Walking in God's Favor

Living to Delight the Lord

Practicing the Presence of the Lord

As Christians, our desire is to live lives that please the Lord, knowing that His love surrounds those who trust in Him. We don’t earn God’s love, but through faith and obedience, we can bring joy to His heart. Psalm 33:22 reminds us of this beautiful relationship:  

"May Your unfailing love be with us, Lord, even as we put our hope in You." (Psalm 33:22, NIV)

When we live with our hope in the Lord, His unfailing love covers us. The Bible provides many insights on how we can live in a way that pleases Him, guiding us toward a life of purpose, joy, and spiritual fulfillment. Below are seven key ways we can please the Lord, supported by Scripture and reflections from Christian thinkers who have walked this journey of faith before us.  

1. Faith

Without faith, it is impossible to please God. Faith is the foundation of our relationship with Him, trusting in His promises and living in obedience, even when we cannot see the outcome.

"And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to Him must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him." 

(Hebrews 11:6, NIV)

As Dallas Willard wrote, "Faith is not opposed to knowledge; it is opposed to sight. Faith is a confidence in God and His actions in our lives based on knowledge of Him." Living by faith pleases God because it shows that we trust His character even when life’s path is uncertain.

2. Obedience

Obedience to God’s commands reflects our love for Him. Jesus made it clear that those who love Him will obey His teachings, and this pleases the Father. Obedience is not merely following rules; it is aligning our hearts and actions with God’s will.

"If you love Me, keep My commands." (John 14:15, NIV)

Corrie Ten Boom demonstrated radical obedience in risking her life to save Jews during the Holocaust. She once said, "You can never learn that Christ is all you need, until Christ is all you have." Her obedience in the face of danger shows how a surrendered heart pleases the Lord.

3. Gratitude

A heart of gratitude pleases the Lord because it shows that we recognize His hand in every aspect of our lives, from the smallest blessings to the grandest miracles. Even in difficult circumstances, a thankful heart reflects our trust in God’s sovereignty.

 "Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus." (1 Thessalonians 5:18, NIV)

G.K. Chesterton wisely said, "I would maintain that thanks are the highest form of thought, and that gratitude is happiness doubled by wonder." A life marked by gratitude pleases God because it acknowledges that every good and perfect gift comes from Him (James 1:17).

4. Humility

Humility is a hallmark of a life that pleases God. He opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble. When we humble ourselves before God, acknowledging our dependence on Him, we open the door for His grace to work in and through us.

 "God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble." (James 4:6, NIV)

Richard Foster wrote, "The grace of humility is a great gift; it allows us to step into the flow of God’s love without demanding attention for ourselves." Humility is not thinking less of ourselves but thinking of ourselves less—allowing God to be glorified.

5. Pursuing Holiness

God is holy, and He calls us to be holy as well. To pursue holiness is to strive for purity in thought, word, and deed, separating ourselves from the sinful ways of the world and dedicating our lives to God.

"But just as He who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: 'Be holy, because I am holy.'" (1 Peter 1:15-16, NIV)

Paul Brand, a Christian physician, once reflected, "God's plan isn't to make us comfortable, but to make us holy." Pursuing holiness pleases God because it reflects His character in us and sets us apart as His people.

6. Loving Others

One of the greatest ways to please the Lord is to love others as He has loved us. The command to love is central to the Christian life, encompassing both our relationship with God and with those around us.

 "A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another." (John 13:34, NIV)

C.S. Lewis famously said, "To be a Christian means to forgive the inexcusable because God has forgiven the inexcusable in you." Loving others, especially when it is difficult, pleases God because it reflects His heart of forgiveness and mercy.

7. Seeking God’s Will

 

Pleasing the Lord involves seeking His will in all that we do. When we earnestly seek His direction, rather than pursuing our own ambitions, we honor Him and trust in His greater plan for our lives.

 "Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—His good, pleasing and perfect will." (Romans 12:2, NIV)

Eugene Peterson once wrote, "All prayer is prayed in a story, and when we pray, we are praying in the middle of God’s story." By seeking God’s will, we surrender our small stories into the grand narrative of God’s redemption, which pleases Him because it aligns our lives with His greater purposes.

Conclusion  

Pleasing the Lord is not about perfection, but about a heart posture that seeks to honor God in all aspects of life. Through faith, obedience, gratitude, humility, holiness, love, and seeking His will, we bring joy to the heart of God. As we continue to grow in these areas, we reflect the nature of Christ, drawing closer to the Lord and living in a way that glorifies Him.

"For it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill His good purpose." (Philippians 2:13, NIV)  

As Psalm 33:22 encourages us, may God's unfailing love surround us, even as we put our hope in Him, trusting that He is working in and through us for His glory.  

Soli Deo Gloria

The Mystery of Scripture and the Unity of the Bible

St. Augustine's Questions on the Heptateuch

 

 

From Concealment to Revelation - Hidden Truths Revealed

 

Augustine’s Study of the Old Testament 

 

Questions on the Heptateuch (Latin: Quaestiones in Heptateuchum) is one of St. Augustine’s lesser-known but significant works, written later in his life around 419-420 AD. The Heptateuch refers to the first seven books of the Old Testament (Genesis through Judges), and in this work, Augustine provides a series of questions and answers aimed at interpreting challenging passages from these books. His primary goal is to delve into the allegorical, moral, and doctrinal meanings of Scripture, shedding light on obscure or difficult texts.

 

Purpose and Structure

 

Questions on the Heptateuch is part of Augustine’s broader effort to explain and clarify Scripture for his readers. As with many of his writings, Augustine aimed to offer interpretations that would help believers understand how even the more difficult or seemingly mundane parts of the Old Testament pointed to Christ and the spiritual truths of the Christian faith.

