Then the LORD said to Cain, “Where is Abel your brother?” He said, “I do not know; am I my brother’s keeper?”
—Genesis 4:9
And Solomon said to God, “... Give me now wisdom and knowledge to go out and come in before this people, for who can govern this people of yours, which is so great?”
—2 Chronicles 1:8a, 10
It pleased the Lord that Solomon had asked this.
—1 Kings 3:10
“Hear another parable. There was a master of a house who planted a vineyard and put a fence around it and dug a winepress in it and built a tower and leased it to tenants, and went into another country.”
—Matthew 21:33
“It is like a man going on a journey, when he leaves home and puts his servants in charge, each with his work, and commands the doorkeeper to stay awake. Therefore stay awake”
—Mark 13:34-35a
The importance of “keep” can be seen not just from the number of times it is used in direct instruction from the Lord to His people, but also in the way that its extended meaning finds expression in other ways.
The first use of “keep” appears in connection with the human's responsibility for the garden of Eden, given by the Lord. Tragically, it appears again just a little later, when Cain tries to dodge responsibility for murdering Abel by asking, “Am I my brother's keeper?” If we are tempted to ask the question, “Who is my brother?”, we should take warning from Luke’s account of a legalist who tried to justify himself by asking Jesus, “Who is my neighbor?”
And, just in case the conversation and following parable weren’t emphatic enough, Luke later records Jesus rebuking the greedy Pharisees who ridiculed him by saying “You are those who justify yourselves before men, but God knows your hearts.” That interaction and rebuke came right after Jesus told a parable about a dishonest manager who was fired by the one who hired him. Jesus concluded by calling for faithful service, whether over much or little. And that points back to Eden and around to the many parables of Jesus that featured the obligation of managers or tenant farmers or servants to their employer.
In the coming year, may all of the Lord’s people be faithful servants in the world that He created—faithful to do all the good works that He created and appointed.
As faithful as the elements of nature that keep and obey His word.
Keep (part 2)
He makes peace in your borders;
he fills you with the finest of the wheat.
He sends out his command to the earth;
his word runs swiftly.
He gives snow like wool;
he scatters frost like ashes.
—Psalm 147:14-16
Then the LORD said to Cain, “Where is Abel your brother?” He said, “I do not know; am I my brother’s keeper?”
—Genesis 4:9
And Solomon said to God, “... Give me now wisdom and knowledge to go out and come in before this people, for who can govern this people of yours, which is so great?”
—2 Chronicles 1:8a, 10
It pleased the Lord that Solomon had asked this.
—1 Kings 3:10
“Hear another parable. There was a master of a house who planted a vineyard and put a fence around it and dug a winepress in it and built a tower and leased it to tenants, and went into another country.”
—Matthew 21:33
“It is like a man going on a journey, when he leaves home and puts his servants in charge, each with his work, and commands the doorkeeper to stay awake. Therefore stay awake”
—Mark 13:34-35a
The importance of “keep” can be seen not just from the number of times it is used in direct instruction from the Lord to His people, but also in the way that its extended meaning finds expression in other ways.
The first use of “keep” appears in connection with the human's responsibility for the garden of Eden, given by the Lord. Tragically, it appears again just a little later, when Cain tries to dodge responsibility for murdering Abel by asking, “Am I my brother's keeper?” If we are tempted to ask the question, “Who is my brother?”, we should take warning from Luke’s account of a legalist who tried to justify himself by asking Jesus, “Who is my neighbor?”
And, just in case the conversation and following parable weren’t emphatic enough, Luke later records Jesus rebuking the greedy Pharisees who ridiculed him by saying “You are those who justify yourselves before men, but God knows your hearts.” That interaction and rebuke came right after Jesus told a parable about a dishonest manager who was fired by the one who hired him. Jesus concluded by calling for faithful service, whether over much or little. And that points back to Eden and around to the many parables of Jesus that featured the obligation of managers or tenant farmers or servants to their employer.
In the coming year, may all of the Lord’s people be faithful servants in the world that He created—faithful to do all the good works that He created and appointed.
As faithful as the elements of nature that keep and obey His word.