Bible in 90 days @ St Paul's Tervuren

Alison Davis managed to complete the plan and tells us all about it

2011-04-23T16:10:00.001+02:00

Reading the Bible in 90 Days

I’d like to say after a lot of prayer and contemplation, God spoke to me and told me to take on the challenge of reading the bible in 90 days. In actual fact it was Mr Isaacs following me around with a paper and pen, asking if he could add me to the list of participants, had I gone from a maybe to a right on definite! So I said yes, why not, I’d read the bible before, so doing it in 90 days, how much of a challenge could that be!

Well, I started two days behind everyone else, then got three days ahead (smugness, not a virtue the big guy likes us to have! and I am talking about God here not Mr Isaacs!). Then I fell by the wayside and trailed behind by nearly four days at one point! But as always God removed many obstacles from my path (smugness been one of them!) and sure enough I finished the book of Revelation right on time not a minute too soon or a minute too late!

Many lessons were learned along the way, discipline and time keeping were two of the practical ones; God demonstrates both of these to perfection and with absolute love for his people. The evidence for this is overwhelming throughout the bible, especially in some of the old testament books, let’s face it in the book of Exodus, he sets his people free from slavery, meets their every need and what do they do? Whinge! Wow, does that sound familiar!

During my big catch up on the readings I had missed, I was mistaken for a homeless person, (those of you who know my dress sense might think an easy mistake to make!) Seriously, I was sitting in the sunshine on a park bench, somewhere in Brussels, shoes off, legs crossed, reading my bible on an Amazon kindle! (I do have to add, I had just bought some cheap looking silk flowers for a work project and they were strewn across my knee!) When a very sweet lady walked passed and popped money into my shoe! I tried to explain I wasn’t begging but she insisted I keep the money. Many other people of course had walked by me that day. I felt very humble indeed!

So, what were the benefits of reading the bible in 90 days, I hear you ask, well it is just a fantastic way of soaking up God’s word, it can bring up some interesting questions and situations and it absolutely makes you find time for God. We all like to think we do that anyway and it doesn’t have to be done in 90 days, but the sad truth is most of us don’t! The joy for me has been the passion and desire to keep soaking up this wonderful book, because 45 minutes reading a day, is really very doable and reaps a multitude of benefits! I even found myself interested in the book of Numbers, now if that’s not God working in me what it is!

So next time you see Mr Isaacs with a list, ask what it is first before you head for the nearest exit!

Day 66 - Jonah and a 1 verse summary of the Old Testament

2011-03-07T15:09:00.002+01:00

It is both a good thing and a bad thing that Jonah is so well known for having been swallowed by the big fish. A good thing in that practically everyone has heard of Jonah, even if some people think he doesn't exist. He is referred to in 2 Kings 14:25, so his existence is better attested to than some of the other prophets. The bad news is that as a result, it seems harder to get beyond the fish.

This is a shame as Jonah is a very interesting prophet. Told to go the very headquarters of the most evil and ruthless empire the world had seen, not surprisingly he legs it the other way as far as he can go. What is more interesting is the justification Jonah gives. it is not out of fear that he runs away, but because he knew that God wanted to forgive the Assyrians, and he wanted God to destroy them instead (Jonah 4:2).

In Jonah's prayer in chapter 2, there is a good 1 verse summary of the consequences of our decision on whom to worship:

Those who cling to worthless idols forfeit the grace that could be theirs.

Can I also recommend this 50 minute radio programme with Michael Card, Buddy Greene and Jeff Taylor talking about Jonah.

Day 61 - Ezekiel's vision of the Temple

2011-03-04T08:14:00.003+01:00

Ploughing through the very detailed description of Ezekiel's temple at the end of the book, I was struck by the question - why didn't the returning exiles use this design when they came back to Jerusalem under Zerubbabel?

I think the simple explanation is that they chose to use the same dimensions as for Solomon's temple. I guess this is understandable. Would they have recognised Ezekiel's prophecy? If they did, how would they have reached the decision to prefer Ezekiel's vision to the temple they were mourning?

Am I correct in thinking that the design for the temple came from David and is not set out in scripture, unlike the Tabernacle?

Questions, questions? Can anyone shed any light on this?

Day 54 - Isaiah 66:19 - Jeremiah 10:13: Let me boast in this

2011-02-24T10:50:00.002+01:00

Jeremiah 9:23-24:

This is what the Lord says:
“Don’t let the wise boast in their wisdom,
or the powerful boast in their power,
or the rich boast in their riches.
But those who wish to boast
should boast in this alone:
that they truly know me and understand that I am the Lord
who demonstrates unfailing love
and who brings justice and righteousness to the earth,
and that I delight in these things.
I, the Lord, have spoken!

Day 45 (Valentine's Day) - A verse about money

2011-02-15T07:48:00.004+01:00

This verse leapt out from our reading today -

Proverbs 3

9 Honour the Lord with your wealth
and with the best part of everything you produce.
10 Then he will fill your barns with grain,
and your vats will overflow with good wine.

I know that some people are frustrated that there has been so much talk at St Paul's recently on the extremely worrying financial position of the church. Indeed, it would be fair to say that noone is more frustrated at having to mention it that Chris, because he wants us to look focus on everything God is doing in and through his people in Tervuren. However, the reality is that we are currently looking at a critical shortfall, which potentially could mean that we are unable to meet our commitments.

How to respond? Do we grumble and groan that they are banging on about money yet again? Do we harden our hearts as we and all of God's people are prone to do (Ps 95:8)?

Or do we instead turn and repent of our greed and idolatry and seek to honour God with our wealth, with the best part of our produce? Surely this is the correct response - as we offer up ourselves daily to be a living sacrifice, as we seek to renew our minds daily, to take up our cross daily, as we seek daily to become more like Jesus, shouldn't we seek to honour God every day with our wealth, with the best of what we have.

Days 36-38 - Thoughts on Job

2011-02-10T21:50:00.002+01:00

I know this is slightly out of sequence, but I have been mulling over Job for a couple of days now. One of the points that I had in mind when starting Job was to try to be clear what is was that Job's friends said about God that was inaccurate.

My impression is that they had a very simplistic, almost binary view of God and God's law - if everything was fine and you were healthy and wealthy, you must be righteous; if you were suffering it was because you must have sinned. Yet at the beginning of Job, God pronounces that Job is righteous (1:8). Indeed we can only be righteous in God's sight, if God imputes His righteousness to us. 2 Cor 5:21 tells us that God does this through Jesus and his death for us on the cross. The basic truth is that we cannot earn the status of righteousness through our own actions. As Elihu says in Job 35:6-8:

6 If you sin, how does that affect God?
Even if you sin again and again,
what effect will it have on him?
7 If you are good, is this some great gift to him?
What could you possibly give him?
8 No, your sins affect only people like yourself,
and your good deeds also affect only humans.

The point is God is God and we are not. This and this were quite helpful in this.

There were a few verses which stood out for me:

Job 9:33-35 -
33 If only there were a mediator between us,
someone who could bring us together.
34 The mediator could make God stop beating me,
and I would no longer live in terror of his punishment.
35 Then I could speak to him without fear,
but I cannot do that in my own strength.

Also 16:21 - "I need someone to mediate between God and me, as a person mediates between friends."

Compare that with1 Tim 2:5, "For there is only one God and one Mediator who can reconcile God and humanity—the man Christ Jesus".

Job 13:16 - "But this is what will save me - I am not godless. If I were, I could not stand before him".

Compare this with 2 Tim 2:11-13
11 This is a trustworthy saying:

If we die with him,
we will also live with him.
12 If we endure hardship,
we will reign with him.
If we deny him,
he will deny us.
13 If we are unfaithful,
he remains faithful,
for he cannot deny who he is.

But the one verse I have taken away with me is 19:25-27, which gives a clear a statement of believe in the resurrection as anything in the Old Testament:

25 “But as for me, I know that my Redeemer lives,
and he will stand upon the earth at last.
26 And after my body has decayed,
yet in my body I will see God!
27 I will see him for myself.
Yes, I will see him with my own eyes.
I am overwhelmed at the thought!

Day 40 - Psalm for the day

2011-02-10T07:51:00.002+01:00

Reading through the bible as we are doing presents particular difficulties when reading the psalms, as the tendency is to want to linger over each of them. I have no obvious suggestion to offer on this, but to try and enjoy them as much as time allows. One psalm struck me today in our times of uncertainty, particularly verse 7. Enjoy!

Psalm 39
For Jeduthun, the choir director: A psalm of David.

1 I said to myself, “I will watch what I do
and not sin in what I say.
I will hold my tongue
when the ungodly are around me.”
2 But as I stood there in silence—
not even speaking of good things—
the turmoil within me grew worse.
3 The more I thought about it,
the hotter I got,
igniting a fire of words:
4 “Lord, remind me how brief my time on earth will be.
Remind me that my days are numbered—
how fleeting my life is.
5 You have made my life no longer than the width of my hand.
My entire lifetime is just a moment to you;
at best, each of us is but a breath.” Interlude

6 We are merely moving shadows,
and all our busy rushing ends in nothing.
We heap up wealth,
not knowing who will spend it.
7 And so, Lord, where do I put my hope?
My only hope is in you.
8 Rescue me from my rebellion.
Do not let fools mock me.
9 I am silent before you; I won’t say a word,
for my punishment is from you.
10 But please stop striking me!
I am exhausted by the blows from your hand.
11 When you discipline us for our sins,
you consume like a moth what is precious to us.
Each of us is but a breath. Interlude

12 Hear my prayer, O Lord!
Listen to my cries for help!
Don’t ignore my tears.
For I am your guest—
a traveler passing through,
as my ancestors were before me.
13 Leave me alone so I can smile again
before I am gone and exist no more.

Day 35 - Nehemiah

2011-02-04T18:28:00.002+01:00

Yesterday at the end of the book of Ezra, we read how the people shivered in the rain as they gathered in the square before the temple. Today I walked up to the plaza in front of the western wall in the pouring rain, and it was very cold. My feet have yet to thaw out.

The passage from today's reading that stood out to me was the further repetition in Nehemiah chapter9 of the history of God's people - how they have been showered repeatedly with God's blessing, and how when God has delivered them from trouble, they trun away as the comforts and luxury of life in peace and security crowd out out awareness of our need for God.

Walking toward the Old City, there are plenty of new buildings being put up - shops, top of the range housing, offices - and these are all a reminder how God moves and shapes the affairs of men in allowing His people to return to the land He promised them. The stonework in these buildings is beautiful, a glorious light-honeyed yellow, almost as transluscent as Minas Tirith in Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings. And the awareness that this city is special because God chose to allow his temple to be built here is everywhere here. And yet.... It is very easy to be so overwhelmed by the sights and miss the reason they are here, the living God. It is not a new problem either. Mark 13:1-2, "As Jesus was leaving the Temple that day, one of his disciples said, “Teacher, look at these magnificent buildings! Look at the impressive stones in the walls.”
Jesus replied, “Yes, look at these great buildings. But they will be completely demolished. Not one stone will be left on top of another!”

One thing that is very obvious is sabbath. All the shops shut at 3, and even the cafe we were in for lunch threw us out then. If you are not going to worship, or celebrating with family and friends, this can seem lonely, long drawn-out and even oppressive. Yet, if you have those things, it is wonderfu to have worshipping God as the sole focus of activity for the day. This is something that I have never had that sense of before.

Nehemiah is a man of action, not naive to the be unaware of the ruses and oppostion of those trying to prevent him completing his task, but above all, the image I take away from Nehemiah is of a man of prayer. It is prayer that bookends the story, gives him clarity of vision, boldness of action and a humility before the God who makes all things possible. He is not a bad example to follow.

Day 34 - 2 Chronicles and Ezra

2011-02-04T03:16:00.002+01:00

I am typing this while sitting on the plane flying to Israel, where I shall be staying in Jerusalem. The European Friends of Israel have organised a policy conference with more than 80 MEPs and over 300 assorted hangers-on (staff such as myself) also being flown out. So numerous are we, that we are being split into 5 separate flights, and a tremendous amount of organisation and preparation has been carried out. In this light, the careful listing and counting and enumerating of people and objects that we read in Ezra seems an early variant of this trip that I am on.

One thing that strikes me in reading Ezra was that the very people one would expect to be most committed to carrying out God's plan to its fulfilment - the 'professionals', the priests and the Levites - were the least committed on the event. Ezra has to beg for some Levites to come along with them.

This was also the case when Josiah wants to go about the restoration of the temple. He gives the instruction, but the professionals drag their feet.

One small detail that I found intriguing. 2 Chr 35:3 talks about Josiah telling the Levites to put the ark of the covenant back in the sanctuary and not to keep moving it around. Why were they moving it around? The ark was placed in the Holy of Holies in the temple by Solomon, and was not moved. So what has happened? Nick Page has written a book which deals with the question of what happened to the ark, but this focuses more on the exile to Babylon. Intriguingly, Lynn Austin's novel Among the Gods posits a theory that the ark was smuggled out of Jerusalem during the reign of the evil king Manasseh and moved to a community of Jews on Elephantine Island in the Nile. Remarkably, there is archaeological evidence that such a proposition cannot be dismissed out of hand.

That is really nothing more than an interesting digression. The main point is that God fulfilled his side of the covenant, His people did not, even though His mercy has been shown time and time again. With the impinging of the rise of world empires on the land of Israel, we can see how God is the mover in the great tides of history, something we should remember when considering what is happening in the Arab world at the moment.

Day 28 - The end of the kingdoms

2011-01-28T16:59:00.003+01:00

So what do we make of all that? We have arrived at the point where the judgmement of God falls on both kingdoms and they are carried off into exile. The northern kingdom (Israel) is never to be heard of again, but the remnant of Jesse, the branch of David will remain and God will bring his people back from Babylon. All this remains for us. In fact we have a slight hiatus as we start on Chronicles and its genealogies tomorrow.

I am very aware that I have not been able to keep up with the level of blogging that I had hoped, but please don't let this stop any of us from contributing and sharing your thoughts.

On today's reading, my appreciation of chapters 16-21 was greatly heightened by having read Lynn Austin's Chronicles of the Kings series. The series opens with Hezekiah witness his elder brother being sacrificed in the fire to the idol Molech, and the horror of that brings an extra vividness to the brief reference there. The books are novels, but they do give a portrayal of the time that both made me want to return to the scripture, but more importantly worship the one true God, who alone can sustain these small kingdoms, surrounded by all manner of foes.

I was thinking about time in all this - the northern kingdom lasts slightly more than 200 years, while the southern kingdom lasts the best part of 350. During this period there are long periods where things are set in their ways - under good kings like Asa, or bad kings like Manasseh. Yet while these period would have seem very long drawn up to those living, in God's timeline these are mere semi-quavers. It is a salutary reminder that God's world is so much wider than just our little bit, yet He cares for us and sustains us through times of immeasurable stress.

Miriam had a very interesting observaton about Elijah. She said that when Elijah wanted to give up because he felt it was too difficult to carry on, God immediately gave him an assistant, telling him to go an anoint Elisha. This was a very different type of conversation from the one God had with Moses, where God seemed constantly to be chivvying him along to get job's work done. Here, although Elijah still did a lot afternoon, God provided others to help shoulder the burden.

I particularly like the episode in 2 Kings 6 where Elisha prays for his servant to see the reality of the strength of God's forces. If we only could understand God's power and dominion, we would worry less, as Charlie told us last Sunday.

Day 23 - through to near the end of 2 Samuel

2011-01-23T20:00:00.002+01:00

Today was the third day we have spent reading about the life of David, and I think it is fair to say it is the least impressive so far. Yesterday, we finished by reading about the affair with Bathsheba, and the murder of her husband Uriah the Hittite. Today, we read about the consequences that followed from that. Here are a few of my musings from the last couple of days:

i) the nature of the bible - this is no hagiography, no whitewashed account. Here we get an honest and graphic account of the failings of this man after God's own heart;

ii) the dangers of imitation and hero-worship - looking at David's later period as king, we see a listless, often passive figure, who sometimes doesn't even seem to recognise who his friends or enemies are. We remember, rightly, David the faith-filled, fearless slayer of Goliath, David the writer of psalms, but there are other sides we read about that should give pause for thought. A man who fathers more than a dozen children by a dozen different mothers would be more likely to feature on the front page of the Daily Mail than be held up as a role model for God's people. Equally, as we shall read next, on his deathbed none of his wives were to be found to comfort him in his old age.

iii) all our experiences should turn our thoughts to God. Having dissed David in the previous point, the balance should be maintained by looking forward to reading David psalms. As we shall see, several of the psalms have superscriptions indicating when psalms were written in response to which episode (Pss 34, 51, 54, 56, 57, 59, 60). In these times of distress, David turned to God for comfort and strength (1 Sam 30:6b). In those times of difficulties, his focus remained of God, content to wait for the outworking of His plan, and not trying to chivvy it along, but striking down the Lord's anointed.

I heard Don Cole, a wise old pastor, talking about psalm 23 on an episode of Michael Card's radio show a couple of years back. He said that while we do not know when David wrote the psalm, it is not the psalm of a young man. He then encouraged us to enter in with our imagination to the life of David and see the experiences which could have led him to write it. He then drew us to 2 Sam 17:27-29, where David is fleeing from Absolom. Away down the valley, David's army can see the camp fires of Absolom's much larger army, when this table is laid for him - a feast in the midst of the most tremendous struggle. "You prepare a feast for me in the presence of my enemies," (Ps 23:4).

I like Andrew Peterson's almost whimsical take on David reminiscing.

These are disparate thoughts, which I shall not attempt to draw together in a neat simple thread. If I were to attempt to, it would be to reflect that we serve great David's greater son. As Peter said on Pentecost, you can go and see David's tomb (I went there a couple of years ago), but the tomb of the great king of the line of David is forever empty, for He is risen indeed. He has conquered sin and death and now reigns of high. Hallelujah Risen Lord Jesus!

Justice, cause for praise and thanksgiving and a challenge

2011-01-22T09:39:00.004+01:00

Last night I was at a dinner hosted by International Justice Mission. IJM is one of the mission organisations which we at St Paul's support, with our contribution going to the work of the office in Bangalore, where the focus of the work is to secure the release of slaves, often from brick kilns, by bringing the cases to the local law enforcements authorities, assisting in preparing and executing raids to free the slaves, bringing convictions against the perpetrators and arranging safe aftercare for the former slaves. In 2010, the work of the IJM secured the release of 217 slaves, 139 were formally categorised as labourers. It is wonderful to see how God's people have carried out God's work of freeing the slaves.

Gary Haugen, the founder and president of IJM, explained how IJM has come about, and explained the four emphases of the work - victim relief, perpetrator accountability, victim aftercare and bringing structural transformation. In little more than 13 years, IJM employs 400 workers in 18 field offices, all of whom are committed Christians, standing up against violence and injustice.

One part of his presentation really struck me. He put up three circles:

- faith: evangelism and discipleship
- mercy: relief and social engagement
- justice.

In the faith circle, he showed the names of various organisations who were active in evangelism and discipleship, and the circle was full. In 2007, he quoted a figure that these organisations wer spending $1.3billion (for North America).

In the mercy circle, a whole host of names filled the circle, and the figure for 2007 was $2.6bn.

The justice circle? This was empty. He said that IJM was far and away the largest organisation in this area, and its budget was $25million.

Why does this matter? He quoted two verses - Micah 6:8 - He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. / And what does the LORD require of you? / To act justly and to love mercy/ and to walk humbly with your God.

Matthew 23:23 - What sorrow awaits you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! For you are careful to tithe even the tiniest income from your herb gardens, but you ignore the more important aspects of the law—justice, mercy, and faith. You should tithe, yes, but do not neglect the more important things.

These three elements - walking with God (faith), mercy and justice are on God's heart for us to do. They frame our purpose here, and the body of Christ should develop all three elements.

Returning to the circles, Gary Haugen gave a challenge and a word of encouragement. The challenge is to populate the third circle, and bring God's justice to a world which badly needs the kingdom of God. The encouragement was that if you have put up those circles in 1950, the second (mercy) circle would have been just as empty as the justice circle. In the last 60 years, God's people have responded to the stirring of the Holy Spirit to bring mercy to a hurting world.

It is a privilege that we at St Paul's can be a small part of bringing His justice to an unjust world, but perhaps each of us can see if there is something else to which God is calling us.

A prayer

2011-01-22T09:37:00.001+01:00

Martin Webber has sent this through

Prayer of Origen from Ancient Christian Devotional. A Year of Weekly Readings, edited by C. Crosby, gen. ed. Thomas C. Oden. Downers Grove : IVP Books, 2009 (p. 50)

Lord, inspire us to read your Scriptures and meditate on them day and night. We beg you to give us real understanding of what we need, that we in turn may put them into practice. Yet we know that understanding and good intentions are worthless, unless rooted in your graceful love. So we ask that the words of Scripture may also be not just signs on a page but channels of grace into our hearts.

Very excited

2011-01-21T18:35:00.003+01:00

Today I am very excited because this evening I am at a dinner with Gary Haugen, the founder of International Justice Mission. Having spent a week at work where the atmosphere was particularly charged with heated debates about the character of our political leaders, both in Strasbourg and now in London, it has been very timely to read about how Israel turned away from God their king and sought to become like everyone else.

I find it interesting that at the end of Judges, we read that all the other tribes of Israel turn against Benjamin. Then when they clamour for a king (and lose their distinctiveness), God gives them someone from this despised tribe. This person, Saul, may look the part, but we see how God judges the heart and the character of people. When the people ask where Saul is, God tells them that he is hiding among the donkeys in the baggage.

Then we see the measure of the man whom God chooses - fearless, trusting, steadfast and zealous for God's glory. That is the character we need from our leaders, and we need to pray for them. That is also the character people like Gary Haugen are trying to develop in obedience to God's call on their lives - sacrificial, undaunted, committed and servant-hearted.

That is the type of leader God is looking for, whether of countries, churches or our homes.

Is it just me?

2011-01-20T09:52:00.001+01:00

I don't seem to be able to escape this advert at the moment. Is it just me, or does this remind anyone else of the Tower of Babel and the hubris of man?

Into the promised land ...

2011-01-17T22:20:00.002+01:00

So we're out of the Pentateuch and through Joshua into Judges. Talking to people at church on Sunday, I was really encouraged to hear how many people are up to speed with the reading well into the third week. Indeed, some people are a couple of days ahead!

A few verses have stood out from the reading:

Deut 4:28-29 - "There, in a foreign land, you will worship idols made from wood and stone—gods that neither see nor hear nor eat nor smell. But from there you will search again for the Lord your God. And if you search for him with all your heart and soul, you will find him."

Deut 4:39 - “So remember this and keep it firmly in mind: The Lord is God both in heaven and on earth, and there is no other."

Deut 9:4-6 - " “After the Lord your God has done this for you, don’t say in your hearts, ‘The Lord has given us this land because we are such good people!’ No, it is because of the wickedness of the other nations that he is pushing them out of your way. It is not because you are so good or have such integrity that you are about to occupy their land. The Lord your God will drive these nations out ahead of you only because of their wickedness, and to fulfill the oath he swore to your ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. You must recognize that the Lord your God is not giving you this good land because you are good, for you are not—you are a stubborn people."

All the laws, spelt out at great length and in great detail, emphasise how difficult it is to be right with God. As we heard on Sunday, in our own strength it is impossible. But we serve a God who keeps every single one of his promises in His covenant.

2 Tim 2:11-13

This is a trustworthy saying:

If we die with him,
we will also live with him.
If we endure hardship,
we will reign with him.
If we deny him,
he will deny us.
If we are unfaithful,
he remains faithful,
for he cannot deny who he is.

How difficult would it have seemed to conquer this territory, occupied by these different tribes, strong and hostile? It didn't happen overnight, yet God was with them, going ahead of them, giving them the land. How would it have been for the women and children left east of the river, while their fighting men went off to fight for years? Yet God brought them safely home into peace. This was in my mind when I listened to a programme about this organisation. This is where we can see the same character of God today.

While we were away

2011-01-10T21:17:00.003+01:00

Miriam and I have been away in the UK for the last few days, but that doesn't mean that we haven't been keeping up with the reading. How has it been for you so far?

We went to my niece's Bat Mitzvah on Saturday, and I have to say I found the initial part of the service and liturgy really wonderful, being mainly taken from the psalms and the torah. The portion that was read was from Exodus 10-12, dealing with the 9th plague (darkness) and preparations for the last plague.

One interesting point was that the rabbi said that when Pharaoh says the Israelites can go and worship in the desert, Moses replies that Pharaoh will have to provide the animals to be sacrificed. I have never heard that before. Chris, can you shed any light on this?

One other thing that struck me afresh, and was reminded of this morning, was that after the scroll was read, it was covered with a blue cloth. The scroll itself (sefer torah) is covered with a cloth, a metal plate and bells, presumably all of which would have a special significance, other than as a reminder to show reverence to the word of God.

The thing which struck both of us was how for this particular congregation, to be Jewish seemed to be as much about a culture identity, awareness of heritage and the impact that had on your behaviour as it did with meeting with God. This was even more jarring when set against the reading of how God delivered his people and how they were saved to be his special and distinct people by the shedding of blood.

We have whizzed through Leviticus, and I have again been reminded of the enormous rigmarole it would have been to get ceremonially clean, stay that way and make offerings. Yet while we rightly rejoice in how easy Jesus has made it to enter into God's presence, it is all too easy to forget the incredibly host price that Jesus paid in order to make it possible.

Jubilee by Michael Card

The Lord provided for a time
For the slaves to be set free
For the debts to all be cancelled
So His chosen ones could see

His deep desire was for forgiveness
He longed to see their liberty
And His yearning was embodied
In the Year of Jubilee

Jubilee, Jubilee
Jesus is our Jubilee
Debts forgiven
Slaves set free
Jesus is our Jubilee

At the Lord's appointed time
His deep desire became a man
The heart of all true jubilation
And with joy we understand

In his voice we hear a trumpet sound
That tells us we are free
He is the incarnation
Of the year of Jubilee

Jubilee, Jubilee
Jesus is our Jubilee
Debts forgiven
Slaves set free
Jesus is our Jubilee

To be so completely guilty
Given over to despair
To look into your judge's face
And see a Savior there

Jubilee, Jubilee
Jesus is our Jubilee
Debts forgiven
Slaves set free
Jesus is our Jubilee

Day 5: Exodus 1:1- 15:18

2011-01-05T17:53:00.005+01:00

Reading this today, I found myself imagining what it would feel like to be Pharaoh and wondering if I would have done anything different. On the one hand, we read that it was God's plan to reveal himself and his power through the plagues, particularly the killing of the firstborn and other miracles, and that God made Pharaoh harden his heart. On the other, we read elsewhere in scripture that repentance is possible even for the hardest-hearted, such as the Assyrian king in Jonah. I don't delude myself into thinking I would have submitted to God, nor do I think I would have been an enthusiastic supporter of Moses - the comfortable status quo is alwys much safer and more appealing.

I was reminded of how powerful I found the passover night scene in the animated film, Prince of Egypt, which brought home something of the awfulness of killing of the firstborn (something that left not a single home in Egypt unaffected), as well as the terror of the Israelites, who could do nothing to protect themselves, but were completely and utterly reliant on the power of the lamb that was slain to keep them from death.

We will read plenty ober the coming days of the Israelites grumbling about wanting to go back to their previous lives, even though it was one of slavery. We get an foretaste of this, when the Israelite overseers complain to Moses, telling him they would much prefer if he just left them in their present helpless, but safe situation. It's a reminder of the borderland that I referred to before we started. We need someone to show us how enslaved we are and to deliver us. Fortunately we have a great God who loves us and who does just this.

Editors' note: Been feeling slightly under the weather and will be in England for the next few days, so I am not sure if I will be able to post anything for a little while. Feel free to comment though.

Day 3: Gen 28:20 - 40:11 - Thoughts from Miriam (they are always worth hearing)

2011-01-03T18:31:00.005+01:00

Today we returned from our stay in the Netherlands, and Miriam was much more on the ball than I was, so I am summarising her observations here (I may eventually ask her permission).

"Today's reading shows that no matter how godly parents are, there is no guarantee that their children will follow in the right path (In support of this look at Samuel and his ungodly sons - Ed.)

"This shows that God will bless who He wants to bless and it is really not down to us, and can seem to be irrespective of our behaviour. He has a plan and His plan will not be thwarted. Isaac and Jacob were not a patch on Abraham as far as following God closely, yet God chose to bless them and confirm His covenant with them."

---

My thoughts were how Jacob seemed to change in some ways. The deceiver, who tried to turn over a new leaf, becomes indignant when Laban tricks him, yet he willingly tells Esau he will follow him, when he has no intention of doing so. Then we see the changing of name in ch32, which must rank as one of the most surreal episodes in the bible. Michael Card sums it up thus:

He limped away on holy ground awakened from the dream
Having learned his costly lesson from the way of the Nazarine
That pain's the path to blessing love will fight us to be found
and God remains a dream to those who sleep on holy ground

When we read about Judah's antics, it makes you realise what unpromising material God had to work with, and yet He still stays faithful to His word. This is an encouraging thought.

Day 2 - Genesis 17:1 - 28:19

2011-01-02T11:03:00.005+01:00

I hope you enjoyed today's 'Happy Families' instalment - and imagine what the scriptwriters on Eastenders would say when given some of the plotlines in today's portion! As well as the vivid details, we see some of what Nick Page describes as the big themes emerge:

the change of name
the unexpected child
the older supplanted by the younger
God's eternal promises.

Throughout these chapters, I was struck by the way in which is was the promise of God, set out through the covenant, that animated the people we read about. And it was not just to Abraham that the promise was given and re-affirmed, but also Isaac, Jacob and even to Sarah. It was this knowledge that God had bound Himself to them in a covenant, that it was their responsiblity and obligation to keep, that gave their lives meaning and pattern.

Chapter 22 leaves me awestruck, especially when I consider that the lamb that God provided for me was his own Son. This video moves me to tears, while this one from Michael Card is very haunting.

2 verses from today really struck me - 24:1 and 24:40 - and the causality between them:

"Abraham was now a very old man, and the Lord had blessed him in every way... The Lord, in whose presence I have lived."

Living in God's presence, remembering the eternal covenant and receiving the blessings God has promised us.

Day 1 - Genesis 1:1-16:16

2011-01-01T09:14:00.005+01:00

Well, we've started and from these very familiar passages, three trains of thought strike me:

1) God changes his plans for his world as our sin destroys his original intentions. We see this in Eden, the way Cain is forced to wander as the earth will no longer provide him food, the flood, the mixing of the languages. It makes you wonder what would have happened if we had not sinned.

