1 Kings

Like a Fragrant Incense

Dan

It was my observation that Ezekiel 20 provides an interesting view into God’s thoughts concerning rebellion and restoration. He takes a rather pragmatic view towards the practice of sin and the fragile nature of the human mind. He makes it clear the Hebrews have no more power to protect themselves than the Babylonians do (consider the things Cyrus will soon implement in Babylon).

I was reminded of 1 Kings 18:18-21; where we find a conversation between Ahab and Elijah. Ahab calls Elijah a troubler, Elijah replies I am no such thing. You abandoned God and took up Baal. Then speaking to a large group of Hebrews, Elijah was clear – he asked them how long they would waffle between two viewpoints. If Elohim is the Lord of their life, follow him; if Baal is their God, follow Baal, but get on with it, make a decision! It is very unwise to fake a relationship with God and act out the part – we must avoid contaminating his name with fake offerings and gifts (also see Amos 5:21-27).

The listeners of Ezekiel were standing naked, swimming in foolishness, for the most part unaware of the troubles coming. Soon God will separate the sheep in their midst from the imposters. He will cause them to pass through a threshold, where he determines who is part of the Remnant (Leviticus 27:32). He will isolate the rebels from the sheep, those who have brought grief, scandal, and calamity to the flock. They will be isolated and dispersed into the wilderness. They have no place in the promised land nor will they access the safe haven God has provided during their time in Babylon. The judgement of God will find them and vanquish them.

Ezekiel 20:38-44 says – I will purge you of those who revolt and rebel against me. Although I will bring them out of the land where they are living, yet they will not enter the land of Israel. … Go and serve your idols, every one of you! But afterward you will surely listen to me and no longer profane my holy name with your gifts and idols, for on my holy mountain, the high mountain of Israel, declares the Sovereign Lord, there in the land all the people of Israel will serve me, and there I will accept them. … Then you will know that I am the Lord, when I bring you into the land of Israel, the land I had sworn with uplifted hand to give to your ancestors. There you will remember your conduct and all the actions by which you have defiled yourselves, and you will loathe yourselves for all the evil you have done. You will know that I am the Lord, when I deal with you for my name’s sake and not according to your evil ways and your corrupt practices, you people of Israel, declares the Sovereign Lord [NIV].

And now we see his Grace in action. He will help them find the path to repentance and restoration. They come to understand the full depth of their rebellion. They learn how gracious God really is as they begin to walk with him. They find truth and deep joy in their walk. Their happiness points to a prevailing disposition for God’s service. Now, their offerings and fruit are found to be acceptable at the altar.

Now as they learn about the gracious attitude of God towards them, they are overcome with his kindness, the blush as the recall their poor attitudes and rebellion towards the one true living God. In his mercy he tells them of the wonderful things that will be found on the holy mountain of God. He will reveal himself to them, they shall know firsthand of his power and majesty. They shall know firsthand of his kindness and faithful ness to his covenant – he will keep his oath. They will grow as the days pass into a much deeper walk with him. They learn that he nurtures his people that they may glorify him through their service, that he may be known as the God who pardons sin and keeps his promises (see Psalms 126:3). That the people around those he blesses, take notice, and know that God is on the move.  I choose Jesus.

Give Them an Undivided Heart (Part 1)

Dan

It was my observation that Ezekiel was given an interesting sense of how the remnant was to be treated while they were in captivity. In Chapter 10 we see the shekinah glory of God leave Jerusalem. Now, in Chapter 11, we see the plan for the remnant that leads to the new covenant.

This is what I think – prophecy is a simple concept – every person in the valley is given an exit plan they can choose to follow, every person standing on self-made mountains are soon to be knee capped (see Isaiah 40:4). The exit plans are full of hope, the kneecapping can be avoided. This is simple stuff.

God’s prophets such as Ezekiel speak with conviction, they warn the presumptuous and secure and bring comfort to the despised and despondent. He that tremble at God’s word and God’s voice has nothing to fear from the message of a Prophet. And so, we see Ezekiel in the service of the one true living God, bringing these words of comfort to the remnant by the Kabar River as they mourned over Zion.

Ezekiel 11:14-16 says — The word of the Lord came to me: Son of man, the people of Jerusalem have said of your fellow exiles and all the other Israelites, they are far away from the Lord; this land was given to us as our possession. Therefore say: This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Although I sent them far away among the nations and scattered them among the countries, yet for a little while I have been a sanctuary for them in the countries where they have gone. [NIV]

When we read that the people of Jerusalem have said they (the remnant) are far away from the Lord, this land was given to us (not to the remnant), we find the audacity of the stiff-necked Hebrews at a high point. The revelers cut themselves off from the remnant. This was done in reaction to the remnant separating themselves from the local leaders in Jerusalem and demonstrating allegiance to God by willingly heading to Babylon as a slave.

