expect the swiftest punishment. God gives us chances, but He also will not be mocked.

Micah 6:7

Will the LORD be pleased with thousands of rams, with ten thousand rivers of olive oil? Shall I offer my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?

The time for offering animals for atonement was coming to an end. It was not ever supposed to be a long term solution, but a temporary one until the time was right for Jesus to come and be the once and for all sacrifice. There is nothing we can offer that even comes close, so praise God that he made a way for us to still be in relationship with Him.

Zechariah 6:7

When the powerful horses went out, they were straining to go throughout the earth. And he said, “Go throughout the earth!” So they went throughout the earth.

The chariots of God’s army are ‘straining’ or waiting eagerly to go out when He calls them to make the ends of the earth face who God is, and what they’ve done with His earth, His calling, and His people. Almost as if they are holding their breath in anticipation of His glorious return.

To all the books that don’t have a chapter 6 verse 7, here is your shout out:
Ruth, Lamentations, Joel, Obadiah, Jonah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Malachi,

I am so excited to see what the New Testament has in store in the final part of this series!

See You in the Adventures!
Christy Grace

Categories
Book Challenges Books Non-Fiction Special Categories

Every “6:7” Verse in the Old Testament (Part 1): The Pattern I Didn’t Expect to Find

Estimated Reading Time of this Section: 2min

With the seemingly endless interest in the letters 6/7, I thought that even though I don’t understand why that is still funny (I understand the background with songs, famous people, and all the rest that came after it), I can maybe provide some lovely Biblical 6/7 into the conversation! I’m listing out all the Chapter 6 Verse 7 Scripture verses here for you! Old Testament is first, and it’s a doozy.

As I went through this exercise, I realised that each 6:7 verse had a flow into the other, and the ultimate story of scripture. In light of that, I have posted the entire 6:7 journey as an uninterrupted section of reading, then the individual verses below with a little bit of context of what was happening in each section.

So the LORD said, “I will wipe from the face of the earth the human race I have created – and with them the animals, the birds and the creatures that move along the ground – for I regret that I have made them. “I will take you as my own people, and I will be your God. Then you will know that I am the LORD your God, who brought you out from under the yoke of the Egyptians. In this way the priest will make atonement for them before the LORD, and they will be forgiven for any of the things they did that made them guilty. Even if their own father or mother or brother or sister dies, they must not make themselves ceremonially unclean on account of them, because the symbol of their dedication, they are consecrated to the LORD. Impress them (Scripture) on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.

And he ordered the army, “Advance! March around the city, with an armed guard going ahead of the ark of the LORD.” When the Israelites cried out to the LORD because of Midian, he sent them a prophet, who said, “This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: I brought you up out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. “Now then, get a new cart ready, with two cows that have calved and have never been yolked. Hitch the cows to the cart, but take their calves away and pen them up. The LORD’s anger burned against Uzzah because of his irreverent act; therefore God struck him down, and he died there beside the ark of God. In building the temple, only blocks dressed at the quality were used, and no hammer, chisel or any other iron tool was heard at the temple site while it was being built. “Lift it out,” he said. Then the man reached out his hand and took it. With Meraioth the father of Amariah, Amariah the father of Ahitub. “My father David had it in his heart to build a temple for the Name of the LORD, the God of Israel.”

Estimated Reading Time of this Section: 8min

The Beginning: Judgement, Rescue, and Covenant

Genesis 6:7

So the LORD said, “I will wipe from the face of the earth the human race I have created – and with them the animals, the birds and the creatures that move along the ground – for I regret that I have made them.”

This verse seems pretty harsh, until you take into account the context around it. This is around the time of Noah and the flood, and the people had been corrupted to such a point that evil was the normal, and good was almost non-existent. A world where people did whatever they wanted, killed, assaulted, did horrible evil towards each other and the world around them. God looked down at what He had made and realised things had gone too far, far enough that nothing could fix it, but to wipe it out and start almost from the beginning. Only Noah and his family were left, along with the animals that made it onto the ark.

Exodus 6:7

I will take you as my own people, and I will be your God. Then you will know that I am the LORD your God, who brought you out from under the yoke of the Egyptians.

What a different experience from Genesis 6:7 – this time, we see God setting apart His people and saving them from the slavery oppression they were under as HIS.

