The Riddleblog

A Blessed Christmas from the Riddleblog!

Merciful Father, You so loved the world that You gave Your only begotten Son.

He who was rich became poor for us, the eternal Word made flesh, a great Light shining in the darkness.

Only because of Your Word and Spirit have we seen that Light and been drawn into its brightness.

Give us the grace humbly and joyfully to receive Your Son, even as the shepherds and princes who welcomed Him, and to look no further for our redemption than to this child lying in a manger.

This we pray in the name of Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. Amen.

From Liturgical Forms and Prayers of the URCNA

Riddleblog PublicationKim RiddlebargerDecember 24, 2021The Word Made Flesh John 1:14Comment

A Few Changes to the Riddleblog Layout

1). The old “Amillennialism (Audio)” tab is now Amillennialism (Audio, Links, and Charts). I’ve added a section to that tab containing links to all the eschatology related posts in the blog section so they can be easily found in one place. I also relocated the links to all eschatology charts as well as the related eschatology links there as well. Everything related to amillennialism and eschatology is now on a single page.

2). The old Tab, “Charts, Resources, Links,” has been renamed Links to Friends and Co-Laborers, since the links to charts and eschatology resources have been moved to the new tab, Amillennialism (Audio, Links, and Charts).

This should make things much easier to find. Adjust your links and bookmarks accordingly

Riddleblog UpdateKim RiddlebargerDecember 20, 2021Links and tabs rearrangedComment

Job -- The Suffering Prophet (5): Job Loses Everything

Satan Comes to Rob, Steal, and Destroy

Everyone reading this essay has suffered loss. We have all lost something we prize. Some of us have suffered greatly and must live in constant pain, either physical or emotional, and sometimes both. Yet, no one reading this has lost as much as Job. Like a series of Tsunamis, the bad news of Satan’s handiwork begins to come, wave after wave after wave.

As we continue our look at Job, the suffering prophet, we come to verse 13 of chapter one, where we read “one day [probably that day when Job offered burnt offerings] when Job's sons and daughters were feasting and drinking wine at the oldest brother’s house, a messenger came to Job and said, `The oxen were plowing and the donkeys were grazing nearby, and the Sabeans attacked and carried them off. They put the servants to the sword, and I am the only one who has escaped to tell you!” The Sabeans are Arab Bedouins, who not only took all of Job’s livestock, they killed all of the servants. But this is only the beginning.

To read the rest of this essay, follow the link below

Reflections on JobKim RiddlebargerDecember 20, 2021Job loses all, Job praises God despite his lossComment

Evil in the Millennial Age? An Exposition of Zechariah 14

I am convinced that one of the major weaknesses of all forms of premillennialism is the presence of evil in the millennial age (The Presence of Evil in the Millennium -- A Huge Problem for Premillennarians). How do people in natural human bodies pass through the events associated with Christ’s return (the general resurrection, the final judgment, and the creation of a new heaven and earth) without being raised from the dead and appointed to their eternal destiny (heaven or hell)? There is a related question also raised by the premillennial understanding of redemptive history: “how can evil exist on the earth, while Jesus rules over the nations from David’s throne in Jerusalem after he has judged the nations?” Premillennarians seek to avoid this conundrum by assigning final judgment and elimination of evil to the close of the millennial age, fully one thousand years after Jesus returns. But the millennial age is not future as premillennarians claim, it is a present reality. Christ’s return is the final consummation, the summing up of all things, not but another step on the way to the final consummation a thousand years later.

Premillennarians respond to this amillennial challenge by asserting that the presence of evil in the millennial age was foretold by the Prophet Zechariah in the fourteenth chapter of his prophecy, thereby parrying the thrust of the amillennial argument.[1] The purpose of this essay is to set Zechariah’s prophecy in its context, summarize the varying interpretations of Zechariah 14 (including premillennialism and Reformed amillennialism), then interpret the entirety of the chapter, before drawing some final conclusions.

To read the rest of the essay: Evil in the Millennial Age? An Exposition of Zechariah 14

An Exposition of Article Seventeen of the Belgic Confession -- God Seeks Sinners: The Covenants of Works and Grace

One of the most poignant passages in all the Bible is Genesis 3:8-9. Adam sinned against God and is hiding among the trees, fully aware of what he has done and absolutely terrified of God’s presence. Before Adam sinned, God’s approach was the most delightful moment of the day. Now Adam is completely ashamed of what he had done. He is crushed by the guilt of his sins, the sentence of death hangs over his head. For the first time in his life, Adam is alienated from his creator. In his grace and mercy, it is God who approaches Adam, calling out to him, “where are you?”—not because God didn’t know where Adam was, but to rescue Adam from the consequences of what he had just done. It has been the case that God sets out to find lost sinners ever since.

