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!”
Monday, 31 December 2007
Sunday, 30 December 2007
Day 60 - Ezekiel 12:21 - 23:39
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.
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.
Saturday, 29 December 2007
Day 59 - Lamentations 2:1 - Ezekiel 12:20
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.
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.
Friday, 28 December 2007
Day 58 - Jeremiah 48:1 - Lamentations 1:22
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.””
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
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.””
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.””
Wednesday, 26 December 2007
Day 56 - Jeremiah 23:9 - 33:22
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.
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
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!!
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!!
Tuesday, 25 December 2007
Day 54 - Jeremiah 1:1 - 10:13
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!”
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!”
Sunday, 23 December 2007
Day 53 - Isaiah 52:13 - 66:24
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).
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
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."
Remember the words of Lk 1:37, which Chris talked about this morning, "For nothing is impossible with God."
Saturday, 22 December 2007
Day 52 - Isaiah 41:19 - 52:12
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.”
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.”
Friday, 21 December 2007
Day 51 - Isaiah 29:1 - 41:18
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.”
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.”
Thursday, 20 December 2007
Day 50 - Isaiah 14:1 - 28:29
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."
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."
Wednesday, 19 December 2007
Day 49 - Isaiah 1:1 - 13:22
In today's section, we embark on the Prophets, and we read about:
God's rebuke to Judah and call for them to repent
The vision of God's future reign
The song of the Lord's vineyard
Isaiah's call
The coming Assyrian invasion as part of God's global plan
God's promise of salvation, the Messiah
Prophecy against Babylon
Some things that struck me today:
Ch 1 hits me with the self-delusion of Judah, who think that their sacrifices and observances will please God (v11-15, cf 1 Sa 15:22; Ps 50:13-14 etc). The rebuke is stinging, comparing Judah to Sodom and Gomorrah. What then does God actually want from us? v16-17 "Wash yourselves and be clean! / Get your sins out of my sight. / Give up your evil ways. / Learn to do good. / Seek justice. / Help the oppressed. / Defend the cause of orphans. / Fight for the rights of widows." Inward, personal purity, seeking the path of truth and then public acts of mercy and justice (Mic 6:8).
In the NLT, v18 says "let's settle this", but I miss the NIV's "come now and let us reason together." The section that follows screams of God's longing to restore us, if only we are willing, and then the unbelievable blessings will flow. v27 "Zion will be restored by justice; / those who repent will be revived by righteousness."
I find it interesting that 2:4 is quoted by the UN, yet they completely miss the context, that the only way in which this will happen, and yes it *WILL* happen, is under the dominion and rule of God, when the word has gone out to all nations (v3), who flock to obey God.
Ch 2 contrasts the arrogance of man with the glory of God - "they worship things they have made with their own hand" (8), "human pride will be humbled, and human arrogance will be humbled" (9,17), "[they] will crawl into holes in the ground" (19). The theme carries on in ch 3, with the people flaunting their sin, which provokes the Lord, who presents the charges in court (3:13). Yet there is a promise to cling on to - 3:10 "Tell the godly that all will be well for them. / They will enjoy the rich reward they have earned!"
There are lots of tree images - Branch of Israel (4:2; 11:1), Vineyard (5:7), Israel's stump (6:13; 11:1), even 7:2 "So the hearts of the king and his people trembled with fear, like trees shaking in a storm."
4:5 - cf Ex 13:21 - God will provide cleansing from sins, shade, shelter and be a hiding place!
I found Is 5 as quite helpful is trying to get my head around all the problems of different time frames in the fulfilment of the prophecies over the coming chapters, since in v25, after all these terrible things have happened to the people, we read "But even then the Lord’s anger is not satisfied. / His fist is still poised to strike!" This phrase is repeated in 9:12 and 10:4.
Isaiah's response to his call is "then I said, “It’s all over! I am doomed, for I am a sinful man. I have filthy lips, and I live among a people with filthy lips. Yet I have seen the King, the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.”" Isaiah is cleaned and made ready for service in v7, but this cleansing is for a purpose - our salvation is for others as well as for ourselves.
The immediate promise in ch7 is that Syria and Israel will be destroyed by Assyria - 7:8 talks about 65 years, yet I think that it was less than 20 between the death of King Uzziah and the fall of Samaria. 7:14 is normally taken to refer to Jesus, yet v16 makes me wonder about the time frame. Chris can you help?
I like the comparison in the imagery of 8:6 "My care for the people of Judah is like the gently flowing waters of Shiloah" with v7 " the Lord will overwhelm them with a mighty flood from the Euphrates River—the king of Assyria and all his glory. This flood will overflow all its channels and sweep into Judah until it is chin deep. It will spread its wings, submerging your land from one end to the other, O Immanuel." It reminds me of Nu 11, when the Israelites want meat, and God sends them more quail than they can possibly eat.
So what are the messianic prophecies here - 7:14 (probably); 8:14, 9:2; 9:6-7; 11:1-5; 10. The theme is that he will be King, and that the nature of that kingdom is different from what we normally see - light in the darkness, justice, peace, yet a stumbling block to the high and mighty.
9:4; 10:27 cf Mt 11:29-30; 11:4 cf Jn 1:3-4
There are some wonderfully encouraging verses here: "In that day the heir to David’s throne / will be a banner of salvation to all the world. / The nations will rally to him, / and the land where he lives will be a glorious place." 12:1-6 " In that day you will sing: / I will praise you, O Lord! / You were angry with me, but not any more. / Now you comfort me. / See, God has come to save me. / I will trust in him and not be afraid. / The Lord God is my strength and my song; / he has given me victory.” / With joy you will drink deeply / from the fountain of salvation! / In that wonderful day you will sing: / “Thank the Lord! Praise his name! / Tell the nations what he has done. / Let them know how mighty he is! / Sing to the Lord, for he has done wonderful things. / Make known his praise around the world. / Let all the people of Jerusalem shout his praise with joy! / For great is the Holy One of Israel who lives among you.”
Ch 13 - I found it very humbling to think about 13:20, "Babylon will never be inhabited again. / It will remain empty for generation after generation. / Nomads will refuse to camp there, / and shepherds will not bed down their sheep." Babylon hasn't been inhabited since the second century BC. Ponder that!
God's rebuke to Judah and call for them to repent
The vision of God's future reign
The song of the Lord's vineyard
Isaiah's call
The coming Assyrian invasion as part of God's global plan
God's promise of salvation, the Messiah
Prophecy against Babylon
Some things that struck me today:
Ch 1 hits me with the self-delusion of Judah, who think that their sacrifices and observances will please God (v11-15, cf 1 Sa 15:22; Ps 50:13-14 etc). The rebuke is stinging, comparing Judah to Sodom and Gomorrah. What then does God actually want from us? v16-17 "Wash yourselves and be clean! / Get your sins out of my sight. / Give up your evil ways. / Learn to do good. / Seek justice. / Help the oppressed. / Defend the cause of orphans. / Fight for the rights of widows." Inward, personal purity, seeking the path of truth and then public acts of mercy and justice (Mic 6:8).
In the NLT, v18 says "let's settle this", but I miss the NIV's "come now and let us reason together." The section that follows screams of God's longing to restore us, if only we are willing, and then the unbelievable blessings will flow. v27 "Zion will be restored by justice; / those who repent will be revived by righteousness."
I find it interesting that 2:4 is quoted by the UN, yet they completely miss the context, that the only way in which this will happen, and yes it *WILL* happen, is under the dominion and rule of God, when the word has gone out to all nations (v3), who flock to obey God.
Ch 2 contrasts the arrogance of man with the glory of God - "they worship things they have made with their own hand" (8), "human pride will be humbled, and human arrogance will be humbled" (9,17), "[they] will crawl into holes in the ground" (19). The theme carries on in ch 3, with the people flaunting their sin, which provokes the Lord, who presents the charges in court (3:13). Yet there is a promise to cling on to - 3:10 "Tell the godly that all will be well for them. / They will enjoy the rich reward they have earned!"
There are lots of tree images - Branch of Israel (4:2; 11:1), Vineyard (5:7), Israel's stump (6:13; 11:1), even 7:2 "So the hearts of the king and his people trembled with fear, like trees shaking in a storm."
4:5 - cf Ex 13:21 - God will provide cleansing from sins, shade, shelter and be a hiding place!
I found Is 5 as quite helpful is trying to get my head around all the problems of different time frames in the fulfilment of the prophecies over the coming chapters, since in v25, after all these terrible things have happened to the people, we read "But even then the Lord’s anger is not satisfied. / His fist is still poised to strike!" This phrase is repeated in 9:12 and 10:4.
Isaiah's response to his call is "then I said, “It’s all over! I am doomed, for I am a sinful man. I have filthy lips, and I live among a people with filthy lips. Yet I have seen the King, the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.”" Isaiah is cleaned and made ready for service in v7, but this cleansing is for a purpose - our salvation is for others as well as for ourselves.
The immediate promise in ch7 is that Syria and Israel will be destroyed by Assyria - 7:8 talks about 65 years, yet I think that it was less than 20 between the death of King Uzziah and the fall of Samaria. 7:14 is normally taken to refer to Jesus, yet v16 makes me wonder about the time frame. Chris can you help?
I like the comparison in the imagery of 8:6 "My care for the people of Judah is like the gently flowing waters of Shiloah" with v7 " the Lord will overwhelm them with a mighty flood from the Euphrates River—the king of Assyria and all his glory. This flood will overflow all its channels and sweep into Judah until it is chin deep. It will spread its wings, submerging your land from one end to the other, O Immanuel." It reminds me of Nu 11, when the Israelites want meat, and God sends them more quail than they can possibly eat.
So what are the messianic prophecies here - 7:14 (probably); 8:14, 9:2; 9:6-7; 11:1-5; 10. The theme is that he will be King, and that the nature of that kingdom is different from what we normally see - light in the darkness, justice, peace, yet a stumbling block to the high and mighty.
9:4; 10:27 cf Mt 11:29-30; 11:4 cf Jn 1:3-4
There are some wonderfully encouraging verses here: "In that day the heir to David’s throne / will be a banner of salvation to all the world. / The nations will rally to him, / and the land where he lives will be a glorious place." 12:1-6 " In that day you will sing: / I will praise you, O Lord! / You were angry with me, but not any more. / Now you comfort me. / See, God has come to save me. / I will trust in him and not be afraid. / The Lord God is my strength and my song; / he has given me victory.” / With joy you will drink deeply / from the fountain of salvation! / In that wonderful day you will sing: / “Thank the Lord! Praise his name! / Tell the nations what he has done. / Let them know how mighty he is! / Sing to the Lord, for he has done wonderful things. / Make known his praise around the world. / Let all the people of Jerusalem shout his praise with joy! / For great is the Holy One of Israel who lives among you.”
Ch 13 - I found it very humbling to think about 13:20, "Babylon will never be inhabited again. / It will remain empty for generation after generation. / Nomads will refuse to camp there, / and shepherds will not bed down their sheep." Babylon hasn't been inhabited since the second century BC. Ponder that!
Chris Edwards answers on Proverbs 26:4-5
Proverbs – I think the NASB is a brilliant translation. Do you own a copy? You should. Here’s what it says for Proverbs 26:4-5:
4 Do not answer a fool according to his folly, or you will also be like him. 5 Answer a fool as his folly deserves, that he not be wise in his own eyes.