The one true living God used this specific message to respond to the shunning of his remnant by the rebellious Hebrews. He speaks of his protection and comfort extended to his remnant even while they are working as a slave for the city of Babylon (see Isaiah 66:5-6). Then he takes ownership of the judgements rendered in Jerusalem. He reminds them the remnant may look abandoned, but they are still connected by grace to the one true living God. Their current state is temporary. Mercy is on the way. Those who remain in Jerusalem may have the Temple but they do not have God. On the other hand, those who left for Babylon have the shekinah glory of God overseeing them, but they do not have the temple. I think it is obvious who is the winner.

Go back and read the last sentence of the cited Ezekiel passage closely. Notice the phrase “I have been a sanctuary for them” (Ezekiel 11:16). Specifically, they have been provided with a place of refuge, a refuge within God himself, while in Babylon. They still had communion with God even when in captivity. The rebellious people remaining in Jerusalem were stuck on the notion they could only know the presence of God within the confines of the temple. They could not be further from the truth.

So, now we find the key point. The sanctuary provided by God is scattered about to be sure each person within the remnant has a place of respite (see 1 Kings 9:6-9). Compared to the Hebrews remaining in Jerusalem (think about those who will not be raptured, who remain on earth), the number of people in the remnant is small. God is aware of the low status of his people, he fusses over their wellbeing, He brings little things along to let them know he loves them still. The God of this universe becomes their sanctuary. Oh my, this reminds me of the stable in Bethlehem.  I choose Jesus.

Windstorm from the North (Part 1)

Dan

It was my observation while considering the impact of Ezekiel chapter 1 on my perceptions of God that the vision presented is very humbling.  In the vision there is a complex structure presented, in its simplest form (from bottom to top) we have four wheels (four angels), each wheel supporting a column (four angels), the four columns support a flat roof with a throne on top of the roof.  Seated on the Throne is God.  The entire structure is wrapped in a massive fireball.  That is the sum of chapter one.  But, as you might guess, there is more to the story – the details matter!

Ezekiel 1:4-8 says — I looked, and I saw a windstorm coming out of the north—an immense cloud with flashing lightning and surrounded by brilliant light. The center of the fire looked like glowing metal, and in the fire was what looked like four living creatures. In appearance their form was human, but each of them had four faces and four wings. Their legs were straight; their feet were like those of a calf and gleamed like burnished bronze. Under their wings on their four sides they had human hands. All four of them had faces and wings, and the wings of one touched the wings of another [NIV].

Why do we start this book with this vision?  I suspect there are definable reasons.  First, this firms up Ezekiel’s calling – he knows he is working directly for the boss. Second, it refines the view of God for Ezekiel’s audience – God is getting into their face — they know God means business. Their days of defiance are numbered.  They quickly learn their God is a consuming fire whom they cannot stand before. Finally, they know his mercy will not be withheld forever. They have reassurance, the column of fire that led Moses to the promised land – is the ball of Fire that Ezekiel is seeing. Symbolically, God is on the move from Jerusalem to where they are at in Babylon. They have not been abandoned. All of this assurance unfolds in the vision of chapter 1. The message is clear – let them know captivity is not the end, God is with them. Even though God is not in his sanctuary, he is near.

God clears the sky with a windstorm preparing the space for his holy presence. This clearing produces a serenity of the mind that opens our heart to heavens message. The great cloud that appears wraps the holiness of God to protect us from the intensity. The whirlwind comes to us in much the same way that is presented in 1 Kings 19:11 for Elijah. The whirlwind prepares the way for God, it demands our attention, in a sense it issues the command if you have eyes, then look, if you have ears then listen.

The cloud brings fire to the vision, as we see in Mount Sinai, where God presents in a thick cloud that rings his consuming fire (see Exodus 24:16-17). But this time we see a fire that seems to have no fuel, it is sustained by God himself forever. We also see that the fire is surrounded with visible glory, we are not able to see into the fire, yet we do see a glow or brightness that is produced by the fire, it is perhaps a reflection of the fire in the clouds. Similar to Moses seeing the back of God, just of glimpse of him. We have the same in this vision. Finally, we are told of an amber hue (glowing metal). Some think it is the color that is reflected in our eye when we look at fire and others see the fire in our eye.  

Then Ezekiel speaks of the four angels (the columns). They are presented with a sense of greatness, the goodness of God in their work, the important role they play in his glory. Their image emerges from the fire, a ray of hope for us that he loves his creations. We find later, in chapter 10, Ezekiel tells us they are cherubim. What are they doing in this vision? Their wings are interlocked, these four angels working together as a community to support the glory of God, sustain a platform for his throne. Is that not what our prayer and service provide?  Is this not a shadow of what the church does? Do we not fill the temple with the incense of our prayers and our service offerings? I think so.  This compels me to say…

I choose Jesus.

Finding Your Voice

Dan

It has been my observation that scripture has more to say about studying and learning than first meets the eye. The classic statement on reading scripture appears in 2 Timothy 2:15; we learn from Paul that we should study scripture and be able to express our thoughts to others who do not understand the truth.

If we invest the time, we will benefit from reading the ancients wisdom.  How does this notion of ‘studying’ emerge in our life? It starts with the occasional emission of pithy observations in our favorite bible study (as we gradually find our voice). We sometimes surprise ourselves with the things that come from our heart. We wonder where they came from. Then God reminds us of the source.