Adam’s guilt and alienation from God is our own. Because we all sinned in Adam (he, being our biological and federal head), and have committed numerous sins ourselves, we too are estranged from God, guilty for our sins, and terrified of God’s approach. Nevertheless, God is as merciful to us as he was to Adam. He still comes to each one of us in the person of Jesus Christ, calling out, “where are you?” to deliver us from the guilt and power of our sins and to comfort us with the promise of his favor toward us in the person of his son.

To read the rest of this exposition: Article Seventeen of the Belgic Confession: "God Set Out to Find Him"

Musings (12/14)

Michael Kruger discusses The Inclusion of the Book of Revelation into the New Testament Canon
How should Christians respond to the anger generated by political tribalism? This is what it means to love our neighbor. Nancy French: Extending Civility in an Age of Tribalism

To read the rest of the 12/14 musings, follow the link below

Job -- The Suffering Prophet (4): Satan Before the Heavenly Court

As the story Job continues to unfold, the veil between the seen and the unseen is lifted. We discover that the heavenly court is in session. The Lord is on his throne and legions of angels are present. Summoned by God, Satan comes before the court as the accuser of God’s people. But this time it is the Lord who directs Satan’s attention to his righteous servant, Job. Seeing an opportunity to attack the foundation of the gospel, Satan takes the up the Lord’s challenge, calling into question Job’s righteousness. According to Satan the Accuser, Job is a hypocrite. Job is blameless and upright, fears God and shuns evil, only because God bribes him to do so by giving Job great wealth and personal comfort. Take all these things away–Satan argues–and Job’s supposed piety will be exposed for what it is–a falsehood. Once God’s challenge has been issued and accepted by Satan, the wisdom and goodness of God is at stake. Job must enter into a trial by ordeal, a trial he must endure and from which he must emerge victorious, so that God’s wisdom will be vindicated and that all his ways–mysterious as they may be–will be proven right.

To read the rest of this essay, follow the link below

The Blessed Hope Podcast -- Episode Twelve: "Works of the Flesh v. Fruit of the Spirit" (Galatians 5:16-26)

In the last half of Galatians 5, Paul contrasts the works of the flesh with the fruit of the Spirit. In comparing the two lists, its sounds very much like the Apostle is describing two warring factions, which he is–the flesh against the Spirit. The works of the flesh are the visible outcome of what it means to have a sinful nature. Because we are “flesh,” apart from God’s grace, this is what our lives will often look like–characterized by the behavior mentioned here. Yet when we are delivered from our bondage to the flesh by the death of Jesus and through the indwelling Holy Spirit, the change from living “in the flesh” to living in the Spirit manifests itself in the presence of the “Fruit of the Spirit.” If we walk in the Spirit, the Spirit will produce his fruit in us. So what are these fruit? What does it mean to walk in the Spirit? We’ll tackle these questions and a few more in this episode of the Blessed Hope.

To Listen to the Latest Episode: Episode Twelve: "The Works of the Flesh v. the Fruit of the Spirit" (Galatians 5:19-26)

To Listen to The Entire Series, The Blessed Hope Podcast

Blessed Hope PodcastKim RiddlebargerDecember 11, 2021The flesh v. the Spirit, Works of the flesh, The fruit of the SpiritComment

Jesus Christ -- The True Temple

When Jesus declared, “I tell you, something greater than the temple is here,” (Matthew 12:6) and then told a Samaritan woman that he can give her “living water” (John 4:10-14), we are given a major clue that the pre-messianic understanding of God’s temple must be reinterpreted in the light of Jesus’ messianic mission.

The temple occupies a significant place in the witness of Israel’s prophets regarding God’s future eschatological blessing for the nation. This witness points forward to the coming of Jesus. When Jesus connects his mission to this prophetic expectation, we are greatly aided in our understanding of the nature and character of the millennial age as a present reality—not a future hope.

We begin with the Old Testament expectation regarding the temple in Jerusalem at the commencement of the era of “Second Temple” Judaism. Isaiah (2:2-4) and (Micah 4:1-5), both speak of God’s future blessing upon Israel in the last days, depicting it as a time when God’s people will go up to mountain of the Lord, and the rebuilt and reconsecrated temple, where God’s people will once again renew themselves in the ways of the Lord.