Notice how the emphasis falls away from the idea that you don’t answer/ do answer and lands squarely on how you answer? In other words it’s all about how you answer. Don’t answer him on his terms or you’ll end up like him. No, answer him as he deserves or else he’ll think he is as smart as you.
An illustration – Remembering that the Fool is someone who says there is no God (Psalm 14:1; 53:1) I recall being in a debate with a humanist who claimed to be an atheist. I tried to engage using his philosophical framework without quoting from the Scriptures and without assuming any knowledge of God. A foolishly post-modern attempt at evangelism. I ended up having to debate entirely on his terms – even to the point of using his terms! And he left thinking he had beaten me and exposed my ignorance and the ignorance of the faith.
4 Do not answer a fool according to his folly, or you will also be like him. 5 Answer a fool as his folly deserves, that he not be wise in his own eyes.
Notice how the emphasis falls away from the idea that you don’t answer/ do answer and lands squarely on how you answer? In other words it’s all about how you answer. Don’t answer him on his terms or you’ll end up like him. No, answer him as he deserves or else he’ll think he is as smart as you.
An illustration – Remembering that the Fool is someone who says there is no God (Psalm 14:1; 53:1) I recall being in a debate with a humanist who claimed to be an atheist. I tried to engage using his philosophical framework without quoting from the Scriptures and without assuming any knowledge of God. A foolishly post-modern attempt at evangelism. I ended up having to debate entirely on his terms – even to the point of using his terms! And he left thinking he had beaten me and exposed my ignorance and the ignorance of the faith.
Tuesday, 18 December 2007
Day 48 - Ecclesiastes 3:1 - Song of Songs 8:14
In today's section, we read:
the end of Ecclesiastes, and the Teacher's search for meaning
the Song of Songs, a love poem
Some thoughts that occurred to me today:
I really like Ecclesiastes, and have always thought that the issues it address as SO relevant for our age - the quest for meaning, and the feeling that all options and avenues are valid. But there are so many chinks of light in the despair and weltschmerz. Here are some of them:
3:11 "Yet God has made everything beautiful for its own time. He has planted eternity in the human heart, but even so, people cannot see the whole scope of God’s work from beginning to end" - we are given a glimpse of what God has in store for us, but by no means the whole picture (Deut 29:29)
3:14 "And I know that whatever God does is final. Nothing can be added to it or taken from it. God’s purpose is that people should fear him."
5:19-20 "And it is a good thing to receive wealth from God and the good health to enjoy it. To enjoy your work and accept your lot in life—this is indeed a gift from God. 20 God keeps such people so busy enjoying life that they take no time to brood over the past."
6:9 - "Enjoy what you have rather than desiring what you don’t have. Just dreaming about nice things is meaningless—like chasing the wind."
8:5-6 - "Those who are wise will find a time and a way to do what is right, for there is a time and a way for everything, even when a person is in trouble."
11:7 - "Light is sweet; how pleasant to see a new day dawning."
There are complaints, which seems contemporary - a lack of faith in the legal system (3:16; 5:8); injustice and oppression (4:1; 5:8; 8:11,13); envy of neighbours (4:7); what is the point (4:8); bureaucracy (5:8 - "every official is under orders from higher up, and matters of justice get lost in red tape and bureaucracy.")
I could relate to 5:10-15 about how the pursuit of wealth doesn't bring contentment. v13 was noteworthy in this regard "hoarding riches harms the saver."
There are various themes which carry over from Proverbs - guard your tongue, welcome for discipline, control your temper, work hard and don't be lazy.
7:20 cf Rom 3:23, also 7:29
9:9 - "Live happily with the woman you love through all the meaningless days of life that God has given you under the sun. The wife God gives you is your reward for all your earthly toil."
9:10 cf Col 3:23
The ingratitude in 9:14-15 is shocking.
Was 10:16 prophetic, as Jereboam was one of Solomon's officials?
12:1 "Don’t let the excitement of youth cause you to forget your Creator. Honour him in your youth before you grow old and say, “Life is not pleasant anymore.”"
12:11 - "The words of the wise are like cattle prods—painful but helpful. Their collected sayings are like a nail-studded stick with which a shepherd drives the sheep."
Then it is summed up in 12:13-14 "That’s the whole story. Here now is my final conclusion: Fear God and obey his commands, for this is everyone’s duty. God will judge us for everything we do, including every secret thing, whether good or bad."
the end of Ecclesiastes, and the Teacher's search for meaning
the Song of Songs, a love poem
Some thoughts that occurred to me today:
I really like Ecclesiastes, and have always thought that the issues it address as SO relevant for our age - the quest for meaning, and the feeling that all options and avenues are valid. But there are so many chinks of light in the despair and weltschmerz. Here are some of them:
3:11 "Yet God has made everything beautiful for its own time. He has planted eternity in the human heart, but even so, people cannot see the whole scope of God’s work from beginning to end" - we are given a glimpse of what God has in store for us, but by no means the whole picture (Deut 29:29)
3:14 "And I know that whatever God does is final. Nothing can be added to it or taken from it. God’s purpose is that people should fear him."
5:19-20 "And it is a good thing to receive wealth from God and the good health to enjoy it. To enjoy your work and accept your lot in life—this is indeed a gift from God. 20 God keeps such people so busy enjoying life that they take no time to brood over the past."
6:9 - "Enjoy what you have rather than desiring what you don’t have. Just dreaming about nice things is meaningless—like chasing the wind."
8:5-6 - "Those who are wise will find a time and a way to do what is right, for there is a time and a way for everything, even when a person is in trouble."
11:7 - "Light is sweet; how pleasant to see a new day dawning."
There are complaints, which seems contemporary - a lack of faith in the legal system (3:16; 5:8); injustice and oppression (4:1; 5:8; 8:11,13); envy of neighbours (4:7); what is the point (4:8); bureaucracy (5:8 - "every official is under orders from higher up, and matters of justice get lost in red tape and bureaucracy.")
I could relate to 5:10-15 about how the pursuit of wealth doesn't bring contentment. v13 was noteworthy in this regard "hoarding riches harms the saver."
There are various themes which carry over from Proverbs - guard your tongue, welcome for discipline, control your temper, work hard and don't be lazy.
7:20 cf Rom 3:23, also 7:29
9:9 - "Live happily with the woman you love through all the meaningless days of life that God has given you under the sun. The wife God gives you is your reward for all your earthly toil."
9:10 cf Col 3:23
The ingratitude in 9:14-15 is shocking.
Was 10:16 prophetic, as Jereboam was one of Solomon's officials?
12:1 "Don’t let the excitement of youth cause you to forget your Creator. Honour him in your youth before you grow old and say, “Life is not pleasant anymore.”"
12:11 - "The words of the wise are like cattle prods—painful but helpful. Their collected sayings are like a nail-studded stick with which a shepherd drives the sheep."
Then it is summed up in 12:13-14 "That’s the whole story. Here now is my final conclusion: Fear God and obey his commands, for this is everyone’s duty. God will judge us for everything we do, including every secret thing, whether good or bad."
==== END OF PART ONE, PART TWO TO FOLLOW ====
Monday, 17 December 2007
Day 47 - Proverbs 20:22 - Ecclesiastes 2:26
In today's section, we read:
o Some more proverbs from Solomon
o Proverbs entitled "sayings of the wise"'
o The sayings of Agur
o The sayings of King Lemuel
o The beginning of Ecclesiastes, where Solomon, the wisest man ever, looks for meaning in life
Some thoughts that occurred to me:
There are a number of main themes through the readings:
Love justice and do not be deceitful, because this is the character of God – 20:23; 22:22-23,28; 23:10-11; 24:15-16,17-18,23-25,28-29; 27:10; 28:3,5,21; 29:7,23,26,27; 31:8-9
God hears our prayers and has our future in his hands - 20:24; 21:30; 22:12; 28:26
Purity and humility of heart are to be treasured and pursued, as God knows our hearts - 20:27, 21:2,3,4,12,27; 24:12; 28:9,13; 29:23
The need for godly and righteous government - 20:28; 25-4-5; 28:2,12,15,16,28; 29:2,4,12,14; 31:4
Welcome discipline and correction, as it is for your own good – 20:30; 21:11; 22:6,15; 23-13-14; 25:12; 26:3; 27:5,6,17; 28:23; 29:1,15,17,18,21
The moral shortcomings of being lazy - 21:5,25; 22:13; 24:30-34; 26:13,14,15,16; 28:19; 31:17
Watch your tongue – 21:6,9,23,24,28; 24:9; 25:9-10,18,23; 26:18-19,20,22,24-25,28; 27:1; 29:5,20; 30:10,33
Be generous – 21:13,26; 22:9; 23:6-8; 25:21-22; 28:27; 31:20
The dangers of too much food and drink - 21:17; 23:1-3,20,29-35; 25:16,27; 31:4-7
Better to follow and trust in God than to have all that the world can offer – 21:9,19; 23:4-5,17-18; 24:19-20; 25:24
Being rewarded by God as opposed to ill-gotten gains, don't envy other people - 21:21; 22:1,4,16; 24:1; 28:6,20,22
The words of the godly – 22:11; 24:16; 25:11,13,15; 31:26
Control your temper and do not be hot-headed - 22:24; 29:12,22
Honour your parents - 23:24-26; 28:24; 20:11-14,17
Prov 20:25 reminds me of Jephthah (Jdg 11:30). I was also reminded of Deut 29:29 by 20:24 and 25:2-3. Prov 25:20 - cf Rom 12:15, and 25:21-22 is repeated in Rom 12:20
Can anyone explain what we should make of Prov 26:4-5?
27:21 really made me stop and think "Fire tests the purity of silver and gold, / but a person is tested by being praised." Also, 29:25 "fearing people is a dangerous trap, but trusting the Lord means safety."
Ch 30 is wonderful - I think Agur's prayer in v7-9 is so wise - never to tell a lie, and pray to have just enough to meet our needs. But I love v4 - "Who but God goes up to heaven and comes back down? / Who holds the wind in his fists? / Who wraps up the oceans in his cloak? / Who has created the whole wide world? / What is his name—and his son’s name? / Tell me if you know!" What is his name? What is his son's name? At this Christmas time, we know the answer - JESUS!!!!
As Miriam pointed out, all the sayings about the wise woman are from King Lemuel's mother!!!