2) Is God a spoilsport? Living as we do in an age where we flatter ourselves by thinking that reason in everything, where we can map the human genome, the idea that God should stop us from doing what we want is anathema (3:22, 11:6). How should we respond to this?

3) We think of Abra(ha)m as a great figure of faith, who left his home and believed this great promise (15:6). Yet, in 15:2-3, we get an insight into how difficult is all was for him. He may have been hugely wealthy (how many people do you know could raise a regiment of 318 soldiers from their own household?), militarily successful and respected internationally, but his whole existence seemed meaningless without an heir. Yet he sought God and trusted him and the promise is not just repeated, but spelt out in greater depth. Seeing isn't believing - believing is seeing, and obedience is the beginning of insight.

Editor's note

2010-12-30T22:45:00.006+01:00

Before we start this process, I hope you might forgive a brief digression into the sort of things I might write.

When we first had a blog, I wrote a lengthy post each day, highlighting the thoughts that struck me. These are still on here in the archive, and you are very welcome to look at them and comment. Lat year, I posted more reflective thoughts, and by no means every day. This is the pattern I imagine I will follow this year. If any of you want to have items put up as posts, let me know and that can be done.

Many thanks to Paul Moynan for putting up a link to the blog from the St Paul's Tervuren website, and a pdf version of the reading plan.

If you follow this through, and if you look at last year's run through, you will see that I draw a lot on sources outside scripture as well, such as the music of Andrew Peterson. The direct relevance of a particular song may not be clear, although it probably was to me. Feel free to ignore or make use of as you will.

In general, the feel will be hopefully what you might expect from me if we were chatting over a coffee or while watching the Ashes or the ice hockey. All comments are welcome.

On the borderland - 1 day to go

2010-12-30T20:22:00.007+01:00

Our family is having a four day break over the New Year on the Dutch-German border near the town of Coevorden. The weather is cold and foggy, and there is not much evidence of a thaw for all the snow that lies around. But it is a pleasant spot for a few days R&R.

A Christian book I have just started is called 'Your God is too Safe' by Mark Buchanan. I am still only in the first part, where the author lays out his hypothesis that for all too many of us as Christians, we are happy to live in a borderland. Buchanan describes a crossing point between Uganda and Kenya which is a no-mans land where neither countries writ runs, where people can trade and live as they please, in a state of domesticated lawlessness. Applying it to our situation, he writes:

"Borderland is a political and geographical reality. But it's also a metaphor. There is a blood feud that divides Christ's domain from the world's, and a cross marks the crossing. Salvation is stepping over the boundary from our old life, the old land: freedom from its rules, its laws, its gods. It's coming home from the far country. But sanctification is the journey into the new land: learning to dwell gladly in the Father's house.

"It's a way of life that's hard to learn. The shape of the land is, first, cruciform. It's dangerous, difficult terrain. There are feasts, yes, but also graveyards, badlands, boot camps. It calls us to constant dying. Borderland seems safer, a land of exile when the homeland is war torn. So we refine an aptitude for lingering, malingering: for borderland dwelling. For standing out in the muddy field, as smoke mixes with twilight, and refusing to come join the Father though He pleads with us."

This 90 days could be an opportunity to move away from the borderland and into richer and closer fellowship with God. It's quite an exciting prospect, but a daunting one.

Welcome to the 2011 Read Through

2010-12-29T13:29:00.005+01:00

As the start of 2011 approaches, it is time when a group of us from St Paul's again embark on reading through the bible in 90 days. There is no mystery or magic to this. This is not something to earn us spiritual brownie points or bragging rights. This is not a masochism or virility contest. No, it is an undertaking to take God's word seriously and to commit ourselves to spending time with God, in His word over a three month period and seeking to meet Him there and to be challenged and transformed as His disciples in the process.

Just a few basic points which I stressed before:

1. It is possible, but it requires a time commitment (just under an hour a day) and discipline;
2. The plan is divided into 88 readings, so there are two spare days built in to achieve the 90 day target. If you miss a day, it is not a disaster, but don't skip ahead intending to go back, as it is unlikely that you will. Some days will feel harder than others, but keep going;
3. This is obviously not a plan for in-depth study, but you will be pleasantly surprised by how much you do remember and retain. You will also gain a much greater appreciation of the flow of the revelation of scripture and will see the big themes and patterns emerge;
4. Be encouraged - about 20 or so people have indicated that they will try to achieve this. You are not doing this on your own;
5. The experience of previous years is that reading scripture is like any other appetite: the more you feed it, the more you want to continue feeding it.

This blog is open for you to use as you wish. Chris is willing to answer (or try to do so) any questions you may have as they arise. There is also an archive on this blog of previous runs through.

I am excited at the prospect of doing this again. It is the best fitness programme to start the New Year that I know, and it is great that there are so many of us doing this.

Let's get cracking on 1 January!

Jonah the ultimate elder brother

2010-03-19T20:25:00.002+01:00

I know we have moved into the New Testament, but I have been mulling over last week's sermon about the elder brother in the parable in Luke 15. As we have read through the prophets, the character of Jonah has resonated with the lessons of that parable.

The biggest sin of both the brothers in Luke 15 was idolatry - they wanted the father's things instead of the father. The problem with idolatry is that it enslaves us. The younger brother ends up by saying that the best he can hope for is to be a slave, rather than a son. The elder brother, who is always with the father, views himself as a slave.

Jonah 2:8 sums up the elder brother's plights very well: "those who cling to worthless idols forfeit the grace that could be theirs."

The prophets spoke against false gods which people could easily see. We need to be against our own false goods, and as in the case of Jonah, our own self-righteousness and mean-spiritedness.

Why was Jonah so angry? We read in 4:1-2 it is because he knew God was a merciful God who would extend mercy and forgivenss to his enemies. This is the heart of the God we worship - the God who calls us his children, not slaves. It is we who deprive ourselves of that gift.

We may not end up in a giant fish, but clinging to our own idols can leave us in a similarly unattractive place, if we are not careful.

Verse to remember when reading the Old Testament

2010-03-12T15:42:00.002+01:00

One of the comments I often hear is how difficult it is to relate to the bloodthirsty, judgemental God of the Old Testament rather than the warm, loving and forgiving God of the New Testament.

Rather than going off on a long rant on this, this verse from yesterday's passage is worth writing out and putting somewhere visible:

Ezekiel 33:11 - "Tell them that as surely as I am the living LORD God, I don't like to see wicked people die. I enjoy seeing them turn from their sins and live. "

That it is the heart of the one true God, the God of the Old Testament and the New, the unchanging, the only true God. In the words of Deut 4:39, "The Lord is God both in heaven and on earth, and there is no other."

Donkeys

2010-03-09T08:20:00.003+01:00

This morning there was a story on Sky News about a retired British couple, who have sold up in the UK and moved to Delhi to rescue donkeys who work on the various construction sites in that city. My original reaction was that this was typical British sentimentality about animals, and couldn't they use their time, money and efforts on helping people.

But the more I thought about this story, I realised that the absurdity of their lavishing love on poor dumb animals should make me think of the lavishness of our prodigal God, who sent His only Son to die for us and rescue us from our sins, when we are completely helpless to do anything about our predicament.

In one passage of the news clip, the lady tells how she was only allowed by its owner to take away a particularly weak donkey, if she brought back a donkey she had earlier rescued, and which was now recovering well. Our rescue is not cost-free exercise either. In the song, "Isn't it love", there is this:

Isn't it love to look down from the sky
And see Your only Son on the cross asking "Why?"
And somehow let Him die that way

So as I drove in to work thinking about this lavish love of God, my mind wanders as it does. In referring to World War I, you often hear the expression "lions led by donkeys", but in our case we are donkeys (or stupid sheep) rescued by the Lion of Judah, the lion who C.S. Lewis' badger tells us "is not tame, but he is good".

One final thought, St Paul's is proud to support the work of International Justice Mission in working to set slaves free in India. IJM has as its mission statement Isaiah 1:17 "Seek justice, encourage the oppressed, defend the cause of the fatherless,plead the case of the widow." You can find out more about their work at an Indian evening, which we will hold in May.

A couple of things from Jeremiah

2010-03-08T21:54:00.004+01:00

I will shortly post a more personal piece on the struggles I have been having while reading Jeremiah, but I have a couple of thoughts that I don't know whether anyone has any answers to or has even thought about.

1) Should Jeremiah have gone off to Babylon with the rest of the exiles, when he is given the choice in chapter 40?

2) Isn't 9:24 fantastic? We often remember Micah 6:8, but this is equally good to memorise. In the CEV it reads:

If you feel you must brag,
then have enough sense
to brag about worshiping me,
the LORD.
What I like best
is showing kindness,
justice, and mercy
to everyone on earth

3) Knowing God - 22:15-16
"More cedar in your palace
doesn't make you a better king
than your father Josiah.
He always did right--
he gave justice to the poor
and was honest.
That's what it means
to truly know me.

4) Since we have Jesus' teaching that He and the Father are One, and that He has revealed the Father to us, we can get quite blase on this point. Yet there is much less of this theme generally in the Old Testament. However, this time reading Jeremiah, I noted two instances - 3:19; 31:9.

So three themes - justice, knowing God and God as a Father to His people.

Jeremiah and me

2010-03-08T21:34:00.005+01:00

In previous years, I have always found Jeremiah to be something of a hard slog. Two years ago, we were reading it over Christmas, where the unremitting grimness of the plight that Jeremiah found himself in was an interesting counterpoise to the general "jollity" around.

This time, I found there was more light in Jeremiah's situation. What does God want from Jeremiah? In a word - obedience. Jeremiah is called to speak God's word to the people of Judah, even though they will not listen. The people are told to submit to the Babylonians and accept the seventy years of exile, but they do not obey and suffer a much worse fate.

Sometimes, we are asked to do something which requires a lot of faith. It may require a lot of faith, because the task seems daunting, beyond our capabilities or simply not to our tastes, or just out of our comfort zone.

Not for the first time, I have heard a still small voice in the lyrics of an Andrew Peterson song, which I reproduce below.

No More Faith - Andrew Peterson

This is not another song about the mountains

Except about how hard they are to move

Have you ever stood before them

Like a mustard seed who's waiting for some proof?

I say faith is a burden

It's a weight to bear

It's brave and bittersweet

And hope is hard to hold to Lord,

I believe

Only help my unbelief

Till there's no more faith

No more hope

I'll see your face and Lord, I'll know

That only love remains

Have you ever heard that Jesus is the answer

And thought about the many doubts you hide

Have you wondered how he loves you

If He really knows how dark you are inside

I say faith is a burden

It's a weight to bear

It's brave and bittersweet

And hope is hard to hold to

Lord, I believe

Only help my unbelief

Till there's no more faith

No more hope

I'll see your face and Lord, I'll know

When there's no more faith

And no more hope

I'll sing your praise and let them go

'cause only love

Only love remains

So I will drive these roads in thunder and in rain

And I will sing your song at the top of my lungs

And I will praise you, Lord, in glory and in pain

And I will follow you till this race is won

And I will drive these roads till this motor won't run

And I will sing your song from sea to shining sea

And I will praise you Lord, till your kingdom comes

And I will follow where you lead

Till there's no more faith

No more hope

I'll see your face and Lord, I'll know

When there's no more faith

And no more hope

I'll sing your praise and let them go

'cause only love

Only love remains

Faith can really feel like a burden and can be bittersweet. In such circumstances, we need to remind ourselves that, in the words of 1 Cor 13, only these three things remain - faith, hope and love. And the greatest of these is love.

In the crescendo of defiance of this song, there is the willingness to embrace what Paul wrote in Phil 3:12-14, "Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus."

Let us encourage each other as we commit to driving these roads in thunder and rain, singing His song at the top of our lungs, praising Him in glory and pain, following where He leads until His kingdom comes.

Verse for the day

2010-02-28T18:25:00.002+01:00

Amid all the prophecies of woe against various nations, this one verse stood out:

Isaiah 26:3-4

The LORD gives perfect peace
to those whose faith is firm.
So always trust the LORD
because he is forever
our mighty rock.

.

An epitaph

2010-02-24T09:36:00.002+01:00

A while back, I posted a song I'd like to have played at my funeral. Earlier this week, I read a verse which I would like to have as an epitaph. In the 19th century, prominent church figures and missionaries were often asked for a single verse as a verse for their life. I would like to have Psalm 119:141:

"Everyone calls me a nobody,
but I remember your laws. "

Job 37

2010-02-17T04:12:00.003+01:00

Job 37:6-10

Snow and heavy rainstorms

make us stop and think
about God's power,
and they force animals
to seek shelter.
The windstorms of winter strike,
and the breath of God
freezes streams and rivers.

Spin, Chronicles and a Rescue Story

2010-02-16T12:46:00.003+01:00

I am catching up on here with last week's readings, and I will post something on Job later, I hope. I found the contrast between the history in Kings and Chronicles fascinating. Chronicles covers a lot of the same ground as kings, but from a simple reading it comes from a post-exilic perspective, with very little on the Kings of Israel after the schism on the death of Solomon.

The spin doctors were at work on David's life too. My bible helpfully highlights where the story appears in another book, and so 1 Chr 20 has this note "this is also told in 2 Samuel 11:1; 12:26-31". What is the missing chunk? The story of Bathsheba, Uriah the Hittite and David's sin. Chronicles does include the story of the census however.

Chronicles has a greater focus on the priestly and temple life. Possibly this is because the author of Chronicles was a priestly scribe (I haven't looked into this, I'm afraid). It also mentions the repentance of Manasseh. I discussed this with Nick Page last year, and he said there was a theory that this was preistly spin post facto to fit into a theology that linked long life to God's blessing. If Manasseh reigned for more than 50 years, there had to be some sign of rightousness to account for this long reign. The Lynn Austin novel on this is a good read, albeit just a novel.

Reading of the problems of the people in Ezra and Nehemiah, not least the problems with inter-marriage, remind me that the great rescue that God provides is just the beginning not the end destination. It was true then for the Jews, and it is true to use as Christians. Today is the 24th anniversary of when I became a Christian. A lot has changed, but far too little of my character shows that I am new creation. I know I cannot reach perfection this side of glory, but I am so frustrated with my own failings. But I just need to KBO as Churchill said.

I have been thinking of what happened to us as a family in Sweden in 2002. At the end of the morning, we were packing up. Miriam was changing Grace's nappy, and I was making shade. I saw Ruth (who was 3and a half then) going to wash her bucket out in the lake. 10 seconds later, I turned round and she was nowhere to be seen. I ran and saw the top of her head under the surface and pulled her out. It was only 20 minutes later that the shock and impact of what nearly happened hit us. My point here is that Ruth was a very small girl when she was saved, but is now growing into a young lady with her life stretching before her. Yet, as a Christian, I am very prone to staying as an infant, immature in faith, in a comfort bubble, and not growing in maturity, with all the challenges, ups and downs, and frustrations and rewards that it brings. Have I moved on since I was rescued? Yes, but not enough.

Phil 3:7-16 "But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith. I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead.

Pressing on Toward the Goal

Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.

All of us who are mature should take such a view of things. And if on some point you think differently, that too God will make clear to you. Only let us live up to what we have already attained. "

Consequences and 1 Chr 1-9

2010-02-07T19:32:00.002+01:00

Just a quick posting after more of an outpouring yesterday.

Ploughing through the minutiae of the genealogies in 1 Chronicles 1-9, I am struck by the following two thoughts:

i) these records were incredibly important to those concerned, and we will get a flavour of this when we read Ezra and Nehemiah soon;

ii) what was done has consequences. Reuben sleeping with his father's concubine led to his rights as the firstborn being passed on to the tribe of Joseph (Gen 35:22; 1 Chr 5:1). The allocation of duties to the different Levite clans in the desert remained down the centuries. The allocation of towns to Levites by Joshua. Decisions at one point in time had long term consequences. But seldom, if ever, do I think my every day decisions will have any lasting impact. Ultimately, in the end, only faith, hope and love endure, and the greatest of these is love.

As a postscript, I'd like to thank Pam Olive, anonymous, alex b and all the others, royalty or not, for all their comments. They are a real encouragement as we go through this together, nearly a third of the way through. Keep them coming.

What a sorry tale!

2010-02-06T20:58:00.004+01:00

Today we reached the end of 2 Kings, and read about the sacking of Jerusalem and the people of Judah being carried off into exile. And what a depressing read this has been over the last few days, much more so than previous times. There is a sorry procession of bad kings, lots of bloodshed, and complete abandonment of God, even though he never once forgets his promise to his people. All the travails and turmoil that follow are a direct result of the people turning away, and the kings are held responsible.

In our atomised, "democratic" and empowered society, it is not a comfortable thought that a whole people can suffer because of the stupidity of its leaders. We need look no further than the vitriol still being poured on Tony Blair over his decisions on the Iraq war. It seems so unfair that the ordinary person in the street is subject to judgement because of the leaders. And when we see the misfortune heaped on the civilian population, the mass slaughter of relatives of deposed kings, often as a result of God's clear judgement, it makes us wonder just what sort of God we are supposed to worship.

As so often these days, I find that Andrew Peterson has a song for the occasion. It is really a prayer for faith in the face of the sin and darkness all around us, but just as importantly within us. As I read through 1 and 2 Kings this time, I was sad, because I was acutely aware of what was coming. Even the stories of Elijah and Elishah, the good kings Hezekiah and Josiah seemed mere brief respites in a hurricane of apostasy. But just as the main character in C.S.Lewis' Till We Have Faces wears herself out while haranguing God, I found that what started off as the question, "how could God let this happen to his people, or do these things to his people", became "how could God's peole turn away from him?" and then, "how amazing and great is God's love, that after all this He still loves them enough always to leave a remnant as proof that He has still kept his covenant."

In Prince Caspian, Aslan tells Lucy that we can never know what might have been, and what might have happened to Israel and Judah if they had been faithful to God is one of the great imponderable questions. God finds a way to save his people time and again. He sends prophets to warn, exile to rebuke and finally a Messiah to die so that his faithless people can be brought back into the Covenant relationship with him.

Last year, I read the Chronicles of the Kings series of novels by Lynn Austin, which looks at the reigns of Hezekiah and Manasseh. These books are novels, but they are written by someone who loves the Lord, and manages to convey that love and joy through the books, and my mind often wandered off to those narratives to find respite from the impending storm.

We live by faith. It is a faith that points us towards the living, loving God, when everything around us would shut us off from him, when we simply have nothing left to say. But He is there. He lives. That is all we ever need.

Holocaust Remembrance Day

2010-01-27T20:53:00.007+01:00

On 27 January 1945, the Red Army liberated the Nazi extermination camp at Auschwitz-Birkenau. The anniversary of that liberation is celebrated every year, and this year is the 65th anniversary. A large number of Members of the European Parliament travelled to Poland to remember the victims on the spot. In the Parliament in Brussels, I attended a remembrance event organised by the European Jewish Community Centre and the European Coalition for Israel.

The event featured testimonies from two Holocaust survivors, now in their 80s. Henri Elberg spoke of how he was transferred around 9 different Nazi camps after being deported from Mechelen in Belgium. The vividness which the horrors he lived through was achingly real even after 65 years, with the passion and hint of tears animating his voice as he spoke.

The Chief Rabbi of Russia, Berel Lazar, spoke of the need to look forward to the world of peace that the Messiah would bring in where "the Lord will judge between the nations and will settle disputes for many peoples. They will beat their swords into ploughshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not take up sword against nation, nor will they train for war anymore," (Isaiah 2:4). It was the first time I have heard a rabbi speak of the Messiah with real longing. If only the Messiah had already come .... "He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband's will, but born of God."

There were prayers of penitence from Christians, citing the example of Daniel in Daniel 9 is repenting of the sins of their fathers and forefathers, and then a moving recital of the kaddish, the key liturgical prayer in Jewish rituals of mourning.

There was also beautiful music on a flute and violin. One piece was entitled "fantasy on a hymn for violin solo", which tool as its theme the melody to which we in church sing Lamentations 3:22-23. Those verses came to me when I emerged into the sunlight after the exhibition of Yad Vashem. Amid all the horror, let us remember the inhumanity that the heart of man can inflict on fellow men. But let us also remember:

"Because of the LORD's great love we are not consumed,
for his compassions never fail.
They are new every morning;
great is your faithfulness."

Haiti and Compassion

2010-01-25T21:24:00.005+01:00

The Mission Interest Group at St Paul's has recommended that 1000 euros be given to the relief effort in Haiti, to be channelled through Compassion international. The collection at St Paul's the Sunday after the earthquake raised nearly a further 2300 euros to the work. You read about the work which our support is helping here and here.

There is also a moving interview with a Compassion International worker, who was pulled out of the rubble of the Hotel Montana some 60 hours after the earthquake. Let us continue to hold up in prayer the people of Haiti, the bereaved, the orphans and those working to help them pick up the pieces and start to rebuild.

Joshua and Genocide

2010-01-25T19:59:00.004+01:00

Last night at the ice hockey, Steve Horbaczewski and I were discussing some thoughts that the 90 days exercising was evoking. Steve explained that he found it difficult to get his head round the Israelites wiping out everything as hey conquered the land. He is slightly ahead, so it is in today's passage that we read these stories. There is no Alistair Campbell-esque spinning of this. The Lord commands Israel to show no mercy to the seven tribes living in the Promised Land. No living thing in any of the towns in to be spared.

How does this picture of the character of God square with the usual Christian portrayal of a loving, caring, forgiving God?

There is no easy answer. We know that God is unchanging (Deut 33:27). We also know his character is fogiving (Ex 33:6-7). Paul tells us we were children of wrath (Eph 2:3), yet by his grace, we are saved, and this is not from ourselves, but it is God's gift to us (Eph 2:8-9). We have been saved from this fate by the atoning sacrifice of Christ, and are witnesses to the reality of that rescue.

Deut 29:29 says "the Lord our God has secrets known to noone. We are not accountable for them, but we and our children are accountable forever for all that he has revealed to us, so that we may obey all the terms of these instructions."

I have no answer to Steve's questions. I just know that I was once a child of wrath, lost and subject to God's fearful justice; now I am adopted as a child of God, a beneficiary of His inexpressable grace, and rescued to everlasting glory.

So long, Moses

2010-01-24T23:25:00.004+01:00

So, we are a sixth of the way through and have completed the first 5 books - the Torah. I wonder how many people are still with us. I know there are at least three, but there are probably more.

What am I taking away from the books of Moses? As others have said, the sheer amount of animals required to atone for my sins is humbling. But the impression I took away from Leviticus is of a God who has taken inordinate pains so that his people could know Him. He thinks of so many situations, and sets out a way that they can please Him, and continue to have Him in his midst.

The end of Leviticus shows a God who not only will not forget His covenant promises, but will do everything He can to restore that special relationship, even aftr his people have turned their back on Him and worshipped false Gods.

From Numbers, I see a people very similar to me - moaning, grumbling, ungrateful and quick to forget what God has done for them. The stories there are so remarkable, so hard for our modern rational minds to accept, because we are so stupid that God has to shout to make himself heard.

Finally, from Deuteronomy, we see Moses lay on with a trowel, repeatedly, how faithful God is, and how fickle his people are. He stresses that they were not called because they were anything special. Indeed, they were a weak nation of slaves, yet He chose them to live among and bless. All this is from God, and all He asks is their obedience. They do not know all of God's plans - He has ideas for the Amalekites, Edomites and various others - but His people have no excuse. Their task is to obey Him and serve Him wholeheartedly (Deut 29:29).

Their task is our task today - love the Lord your God with all your heart, sould, strength and mind.

A song for my funeral

2010-01-17T16:27:00.011+01:00

I have been in a strangely contemplative mood today, and driving home I came across a song that I would like to have played at my funeral. What is the relevance to today? Today we have been looking at the sacrificial system, and see that in order for atonement to be made, blood must be shed. This system persisted for over a millennium, until a one-and-for-all perfect sacrifice was made. At the moment of Jesus' death on the cross, the curtain in the temple was torn in two, and God and all mankind could be joined in union for ever. There truly is power in the blood.

Andrew Peterson - Lay Me Down

I suppose you could lay me down to die in Illinois
Bury me beneath the rows of corn
Or in-between the maple trees I climbed on as a boy
Where in the Land of Lincoln I was born

Oh, and I recall
We rode the combines in the fall
And there comes a time
For gathering the harvest after all

So when you lay me down to die
I’ll miss my boys, I’ll miss my girls
Lay me down and let me say goodbye to this world
You can lay me anywhere
But just remember this
When you lay me down to die
You lay me down to live
Well I asked a girl to marry me on a dock out on the lake
Our babies came to life in Tennessee
And the music of the mountains is still keeping me awake
Yeah, but everything that rises falls asleep

We are not alone
We are more than flesh and bone
What is seen will pass away
What is not is going home

When you lay me down to die
I’ll miss my boys, I’ll miss my girls
Lay me down and let me say goodbye to this world
You can lay me anywhere
But just remember this
When you lay me down to die

I’ll open up my eyes on the skies I’ve never known
In the place where I belong
And I’ll realize His love is just another word for Home

I believe in the holy shores of uncreated light
I believe there is power in the blood
And all of the death that ever was,
If you set it next to life
I believe it would barely fill a cup
‘Cause I believe there’s power in the blood

When you lay me down to die
So long, boys, so long, girls
Lay me down and let me say goodbye to this world
You can lay me anywhere
But just remember this
When you lay me down to die
You lay me down to live

End of week 1

2010-01-17T00:17:00.003+01:00

So we have arrived at the end of week 1, and have covered both Genesis and Exodus. What are my impressions this time through?

- Patience is such a big theme. There is such a long period of time between some of God's promises and their fulfilment. How did Abraham keep going without losing his faith that God would keep his promises? The reaction of the people who build a golden calf when Moses disappears up the mountain is so much more typical of my response.

- Moses appreciates that what makes the people special is not anything they have, but the fact that God is with them - "if you do go with us, everyone will know that you are pleased with your people and with me. That way, we will be different from the rest of the people on earth" (Ex 33:16).

- I am struck by something very obvious, but which I all too often ignore. God is holy and not to be taken lightly. The priests had to purify themselves every time they came into the tent (tabernacle), only Moses could go into the tent of meeting, noone can see God and live, and even Moses could only see God's back.

- God is a personal God. In Ex 33, God tells Moses, "I am your friend". Elsewhere we read that Moses talked to God face-to-face. God, even though He is holy , is knowable.

Ex 40:38 - "No matter where the people tracelled, the Lord was with them."

Footnote: I will update the list of promises when I have time. I agree that the categories of promises I started with is not necessarily clear cut or ideal.

Promises, promises!

2010-01-10T16:38:00.002+01:00

Having devised a complicated scheme for highlighting different themes previously, this time I have decided just to focus on God's promises this time.

Why? I am doing this because I know how feckless, fickle and inconstant I can be, but the God we worship is faithful and keeps his promises. So I have decided to highlight them, and categorise them as best I can. I am sure that I will get some of my categories wrong, and others are open to debate, but here goes:

Promises of blessing for everyone:

Gen 1:26 - "they will be like us"

Gen 1:29-30

Gen 8:21-22

Gen 9:3

Gen 9:9-17

Gen 12:3

Specific promises of blessing to one person or group:

Gen 12:2-3

Gen 12:7
Gen 13:14-17

Specific promises of judgement to one person or group:

Gen 2:17

Gen 3:14

Gen 6:18

Gen 9:24

Gen 11:7

Gen 15:1

Gen 15:4-5

Gen 15:13 - "Abram, you will live to an old age and die in peace" (CEV, but I can't find it in the NIV)

Gen 15:13-16

Gen 15:17-21

Gen 16:10-11

Promises of judgement for everyone:

Gen 2:17

Gen 3:15-18

Gen 4:10

Gen 6:3

Gen 11:7

Gen 16:12

Messianic promises:

Gen 3:15

Day 1 - a new start, a new bible and fresh eyes

2010-01-10T16:15:00.003+01:00

This is my 4th time doing the 90 days, each with a different bible.

The first time, I used the NIV with the daily sections clearly marked off. The second time, I changed translation to the New Living Translation, and had a complication colour scheme with which I marked up the whole bible from start to finish. Two weeks after we finished, that bible was among our bags which were stolen and I never saw it again. Last year, I used a different NLT, but this time I am using a Bible I picked up from the Bible Society at Spring Harvest called "the poverty and justice bible," in the Contemporary English Version.

Why change versions? For someone lazy like me, if I change the translation the temptation to skip passages because they are too familiar will hopefully be diminished. I also wanted an excuse to look at this bible, with its various notes and "2000+ verses highlighted to wake us up to issues of poverty and justice".

Early impressions are that this is indeed a very different translation. A couple of times I have had to check with an NIV or NLT to see what the version with which I am familiar is. One example is in Gen 10:13, where the CEV says "Egypt was the ancestor of Ludim ...", whereas every other version I have seen has this rendered as Mizraim. I recall from passover meals when growing up that Mizraim was Egypt or Egyptians, but there was no footnote in the CEV.

My initial impression is that this is a very readable version, but it has a very distinct editorial policy that risks diluting the impact of the passage or changing the meaning. Two examples - Gen 1:26 says "God said, "Now we will make humans, and they will be like us." The NIV has "Then God said, "Let us make man in our image, in our likeness." This is close enough to be capable of conveying the same meaning. Gen 2:24 in the CEV says "That's why a man will leave his own father and mother. He marries a woman, and the two of them become like one person." The NIV on the other hand says, "For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh." This reference to one flesh is referred to in their teaching by both Jesus (Matt 19:5, Mk 10:8) and Paul (1 Cor 6:16 and Eph 5:31), and I wonder whether how much depth is lost to that treatment.

I also wonder how Gen 6:2 got through the editorial committee, and I would love to know how they arrived at their preferred solution. The NIV says "When men began to increase in number on the earth and daughters were born to them, the sons of God saw that the daughters of men were beautiful, and they married any of them they chose." The CEV says, "more and more people were born, until finally they spread all over the earth. Some of their daughters were so beautiful that supernatural beings came down and married the ones they wanted."!!!!! This was a question raised by Jane McBride last time.

In its defence, the CEV does give an excellent translation of chapter 16, which really conveys the bitterness of the recriminations in Abram's household. Miriam and I listened to an excellent podcast on this part over Christmas, which you can get hold of here.

Another year - another run through

2010-01-10T16:02:00.002+01:00

So here we go again. This is the third time we have decided to read through the Bible from cover to cover in 90 days. In the previous years, not every one who has started has finished in the time scale, and yet more have done so than thought they would be able to.

So what are my expectations this time?

I am looking forward to doing this with hope, expectation and dread. The dread comes from my natural laziness and lack of self-discipline, as I know that this will require a significant sacrifice on my part. At weekends in particular, I shall have to get up earlier, and during the week, I shall have to be much more disciplined in my time in the morning than I have grown accustomed to.