To read the rest, follow the link below.

Job -- The Suffering Prophet (3): Who Was Job?

So, who was this man whom God called to suffer great loss and play such an important role in redemptive history?

Job is introduced to the reader in the opening verses of the first chapter. “There was a man in the land of Uz whose name was Job, and that man was blameless and upright, one who feared God and turned away from evil” (v. 1). The land of Uz is east of the River Jordan (Qedem–“the east”), likely in what is now the nation of Jordan. Uz could be anywhere between Edom on the south, Moab on the east, and the land of the Aram to the north. While Job was not an Israelite–since no tribal or family identification is given–he clearly worships Israel’s God, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. [1] So, apparently, do his friends and family.

As the story opens and we meet the central character, what stands out is the assertion that Job was “blameless and upright” and that “he feared God and turned away evil.” What, exactly, does this mean? One thing it does not mean is that Job was sinless, or that he had attained a state of justifying righteousness because he lived a blameless and upright life. We must not confuse cause and effect. We know this to be the case because elsewhere in this book Job declares himself to be a sinner. In Job 7:20, Job laments, “If I sin, what do I do to you, you watcher of mankind? Why have you made me your mark? Why have I become a burden to you?” In Job 13:26, he laments “for you write bitter things against me and make me inherit the iniquities of my youth.” Finally, in Job 14:16 -17, Job confesses that “you would number my steps; you would not keep watch over my sin; my transgression would be sealed up in a bag, and you would cover over my iniquity.”

To read the rest, follow the link below

Reflections on Job, Biblical EventsKim RiddlebargerDecember 6, 2021Upright and blameless, Job as sinnerComment

A Review of Allen Guelzo's Biography of R. E. Lee

Allen C. Guelzo. Robert E. Lee: A Life. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2021. Pg 588. $ 35.00

In August of 2017, white supremacists rallied in Charlottesville, Virginia, to protest the impending removal of a statue of Confederate General Robert E. Lee from Emancipation Park. The statue was placed in the park in 1924, during the high water mark of white supremacy and Lost Cause sympathies. But the riots in Charlottesville reveal that the public image of R. E. Lee remains controversial. On the one hand, Lee is seen by many as a heroic figure and military genius who staved off northern aggression against impossible odds in a audacious defense of States Rights and Southern heritage. Yet, on the other, Lee is seen as a defender of slavery, a symbol of white privilege and racism, a man whose legacy has become a glaring offense to progressive sensitivities. Although there are a number of capable biographies of General Lee already in print (Emory Thomas’ 1995 volume, Robert E. Lee: A Biography stands out), it is time for a thorough re-assessment of R. L. Lee and his legacy. Allen C. Guelzo is the ideal historian to write such a volume.

Guelzo is an award-winning Civil War era historian, who previously taught at Gettysburg College. Currently, Dr. Guelzo is Senior Research Scholar in the James Madison Program at Princeton University. He is a three time Lincoln Prize recipient, and in 2013 was awarded the Guggenheim-Lehrman Prize for Military History for his 2013 book, Gettysburg: The Last Invasion, in which Robert E. Lee plays a major role. Guelzo is uniquely suited to take a fresh look at a man who is far more complicated than his hagiographers (i.e., Douglas Southall Freeman’s four volume, R. E. Lee) or his critics (Thomas L. Connelly’s 1977, The Marble Man), have indicated.

To read the rest, click here: A Review of Guelzo's Robert E. Lee: A Life

Finally, the Beast Revealed (best of the Old Riddleblog # 4)

From June of 2006

At last . . . I am ready to reveal the location, if not the identity, of the beast.

To get the answer, follow the link below

Kim RiddlebargerDecember 1, 2021

An Exposition of Article Sixteen of the Belgic Confession -- The Doctrine of Election

Adam’s fall into sin had disastrous consequences for the entire human race–sin and death, natural disasters, wars and rumors of war. As the biological head of the human race, when Adam sinned against God, he brought about the corruption of human nature and the sting of death not only for himself, but for all of his biological ancestors. But Adam was also the federal head of the human race, acting upon our behalf, so that the guilt of his sin is imputed (or credited) to all of us. Since we are born with Adam’s corrupt nature (what the New Testament describes as “the flesh”) and since we are guilty for Adam’s sin, our confession simply states: Adam’s sin was “enough to condemn the human race.” But Adam’s sin and its consequences for the human race is not the end of the story. In fact, Adam’s sin is only the beginning of the drama of redemption, setting the stage for the glories of the gospel which follow.