Moving on to Ecclesiastes, we have to remember that this is written by the wisest man who ever lived (1 Ki 3:12). Reading these two chapters, I was reminded of the Truman Show, and the knowledge of an enclosed world, while outside of it is a greater power, controlling it, who has all the answers that we on the inside lack. It is only when we leave the closed world of our limited humanity, that we will understand more fully what God has planned for us all along (1 Cor 13:9-10,12)
o Some more proverbs from Solomon
o Proverbs entitled "sayings of the wise"'
o The sayings of Agur
o The sayings of King Lemuel
o The beginning of Ecclesiastes, where Solomon, the wisest man ever, looks for meaning in life
Some thoughts that occurred to me:
There are a number of main themes through the readings:
Love justice and do not be deceitful, because this is the character of God – 20:23; 22:22-23,28; 23:10-11; 24:15-16,17-18,23-25,28-29; 27:10; 28:3,5,21; 29:7,23,26,27; 31:8-9
God hears our prayers and has our future in his hands - 20:24; 21:30; 22:12; 28:26
Purity and humility of heart are to be treasured and pursued, as God knows our hearts - 20:27, 21:2,3,4,12,27; 24:12; 28:9,13; 29:23
The need for godly and righteous government - 20:28; 25-4-5; 28:2,12,15,16,28; 29:2,4,12,14; 31:4
Welcome discipline and correction, as it is for your own good – 20:30; 21:11; 22:6,15; 23-13-14; 25:12; 26:3; 27:5,6,17; 28:23; 29:1,15,17,18,21
The moral shortcomings of being lazy - 21:5,25; 22:13; 24:30-34; 26:13,14,15,16; 28:19; 31:17
Watch your tongue – 21:6,9,23,24,28; 24:9; 25:9-10,18,23; 26:18-19,20,22,24-25,28; 27:1; 29:5,20; 30:10,33
Be generous – 21:13,26; 22:9; 23:6-8; 25:21-22; 28:27; 31:20
The dangers of too much food and drink - 21:17; 23:1-3,20,29-35; 25:16,27; 31:4-7
Better to follow and trust in God than to have all that the world can offer – 21:9,19; 23:4-5,17-18; 24:19-20; 25:24
Being rewarded by God as opposed to ill-gotten gains, don't envy other people - 21:21; 22:1,4,16; 24:1; 28:6,20,22
The words of the godly – 22:11; 24:16; 25:11,13,15; 31:26
Control your temper and do not be hot-headed - 22:24; 29:12,22
Honour your parents - 23:24-26; 28:24; 20:11-14,17
Prov 20:25 reminds me of Jephthah (Jdg 11:30). I was also reminded of Deut 29:29 by 20:24 and 25:2-3. Prov 25:20 - cf Rom 12:15, and 25:21-22 is repeated in Rom 12:20
Can anyone explain what we should make of Prov 26:4-5?
27:21 really made me stop and think "Fire tests the purity of silver and gold, / but a person is tested by being praised." Also, 29:25 "fearing people is a dangerous trap, but trusting the Lord means safety."
Ch 30 is wonderful - I think Agur's prayer in v7-9 is so wise - never to tell a lie, and pray to have just enough to meet our needs. But I love v4 - "Who but God goes up to heaven and comes back down? / Who holds the wind in his fists? / Who wraps up the oceans in his cloak? / Who has created the whole wide world? / What is his name—and his son’s name? / Tell me if you know!" What is his name? What is his son's name? At this Christmas time, we know the answer - JESUS!!!!
As Miriam pointed out, all the sayings about the wise woman are from King Lemuel's mother!!!
Moving on to Ecclesiastes, we have to remember that this is written by the wisest man who ever lived (1 Ki 3:12). Reading these two chapters, I was reminded of the Truman Show, and the knowledge of an enclosed world, while outside of it is a greater power, controlling it, who has all the answers that we on the inside lack. It is only when we leave the closed world of our limited humanity, that we will understand more fully what God has planned for us all along (1 Cor 13:9-10,12)
Sunday, 16 December 2007
Day 46 - Proverbs 7:1 - Proverbs 20:21
In today’s section, we read from Proverbs 7:1 to 20:21
Some thoughts that struck me today:
The style changes after chapter 9 from allegorical and metaphorical poetry to pithy aphorisms. Chapter 10 also are subtitled “The Proverbs of Solomon”. This makes me ask who wrote ch 1-9?
From ch7-9, one theme was that wisdom is not hard to find if we look, but we choose instead to go our own way. 8:9 - My words are plain to anyone with understanding, / clear to those with knowledge.” 8:17 “I love all who love me. / Those who search will surely find me.” Another theme is the benefits of wisdom, but they are only found after long and consistent application – 8:34-35 “Joyful are those who listen to me, / watching for me daily at my gates, / waiting for me outside my home! / For whoever finds me finds life / and receives favour from the Lord.” Also 11:27 “If you search for good, you will find favour.”
There are a number of main themes through the readings, which I’ll comment on below.
Welcome correction, as it is for your own good – 9:9; 10:10,17; 12:1; 13:1,13,18,24; 15:5,10,12,31,32; 16:20,22; 17:10,16; 18:15; 19:8,18,20,25,27
Better to follow and trust in God than to have all that the world can offer – 10:2,25,29; 11:4,19,28; 12:9; 13:20; 15:16,17; 16:8,16,19; 17:1; 19:1,22
The moral shortcomings of being lazy - 10:4,5,26; 12:11,14,24,27; 13:4; 14:23; 15:19; 18:9; 19:15,24; 20:4,13
Watch your tongue – 10:6,8,14,18,19,31,32; 11:9,11,12,13; 12:18,19,22,23; 13:3,5,16; 14:3,5,7,9,21,25; 15:1,2,4,23,28; 16:27,28; 17:4,5,7,9,14,19,20,28; 18:2,6,8,13,19,21; 19:9; 20:6,14,19,20
The words of the godly – 10:11,13,21,31,32; 11:9; 12:6; 12:18,19,22,25,26; 13:2,3,14; 14:5,25; 15:1,2,7,23; 16:13,21,23,24; 17:9,27; 18:4,20; 20:15
I was struck that when God gives us a blessing, there is no sorrow with is (10:22,24,28; 11:18), whereas when we acquire things for ourselves, seemingly by our own efforts, there are problems, and we cannot enjoy our ill-gotten gains (10:24; 13:11; 18:11; 20:17,21).
Love justice and do not be deceitful, because this is the character of God – 11:1,3,5; 12:2,17; 14:31; 15:8,9,25,26; 16:5,11; 17:5,15,23,26; 18:5; 19:5,28; 20:10
Knowledge of God leads to humility, with humility comes wisdom (cf Nu 12:3 “Now Moses was very humble—more humble than any other person on earth”) – 11:2; 15:33; 16:8; 18:12
Be generous – 11:24,25,26; 14:21; 18:16; 19:17
Control your temper and do not be hot-headed – 12:16; 14:17,29; 15:18; 16:32; 17:27; 19:11,19
A couple of beautiful images:
A fountain of life – 10:11; 13:14; 14:27; 16:22
A tree of life – 11:30; 13:12; 15:4
God hears our prayers and has our future in his hands – 15:29; 16:1,3,4,9,33; 19:14,21,23
16:6 “Unfailing love and faithfulness make atonement for sin.”
Some thoughts that struck me today:
The style changes after chapter 9 from allegorical and metaphorical poetry to pithy aphorisms. Chapter 10 also are subtitled “The Proverbs of Solomon”. This makes me ask who wrote ch 1-9?
From ch7-9, one theme was that wisdom is not hard to find if we look, but we choose instead to go our own way. 8:9 - My words are plain to anyone with understanding, / clear to those with knowledge.” 8:17 “I love all who love me. / Those who search will surely find me.” Another theme is the benefits of wisdom, but they are only found after long and consistent application – 8:34-35 “Joyful are those who listen to me, / watching for me daily at my gates, / waiting for me outside my home! / For whoever finds me finds life / and receives favour from the Lord.” Also 11:27 “If you search for good, you will find favour.”
There are a number of main themes through the readings, which I’ll comment on below.
Welcome correction, as it is for your own good – 9:9; 10:10,17; 12:1; 13:1,13,18,24; 15:5,10,12,31,32; 16:20,22; 17:10,16; 18:15; 19:8,18,20,25,27
Better to follow and trust in God than to have all that the world can offer – 10:2,25,29; 11:4,19,28; 12:9; 13:20; 15:16,17; 16:8,16,19; 17:1; 19:1,22
The moral shortcomings of being lazy - 10:4,5,26; 12:11,14,24,27; 13:4; 14:23; 15:19; 18:9; 19:15,24; 20:4,13
Watch your tongue – 10:6,8,14,18,19,31,32; 11:9,11,12,13; 12:18,19,22,23; 13:3,5,16; 14:3,5,7,9,21,25; 15:1,2,4,23,28; 16:27,28; 17:4,5,7,9,14,19,20,28; 18:2,6,8,13,19,21; 19:9; 20:6,14,19,20
The words of the godly – 10:11,13,21,31,32; 11:9; 12:6; 12:18,19,22,25,26; 13:2,3,14; 14:5,25; 15:1,2,7,23; 16:13,21,23,24; 17:9,27; 18:4,20; 20:15
I was struck that when God gives us a blessing, there is no sorrow with is (10:22,24,28; 11:18), whereas when we acquire things for ourselves, seemingly by our own efforts, there are problems, and we cannot enjoy our ill-gotten gains (10:24; 13:11; 18:11; 20:17,21).
Love justice and do not be deceitful, because this is the character of God – 11:1,3,5; 12:2,17; 14:31; 15:8,9,25,26; 16:5,11; 17:5,15,23,26; 18:5; 19:5,28; 20:10
Knowledge of God leads to humility, with humility comes wisdom (cf Nu 12:3 “Now Moses was very humble—more humble than any other person on earth”) – 11:2; 15:33; 16:8; 18:12
Be generous – 11:24,25,26; 14:21; 18:16; 19:17
Control your temper and do not be hot-headed – 12:16; 14:17,29; 15:18; 16:32; 17:27; 19:11,19
A couple of beautiful images:
A fountain of life – 10:11; 13:14; 14:27; 16:22
A tree of life – 11:30; 13:12; 15:4
God hears our prayers and has our future in his hands – 15:29; 16:1,3,4,9,33; 19:14,21,23
16:6 “Unfailing love and faithfulness make atonement for sin.”
Saturday, 15 December 2007
Day 45 - Psalms 135:1 - Proverbs 6:35
In today’s section, we read:
Psalm 135-150
The purpose of proverbs
The benefits of wisdom and trusting God
Practical advice from a father to his sons
Some thoughts that occurred to me today:
Again we see the psalms are used to remind God’s people of what He has done in their history (135:8-12; 136:10-22)
Today we see these names for God
Our refuge (141:8; 142:5)
Our rock (144:1)
Our loving ally (144:2)
Our fortress (144:2)
Our tower of safety (144:2)
Our rescuer (144:2)
Our shield (144:2)
Ps 135 (praise the Lord, He is great) – v13-14 “Your name, O Lord, endures forever; / your fame, O Lord, is known to every generation. / For the Lord will give justice to his people / and have compassion on his servants.”
Ps 136 (give thanks to the might God, who loves his people) – v4 “Give thanks to him who alone does mighty miracles. / His faithful love endures forever.”
Ps 137 (lament for the lost Zion) – v5-6 “If I forget you, O Jerusalem, / let my right hand forget how to play the harp. / May my tongue stick to the roof of my mouth / if I fail to remember you, / if I don’t make Jerusalem my greatest joy.”
Ps 138 (thank God for his wonderful care) – v2 “your promises are backed / by all the honour of your name.” v6 “Though the Lord is great, he cares for the humble, / but he keeps his distance from the proud.” v8 “The Lord will work out his plans for my life— / for your faithful love, O Lord, endures forever. / Don’t abandon me, for you made me.”
Ps 139 (praise the omniscient, omnipotent and omnipresent God) – the mood of the psalm changes. At the beginning, it is as if the fact that God is everywhere means that there is no escape and this is too hard for us (v7). Then the realisation that “such knowledge is too wonderful for me, / too great for me to understand!” becomes a cause for rejoicing – v10 “even there your hand will guide me, / and your strength will support me.” v11-12 are the final submission and acknowledgement that there is no escape form God. And when the focus switches from us to looking at God’s handiwork, we are filled with awe – v13-16 “You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body / and knit me together in my mother’s womb. / Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! / Your workmanship is marvellous—how well I know it. / You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion, / as I was woven together in the dark of the womb. / You saw me before I was born. / Every day of my life was recorded in your book. / Every moment was laid out / before a single day had passed.” And if that wasn’t enough, v17-18 “How precious are your thoughts about me, O God. / They cannot be numbered! / I can’t even count them; / they outnumber the grains of sand! / And when I wake up, / you are still with me!” v23-24 is a prayer to continue in that knowledge. Being search in v1-2 was a problem, now that is the psalmist’s earnest desire.