But form past experience, I know this to be a worthwhile sacrifice. I have felt the Holy Spirit lift me and give me energy throughout the months I have done the reading, proof that his word is living and active. I am looking forward to experiencing the effect that the more I read of his word, the more I want to read it. It really is an appetite that grows with feeding and shrivels with starvation.

The year at St Paul's has started with Chris talking to us from Romans 12. The challenge that I have felt strongly is the call not to be conformed to the pattern of the world, but to be transformed by the renewing of the mind. With the 90-day exercise, I see a means to carry out part of that daily offering of myself as a living sacrifice, which is an act of spiritual worship.

So please feel free to join us as we start on this journey again. This blog is available to all, and all the posts from a previous time are readily available in the blog's archive.

In the words of Galatians 6:9-10, "Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers."

Mark Burgess gives us his thoughts from the 90 days

2008-02-04T17:35:00.000+01:00

In reply to the questions I sent him, Mark gives us these thoughts:

1) Why did you decide to do the 90 days and did you think you would be able to see it through?

I wanted a kick start to get back into reading through the whole bible again. The fact that it sounded so ridiculous got my attention and then I realized that it actually wasn’t as crazy as it sounded. I did think I would be able to see it through – or frankly I wouldn’t have started it. While that wasn’t meant to be prideful, my pride is such that I would never have started if I thought I would have to drop out. In that sense, I think my pride was turned to something useful.

2) Did you have any sticky patches where you didn't think you were going to be able to complete it, and what helped you keep going?

While I didn’t have any patches when I thought I wouldn’t complete it, there were a few occasions when I got behind. The accountability that went with telling others I was doing the readings helped, but so too did the fact that I felt my resolve grow as I got through it. There is something very encouraging in seeing that bookmark move forward so quickly. My wife Jodi also encouraged me throughout (I know she and others were also praying for the people doing the readings) and made sure that any slack that needed taken up was taken up so that I could devote the time needed. Adam’s weekly check-ins at church helped too! Also I have no doubt that God kept me going through it in other ways I am unaware of. For me, the thing was to keep going with the plan when I fell behind – I also felt it easier to catch up rather than finish a few days ‘late.’ One thing that was difficult was to remain accountable without being legalistic.

3) What did you see during the 90 days that was new, surprisig, in a different light, challenging,encouraging and/or faith building/enhancing?

Not stopping at natural breaks, like chapter and book endings helped the readings take on different perspectives – for instance I have rarely (if ever) read Acts before straight after John. This made the transformation of Peter et al all the more amazing. Reading through fast without stressing about the more difficult passages was also helpful. The act of progressing through the 90 days was also encouraging in itself in that it helped make the task a lot less intimidating and built up my confidence.

4) Would you recommend the 90 days to other people, and if so, what advice would you give them?

Do it. Don’t be intimidated. If you miss a day – as you certainly will – just keep going in the readings. It really is not as bad as it sounds (can I say that about the bible??) and you will end up changed for the better in some way. Typically, I insisted on buying the 90 days bible – which was a bit of a rip off but helpful in that it is slim-line, had no notes, and had the readings marked off. It was helpful – although I am not recommending it as such (I figured I may as well set myself up to succeed as much as was possible) I would suggest using a bible with no notes and resisting the temptation to linger over what you don’t understand.

Jean Cunningham tells us her thoughts on having done the 90 days

2008-01-29T22:52:00.000+01:00

During the Sunday morning service at St Paul's, I asked Jane McBride and Miriam Isaacs the following questions:

1) Why did you decide to do the 90 days and did you think you would be able to see it through?

2) Did you have any sticky patches where you didn't think you were going to be able to complete it, and what helped you keep going?

3) What did you see during the 90 days that was new, surprising, in a different light, challenging,encouraging and/or faith building/enhancing?

4) Would you recommend the 90 days to other people, and if so, what advice would you give them?

I also asked Jean Cunningham to send me her thoughts on them, and here are her answers:

1. I would not have started if I did not intend to go to the very end, personality type I'm afraid.

2. A lot of the Old Testament was very hard and often it was the thought of getting to the New Testament that kept me going.

3. I had not fully understood the time line before, reading in bits you don't really understand how things tied in together. Reading bits that you suddenly found familiar - Byrds song Time Time Time - I didn't know was from the Bible (I think this is Turn! Turn! Turn, based on the Book of Ecclesiastes - Ed). Reading the Gospels one after the other different perspectives but the same story was just awesome - ugh did I really say that.

4. I would certainly recommend others to do it. It is a big challenge but if you do it over a year you lose perspective. You just have to keep going. I'll do it again, different version, that means an excuse to buy a new Bible. I am looking forward to it.

Day 88 - Revelation 18:1 - 22:21

2008-01-27T16:43:00.000+01:00

In today’s (final) section, we read about:

The fall of Babylon, the great prostitute
The songs of victory in Heaven
The rider on the White Horse
The Thousand Years, defeat of Satan and the final judgment
The New Jerusalem
Prayer for Jesus to return quickly

First of all, well done, we have made it to the end, and god has met us in amazing ways throughout this time. It has been a real encouragement to see how God has been at work in all those undertaking this journey of faith, and thank you for all the comments, kind words, prayers and camaraderie. I’m sure you will all want to join again the next time we do this. In the mean time, please send me your thoughts on what these 90 days have meant for you, and I will post them here under your own name, and we can all be encouraged.

APOLOGIES
As with yesterday, there has not been time to write the blog today, but I shall return to this next week.

One verse from today – “Look, God’s home is now among his people! He will live with them, and they will be his people. God himself will be with them. He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever” (Rev 21:3-4)

Day 87 - Jude 1 - Revelation 17:18

2008-01-27T16:35:00.001+01:00

In today’s section, we read about:

Jude’s letter, warning against false teaching
In the revelation of John, the vision of the risen Jesus walking among the lamp stands
The letters to the seven churches in Asia
The living creatures, and elders worship around the throne of God
The scroll with the seven seals, which are opened by the lamb that was slain
The seven trumpets are sounded
The woman and the dragon, the beast out of the sea, the lamb and the 144,000, and the harvest of the earth
The seven bowls and the seven plagues

APOLOGIES
As with yesterday, there has not been time to write the blog today, but I shall return to this next week.

One verse from today – “Now all glory to God, who is able to keep you from falling away and will bring you with great joy into his glorious presence without a single fault. All glory to him who alone is God, our Saviour through Jesus Christ our Lord. All glory, majesty, power, and authority are his before all time, and in the present, and beyond all time! Amen” (Jude 24-25)

Day 86 - James 3:13 - 3 John 14

2008-01-25T21:31:00.000+01:00

In today’s section, we read:

The last two chapters of James
Peter’s first letter – the hope we have, even though we may have to suffer when we stand firm in it in this world
Peter’s second letter – an exhortation to stay true to scripture and reject false teaching
John’s first letter – Jesus is light, life and love, and we should live in these three, especially love
John’s second letter – an exhortation to hold on to the truth that has been taught
John’s third letter – an exhortation to show hospitality to teachers of the truth

Some thoughts that occurred to me today:

In the earlier chapters of James, we saw how the author stressed the importance of works to demonstrate the vitality of faith – “faith is dead without good works” (2:26). In today’s chapters, we see a more positive side to what a living faith can produce. “God gives us even more grace to stand against such evil desires” (4:6); “humble yourselves before God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come close to God, and God will come close to you” (4:7-8); “humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up in honour” (4:10); “such a prayer offered in faith will heal the sick, and the Lord will make you well. And if you have committed any sins, you will be forgiven” (5:15).

Reading James is a welcome antidote to anodyne, wishy-washy, let’s-not-offend-anyone Christianity. You are left in no doubt of the seriousness of slander, gossip, bitchiness, selfish motives and quarrels, and that God will judge us for what we have done. However, there is the assurance of 2:13that, “if you have been merciful, God will be merciful when he judges you” and that “the Lord is full of tenderness and mercy” (5:11).

An outline of the structure of 1 Peter might be:
However tough our current situation is, we have hope in the good news of the priceless inheritance in Jesus →
We should live lives that demonstrate that we are looking forward to receiving that inheritance, the eternal life in Jesus. In the meantime →
We should live as reflect out status as living stones in God’s house, a royal priesthood and temporary residents and foreigners in this world. One way we demonstrate this is →
Submission to authority, be it to Jesus, political authorities, slaves to masters, wives and husbands. In brief →
We should follow Christ’s example and never sinned in spite of persecution. We may well suffer for following Christ, but we should live like he did. In the end, →
If he stand firm, Jesus will reward us on his return.

The first chapter is great motivation, as Peter reminds of what is waiting for us if we stay the course – “we have a priceless inheritance—an inheritance that is kept in heaven for you, pure and undefiled, beyond the reach of change and decay. And through your faith, God is protecting you by his power until you receive this salvation, which is ready to be revealed on the last day for all to see” (1:4-5); “when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honour on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world” (1:7); “the reward for trusting him will be the salvation of your souls” (1:9); and “your new life will last forever because it comes from the eternal, living word of God” (1:23). Peter also has an eternal perspective, as he looks forward to the end of the world when Jesus returns, but also reminds his readers that this promise was what the Old Testament prophets were looking forward to. “It was the precious blood of Christ, the sinless, spotless Lamb of God. God chose him as your ransom long before the world began, but he has now revealed him to you in these last days” (1:19-20).

There is great encouragement in the midst of suffering that must come to those who follow Jesus. We have these wonderful but slightly strange names relating to our new status – “living stones” (2:4), presumably with a hint of irony since the author had been named “rock” by Jesus, “royal priests, holy nation, God’s very own possession” (2:9) and “temporary residents and foreigners” (2:11). Then we read in 3:14, “even if you suffer for doing what is right, God will reward you for it”. 3:18, “Christ suffered for our sins once for all time. He never sinned, but he died for sinners to bring you safely home to God. He suffered physical death, but he was raised to life in the Spirit.”

4:8 – “continue to show deep love for each other, for love covers a multitude of sins.”

5:4 – “When the Great Shepherd appears, you will receive a crown of never-ending glory and honour.”

An outline of the structure of 2 Peter might be:
God has given everything we need to live a godly life, even in the hardest of circumstances. One of the keys is scripture →
Which is not a load of clever stories, but truth, attested by eye-witnesses such as Peter. However →
There is an ever-present danger of false teachers, who will however be condemned by God’s judgment. Their lives prove that they have no part in God’s truth. →
God’s judgment will arrive in His own timescale, not ours, so we should remain vigilant until the time comes.

As in Rom 5:3-5, 2 Pet 1:5-7 gives us a wonderful progression, where we can see how the Spirit in us helps us to mature into greater Christ-likeness if we persevere – “Supplement your faith with a generous provision of moral excellence, and moral excellence with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with patient endurance, and patient endurance with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love for everyone.”

Peter refers to the transfiguration in 1:16-18, the only event he recounts of all the things he was witness to.

I love the imagery in 1:19 – “[the prophets’] words are like a lamp shining in a dark place—until the Day dawns, and Christ the Morning Star shines in your hearts.”

2:9 – “Lord knows how to rescue godly people from their trials, even while keeping the wicked under punishment until the day of final judgment.”

Chapter 3 is very helpful in our current climate of scoffing. God’s plan has been perfect hitherto, and we can be utterly confident that it will be for all eternity, even if we are impatient. “You must not forget this one thing, dear friends: A day is like a thousand years to the Lord, and a thousand years is like a day. The Lord isn’t really being slow about his promise, as some people think. No, he is being patient for your sake. He does not want anyone to be destroyed, but wants everyone to repent. But the day of the Lord will come as unexpectedly as a thief.”

An outline of the structure of 1 John might be:
The author has seen and touched and heard himself the Word of life, Jesus, who is also light →
If we do not live lives that reflect this light and life we are denying the truth, but by coming to the light and confessing our sins, we can receive God’s forgiveness. Consequently →
We should live as Christ does, and love one another. By doing this, we prove we belong to Jesus, and through Him to the Father, and the Holy Spirit in us helps us in this →
God has sent Jesus to destroy the works of the devil and to welcome us into His family as his sons. All the obstacles have been removed by Jesus, so →
We must love one another, and the Holy Spirit helps us in this, and also to have confidence in our salvation through Jesus

This was such a joy to read, from start to finish pouring out God’s love. John starts by pointing out that he is talking from first hand experience, and is completely overwhelmed by it. Then there is the wonderful description of Jesus as light in 1:5-7, followed by, “If we claim we have no sin, we are only fooling ourselves and not living in the truth. But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness. If we claim we have not sinned, we are calling God a liar and showing that his word has no place in our hearts.”

2:1-2 – “if anyone does sin, we have an advocate who pleads our case before the Father. He is Jesus Christ, the one who is truly righteous. He himself is the sacrifice that atones for our sins—and not only our sins but the sins of all the world.”

2:24-25 – “you must remain faithful to what you have been taught from the beginning. If you do, you will remain in fellowship with the Son and with the Father. And in this fellowship we enjoy the eternal life he promised us.”

3:16 – “We know what real love is because Jesus gave up his life for us. So we also ought to give up our lives for our brothers and sisters.”

3:21-22 – “Dear friends, if we don’t feel guilty, we can come to God with bold confidence. And we will receive from him whatever we ask because we obey him and do the things that please him.”

3:24 – “Those who obey God’s commandments remain in fellowship with him, and he with them. And we know he lives in us because the Spirit he gave us lives in us.”

4:7-8 – “Dear friends, let us continue to love one another, for love comes from God. Anyone who loves is a child of God and knows God. But anyone who does not love does not know God, for God is love. God showed how much he loved us by sending his one and only Son into the world so that we might have eternal life through him. This is real love—not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins. Dear friends, since God loved us that much, we surely ought to love each other. No one has ever seen God. But if we love each other, God lives in us, and his love is brought to full expression in us.”

4:16-17 – “God is love, and all who live in love live in God, and God lives in them. And as we live in God, our love grows more perfect. So we will not be afraid on the day of judgment, but we can face him with confidence because we live like Jesus here in this world.”

4:18 – “Such love has no fear, because perfect love expels all fear. If we are afraid, it is for fear of punishment, and this shows that we have not fully experienced his perfect love. We love each other because he loved us first.”

5:3-5 – “Loving God means keeping his commandments, and his commandments are not burdensome. For every child of God defeats this evil world, and we achieve this victory through our faith. And who can win this battle against the world? Only those who believe that Jesus is the Son of God.”

5:13-15 – “I have written this to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know you have eternal life. And we are confident that he hears us whenever we ask for anything that pleases him. And since we know he hears us when we make our requests, we also know that he will give us what we ask for.”

5:20 – “we know that the Son of God has come, and he has given us understanding so that we can know the true God. And now we live in fellowship with the true God because we live in fellowship with his Son, Jesus Christ. He is the only true God, and he is eternal life.”

2 Jn 6 – “Love means doing what God has commanded us, and he has commanded us to love one another, just as you heard from the beginning.”

2 Jn 9 – “anyone who remains in the teaching of Christ has a relationship with both the Father and the Son.”

One verse from today – “Dear children, let’s not merely say that we love each other; let us show the truth by our actions. Our actions will show that we belong to the truth, so we will be confident when we stand before God. Even if we feel guilty, God is greater than our feelings, and he knows everything” (1 Jn 3:18-20).

Day 85 - Hebrews 1:1 - James 3:12

2008-01-24T17:25:00.000+01:00

In today's section, we read:

the letter to the Hebrews about a better covenant, a better High Priest and the rewards of faith
the first half of James, where we see that faith without works is useless

Some thoughts from today:

An outline of Hebrews:
God has spoken through his prophets and scripture, but now He has spoken in an even better way, through His Son, Jesus Christ, who →
Is greater than the angels as attested to throughout Scripture and is greater than Moses →
Jesus became flesh and blood to help the descendants of Abraham and lead them into God's promised rest. This he did by →
Breaking the power of sin, death and the devil by dying for us, and becoming our great High Priest, through whom we can enter the presence of God with confidence →
He is the High Priest of God's promise, yet of a better and different order than Levi, which was based on the law, which could not make anyone perfect. Instead, he is a priest forever in the order of Melchizedek →
Jesus is a High Priest forever, not having to offer a sacrifice over and over, since his sacrifice was sufficient once for all. He is a priest of a better covenant than that in the law, which is a shadow of the perfect one in heaven, in the same way that earthly temple and tabernacle are shadows of the perfect ones in heaven →
This new covenant sealed by Jesus blood is once for all, so we can have confidence to persevere, encouraging each other by meeting together and motivating each other to do good works while we wait for the fulfilment of God's covenantal promises. In the same way, →
We have the example of the many heroes of faith who persevered through faith, ie being sure about what they could not see and confident that what they hoped for would actually happen. God did amazing things through these people, who all shared in the fact that they had faith that God would deliver on his promises, but neither they nor we have seen the complete fulfilment yet, but it will come →
Therefore we should press on, encouraged by all our fellow pilgrims of faith, and live lives focused on that goal and on Jesus who is our advocate, mediator, High Priest and God. For we know that →
God will never leave us or abandon us, and in Christ He has done everything for us, so let us share in all that Christ has done for us and called us to do.

One of the major themes of Hebrews is that what we have in Jesus is new and better.
1:2 - God has spoken in a better way, through His Son;
3:3 - Jesus is worthy of more honour than Moses;
6:9 - we are meant for better things;
7:19 - we have confidence in a better hope;
7:22 - Jesus is the guarantee of a better covenant;
8:6 - "Jesus, our High Priest, has been given a ministry that is far superior to the old priesthood, for he is the one who mediates for us a far better covenant with God, based on better promises";
8:8 - recalling the promise through Jeremiah of a new covenant written on people's hearts;
9:10 - a better system than the physical regulations than the law;
9:11 - a greater, more perfect tabernacle;
9:23 - Christ is a far better sacrifice;
10:34 - better things waiting for us that will last forever;
11:40 - God has something better in mind for us.

The whole of chapter 1 sets our focus on Jesus and his divine nature, in beautiful terms, eg in v 10-12. The essence of the gospel is in 1:3 - "The Son radiates God’s own glory and expresses the very character of God, and he sustains everything by the mighty power of his command. When he had cleansed us from our sins, he sat down in the place of honour at the right hand of the majestic God in heaven."

2:16-18 - "We also know that the Son did not come to help angels; he came to help the descendants of Abraham. Therefore, it was necessary for him to be made in every respect like us, his brothers and sisters, so that he could be our merciful and faithful High Priest before God. Then he could offer a sacrifice that would take away the sins of the people. Since he himself has gone through suffering and testing, he is able to help us when we are being tested."

3:12-14 - "Be careful then, dear brothers and sisters. Make sure that your own hearts are not evil and unbelieving, turning you away from the living God. You must warn each other every day, while it is still “today,” so that none of you will be deceived by sin and hardened against God. For if we are faithful to the end, trusting God just as firmly as when we first believed, we will share in all that belongs to Christ."

4:12-13 - "For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires. Nothing in all creation is hidden from God. Everything is naked and exposed before his eyes, and he is the one to whom we are accountable."

4:14-16 - "So then, since we have a great High Priest who has entered heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to what we believe. This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same testings we do, yet he did not sin. So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most."

The question of the identity, nature role of Melchizedek is one that I would like to explore elsewhere. One article I have read has left me with more questions than answers, but it is quite interesting. I have also asked Chris about this.

6:16-19 has a compelling logic, and offers great reassurance - "Now when people take an oath, they call on someone greater than themselves to hold them to it. And without any question that oath is binding. God also bound himself with an oath, so that those who received the promise could be perfectly sure that he would never change his mind. So God has given both his promise and his oath. These two things are unchangeable because it is impossible for God to lie. Therefore, we who have fled to him for refuge can have great confidence as we hold to the hope that lies before us. This hope is a strong and trustworthy anchor for our souls. It leads us through the curtain into God’s inner sanctuary."

7:25-28 - " he is able, once and forever, to save those who come to God through him. He lives forever to intercede with God on their behalf. He is the kind of high priest we need because he is holy and blameless, unstained by sin. He has been set apart from sinners and has been given the highest place of honour in heaven. Unlike those other high priests, he does not need to offer sacrifices every day. They did this for their own sins first and then for the sins of the people. But Jesus did this once for all when he offered himself as the sacrifice for the people’s sins."

9:14-15 - "Just think how much more the blood of Christ will purify our consciences from sinful deeds so that we can worship the living God. For by the power of the eternal Spirit, Christ offered himself to God as a perfect sacrifice for our sins. That is why he is the one who mediates a new covenant between God and people, so that all who are called can receive the eternal inheritance God has promised them. For Christ died to set them free from the penalty of the sins they had committed under that first covenant."

9:27-28 - "And just as each person is destined to die once and after that comes judgment, so also Christ died once for all time as a sacrifice to take away the sins of many people. He will come again, not to deal with our sins, but to bring salvation to all who are eagerly waiting for him."

10:12-14 - "our High Priest offered himself to God as a single sacrifice for sins, good for all time. Then he sat down in the place of honour at God’s right hand. There he waits until his enemies are humbled and made a footstool under his feet. For by that one offering he forever made perfect those who are being made holy."

10:19-22 - "And so, dear brothers and sisters, we can boldly enter heaven’s Most Holy Place because of the blood of Jesus. By his death, Jesus opened a new and life-giving way through the curtain into the Most Holy Place. And since we have a great High Priest who rules over God’s house, let us go right into the presence of God with sincere hearts fully trusting him. For our guilty consciences have been sprinkled with Christ’s blood to make us clean, and our bodies have been washed with pure water."

10:23-25 - "Let us hold tightly without wavering to the hope we affirm, for God can be trusted to keep his promise. Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works. And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near."

10:31 - "It is a terrible thing to fall into the hands of the living God."

10:35-36 - "So do not throw away this confident trust in the Lord. Remember the great reward it brings you! Patient endurance is what you need now, so that you will continue to do God’s will. Then you will receive all that he has promised."

11:1 - "Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen; it gives us assurance about things we cannot see."

12:1-2 - "Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honour beside God’s throne."

12:22-24 - "you have come to Mount Zion, to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to countless thousands of angels in a joyful gathering. You have come to the assembly of God’s firstborn children, whose names are written in heaven. You have come to God himself, who is the judge over all things. You have come to the spirits of the righteous ones in heaven who have now been made perfect. You have come to Jesus, the one who mediates the new covenant between God and people, and to the sprinkled blood, which speaks of forgiveness instead of crying out for vengeance like the blood of Abel."

13:5 - "Don't love money; be satisfied with what you have. For God has said, / "I will never fail you. / I will never abandon you."" 13:8 - "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever."

One verse from today's section - "All these people earned a good reputation because of their faith, yet none of them received all that God had promised. For God had something better in mind for us, so that they would not reach perfection without us" (Heb 11:39-40).

POSTSCRIPT
If you have the chance, I can recommend listening to Michael Card's album, Soul Anchor, based on the book of Hebrews.

Day 84 - 1 Thessalonians 1:1 - Philemon 25

2008-01-23T20:26:00.000+01:00

In today's section, we read:

Paul's 2 letters to the Thessalonian church, encouraging them amid persecution to live godly lives, and to correct a misunderstanding about Jesus' return
Paul's 2 letters to Timothy, his much loved spiritual son, who has been entrusted with a ministry in the church in Ephesus
Paul's letter to Titus, who has been entrusted with oversight for the church on Crete
Paul's letter to Philemon, urging him to accept a run-away slave, who has subsequently became a believer

Some thoughts from today:

An outline of 1 Thessalonians:
Paul gives thanks for the faith of the Thessalonian believers, which is confirmed in various reports that he has received, most recently from Timothy who was sent to them when Paul and Silas could not go themselves
Paul recalls his visit there, where he made no claims on the believers
Paul encourages them to live holy lives pleasing to God
Paul encourages them by speaking of the resurrection which will take place when Christ returns
In the meantime, Paul encourages them to be joyful, be thankful and to never stop praying

Just imagine what it would have felt like to have received this letter, and to read this first chapter, so full of praise and encouragement - "We always thank God for all of you and pray for you constantly. As we pray to our God and Father about you, we think of your faithful work, your loving deeds, and the enduring hope you have because of our Lord Jesus Christ" (1:2-3)

1:10 - "You are looking forward to the coming of God’s Son from heaven—Jesus, whom God raised from the dead. He is the one who has rescued us from the terrors of the coming judgment" (1:10).

Chapter 2 gives us a good insight into Paul's motivation and how he continued in spite of hardship and opposition - "our God gave us the courage to declare his Good News to you boldly, in spite of great opposition. So you can see we were not preaching with any deceit or impure motives or trickery"' (2:2-3), "our purpose is to please God, not people" (2:4), and most memorably, "we loved you so much that we shared with you not only God’s Good News but our own lives, too" (2:8).

What an amazing promise there is in 2:12 - "He called you to share in his Kingdom and glory". The God who made the stars, created the world and who cares for the billions and billions of people in this world, has called us to share in His glory. It's too wonderful to begin to comprehend really.

Not only has God called us, but he doesn't just leave us to get on with it - "this word continues to work in you who believe" (2:13).

4:8 is a reminder that it is not just a case of living in a way that "we don't hurt anybody", but remembering that sin is turning in the opposite direction from God, and rejection His perfect plan and will for our lives, and saying we know better.

In 2:4, Paul writes that his aim is not to please people, but to please God. Yet when we do that, we will win the respect of non-believers (4:12).

5:9-11 - "For God chose to save us through our Lord Jesus Christ, not to pour out his anger on us. 10 Christ died for us so that, whether we are dead or alive when he returns, we can live with him forever. So encourage each other and build each other up, just as you are already doing."

5:15-22 read almost as if Paul were sending a telegram, paying by the word. There is so much packed into those few lines - be joyful, thankful, pray constantly, don't stifle the Holy Spirit, test everything, stay away from every kind of evil.

5:24 sums up our dependence on God for the fulfilment of these promises and the confidence we can have in them - "God will make this happen, for he who calls you is faithful."

An outline of 2 Thessalonians:
Paul gives thanks and encouragement to the Thessalonians who are facing persecution
Paul explains some of the events which will happen before Christ returns, and urges the believers to stand firm
Paul asks the church to pray that the Good News will spread and urges them to avoid idleness, but live hard-working and fruitful lives

1:5-6 show that God has the ultimate control and perspective in our situations, "God will use this persecution to show his justice and to make you worthy of his Kingdom, for which you are suffering. In his justice he will pay back those who persecute you."

1:12 is the greatest encouragement and an indication that anything is possible with God, "the name of our Lord Jesus will be honoured because of the way you live, and you will be honoured along with him. This is all made possible because of the grace of our God and Lord, Jesus Christ" - cf 1 Sam 2:30.

2:13-14 - "we can’t help but thank God for you, dear brothers and sisters loved by the Lord. We are always thankful that God chose you to be among the first to experience salvation—a salvation that came through the Spirit who makes you holy and through your belief in the truth. He called you to salvation when we told you the Good News; now you can share in the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ."

The theme of this letter is basically that God comforts and strengthens and encourages us throughout our suffering, and that worse will come before Jesus returns. In the meantime, we should remain clear-headed, clinging to what we know to be true, and diligently working hard to live lives pleasing to God.

An outline of 1 Timothy:
Paul urges Timothy to guard against false teachings and to rely solely on the sufficiency of Christ and his sacrifice
Paul's instruction for order in public worship and guidelines for leaders in the church (elders and deacons)
Warning against false teachers and encouragement to Timothy to stand firm against it
Instructions for different groups in the church - widows, elders and slaves
True riches comes from obeying God not the wealth of the world

I was struck by the constant reminder that what we read and learn about God must have an effect on the way we live, or else it is useless - "the purpose of my instruction is that all believers would be filled with love that comes from a pure heart, a clear conscience, and genuine faith. But some people have missed this whole point. They have turned away from these things and spend their time in meaningless discussions" (1:5-6).

Paul, here in 1:12-17, is a good example of the truth of Lk 7:47, where Jesus says that a person who is forgiven little, loves little, but whoever is forgiven much will love a lot.

The Gospel in a nutshell - 2:5-6 "there is only one God and one Mediator who can reconcile God and humanity—the man Christ Jesus. He gave his life to purchase freedom for everyone."

We are reminded that we need other believers and have a responsibility to them, and we cannot do this on our own - "this is the church of the living God, which is the pillar and foundation of the truth" (3:15).

4:8 - "Physical training is good, but training for godliness is much better, promising benefits in this life and in the life to come.” I don't think this an excuse to get fat and flabby though!!

6:6 - "true godliness with contentment is itself great wealth". 6:17-19, "Teach those who are rich in this world not to be proud and not to trust in their money, which is so unreliable. Their trust should be in God, who richly gives us all we need for our enjoyment. Tell them to use their money to do good. They should be rich in good works and generous to those in need, always being ready to share with others. By doing this they will be storing up their treasure as a good foundation for the future so that they may experience true life."

6:15-16 - "At just the right time Christ will be revealed from heaven by the blessed and only almighty God, the King of all kings and Lord of all lords. He alone can never die, and he lives in light so brilliant that no human can approach him. No human eye has ever seen him, nor ever will. All honour and power to him forever! Amen."

An outline of 2 Timothy:
Paul expresses his concern for Timothy and encourages him to continue as he has started
Paul urges Timothy to continue standing firm, to avoid fruitless arguments and rely on God to change peoples hearts back to the truth
Paul warns that hard times are coming when people will reject God, but God's people can rely on God to keep his promise of salvation, and has left us scripture to help us through

There is an echo of Phil 4:13 here in 1:7 - "God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline."

There is no danger that we should get carried away with how wonderful we are, as Paul reminds us that it is all from God - "God saved us and called us to live a holy life. He did this, not because we deserved it, but because that was his plan from before the beginning of time—to show us his grace through Christ Jesus. And now he has made all of this plain to us by the appearing of Christ Jesus, our Saviour. He broke the power of death and illuminated the way to life and immortality through the Good News" (1:9-10)

1:12 - "I know the one in whom I trust, and I am sure that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him until the day of his return."

2:11-13 - " This is a trustworthy saying: / If we die with him, / we will also live with him. / If we endure hardship, / we will reign with him. / If we deny him, / he will deny us. / If we are unfaithful, / he remains faithful, / for he cannot deny who he is."

2:19 - "But God’s truth stands firm like a foundation stone with this inscription: “The Lord knows those who are his,” and “All who belong to the Lord must turn away from evil.”"

3:8 - According to Jewish rabbinical teaching, Jannes and Jambres were two of the foremost magicians in Pharaoh's court who stood against Moses.

3:12 - "everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution."

3:14-17 - "you must remain faithful to the things you have been taught. You know they are true, for you know you can trust those who taught you. You have been taught the holy Scriptures from childhood, and they have given you the wisdom to receive the salvation that comes by trusting in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work."