Keeping the big picture in mind (i.e,. the box top to the puzzle), the biblical record indicates that as soon as Adam rebelled against God in Eden and brought down the covenant curse upon us all (death), God was immediately present in the garden promising to redeem Adam and Eve and their descendants through the seed of the woman (Eve). While Adam’s act of apostasy has grave consequences for us all, this rebellion did not catch God by surprise, nor did it ruin God’s plan for human history. Even as Adam’s fall into sin was decreed by God–yet in such a way that God is not responsible for Adam’s sin (cf. Article Thirteen of our confession)–so too, God also decreed to save a vast multitude of Adam’s fallen race. This brings us to Article Sixteen of our confession and the article on the doctrine of divine election. As our confession previously pointed out, God decrees whatsoever comes to pass, including the entrance of sin into the human race. But God has also decreed to save such a large number of guilty sinners that they cannot be counted. This is the supreme manifestation of God’s wonderful mercy. God will save countless people who do not deserve to be saved.

To read the rest, click here: Article Sixteen of the Belgic Confession: "Merciful and Just"

Musings (11/24)

To check out the latest Musings, follow the link below.

Kim RiddlebargerNovember 24, 2021Comment

Job -- The Suffering Prophet: "God's Sovereignty and Human Suffering" (2)

The story of Job is so compelling to us because it deals with a reality with which every Christian must wrestle–God’s sovereign control over every area of our lives. We have no problem accepting that God determines how tall we will be, whether we are born male or female, who our parents are, and what nationality we will be. We readily accept the fact that God determines what gifts and skills we will have, as well as whether or not we are born to means or poverty. We accept the fact that God determines the circumstances of our lives–including our height, skin color, health, length of life, and those calamities which may befall us. We accept these things without question because they are taught in Scripture and jive with our experience and common sense. God’s people nod in agreement to the assertion that “God is sovereign.” At least we nod in agreement until God does something we may not like or do not understand.

As Christians, we believe in original sin. All people who enter this world are guilty for Adam’s sin as well as their own (Psalm 51, Romans 5:12-19). Therefore, whenever someone suffers, the easy answer as to why they suffer is to go to our theological default setting. Why do people suffer? We suffer because we are sinners. We are being punished for what we have done.

To read the rest , follow the link below

The Blessed Hope Podcast -- Episode Eleven: "Walking in the Spirit" (Galatians 5:13-18)

In Galatians chapter 5, the Apostle Paul discusses how the Galatian Christians ought to understand their freedom in Christ–especially in the face of great pressure to return to “works of law,” as insisted upon by the Judaizers. To ensure that the Galatians stand firm against the legalistic error spreading quickly throughout the churches of the region, Paul makes appeal to the doctrine of justification by grace alone, through faith alone, on account of Christ alone, as the basis for the Christian life, which Paul describes here as “walking by the Spirit.”

Paul makes a sharp contrast between the flesh (the impulses and desires of the fallen nature) and the Spirit (who now indwells the people God securing their union with Christ). Walking by the Spirit–which is connected to the fruit of the Spirit in the balance of chapter (verses 22-24), also entails an intense struggle against the flesh (what we were before coming to faith in Jesus Christ). Now free from the condemnation of the law, the Spirit gives us the desire and ability to obey God’s commands (especially the love of neighbor). But the indwelling Spirit is opposed by the sinful habits of the flesh (which is the desire to seek self-interest), even after the flesh no longer dominates and characterizes us. In Galatians 5:13-18, Paul discusses what it means to walk by the Spirit, while at the same time we struggle against the desires of the flesh (our sinful habits).

To Listen to Episode Eleven: Episode Eleven: "Walking by the Spirit" (Galatians 5:13-18)

To Listen to The Entire Series, The Blessed Hope Podcast

Blessed Hope PodcastKim RiddlebargerNovember 20, 2021Walking in the Spirit, Fulfilling the law in love, Galatians 5:13-18Comment

Pilgrims on the Way -- Wisdom from Our Reformed Fathers in Uncertain Times

There is a good reason why Michael Horton’s volume The Christian Faith is subtitled, A Systematic Theology for Pilgrims on the Way. The Christian life can, perhaps, be best understood as a pilgrim journey to the heavenly city. This has long been a theme in Reformed theology—especially when our fathers were wrestling with the question, “what kind of theology do Christians possess in a fallen world?” John Bunyan’s beloved allegory, Pilgrim’s Progress, explores this conundrum when his own pilgrim journey landed him in an English jail as a non-conformist. Bunyan took up his pen to explain his traumatic circumstances in light of his confidence in God’s sovereign purposes. Understanding the Christian life as a pilgrim’s journey resonates with us because Christian believers experience life’s ups and downs precisely as a journey to a better place.