Ps 140 (prayer for deliverance) – v12-13 “But I know the Lord will help those they persecute; / he will give justice to the poor. / Surely righteous people are praising your name; / the godly will live in your presence.”
Ps 141 (prayer for deliverance) – deliverance doesn’t just come from God, but also through his people, v5 “Let the godly strike me! / It will be a kindness! / If they correct me, it is soothing medicine. / Don’t let me refuse it.”
Ps 142 (prayer for deliverance) – v3 “When I am overwhelmed, / you alone know the way I should turn.” v5 “Then I pray to you, O Lord. / I say, “You are my place of refuge. / You are all I really want in life.”
Ps 143 (prayer for deliverance) – v2 cf Rom 3:23; v6 cf Ps 42:1. v4-6 “I am losing all hope; / I am paralyzed with fear. / I remember the days of old. / I ponder all your great works / and think about what you have done. / I lift my hands to you in prayer. / I thirst for you as parched land thirsts for rain.”
Ps 144 (praise the God who is good to us) – v3 cf Ps 8:4. v15 “Yes, joyful are those who live like this! / Joyful indeed are those whose God is the Lord.”
Ps 145 (let everyone praise our great God) – v4 “Let each generation tell its children of your mighty acts; / let them proclaim your power.” v8-10 “The Lord is merciful and compassionate, / slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love. / The Lord is good to everyone. / He showers compassion on all his creation. / All of your works will thank you, Lord, / and your faithful followers will praise you.” v13 “For your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom. / You rule throughout all generations. / The Lord always keeps his promises; / he is gracious in all he does.” v17 “The Lord is righteous in everything he does; / he is filled with kindness.” v18-19 “The Lord is close to all who call on him, / yes, to all who call on him in truth. / He grants the desires of those who fear him.”
Ps 146 (trust in God of justice and mercy) – v7-9 “He gives justice to the oppressed / and food to the hungry. / The Lord frees the prisoners. / The Lord opens the eyes of the blind. / The Lord lifts up those who are weighed down. / The Lord loves the godly. / The Lord protects the foreigners among us. / He cares for the orphans and widows, / but he frustrates the plans of the wicked.”
Pr 147 (praise God, the master of creation) – v5 “How great is our Lord! His power is absolute! / His understanding is beyond comprehension!” v11 “the Lord’s delight is in those who fear him, / those who put their hope in his unfailing love.”
Ps 148 (praise him, all creation) – v13-14 “Let them all praise the name of the Lord. / For his name is very great; / his glory towers over the earth and heaven! / He has made his people strong, / honouring his faithful ones— / the people of Israel who are close to him.”
Ps 149 (praise God, you his people) – “For the Lord delights in his people; / he crowns the humble with victory. / Let the faithful rejoice that he honours them. / Let them sing for joy as they lie on their beds.” Cf 1 Sa 2:30.
Ps 150 (let everything praise Him) – v6 “Let everything that breathes sing praises to the Lord!”
Moving into Proverbs, 1:2-7 sets out their purpose - to teach people wisdom and discipline, to teach them to lead disciplined and successful lives, to help them to do what is right. Proverbs is all about making the right choices, including not to be led astray by other people.
v19 “Such is the fate of all who are greedy for money; / it robs them of life.”
2:7-8 – “He grants a treasure of common sense to the honest. / He is a shield to those who walk with integrity. / He guards the paths of the just / and protects those who are faithful to him.”
v21-22 cf Rev 21:8
ch 3 is all about relying on God rather than yourself, honouring him with your best and enjoying all the benefits which come from that, even God’s discipline – v5-7 “Trust in the Lord with all your heart; / do not depend on your own understanding. / Seek his will in all you do, / and he will show you which path to take. / Don’t be impressed with your own wisdom. / Instead, fear the Lord and turn away from evil.” v11-12 “My child, don’t reject the Lord’s discipline, / and don’t be upset when he corrects you. / For the Lord corrects those he loves, / just as a father corrects a child in whom he delights” – cf Heb 12:5-6.
Wisdom is not just the passive acquisition of learning, but also involves actively doing what is right (v27-28).
4:18 – acquiring wisdom is a continuous task, not a one-off event, “The way of the righteous is like the first gleam of dawn, / which shines ever brighter until the full light of day.”
5:22-23 – “An evil man is held captive by his own sins; / they are ropes that catch and hold him. / He will die for lack of self-control; / he will be lost because of his great foolishness.”
6:6-11 is a warning against laziness “But you, lazybones, how long will you sleep? / When will you wake up? / A little extra sleep, a little more slumber, / a little folding of the hands to rest— / then poverty will pounce on you like a bandit; / scarcity will attack you like an armed robber.”
6:20, 22-23 “My son, obey your father’s commands, / … / When you walk, their counsel will lead you. / When you sleep, they will protect you. / When you wake up, they will advise you. / For their command is a lamp / and their instruction a light; / their corrective discipline / is the way to life.”
Psalm 135-150
The purpose of proverbs
The benefits of wisdom and trusting God
Practical advice from a father to his sons
Some thoughts that occurred to me today:
Again we see the psalms are used to remind God’s people of what He has done in their history (135:8-12; 136:10-22)
Today we see these names for God
Our refuge (141:8; 142:5)
Our rock (144:1)
Our loving ally (144:2)
Our fortress (144:2)
Our tower of safety (144:2)
Our rescuer (144:2)
Our shield (144:2)
Ps 135 (praise the Lord, He is great) – v13-14 “Your name, O Lord, endures forever; / your fame, O Lord, is known to every generation. / For the Lord will give justice to his people / and have compassion on his servants.”
Ps 136 (give thanks to the might God, who loves his people) – v4 “Give thanks to him who alone does mighty miracles. / His faithful love endures forever.”
Ps 137 (lament for the lost Zion) – v5-6 “If I forget you, O Jerusalem, / let my right hand forget how to play the harp. / May my tongue stick to the roof of my mouth / if I fail to remember you, / if I don’t make Jerusalem my greatest joy.”
Ps 138 (thank God for his wonderful care) – v2 “your promises are backed / by all the honour of your name.” v6 “Though the Lord is great, he cares for the humble, / but he keeps his distance from the proud.” v8 “The Lord will work out his plans for my life— / for your faithful love, O Lord, endures forever. / Don’t abandon me, for you made me.”
Ps 139 (praise the omniscient, omnipotent and omnipresent God) – the mood of the psalm changes. At the beginning, it is as if the fact that God is everywhere means that there is no escape and this is too hard for us (v7). Then the realisation that “such knowledge is too wonderful for me, / too great for me to understand!” becomes a cause for rejoicing – v10 “even there your hand will guide me, / and your strength will support me.” v11-12 are the final submission and acknowledgement that there is no escape form God. And when the focus switches from us to looking at God’s handiwork, we are filled with awe – v13-16 “You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body / and knit me together in my mother’s womb. / Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! / Your workmanship is marvellous—how well I know it. / You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion, / as I was woven together in the dark of the womb. / You saw me before I was born. / Every day of my life was recorded in your book. / Every moment was laid out / before a single day had passed.” And if that wasn’t enough, v17-18 “How precious are your thoughts about me, O God. / They cannot be numbered! / I can’t even count them; / they outnumber the grains of sand! / And when I wake up, / you are still with me!” v23-24 is a prayer to continue in that knowledge. Being search in v1-2 was a problem, now that is the psalmist’s earnest desire.
Ps 140 (prayer for deliverance) – v12-13 “But I know the Lord will help those they persecute; / he will give justice to the poor. / Surely righteous people are praising your name; / the godly will live in your presence.”
Ps 141 (prayer for deliverance) – deliverance doesn’t just come from God, but also through his people, v5 “Let the godly strike me! / It will be a kindness! / If they correct me, it is soothing medicine. / Don’t let me refuse it.”
Ps 142 (prayer for deliverance) – v3 “When I am overwhelmed, / you alone know the way I should turn.” v5 “Then I pray to you, O Lord. / I say, “You are my place of refuge. / You are all I really want in life.”
Ps 143 (prayer for deliverance) – v2 cf Rom 3:23; v6 cf Ps 42:1. v4-6 “I am losing all hope; / I am paralyzed with fear. / I remember the days of old. / I ponder all your great works / and think about what you have done. / I lift my hands to you in prayer. / I thirst for you as parched land thirsts for rain.”
Ps 144 (praise the God who is good to us) – v3 cf Ps 8:4. v15 “Yes, joyful are those who live like this! / Joyful indeed are those whose God is the Lord.”
Ps 145 (let everyone praise our great God) – v4 “Let each generation tell its children of your mighty acts; / let them proclaim your power.” v8-10 “The Lord is merciful and compassionate, / slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love. / The Lord is good to everyone. / He showers compassion on all his creation. / All of your works will thank you, Lord, / and your faithful followers will praise you.” v13 “For your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom. / You rule throughout all generations. / The Lord always keeps his promises; / he is gracious in all he does.” v17 “The Lord is righteous in everything he does; / he is filled with kindness.” v18-19 “The Lord is close to all who call on him, / yes, to all who call on him in truth. / He grants the desires of those who fear him.”
Ps 146 (trust in God of justice and mercy) – v7-9 “He gives justice to the oppressed / and food to the hungry. / The Lord frees the prisoners. / The Lord opens the eyes of the blind. / The Lord lifts up those who are weighed down. / The Lord loves the godly. / The Lord protects the foreigners among us. / He cares for the orphans and widows, / but he frustrates the plans of the wicked.”
Pr 147 (praise God, the master of creation) – v5 “How great is our Lord! His power is absolute! / His understanding is beyond comprehension!” v11 “the Lord’s delight is in those who fear him, / those who put their hope in his unfailing love.”
Ps 148 (praise him, all creation) – v13-14 “Let them all praise the name of the Lord. / For his name is very great; / his glory towers over the earth and heaven! / He has made his people strong, / honouring his faithful ones— / the people of Israel who are close to him.”
Ps 149 (praise God, you his people) – “For the Lord delights in his people; / he crowns the humble with victory. / Let the faithful rejoice that he honours them. / Let them sing for joy as they lie on their beds.” Cf 1 Sa 2:30.
Ps 150 (let everything praise Him) – v6 “Let everything that breathes sing praises to the Lord!”
Moving into Proverbs, 1:2-7 sets out their purpose - to teach people wisdom and discipline, to teach them to lead disciplined and successful lives, to help them to do what is right. Proverbs is all about making the right choices, including not to be led astray by other people.
v19 “Such is the fate of all who are greedy for money; / it robs them of life.”
2:7-8 – “He grants a treasure of common sense to the honest. / He is a shield to those who walk with integrity. / He guards the paths of the just / and protects those who are faithful to him.”
v21-22 cf Rev 21:8
ch 3 is all about relying on God rather than yourself, honouring him with your best and enjoying all the benefits which come from that, even God’s discipline – v5-7 “Trust in the Lord with all your heart; / do not depend on your own understanding. / Seek his will in all you do, / and he will show you which path to take. / Don’t be impressed with your own wisdom. / Instead, fear the Lord and turn away from evil.” v11-12 “My child, don’t reject the Lord’s discipline, / and don’t be upset when he corrects you. / For the Lord corrects those he loves, / just as a father corrects a child in whom he delights” – cf Heb 12:5-6.