I hope I will be able to echo Paul's words in 4:6-8, "As for me, my life has already been poured out as an offering to God. The time of my death is near. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, and I have remained faithful. And now the prize awaits me—the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give me on the day of his return. And the prize is not just for me but for all who eagerly look forward to his appearing." Also, 4:18, "the Lord will deliver me from every evil attack and will bring me safely into his heavenly Kingdom."

An outline of Titus:
Paul reminds Titus that he was left in charge in Crete to complete the work already began
Instruction on the qualities required of elders
Reminder of the need for good teaching, which promotes godly living
A call to remember the difference God has made by saving us

1:2 - " This truth gives them confidence that they have eternal life, which God—who does not lie—promised them before the world began."

1:15 - " Everything is pure to those whose hearts are pure. But nothing is pure to those who are corrupt and unbelieving, because their minds and consciences are corrupted."

2:12-14 - "we are instructed to turn from godless living and sinful pleasures. We should live in this evil world with wisdom, righteousness, and devotion to God, while we look forward with hope to that wonderful day when the glory of our great God and Saviour, Jesus Christ, will be revealed. He gave his life to free us from every kind of sin, to cleanse us, and to make us his very own people, totally committed to doing good deeds."

3:4-8 - "When God our Saviour revealed his kindness and love, he saved us, not because of the righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He washed away our sins, giving us a new birth and new life through the Holy Spirit. He generously poured out the Spirit upon us through Jesus Christ our Saviour. Because of his grace he declared us righteous and gave us confidence that we will inherit eternal life.” This is a trustworthy saying, and I want you to insist on these teachings so that all who trust in God will devote themselves to doing good. These teachings are good and beneficial for everyone.

An outline of Philemon:
Paul gives thanks and prays for Philemon
Paul please for Philemon to take back Onesimus, a runaway slave

One verse from today - "God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline" (2 Tim 1:7)

Day 83 - Galatians 3:26 - Colossians 4:18

2008-01-22T11:45:00.001+01:00

In today's section, we read:

the second half of Paul's letter to the Galatians
Paul's letter to the Ephesians - glory, grace and the armour of God
Paul's letter to the Philippians - the joy, peace and humility of Christ
Paul's letter to the Colossians - Christ in whom everything holds and comes together

Some thoughts that occurred to me today:

The main outline of Galatians:

There is only one gospel and Paul is shocked that the Galatians are choosing to follow a different message that is not based on grace
The message of grace Paul taught comes directly from Christ, who appointed him to be the apostle to the gentiles
The law cannot save people - salvation only comes through faith. The law was a guardian for us until Christ came, and came via Moses, whereas God gave his promise directly to Abraham, whose true heirs we are
God makes us his children through the promise by faith and according to his grace, not by anything we can do
The illustration of Hagar and Sarah reminds us of the futility of human attempts to be made right by God by human actions, rather than faith in God's promise to us
Christ has set us free, so let us live as free people belonging to God. Let the Holy Spirit lead us and guide us and produce a godly character in our lives, as opposed to the sinful nature that was what we were when slaves to the law and sin and death
Keep going and don't give up. Remain true to the message of grace and trust only in the cross of Christ where our freedom was bought.

I find the picture of us being adopted children of the promise so rich and what it entails is so fantastic, and the metaphor of Hagar and Sarah is very helpful in reminding me that it all comes from God, not from anything that I can do.

5:5-6 - "But we who live by the Spirit eagerly wait to receive by faith the righteousness God has promised to us. For when we place our faith in Christ Jesus, there is no benefit in being circumcised or being uncircumcised. What is important is faith expressing itself in love."

5:13 - "For you have been called to live in freedom, my brothers and sisters. But don’t use your freedom to satisfy your sinful nature. Instead, use your freedom to serve one another in love."

5:24-25 follows the contrast between the fruit of our sinful nature and the life of the Spirit - "Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of their sinful nature to his cross and crucified them there. Since we are living by the Spirit, let us follow the Spirit’s leading in every part of our lives."

6:6 - "Those who are taught the word of God should provide for their teachers, sharing all good things with them."

6:9-10 - "let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up. Therefore, whenever we have the opportunity, we should do good to everyone—especially to those in the family of faith."

6:14-15 - "As for me, may I never boast about anything except the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. Because of that cross, my interest in this world has been crucified, and the world’s interest in me has also died. It doesn’t matter whether we have been circumcised or not. What counts is whether we have been transformed into a new creation."

The main outline of Ephesians:

God had a plan - to bring everything under Christ, to unite us with Christ and to adopt us into his family because of Jesus, and let us share in that glorious inheritance. The purpose of this plan was that we should give him praise and glory.
Jesus is seated at the right hand of the Father - the place of honour - and has authority over all things, in this world and the world to come
God has done it all. He has raised us from being spiritually dead to being alive in Christ, through his grace. It is absolutely nothing to do with anything we have done
We have been made to do good works that God has long had planned for us (indeed he planned our salvation long in advance), and he has made us citizens of the kingdom of heaven and we, the believers together, are a temple where God makes his dwelling place
All this has been revealed now to the gentiles as well as the Jews, so that all can share equally in this
Since this plan is for all alike, equally, Paul urges us to maintain that unity, and live together as children of this plan/promise. We should live in the light as children of the light, not as those who live in the darkness and whose lives are full of sinful behaviour
The Spirit should guide all our behaviour and our relationships, which should be governed by an awareness of where we stand in relation to Christ
Finally, we are urged to stand firm, relying on everything that God gives us (the armour of God)

Reading the beginning of Ephesians, I was struck by the fact that God has planned everything for us in advance, and everything that happens is in order to fulfil that plan, all for his praise and glory. Reading this, it is impossible to come to any other conclusion than that everything starts and comes from God. There is nothing that we can do to earn it, but we can receive this by faith and live out our lives in accordance with it - 2:8-10, "God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago."

2:14 - "Christ himself has brought peace to us. He united Jews and Gentiles into one people when, in his own body on the cross, he broke down the wall of hostility that separated us." 2:17-18, "He brought this Good News of peace to you Gentiles who were far away from him, and peace to the Jews who were near. Now all of us can come to the Father through the same Holy Spirit because of what Christ has done for us."

2:20-22 - "Together, we are his house, built on the foundation of the apostles and the prophets. And the cornerstone is Christ Jesus himself. We are carefully joined together in him, becoming a holy temple for the Lord. Through him you Gentiles are also being made part of this dwelling where God lives by his Spirit."

4:4-6 - "For there is one body and one Spirit, just as you have been called to one glorious hope for the future. There is one Lord, one faith, one baptism, and one God and Father, who is over all and in all and living through all."

4:14-16 - "Then we will no longer be immature like children. We won’t be tossed and blown about by every wind of new teaching. We will not be influenced when people try to trick us with lies so clever they sound like the truth. Instead, we will speak the truth in love, growing in every way more and more like Christ, who is the head of his body, the church. He makes the whole body fit together perfectly. As each part does its own special work, it helps the other parts grow, so that the whole body is healthy and growing and full of love."

4:23-24 - "let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes. Put on your new nature, created to be like God—truly righteous and holy."

5:19 - "making music to your Lord in your hearts."

6:13 - "put on every piece of God’s armour so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm." 6:18 - "Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere."

The main outline of Philippians:

Paul gives thanks for the Philippian believers who have been partners with him in spreading the good news and rejoices that the message is being preached
Our attitude should be the same as that of Christ, who though God, humbled himself and died on a cross for our sakes, and who has been elevated to the place of highest honour
We are called to shine brightly in a crooked and depraved world
Knowing Christ is the only thing that matters. Everything else should be considered as worthless as we press on towards the goal to which God calls us, which is being united with him forever as citizens of heaven
We are not to worry about anything since God provides and strengthens us

1:6 - "I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns."

2:3-4 - "Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too."

I found 2:13 such an encouragement - "God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him." Although my sinful nature is so strong, God is working through his Spirit to change my desires.

3:7-9 - "I once thought these things were valuable, but now I consider them worthless because of what Christ has done. Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ and become one with him. I no longer count on my own righteousness through obeying the law; rather, I become righteous through faith in Christ. For God’s way of making us right with himself depends on faith."

3:13-14 - "I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us."

4:6-7 - "Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus."

4:8 - "Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honourable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise."

4:12-13 - "I have learned the secret of living in every situation, whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little. For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength."

The main outline of Colossians:

Christ is supreme over everything in heaven and on earth, and has called is to share in his inheritance, having bought our freedom and reconciled us to himself
This message of reconciliation had been hidden through centuries, but has now been revealed to all people. It is a message of freedom from rules, and new life in Christ who cancelled out all our sins on the cross
Since our new life is hidden in Christ, we should live in accordance with this new reality, choosing to be holy and letting the truth about Christ fill us in everything we do.

1:6 - "This same Good News that came to you is going out all over the world. It is bearing fruit everywhere by changing lives, just as it changed your lives from the day you first heard and understood the truth about God’s wonderful grace."

1:15-16 - "Christ is the visible image of the invisible God. He existed before anything was created and is supreme over all creation, for through him God created everything in the heavenly realms and on earth."

1:19-20 - "For God in all his fullness was pleased to live in Christ, and through him God reconciled everything to himself. He made peace with everything in heaven and on earth by means of Christ’s blood on the cross."

1:26-27 - "This message was kept secret for centuries and generations past, but now it has been revealed to God’s people. For God wanted them to know that the riches and glory of Christ are for you Gentiles, too. And this is the secret: Christ lives in you. This gives you assurance of sharing his glory."

2:13-15 - "You were dead because of your sins and because your sinful nature was not yet cut away. Then God made you alive with Christ, for he forgave all our sins. He cancelled the record of the charges against us and took it away by nailing it to the cross. In this way, he disarmed the spiritual rulers and authorities. He shamed them publicly by his victory over them on the cross."

3:1-4 - "Since you have been raised to new life with Christ, set your sights on the realities of heaven, where Christ sits in the place of honour at God’s right hand. Think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth. For you died to this life, and your real life is hidden with Christ in God. And when Christ, who is your life, is revealed to the whole world, you will share in all his glory." Our life is hidden with Christ - only He can control it and take it away, nothing else can.

4:5-6 - "Live wisely among those who are not believers, and make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be gracious and attractive so that you will have the right response for everyone."

One verse from today - "Christ is all that matters, and he lives in all of us" (Col 3:11)

Day 82 - 1 Corinthians 15:1 - Galatians 3:25

2008-01-21T23:26:00.001+01:00

In today’s section, we read:

The last two chapters of 1 Corinthians, where Paul expounds at length on the resurrection
Paul’s second letter to the Corinthians
The first three chapters of the letter to the Galatians, where Paul detects a false gospel being preached, which teaches justification comes not by faith but by the law and obeying Jewish customs

Some thoughts that occurred to me:

· 1 Cor 15 is one of my favourite chapters in the bible, as it spells out the centrality of the resurrection, and how if it didn’t happen and isn’t a real, historical event, we are deluded and pathetic. But the amazing thing is that it *REALLY IS TRUE*. 1 Cor 15:20, “But in fact, Christ has been raised from the dead. He is the first of a great harvest of all who have died.” The tone is similar to John 6:66-69, “At this point many of his disciples turned away and deserted him. Then Jesus turned to the Twelve and asked, “Are you also going to leave?” Simon Peter replied, “Lord, to whom would we go? You have the words that give eternal life. We believe, and we know you are the Holy One of God.”” I.e – we’re stuck with you, we have nowhere else to go, but it just so happens that of all the people we could possibly be stuck with, we would have chosen you anyway since you have the words of eternal life.
I don’t think trying to summarise 1 Corinthians like I did Romans was a success, so instead for 2 Corinthians, I shall try to summarise the structure:
Paul gives thanks for God’s comfort
The reason that Paul changed his plan to visit Corinth was to spare them a severe rebuke
Paul urges the church to forgive the sinner who had caused the trouble before
We are ministers of the new Covenant, written on our hearts, the glory of which outstrips that of the old
However, we carry this treasure in fragile clay jars, but we have the hope that we will have an eternal body
We belong to God’s kingdom as new creations, and he chooses us to be his ambassadors, charged with a ministry and message of reconciliation
When Paul was with the Corinthians he endured all hardships and was not a financial burden on them
Instead he urged them as a spiritual father to live righteous lives
Paul rejoices in their repentance and return to the truth
Paul urges them to generosity, comparing them to other churches he has planted, and encouraging them to give to the church in Jerusalem
Paul defends his apostolic authority and even resorts to “foolish boasting” over his sufferings and his visions
Paul’s final warnings to them to examine themselves and see how this matches up to the truth

1:20 – “For all of God’s promises have been fulfilled in Christ with a resounding “Yes!” And through Christ, our “Amen” (which means “Yes”) ascends to God for his glory.”

1:21-22 – “It is God who enables us, along with you, to stand firm for Christ. He has commissioned us, 22 and he has identified us as his own by placing the Holy Spirit in our hearts as the first instalment that guarantees everything he has promised us”

3:6 – “He has enabled us to be ministers of his new covenant. This is a covenant not of written laws, but of the Spirit. The old written covenant ends in death; but under the new covenant, the Spirit gives life.”

3:17 – “For the Lord is the Spirit, and wherever the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.”

3:18 – “all of us who have had that veil removed can see and reflect the glory of the Lord. And the Lord—who is the Spirit—makes us more and more like him as we are changed into his glorious image.

4:17-18 – “For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever! 18 So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever.”

5:5 – “God himself has prepared us for this, and as a guarantee he has given us his Holy Spirit.”

5:15 - “He died for everyone so that those who receive his new life will no longer live for themselves. Instead, they will live for Christ, who died and was raised for them.”

5:17-21 – “This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun! And all of this is a gift from God, who brought us back to himself through Christ. And God has given us this task of reconciling people to him. For God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, no longer counting people’s sins against them. And he gave us this wonderful message of reconciliation. So we are Christ’s ambassadors; God is making his appeal through us. We speak for Christ when we plead, “Come back to God!” For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin,[e] so that we could be made right with God through Christ.”

7:9-10 – When the Holy Spirit convicts us, it is always specific, not a vague feeling of condemnation. “It was the kind of sorrow God wants his people to have, so you were not harmed by us in any way. For the kind of sorrow God wants us to experience leads us away from sin and results in salvation. There’s no regret for that kind of sorrow. But worldly sorrow, which lacks repentance, results in spiritual death.”

8:9 – “You know the generous grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. Though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that by his poverty he could make you rich.”

9:7-8 – “don’t give reluctantly or in response to pressure. “For God loves a person who gives cheerfully.” And God will generously provide all you need. Then you will always have everything you need and plenty left over to share with others.”

12:9-10 – “Each time he said, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me. That’s why I take pleasure in my weaknesses, and in the insults, hardships, persecutions, and troubles that I suffer for Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”

I shall discuss Galatians in tomorrow’s posting.

One verse from today – “My old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. I do not treat the grace of God as meaningless. For if keeping the law could make us right with God, then there was no need for Christ to die” (Gal 2:20-21)

Day 81 - Romans 15:1 - 1 Corinthians 14:40

2008-01-20T22:17:00.000+01:00

In today’s section, we read about:

The end of Paul’s letter to the Romans with a reminder of why Paul wrote, details of his intentions for future travel and personal greetings
The first 14 chapters of Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians

Some thoughts that occurred to me today:

In chapter 15, Paul summarises the message of chapter 14 and not causing fellow believers to stumble – “accept each other just as Christ has accepted you so that God will be given glory” (15:7). He then recalls the universality of the good news of Christ, which has been laid out clearly in Scripture.

15:25-27 enables us to make a reasonable deduction on when this was written, since Paul talks of taking the gift from the believers in Macedonia and Achaia for the church in Jerusalem, which points to it being during his third missionary journey.

I know some accuse Paul of misogyny and wanting to relegate women to a subservient place (mainly based, I guess on 1 Cor 14 we read later today), but I was struck that the first person Paul commends is a woman, and not just that, but she is also a deacon in the church in Cenchrea (near Corinth!!!) and described by Paul as “one who is worthy of honour among God’s people… she has been helpful to many, and especially to me.”

I like the way Paul concludes by pointing out just how enormous and great a thing it is that God has done by revealing this “secret” to gentiles so that God may get all the glory through Jesus.

Yesterday, I tried to summarise the flow of argument in Rom 1-14, and I shall try to do the same for 1 Cor 1-14, although I found this much less straightforward, since whereas Romans appeals to my logic and intellect, 1 Corinthians is where the rubber hits the road in daily life. Anyway here goes:

The flow of 1 Corinthians:
Paul gives thanks that the Corinthian church has received “every spiritual gift”, BUT →
There are divisions in the church, some claiming to follow Paul, some Apollos, some Peter, and other “only Christ”. Paul explains he didn’t come to build a following but to preach a message →
About the power of the cross of Christ and the resurrection, which is totally at variance with the ‘wisdom’ of the world. However, God’s foolishness is wiser than the wisest wisdom of the world, but →
God’s wisdom is revealed not by clever words of men, but by the Spirit. Equally →
Growth comes not from any particular leader, but from God. Christ is the foundation on which we may build, but what we build will be tested. More importantly, since everything comes from God, →
We must at all costs avoid destroying the church that is God’s, as indeed is everything is God’s. Since everything comes from God →
Paul wants to be regarded a s a mere servant of the gospel, but is appalled at the arrogance and “wise in their own eyes” attitude of some in the church there. This is most egregiously shown in the →
Sexual immorality that is worse than would be expected even among the pagans there. Worse, the perpetrators boast of it, and the deleterious effect this has on the church as a whole impels Paul to insist that the culprit be thrown out of the fellowship. (Paul also criticises them for taking their disputes to the public court, instead of being willing to suffer wrong for the sake of the body). The freedom God gives should never be used as licence for anything goes, since →
We have been bought by God, we belong to him and not ourselves. Our bodies are a temple of the Holy Spirit. Sexual purity is so important since we join with another person through sex, and so should honour God through that. Since sexual purity is so important, →
Paul says that while marriage may prevent a believer from wholeheartedly focusing all their attentions on serving God, it is better to marry than to burn with lustful desires. The key thing is to serve God and live pure lives following him, whether married or single. →
We should also serve by ensuring that we do not cause others to stumble. Indeed, Paul has completely lived out this approach →
Becoming all things to all when as the circumstances dictate, so that some can be won for Christ. Living like this is possible, even though Israel’s history is littered with examples where they failed, where they were concerned with what they wanted to do, which is the case in Corinth, where →
The way the Lord’s Supper is celebrated brings only dishonour and shame, and provokes division, instead of bringing the church together which should also be the case →
With Spiritual gifts, which are all given by the one same Holy Spirit, not for the recipients benefit, but for the body as a whole, in which they are many different parts and roles, but just one whole. These gifts should b exercised with →
A theme which Paul expounds beautifully, reminding them that this should be their highest goal, and encouraging them to structure their gatherings so that this is the outcome.

1:8-9 – “He will keep you strong to the end so that you will be free from all blame on the day when our Lord Jesus Christ returns. God will do this, for he is faithful to do what he says, and he has invited you into partnership with his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.”

1:18 – “The message of the cross is foolish to those who are headed for destruction! But we who are being saved know it is the very power of God.”

1:30 – “God has united you with Christ Jesus. For our benefit God made him to be wisdom itself. Christ made us right with God; he made us pure and holy, and he freed us from sin.”

2:10 – “it was to us that God revealed these things by his Spirit. For his Spirit searches out everything and shows us God’s deep secrets.”

3:16-17 – “Don’t you realize that all of you together are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God lives in you? God will destroy anyone who destroys this temple. For God’s temple is holy, and you are that temple.”

4:7 – “What do you have that God hasn’t given you?”

4:20 – “For the Kingdom of God is not just a lot of talk; it is living by God’s power”

6:19-20 – “Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself, for God bought you with a high price. So you must honour God with your body.”

7:23 – “God paid a high price for you, so don’t be enslaved by the world.”

8:3 – “But the person who loves God is the one whom God recognizes” – cf 1 Sam 2:30

8:6 – “we know that there is only one God, the Father, who created everything, and we live for him. And there is only one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom God made everything and through whom we have been given life.”

9:22-23 – “I try to find common ground with everyone, doing everything I can to save some. I do everything to spread the Good News and share in its blessings.”

10:12-13 – “If you think you are standing strong, be careful not to fall. The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure.”

In 12:4-11, talking about the different gifts provided by the Holy Spirit, Paul refers 7 times to the ‘same’ or ‘one’ Spirit who provides the gift. Unity is the key, and not division! 12:13 – “Some of us are Jews, some are Gentiles, some are slaves, and some are free. But we have all been baptized into one body by one Spirit, and we all share the same Spirit.”

12:27 - “All of you together are Christ’s body, and each of you is a part of it.”

13:4-7 – “Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.”

13:11-12 – “When I was a child, I spoke and thought and reasoned as a child. But when I grew up, I put away childish things. Now we see things imperfectly as in a cloudy mirror, but then we will see everything with perfect clarity. All that I know now is partial and incomplete, but then I will know everything completely, just as God now knows me completely.”

14:1 – “Let love be your highest goal!”

14:20 – “Dear brothers and sisters, don’t be childish in your understanding of these things. Be innocent as babies when it comes to evil, but be mature in understanding matters of this kind.”

14:33 – “God is not a God of disorder but of peace, as in all the meetings of God’s holy people.”

One verse from today - "So don’t boast about following a particular human leader. For everything belongs to you— whether Paul or Apollos or Peter, or the world, or life and death, or the present and the future. Everything belongs to you, and you belong to Christ, and Christ belongs to God."

Day 80 - Acts 28:17 - Romans 14:23

2008-01-19T17:07:00.000+01:00

In today’s section we read about:

Paul under house arrest in Rome
Paul explains to the Roman Christians about the universality of the gospel
Judgment of sin, the law and justification by faith, as demonstrated by Abraham
The contrast between Adam and Jesus Christ
The power of sin is broken, yet our sinful nature rebels
Life in the Spirit now, who intercedes for us and is the guarantee that nothing can separate us from God’s love
God’s love for Israel, who turned away from Him, and the election of the gentiles
Advice for godly living, offering our lives as living sacrifices and not being confirmed to this world
Respect authority and fellow believers, and exhortation not to do anything that could cause them to stumble

Some thoughts that stuck me today:

The progression of Romans 1-14 which we read today seems to me to be something like this:

Paul wants to preach the good news of Jesus, which is →
He is the way to be made right with God because →
Man has turned away from God and in so doing →
Faces eternal judgment, as made clear by →
The Law, which is holy and good, because it reveals to us what we should be doing but can’t. Consequently →
We deserve death, because we cannot * DO* anything to save ourselves. Fortunately →
God has made it so that we are saved by *FAITH*, and through *FAITH* we can enter into the righteousness of God through Christ’s sacrifice, because →
In the same way that sin (and the punishment for sin) came through one man, Adam, God’s gift of eternal life is made available to us through one man, Jesus Christ, whom God sent to achieve this. Because of what Jesus did, →
The power of sin in broken. Instead of being dead to God and therefore dead indeed, we are now dead to sin and alive to God in the Spirit because of Christ’s sacrifice. However, →
In this life, our sinful nature wars against the Spirit, and our human nature (the flesh) causes us to do not what the Spirit has caused us to want to do, but to sin instead. However, because of the Spirit in us →
There is now no condemnation for us, because Jesus has fully met the requirements of God. He has put his Spirit in us, who helps us in ways we cannot know and with groans we cannot express and ensures that nothing whatsoever can separate us from the love of God. →
God’s love was first revealed to the Jews, but they have turned away in unbelief, and God has grafted in the gentiles as branches, since →
His mercy is intended for everyone. So →
Let us live our lives in the light of this, as a living sacrifice, not conforming to this world, but loving each other, having no grudges. Instead →
We are to respect authority, as God has created a world of order and authority. The only thing we owe should be →
Our ongoing obligation to love one another, which means we should take care not to cause our brothers and sisters to stumble, but should bear with each other and take account of each others’ weakness, being convinced in our own minds that what we do is in accordance with God’s will and should bring him glory

Verses which leapt out at me as I went through included:

1:11 – “I long to visit you so I can bring you some spiritual gift that will help you grow strong in the Lord.

1:16 – “I am not ashamed of this Good News about Christ. It is the power of God at work, saving everyone who believes”

1:17 – “As the Scriptures say, “It is through faith that a righteous person has life.””

1:20 – “ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly see his invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse for not knowing God.”

2:7 – “He will give eternal life to those who keep on doing good, seeking after the glory and honour and immortality that God offers.”

2:29 – “And a person with a changed heart seeks praise from God, not from people.”

3:21-22 – “But now God has shown us a way to be made right with him without keeping the requirements of the law, as was promised in the writings of Moses and the prophets long ago. We are made right with God by placing our faith in Jesus Christ. And this is true for everyone who believes, no matter who we are.”

3:24-25 – “God, with undeserved kindness, declares that we are righteous. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins. For God presented Jesus as the sacrifice for sin. People are made right with God when they believe that Jesus sacrificed his life, shedding his blood.”

3:26 – “God did this to demonstrate his righteousness, for he himself is fair and just, and he declares sinners to be right in his sight when they believe in Jesus.”

3:30 – “There is only one God, and he makes people right with himself only by faith, whether they are Jews or Gentiles.”

4:13 – “Clearly, God’s promise to give the whole earth to Abraham and his descendants was based not on his obedience to God’s law, but on a right relationship with God that comes by faith.”

4:16 – “the promise is received by faith. It is given as a free gift. And we are all certain to receive it”

5:1-2 – “since we have been made right in God’s sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us. Because of our faith, Christ has brought us into this place of undeserved privilege where we now stand, and we confidently and joyfully look forward to sharing God’s glory.”

5:6 – “When we were utterly helpless, Christ came at just the right time and died for us sinners.”

5:8 – “God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.”

5:10-11 – “For since our friendship with God was restored by the death of his Son while we were still his enemies, we will certainly be saved through the life of his Son. So now we can rejoice in our wonderful new relationship with God because our Lord Jesus Christ has made us friends of God.”

5:16 – “For Adam’s sin led to condemnation, but God’s free gift leads to our being made right with God, even though we are guilty of many sins.”

5:18-19 – “Adam’s one sin brings condemnation for everyone, but Christ’s one act of righteousness brings a right relationship with God and new life for everyone. Because one person disobeyed God, many became sinners. But because one other person obeyed God, many will be made righteous.”

6:7-8 – “when we died with Christ we were set free from the power of sin. And since we died with Christ, we know we will also live with him.”

6:16 – “You can be a slave to sin, which leads to death, or you can choose to obey God, which leads to righteous living.”

7:22-23 – “I love God’s law with all my heart. But there is another power within me that is at war with my mind. This power makes me a slave to the sin that is still within me.”

8:1 – “So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus.”

8:6 – “letting your sinful nature control your mind leads to death. But letting the Spirit control your mind leads to life and peace.”

8:15 – “you have not received a spirit that makes you fearful slaves. Instead, you received God’s Spirit when he adopted you as his own children. Now we call him, “Abba, Father.””

8:26 – “the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness”

8:32 – “Since he did not spare even his own Son but gave him up for us all, won’t he also give us everything else?”

8:39 – “No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

9:18, 22 – “God chooses to show mercy to some, and he chooses to harden the hearts of others so they refuse to listen… In the same way, even though God has the right to show his anger and his power, he is very patient with those on whom his anger falls, who are destined for destruction.”

10:4 – “Christ has already accomplished the purpose for which the law was given. As a result, all who believe in him are made right with God.”

10:9-11 – “If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by confessing with your mouth that you are saved. As the Scriptures tell us, “Anyone who trusts in him will never be disgraced.”

11:5 – “It is the same today, for a few of the people of Israel have remained faithful because of God’s grace—his undeserved kindness in choosing them.”

11:29 – “God’s gifts and his call can never be withdrawn.”

12:2 – “Don’t copy the behaviour and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.”

12:9 – “Don’t just pretend to love others. Really love them.”

12:10 – “Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honouring each other.”

13:8 – “Owe nothing to anyone—except for your obligation to love one another. If you love your neighbour, you will fulfil the requirements of God’s law.”

13:14 – “clothe yourself with the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ. And don’t let yourself think about ways to indulge your evil desires.”

14:17-19 – “For the Kingdom of God is not a matter of what we eat or drink, but of living a life of goodness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. If you serve Christ with this attitude, you will please God, and others will approve of you, too. So then, let us aim for harmony in the church and try to build each other up.”

14:20 – “Don’t tear apart the work of God over what you eat.”

One (other) verse from today's section - "And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him." (Rom 12:1)

Day 79 - Acts 16:38 - 28:16

2008-01-18T16:49:00.000+01:00

In today’s section, we read about:

Paul travels from Thessalonica via Berea to Athens, where he speaks in the home of philosophers and philosophies
Paul travels to Corinth where he meets Priscilla and Aquilla before returning to Jerusalem
Paul’s third missionary journey, including a lengthy stay in Ephesus
Paul returns to Jerusalem, where he encounters opposition and is arrested
After a lengthy detention at the pleasure of the Roman governors, Paul is shipped off (and shipwrecked) to Rome

Some thoughts that occurred to me:

I’d like someone to make the accusation against me that was made against Paul in 17:7, “they profess allegiance to another king, named Jesus.” It reminds me of the old question I often used to hear, ‘if you were charged with being a Christian, would there be enough evidence to secure a conviction?’

It is interesting the way Luke records the response of those who heard Paul. In Berea, the people were more responsive – 17:11-12, “the people of Berea were more open-minded than those in Thessalonica, and they listened eagerly to Paul’s message. They searched the Scriptures day after day to see if Paul and Silas were teaching the truth. As a result, many Jews believed, as did many of the prominent Greek women and men.”

It is interesting to read how Paul adapts his message to the cynicism of the Athenians, without compromising the integrity of the message. He starts with common ground – the statue to the unknown God – and then tries to make him known. 17:30-31 is particularly sobering, “God overlooked people’s ignorance about these things in earlier times, but now he commands everyone everywhere to repent of their sins and turn to him. For he has set a day for judging the world with justice by the man he has appointed, and he proved to everyone who this is by raising him from the dead.” The response was less fulsome than elsewhere, but we are not accountable for the response, just warning people. Some people laughed in contempt (v33), which Paul refers to 1 Cor 1:22, “it is foolish to the Greeks, who seek human wisdom.”

Paul knows that he is not responsible for the response, as he absolves himself of the Jews’ blood (18:6; 20:26 – cf Ez 3:19)

18:18 Paul is shaving his head at the fulfilment of a vow – cf Nazirites in Nu 6:18

19:17-18 – “A solemn fear descended on the city, and the name of the Lord Jesus was greatly honoured. Many who became believers confessed their sinful practices.”