 

The structure of the work is organized around questions Augustine poses about specific passages in each book of the Heptateuch. These questions often address historical, moral, or allegorical interpretations of the text. Rather than providing long expositions, Augustine’s responses are generally concise, offering theological insights and connections between Old Testament stories and New Testament revelations. He frequently explores how these early Scriptures prefigure the coming of Christ and the establishment of the New Covenant, a theme central to his theology.

 

Key Themes

 

1. Typology and Allegory:

 

 One of the central features of *Questions on the Heptateuch* is Augustine’s use of typology and allegory. For Augustine, many of the stories, rituals, and laws in the Old Testament were types or foreshadowings of spiritual truths that would be fully revealed in the New Testament. Augustine believed that God’s plan of salvation, though hidden, could be discerned in these types.

 

 For example, Augustine saw the figure of Adam as a “type” of Christ (Romans 5:14). In his view, just as Adam’s disobedience brought sin and death into the world, so Christ’s obedience brought life and redemption. Augustine’s interpretation of Old Testament figures as prefiguring Christ became a hallmark of Christian exegesis for centuries to come.

 

2. Moral and Ethical Instruction:

   Augustine also drew ethical and moral lessons from the Old Testament narratives. He would often use historical events to reflect on the spiritual and moral journey of the Christian. For example, the trials of the Israelites in the wilderness were, for Augustine, not merely historical events but moral and spiritual lessons about the dangers of idolatry, pride, and disobedience.

 

3. The Relationship Between the Old and New Testaments:

   Augustine's famous dictum, “In the Old the New is concealed, in the New the Old is revealed,” finds much of its grounding in works like *Questions on the Heptateuch.* In this work, Augustine is constantly showing how the Old Testament contains within it hidden truths about the New Testament. For instance, the sacrifices in the Old Testament law, according to Augustine, foreshadow the ultimate sacrifice of Christ on the cross.

   Augustine consistently emphasized the continuity of Scripture, affirming that the Old Testament was essential for understanding the New Testament, and vice versa. He believed that while the Old Testament contained the seeds of God’s redemptive plan, the New Testament revealed the full flower of those truths in Christ.

 

4. Historical and Literal Exegesis:

   Although Augustine is best known for his allegorical and spiritual readings of Scripture, in *Questions on the Heptateuch* he does not shy away from addressing historical and literal questions about the text. He engages with the historical circumstances of Israel, the significance of its laws, and the genealogies presented in the early books of the Bible. Augustine recognized the value of understanding the historical context while also seeking the deeper spiritual meaning.

 

A Close Look at His Interpretation of Specific Texts

 

In Questions on the Heptateuch, Augustine answers a wide variety of questions from Genesis to Judges. For example:

 

- The Creation Narrative (Genesis):

  Augustine addresses questions about the creation of the world and the nature of time, matters that he explores in greater detail in his work, The Confessions. He famously discussed how God’s act of creation was not bound by human time and how the six days of creation could be understood allegorically.

 

- Abraham’s Sacrifice of Isaac (Genesis 22)

  Augustine treats the story of Abraham’s near-sacrifice of Isaac as a profound typological foreshadowing of Christ’s sacrifice on the cross. For Augustine, just as Abraham was willing to sacrifice his only son in obedience to God, God the Father would one day offer His only Son, Jesus, for the salvation of the world.

 

- The Law and Sacrifices (Leviticus and Deuteronomy):

Augustine spends considerable time exploring the Levitical laws and the system of sacrifices in the Old Testament. He emphasizes how these rituals, though seemingly detailed and obscure, point to the ultimate fulfillment in Christ. Augustine argues that the repeated sacrifices of animals under the Mosaic Law were a sign that something greater was needed—a perfect and final sacrifice, which Christ provides.

 

- The Conquest of Canaan (Joshua):

  When discussing the conquest of Canaan, Augustine reflects on the moral implications of God’s command to destroy entire nations. He suggests that these actions, while difficult to understand at a literal level, symbolically represent the Christian’s spiritual battle against sin and evil. Augustine’s interpretation moves from the physical realm to the spiritual, arguing that the violent imagery in these stories points to the total eradication of sin from the believer’s life.

 

Significance and Influence

 

*Questions on the Heptateuch* may not be as widely read as some of Augustine’s other works, such as *The City of God* or *Confessions*, but it reflects his mature understanding of Scripture and his deep commitment to showing the unity of the Bible’s message. Augustine’s method of interpreting Scripture—combining historical context, literal exegesis, and allegorical/spiritual readings—had a profound influence on Christian theology and biblical interpretation.

 

His emphasis on seeing Christ in the Old Testament became a foundational approach for later theologians, shaping medieval exegesis and continuing into modern Christian thought. Augustine’s recognition that the Old Testament must be read in light of the New, and that the New Testament reveals the deeper meanings of the Old, remains a cornerstone of how Christians understand Scripture today.

 

 Conclusion

 

St. Augustine’s Questions on the Heptateuch demonstrates his ability to wrestle with difficult passages of the Bible and find spiritual meaning in them. His famous dictum, “In the Old the New is concealed, in the New the Old is revealed,” is exemplified throughout this work, as he draws connections between the types and shadows of the Old Testament and their fulfillment in the New Testament. For Augustine, the entire Bible is a unified, divinely inspired revelation of God’s redemptive plan, with the Old and New Testaments intricately connected to one another.

By exploring the mysteries of the Heptateuch, Augustine helps his readers—and us today—see how God’s promises unfold in history, preparing the way for the coming of Christ, who is the ultimate revelation of God’s plan for humanity

Soli Deo Gloria