Wisdom is not just the passive acquisition of learning, but also involves actively doing what is right (v27-28).
4:18 – acquiring wisdom is a continuous task, not a one-off event, “The way of the righteous is like the first gleam of dawn, / which shines ever brighter until the full light of day.”
5:22-23 – “An evil man is held captive by his own sins; / they are ropes that catch and hold him. / He will die for lack of self-control; / he will be lost because of his great foolishness.”
6:6-11 is a warning against laziness “But you, lazybones, how long will you sleep? / When will you wake up? / A little extra sleep, a little more slumber, / a little folding of the hands to rest— / then poverty will pounce on you like a bandit; / scarcity will attack you like an armed robber.”
6:20, 22-23 “My son, obey your father’s commands, / … / When you walk, their counsel will lead you. / When you sleep, they will protect you. / When you wake up, they will advise you. / For their command is a lamp / and their instruction a light; / their corrective discipline / is the way to life.”
Friday, 14 December 2007
Day 44 - Psalms 109:1 - 134:3
In today’s section, we read psalms 109-134, so we read both the longest and the shortest chapters in the bible in quick succession.
Here are some of my thoughts.
There were a series of verses that seem prophetic of Jesus and some are quoted in the New Testament (109:4,6; 110:1; 118:22,26; 119:99; 130:8; 132:11)
Today we see these names for God
Our helper (115:9,10,11; 119:114)
Our shield (115:9,10,11; 119:114)
Our strength (118:14)
Our song (118:14)
Ps 109 (a prayer for deliverance) – v4 is an example of what Jesus experienced “I love them, but they try to destroy me with accusations / even as I am praying for them!” v30-31 “But I will give repeated thanks to the Lord, / praising him to everyone. / For he stands beside the needy, / ready to save them from those who condemn them.”
Ps 110 (praise the God who judges) – v1 cf Heb 1:13; v4 cf Heb 7:21. v3 “your strength will be renewed each day like the morning dew” is a good reminder that we a reliant on God from day to day.
Ps 111 (praise the God who loves his people) – v2-3 “How amazing are the deeds of the Lord! / All who delight in him should ponder them. / Everything he does reveals his glory and majesty. / His righteousness never fails.” v7 “All he does is just and good, / and all his commandments are trustworthy.” v9 “He has paid a full ransom for his people. / He has guaranteed his covenant with them forever. / What a holy, awe-inspiring name he has!”
Ps 112 (praise the God who looks after the godly) – v4 “Light shines in the darkness for the godly. / They are generous, compassionate, and righteous.” v9 is a real challenge to me: yes, this is what I want, but at what cost, and how do I arrive there – what is my focus?
Ps 113 (praise God the glorious one) – v7 was also 1 Sa 2:7 “He lifts the poor from the dust / and the needy from the garbage dump. / He sets them among princes, / even the princes of his own people! / He gives the childless woman a family, / making her a happy mother.”
Ps 114 (how mighty is God) – I love the description here in v3 “The Red Sea saw them coming and hurried out of their way! / The water of the Jordan River turned away.”
Ps 115 (praise God, our helper and shield) – v1 “Not to us, O Lord, not to us, / but to your name goes all the glory / for your unfailing love and faithfulness.” v11 “All you who fear the Lord, trust the Lord! / He is your helper and your shield.” v16 “The heavens belong to the Lord, / but he has given the earth to all humanity.”
Ps 116 (praise the God who saves) – v5-6 “How kind the Lord is! How good he is! / So merciful, this God of ours! / The Lord protects those of childlike faith.” v12 “What can I offer the Lord / for all he has done for me?”
Ps 117 (praise the God of unfailing love) – v2 “he loves us with unfailing love; / the Lord’s faithfulness endures forever.”
Ps 118 (praise the triumphant God) – v7-8 “Yes, the Lord is for me; he will help me. / I will look in triumph at those who hate me. / It is better to take refuge in the Lord / than to trust in people.” v17 “will not die; instead, I will live / to tell what the Lord has done.” v22 cf 1 Pet 2:7; v26 cf Mk 11:9. v29 “Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good! / His faithful love endures forever.”
Ps 119 (thank God for his word which is light and life) – the basic theme of this psalm is how the psalmist wants to know and obey God’s word with his whole being. It is a prayer of longing to know God’s law more, because of the effect it has. Some of the connections are interesting – v7 “As I learn your righteous regulations, / I will thank you by living as I should!” This is how we show our thanks to God, by living in obedience. v9 “How can a young person stay pure? / By obeying your word.” v29 “Keep me from lying to myself”. v36-37 “Give me an eagerness for your laws / rather than a love for money! / Turn my eyes from worthless things, / and give me life through your word.” v46 “I will speak to kings (and MEPs!) about your laws, / and I will not be ashamed.” v61 – those who are firmly rooted in the word can resist the blandishments of sin. v68 “You are good and do only good.” Suffering in itself is not good, but God can work good through it v71 “My suffering was good for me, / for it taught me to pay attention to your decrees.” v78 cf Rom 12:19, in that we should concentrate on leading godly lives, and leave the judgement of others to God. v89-91 are a reminder of the timeless nature of God. v99 cf Lk 2:47 (Jesus at the Temple when 12 years old). v104-105 “Your commandments give me understanding; / no wonder I hate every false way of life. / Your word is a lamp to guide my feet / and a light for my path.” v131 cf 42:1. v136, 158 – do we have this sense of anguish and hurt when people reject God? v143 “As pressure and stress bear down on me, / I find joy in your commands.” v151”but you are near, O Lord.” v162 “I rejoice in your word / like one who discovers a great treasure.” And then it ends with a prayer, v176 “I have wandered away like a lost sheep; / come and find me, / for I have not forgotten your commands.”
Ps 120-134 are psalms that people sang as they went up to Jerusalem to celebrate one of the festivals, hence the name the Song of Ascent.
Ps 120 (prayer for God’s peace) – v1 “I took my troubles to the Lord; / I cried out to him, and he answered my prayer.”
Ps 121 (praise the God who keeps us safe) - v3 “He will not let you stumble; / the one who watches over you will not slumber.” v8 “The Lord keeps watch over you as you come and go, / both now and forever.”
Ps 122 (pray for the peace of Jerusalem) – v6 “Pray for peace in Jerusalem. / May all who love this city prosper.”
Ps 123 (a prayer waiting on the Lord) – v2 “We keep looking to the Lord our God for his mercy, / just as servants keep their eyes on their master, / as a slave girl watches her mistress for the slightest signal.”
Ps 124 (praise the God who rescues us) – v1 “What if the Lord had not been on our side?”
Ps 125 (prayer for God’s justice) – v4 “O Lord, do good to those who are good, / whose hearts are in tune with you.”
Ps 126 (praise the God who restores our fortunes) – v2 “And the other nations said, / “What amazing things the Lord has done for them.””
Ps 127 (trust in God) – v1 “Unless the Lord builds a house, / the work of the builders is wasted. / Unless the Lord protects a city, / guarding it with sentries will do no good.”
Ps 128 (praise the God who makes us prosper) – v3 “Your wife will be like a fruitful grapevine, / flourishing within your home. / Your children will be like vigorous young olive trees / as they sit around your table.”
Ps 129 (prayer for judgement on those who despise God’s people) – v4 “But the Lord is good; / he has cut me free from the ropes of the ungodly.”
Ps 130 (trust in God alone) – v3-4 “Lord, if you kept a record of our sins, / who, O Lord, could ever survive? / But you offer forgiveness, / that we might learn to fear you.” V8 cf Lk 1:68
Ps 131 (have a right view of God) –v1 is a living out of Deut 29:29 “Lord, my heart is not proud; / my eyes are not haughty. / I don’t concern myself with matters too great / or too awesome for me to grasp. / Instead, I have calmed and quieted myself.”
Ps 132 (prayer for God to remember his promise to David) – v11 “The Lord swore an oath to David / with a promise he will never take back: / “I will place one of your descendants / on your throne.” v17-18 “Here I will increase the power of David; / my anointed one will be a light for my people. / I will clothe his enemies with shame, / but he will be a glorious king.”
Ps 133 (live in unity) – v3 “And there the Lord has pronounced his blessing, / even life everlasting.”
Ps 134 (praise God) – v3 “May the Lord, who made heaven and earth, / bless you from Jerusalem.”
Here are some of my thoughts.
There were a series of verses that seem prophetic of Jesus and some are quoted in the New Testament (109:4,6; 110:1; 118:22,26; 119:99; 130:8; 132:11)
Today we see these names for God
Our helper (115:9,10,11; 119:114)
Our shield (115:9,10,11; 119:114)
Our strength (118:14)
Our song (118:14)
Ps 109 (a prayer for deliverance) – v4 is an example of what Jesus experienced “I love them, but they try to destroy me with accusations / even as I am praying for them!” v30-31 “But I will give repeated thanks to the Lord, / praising him to everyone. / For he stands beside the needy, / ready to save them from those who condemn them.”
Ps 110 (praise the God who judges) – v1 cf Heb 1:13; v4 cf Heb 7:21. v3 “your strength will be renewed each day like the morning dew” is a good reminder that we a reliant on God from day to day.
Ps 111 (praise the God who loves his people) – v2-3 “How amazing are the deeds of the Lord! / All who delight in him should ponder them. / Everything he does reveals his glory and majesty. / His righteousness never fails.” v7 “All he does is just and good, / and all his commandments are trustworthy.” v9 “He has paid a full ransom for his people. / He has guaranteed his covenant with them forever. / What a holy, awe-inspiring name he has!”
Ps 112 (praise the God who looks after the godly) – v4 “Light shines in the darkness for the godly. / They are generous, compassionate, and righteous.” v9 is a real challenge to me: yes, this is what I want, but at what cost, and how do I arrive there – what is my focus?
Ps 113 (praise God the glorious one) – v7 was also 1 Sa 2:7 “He lifts the poor from the dust / and the needy from the garbage dump. / He sets them among princes, / even the princes of his own people! / He gives the childless woman a family, / making her a happy mother.”
Ps 114 (how mighty is God) – I love the description here in v3 “The Red Sea saw them coming and hurried out of their way! / The water of the Jordan River turned away.”
Ps 115 (praise God, our helper and shield) – v1 “Not to us, O Lord, not to us, / but to your name goes all the glory / for your unfailing love and faithfulness.” v11 “All you who fear the Lord, trust the Lord! / He is your helper and your shield.” v16 “The heavens belong to the Lord, / but he has given the earth to all humanity.”
Ps 116 (praise the God who saves) – v5-6 “How kind the Lord is! How good he is! / So merciful, this God of ours! / The Lord protects those of childlike faith.” v12 “What can I offer the Lord / for all he has done for me?”
Ps 117 (praise the God of unfailing love) – v2 “he loves us with unfailing love; / the Lord’s faithfulness endures forever.”
Ps 118 (praise the triumphant God) – v7-8 “Yes, the Lord is for me; he will help me. / I will look in triumph at those who hate me. / It is better to take refuge in the Lord / than to trust in people.” v17 “will not die; instead, I will live / to tell what the Lord has done.” v22 cf 1 Pet 2:7; v26 cf Mk 11:9. v29 “Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good! / His faithful love endures forever.”