A generation ago, many Americans Christians felt like the “pilgrim” moniker really wasn’t fitting, nor was it particularly useful. Yes, life has its ups and downs, but all in all, many (especially evangelicals) felt quite at home. Life was pretty good. The pilgrim’s journey will likely take us to better places. America was the world’s sole super power after all, making another destructive world war unlikely because the biggest and baddest kid on the block isn’t likely to be challenged. Despite occasional fears of recession and a few economic blips, America’s economy rolled along with relatively low inflation, with a good return on investments. Better yet, this was a time of great advances in consumer technologies and home electronics. American Evangelicals even had a seat at the table of political power, or at least thought they did—the reality was they were allowed a place in partisan politics because they represented an important voting block. Enjoying the post World War Two good times, American Christians easily fell victim to the malaise Francis Schaeffer identified as “personal peace and affluency.” Sure, many thought, we may be pilgrims, but our pilgrim journey doesn’t take us through genuine peril. Yes, there were still the usual annoying trials and troubles, but there was no real sense of urgency to reach the goal. All is well. We like it here and we are in no hurry to leave.

To read the rest, follow the link below

Job -- The Suffering Prophet: "Introduction"

The Book of Job is one of the most moving and profound stories known to humanity. Here is the account of a righteous and godly man, nearly overwhelmed by the loss of everything he owned and by the death of most everyone he loved, and who, now sick and afflicted beyond words, comes face to face with the sovereign God who brought all of these things to pass. And all the while, Job struggles to believe God’s promise to rescue him from his plight when every circumstance and every word offered in explanation only serves to call into question either Job’s righteousness or God’s goodness. It is not only a moving and fascinating story, but almost all of us can relate to what we read in this book. Many of us have been called to suffer and we certainly empathize with Job’s plight. It is also likely that we all know people like Job’s wife and friends who mean well, but who only make things worse every time they open their mouths when trying to help.

To read the rest, follow the link below

An Exposition of Article Fifteen of the Belgic Confession -- Original Sin

There is nothing worse than standing by a casket containing the earthly remains of someone we love. Death is the ultimate enemy of humanity. Contrary to the sentiments of our culture, death is not natural and all the talk of celebrating the departed’s life does not change the grim reality of death one iota. We all dread that phone call in the middle of the night bringing horrible news. Our hearts skip a beat when a newsflash brings word of a national calamity, such as we experienced on the morning of September 11, 2001. Then there is the end of a marriage, the loss of a job, serious illness, injury or accident, an argument with a friend, a loss of temper, an adulterous thought . . . All of these things–from the most consequential to the least consequential–have something very important in common. They are all consequences of Adam’s act of rebellion against God in the Garden of Eden.

While discussing original sin may sound positively medieval and thought of as so much silliness by our contemporaries, original sin is one of the most important topics we can ever address. In Adam’s fall, sinned we all. We cannot escape the horrible consequences of that first sin. From our own sinful thoughts, to our own sinful actions, from those calamities which impact our families, friends and neighbors, to those events which effect nations and vast numbers of the earth’s inhabitants, all of these things are the result of human sin, the consequence of Adam’s rebellion in Eden. Sin does not stem from human finitude. The world which God made is not defective in any way. Rather, Adam acting on our behalf, plunged the entire human race into sin and death when he broke the commandment of God. It is Adam who introduced the principles of sin and death in the world. This is why Christianity is not a philosophy or system of ethics. Christianity is centered in God’s redemption of his people and the redemption of the world he has made. One day God will indeed make all things new and undo the effects of human sin. Until then, we live in a fallen world.

To read the rest, click here: Article Fifteen of the Belgic Confession: Sufficient to Condemn the Whole World

Belgic ConfessionKim RiddlebargerNovember 12, 2021Original Sin, Adam's Fall, Consequences of Adam's FallComment

Musings (11/10)

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Kim RiddlebargerNovember 10, 2021Comment