The pithy stuff morphs into decisions about how we are to live our life (scripture gradually seeps into our heart, overrides our earthly thoughts). We could say that acquisition morphs to transformation. Acquiring information leads to a changed (transformed) heart. As a man thinks – a man is. You have heard me say this proverb many times in my essays. Take a minute and review Proverbs 23:7…

All who manage their thoughts and control that noise come out of the mouth will keep his soul from troubles (implied in Psalms 21:23). The righteous man consumes the wisdom of God to satisfy and feed his soul: but the belly of the wicked craves earthly prater (implied in Proverbs 13:25).

Decide to learn. Knowing God’s word helps us to see trouble coming and tiptoe around the landmines of false teachings and philosophies. Knowing God’s word helps us to see goodness when we are staring at it. When a man takes the time to press into the Word, amazing things start to happen. The journey starts when we decide we want to enrich our relationship with God. Success begets success. But, during the growth process it is not uncommon to compare ourselves with others. I suggest you refrain from comparing your learning pace to others.

Learning is an extremely personal process, detailed cookie cutter methods do not usually yield much fruit, we all grow at different paces, with different interests in the variety of topics discussed in scriptures. Proverbs tells us — The heart of the discerning acquires knowledge, for the ears of the wise seek it out (Proverbs 18:15). Decide that now is the time to start. Now is the time to grow. Now is the time to crawl into God’s word.

Identify your initial learning targets.I think it is wise to develop a simple list of things in which you are interested. You probably have a vague idea of things you are interested in, but I suggest you make it more specific; with a list you can monitor your progress. A little success, documented, leads to more success.

Daniel tells us — To these four young men God gave knowledge and understanding of all kinds of literature and learning. And Daniel could understand visions and dreams of all kinds (Daniel 1:17).

In addition to the list, I suggest you declare a clear ‘why’ I want to know the stuff on the list. Having a clear goal defined will help you know when you have achieved the learning objective. Proverbs tell us — Get wisdom, get understanding; do not forget my words or turn from them (Proverbs 4:5).

You might have noted that I did not recommend building a formal, detailed learning plan. While this can be helpful for some efforts, I think in this case the level of effort would not bear much fruit. Planning everything out at the front does not leave much space for spontaneous pursuit of interesting stuff you did not know you wanted to explore. I can say for sure – you are learning goals will shift over time.

I noted in 1 Kings 3:5-10 an interesting exchange between God and Solomon — That night the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream, and God said, “What do you want? Ask, and I will give it to you!”   Solomon replied, “You showed great and faithful love to your servant my father, David, because he was honest and true and faithful to you. And you have continued to show this great and faithful love to him today by giving him a son to sit on his throne. Now, O Lord my God, you have made me king instead of my father, David, but I am like a little child who does not know his way around. And here I am in the midst of your own chosen people, a nation so great and numerous they cannot be counted! Give me an understanding heart so that I can govern your people well and know the difference between right and wrong. For whom, by himself, is able to govern this great people of yours?” The Lord was pleased that Solomon had asked for wisdom (NIV).

I think it might be helpful to approach learning with Solomons willing heart. The first two objectives of learning are (1) Decide to learn and (2) Focus on your learning targets. There is more. In the next essay I will continue this line of reasoning. If you are interested, find the essay titled – Infusing the Mind.

I choose Jesus.

Choose The Right Path

Dan

In a previous universe, I served on a jury for a child molestation case in the Midwest. The accused was a schoolteacher. It was an emotionally demanding thing to sit and listen carefully to the testimony of adult children, experts, and friends of the accused. When we (the jury) wandered off into our room to sit and talk about what we had heard, what we thought, and render a decision, it was amazing to me how many different views of the truth existed within this body of twelve people. In the end we the jury became deadlocked. One person on the jury would not budge off their view that the accused was innocent, the other 11 (including me) felt the accused was guilty. After 2 weeks of deliberation, we told the judge we could not come to an agreement, and that ended my involvement. Read more →

Angelic Comfort

Dan

It was my observation when collecting intel on Angelic Operations that a singular impact of their effort appears often – comfort. God reigns in heaven surrounded by a heavenly host of angels. In 1 Kings we read – I saw the LORD sitting on his throne, with all the host of heaven standing beside him to the right and to the left of him (1 Kings 22:19). Angels are always looking after us. Moses says — Behold, I send an angel before you to guard you on the way and to bring you to the place that I have prepared (Exodus 23:20). They clear the path for our progress so we can serve God unfettered by troubles.

Angels are messengers of God; they reinforce his active presence in our world, they add credence to God’s justice, love, comfort, and protection. God’s love is revealed as angels announce the ministry of grace conducted by Jesus. Angels announced the birth of Ishmael (see Genesis 16:11) and Samson (see Judges 13:3-5). Angels announced the birth of John the Baptist (see Luke 1:19), the birth of Jesus (see Luke 1:26), and Jesus’ resurrection (see Matthew 28:5). David says — The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear Him and rescues them (Psalms 34:7). This is comfort. Read more →