Ps 119 (thank God for his word which is light and life) – the basic theme of this psalm is how the psalmist wants to know and obey God’s word with his whole being. It is a prayer of longing to know God’s law more, because of the effect it has. Some of the connections are interesting – v7 “As I learn your righteous regulations, / I will thank you by living as I should!” This is how we show our thanks to God, by living in obedience. v9 “How can a young person stay pure? / By obeying your word.” v29 “Keep me from lying to myself”. v36-37 “Give me an eagerness for your laws / rather than a love for money! / Turn my eyes from worthless things, / and give me life through your word.” v46 “I will speak to kings (and MEPs!) about your laws, / and I will not be ashamed.” v61 – those who are firmly rooted in the word can resist the blandishments of sin. v68 “You are good and do only good.” Suffering in itself is not good, but God can work good through it v71 “My suffering was good for me, / for it taught me to pay attention to your decrees.” v78 cf Rom 12:19, in that we should concentrate on leading godly lives, and leave the judgement of others to God. v89-91 are a reminder of the timeless nature of God. v99 cf Lk 2:47 (Jesus at the Temple when 12 years old). v104-105 “Your commandments give me understanding; / no wonder I hate every false way of life. / Your word is a lamp to guide my feet / and a light for my path.” v131 cf 42:1. v136, 158 – do we have this sense of anguish and hurt when people reject God? v143 “As pressure and stress bear down on me, / I find joy in your commands.” v151”but you are near, O Lord.” v162 “I rejoice in your word / like one who discovers a great treasure.” And then it ends with a prayer, v176 “I have wandered away like a lost sheep; / come and find me, / for I have not forgotten your commands.”
Ps 120-134 are psalms that people sang as they went up to Jerusalem to celebrate one of the festivals, hence the name the Song of Ascent.
Ps 120 (prayer for God’s peace) – v1 “I took my troubles to the Lord; / I cried out to him, and he answered my prayer.”
Ps 121 (praise the God who keeps us safe) - v3 “He will not let you stumble; / the one who watches over you will not slumber.” v8 “The Lord keeps watch over you as you come and go, / both now and forever.”
Ps 122 (pray for the peace of Jerusalem) – v6 “Pray for peace in Jerusalem. / May all who love this city prosper.”
Ps 123 (a prayer waiting on the Lord) – v2 “We keep looking to the Lord our God for his mercy, / just as servants keep their eyes on their master, / as a slave girl watches her mistress for the slightest signal.”
Ps 124 (praise the God who rescues us) – v1 “What if the Lord had not been on our side?”
Ps 125 (prayer for God’s justice) – v4 “O Lord, do good to those who are good, / whose hearts are in tune with you.”
Ps 126 (praise the God who restores our fortunes) – v2 “And the other nations said, / “What amazing things the Lord has done for them.””
Ps 127 (trust in God) – v1 “Unless the Lord builds a house, / the work of the builders is wasted. / Unless the Lord protects a city, / guarding it with sentries will do no good.”
Ps 128 (praise the God who makes us prosper) – v3 “Your wife will be like a fruitful grapevine, / flourishing within your home. / Your children will be like vigorous young olive trees / as they sit around your table.”
Ps 129 (prayer for judgement on those who despise God’s people) – v4 “But the Lord is good; / he has cut me free from the ropes of the ungodly.”
Ps 130 (trust in God alone) – v3-4 “Lord, if you kept a record of our sins, / who, O Lord, could ever survive? / But you offer forgiveness, / that we might learn to fear you.” V8 cf Lk 1:68
Ps 131 (have a right view of God) –v1 is a living out of Deut 29:29 “Lord, my heart is not proud; / my eyes are not haughty. / I don’t concern myself with matters too great / or too awesome for me to grasp. / Instead, I have calmed and quieted myself.”
Ps 132 (prayer for God to remember his promise to David) – v11 “The Lord swore an oath to David / with a promise he will never take back: / “I will place one of your descendants / on your throne.” v17-18 “Here I will increase the power of David; / my anointed one will be a light for my people. / I will clothe his enemies with shame, / but he will be a glorious king.”
Ps 133 (live in unity) – v3 “And there the Lord has pronounced his blessing, / even life everlasting.”
Ps 134 (praise God) – v3 “May the Lord, who made heaven and earth, / bless you from Jerusalem.”
Thursday, 13 December 2007
Day 43 - Psalms 90:1 - 108:13
In today’s section, we read Psalm 90-108
Some thoughts from today:
There seemed to be a couple of main themes to today's selection of the Psalms. The main one was the way in which Israel was urged to remember everything God had done for them, and how He had remembered the Covenant even if Israel did not (91, 95, 103, 105, 106, 107). The second theme was that God is an awesome creator, the splendour of his creation overwhelms us. At the same time, He is the righteous judge of all the world (95, 96, 97, 98, 104). And a third was the timeless and eternal nature of God compared with the transience of people. (90, 102)
Today, we see these names for God:
Our home (90:1)
Our refuge (91:2;9)
Our place of safety (9:2)
Our shield (91:4)
Our rampart (91:4)
Our rock (92:15; 94:22; 95:1)
The king (93:1; 95:3)
Judge of the earth (94:2)
My fortress (94:22)
Our father (103:13)
Ps 90 (a prayer for God's blessing) - this is a psalm by Moses, yet the message is the same as those David, 400 years later. The main message of this psalm is the timelessness of God, and the ephemeral nature of man. v4 "For a thousand years in your sight / are like a day that has just gone by, / or like a watch in the night." v12 "Teach us to number our days aright, / that we may gain a heart of wisdom."
Ps 91 (praise God for his goodness to us in times of trouble) - this psalms speaks of God's protective love for us form all our troubles. v4 "He will cover you with his feathers, / and under his wings you will find refuge; / his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart." v9-10 "If you make the Most High your dwelling— / even the LORD, who is my refuge- / then no harm will befall you". v11 is quoted by Satan to Jesus during the temptation (Lk 4:9-11). The we get God's wonderful promise in v14-16 ""Because he loves me," says the LORD, "I will rescue him; / I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name. / He will call upon me, and I will answer him; / I will be with him in trouble, / I will deliver him and honour him. / With long life will I satisfy him / and show him my salvation."
Ps 92 (praise the God of unfailing love) - I like v6 which says only a fool cannot understand the goodness of God. Yet God's wisdom in not human wisdom, but in his grace, he has chosen to give us understanding. v12-15"The righteous will flourish like a palm tree, / they will grow like a cedar of Lebanon; / planted in the house of the LORD, / they will flourish in the courts of our God. / They will still bear fruit in old age, / they will stay fresh and green, / proclaiming, "The LORD is upright; / he is my Rock, and there is no wickedness in him."
Ps 93 (praise the Lord above all) - v4-5 "But mightier than the violent raging of the seas, / mightier than the breakers on the shore— / the Lord above is mightier than these! / Your royal laws cannot be changed. / Your reign, O Lord, is holy forever and ever."
Ps 94 (praise the God who judges) - v14-15 "The Lord will not reject his people; / he will not abandon his special possession. / Judgment will again be founded on justice, / and those with virtuous hearts will pursue it."
Ps 95 (praise the mighty God) - v6-7 "Come, let us worship and bow down. / Let us kneel before the Lord our maker, / for he is our God. / We are the people he watches over, / the flock under his care."
Ps 96 (tell everyone about the wonder of God) - v2 "Sing to the Lord; praise his name. / Each day proclaim the good news that he saves." v13 "He is coming to judge the earth. / He will judge the world with justice, / and the nations with his truth."
Ps 97 (rejoice in the mighty God) - v2 "Righteousness and justice are the foundation of his throne." v7 "Those who worship idols are disgraced— / all who brag about their worthless gods— / for every god must bow to him." v11-12 "Light shines on the godly, / and joy on those whose hearts are right. / May all who are godly rejoice in the Lord / and praise his holy name!"
Ps 98 (praise the righteous God who judges) - v3 "He has remembered his promise to love and be faithful to Israel. / The ends of the earth have seen the victory of our God." v9 "For the Lord is coming to judge the earth. / He will judge the world with justice, / and the nations with fairness."
Ps 99 (praise the just God who answers prayer) - v4 "Mighty King, lover of justice, / you have established fairness. / You have acted with justice / and righteousness throughout Israel." v8 "O Lord our God, you answered them. / You were a forgiving God to them, / but you punished them when they went wrong."
Ps 100 - (praise the Lord, our God) - v3 "Acknowledge that the Lord is God! / He made us, and we are his. / We are his people, the sheep of his pasture." v5" For the Lord is good. / His unfailing love continues forever, / and his faithfulness continues to each generation."
Ps 101 (a prayer of commitment to live a holy life) - v8 "My daily task will be to ferret out the wicked / and free the city of the Lord from their grip."
Ps 102 (a prayer for God's help) - I like the perspective of the timelessness of God - v18 "Let this be recorded for future generations, / so that a people not yet born will praise the Lord." v27 "But you are always the same; / you will live forever."
Ps 103 (praise our amazing God) - v2 "Let all that I am praise the Lord; / may I never forget the good things he does for me." v3-5 "He forgives all my sins / and heals all my diseases. / He redeems me from death / and crowns me with love and tender mercies. / He fills my life with good things. / My youth is renewed like the eagle’s!" v8-9 "The Lord is compassionate and merciful, / slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love. / He will not constantly accuse us, / nor remain angry forever." v11-13 "For his unfailing love toward those who fear him / is as great as the height of the heavens above the earth. / He has removed our sins as far from us / as the east is from the west. / The Lord is like a father to his children, / tender and compassionate to those who fear him." v17-18 "But the love of the Lord remains forever / with those who fear him. / His salvation extends to the children’s children / of those who are faithful to his covenant, / of those who obey his commandments!"
Ps 104 (praise the creator) - v5 "You placed the world on its foundation / so it would never be moved." v24 "O Lord, what a variety of things you have made! / In wisdom you have made them all. / The earth is full of your creatures."
Ps 105 (praise God for his faithfulness) - v7-8 "He is the Lord our God. / His justice is seen throughout the land. / He always stands by his covenant— / the commitment he made to a thousand generations." v19 intrigued me "Until the time came to fulfil his dreams, / the Lord tested Joseph’s character." What was the purpose of all God's wonders against Egypt and his care in the wilderness? v45 "All this happened so they would follow his decrees / and obey his instructions." There is a purpose to God's grace and mercy. Don't waste it like Samson!!
Ps 106 (praise the God who is faithful even when we are not) - This psalm reads like Psalm 105 pt II, taking up the story of the Exodus, but highlighting the rebellion of the Israelites. Fortunately, v23"But Moses, his chosen one, stepped between the Lord and the people." Like Job, we need a mediator, and God has given us the perfect One, Jesus Christ to be that mediator for us forever. v43-45 is a good summary - "Again and again he rescued them, / but they chose to rebel against him, / and they were finally destroyed by their sin. / Even so, he pitied them in their distress / and listened to their cries. / He remembered his covenant with them / and relented because of his unfailing love."
Ps 107 (praise the Lord who has saved time and again) - v2 is a straightforward challenge, but how often do we flunk it? "Has the Lord redeemed you? Then speak out!" The psalm then talks of various people who cried out and were rescued, even though they were sinners. The message is simple - remember!!! v43"Those who are wise will take all this to heart; / they will see in our history the faithful love of the Lord."