19:26 – “this man Paul has persuaded many people that handmade gods aren’t really gods at all.” This sounds obvious to us, yet so many of us have our own gods made in our own image that we prize above the one true living God.

20:21 – no favouritism, “I have had one message for Jews and Greeks alike—the necessity of repenting from sin and turning to God, and of having faith in our Lord Jesus.”

20:24 – “my life is worth nothing to me unless I use it for finishing the work assigned me by the Lord Jesus—the work of telling others the Good News about the wonderful grace of God.” cf Phil 3:7-11, “I once thought these things were valuable, but now I consider them worthless because of what Christ has done. Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ and become one with him. I no longer count on my own righteousness through obeying the law; rather, I become righteous through faith in Christ. For God’s way of making us right with himself depends on faith. I want to know Christ and experience the mighty power that raised him from the dead. I want to suffer with him, sharing in his death, so that one way or another I will experience the resurrection from the dead!”

21:8 is a proof of Matt 25:21, where those who show themselves to be faithful in small things will be given the opportunity to have responsibility for much larger things.

26:20 – “all must repent of their sins and turn to God—and prove they have changed by the good things they do.”

One verse from today - "And now I entrust you to God and the message of his grace that is able to build you up and give you an inheritance with all those he has set apart for himself" (Acts 20:32)

Day 78 - Acts 6:8 - 16:37

2008-01-17T15:41:00.000+01:00

In today's section, we read about:

Stephen is arrested, appears before the Council and is stoned to death with Saul looking on approvingly
Saul's conversion and escape from Damascus back to Jerusalem
Peter's vision meaning the gospel is now for the Gentiles as well
James is killed and Peter imprisoned, where he is miraculously released
Barnabas and Saul are sent out by the church of Antioch
Paul's first missionary journey to Cyprus and Asia Minor
The council of believers at Jerusalem decides on the obligations for gentiles
Paul and Silas sent out on the second missionary journey
They are arrested in Philippi, when there is an earthquake while they are jailed

Some thoughts that occurred to me:

First, 6:15 - "everyone in the high council stared at Stephen, because his face became as bright as an angel’s." Secondly, Stephen's defence starts by teaching his grandmother to suck eggs, by setting out the history of God's plan for Israel, which may well have added to the hostility of the listeners. He then moves on to show how his accusers were following the example of disobedience of those who killed the prophets. No wonder they went mad. Yet in the midst, Stephen experiences the truth of Jesus' promise that the Holy Spirit will help him to answer (Matt 10:19-20) and He will give a peace the world cannot comprehend (Jn 14:27). We read 7:55, "Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, gazed steadily into heaven and saw the glory of God, and he saw Jesus standing in the place of honour at God’s right hand" and to the end is focused on Christ, "As they stoned him, Stephen prayed, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” He fell to his knees, shouting, “Lord, don’t charge them with this sin!” And with that, he died" (7:59-60).

There is a thread of humility of the believers, pointing towards Christ and ensuring that He gets the glory, notably in 14:14-15, which contrasts with the self-aggrandisement of the worldly, eg Simon the sorcerer (8:9,21-23) and Herod Agrippa (12:23).

I'm sure there is a simple explanation for 8:16, "the Holy Spirit had not yet come upon any of them, for they had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus," but my brain today is too sluggish to work out what it is.

In 8:23-40, we see such a good example is Philip - he is open and responsive to the Holy Spirit, he is obedient, enthusiastic and his speech is informed by God. Equally, Ananias in 9:10-19 is obedient in spite of what would have seemed his better judgment. However, he trusts that God knows exactly what is best. Barnabas in 9:27 intercedes with the apostles on Saul's behalf. These are great encouragement and examples of humble people being obedient and great glory to God resulting.

The lesson from Peter's vision in ch 10 is clearly a hard one for him to accept. However, in the end, he is obedient and dogged in seeing through what has been revealed to him. "I see very clearly that God shows no favouritism. In every nation he accepts those who fear him and do what is right. This is the message of Good News for the people of Israel—that there is peace with God through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all" (10:34-36). Then he convinces the others, "When the others heard this, they stopped objecting and began praising God. They said, “We can see that God has also given the Gentiles the privilege of repenting of their sins and receiving eternal life”" (11:18).

Poor old Rhoda seems to have had a blonde moment in 12:13. What would have been going through Peter's mind when he's left hammering on the door in the street? It was fine in the end though.

The picture we get of the church in Antioch is very good. First, we read that this is the place where the believers were first given a name that reflected who it was they believed in, Christians (11:25). Then we see how much they prayed, and how they were willing to send out and let go key people in their congregation.

I like the way in which Paul's preaching in Antioch of Pisidia has such an impact that we read in 13:44, "The following week almost the entire city turned out to hear them preach the word of the Lord." It is an attractive message - 13:38-39, "We are here to proclaim that through this man Jesus there is forgiveness for your sins. Everyone who believes in him is declared right with God—something the law of Moses could never do."

God is the mover of everything - 13:48, "all who were chosen for eternal life became believers." God chose us, we did not choose Him. The passage from Amos 9 quoted ion 15:17 also underlines this point, " the rest of humanity might seek the Lord, / including the Gentiles— / all those I have called to be mine

14:16-17, "In the past he permitted all the nations to go their own ways, but he never left them without evidence of himself and his goodness. For instance, he sends you rain and good crops and gives you food and joyful hearts." cf Rom 1:19-20, "They know the truth about God because he has made it obvious to them. For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly see his invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse for not knowing God."

Luke's description of the stoning is so understated. The mob left him, believing he was dead, but 14:20 just says that Paul "got back up and went back into the town." Paul does refer to this in a whole list of what he went through in 2 Cor 11:25.

The discussion in the Council at Jerusalem in ch 15 moves a long way in the direction of grace as opposed to the law - v10-11," So why are you now challenging God by burdening the Gentile believers with a yoke that neither we nor our ancestors were able to bear? We believe that we are all saved the same way, by the undeserved grace of the Lord Jesus.” Yet there is a list of recommendations, each of which is good in itself (although I do like my steak saignant), but you can see why this might leave a foothold for legalism.

15:39 is quite sad, with the disagreement being so bad that Paul and Barnabas are no longer able to work together. Barnabas seems to have a more forgiving grace-full attitude than Paul. However this disagreement did not stop God's work progressing through Paul (although we don't know what Barnabas did).

Paul does not let apparent setbacks deflect him from what he has set out to do, so when the door was shut in Asia and Bithynia, he is open to the call to go to Macedonia.

God shows his sovereignty by the earthquake which sets them free. There is also a spiritual earthquake in the life of the jailer, who was ready to kill himself, but instead finds the gates of eternal life unlocked to welcome him in.

One verse from today - "We believe that we are all saved the same way, by the undeserved grace of the Lord Jesus” (Acts 15.11)

Day 77 - John 15:18 - Acts 6:7

2008-01-16T14:53:00.000+01:00

In today's section, we read about:

The Holy Spirit is promised after Jesus goes away
Jesus' prayer for his disciples
Jesus is arrested, tried, sentenced to death and crucified
Jesus rises from the dead, appears to his disciples
The epilogue to John's gospel with the encounter on the lake shore
Jesus ascends into heaven, and the disciples choose Matthias to replace Judas
The Holy Spirit comes at Pentecost
A lame man is healed, Peter and John are questioned by the religious authorities and instructed not to preach about Jesus
Ananias and Sapphira are struck dead
The apostles agree to appoint men to oversee food distribution so they can concentrate on teaching and prayer

Some thoughts that occurred to me:

These chapters covering the final hours before Jesus' arrest really demonstrated to me the truth of Is 55:8 "my thoughts are nothing like your thoughts". Jesus devotes these last few minutes to comforting and reassuring his disciples and the degree of intimacy between him and the Father are a golden thread running through it. The situation would appear to indicate a world thwarting God's will, yet it is clear that at every stage, Jesus is consciously deciding what will happen in order to bring about the Father's purposes.

Jesus promises the Holy Spirit, with a three-fold purpose: (i) to convict the world of its sin (not believing in Jesus); (ii) to convict the world of God's righteousness (which is accessible to us because of Jesus' sacrifice on the cross); and (iii) the convict the world of the coming judgment. In the same way that Jesus' entire purpose is to bring glory to the Father, so the Holy Spirit will bring glory to Jesus.

The scales finally fall from the eyes of the disciples in 16:29 - they have seen clearly that Jesus is the Son of God. This clarity of vision is reflected in the promises about prayer in 16:23-24, "At that time you won’t need to ask me for anything. I tell you the truth, you will ask the Father directly, and he will grant your request because you use my name. You haven’t done this before. Ask, using my name, and you will receive, and you will have abundant joy."

The prayer in ch 17 summarises the discourse of the preceding chapters, drawing on the close, intimate and dependent relationship he has with the Father. The theme of unity is repeatedly stressed (viz Chris' recent sermon on 1 Cor 3), as is the fact that Jesus has granted his followers citizenship in God's kingdom.

John’s account is different in some aspects from the other gospels. For instance, John does not record the disciples falling asleep, it tells that Peter was admitted to the courtyard only after the intervention of another disciple who was known there, that Jesus himself carried his cross (19:17), and gives a different time for the beginning of the crucifixion (19:14, cf Matt 27:45).

I find it ironic the lengths the religious leaders went to in order to remain ceremonially pure (18:28), while perfectly happy to arrange the death of the blameless Son of God.

John stresses until the end that Jesus is in total control right until the end. Most tellingly, we read in 19:28, “Jesus knew that his mission was now finished, and to fulfil Scripture he said…” and in 19:30, “then he bowed his head and released his spirit.”

I like the way ch 20 finishes, “the disciples saw Jesus do many other miraculous signs in addition to the ones recorded in this book. But these are written so that you may continue to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing in him you will have life by the power of his name” (20:30-31). This is complemented by the last verse of the gospel – “Jesus also did many other things. If they were all written down, I suppose the whole world could not contain the books that would be written” (21:25).

The NLT gives Jn 21 the title ‘Epilogue’, and I am sure there must be various theories why this chapter has been added after what seems to be a natural conclusion to the gospel. The chapter revolves about this one encounter between the risen Lord Jesus and some of his disciples back on the shore of lake Galilee, where they have returned to their former trade. Jesus again performs a miracle (the catch of 153 fish which doesn’t burst the net) and then gives Peter the opportunity to make a three-fold confirmation of his devotion too Jesus to make amends for the triple denial the night before the crucifixion. Restoration is complete, before the sending out to do God’s will. I also like v24, “this disciple is the one who testifies to these events and has recorded them here. And we know that his account of these things is accurate” – cf Lk 1:1-3, Jn 19:35.

There appears to be a discrepancy between Mt 27:7 and Acts 1:18 as to who bought the field. The important thing is the fulfilment of the prophecy in Zech 11:13.

Would we recommend that we follow the procedure the apostles took in Acts 1:24-26. Yes to the first part – prayer. I’m less convinced about the second, casting lots!

God has prepared everything perfectly for the coming of the Holy Spirit. He has brought people from all over the known world to Jerusalem to hear the truth of Jesus proclaimed, so that the message can go out into the whole world. And while the risen Jesus was seen by more that 500 of his followers (1Cor 15:6), but the end of this day – the Festival of the Gathering in the First Fruits – 3000 were added to the number who believed (Acts 2:41).
Peter is able to claim the fulfilment of specific prophecy (Joel 2:28-32) in Acts 2:18-21. He is clearly speaking in the power of the Holy Spirit, yet it is worth remembering that not only did he spend three years as a disciple of Jesus, but his brother was also a follower of John the Baptist before (Jn 1:41) and he must have had an interest in prophecy because they were clearly expecting the Messiah. The point is that God can use Scripture in us if we are in the habit of learning it. We are storing up these pearls of treasure as we do so.

I like the way that Peter can compare David’s tomb in 2:29 with the empty tomb that couldn’t contain Jesus.

The unity that Jesus prayed for in 17:21 is wonderfully fulfilled in Acts 2:43-47.

“You killed the author of life, but God raised him from the dead. And we are witnesses to the fact!” (3:15).

When Peter speaks of the faith that heals in 3:16, it is worth remembering that the essence of faith has changed from the Old Testament faith, which meant waiting for the future fulfilment of God’s promise to the acceptance that all these promises have met their wonderful and complete fulfilment in Jesus – “For all God’s promises have been fulfilled in Christ with a resounding “Yes!” And through Christ, our “Amen” (which means “Yes”) ascends to God for his glory” (2 Cor 1:20).

The religious leaders are still as desperate and ridiculous as they were in Jn 9. It seems bizarre that the Council could think that it was acceptable to flog these people who have been let go free without charge. Yet the disciples’ response to that they “left the high council rejoicing that God had counted them worthy to suffer disgrace for the name of Jesus” (5:41).

It is a salutary reminder that while the community and fellowship among the very young church was in many ways exemplary, there were still problems – deceit (Ananias and Sapphira – 5:1-11, factional grumbling - 6:1). However, the Spirit is able to lead them in wisdom into the right path to take, with the result that “God’s message continued to spread. The number of believers greatly increased in Jerusalem, and many of the Jewish priests were converted, too.”

One verse from today - "There is salvation in no one else! God has given no other name under heaven by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12)

Day 76 - John 6:1 - 15:17

2008-01-15T15:20:00.000+01:00

In today's section, we read about:

Jesus feed the 5000 and walks on water
Jesus claims to be the Bread of Life; the Light of the World; the gate for the sheep; the Good Shepherd; the resurrection and the life; the Way, the Truth and the Light; and the true grapevine
Jesus teaches that he is the Son of God and rebukes the people for not acknowledging this
Jesus refuses to condemn the woman caught in adultery and heals a man born blind
Jesus raises Lazarus from the dead
The last supper where Jesus washes his disciples' feet, promises the Holy Spirit and warns his disciples to remain in him

Some thoughts that occurred to me:

Although the feeding of the 5000 appears in all the gospels, it is only John who tells us about the young boy whose lunch was taken. What would he have felt when this all unfolded? Did he offer the food voluntarily? If so, what an inspiration of how God can take the little we have (although it probably seems a lot more to us!) and use it way beyond everything we could possibly imagine. Even after everyone has eaten their fill, there are 12 baskets left over!

In 6:20, we see what Jesus says when the situation threatens to overwhelm the disciple - "don't be afraid. I am here." These men were serious sailors, and yet Jesus being with them was all they needed!

Works vs faith - 6:29 shows that much is semantics that confuses us needlessly, “This is the only work God wants from you: Believe in the one he has sent.” cf Eph 2:8-9.

The people miss the point completely in 6:30-31. The miracle comes not from Moses, but from God. They want manna (which means 'what is it?'), but Jesus offers us not a 'what', but a 'who' - himself.

As well as the fact that what is required is to be believe (not to try to earn by what we do), we are reminded that everything comes from God, He is the first mover - 6:44, "For no one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws them to me, and at the last day I will raise them up." 6:63 as well, "The Spirit alone gives eternal life. Human effort accomplishes nothing. And the very words I have spoken to you are spirit and life." 6:65, "That is why I said that people can’t come to me unless the Father gives them to me.”

7:24 - "Look beneath the surface so you can judge correctly” - cf 1 Sam 16:7, "The Lord doesn’t see things the way you see them. People judge by outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”

I like the response of the guards who had been sent to arrest Jesus on why they hadn't done so - 7:46, "We have never heard anyone speak like this!” The whole scenario in chapter 9 is farcical. The Pharisees are so blinded by their desire to be proved right in their denial of who Jesus is that they make themselves look completely and utterly ridiculous, bringing in the man's parents even though he was a full grown adult. Even the man who was healed can see how ludicrous the whole episode is, but comes out with a great line in 9:25, “I don’t know whether he is a sinner. “But I know this: I was blind, and now I can see!”

I wonder why none of the other gospels tell the story of Lazarus. This was clearly a huge event which made an enormous impact on people around (12:9-11, where the priests even wanted to kill poor Lazarus!)

I may be totally off the wall here, but it seems that John really has it in for Judas, and is indulging in a bit of post hoc rationalisation. I can accept some of them, but he seems to go over the top in 12:6. I don't think it's important, just an observation.

The whole theme of sacrifice is one that isn't one that is often emphasised a lot. But I was struck by the way in which 12:24 sums up both Jesus' mission and the way in which he makes absolutely no bones about what is necessary for him to do to achieve what the Father has in mind for him - " I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat is planted in the soil and dies, it remains alone. But its death will produce many new kernels—a plentiful harvest of new lives. Those who love their life in this world will lose it. Those who care nothing for their life in this world will keep it for eternity. Anyone who wants to be my disciple must follow me, because my servants must be where I am. And the Father will honour anyone who serves me."

One verse from today - " I am the resurrection and the life. Anyone who believes in me will live, even after dying. Everyone who lives in me and believes in me will never ever die" (Jn 11:25-26).

Day 75 - Luke 20:20 - John 5:47

2008-01-14T15:23:00.001+01:00

In today's section, we read about:

Jesus discusses death, taxes and the end of the earth
Jesus has his last supper with the disciples, is betrayed, arrested, put on trial, sentenced and handed over to be crucified
Jesus rises from the dead, appears to the woman, two disciples on the road to Emmaus and then the disciples in Jerusalem
John's Gospel opens with the description of Jesus as the Word
John the Baptist points to the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world
The wedding at Cana
Jesus clears the temple and talks with Nicodemus
Jesus talks to the Samaritan woman at the well in Sychar
Jesus equates himself with God

Some thoughts which occurred to me today:

When we have read Jesus teaching about events in times to come, it has not always been clear when he is referring to. However, in Lk 21:8ff, he is speaking in response to a specific question about when the Temple will be destroyed, so is it unreasonable to read this passage against that background. More generally, Jesus warns repeatedly to be ready for his return at any time, rather than sit back waiting for certain signs. He himself doesn't know the time, as that is known only by the Father

I like the NLT version of 22:16, "for I tell you now that I won’t eat this meal again until its meaning is fulfilled in the Kingdom of God.” The Passover recalls God's deliverance from slavery into freedom, and the people being saved by the blood of a sacrificed lamb.

Jesus gives the image of heaven being a lot of celebrations - (eg the parable of the great feast in Lk 14:16-24). Here at the last supper in 22:28-30, he says "You have stayed with me in my time of trial. And just as my Father has granted me a Kingdom, I now grant you the right to eat and drink at my table in my Kingdom."

Jesus is completely realistic about our failings. When he speaks to Peter in 22:32 he knows that Peter will let him down, and says "when you repent", not if.

Herod Antipas had been looking for the opportunity to see Jesus, because he thought he some sort of entertainer or conjurer. So when he finally gets the chance and Jesus refuses to answer, his interest turns to mockery (23:11).

Is 23:43 an example of cheap and easy forgiveness (which causes us to react like the elder brother in the parable of the prodigal son), or is it an example of the amazing grace and humility and love of the God who forgives us. Shouldn't our lives reflect the latter rather than the former reality?

Luke goes even further than Mark in describing the response of the Roman centurion. Here he says that "he worshipped God and said, "surely this man was innocent"" (23:47).

I so wish I could listen to the conservation that Jesus has with the two disciples on the road to Emmaus as he "took them through the writings of Moses and all the prophets, explaining from all the Scriptures the things concerning himself" (24:27). 24:32, "didn't our hearts burn within us as he talked with us on the road and explained the Scriptures to us?"

I love the way this gospel ends - "then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures... this message would be proclaimed in the authority of his name to all the nations... ‘There is forgiveness of sins for all who repent’" (24: 45-47). The response of the disciples is - "they worshiped him and then returned to Jerusalem filled with great joy. And they spent all of their time in the Temple, praising God" (24:52-53).

I can understand how theological students can spend a whole term on the first 14 verses of John's gospel. There is so much in there, so many mind-blowingly huge concepts. The one that really hit me between the eyes, "the Word gave life to everything that was created, and his life brought light to everyone" (Jn 1:4). Also Jn 1:12, "to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God."

It is the timelessness of Jesus that is one of the hallmarks of his divinity - "A man is coming after me who is far greater than I am, for he existed long before me", (1:30).

It is interesting that we read that Andrew and Peter were previously before John the Baptist's disciples, and there was obviously a certain level of expectation that the messiah was going to appear soon.

I'd not noticed the reference in 1:51 to Jacob's vision of a stairway (Gen 28:12). Jesus is the means by which we will be able to go up to the Father in heaven. We can never get there on our own, but through Jesus all things are possible.

Another bit that had passed me by previously was 2:24-25, "Jesus didn’t trust them, because he knew human nature. No one needed to tell him what mankind is really like."

The two long discussions, with Nicodemus and the Samaritan woman, show Jesus confronting and challenging these people, without compromising his views or awareness of what he has to do. Here we see him equally in control whether with an important figure in the establishment or a despised outcast. In both cases, he challenges their assumptions, offers a promise of something that is too good to be true or can only be attained in an impossible way.

Jesus' discourse in 5:16-47 sets out starkly his claims to be equal with God. But he does it in a way not to glorify himself, but to show how far away the people's understanding currently is, and how it is possible to bring about a complete change of mindset, focusing on how Jesus is totally dependent on God the Father, but because of this has total authority - 5:39-40, " You search the Scriptures because you think they give you eternal life. But the Scriptures point to me! Yet you refuse to come to me to receive this life."

One verse from today - "I tell you the truth, those who listen to my message and believe in God who sent me have eternal life. They will never be condemned for their sins, but they have already passed from death into life" (Jn 5:24).

Day 74 - Luke 10:1 - 20:19

2008-01-13T16:23:00.000+01:00

In today’s section, we read about:

The 72 are sent out
The parable of the good Samaritan
Jesus teaches about prayer, money, the need to be ready for his return and the cost of being his disciple
Jesus encounters and provokes criticism from the religious authorities
Parables of the lost sheep, coin and son, of the shrewd manager, and of the rich man and Lazarus
Jesus sets out for Jerusalem, meets Zaccheus and heals a blind beggar
Jesus’ triumphant entry into Jerusalem, clears the temple and tells the parable of the evil tenants against the religious leader

Some thoughts that occurred to me:

When the 72 report back in 10:17, it reminds me how easy it is to focus on the wonderful things that God gives to us, and to lose our primary focus on the gift giver himself – 10:20, “But don’t rejoice because evil spirits obey you; rejoice because your names are registered in heaven.” 10:42 also helps to see things right, “there is only one thing worth being concerned about. Mary has discovered it, and it will not be taken away from her.”

I have been struck afresh by the harshness of the Gospel, and the challenge to my assumptions of what I know and how well I am doing. 10:21-22 is salutary in this regard, “O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, thank you for hiding these things from those who think themselves wise and clever, and for revealing them to the childlike. Yes, Father, it pleased you to do it this way. My Father has entrusted everything to me. No one truly knows the Son except the Father, and no one truly knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.” It is only because Jesus has revealed the truth to us, that we can start beginning to see things as they really are. Truly, we once were blind, but now we see.

The NLT translation of 11:9-10 (and also Matt 7:7-8) makes it so much clearer that we should keep on praying (and Lk 18:1-18) – “And so I tell you, keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened.”

Jesus pulls no punches – “Anyone who isn’t with me opposes me, and anyone who isn’t working with me is actually working against me” (11:23), “someone greater than Solomon is here—but you refuse to listen” (11:31) and “someone greater than Jonah is here—but you refuse to repent” (11:32). Jesus takes away any excuse to think of things in relative terms or to compare ourselves with others. We know, we have been told, everything is available to us, so we have no excuse. 12:48, “when someone has been given much, much will be required in return; and when someone has been entrusted with much, even more will be required.”

What a healthy antidote to our society in 12:15, “Guard against every kind of greed. Life is not measured by how much you own.” Instead remember 12:24, “you are far more valuable to him than any birds!” and 12:28, “if God cares so wonderfully for flowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, he will certainly care for you.” 12:31, “Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and he will give you everything you need.” 12:33-34, “This will store up treasure for you in heaven! And the purses of heaven never get old or develop holes. Your treasure will be safe; no thief can steal it and no moth can destroy it. Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be.”

Jesus is clear what he must go through, and Luke draws our attention to this more than once – 9:51, “Jesus resolutely set out for Jerusalem”, 13:22, “Jesus went through the towns and villages, teaching as he went, always pressing on toward Jerusalem.” In this context, I was struck by his reply when told that Herod Antipas was trying to kill him, “Go tell that fox that I will keep on casting out demons and healing people today and tomorrow; and the third day I will accomplish my purpose. Yes, today, tomorrow, and the next day I must proceed on my way. For it wouldn’t do for a prophet of God to be killed except in Jerusalem!” (13:32).

Jesus doesn’t soft soap anyone about the cost of being a disciple – 14:26-27, “If you want to be my disciple, you must hate everyone else by comparison—your father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, even your own life. Otherwise, you cannot be my disciple. And if you do not carry your own cross and follow me, you cannot be my disciple.” Also 14:33, “So you cannot become my disciple without giving up everything you own.” I thought long and hard about this. It is not necessarily that we must immediately sell everything and give away the proceeds. Rather, it is a case that we acknowledge that what we have, has been entrusted to us by God, to meet our needs, but more than that to enable us to meet the needs of others whenever and wherever the need arises. It is an attitude of heart that we need, not to cling tightly to everything we have, but to be able to relinquish it for the glory of God and the service of the kingdom.

Interesting contrast between 15:19 where the prodigal son rehearses in his mind asking his father to take him back as a slave, and the response of the older brother in 15:29, “all these years I’ve slaved for you.” This is such a challenging parable, because I am so much the older brother.

I am unclear how should we interpret correctly the parable of the shrewd manager in Lk 16:1-9. The passage from 16:10 on is straightforward.

Only Jesus really knew what he was talking about in 16:31, “If they won’t listen to Moses and the prophets, they won’t listen even if someone rises from the dead.”

It seems strange to us that 18:34 could be true, that the disciples did not understand what Jesus was saying to them. But we can’t be too dismissive, as there is so much that we are too dense, obtuse or stupid to understand either.

I love the story of Zaccheus, the little man with the big greed, and the even deeper longing for friendship and respect. And what do we read in 19:5? “When Jesus came by, he looked up at Zacchaeus and called him by name.” He then calls him “a true son of Abraham”, which must have been anathema to the religious leaders and ‘respectable’ people. But this is how Jesus sees him.

One verse from today - "when someone has been given much, much will be required in return; and when someone has been entrusted with much, even more will be required” (Lk 12:48)

Day 73 - Luke 2:1 - 9:62

2008-01-12T20:53:00.000+01:00

In today’s section, we read about:

The birth of Jesus, his presentation at the Temple and his visits at Passover
The genealogy of Jesus
Jesus is baptised by John the Baptist, tempted by Satan and rejected in Nazareth, his home town
Jesus calls his disciples, heals many, casts out demons and forgives sins
Jesus teaches about the Sabbath and the nature of the kingdom of heaven
The faith of a Roman officer, a sinful woman and growing opposition by the religious authorities
Peter confesses Jesus is the Messiah, Jesus explains he must die and then is transfigured

Some thoughts that struck me today:

I recently heard that in the first century in Israel, shepherds were not able to testify in court, as they were so marginalised. If this is true (and I have not been able to corroborate it, it merely underlines that God’s view of people’s importance and status is very different from that of the world. The first shall be last and the last shall be first (Matt 1930; 20:16).

I think the passages with Simeon and Anna are wonderful – they are a reminder of the countless multitudes who remain faithful throughout their lives, getting stronger in their faith, and yet who persevere without seeing the fruit of what they do. In these cases, they *DO* see what they have been waiting for, but even had they not, you can be sure, they would have remained faithful until the end.

The genealogy in Luke 3 is *SO* different to that in Matt 1. The most convincing explanation I have found is that it is dealing with Jesus’ human lineage on Mary’s side, whereas that in Matt deals with the descent through Joseph. You can read more here.

Although we hear it said that the Devil can quote scripture to suit his own ends, and we see that in 4:10, it is clear that scripture gives us discernment, and helps us finding the correct path to take. Scripture is also the means by which we are meant to test what is said to us, including putting other passages of scripture in the correct context – a text out of context is a pretext. Jesus gives us a clear example to follow when he is tempted.

The contrast in the people’s reaction between 4:22 and 4:28 is so marked. Reading 4:23 it seems Jesus was deliberately provocative. I was trying to understand this better. One avenue I went down was that people say that Jesus was a good person whose teaching will make the world a better place, but it is superficial and ignores the reality that Jesus is the Son of God, and is Lord of All or not all. When pushed to taking a position on those terms, people often are affronted between it challenges the primacy in their lives of themselves. It is an affront to their perception that they should be in control of their lives, not give them in submission to Jesus. As it says in 9:24, “If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it.”

Following on from that, it is not a picture of Jesus, meek and mild that we see. Instead, there is no compromise and there are some fierce confrontations (4:28-29; 5:17-24, 30-31 and so on).

Another thing about this section was that I was left in absolutely no doubt that I have the choice in all situations on how to behave and think. Not only this, but what we decide to do determines what will happen to us, not just now but eternally.

One verse from today - "“If any of you wants to be my follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross daily, and follow me. If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it." (Lk 9:23-24)

Day 72 - Mark 9:14 - Luke 1:80

2008-01-11T17:45:00.000+01:00

In today's section, we read about:

The nature of the kingdom, servanthood, being like a child
Jesus goes up to Jerusalem
Jesus at the Temple, driving out the money lenders and in confrontation with the religious leaders
Jesus talks about the end times
The last supper, prayer at Gethsemane, arrest and trial of Jesus
The crucifixion and the resurrection
Luke starts with the promise and birth of John the Baptist and the promise of Jesus to Mary

Some thoughts that struck me:

I was struck by the amount of times that Jesus' first response is to answer with a question, rather than a statement of his own.

I can really empathise with the father in 9:24 who says, "I do believe, but help me overcome my unbelief!”

When Jesus says in 9:35, "Whoever wants to be first must take last place and be the servant of everyone else,” it immediately put me in mind of Phil 2:6-8, "Though he was God, / he did not think of equality with God / as something to cling to. / Instead, he gave up his divine privileges; / he took the humble position of a slave / and was born as a human being. / When he appeared in human form, / he humbled himself in obedience to God / and died a criminal’s death on a cross."

I was trying to imagine exactly what it means that "Jesus felt genuine love for him" (10:21). It can't mean that the rest of the time Jesus didn't feel genuine love, but it adds to the poignancy of the regret Jesus feels when the man cannot follow him on the terms that are required. This encounter must have made a real impression, and it says, 'this amazed them," (10:23) and "the disciples were astounded" (10:26).

How would I respond if Jesus said to me, "what do you want me to do for you" (10:51)?

11:24-25 - unforgiveness and hardness of heart are real barriers to God answering our prayer.