Leviticus 6:7

In this way the priest will make atonement for them before the LORD, and they will be forgiven for any of the things they did that made them guilty.

Now that God’s people are back with Him, He has made a way that they can stay clean enough to have relationship with Him. A priest makes atonement for them, to make sure they can still remain in relationship with him – a foreshadowing of what Jesus will do later as the ultimate High Priest who will make atonement once and for all (but not for a little while yet).

Numbers 6:7

Even if their own father or mother or brother or sister dies, they must not make themselves ceremonially unclean on account of them, because the symbol of their dedication , they are consecrated to the LORD.

We see instructions on how some of the Israelites are supposed to be. This starts explaining how they should be reacting from a dead body and ultimately this passage explores how they need to remain clean and away from things that are dead (the old has passed away, and the new is here!)

Deuteronomy 6:7

Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.

Not only having the Word of God on your own heart, but sharing it with your children is very important. Sharing with them the stories of how God came through for His people time and time again, the ways that he outlines are a good way to live and will lead to a life that honours Him and His ways – this is what we’re talking about in Deuteronomy.

Entering the Land and Learning to Trust

Joshua 6:7

And he ordered the army, “Advance! March around the city, with an armed guard going ahead of the ark of the LORD.”

To break down the walls of Jericho (a stronghold.. equally applicable in your life), the army of Israel was ordered to march around the city WITH the ark of God, which was where His presence was housed. They had to march into battle armed with His presence and the law of God (or, the Word/Scriptures as it were). We are called to do this today as well.

Judges 6:7

When the Israelites cried out to the LORD because of Midian, he sent them a prophet, who said, “This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: I brought you up out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.

Now, admittedly I did add verse 8 into this one because verse 7 was very short and ended halfway through a sentence, however the sentiment still stands. God reminds His people of what He has done for them in the past, how He has rescued them, and how He will rescue them again in times of trouble (even when that trouble doesn’t look exactly the same as last time).

1 Samuel 6:7

“Now then, get a new cart ready, with two cows that have calved and have never been yolked. Hitch the cows to the cart, but take their calves away and pen them up.

What an unusual verse to see out of the blue. This section of 1 Samuel is talking about the Ark of God returning to Israel. They are making preparations on how they need to return the Ark (the place the presence of God and reminders of what He has done for His people) is to come back into their hands. Qualifications were required – that is how Holy God really is! And why what Jesus did to stop the separation between us and God was so important.

2 Samuel 6:7

The LORD’s anger burned against Uzzah because of his irreverent act; therefore God struck him down, and he died there beside the ark of God.

Woah – again, we see just how important it was to do things the way that God commanded. As they bring the Ark back to God’s people, someone who was not able to reach out to where God’s presence was located was killed because of it. In the presence of someone that Holy, we just cannot compete. Praise God that we have Jesus to bridge the gap today.

The Temple and the Kings

1 Kings 6:7

In building the temple, only blocks dressed at the quality were used, and no hammer, chisel or any other iron tool was heard at the temple site while it was being built.

God called for only the best to be used to showcase His glory and power through the building of his temporary resting place – the building of the temple. It showed the other people around the Israelites who God was, and how He was to be treated. Like royalty and worthy of high praise and adoration.

2 Kings 6:7

“Lift it out,” he said. Then the man reached out his hand and took it.

Okay, another one that sounds a little strange without the context around it. This story is happening with Elisha, a big and important prophet in Scripture. A man who is assisting Elisha looses an ax in the Jordan river, and is very worried because it was a borrowed tool. This would have led to retribution, and possibly not a nice time of it. When Elisha threw a stick into the water, it made the iron float and the man was able to reach out and get the borrowed axe, no need for any confrontation or bad outcome. God protects those who work for His kingdom, and this is a lovely reminder of that fact.

1 Chronicles 6:7

Meraioth the father of Amariah, Amariah the father of Ahitub

Okay, here’s another weird one. We have a genealogy that is listed in 1 Chronicles right smack dab in the middle of the 6:7 verse. So, why are genealogies important? Lineage proved rights. It showed that you had the right to get the inheritance of those that came before you. In Jesus’ case, it also proved his legitimacy as the messiah. In this instance, we see the lineages of the tribes of Levi – the priesthood tribe, which Jesus later took over the responsibilities of as the ultimate High Priest.