Ps 108 (praise the God who is faithful) - v8-9 are the same as 60:6-7. v12-13 "all human help is useless. / With God’s help we will do mighty things"
Some thoughts from today:
There seemed to be a couple of main themes to today's selection of the Psalms. The main one was the way in which Israel was urged to remember everything God had done for them, and how He had remembered the Covenant even if Israel did not (91, 95, 103, 105, 106, 107). The second theme was that God is an awesome creator, the splendour of his creation overwhelms us. At the same time, He is the righteous judge of all the world (95, 96, 97, 98, 104). And a third was the timeless and eternal nature of God compared with the transience of people. (90, 102)
Today, we see these names for God:
Our home (90:1)
Our refuge (91:2;9)
Our place of safety (9:2)
Our shield (91:4)
Our rampart (91:4)
Our rock (92:15; 94:22; 95:1)
The king (93:1; 95:3)
Judge of the earth (94:2)
My fortress (94:22)
Our father (103:13)
Ps 90 (a prayer for God's blessing) - this is a psalm by Moses, yet the message is the same as those David, 400 years later. The main message of this psalm is the timelessness of God, and the ephemeral nature of man. v4 "For a thousand years in your sight / are like a day that has just gone by, / or like a watch in the night." v12 "Teach us to number our days aright, / that we may gain a heart of wisdom."
Ps 91 (praise God for his goodness to us in times of trouble) - this psalms speaks of God's protective love for us form all our troubles. v4 "He will cover you with his feathers, / and under his wings you will find refuge; / his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart." v9-10 "If you make the Most High your dwelling— / even the LORD, who is my refuge- / then no harm will befall you". v11 is quoted by Satan to Jesus during the temptation (Lk 4:9-11). The we get God's wonderful promise in v14-16 ""Because he loves me," says the LORD, "I will rescue him; / I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name. / He will call upon me, and I will answer him; / I will be with him in trouble, / I will deliver him and honour him. / With long life will I satisfy him / and show him my salvation."
Ps 92 (praise the God of unfailing love) - I like v6 which says only a fool cannot understand the goodness of God. Yet God's wisdom in not human wisdom, but in his grace, he has chosen to give us understanding. v12-15"The righteous will flourish like a palm tree, / they will grow like a cedar of Lebanon; / planted in the house of the LORD, / they will flourish in the courts of our God. / They will still bear fruit in old age, / they will stay fresh and green, / proclaiming, "The LORD is upright; / he is my Rock, and there is no wickedness in him."
Ps 93 (praise the Lord above all) - v4-5 "But mightier than the violent raging of the seas, / mightier than the breakers on the shore— / the Lord above is mightier than these! / Your royal laws cannot be changed. / Your reign, O Lord, is holy forever and ever."
Ps 94 (praise the God who judges) - v14-15 "The Lord will not reject his people; / he will not abandon his special possession. / Judgment will again be founded on justice, / and those with virtuous hearts will pursue it."
Ps 95 (praise the mighty God) - v6-7 "Come, let us worship and bow down. / Let us kneel before the Lord our maker, / for he is our God. / We are the people he watches over, / the flock under his care."
Ps 96 (tell everyone about the wonder of God) - v2 "Sing to the Lord; praise his name. / Each day proclaim the good news that he saves." v13 "He is coming to judge the earth. / He will judge the world with justice, / and the nations with his truth."
Ps 97 (rejoice in the mighty God) - v2 "Righteousness and justice are the foundation of his throne." v7 "Those who worship idols are disgraced— / all who brag about their worthless gods— / for every god must bow to him." v11-12 "Light shines on the godly, / and joy on those whose hearts are right. / May all who are godly rejoice in the Lord / and praise his holy name!"
Ps 98 (praise the righteous God who judges) - v3 "He has remembered his promise to love and be faithful to Israel. / The ends of the earth have seen the victory of our God." v9 "For the Lord is coming to judge the earth. / He will judge the world with justice, / and the nations with fairness."
Ps 99 (praise the just God who answers prayer) - v4 "Mighty King, lover of justice, / you have established fairness. / You have acted with justice / and righteousness throughout Israel." v8 "O Lord our God, you answered them. / You were a forgiving God to them, / but you punished them when they went wrong."
Ps 100 - (praise the Lord, our God) - v3 "Acknowledge that the Lord is God! / He made us, and we are his. / We are his people, the sheep of his pasture." v5" For the Lord is good. / His unfailing love continues forever, / and his faithfulness continues to each generation."
Ps 101 (a prayer of commitment to live a holy life) - v8 "My daily task will be to ferret out the wicked / and free the city of the Lord from their grip."
Ps 102 (a prayer for God's help) - I like the perspective of the timelessness of God - v18 "Let this be recorded for future generations, / so that a people not yet born will praise the Lord." v27 "But you are always the same; / you will live forever."
Ps 103 (praise our amazing God) - v2 "Let all that I am praise the Lord; / may I never forget the good things he does for me." v3-5 "He forgives all my sins / and heals all my diseases. / He redeems me from death / and crowns me with love and tender mercies. / He fills my life with good things. / My youth is renewed like the eagle’s!" v8-9 "The Lord is compassionate and merciful, / slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love. / He will not constantly accuse us, / nor remain angry forever." v11-13 "For his unfailing love toward those who fear him / is as great as the height of the heavens above the earth. / He has removed our sins as far from us / as the east is from the west. / The Lord is like a father to his children, / tender and compassionate to those who fear him." v17-18 "But the love of the Lord remains forever / with those who fear him. / His salvation extends to the children’s children / of those who are faithful to his covenant, / of those who obey his commandments!"
Ps 104 (praise the creator) - v5 "You placed the world on its foundation / so it would never be moved." v24 "O Lord, what a variety of things you have made! / In wisdom you have made them all. / The earth is full of your creatures."
Ps 105 (praise God for his faithfulness) - v7-8 "He is the Lord our God. / His justice is seen throughout the land. / He always stands by his covenant— / the commitment he made to a thousand generations." v19 intrigued me "Until the time came to fulfil his dreams, / the Lord tested Joseph’s character." What was the purpose of all God's wonders against Egypt and his care in the wilderness? v45 "All this happened so they would follow his decrees / and obey his instructions." There is a purpose to God's grace and mercy. Don't waste it like Samson!!
Ps 106 (praise the God who is faithful even when we are not) - This psalm reads like Psalm 105 pt II, taking up the story of the Exodus, but highlighting the rebellion of the Israelites. Fortunately, v23"But Moses, his chosen one, stepped between the Lord and the people." Like Job, we need a mediator, and God has given us the perfect One, Jesus Christ to be that mediator for us forever. v43-45 is a good summary - "Again and again he rescued them, / but they chose to rebel against him, / and they were finally destroyed by their sin. / Even so, he pitied them in their distress / and listened to their cries. / He remembered his covenant with them / and relented because of his unfailing love."
Ps 107 (praise the Lord who has saved time and again) - v2 is a straightforward challenge, but how often do we flunk it? "Has the Lord redeemed you? Then speak out!" The psalm then talks of various people who cried out and were rescued, even though they were sinners. The message is simple - remember!!! v43"Those who are wise will take all this to heart; / they will see in our history the faithful love of the Lord."
Ps 108 (praise the God who is faithful) - v8-9 are the same as 60:6-7. v12-13 "all human help is useless. / With God’s help we will do mighty things"
Wednesday, 12 December 2007
Day 42 - Psalms 70:1 - 89:52
In today’s section, we read Psalm 70-89
Some thoughts from today:
Today, we see these names for God
My helper (70:5)
My Saviour (70:5)
A rock (71:3; 78:35; 89:26)
A fortress (71:3)
My strength (73:26; 89:17)
Our redeemer (78:35)
Our Shepherd (80:1)
Our sun (84:11)
Our shield (84:11)
Our king (89:18)
Our father (89:26)
Ps 70 (a prayer for help) – v5 “as for me, I am poor and needy; / please hurry to my aid, O God. / You are my helper and my saviour; / O Lord, do not delay.”
Ps 71 (a prayer for God to rescue and praise for His lifelong faithfulness) – v5-6 “O Lord, you alone are my hope. / I’ve trusted you, O Lord, from childhood. / Yes, you have been with me from birth: / from my mother’s womb you have cared for me. / No wonder I am always praising you.” v20-21 “You have allowed me to suffer much hardship, / but you will restore me to life again / and lift me up from the depth of the earth. / You will restore me to even greater honour / and comfort me once again.”
Ps 72 (a prayer for the king to do what is right) – this is the first psalm of Solomon we have read. The prayer in v1 is similar to the prayer David made on behalf of Solomon in 1 Chr 22:12. v18-19 “Praise the Lord God, the God of Israel, / who alone does such wonderful things. / Praise his glorious name forever! / Let the whole earth be filled with his glory.”
Ps 73 (a prayer of rededication to the Lord) – what was Asaph’s problem? He envied the wicked and the proud, and grumbled and moaned that he had followed God for nothing (v13). v16-17 are revealing, as Asaph finally finds perspective – “I tried to understand why the wicked prosper. / But what a difficult task it is! / The I went to your sanctuary, O God, / and I finally understood.” With perspective, comes repentance – v21 “then I realised that my heart was bitter, / and I was all torn up inside.” Then there is recommitment – v23-26 “Yet I still belong to you; / you hold my right hand. / You guide be with your counsel, / leading me to a glorious destiny. / Whom have I in heaven but you? / I desire you more than anything on earth. / My health may fail, and my spirit may grow weak, / but God remains the strength of my heart; / he is mine forever.”
Ps 74 (a pray for God to remember) – v16-17 “Both day and night belong to you: / you made the starlight and the sun. / You set the boundaries of the earth, / and you made both summer and winter.”
Ps 75 (praise for the God of justice) – v2-3 “God says, “At the time I planned, / I will bring justice against the wicked. / When the earth quakes and its people live in turmoil, / I am the one who keeps its foundations firm.”
Ps 76 (praise the God of might) – v4 “You are glorious and more majestic / than the everlasting mountains.” I found v10 really intriguing “human defiance only enhances your glory, / for you use it as a weapon.”
Ps 77 (a prayer to be close to God again) – v11 “But then I recall all you have done, O Lord; / I remember your wonderful deeds of long ago.” v13-14 “O God, your ways are holy, / Is there any god as mighty as you? / You are the God of great wonders! / You demonstrate your awesome power among the nations.”
Ps 78 (remember and learn the lessons from Israel’s history) – v3 “we will not hide these truths from our children; / we will tell the next generation about the glorious deeds of the Lord, /about his power and his mighty wonders,” which is the whole point of this psalm. v7 “So each generation should set its hope anew on God, / not forgetting his glorious miracles / and obeying his commands.” v67-68 are interesting – Joseph was given the rights as firstborn (1 Chr 5:2), yet here it is saying that the blessing has passed to Judah.
Ps 79 (a prayer for God to justify Israel from their conquerors) - v13 "Then we your people, the sheep of your pasture, / will thank you forever and ever, / praising your greatness from generation to generation."
Ps 80 (a prayer for God to come near again and restore his favour) - "Turn us again to yourself, O God. / Make your face shine down upon us. / Only then will we be saved."
Ps 81 (a call to obedience) - v6 cf Matt 11:29-30. v10 "Open your mouth wide, and I will fill it with good things." v16 "But I would feed you with the finest wheat. / I would satisfy you with wild honey from the rock."
Ps 82 (a plea for God's justice on earth) - v3-4 "Give justice to the poor and the orphan; / uphold the rights of the oppressed and the destitute. / Rescue the poor and helpless; / deliver them from the grasp of evil people."