In Mk 10:29-30, I like the little rider, just to ground us in reality, "I assure you that everyone who has given up house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or property, for my sake and for the Good News, will receive now in return a hundred times as many houses, brothers, sisters, mothers, children, and property—along with persecution. And in the world to come that person will have eternal life.

In all the discussions with the teachers of the law and with the disciples in Mk 12 and 13, it is clear that God is in control, and will be the one that determines the outcome according to His will, even though on occasion, appearances may suggest otherwise.

I like Jesus' prescience in 14:9, "I tell you the truth, wherever the Good News is preached throughout the world, this woman’s deed will be remembered and discussed.” How true!

You wonder what it was that enabled the Roman centurion in 15:39 to exclaim, "This man truly was the Son of God!"

I would like to know more about why there are different endings to Mark.

At first glance, there is not a huge difference in response between Zechariah in Lk 1:18 and Mary in 1:34. Yet in 1:20, Gabriel tells Zechariah "you didn’t believe what I said", whereas in 1:35, the angel explains what will happen, answering her as opposed to offering a rebuke, as was the case with Zechariah.

Reading the whole of Lk 1, I love the way the supernatural and incredible (miraculous) is interwoven with the ordinary. I particularly like the way that John the Baptist jumps in the womb with joy.

One verse from today - "The morning light from heaven is about to break upon us" (Lk 1:78)

Day 71 - Matthew 26:57 - Mark 9:13

2008-01-10T08:38:00.000+01:00

In today's section, we read about:

The trial, crucifixion and burial of Jesus
The resurrection and Jesus appears to some of his followers
In Mark, we see Jesus' ministry, preaching and healing
Miracles and parables, as we also saw in Matthew's gospel
Peter's confession of Jesus as the Messiah and the transfiguration

Some thoughts that occurred to me:

The callousness and hypocrisy of the religious establishment in 27:6-10 really stood out. They were more than happy to convene a session in the middle of the night, find any old witness who would be willing to lie and cook up evidence against Jesus, and yet they are keen to obey the proprieties of what to do with the money (27:6). Yet in this, we see the amazing nature of God's revelation in this being the fulfilment of the prophecy in Zech 11. (Incidentally, I am not sure why Matthew refers to Jeremiah rather than Zechariah, which seems much more obvious).

The NLT in 27:38 describes those who were crucified either side of Jesus as "revolutionaries". The irony is that the true revolutionary was actually Jesus, whose death marked the culmination of the fulfilment of God's plan and the end of the existing religious establishment (the significance of the tearing of the curtain in the temple (27:51), so the chief priest and religious establishment have achieved through all their scheming in achieving that which they were trying to forestall, not unlike Haman in the book of Esther.

Interestingly, the disciples did not understand or expect that Jesus would rise from the dead. However, the religious authorities knew what Jesus had said what would happen, and were taking no chances (27:63-64). It reminds me of James 2, "you believe that there is one God. Good for you! Even the demons believe this, and they tremble in terror." Faith is demonstrated by the fruit of our actions.

In 28:17, we read, "when they saw him, they worshiped him—but some of them doubted!" Seeing wasn't necessary enough for people to believe. Believing * WAS* enough to for people to see, and worship.

Mark’s style is very direct and can be very matter-of-fact, but there is a real immediacy in the prose as well.

I find what Jesus says to the disciples in Mk 4:11 intriguing – “You are permitted to understand the secret of the Kingdom of God. But I use parables for everything I say to outsiders”. How special must this have made them feel? Also 4:34, “In fact, in his public ministry he never taught without using parables; but afterward, when he was alone with his disciples, he explained everything to them.”

It is interesting how many times the people are described as being “amazed” at Jesus and his teaching – 1:22; 2:12; 5:20; 5:42 (‘totally amazed’); 6:2.

As with Matt 13:58, the humility of God being willing to limit His omnipotence because of our interaction is staggering in 6:5. Instead, it is Jesus’ turn to be amazed – “and he was amazed at their unbelief” (6:6).

Interesting that the first time Jesus calms the storm in 4:41 the disciples are described as being ‘absolutely terrified’. The second time, in 6:51, they are described as being ‘totally amazed’.

Isn’t it staggering that the change of something so significant as what food you could eat is relegated to a footnote or aside in 7:19? If this is the gospel dictated by Peter, he must have had in mind the vision in Acts 10.

When I read in 8:11 that the Pharisees demanded a sign, I wonder whether anything would have satisfied them, and I think the answer is no. We also read in Luke 16:31, “‘If they won’t listen to Moses and the prophets, they won’t listen even if someone rises from the dead.’”

Again we see the step-by-step revelation – Peter confesses, Jesus begins to explain what he must do to fulfil what we was sent to do, and then the transfiguration.

One verse from today - "The closer you listen, the more understanding you will be given - and you will receive even more." (Mk 4:24)

Day 70 - Matthew 16:1 - 26:56

2008-01-09T16:29:00.000+01:00

In today's section, we read about:

Peter's declaration that Jesus is the Son of God and the transfiguration
Jesus predicts his death
Teaching on the nature of the kingdom, forgiveness and reconciliation
Jesus comes to Jerusalem and confronts the religions teachers
Jesus speaks of the end times, the hour not being known and the judgment that will come
The last supper, the plot to kill Jesus and his arrest in Gethsemane

Some thoughts that occurred to me:

The focus in today's section was very strongly to me about who Jesus is (rather than what he does), the nature of the kingdom and the coming judgment. There is a step-by-step revelation of the fact that Jesus is the Messiah, that the Messiah must die, that this death is necessary for the Kingdom to be made open to those who would receive it, but that the ultimate fulfilment will be when Jesus comes again.

The transfiguration comes after Peter has confessed in 16:16, "You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” After belief, came seeing. And what a sight it was that he saw - "Jesus’ appearance was transformed so that his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as light. Suddenly, Moses and Elijah appeared and began talking with Jesus." This made such a mark on Peter that it was the only historical event he refers to in his letters (2 Pet 1:16-18). That was the only time Peter saw Jesus as He truly is, something that awaits us in the future.

The Pharisees and Sadducees and religious leaders thought they knew the Law inside out, yet Jesus rebukes them for not knowing the Scriptures and not knowing the power of God (22:29). Instead in the parable of the tenants in the vineyard, 21:33-41 (titled in the NLT, 'Parable of the Evil Farmers'), Jesus clearly shows that his view is that they are setting themselves up as the new owners of the Kingdom, rather than God. No wonder they were so livid.

There is a repetition of the fact that when the day of judgment comes, it will catch us by surprise. We should live our lives expecting Jesus to come back at any minute, but we are not to know the time.

The thrust of 18:15-20 is that the real strength available to us as believers comes through acting together, not in isolation. 18:19 says "if two of you agree...", v20 says "where two or three gather together as my followers, I am there with them".

Jesus gives another example of the working out of 7:2 - the standard we use, being used against us too - with the parable of the unforgiving debtor (18:23-35). I find this parable incredibly salutary when considering how to get along with other people, as the "millions of dollars" (18:24, NLT) of my faults is so much more than anything that other people could possible owe me. This also gives perspective when considering what my response should be to the parable of the vineyard workers (20:1-15).

The contrast between the self-serving disciples in 20:20-27, and Jesus is so stark and humbling - "even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

When I read 21:42-44 about the stone that the builders rejected and that "anyone who stumbles over that stone will be broken to pieces, and it will crush anyone it falls on", I though of Nebuchadnezzar's vision in Daniel 2.

Micah 6:8 tells us that what God requires of us is "to do what is right, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God". Jesus reinforces this teaching when he talks about the need to serve one another (23:10-11), to act justly (23:23) and be merciful (25:34-44).

One verse from today - "With God everything is possible" (Matt 19:26)

Day 69 - Matthew 5:1 - 15:39

2008-01-08T15:04:00.000+01:00

In today's section, we read about:

The Sermon on the Mount
Jesus' healing, including the faith of a Roman centurion and a woman from Tyre
Jesus speaks of the costs (and benefits) of being a disciple
Jesus and John the Baptist
Parables of the sower, the wheat and the weeds, the mustard seed, yeast, the hidden treasure and the pear, the fishing net
Jesus is rejected at Nazareth and encounters opposition from the Pharisees and religious leaders
The feeding of the 5000 and the 4000
Jesus (and Peter) walks on the water

Some thoughts from today:

There is so much here in the Gospels, that I'm not really sure what to cover. This is the first time that I have read it in the NLT and this has made quite of few really well-known passages come across differently from the way I'm used to. For example, the Beatitudes all start with the phrase "God will bless"; 5:41, "if a soldier demands that you carry his gear for a mile, carry it two miles".

5:14 - Jesus tells his disciples, "you are the light of the world", which is exactly what he says about Himself in Jn 8:12. It is an amazing thing that Jesus equates us with himself, and encourages "let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father." In Jn 8:12, Jesus says of himself, " I am the light of the world. If you follow me, you won’t have to walk in darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life."

5:18 reads "until heaven and earth disappear, not even the smallest detail of God’s law will disappear until its purpose is achieved," to emphasise the continuity with the Old Testament revelation. Interestingly, those ignore God's commands and teach others to do the same will still be in the kingdom, albeit called as the least.

A common theme from today was that God values relationship more than ritual - 5:23; 12:1-8

5:42 cf Prov 3:27-28

Jesus fulfils the law, but not just in the sense of literal fulfilment, but in the sense of the spirit behind it - 5:21-22; 5:27-28; 5:33-37; 5:43-45. We can also see this when Jesus heals the leper in 8:3, and tells him to follow the rules set out in Lev 14.

Another common theme is motives for what we do - is it to please God or for show and the approval/admiration of men (6:4,6,8,16-18)

6:31-33 offers such liberation - "So don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?’ These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need."

7:7-8 - "Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened."

7:2, the standard we use in judging is the standard by which we will be judged is reflected in 7:21-23. The choice is ours. (Also 10:32-33). The people's response in 7:29 reflects the truth of 7:20.

8:21 contrasts unfavourably with the response of James and John in 4:22.

I'm struck by the contrast in response to the two storms on the lake. In 8:27, the disciples were amazed and wondered who Jesus was. In 14:33, the disciple worshipped Jesus and exclaimed "You really are the Son of God!"

The response of the people in 8:34 in the region of the Gadarenes was the same of the demons in 8:29!!

Ch 10 is very sobering - Jesus hasn't come to promise an easy life, but tells his followers not to be afraid, not to worry and trust God who knows what they will go through and will reward everyone accordingly. There is harmony between faith and actions throughout - we are called to believe in God, a God who saves, while at the same time demonstrating that faith by the way we live.

11:14 - I hadn't been sure whether John the Baptist was "Elijah" promised in Mal 4:5. Jn 1:21 says " “Well then, who are you?” they asked. “Are you Elijah?” “No,” he replied. “Are you the Prophet we are expecting?” “No.” Chris, can you help?

We can see the opposition growing - muttering to themselves (9:3), questioning Jesus directly (9:11), accusations of being possessed (9:34), and then plots to kill him (12:14). "Anyone who isn’t with me opposes me, and anyone who isn’t working with me is actually working against me."

There is the contrast between the Pharisees who saw themselves as the most rigorous upholders of the law (referred to obliquely, and possibly ironically in 5:20) and Jesus who is the ultimate fulfilment of the law. The Pharisees make it impossible to approach God and wear people out and down, Jesus says "Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light” (11:28-30).

It is only against the backdrop of the criticism of the religious authorities that Jesus asserts himself and talks about who he is - someone greater than Jonah someone greater than Solomon (12:41,42)

I like the picture from the parables of the mustard seed and the parable of the yeast - the Kingdom of Heaven may seem very small and insignificant but it will permeate everywhere.

13:58 - "he did only a few miracles there [Nazareth] because of their unbelief." Doesn't this show the amazing humility of God, that what He does is in some way contingent on us. Mind-blowing.

In 15:25, the NIV says the woman knelt before Jesus, but the NLT says "she came and worshipped him". Which is the more accurate?

One verse from today - "Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you." (Matt 7:7)

Day 68 - Zechariah 11:1 - Matthew 4:25

2008-01-07T12:28:00.000+01:00

In today's section, we read about:

Good and evil shepherds
Future deliverance for Jerusalem and a fountain of cleansing
The end times when God will rule over the whole earth
In Malachi, condemnation of unworthy sacrifices and neglect of the tithes
God's hatred of divorce
The coming day of judgment, a call to repentance and faithfulness and God's promise of mercy
In Matthew, the genealogy of Jesus
The birth, flight to Egypt and return to Galilee of Jesus and visit of the wise men from the east
John the Baptist calls to repentance
Jesus is baptised and is tempted
Jesus calls the first disciples

Some thoughts that occurred to me today:

Zech 11:12 - according to Ex 21:32, 30 pieces of silver was the price to be paid for a slave gored to death by a bull. Thus a slave's price is to be paid, and the reference in v13 was fulfilled in Matt 27:7-10

12:10 - "Then I will pour out a spirit of grace and prayer on the family of David and on the people of Jerusalem.

13:1 - the fountain of cleansing, cf Jn 4:13-14, "living water .... a fresh, bubbling spring," also Ezek 47:8-12 (Zech 14:8)

13:7 foretells Matt 26:31

14:9 - "the Lord will be king over all the earth. On that day there will be one Lord—his name alone will be worshiped."

After all the outlandish visions of the rest of the prophecy of Zechariah, the book ends on a very prosaic note on cooking pots. This ends a section where all the nations will have to come and celebrate the Festival of Shelters (Succoth) in Jerusalem, after they have been made to acknowledge the kingship of God through God's judgment on them.

The opening of Malachi shows that the Israelites thought they were doing OK, yet instead they were displeasing God by withholding their tithes, offerings and bringing damaged animals to be sacrifices. To emphasise God's displeasure with the people who take pride in being His chosen people, He recalls Deut 32:21 when He says in 1:11, "But my name is honoured by people of other nations from morning till night. All around the world they offer sweet incense and pure offerings in honour of my name. For my name is great among the nations."

2:5 reiterates that the purpose of the Covenant (ie the Law) was to bring life and peace. Too often the tendency is to see the law as onerous and in opposition to the grace of the New Covenant in Jesus. Instead, the Law is a gift from God to create in us an awareness of spiritual realities, spur us to a hunger for righteousness and grace. It is not something to be got round as much as possible, but something to point us to a fuller understanding of God's love revealed to us through the life, love and sacrifice of Jesus.

2:15-16, "Didn’t the Lord make you one with your wife? In body and spirit you are his. And what does he want? Godly children from your union. So guard your heart; remain loyal to the wife of your youth. “For I hate divorce!” says the Lord, the God of Israel. “To divorce your wife is to overwhelm her with cruelty,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies. “So guard your heart; do not be unfaithful to your wife.”

3:1-4 points the way towards Jesus, announced by God's messenger. Jesus will come to purify and cleanse, "he will be like a blazing fire that refines metal, or like a strong soap that bleaches clothes".

3:6 - "I am the Lord, and I do not change". 3:7, "Now return to me, and I will return to you"

3:10 shows the way God wants his economy to work - we bring Him the first and best of what we have, and He can't wait to shower us with more blessings than we can imagine.

3:16 is a wonderful image - "those who feared the Lord spoke with each other, and the Lord listened to what they said. In his presence, a scroll of remembrance was written to record the names of those who feared him and always thought about the honour of his name." This is followed up in 3:17, "they will be my people... they will be my own special treasure." Then we read in 4:2, "for you who fear my name, the Sun of Righteousness will rise with healing in his wings. And you will go free, leaping with joy like calves let out to pasture."

Then in 4:5-6, the Old Testament ends with a promise of something new that God will send, that people will have to respond positively and consciously to.

I was struck by the way in which Joseph was spoken to in a vision, not once but four times, whenever there was some momentous decision that had to be made (Matt 1:20; 2:13,19,22). God speaks to us and deals with us according to our needs as individuals.

I was struck by the extent to which Matthew was keen to stress that all this had been promised through the prophets before (Amos 4:7). We see references in 1:23 (Is 7:14, 8:8); 2:6 (Mic 5:2, 2 Sam 5:2), 2:15 (Hos 11:1); 2:18 (Jer 31:15); 2:23 (?????); 3:3 (Is 40:3); 4:15-16 (Is 9:1-2).

Exactly the same message is preached by John (3:2) and Jesus (4:17).

I was also struck by the description in 4:20 and 4:22, where the first disciples were called by Jesus and followed *AT ONCE*, leaving their boats and families. This made me think of Lk 14:25-33 where Jesus cautions those who would be his disciples to count the cost of following him, "if you do not carry your own cross and follow me, you cannot be my disciple" (Lk 14:27). Also Matt 10:34-39.

One verse from today - "And the Lord will be king over all the earth. On that day there will be one Lord—his name alone will be worshipped" (Zech 14:9)

Day 67 - Habakkuk 1:1 - Zechariah 10:12

2008-01-06T22:58:00.000+01:00

In today’s section, we read about:

The prophecy of Habakkuk, with starts with complaints to God, but who comes round to seeing things from God’s point of view
The prophecy of Zephaniah, with coruscating criticism of Judah, but ends with the promise of God’s redemption
The prophecy of Haggai, which urges Zerubbabel to get on with the re-building of the Temple
The first part of Zechariah’s prophecy, with outlandish visions: the man in the myrtles with the four coloured horses; the lamp stand and the two olive trees; a flying scroll; a woman in a basket; the four chariots
A call to justice and mercy, judgment on Israel’s enemies and the promise of future blessings
The coming of Zion’s king, and the promise of restoration for God’s people

Some thoughts that occurred to me:

Habakkuk starts with a spoilt brat’s moan to God, “How long, O Lord, must I call for help? But you do not listen!” (1:2), and in the second complaint, there is disbelief that God’s judgment is not directed against these pagan nations, but could possibly be directed against Israel – “surely you don’t plan to wipe us out?” (1:12). God replies with an implicit rebuke, “I am doing something in your own day, / something you wouldn’t believe / even if someone told you about it” (1:5), by stating that actually it is God, not Habakkuk who is in control here. 2:14 – “as the waters fill the sea, / the earth will be filled with an awareness / of the glory of the Lord;” and 2:20, “the Lord is in his holy Temple. / Let all the earth be silent before him.”

It is a wiser Habakkuk we see in ch 3. 3:2 – “I have heard all about you, Lord. / I am filled with awe by your amazing works.” He has realised that the God he’s moaning to is the God who has revealed himself time and again throughout Israel’s history – 3:8 refers to Ex 14:21, 3:12 refers to Josh 10:13. The penny has dropped in 3:16, “I trembled inside when I heard this; / my lips quivered with fear. / My legs gave way beneath me, / and I shook in terror. / I will wait quietly for the coming day / when disaster will strike the people who invade us.” The lesson has been well and truly learnt as he concludes in 3:19, “The Sovereign Lord is my strength! / He makes me as surefooted as a deer, / able to tread upon the heights.”

Zephaniah was of royal lineage, being a fourth generation descendant of good king Hezekiah (1:1). Interestingly, his message is particularly swingeing against those who should know better – the ruling class. 2:2-3, “Act now, before the fierce fury of the Lord falls / and the terrible day of the Lord’s anger begins. / Seek the Lord, all who are humble, / and follow his commands. / Seek to do what is right / and to live humbly. / Perhaps even yet the Lord will protect you— / protect you from his anger on that day of destruction.”
Zephaniah compares the evil of those who claim to represent God, with God himself – 3:4-5, “Its prophets are arrogant liars seeking their own gain. / Its priests defile the Temple by disobeying God’s instructions. / But the Lord is still there in the city, / and he does no wrong. / Day by day he hands down justice, / and he does not fail. / But the wicked know no shame.” However, from 3:9 onwards, we read how God will restore a proper order in His chosen city, restore His people and live among His people.

Haggai’s prophecies all come in the space of a few months, and a rebuke to the Jews who have allowed themselves to be distracted from the task of rebuilding the Temple. It is not opposition which is the problem, but the fact that Jews were looking after their own interests rather than giving the first fruits and best of their labours to God (1:10). However, to their credit, they took Haggai’s words to heart and responded positively (1:12-13).

The repeated admonition to be strong in 2:4-5 recalls Deut 31:6,23 and Josh 1:6-9.

Hagg 2:5, “My Spirit remains among you, just as I promised when you came out of Egypt. So do not be afraid.”

Zechariah was prophesying at the same time as Haggai (Ezra 5:1), and 4:8-10 seems to have the same message to Zerubabbel to rebuild the Temple – “Do not despise these small beginnings, for the Lord rejoices to see the work begin, to see the plumb line in Zerubbabel’s hand” (4:10). 8:13 – “Be strong, and get on with rebuilding the Temple!”

The starting point in an acknowledgement of the past history between God and his people, “But everything I said through my servants the prophets happened to your ancestors, just as I said. As a result, they repented and said, ‘We have received what we deserved from the Lord of Heaven’s Armies. He has done what he said he would do’” (1:6).

3:3 recalls job, and the scene of Satan as accuser, whose accusations are dismissed by God, who takes away the filth of the sins and restores to the priestly role.

4:6 – “It is not by force nor by strength, but by my Spirit, says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.”

Amid all the outlandish imagery (the apocalyptic style is not dissimilar to Revelation) we see much about Jesus. 3:8, “Soon I am going to bring my servant, the Branch”. 6:12-13, “‘This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says: Here is the man called the Branch. He will branch out from where he is and build the Temple of the Lord. Yes, he will build the Temple of the Lord. Then he will receive royal honour and will rule as king from his throne. He will also serve as priest from his throne, and there will be perfect harmony between his two roles.’” 9:9, “Look, your king is coming to you. / He is righteous and victorious, / yet he is humble, riding on a donkey— / riding on a donkey’s colt.”

The reference in 6:13 to there being perfect harmony between the roles of king and priest struck me as I was unsure in Ezekiel 44 about the prince, as this seemed to have a regal role, separate from the priesthood.

The four chariots in 6:1-3, cf Rev 6:2-8

I like the repetition in 1:14 and 8:2 – “My love for Mount Zion is passionate and strong; I am consumed with passion for Jerusalem!” Also 8:23, “In those days ten men from different nations and languages of the world will clutch at the sleeve of one Jew. And they will say, ‘Please let us walk with you, for we have heard that God is with you.’”

10:8 – “When I whistle to them, they will come running, for I have redeemed them.”

One verse from today - "“It is not by force nor by strength, but by my Spirit, says the Lordof Heaven’s Armies" (Zech 4:6)

Day 66 - Obadiah 1 to Nahum 3:19

2008-01-05T16:18:00.000+01:00

In today’s section, we read about:

Obadiah’s prophecy against Edom
Jonah goes to Nineveh eventually, they repent but he doesn’t
Micah prophecies against the injustice in Israel, particularly of their prophets and leaders
Prophecies of the future reign and the birth of the Messiah
Promises of future hope in accordance with the character of God
Nahum’s prophecies the complete destruction of Nineveh

Some thoughts that struck me today:

You half wonder why Obadiah is included at all, being just one chapter against a hostile neighbour, Edom (descendants of Esau – Gen 36). The message is simple – Edom is doomed to destruction and to disappear from history (Ob 16) on account of their evil deeds, in particular gloating at and exacerbating Israel’s misfortune, when God was punishing them. However, God will restore Israel, unlike Edom. Od 20-21, “The exiles of Israel will return to their land / and occupy the Phoenician coast as far north as Zarephath. / The captives from Jerusalem exiled in the north / will return home and resettle the towns of the Negev. / Those who have been rescued will go up to Mount Zion in Jerusalem / to rule over the mountains of Edom. / And the Lord himself will be king!”

Jonah’s story is so well known, it is very easy to skate over it and not really take it in. Jonah is so much the older brother in the parable of the prodigal son, getting into a strop when God relents from sending his judgment against the oppressive Assyrians. Some other details that stood out: in 1:10, we read that Jonah had already told the sailors he was running away from God – he never doubted the reality of God’s power, he just didn’t like the generosity of God’s love; 1:16, “the sailors were awestruck by the Lord’s great power, and they offered him a sacrifice and vowed to serve him” – did they do so, and if so how?

Jonah seems to come to his senses inside the fish, and confesses God’s grace in answering him in the midst of his trouble (2:1,4, 6-7). What a profound insight there is in 2:8 – “Those who cling to worthless idols forfeit the grace that could be theirs” (NIV). This leads inexorably to the conclusion in 2:9, “For my salvation comes from the Lord alone”.

I like the simplicity on 3:3 – “this time Jonah obeyed”. When you compare the content of Jonah’s message – “Forty days from now Nineveh will be destroyed!” – with some of the imagery of some of the other passages we have read, it brings home just how it is the Spirit of God, which convicts, not our clever words.

Ch 4 is all about the unregenerate heart of Jonah, and his sulk – “Is it right for you to be angry because the plant died? “Yes”, Jonah replied, “even angry enough to die!”” Kevin the teenager couldn’t have expressed it any better. Yet God’s rebuke is more stinging than if he had really laid into Jonah. Instead, he shows Jonah up as he really is, by revealing his own heart of mercy and compassion.

Micah opens with God bringing charges against unjust, complacent and idolatrous Israel and Judah. I particularly like 2:11, “Suppose a prophet full of lies would say to you, / “I’ll preach to you the joys of wine and alcohol!” / That’s just the kind of prophet you would like!” There is also the contrast between the false prophets who will only prophecy of they are paid (3:11) and Micah (3:8). This was also a theme of Amos.

There are plenty of promises and insights into what God’s reign will involve – people will come from all over the world to hear God’s word (4:1-2), God will settle disputes (4:3), there will be no more war (4:3) and great prosperity (4:4). Before that day, however, the people will go into exile, “but the Lord will rescue you there; / he will redeem you from the grip of your enemies” (4:10).

Best of all, we read in 5:2, “you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, / are only a small village among all the people of Judah. / Yet a ruler of Israel will come from you, / one whose origins are from the distant past.” Ephrathah is the village where Ruth settled (Ruth 4:11) and where Rachel was buried (Gen 35:19). 5:4, “he will stand to lead his flock with the Lord’s strength, / in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God,” and “he will be the source of peace” (5:5).

God is sovereign over all history – he will restore the remnant of Israel (5:7,8), but “will pour out my vengeance on all the nations that refuse to obey me” (5:15).

God has done everything to show us his love and teach us how to live, “I, the Lord, did everything I could / to teach you about my faithfulness” (6:5). He sums it up in one very simple verse – 6:8, “O people, the Lord has told you what is good, / and this is what he requires of you: / to do what is right, to love mercy, / and to walk humbly with your God.” “Fear the Lord if you are wise”, 6:9.

The second part of ch 7 is full of hope and joy and promise – 7:7, “As for me, I look to the Lord for help. / I wait confidently for God to save me, / and my God will certainly hear me.” 7:8-10, “For though I fall, I will rise again. / Though I sit in darkness, / the Lord will be my light. / I will be patient as the Lord punishes me, / for I have sinned against him. / But after that, he will take up my case / and give me justice for all I have suffered from my enemies. / The Lord will bring me into the light, / and I will see his righteousness. / Then my enemies will see that the Lord is on my side.”

““Yes”, says the Lord, “I will do mighty miracles for you” – 7:15

7:18-20 – “Where is another God like you, / who pardons the guilt of the remnant, / overlooking the sins of his special people? / You will not stay angry with your people forever, / because you delight in showing unfailing love. / Once again you will have compassion on us. / You will trample our sins under your feet / and throw them into the depths of the ocean! / You will show us your faithfulness and unfailing love / as you promised to our ancestors Abraham and Jacob long ago.” The amazing forgiveness of God, who tramples our sins under foot and throws them in the depths of the sea.

Nahum prophecies against Nineveh, but unlike with Jonah, there is no remission of the penalty. Instead, the Lord “will sweep away his enemies in an overwhelming flood”(Nah 1:8) – a tsunami of judgment, “there is no healing for your wound; your injury is fatal” (3:19).

One verse from today - "This is what he requires of you: to do what is right, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God." (Mic 6:8)

Day 65 - Hosea 13:7 - Amos 9:15

2008-01-04T11:53:00.001+01:00

In today's section, we read about:

the conclusion of Hosea's prophecy, with the hope of healing for the penitent
In Joel, there is famine in Judah and a horde of locusts
A call to repentance in the face of the coming Day of the Lord
God's promise of restoration and his Spirit
Judgment on enemy nations and blessing for God's people
Amos opens with judgment on the surrounding nations, followed by even more scathing verdicts on Israel and Judah
A call to repentance in the face of coming judgment
Visions of locusts, fire, a plumb line, ripe fruit and the altar of God
Promise of restoration

Some thoughts that occurred to me:

Hos 14:4-5 - "I will heal you of your faithlessness; / my love will know no bounds, / for my anger will be gone forever. / I will be to Israel / like a refreshing dew from heaven." 14:7, "My people will again live under my shade. / They will flourish like grain and blossom like grapevines. / They will be as fragrant as the wines of Lebanon." 14:9, " The paths of the Lord are true and right, / and righteous people live by walking in them."

The Day of the Lord doesn't sound like a lot of fun to look forward to (Joel 1:15, 2:1,31 - cf Mal 3:2). As 2:12-14 says, "That is why the Lord says, / “Turn to me now, while there is time. / Give me your hearts. / Come with fasting, weeping, and mourning. / Don’t tear your clothing in your grief, / but tear your hearts instead.” / Return to the Lord your God, / for he is merciful and compassionate, / slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love. / He is eager to relent and not punish. / Who knows? Perhaps he will give you a reprieve, / sending you a blessing instead of this curse."

There are some fabulous promises in ch 2 - "Then the Lord will pity his people / and jealously guard the honour of his land" (18), "I will give you back what you lost / to the swarming locusts, the hopping locusts, / the stripping locusts, and the cutting locusts" (25), "everyone who calls on the name of the Lord / will be saved," (32). Best of all, is the promise which Peter proclaims fulfilled in Acts 2:17-21, "will pour out my Spirit upon all people. / Your sons and daughters will prophesy. / Your old men will dream dreams, / and your young men will see visions. / In those days I will pour out my Spirit / even on servants—men and women alike."

As in Ezekiel, the purpose of all of this is that people will know that God is in control (3:17)

3:16 - "the Lord will be a refuge for his people, / a strong fortress for the people of Israel." 3:21 - "I will pardon my people’s crimes, / which I have not yet pardoned; / and I, the Lord, will make my home / in Jerusalem with my people.”

Reading the opening chapter of Amos, I imagine the Jews were sitting there feeling quite smug as God passes judgment on all the surrounding nations for what they had done to His people. It must therefore have been quite a shock to read that this judgment is now being turned against them, and with much more force.

Amos 3:7 - "the Sovereign Lord never does anything / until he reveals his plans to his servants the prophets."