2 Chronicles 6:7

“My father David had it in his heart to build a temple for the Name of the LORD, the God of Israel.”

Here, we see Solomon wanting to build what David never could, a more permanent house for the presence of God. David had the architectural plans, but because of all the people he had killed in the commission of wars, God decided he could not build the place of his presence. Instead, his son Solomon, who asked God for wisdom beyond any man (and who still failed in his life… the joys of being human), was the one to finally reach the goal.

This is only the first part of the Old Testament! How incredible, because there is still half to go, and then we see the New Testament. I will share the books that are not included in this list at the end of Part Two because not all of them had a 6:7 to share.

I am so excited to see what the next part has in store!

See You in the Adventures!
Christy Grace

Categories
Inspiring

Mercy Calling: Jonah’s Life

So often we see the story of Jonah and The Whale as a cute Sunday school story that as adults, we tend to delegate to the other big and theatrical stories like Noah and the Ark, or David and Goliath. 

The whale steals it. We forget the allegorical point of the story (Babylon engulfing disobedient Israel), we don’t much care about whether or not Nineveh was saved, or what happened to the regurgitated patient; but we remember the whale. 

We can actually get a lot of amazing meat from the story of Jonah, which starts with recognising that Jonah’s story actually has a different protagonist than you think. The story is actually about the incredible mercy of God, not just a guy stuck in a whale for a few days. 

The Lord Himself is the chief character, who speaks first and last, and acts in between. 

THE RELUCTANT PROPHET

Jonah was reluctant to follow through with the call that God set for him. He was a prophet… it was literally his job, but he wanted to choose which words benefited him. Our call is not to pick and choose which of God’s commands we accommodate – it is to simply do it. Unfortunately for him, God does not give up without a fight. 

Jonah is not trapped once the storm finds him out at sea; his fate is sealed the moment Yahweh’s word is addressed to him. 

Jonah’s attempts to circumvent God’s plans, however, went down like a brick… in the ocean. When Jonah boarded a ship to Tarsis – the complete opposite direction of Nineveh – God sent a wild and ravaging storm that endangered the lives of all the pagan sailors around him. His actions were selfishly bringing danger to innocent lives, and he was asleep! 

Yahweh is very patient and long-suffering with Jonah, and has mercy on the sailors and the Ninevites; indeed, it might be argued that Yahweh’s absolute sovereign freedom is the author’s ultimate concern. 

Even in Jonah’s defiant and selfish actions, God was not having any of it. When the storm came, His ultimate purpose of redemption was already being displayed. Whether he liked it or not, Jonah was going to preach to his enemies. 

He had fled to avoid happens before his eyes, and through his own mediation, he sees heathen turn to the fear of the Lord. 

One view suggests that Jonah’s intention in the storm was to have himself be made blameless and the sailors be the ones at blame for his death. 

Another way by which Jonah attempts to abscond from divine authority and communal expectation is his failure to take responsibility for his actions when faced by ‘a great wind upon the sea’ and ‘a mighty wind’ that threatens to break up the ship. 

After all, if he died on the ship he wouldn’t have to go to Nineveh. However, he didn’t count on the sailors wrestling with the decision to throw him overboard before finally agreeing while also praying to Yahweh – a God they didn’t believe in. 

God didn’t allow them to become murderers, or give Jonah a watery grave in the depths. Instead, he sent a fish palace to come and swallow the reluctant prophet until he came to some version of his senses. 

This does not exhaust God’s love and patience and he again takes this rebellious servant in hand. 

Fish-Food For Thought
How have YOU been reluctant to do something God has asked of you that you didn’t want to do?

WHAT THE ENEMY MEANT FOR EVIL

So, with a bad attitude, Jonah heads down to Nineveh. I would say that three day dinners of rotten fish and seaweed would have altered his view on doing what God asked, but the evidence is to the contrary. When Jonah gets vomited onto land, he finally goes to Nineveh and in his sermon uses only five Hebrew words telling the people that in forty days the city would be “overturned”. 

Jonah does not want God to relent and is angry with Yahweh for being true to himself. 

The Hebrew word that Jonah used in his “message” for Nineveh’s end was Hapak. While this word does in fact mean that something would be overturned or destroyed, it also can mean that things are turned over or changed. 