Ps 83 (a prayer for God to defeat Israel's enemies) - v4-5 remind me of the EU Constitution, where nations conspired to wipe out memory of our Christian heritage. v18 "Then they will learn that you alone are called the Lord, / that you alone are the Most High, / supreme over all the earth."
Ps 84 (praise God who blesses the faithful) - v5-7 "What joy for those whose strength comes from the Lord, / who have set their minds on a pilgrimage to Jerusalem. / When they walk through the Valley of Weeping, / it will become a place of refreshing springs. / The autumn rains will clothe it with blessings. / They will continue to grow stronger, / and each of them will appear before God in Jerusalem." v10-12 "A single day in your courts / is better than a thousand anywhere else! / I would rather be a gatekeeper in the house of my God / than live the good life in the homes of the wicked. / For the Lord God is our sun and our shield. / He gives us grace and glory. / The Lord will withhold no good thing / from those who do what is right. / O Lord of Heaven’s Armies, / what joy for those who trust in you."
Ps 85 (praise the God who blesses) - v8-9 "I listen carefully to what God the Lord is saying, / for he speaks peace to his faithful people. / But let them not return to their foolish ways. / Surely his salvation is near to those who fear him, / so our land will be filled with his glory." v10-11 "Unfailing love and truth have met together. / Righteousness and peace have kissed! / Truth springs up from the earth, / and righteousness smiles down from heaven."
Ps 86 (a prayer for help) - v5 "O Lord, you are so good, so ready to forgive, / so full of unfailing love for all who ask for your help." v15 "But you, O Lord, / are a God of compassion and mercy, / slow to get angry / and filled with unfailing love and faithfulness", cf Ex 34:6
Ps 87 (God's universal plan of creation) - the promise of Rev 21 is that God will live among his people, and here is a wonderful description of people coming from Egypt, Babylon, Philistia, Tyre and Ethiopia to become citizens of God's kingdom, like Rev 7:9. v5-6 "Regarding Jerusalem it will be said, / “Everyone enjoys the rights of citizenship there.”/ And the Most High will personally bless this city. / When the Lord registers the nations, he will say, / “They have all become citizens of Jerusalem.”"
Ps 88 (a prayer born of desperation) - v12 "Can the darkness speak of your wonderful deeds? / Can anyone in the land of forgetfulness talk about your righteousness?"
Ps 89 (a prayer for God to remember all he promised) - this psalm is magnificent in its praise of God and His promises. v2 "Your unfailing love will last forever. / Your faithfulness is as enduring as the heavens." v3-4 "The Lord said, “I have made a covenant with David, my chosen servant. / I have sworn this oath to him: / ‘I will establish your descendants as kings forever; / they will sit on your throne from now until eternity.’”" v5 - "All heaven will praise", v7 "the highest angelic powers stand in awe". v15-16 "Happy are those who hear the joyful call to worship, / for they will walk in the light of your presence, Lord. / They rejoice all day long in your wonderful reputation. / They exult in your righteousness." Then it goes on to talk about God's love and promises for David - v24-29 "My faithfulness and unfailing love will be with him, / and by my authority he will grow in power. / I will extend his rule over the sea, / his dominion over the rivers. / And he will call out to me, ‘You are my Father, / my God, and the Rock of my salvation.’ / I will make him my firstborn son, / the mightiest king on earth. / I will love him and be kind to him forever; / my covenant with him will never end. / I will preserve an heir for him; / his throne will be as endless as the days of heaven." And even if his descendants turn away, v33-35 "But I will never stop loving him / nor fail to keep my promise to him. / No, I will not break my covenant; / I will not take back a single word I said. / I have sworn an oath to David, / and in my holiness I cannot lie."
Some thoughts from today:
Today, we see these names for God
My helper (70:5)
My Saviour (70:5)
A rock (71:3; 78:35; 89:26)
A fortress (71:3)
My strength (73:26; 89:17)
Our redeemer (78:35)
Our Shepherd (80:1)
Our sun (84:11)
Our shield (84:11)
Our king (89:18)
Our father (89:26)
Ps 70 (a prayer for help) – v5 “as for me, I am poor and needy; / please hurry to my aid, O God. / You are my helper and my saviour; / O Lord, do not delay.”
Ps 71 (a prayer for God to rescue and praise for His lifelong faithfulness) – v5-6 “O Lord, you alone are my hope. / I’ve trusted you, O Lord, from childhood. / Yes, you have been with me from birth: / from my mother’s womb you have cared for me. / No wonder I am always praising you.” v20-21 “You have allowed me to suffer much hardship, / but you will restore me to life again / and lift me up from the depth of the earth. / You will restore me to even greater honour / and comfort me once again.”
Ps 72 (a prayer for the king to do what is right) – this is the first psalm of Solomon we have read. The prayer in v1 is similar to the prayer David made on behalf of Solomon in 1 Chr 22:12. v18-19 “Praise the Lord God, the God of Israel, / who alone does such wonderful things. / Praise his glorious name forever! / Let the whole earth be filled with his glory.”
Ps 73 (a prayer of rededication to the Lord) – what was Asaph’s problem? He envied the wicked and the proud, and grumbled and moaned that he had followed God for nothing (v13). v16-17 are revealing, as Asaph finally finds perspective – “I tried to understand why the wicked prosper. / But what a difficult task it is! / The I went to your sanctuary, O God, / and I finally understood.” With perspective, comes repentance – v21 “then I realised that my heart was bitter, / and I was all torn up inside.” Then there is recommitment – v23-26 “Yet I still belong to you; / you hold my right hand. / You guide be with your counsel, / leading me to a glorious destiny. / Whom have I in heaven but you? / I desire you more than anything on earth. / My health may fail, and my spirit may grow weak, / but God remains the strength of my heart; / he is mine forever.”
Ps 74 (a pray for God to remember) – v16-17 “Both day and night belong to you: / you made the starlight and the sun. / You set the boundaries of the earth, / and you made both summer and winter.”
Ps 75 (praise for the God of justice) – v2-3 “God says, “At the time I planned, / I will bring justice against the wicked. / When the earth quakes and its people live in turmoil, / I am the one who keeps its foundations firm.”
Ps 76 (praise the God of might) – v4 “You are glorious and more majestic / than the everlasting mountains.” I found v10 really intriguing “human defiance only enhances your glory, / for you use it as a weapon.”
Ps 77 (a prayer to be close to God again) – v11 “But then I recall all you have done, O Lord; / I remember your wonderful deeds of long ago.” v13-14 “O God, your ways are holy, / Is there any god as mighty as you? / You are the God of great wonders! / You demonstrate your awesome power among the nations.”
Ps 78 (remember and learn the lessons from Israel’s history) – v3 “we will not hide these truths from our children; / we will tell the next generation about the glorious deeds of the Lord, /about his power and his mighty wonders,” which is the whole point of this psalm. v7 “So each generation should set its hope anew on God, / not forgetting his glorious miracles / and obeying his commands.” v67-68 are interesting – Joseph was given the rights as firstborn (1 Chr 5:2), yet here it is saying that the blessing has passed to Judah.
Ps 79 (a prayer for God to justify Israel from their conquerors) - v13 "Then we your people, the sheep of your pasture, / will thank you forever and ever, / praising your greatness from generation to generation."
Ps 80 (a prayer for God to come near again and restore his favour) - "Turn us again to yourself, O God. / Make your face shine down upon us. / Only then will we be saved."
Ps 81 (a call to obedience) - v6 cf Matt 11:29-30. v10 "Open your mouth wide, and I will fill it with good things." v16 "But I would feed you with the finest wheat. / I would satisfy you with wild honey from the rock."
Ps 82 (a plea for God's justice on earth) - v3-4 "Give justice to the poor and the orphan; / uphold the rights of the oppressed and the destitute. / Rescue the poor and helpless; / deliver them from the grasp of evil people."
Ps 83 (a prayer for God to defeat Israel's enemies) - v4-5 remind me of the EU Constitution, where nations conspired to wipe out memory of our Christian heritage. v18 "Then they will learn that you alone are called the Lord, / that you alone are the Most High, / supreme over all the earth."
Ps 84 (praise God who blesses the faithful) - v5-7 "What joy for those whose strength comes from the Lord, / who have set their minds on a pilgrimage to Jerusalem. / When they walk through the Valley of Weeping, / it will become a place of refreshing springs. / The autumn rains will clothe it with blessings. / They will continue to grow stronger, / and each of them will appear before God in Jerusalem." v10-12 "A single day in your courts / is better than a thousand anywhere else! / I would rather be a gatekeeper in the house of my God / than live the good life in the homes of the wicked. / For the Lord God is our sun and our shield. / He gives us grace and glory. / The Lord will withhold no good thing / from those who do what is right. / O Lord of Heaven’s Armies, / what joy for those who trust in you."
Ps 85 (praise the God who blesses) - v8-9 "I listen carefully to what God the Lord is saying, / for he speaks peace to his faithful people. / But let them not return to their foolish ways. / Surely his salvation is near to those who fear him, / so our land will be filled with his glory." v10-11 "Unfailing love and truth have met together. / Righteousness and peace have kissed! / Truth springs up from the earth, / and righteousness smiles down from heaven."
Ps 86 (a prayer for help) - v5 "O Lord, you are so good, so ready to forgive, / so full of unfailing love for all who ask for your help." v15 "But you, O Lord, / are a God of compassion and mercy, / slow to get angry / and filled with unfailing love and faithfulness", cf Ex 34:6
Ps 87 (God's universal plan of creation) - the promise of Rev 21 is that God will live among his people, and here is a wonderful description of people coming from Egypt, Babylon, Philistia, Tyre and Ethiopia to become citizens of God's kingdom, like Rev 7:9. v5-6 "Regarding Jerusalem it will be said, / “Everyone enjoys the rights of citizenship there.”/ And the Most High will personally bless this city. / When the Lord registers the nations, he will say, / “They have all become citizens of Jerusalem.”"
Ps 88 (a prayer born of desperation) - v12 "Can the darkness speak of your wonderful deeds? / Can anyone in the land of forgetfulness talk about your righteousness?"
Ps 89 (a prayer for God to remember all he promised) - this psalm is magnificent in its praise of God and His promises. v2 "Your unfailing love will last forever. / Your faithfulness is as enduring as the heavens." v3-4 "The Lord said, “I have made a covenant with David, my chosen servant. / I have sworn this oath to him: / ‘I will establish your descendants as kings forever; / they will sit on your throne from now until eternity.’”" v5 - "All heaven will praise", v7 "the highest angelic powers stand in awe". v15-16 "Happy are those who hear the joyful call to worship, / for they will walk in the light of your presence, Lord. / They rejoice all day long in your wonderful reputation. / They exult in your righteousness." Then it goes on to talk about God's love and promises for David - v24-29 "My faithfulness and unfailing love will be with him, / and by my authority he will grow in power. / I will extend his rule over the sea, / his dominion over the rivers. / And he will call out to me, ‘You are my Father, / my God, and the Rock of my salvation.’ / I will make him my firstborn son, / the mightiest king on earth. / I will love him and be kind to him forever; / my covenant with him will never end. / I will preserve an heir for him; / his throne will be as endless as the days of heaven." And even if his descendants turn away, v33-35 "But I will never stop loving him / nor fail to keep my promise to him. / No, I will not break my covenant; / I will not take back a single word I said. / I have sworn an oath to David, / and in my holiness I cannot lie."
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