Some of this is quite grim reading, eg 3:12, "A shepherd who tries to rescue a sheep from a lion’s mouth / will recover only two legs or a piece of an ear. / So it will be for the Israelites in Samaria lying on luxurious beds, / and for the people of Damascus reclining on couches," and 4:1 "Listen to me, you fat cows / living in Samaria, / you women who oppress the poor / and crush the needy, / and who are always calling to your husbands, / “Bring us another drink!”"

The message is clear and stark - judgement is coming on those who have turned away from God and not acted justly, those who delude themselves with their complacency. Repent, and bring about what God wants, "I want to see a mighty flood of justice, / an endless river of righteous living" (5:24). The passage in 4:6-11 recalled the punishments and curses in Deut 28.

I found ch 7 very interesting, where Amos pleads with God to turn away from carrying out the punishment prepared, and twice God does so (7:3,6).

7:14-15 is very interesting - "Amos replied, “I’m not a professional prophet, and I was never trained to be one. I’m just a shepherd, and I take care of sycamore-fig trees. But the Lord called me away from my flock and told me, ‘Go and prophesy to my people in Israel.’" The king of Israel wanted tame, house-trained prophets, who were dependent on him for their livelihood and status, not someone who would be answerable only to God.

8:11-13 is a frightening prospect - "The time is surely coming,” says the Sovereign Lord, / “when I will send a famine on the land— / not a famine of bread or water / but of hearing the words of the Lord. / People will stagger from sea to sea / and wander from border to border / searching for the word of the Lord, / but they will not find it. / Beautiful girls and strong young men / will grow faint in that day, / thirsting for the Lord’s word" - cf Deut 8:3, "people do not live by bread alone; rather, we live by every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord."

Amos ends with the picture of two sides of God's nature - His justice watching over his people and his love, restoring them, and ensuring that "not one true kernel will be lost" (9:9). Ch 9 also is interesting as it shows in v7 that God looks out for other nations as well. However, Israel is still his special possession and they will be restored - "I will firmly plant them there / in their own land. / They will never again be uprooted / from the land I have given them,” / says the Lord your God" (9:15).

Day 64 - Daniel 9:1 - Hosea 13:6

2008-01-03T11:48:00.001+01:00

In today's section, we read about:

Daniel's prayer of repentance, having read Jeremiah's prophecy of the 70 year period of exile
The detailed prophecy of the end times
Hosea's call to marry the prostitute Gomer as a metaphor for Israel's idolatry
God's case against Israel, its wickedness, its evil leaders and priests
God's punishment announced and His anger, counterpoised with God's love

Some thoughts that occurred to me today:

We get a further insight into the character of Daniel, and how he maintained his relationship with God - he meditated on God's word (9:2), believed and claimed the promises, which led him to prayer and repentance, even though compared to the rest of us, he was a paragon way beyond our own limitations. Daniel associates himself with the sins of his ancestors, focusing on the justness of God's judgment (9:4,7,12,14). There is no self-pity at all, simply admission of guilt and an appeal to God's character, full of mercy and love for His people. And what a reward Daniel gets, 9:23, "The moment you began praying, a command was given. And now I am here to tell you what it was, for you are very precious to God" (also 10:11,18).

It is interesting that the more is revealed to Daniel of God's plan, the more distressed he becomes (10:8-9,11,17). Yet, twice Gabriel comforts him, saying 'don' t be afraid'.

The prophecy in chapter 11 is incredibly detailed, and one explanation for ancient history that fits it can be found here. For me, the important thing is that God is the master of history, both on a macro scale involving all the empires and nations of the earth, and on a micro scale in our own lives - 11:32, "but the people who know their God will be strong and will resist him."

There are some great promises for God's people in 12:1 "but at that time every one of your people whose name is written in the book will be rescued" and 12:3, "Those who are wise will shine as bright as the sky, and those who lead many to righteousness will shine like the stars forever." The book concludes with a confirmation of Daniel's reward for his faithfulness to God, "as for you, go your way until the end. You will rest, and then at the end of the days, you will rise again to receive the inheritance set aside for you" (12:13).

It doesn't ever seem to be a comfortable or pleasant occupation being a prophet, as we have seen with Jeremiah and Ezekiel. Here Hosea has to marry a prostitute, and take her back in after her renewed unfaithfulness (3:1).

The names used are so descriptive - Lo-ruhamah and Lo-ammi (1:8,9), which are returned to later in the prophecy (1:10; 2:1,23)

Even though, Israel has turned away from God, He makes amazing promises, "I will make you my wife forever, / showing you righteousness and justice, / unfailing love and compassion. / I will be faithful to you and make you mine, / and you will finally know me as the Lord" (2:19-20), ""In that day I will answer", says the Lord" (2:21) and ""I will bring them home again," says the Lord" (11:11). Sometimes, however, God's desires for his people is thwarted by their own actions, "I want you to show love, / not offer sacrifices. / I want you to know me / more than I want burnt offerings" (6:6), "I want to heal Israel, but its sins are too great" (7:1) "I wanted to redeem them, / but they have told lies about me" (7:13).

The indictment against Israel is clear - idolatry, refusal to acknowledge God and everything He has done, buck passing ("Don’t point your finger at someone else and try to pass the blame!" (4:4)), injustice and dishonesty, stubbornness. God also turns their words against them, as in 4:6, "Since you priests refuse to know me, / I refuse to recognize you as my priests. / Since you have forgotten the laws of your God, / I will forget to bless your children."

"Oh, that we might know the Lord! / Let us press on to know him. / He will respond to us as surely as the arrival of dawn / or the coming of rains in early spring” (6:3).

9:9 refers to Jdg 19, 9:10 refers to Num 25. Gilgal (4:15, 9:15, 12:11) was the place where Joshua set up the monument of the 12 stones from the River Jordan (Josh 4:19-20). The calf at Beth-aven (10:5) is presumably the calf Jereboam set up in 1 Ki 12:28.

10:12 is a succinct statement of what the covenant relationship should entail, "I said, ‘Plant the good seeds of righteousness, / and you will harvest a crop of love. / Plough up the hard ground of your hearts, / for now is the time to seek the Lord, /that he may come / and shower righteousness upon you.’"

God is not like His people fortunately, "for I am God and not a mere mortal. / I am the Holy One living among you, / and I will not come to destroy" (11:9).

12:6 - "So now, come back to your God. / Act with love and justice, / and always depend on him."

13:4-6 - "I have been the Lord your God / ever since I brought you out of Egypt. / You must acknowledge no God but me, / for there is no other saviour. / I took care of you in the wilderness, / in that dry and thirsty land. / But when you had eaten and were satisfied, / you became proud and forgot me."

Day 63 - Ezekiel 47:13 - Daniel 8:27

2008-01-02T20:41:00.001+01:00

In today’s section, we read about:

The division of land around the Temple
Daniel and his friends refuse to be defiled by the court food and are vindicated
Daniel interprets Nebuchadnezzar’s dream about the statue
Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego thrown into the blazing furnace
Nebuchadnezzar’s dream about a tree and he loses his mind for 7 years
The writing on the wall at Belshazzar’s feast
Daniel remains faithful to God, even though it means he is thrown in to the lions’ den
Daniel’s vision of the four beasts, and the vision of the ram and the goat

Some thoughts that occurred to me today:

You’ll have to excuse the comments today, because I am suffering from a severe case of man flu!

I like the name of the city in 48:35 – “The Lord is there”. That is something that will draw people to it from far and wide.

The names on the gates of the twelve tribes in 48:31-34, cf Rev 21:12

Daniel is willing to stand up for what he knows is right, using to the full, the gifts that God has given him (and his friends). Jeremiah’s prophecy told the exiles to go with the grain of God’s punishment, and accommodate themselves to the Babylonian system. There was therefore no contradiction between serving God, and being part of the establishment in this alien empire.

In chapters 2 and 3, we get a good picture of how capricious Nebuchadnezzar is, not even telling people what the dream is that he wants them to interpret, and flying off the handle when Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego won’t kowtow to him, and turning up the heat of the furnace so that the soldiers are burnt to death when they throw the young men in.

Daniel has true humility as well as integrity – 2:30 “it is not because I am wiser than anyone else that I know the secret of your dream, but because God wants you to understand what was in your heart.”

Daniel 2:44 is a real encouragement of the nature of God’s kingdom which will prevail against all other kingdoms forever - “the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that will never be destroyed or conquered. It will crush all these kingdoms into nothingness, and it will stand forever.” This is all the more remarkable, coming as it does to Nebuchadnezzar, who was engineering a huge shake up of empires throughout the known world at a time. Nothing in the political order would have seemed settled, yet this other kingdom would endure.

Dan 3:17-18 are some of the greatest verses in the Bible, certainly among the very best responses ever given to someone in authority, “If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God whom we serve is able to save us. He will rescue us from your power, Your Majesty. But even if he doesn’t, we want to make it clear to you, Your Majesty, that we will never serve your gods or worship the gold statue you have set up.”

Nebuchadnezzar is such a fascinating character. We have seen how he is a martinet, but also not only was he God’s chosen instrument for shaking up the nations, he also had some amazing encounters with, and insights about God. 4:2-3, “I want you all to know about the miraculous signs and wonders the Most High God has performed for me. / How great are his signs, / how powerful his wonders! / His kingdom will last forever, / his rule through all generations.” 4:17 takes up the refrain from Ezekiel, “it is commanded by the holy ones, / so that everyone may know / that the Most High rules over the kingdoms of the world.”

I am fascinated by what happened to the empire for the seven years when Nebuchadnezzar was out of his mind. Did it carry on business as normal, as happened more or less under George III, although he was not as mad? It is worth noting that the attack is recorded by Nebuchadnezzar as coming on at the moment when he is boasting over his own power and achievements. At the end, Nebuchadnezzar looks up to heaven and comes to his mind, realising his own status as subservient to God, 4:34-35, “His rule is everlasting, / and his kingdom is eternal. / All the people of the earth / are nothing compared to him. / He does as he pleases / among the angels of heaven / and among the people of the earth. / No one can stop him or say to him, / ‘What do you mean by doing these things?’” Then, the last we hear of this greatest of kings (2:37) is an act of submission in 4:37, “now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and glorify and honour the King of heaven. All his acts are just and true, and he is able to humble the proud.”

I found the contrast between Nebuchadnezzar and his son, Belshazzar revealing. Belshazzar is recorded as turning pale with fright, his knees knocked and his legs gave way beneath him. Daniel’s contempt for him is also marked in 5:17ff. As Daniel points out, Belshazzar knew all about what had happened to Nebuchadnezzar and yet did not humble himself as he should.

Daniel is valued by Darius the Mede who overthrows the unworthy Belshazzar, but this causes jealousy and resentment among other civil servants. They look for anything to use against him, but they can’t find anything – what an amazing testimony after a life in public service under three regimes!!! No wonder Darius is so keen for Daniel to be rescued and takes such bitter revenge on his accusers subsequently. Just as the gentile Nebuchadnezzar acknowledged God, so does Darius, 6:26-27, “I decree that everyone throughout my kingdom should tremble with fear before the God of Daniel. / For he is the living God, / and he will endure forever. / His kingdom will never be destroyed, / and his rule will never end. / He rescues and saves his people; / he performs miraculous signs and wonders / in the heavens and on earth. / He has rescued Daniel / from the power of the lions.”

Then we come to the apocalyptic visions in chs 7 and 8. We can clearly see some of the history of the known world played out – the rise of Alexander, his empire being split into four and then Rome. There are some messianic references as well – the image in 7:9 is like Rev 1:14; 7:13-14, “saw someone like a son of man coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient One and was led into his presence. He was given authority, honour, and sovereignty over all the nations of the world, so that people of every race and nation and language would obey him. His rule is eternal—it will never end. His kingdom will never be destroyed”; 7:26-27, “But then the court will pass judgment, and all his power will be taken away and completely destroyed. Then the sovereignty, power, and greatness of all the kingdoms under heaven will be given to the holy people of the Most High. His kingdom will last forever, and all rulers will serve and obey him.” My only question is about 8:26 which says “none of this will happen for a long time”, yet the rise of Alexander was only about 250 years after that, and is 2300 years ago now. How does this square?

The most important points about these two visions seem to me to be (a) that God will establish his kingdom, which will endure for ever, unchallenged, (b) there will be a terrible judgement that ushers in this kingdom, and (c) it was very frightening and unsettling (7:28: 8:27).

Day 62 - Ezekiel 36:1 - 47:12

2008-01-01T14:13:00.000+01:00

In today’s section, we read about:

God’s promise to restore Israel
The vision of the valley of dry bones which come back to life
The reunion of Judah and Israel foretold
Prophecies about the armies of God
A vision of a new temple area, with detailed measurements
God’s glory returns
Arrangements for the Prince, Levites and Priests, division of land
The river flowing out from the Temple

Some thoughts that occurred to me:

Again, we have the phrase, “[they/you] will know that I am the Lord” (36:11,23,38; 37:6,13,14,28; 38:16,23; 39:6,7,22,28). The purpose of EVERYTHING is that people know that the Lord is the Sovereign God, and worship Him – exile, punishment, judgment, final cataclysm.

36:22 (and v32) is very sobering – “am bringing you back, but not because you deserve it. I am doing it to protect my holy name, on which you brought shame while you were scattered among the nations.” And yet, the people still benefit from what God has is store, even thought they are unworthy. And what blessings – they will be gathered back to the land God has given them, cleansed, and then “will give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit in you. I will take out your stony, stubborn heart and give you a tender, responsive heart. And I will put my Spirit in you so that you will follow my decrees and be careful to obey my regulations.”

There is such authority in 36:36 – “For I, the Lord, have spoken, and I will do what I say.”

Again in 37:12-14, there is such a wonderful promise, after the humiliation and despair of exile – “This is what the Sovereign Lord says: O my people, I will open your graves of exile and cause you to rise again. Then I will bring you back to the land of Israel. When this happens, O my people, you will know that I am the Lord. I will put my Spirit in you, and you will live again and return home to your own land. Then you will know that I, the Lord, have spoken, and I have done what I said. Yes, the Lord has spoken!’”

I like the way God is going to reunite the divided kingdom after the exile, and the amazing promises that will accompany it – “I will gather them together” (37:21), “bring them home” (v21), “unify them into one nation” (v22), “one king will rule them” (v22), “I will save them from their sinful backsliding” (v23), “I will cleanse them” (v23) and “then they will truly be my people, and I will be their God” (v23). It continues, “my servant David will be their king, and they will have only one shepherd. They will obey my regulations and be careful to keep my decrees. They will live in the land I gave my servant Jacob, the land where their ancestors lived. They and their children and their grandchildren after them will live there forever, generation after generation. And my servant David will be their prince forever. And I will make a covenant of peace with them, an everlasting covenant. I will give them their land and increase their numbers, and I will put my Temple among them forever. I will make my home among them. I will be their God, and they will be my people. And when my Temple is among them forever, the nations will know that I am the Lord, who makes Israel holy.”

Gog and Magog also appear in Rev 20:8, in the passage detailing the final defeat of Satan.

39:28-29 – “Then my people will know that I am the Lord their God, because I sent them away to exile and brought them home again. I will leave none of my people behind. And I will never again turn my face from them, for I will pour out my Spirit upon the people of Israel. I, the Sovereign Lord, have spoken!”

I have to confess I am very confused about the detailed description of the Temple, because I think I am correct in thinking this temple was never built. It doesn’t seem to me to be the New Jerusalem promised in Revelation – Rev 21:22 says there is no temple there, here in Ezekiel, there are still animal sacrifices, and the figure of the Prince is not clear to me. In Hebrews, Jesus is both the king (ruler/prince) and high priest rolled into one, but here they are separate. I read an interesting article here, but I still am not clear on this. There is much the same – 44:28 “The priests will not have any property or possession of land, for I alone am their special possession”, reference to the Year of Jubilee, special rules for the priests etc – but there are differences, eg no lamp stand, no ark of the covenant etc.

God remembers and rewards (and punishes) according to the people’s actions – compare the descendants of Zadok (40:46,44:15-31) and the other Levites (44:10-14).

The image of God’s glory returning to the Temple (43:1-12) is wonderful, and the fact that the eastern gateway is shut forever, because God has come in that way, is beautiful.

Whatever this arrangement actually signifies, the characteristics of its provisions are familiar enough, “For this is what the Sovereign Lord says: Enough, you princes of Israel! Stop your violence and oppression and do what is just and right. Quit robbing and cheating my people out of their land. Stop expelling them from their homes, says the Sovereign Lord. Use only honest weights and scales and honest measures, both dry and liquid” (45:9-10).

The river flowing out of the temple is intriguing and sounds wonderful – 47:8-10 “This river flows east through the desert into the valley of the Dead Sea. The waters of this stream will make the salty waters of the Dead Sea fresh and pure. 9 There will be swarms of living things wherever the water of this river flows. Fish will abound in the Dead Sea, for its waters will become fresh. Life will flourish wherever this water flows. Fishermen will stand along the shores of the Dead Sea. All the way from En-gedi to En-eglaim, the shores will be covered with nets drying in the sun. Fish of every kind will fill the Dead Sea, just as they fill the Mediterranean.” It then goes on to talk about trees in ways that recall Rev 22:2 – Eze 47:12 “Fruit trees of all kinds will grow along both sides of the river. The leaves of these trees will never turn brown and fall, and there will always be fruit on their branches. There will be a new crop every month, for they are watered by the river flowing from the Temple. The fruit will be for food and the leaves for healing.”

Day 61 - Ezekiel 23:40 - 35:15

2007-12-31T14:19:00.001+01:00

In today’s section we read about:

The sign of the cooking pot and the death of Ezekiel’s wife (which he was not to mourn)
Messages against Ammon, Moab and Edom
Lengthy message against Tyre, foretelling its destruction, including a funeral song
Message against Sidon
Promise of restoration for Israel
Lengthy message against Egypt, signalling the end of its days as a great power
Ezekiel as Israel’s watchman
Israel’s bad shepherds contrasted with God, the Good Shepherd
God’s covenant of peace
Message against Edom

Some thoughts which struck me:

Again there were the two phrases, “then [they/you] will know that I am the Lord” (23:49; 24:24,27; 25:7,11,17; 26:6; 28:22,23,24,26; 29:16,21; 30:8,19,25,26; 32:15; 33:29; 34:27,30; 35:4,9,15); and “I, the Sovereign Lord have spoken” (24:14; 25:14; 26:5,14,21; 28:10; 30:12; 31:18; 32:8,16,32; 34:24,31)

24:14 – “I, the Lord, have spoken! The time has come, and I won’t hold back. I will not change my mind, and I will have no pity on you. You will be judged on the basis of all your wicked actions, says the Sovereign Lord.”

It seems that we are moving into a new phase as Ammon and Moab, whose history has been interwoven with that of Israel, will be cut off from being a nation (25:7,10)

Tyre was the country whose king, Hiram, provided the wood for Solomon’s temple. It was plainly a major trading centre and nation, with links to nations far and wide, yet it has set itself up against God, and this hubris will lead to its ultimate downfall – “In your great pride you claim, ‘I am a god! / I sit on a divine throne in the heart of the sea.’ / But you are only a man and not a god, / though you boast that you are a god. / You regard yourself as wiser than Daniel / and think no secret is hidden from you… Because you think you are as wise as a god, / I will now bring against you a foreign army, / the terror of the nations” (28:2-3,6-7).

In the midst of all the messages foretelling God’s judgment on all the surrounding nations, God still have words of comfort, joy and promise for His people (28:25-26).

There is a series of messages of impending devastation against Egypt, which clearly shows the folly of Judah looking to Egypt for its relief. Poor old Ezekiel receives some comfort in the midst of all this “And the day will come when I will cause the ancient glory of Israel to revive, and then, Ezekiel, your words will be respected. Then they will know that I am the Lord” (29:21).

Ezekiel is again reminded of his responsibility to be the watchman of Israel and speak up and warn them to repent. I still am not wholly sure of why the people thought that God wasn’t doing what was right (33:17) in judging each according to their deeds. Did the people believe in collective guilt? Did this mark a change?

33:33 is a variation on the theme – “But when all these terrible things happen to them—as they certainly will—then they will know a prophet has been among them.”

33:32 struck a chord with Chris’ sermon yesterday – “you are very entertaining to them”. Do we want amusement and a diversion, or do we want to engage with God on a meaningful level, however uncomfortable it may be.”

34:1-10 is a stark warning and rebuke of the way that the leaders have neglected their people. The result is clear in v5 “my sheep have been scattered without a shepherd, and they are easy prey”. The answer is simple – v11 “this is what the Sovereign Lord says: I myself will search and find my sheep.” We then have a wonderful exposition of how God, the good shepherd will tend for his sheep, loving but just, “I will judge between one animal of the flock and another, separating the sheep from the goats” (cf Jn 10:11; Matt 25:32-33). “I will set over them one shepherd, my servant David. He will feed them and be a shepherd to them. And I, the Lord, will be their God, and my servant David will be a prince among my people. I, the Lord, have spoken!”

Day 60 - Ezekiel 12:21 - 23:39

2007-12-30T16:24:00.000+01:00

In today’s section, we read about:

A new proverb – now is the time when God does what he had promised
Judgment against false teachers and the idolatry of Israel’s leaders
Jerusalem – a useless vine and an unfaithful wife
The riddle of the two eagles (an allegory of the fate of the exiles and the remnant left behind)
God’s righteous justice
A funeral song for the kings of Israel
The story of Israel’s rebellion is recounted
A poem of God’s sword of judgment against Jerusalem and Ammon
The unfaithfulness of the two sisters, Oholah (Samaria) and Oholibah (Jerusalem)

Some thoughts which occurred to me today:

The two phrases which echo through the passage today is again, “then [they/you] will know that I am the Lord” (12:20; 13:9,23; 14:8; 17:21; 20:20,26,37; 21:5; 22:15,22; 23:49); and “I, the Sovereign Lord have spoken” (12:24,28; 13:16; 14:11,23; 15:8; 16:63; 17:24; 20:44; 21:32; 22:31)

It is a pathetic spectacle to see what the Israelites are trying to do – they have listened to the false comfort of those who claimed they were speaking God’s words, even though God has not spoken. 13:10-12 sums up how pitiful it is “This will happen because these evil prophets deceive my people by saying, ‘All is peaceful’ when there is no peace at all! It’s as if the people have built a flimsy wall, and these prophets are trying to reinforce it by covering it with whitewash! Tell these whitewashers that their wall will soon fall down. A heavy rainstorm will undermine it; great hailstones and mighty winds will knock it down. And when the wall falls, the people will cry out, ‘What happened to your whitewash?’”

I was intrigued in the section 14:12-20 to see the three names quoted. Moses is not one of them, but Daniel, who was a contemporary of Ezekiel was, and he must clearly have created a huge impression with the witness of his faithful obedience to God while in the Babylonian court. Matthew Henry’s commentary on this section says, “National sins bring national judgments. Though sinners escape one judgment, another is waiting for them. When God's professing people rebel against him, they may justly expect all his judgments. The faith, obedience, and prayers of Noah prevailed to the saving of his house, but not of the old world. Job's sacrifice and prayer in behalf of his friends were accepted, and Daniel had prevailed for the saving his companions and the wise men of Babylon. But a people that had filled the measure of their sins, was not to expect to escape for the sake of any righteous men living among them; not even of the most eminent saints, who could be accepted in their own case only through the sufferings and righteousness of Christ. Yet even when God makes the greatest desolations by his judgments, he saves some to be monuments of his mercy. In firm belief that we shall approve the whole of God's dealings with ourselves, and with all mankind, let us silence all rebellious murmurs and objections.”

Ch 15 is a hard lesson – Judah liked to boast that it was God’s vine, yet the vine is completely useless even as firewood. It is only valuable when bearing fruit – Jn 15:1-17.

Ch 16 starts with God explaining that Israel was an abandoned baby, bloody, dirty and discarded at the side of a road, yet God took her in and made her a beautiful queen (16:13). But Israel thought she had done it all herself and turned round and told God that she no longer needed him – ingratitude, arrogance and self-deception which soon led to idolatry and disaster. To highlight just how far Israel is fallen, God compares her unfavourably with Sodom. But all is not lost – 16:60-63 “Yet I will remember the covenant I made with you when you were young, and I will establish an everlasting covenant with you. Then you will remember with shame all the evil you have done. I will make your sisters, Samaria and Sodom, to be your daughters, even though they are not part of our covenant. And I will reaffirm my covenant with you, and you will know that I am the Lord. You will remember your sins and cover your mouth in silent shame when I forgive you of all that you have done. I, the Sovereign Lord, have spoken!”

The riddle of the two eagles is another sign that the people of Judah should submit to God’s punishment and go into exile, rather than resist and seek an alliance with Egypt, which will lead to total ruin.

Ch 18 expands on what may (or may not) be a new principle as seen in Jer 31:30 – that everyone will die for his own sins, not for the sins of his father. There is warning and great hope – 18:21-22 “But if wicked people turn away from all their sins and begin to obey my decrees and do what is just and right, they will surely live and not die. All their past sins will be forgotten, and they will live because of the righteous things they have done.” We also see the great love at the centre of God’s character, “do you think that I like to see wicked people die? says the Sovereign Lord. Of course not! I want them to turn from their wicked ways and live” (18:23). It is then summed up in 18:30-32, “Therefore, I will judge each of you, O people of Israel, according to your actions, says the Sovereign Lord. Repent, and turn from your sins. Don’t let them destroy you! Put all your rebellion behind you, and find yourselves a new heart and a new spirit. For why should you die, O people of Israel? I don’t want you to die, says the Sovereign Lord. Turn back and live!”

Although the leaders listen to false prophets, they still ask for a sign directly from God (20:1). God’s reply reminds me of Matt 12:39 when the Jews come to Jesus and ask for a sign. Jesus response was telling, “Jesus replied, “Only an evil, adulterous generation would demand a miraculous sign; but the only sign I will give them is the sign of the prophet Jonah. For as Jonah was in the belly of the great fish for three days and three nights, so will the Son of Man be in the heart of the earth for three days and three nights.”” Here, the sign they get is the history of God’s faithfulness and love for his people from the days of Abraham, met with repeated faithlessness from those who received this love.

I was struck by the contrast between God’s laws, to which obedience would have brought life (20:13,21) and the worthless decrees and regulations that God gave them over to (20:25)

It seems odd to me that the people thought Ezekiel was speaking in riddles (20:49) since it seems obvious to us what God’s message is. But this is a warning to be on our guard against complacency.

This morning at St Paul’s, Chris preached on 1 Cor 3, including v 12-15, which talks about our works being tested in the fire to show the quality of the materials used. Eze 22:17-22 shows us God issuing the same warning here to the people of Judah.

Ch 22 shows that after idolatry, the door is wide open for all sorts of other evils – injustice, cruelty, sexual immorality and oppression of the defenceless.

Day 59 - Lamentations 2:1 - Ezekiel 12:20

2007-12-29T16:58:00.001+01:00

In today’s section, we read about:

The remaining chapters of Lamentations, contrasting the people’s sins with God’s faithfulness, looking forward to the time when God’s righteous anger will be satisfied and the people will be restored
Ezekiel sees these fantastical living beings by the River Kebar in Babylon and his call to be a watchman for Israel
Various bizarre visual signs – Ezekiel has to lay on one side for 390 days and the other for 40, he has to shave off his hair and beard with a sword and cut and burn it, and he is told to set off into imagined exile
The destruction of is foretold
Ezekiel is taken to Jerusalem and sees all sorts of wickedness in secret rooms; he then sees the idolaters killed, and the glory of God leaves the Temple and Jerusalem

Some things that struck me today:

Lam 2:17 – “But it is the Lord who did just as he planned. / He has fulfilled the promises of disaster he made long ago.” It is all the results of the people’s sins as God made clear many times

3:22-27 is the heart of the book, and the message of hope amid all the ruins – “The faithful love of the Lord never ends! / His mercies never cease. / Great is his faithfulness;his mercies begin afresh each morning. / I say to myself, “The Lord is my inheritance; / therefore, I will hope in him! The Lord is good to those who depend on him, / to those who search for him. / So it is good to wait quietly / for salvation from the Lord. / And it is good for people to submit at an early age / to the yoke of his discipline.”

3:55-57 – “But I called on your name, Lord, / from deep within the pit. / You heard me when I cried, “Listen to my pleading! / Hear my cry for help!” / Yes, you came when I called; you told me, “Do not fear.” Then 4:22 “O beautiful Jerusalem, your punishment will end; / you will soon return from exile.”

How can you picture these living beings in Eze 1 – my imagination is far too limited? Whatever they looked like, they were nothing compared to the glory of God which caused Ezekiel to fall face down (1:28)

Ezekiel is a contemporary of Jeremiah, although Jeremiah is in Jerusalem which Ezekiel is among the exiles, who were carried off in the first wave. When God calls Ezekiel, he is left in no doubt about the likely outcome of his ministry – nothing! I particularly like 3:6-7 “No, I am not sending you to people with strange and difficult speech. If I did, they would listen! 7 But the people of Israel won’t listen to you any more than they listen to me! For the whole lot of them are hard-hearted and stubborn.”

In spite of this, it is clear that he has to sound out the warning. God will hold him to it and hold him accountable if he does not warn them (3:16-21)

Poor Ezekiel, with these things that God makes him do – sleep on one side for 390 days and then the other for another 40. At least God allows him to cook his food over cow dung, not his own! The hair from his head and his beard are scattered in three equal portions to symbolise the fate that will befall Jerusalem.

The phrase that resounds through this passage is “you will know that I (alone) am the Lord.” The other image is that of the glory of God, which departs first from the Temple (10:18-19) and then from Jerusalem (11:23)

But God has hope for an amazing future (11:16-21) “Therefore, tell the exiles, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Although I have scattered you in the countries of the world, I will be a sanctuary to you during your time in exile. I, the Sovereign Lord, will gather you back from the nations where you have been scattered, and I will give you the land of Israel once again.’ “When the people return to their homeland, they will remove every trace of their vile images and detestable idols. And I will give them singleness of heart and put a new spirit within them. I will take away their stony, stubborn heart and give them a tender, responsive heart, so they will obey my decrees and regulations. Then they will truly be my people, and I will be their God. But as for those who long for vile images and detestable idols, I will repay them fully for their sins. I, the Sovereign Lord, have spoken!”

The other interesting thing was the similarity of the promises God makes to both Ezekiel and Jeremiah at the same time. God is working out his purpose throughout the world.