When he announces, ‘In forty days Nineveh turns over’, regardless of whether the city is destroyed or repents and is spared, his oracle is true. 

What Jonah didn’t count on was the heart of the Ninevites and their king. When they heard his pitiful five word sermon they “turned over” a new leaf and repented to save themselves from destruction. What Jonah had intended as a death sentence, had been used to reform an entire city for God’s glory. 

When God saw the sincerity of Nineveh’s repentance, he decided to spare their lives – the reason that Jonah had been sent in the first place. This was not something that went down well with the reluctant prophet, who then went off to sulk. He just couldn’t understand why God cared about his enemies – he certainly didn’t. 

If God is the creator of all things he is the creator of all peoples and nations, and his concern must be for them as well as for Israel. 

Fish-Food For Thought 
How has God turned things around for you when it looked like it was all going down the drain? 

GOD’S COMPASSION 

So after seeing a storm cease, living inside an actual fish for three days, and an entire pagan city being saved by God what does Jonah? He sulks. His enemies being saved was the very thing he KNEW God would do if he went. It’s who He is.

Jonah had not stopped needing to learn lessons, because he had become obedient to his call. Jonah appears not to have understood his own adventure and has already forgotten the grace lavished upon himself and seems unconscious that it should be shared with others. 

While he’s busy fuming in the hot sun outside the city, God is still merciful. He sends him a tree for shade in the midst of his tantrum. Still giving Nineveh the side eye, Jonah is grateful, but things turn when after only one day, God sends a worm to eat the roots of the tree. 

God then uses that moment to do the most ‘Boss’ Mic Drop ever by pointing out that this tree is nothing compared to the 120,000 people in Nineveh who God also created. These people who don’t understand the consequences of their sins.

Yahweh is full of compassion and mercy for all that he has made.. He intended all along to bless the nations through his election of Israel. 

Nobody deserves God’s mercy and compassion, but He gives it to us anyway. We should show that to others regardless of who they are, simply for the fact that He did it for us first. The point of this little exercise was to remind Jonah (and us) that people are not excluded from His love and mercy. It is available for all. 

God is consistently merciful both to the undeserving Israel and to Nineveh, Israel’s undeserving enemy. 

Fish-Food For Thought 
Considering how Jesus treated his enemies, how does that affect you in your own view of how you treat those who haven’t been the nicest to you? 

Life is not about getting this perfect every time, but it is about keeping a soft heart that is willing to hear God’s call and direction. As followers of God, we should be aiming to incorporate His traits of Compassion, Mercy and Love to everyone into our daily lives. I certainly don’t want the alternative – living in a whale is not ideal.

See You in the Adventures!
Christy Grace

Sources Quoted:

Bolin, Thomas M. Freedom Beyond Forgiveness. Sheffield, England: Sheffield Academic Press, 1997.

Bruce, F.F. New International Bible Commentary | Logos Bible Software. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1979.

D Fee, Gordon, and Douglas Stuart. How to Read the Bible Book By Book. 4th ed. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2014.

Erickson, Amy. Jonah: Introduction and Commentary. Chicago, UNITED STATES: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 2021.

hebrewwordlessons. “Hapak: OVERTURNED!” Hebrew Word Lessons. Last modified March 5, 2023. Accessed April 15, 2023. https://hebrewwordlessons.com/2023/03/05/hapak-overturned/.

Kaplan, Jonathan. “Jonah and Moral Agency.” Journal for the Study of the Old Testament 43, no. 2 (December 1, 2018): 146–162.

Salters, R. B. Jonah and Lamentations. London, UNITED KINGDOM: Bloomsbury Publishing Plc, 1994.

“Jonah Bible Book Overview.” Accessed April 8, 2023. https://bibleproject.com/explore/video/jonah/.

Categories
Book Reviews Books Special Categories

A Comic Book BIBLE??? What….?

youtube

Okay, so when did someone invent a Bible that was like a Comic Book? I know, I know! I found one, and bought it – and it’s freaking AWESOME!
Check out the video below:

>>>Get a copy of my ebook KIDNAPPED Entanglement >>>here

I hope you enjoyed the video.

Which was your fav one? Let me know if you’ve ever seen a comic book Bible before!

See You in the Adventures!
Christy Grace