Day 58 - Jeremiah 48:1 - Lamentations 1:22

2007-12-28T21:46:00.001+01:00

In today’s section, we read about:

The continuation of the Lord’s judgment on the nations – Moab, Ammon, Edom, Damascus, Elam and Babylon
In the midst of these words of dire consequences, there is the promise of future hope for Israel
Jeremiah’s message is sent to Babylon to bear testimony to God’s certain future judgment
Jerusalem falls and the people are taken into exile
The beginning of the lament after Jerusalem’s fall

Some thoughts which occurred to me today:

There are messages to pretty well all the nations around Judah, many of whose history has long overlapped with that of Israel – Moab (descendants of Lot and one of his daughters – Gen 19:37), Ammon ((descendants of Lot and one of his daughters – Gen 19:38), Edom (descendants of Esau – Gen ch 36).

The main thing that strikes me today though is the repeated warnings against Babylon – which may very well be top dog at the moment, but will soon be destroyed so utterly that it will not be inhabited for generation after generation. It is a reminder of God’s complete control, and a pointer that only His will is the one that matters.

It was interesting that God makes promises to restore the fortunes of both Moab and Ammon in the days to come (48:47, 49:6), as well as Elam (49:39).

The reason for God’s judgment on these nations is that they have put their trust in other things and, above all in other gods, rather than in the one true God.

As with all of Jeremiah’s prophecy, here we see the greatness of the God who holds the threads of history in His hand – “For who is like me, and who can challenge me? / What ruler can oppose my will?” (50:44); “the Lord will fulfil all his plans against Babylon” (51:12); “The Lord made the earth by his power, / and he preserves it by his wisdom. / With his own understanding / he stretched out the heavens” (51:15); “But the God of Israel is no idol! / He is the Creator of everything that exists, / including his people, his own special possession. / The Lord of Heaven’s Armies is his name!” (51:19); “everything the Lord has planned against Babylon stands unchanged” (51:29); “I will be your lawyer to plead your case, / and I will avenge you. / I will dry up her river, / as well as her springs, / and Babylon will become a heap of ruins, / haunted by jackals. / She will be an object of horror and contempt, / a place where no one lives” (51:36-37); “For the Lord is a God who gives just punishment; / he always repays in full” (51:56).

In Lamentations, the full realisation of what God’s judgment is actually like is slowly sinking in. The most telling verse for me was 1:18 ““The Lord is right,” Jerusalem says, / “for I rebelled against him.””

Day 57 - Jeremiah 33:23 - 47:7

2007-12-28T17:51:00.000+01:00

In today’s section, we read about:

Final warnings to Zedekiah, who ignores them and even burns the scroll they are written on, although he still wants to hear what God has to say through Jeremiah
The obedience of the Recabites
Jeremiah flogged, imprisoned and put in a cistern
Jerusalem falls
Gedaliah is put in charge of those who remain in Judah, but is assassinated by Ishmael, who was acting at the behest of the king of Ammon
The people are warned not to go to Egypt, but they go anyway
A series of messages to neighbouring nations

Some thoughts which occurred to me today:

Following on from the wonderful promises of yesterday’s reading, today’s section deals with the settling of accounts as God’s judgment falls on Judah and Jerusalem.

Again, the message is spelt out with total clarity – judgment will come as a result of the people’s sins, especially idolatry; God has sent his prophets again and again to get his people to repent, but they have steadfastly refused to turn back to Him; God wants nothing more than to bless His people, if only they would honour his covenant with them.

Ch 35 is very reassuring, in that it shows that God sees everything and never fails to reward obedience and faithfulness, even to those who are nothing special, by human standards. The same is also true of Ebed-melech, the Ethiopian (38:7; 39:16-18). It is also true for Baruch (45:4-5).

King Zedekiah is desperate – he is full of bravado and contempt for God’s word, yet part of him knows that what Jeremiah is telling him is from God, as he secretly sends for him.

With the fall of Jerusalem, comes a complete breakdown in law and order and society. Gedaliah seems to be a decent and honourable man, yet he is assassinated, and the people lose their heads and go off to Egypt, even though God has clearly told them not to. It must have been difficult for them to see the larger picture, but God clearly has the destiny of all the nations in his hands, and at this juncture is working everything out according to his plan.

The messages to the surrounding nations are a reminder that God is totally is totally in control. 46:8 – ““Do not be afraid, Jacob, my servant, / for I am with you,” say the Lord, / “I will completely destroy the nations to which I have exiled you, / but I will not completely destroy you, / I will discipline you, but with justice; / I cannot let you go unpunished.””

Day 56 - Jeremiah 23:9 - 33:22

2007-12-26T21:48:00.001+01:00

In today’s section, we read about:

Judgment on false prophets
70 years of captivity in Babylon forecast
Jeremiah’s persecutions continue as he confronts the false prophets
A letter is sent to the exiles, telling them to prepare for the long haul
Hope for future restoration, a new covenant and promises of God’s undying love

Some thoughts that struck me today:

In desperate times, such as Judah was facing after the first wave of exiles were taken away, it is not surprising that there were so many eager to speak in God’s name, promising deliverance and that the worst would not happen. However, Jeremiah has to speak, even though he himself would rather keep silent. Yet he is so sure of his relationship with God, that he continues to speak out, even though he endures the wrath of those who are listening to him.

25:11 – here we see the mercy of God in limiting the punishment to a period of 70 years of exile. Judah, his special people, will endure a man’s lifetime in exile, but Babylon will suffer a lot worse (25:12).

Even in the darkest days, God does not leave people on their own, even though that it was it seems like (26:14).

Ch 29 is full of joy and hope, yet it is important to remember the context of the promise in 29:11, “I know the plans I have for you… They are plans to give you a future and a hope.” The expectation, from the human perspective of the false prophets, was that God would miraculously step in and bring back the exiles and spare Judah from Babylon and Nebuchadnezzar. However, God’s message here, and in the other chapters we read today, is that there is no escape from God’s judgment. If the people submit to this, God will bless them, but it will be a long time -70 years. They are to settle down and build their lives in exile. Only by submitting fully to God’s will, will the people enjoy the blessings that God has in store for them.

Reading from ch 29 onwards, I was struck by how God is moving the perspective forward. It is no longer just looking at the impending invasion of the Babylonians, but looking ahead at the restoration. There are a couple of key features of this:
The new covenant (31:31-34), which will be written on the hearts of the people
The people will die for their own sins, not for the sins of their parents (31:30)

The language that God uses to describe the new covenant is simply breathtaking – 31:36 “I am as likely to reject my people Israel as I am to abolish the laws of nature!” 33:20-21 “If you can break my covenant with the day and the night so that one does not follow the other, only then will my covenant with my servant David be broken.”

I like the way in 32:17 Jeremiah says to God “nothing is too hard for you”, and the when God speaks to him in 32:27 “I am the Lord, the God of all the peoples of the world. Is anything to hard for me?” God then goes on to make the most sublime offer to Jeremiah in 33:3 “Ask me and I will tell you remarkable secrets you do not know about things to come.” Yes, Jeremiah suffered enormously for bearing faithful witness to God, but God reveals Himself to Jeremiah in an amazing manner, and Jeremiah’s lasting legacy is to be remembered as a faithful prophet in extremis.

Day 55 - Jeremiah 10:14 - 23:8

2007-12-26T21:47:00.001+01:00

In today’s section, we read about:

God’s pronounces the destruction of Jerusalem as a result of Judah’s broken covenant
Jeremiah cries out to God for justice
Drought in Judah
Punishment on Judah inevitable, and Jeremiah is told not to marry, mourn or go to parties
Jeremiah transmits God’s message to observe the Sabbath and dispense justice
Jeremiah mistreated by Pashur, the priest in charge of the Temple
Judgment on Judah’s kings, and no deliverance from Babylon
God promises his righteous descendant

Some thoughts which struck me today:

My initial thought was that all I needed to do was to post yesterday’s blog here, as it is more of the same. Jeremiah has to prophecy impending doom for Judah, who has turned away from God and followed the path of idolatry, the people and their leaders are complacent and assume no disaster will overcome them.

12:5 – “if racing against mere men makes you tired, how will you race against horses?”

12:15-17 reminds us of how if the nations are obedient to God, they will be restored and enjoy blessing, but if they are disobedient, they will be destroyed.

15:1 is chilling – even if two of the giants of Israel’s past were to come and plead, God would still not listen. 15:6 – “I am tired of always giving you another chance.”

15:11 God promised that he will take care of Jeremiah, yet in ch 16 he is told not to marry, not to mourn with those and not to go to parties and celebrations. Then in ch 20, he is flogged and put in stocks. Now wonder he’s known as the crying prophet!! Yet in 16:19, he can still say, “Lord, you are my strength and fortress, my refuge in the day of trouble!” And 20:11 – “but the Lord stands before me like a great warrior. Before him my persecutors will stumble. They cannot defeat me.”

17:9 – “the human heart is the most deceitful of all things, and desperately wicked.”

17:14 – “O Lord, if you heal me, I will be truly healed; if you save me, I will be truly saved.”

After all the doom and gloom, we get God’s promise of restoration and a righteous descendant. A light will shine in the darkness!!

Day 54 - Jeremiah 1:1 - 10:13

2007-12-25T15:03:00.000+01:00

In today’s section, we read about:

Jeremiah’s call and his early visions showing Judah’s sin
God offers hope to Judah if they return to him, but they won’t
Judah rejects God’s final warning, and an invasion from the north is foretold
Jeremiah goes to the Temple and denounces the deception of false prophets
Jeremiah mourns for Jerusalem and for the impending destruction

Some thoughts that occurred to me:

After the wonderful conclusion to Isaiah, the situation described here in Jeremiah is very depressing, with sin, idolatry and not one righteous man. No wonder Jeremiah is known as the weeping prophet.

God gives Jeremiah such amazing promises with this call – He has formed him in the womb and set him apart to be a prophet (1:5); He has promised to be with Jeremiah and to protect him (1:8); God has put His words in Jeremiah’s mouth (1:10); God has made him strong (1:18). And there is a warning to Jeremiah not to be afraid, or else what he fears might happen (he will look foolish in front of others) will come to pass when he doesn’t do what God has instructed.

There is a whole litany of the ways in which Israel has rejected God, even though this is plainly madness – “Has any nation ever traded its gods for new ones, even though they are not gods at all? Yet my people have exchanged their glorious God for worthless idols!” (2:11) “For my people have done two evil things: / They have abandoned me- / the fountain of living water. / And they have dug for themselves cracked cisterns / that can hold no water at all.”

What they will suffer is a result of their own choices and their own sinful actions – “your wickedness will bring its own punishment. / Your turning from me will shame you. / You will see what an evil, bitter thing it is / to abandon the Lord your God and not to fear him.”

In chs 2 and 3, we see the image of Judah as an unfaithful wife. God has already ‘divorced’ Israel because of her unfaithfulness (idolatry) and now Judah is behaving even worse.

There is the promise of restoration at the end of ch 3. I find the reference to the Ark of the Covenant interesting. We noticed that there was no reference to it in Ezra or Nehemiah, when the Israelites returned from their exile in Babylon, and here in 3:16 we are told “you will no longer wish for ‘the good old days’ when you possessed the Ark of the Lord’s Covenant. You will not miss those days or even remember them, and there will be no need to rebuild the Ark.”

3:23 – “Only in the Lord our God will Israel ever find salvation.”

4:1 – “if you wanted to return to me, you could.” But of course they just carry on in their foolish, sinful ways, and so God’s judgment is pronounced.

Again and again, I am struck by how, in the midst of God’s punishment and judgment, there is so often mercy, and a remnant remains. Here we see this in 4:27.

The judgment pronounced in ch 5-6 is the result of the people choosing that path in spite of repeated warnings from God.

In ch 7, Jeremiah confronts the complacency of the people, who think that they will be OK because God wouldn’t allow anything to happen to the Temple. But 7:11, God condemns them for the way they have treated the Temple (as Jesus does later in Lk 19:46), and points out what has happened to Shiloh. The people will soon find their complacency is unfounded, and Jeremiah weeps for this fate.

Today’s section can be summed up by 10:8 and 10:10 – “People who worship idols are stupid and foolish;” and “but the Lord is the only true God. He is the living God and the everlasting King!”

Day 53 - Isaiah 52:13 - 66:24

2007-12-23T22:57:00.000+01:00

In today’s section, we read about:

God’s suffering servant
The promise of future salvation and an invitation to accept it
A call to true worship, with concomitant blessings, and a command to shun idolatry
Future glory for Jerusalem, good news for the oppressed and judgment against God’s enemies
A vision of the future glorious world

Some thoughts that occurred to me today:

The poem of the suffering servant is very well known and all-too often the words seem to wash over us without our really taking them in. The thing that was fresh to me was the contrast between other people’s reaction to the suffering servant and God’s purpose – “he was despised, and we did not care. Yet it was OUR weaknesses he carried” (53:3-4). “We thought his troubles were a punishment from God, a punishment for his own sins. But he was pierced for OUR rebellion, crushed for OUR sins” (53:4-5). “He was beaten so WE could be made whole. He was whipped so WE could be healed” (53:5). “Noone cared about his descendants … yet when his life is made an offering for sin, he will have many descendants” (53:8,10) “His life was cut short in midstream … he will enjoy a long life” (53:8-10). “He was struck down for the rebellion of my people. He had done no wrong and never deceived anyone. But he was buried like a criminal” (53:8-9). “He was buried like a criminal … I will give him the honours of a victorious soldier, because he exposed himself to death” (53:9, 12).

54:2 – “Enlarge your house”. Is this also the marriage image that we have discussed in relation to Jn 14:6? This theme of the bridegroom and married comes back very strongly in 61:10, 62:4,5

These chapters are full of God’s rescue for us. He is described as calling us back (54:6), taking us back (54:7), brings us back (56:8)

54:8 - “With everlasting love I will have compassion on you.”

God is renewing his covenant with his people (54:10; 55:3)

God has promised to teach his people (54:13), and the amazing thing is that this teacher has wisdom beyond our wildest imaginings (55:8-9)

God’s plan is being fulfilled and nothing can thwart it (53:10; 54:10; 55:11)

Ch 56 demonstrates how God’s plan of salvation is not just limited to Israel, but also to all who seek him. Equally judgment is not reserved to those who are not part of His chosen people – indeed, punishment will be all the greater for those who should know better (56:10-57:13)

57:15 – “I restore the crushed spirit of the humble and revive the courage of those with repentant hearts.”

57:16 is very humbling of our place in the grand scheme of life – “I will not fight against you forever; I will not always be angry. If I were, all people would pass away.” Yet this holiness is mixed with mercy, “I have seen what they do, but I will heal them anyway” (v18).

Ch 58 shows us what God regards as true worship – justice, humility, generosity, selflessness. We then have the encouragement of v8 “your salvation will come like the dawn, and your wounds will quickly heal. Your godliness will lead you forward, and the glory of the Lord will protect you from behind.”

58:13-14 – I was struck not just by the fact that the Israelites were called to observe the Sabbath, but also to enjoy observing it, not doing it grudgingly.

Ch 59 drives home the point that the reason for the separation between God and his people was purely due to the sins of Israel. 56:15-16, God was amazed at how his people had turned away from his way. Then we see in v17 the armour of God, an idea which Paul reprises in Eph 6:14, 17.

59:21 – “This is my covenant with them”, says the Lord. “My Spirit will not leave them, and neither will these words I have given you. They will be on your lips and the lips of your children forever. I the Lord have spoken!”

What should we make of 60:8 (and 66:8), other than this must refer to the foundation of the modern state of Israel and the influx of Jews from around the world.

There are lot of references here which have echoes in Revelation – 60:19 – Rev 21:23; 65:17 – Rev 21:1; 65:19 – Rev 21:4.

61:1-2 was the passage Jesus read in the synagogue in Capernaum in Lk 4:18-19, after which the Jews wanted to stone him. 61:3 is beautiful “to all who mourn in Israel, he will give a crown of beauty for ashes, a joyous blessing instead of mourning, festive praise instead of despair.” 61:7 refers to the double portion, which is the portion of the firstborn (Deut 21:17)

I like 62:2 – “The nations will see your righteousness. World leaders will be blinded by your glory.”

In ch 62, there are lots of new names that come when God reorders everything. In Gen 2:19-20, it is man who names things, but now it will be God in total charge.

63:9 – “In all their suffering he also suffered, and he personally rescued them. In his love and mercy he redeemed them. He lifted them up and carried them through all the years.”

63:17 encapsulates the problem of free will from our perspective, “why does God allow us to be disobedient and sinful?”

The end of Isaiah is a picture of the God of heaven fully acknowledged as such: “As surely as my new heavens and earth will remain, / so will you always be my people, / with a name that will never disappear,” says the Lord. / “All humanity will come to worship me from week to week / and from month to month. / As they go out, they will see / the dead bodies of those who rebelled against me. / For the worms that devour them will never die, / and the fire that burns them will never go out. / All who pass by / will view them with utter horror” (Is 66:22-24).

Two last thoughts. Our western mindset has become so sanitised into thinking that we are more civilised in resolving things without recourse to war, that the end of Isaiah comes as a real shock, and not at all the cosy, comfortable God we would prefer.

The second point was that the Israelites who came shortly after Isaiah were living in a time of God’s judgment, when there would be no comfort, exile, humiliation, defeat and despair. Paul writes in 2 Cor 6:1-2 (quoting from Is 49:8) “For God says, “At just the right time, I heard you. / On the day of salvation, I helped you.” Indeed, the ‘right time’ is now. Today is the day of salvation.” We live in an incredibly privileged age, since we can call on God and be saved, we are living in the day of salvation, not judgment. Imagine a world where God no longer provided a way back to Him and to His favour. It’s a horrendous thought, but as Isaiah has prophesied through the four distinct time frames (immediate, exile and post-exilic, messianic and end times), we see how God’s plan of salvation is set out through Jesus, God’s chosen servant, who will one day be king (Is 45:23). Praise God for Jesus!!! Amen and Amen (2 Cor 1:19-20).

SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT - INTERMITTENT BLOGGING

2007-12-23T13:15:00.000+01:00

Owing to the uncertainty of access to the internet, while we are away for the Christmas break, there may be long hiatuses between the appearance of new postings on this blog. However, I will still be endeavouring to write down my daily thoughts, and post them when I get back to Belgium.

Remember the words of Lk 1:37, which Chris talked about this morning, "For nothing is impossible with God."

Day 52 - Isaiah 41:19 - 52:12

2007-12-22T14:29:00.001+01:00

In today’s section, we read about:

God’s chosen servant and the Saviour of Israel
The foolishness of worshipping idols
Cyrus will be God’s chosen instrument
Babylon’s fall predicted, stubborn Israel will be returned from exile
God’s servant is commissioned
A call to trust in God

Some thoughts that struck me today:

Just a few brief observations today. These chapters are just about God, and how looking anywhere else for answers is not just foolishness, but is futile and will result in punishment and destruction. However, everything we want is being offered to us out of God’s amazing riches.

We get glimpses of Jesus - 42:1-4 ““Look at my servant, whom I strengthen. / He is my chosen one, who pleases me. / I have put my Spirit upon him. / He will bring justice to the nations. / He will not shout / or raise his voice in public. / He will not crush the weakest reed / or put out a flickering candle. / He will bring justice to all who have been wronged. / He will not falter or lose heart / until justice prevails throughout the earth. / Even distant lands beyond the sea will wait for his instruction.” 42:6-7 – a symbol of the covenant and a light to guide his people; 49:6 – a light to the gentiles, who brings God’s salvation to the ends of the earth. 50:6-7 – a picture of some of the things that Jesus will suffer

Certain themes about God are repeated over and over – the God who created the heavens and the earth (42:5; 44:24: 45:7,8,12,18; 48:13; 51:13); The only God, “I am the Lord; that is my name! I will not give my glory to anyone else”, the First and the Last; (42:8, 43:4,10-11; 44:6-7,8: 45:5,6,14,18,21,22: 46:9; 48:12,17), everything God says comes true (42:9; 43:12: 44:26; 45:23; 46:10; 48:15)

Another description which recurs is of God our redeemer, who ransoms us (43:1,11). 43:25 “I—yes, I alone—will blot out your sins for my own sake / and will never think of them again.” Also Saviour (43:3; 45:21; 49:26)

God’s promises to his people to be with them (43:2,5; 52:12); no one can snatch his people away from him (43:13); the Lord will not forget his people (44:21: 49:15-16); He forgives (43;25; 44:22); he will help them and lead them into good land (49:8-10)

43:26 cf Is 1:18

The suffering and punishment that Israel suffered was for a purpose, 48:10 “I have refined you, but not as silver is refined. / Rather, I have refined you in the furnace of suffering.”

49:14-16 “Yet Jerusalem says, “The Lord has deserted us; / the Lord has forgotten us.” / “Never! Can a mother forget her nursing child? / Can she feel no love for the child she has borne? / But even if that were possible, / I would not forget you! / See, I have written your name on the palms of my hands. / Always in my mind is a picture of Jerusalem’s walls in ruins.”

49:23 – “Those who trust in me will never be put to shame”

51:8 - “But my righteousness will last forever. / My salvation will continue from generation to generation.”

Day 51 - Isaiah 29:1 - 41:18

2007-12-21T14:35:00.000+01:00

In today’s section, we read about:

Further warnings for Jerusalem, tempered by promises of future blessings (ch29-31)
Israel’s ultimate deliverance (ch 32) and the downfall of Assyria foretold(ch33-35)
A narrative section on Sennacherib’s invasion (ch36-39)
A message of comfort and hope

Some thoughts that struck me today:

We get three different styles in today’s section – the culmination of God’s warning against the nations, the narrative of the Assyrian invasion that we also read in 2 Ki 18 and 19, and then the passages of future blessing, looking ahead to God’s chosen servant (ch 42, 49, 50, 52-53, 61)

Ch 29 is a rebuke again for the stupidity and self-delusion of Judah – v9 “go ahead and be blind. / You are stupid, but not from wine! / You stagger, but not from liquor.” v13 “These people say they are mine. / They honour me with their lips, /but their hearts are far from me. / And their worship of me / is nothing but man-made rules learned by rote.” Then will come the judgment “Because of this, I will once again astound these hypocrites / with amazing wonders. / The wisdom of the wise will pass away, and the intelligence of the intelligent will disappear.” In the end, God will be acknowledged as the king over all.

Ch 30 takes up the theme of the madness of trusting other nations instead of trusting God. I like the way the complete moral bankruptcy is shown in all its ludicrousness in v10—1! “They tell the seers, / “Stop seeing visions!” / They tell the prophets, / “Don’t tell us what is right. / Tell us nice things. / Tell us lies. / Forget all this gloom. / Get off your narrow path. / Stop telling us about your / “Holy One of Israel”.” It reminds me of the truth of 1 Cor 1:18 “the message of the cross s foolish to those who are headed for destruction!”

v21 is a wonderful promise. Having been disciplined and punished, God will be their teacher, and “your own ears will hear him. / Right behind you a voice will say, / “This is the way you should go”, whether to the right or left.” v26 The times of blessings will roll “when the Lord begins to heal his people and cure the wounds he gave them.”

31:6-7 reminds us of God’s heart of love for his people and how he longs for us to be restored to him.

32:1 ”A righteous king is coming!” – and what a kingdom he will establish!

Ch33 tells of the destruction of Assyria, but God’s people, although they have been punished will be restored and kept safe (v15-16). But this is the sideshow – the main event is the King in all his splendour (v17).

There are fantastic names for God in this passage – a river of protection, judge, lawgiver, king. v20 underlines that though our human fortunes constantly shift, God is a fixed, unshakable point.

34:16 – “The Lord has promised this. / His Spirit will make it all come true.”

As ch 35 wraps up the section of the judgment on the nations, the context which never changes is stressed again in 35:2 “There the Lord will display his glory, / the splendour of our God.”

I like some of the great names given – Rahab the Dragon (30:7), although this is also Rahab the Do-Nothing ; the Land of Nothing (34:12); the Highway of Holiness (35:8)

Ch 36-39 tells the story of 2 Ki 18:13-20:20, with the addition of Hezekiah’s prayer of thanks in Is 38. 2 Ki 18:5 says that “Hezekiah trusted in the Lord, the God of Israel. There was no one like him among all the kings of Judah, either before or after his time.” I find his response to his miraculous healing all too believable. He is initially very grateful, but once he realises that he will die within a few (15) years, and that judgment will come later, he says to himself in 39:8 “at least there will be peace and security during my lifetime.”

Then we come to one of the great chapters of the whole bible. Chapter 40 sees the focus shift from God dispensing justice to the nations to what this justice will mean for his chosen people. It starts with words of comfort and the promise that “the glory of the Lord will be revealed”. Then as the chapter progresses, we see the type of God who is coming to us – eternal and enduring (8,28), sovereign (10), gentle and caring (11) incomparable in power as Creator (12), wise beyond compare (13), enthroned beyond the limits of our worlds and minds (22), judge (23), and all-provident (26). Then we have the amazing promises of 28-31 “Have you never heard? / Have you never understood? / The Lord is the everlasting God, / the Creator of all the earth. / He never grows weak or weary. / No one can measure the depths of his understanding. / He gives power to the weak / and strength to the powerless. / Even youths will become weak and tired, / and young men will fall in exhaustion./ But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength. / They will soar high on wings like eagles. / They will run and not grow weary. / They will walk and not faint.”

41:4 “It is I, the Lord, the First and the Last. I alone am he.” Cf Rev 1:8 ““I am the Alpha and the Omega—the beginning and the end,” says the Lord God. “I am the one who is, who always was, and who is still to come—the Almighty One.”” Rev 1:17-81 “I am the First and the Last. 18 I am the living one. I died, but look—I am alive forever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and the grave.” 41:9 “I have called you back from the ends of the earth, / saying, ‘You are my servant.’ / For I have chosen you / and will not throw you away.” 41:13 “For I hold you by your right hand— / I, the Lord your God. / And I say to you, / ‘Don’t be afraid. I am here to help you.” 41:14 “I am the Lord, your Redeemer. / I am the Holy One of Israel.”

Day 50 - Isaiah 14:1 - 28:29

2007-12-20T12:15:00.000+01:00

In today's section, we read about:

Warnings of God's future judgment on Babylon (ch 14), Assyria (ch14), Moab (ch15-16), Damascus and Israel (ch 17), Ethiopia (ch 18,20), Egypt (ch19-20), Jerusalem (ch22), Tyre (23), Samaria (ch 28)
The future destruction of the earth (ch 24)
God's wonderful promises of salvation (ch 25) and restoration (26:20-21)

Some thoughts that occurred to me:

I am still trying to get my head around the whole issues of how to read the timings in these passages. Ch 14 is a judgment against Babylon, yet I am sure that I have heard some interpretations that v12-15 are in fact about Satan. I am grappling with the idea that we are meant to distinguish something much broader in scope from the immediate context (also 7:14).

The broader message is clear - God will established his rule, and those who set themselves up in God's place will be made to learn the error of their ways. Again, v23 the warning about God's judgment is there and can be seen to this day.

Amidst the warnings of judgment, there are some fabulous promises - 14:30 "I will feed the poor in my pasture; / the needy will lie down in peace;" 16:4-5 "When oppression and destruction have ended / and enemy raiders have disappeared, / then God will establish one of David’s descendants as king. / He will rule with mercy and truth. / He will always do what is just / and be eager to do what is right." 26:3-4 "You will keep in perfect peace / all who trust in you, / all whose thoughts are fixed on you! / Trust in the Lord always, / for the Lord God is the eternal Rock." 26:7-9 " But for those who are righteous, / the way is not steep and rough. / You are a God who does what is right, / and you smooth out the path ahead of them. / Lord, we show our trust in you by obeying your laws; / our heart’s desire is to glorify your name. / All night long I search for you; / in the morning I earnestly seek for God. / For only when you come to judge the earth / will people learn what is right."

The thing that really hit me was we often have the temptation to focus on the Messianic prophecies (16:5), but miss the wider point that God's plan for establishing his kingdom is not merely one of personal salvation, but encompassing literally everything, including political and military structures. It is not just about the powers in the heavenly realms (Eph 6:12), but also about the powers on the earth in this world submitted to the power of God.

The reference to 3 years in 16:14 reflects a binding contract. God's judgment has the implication of a contractual obligation that cannot be avoided.

The reason for God's judgment can never be in doubt - 17:10 " Why? Because you have turned from the God who can save you. / You have forgotten the Rock who can hide you." Also 22:11-14; 24:5-6; 28:10-13.

I wonder about the timing for the fulfilment of 19:18-25.

25:1-10 is such a beautiful hymn of praise to the God who rescues us. v4 "But you are a tower of refuge to the poor, O Lord, / a tower of refuge to the needy in distress. / You are a refuge from the storm / and a shelter from the heat." v6-8 " In Jerusalem, the Lord of Heaven’s Armies / will spread a wonderful feast / for all the people of the world. / It will be a delicious banquet / with clear, well-aged wine and choice meat. / There he will remove the cloud of gloom, / the shadow of death that hangs over the earth. / He will swallow up death forever! / The Sovereign Lord will wipe away all tears. / He will remove forever all insults and mockery / against his land and people. / The Lord has spoken!" This is very similar to the picture in Rev 21:4. v9 " In that day the people will proclaim, / “This is our God! / We trusted in him, and he saved us! / This is the Lord, in whom we trusted. / Let us rejoice in the salvation he brings!”

26:19 - what a promise!! "But those who die in the Lord will live; / their bodies will rise again! / Those who sleep in the earth / will rise up and sing for joy! / For your life-giving light will fall like dew / on your people in the place of the dead!"

For God's people, the punishment has a purpose - to discipline and cleanse (27:8-9)

I like the contrast between 28:1(and v3) "Samaria - the glorious crown of the drunks of Israel" and 28:5 "Then at last the Lord of Heaven's Armies will himself be Israel's glorious crown". You can taste the irony and contempt. It is banged home in 28:10-13 where Israel says why are you treating us like children, but God has to speak to them in words of one syllable so they will understand through their sozzled state, and in the end they have to be taught the lesson by foreigners.

I had wondered how to make sense of 28:23-29, and why it comes just here. This is from Matthew Henry's commentary (http://www.christnotes.org/commentary.php?com=mhc&b=23&c=28):"the husbandman applies to his calling with pains and prudence, in all the works of it according to their nature. Thus the Lord, who has given men this wisdom, is wonderful in counsel, and excellent in his working. As the occasion requires, he threatens, corrects, spares, shows mercy, or executes vengeance. Afflictions are God's threshing instruments, to loosen us from the world, to part between us and our chaff, and to prepare us for use. God will proportion them to our strength; they shall be no heavier than there is need. When his end is answered, the trials and sufferings of his people shall cease; his wheat shall be gathered into the garner, but the chaff shall be burned with unquenchable fire." The important thing to remember is v29 " The Lord of Heaven’s Armies is a wonderful teacher, / and he gives the farmer great wisdom."