Tag: Biblical History

I Am Not Doing This for Your Sake

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It was my observation the message in the first part of Ezekiel 36 is a broad scale explanation of why God has hammered the friends and neighbors of the Hebrews. They understand what is going on and some are still defiant, others are perplexed. In their discouragement, they know of their unworthiness, and they are unsure of their future. They know their resistance was strong and unabated. God feels their uneasiness and chooses to introduce them to their distant future.

In this chapter we find a powerful promise of a new covenant. They are not specifically told it is a new covenant, but the messianic promise is clear. God has a new plan. He does it all, we are the recipients of a new life. He delivers a promise that we would be prepared, reformed by his grace and mercy, to walk with him. In the end he makes it clear that this message is page two of their life.

There is more, God makes it clear there is life with Him after exile; there is a path out of their dilemma, there is a way to extract themselves from spiritual infidelity. At first, they did not see the solution but it explains why they were in Babylon. The subliminal message feels like ‘absence makes the heart grow fond once again’. The separation from the thing they have known all their life was soon felt and that which they had taken for granted, now absent, was missed and then lamented.

I think the exile is also intended as an introduction to the full impact of the new covenant of grace, the full power of grace is magnified by the harshness of the exile as an antithesis to walking with God. You might recall the messianic hints in Ezekiel 34. In that chapter we explored a promise of the coming shepherd, and all the implications of that shepherd. Now, in this chapter, we expand on that message, we talk about the promises of the Holy Spirit, and the richness of the soon-to-be new covenant. We get a glimpse of his gracious influence, methods of operation, sanctification model, and the process for justification.

Yet, he also knows that some may still resist. They will remember their ways and not believe that God can and will forgive them. In that mindset, they truly lament, then he offers honesty and hope…

Ezekiel 36: 24-32 says — For I will take you out of the nations; I will gather you from all the countries and bring you back into your own land. I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your impurities and from all your idols. I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws. Then you will live in the land I gave your ancestors; you will be my people, and I will be your God. I will save you from all your uncleanness. I will call for the grain and make it plentiful and will not bring famine upon you. I will increase the fruit of the trees and the crops of the field, so that you will no longer suffer disgrace among the nations because of famine. Then you will remember your evil ways and wicked deeds, and you will loathe yourselves for your sins and detestable practices. I want you to know that I am not doing this for your sake declares the Sovereign Lord. Be ashamed and disgraced for your conduct! [NIV]

In our worst day, defiant of his grace, we will always find self-love at the core of our sin. What causes us to repent? It’s simple, I suspect repenting occurs when we cannot but wince when we notice the absurdness of our action that set us at odds with God. But before we can get to that point there will be a self-quarrel to accept the facts and then reconcile to the need to repent. It is constant, this wincing thing, because our mistakes and transgressions are non-stop. How then shall we live?

We find solace in the Goodness of God. His goodness overcomes our badness and leads us into the proper state of mind to repent. We resist kicking and yelling right up to the point where we relent and repent (or we do not repent and consequences happen). It is a repetitive cycle. Our God loves us through it all. He smiles as we struggle, because he knows the outcome and humors us as we work through the details. Who could love us more than God does. Anyone? I suspect not. Our wife and children take a close second in that race, but he is king of the hill. I choose Jesus.

The Hand Stretched out Before Me

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It was my observation when pondering upon the commissioning of Ezekiel as prophet in Ezekiel 2:6-10, we find God advising him how to function in his role. He is told to be very bold. He must act with confidence.  His work will not be easy.  He must stand firm, and not be driven off of his tasks no matter how weird the task appears.  He must never lose sight of who he is working for.  God makes it clear to Ezekiel — They are a rebellious bunch of scorpions but they are my scorpions and I need to talk to them and get them back on track. 

Ezekiel 2:6-10 says — And you, son of man, do not be afraid of them or their words. Do not be afraid, though briers and thorns are all around you and you live among scorpions. Do not be afraid of what they say or be terrified by them, for they are a rebellious people. You must speak my words to them, whether they listen or fail to listen, for they are rebellious. But you, son of man, listen to what I say to you. Do not rebel like that rebellious people; open your mouth and eat what I give you. Then I looked, and I saw a hand stretched out to me. In it was a scroll, which he unrolled before me. On both sides of it were written words of lament and mourning and woe. [NIV]

If you have been called to do things for God, then it is imperative that you are not afraid of mere men.  At the end of the day we work for God, we answer to him not the men that surround us.  The scorpions are constantly harassing God’s called, entangling them in their talk, looking for fault (see Matthew 22:15). We all know the bite of a scorpion is 1000 times harsher than a thorn-hedge (see Micah 7:4). 

These scorpions are also hurtful to the Israelis caught up in the rebellion but not sure what to do. To those who would listen to Ezekiel, the scorpions choke out the message and belittle the messenger. God will not fail to reward the scorpions for their evil if they do not repent. Therefore, even in their disbelief, God makes use of the scorpions for correction and instruction in much the same way that Gideon taught the men of Succoth with thorns and briers (see Judges 8:16).

Clearly these people have earned the wrath of God, yet he tries again and again to bring them back to their senses. However, while the bad stuff continues, Ezekiel knows he lives amongst them. He will not be safe in the quiet of his own home, these are his neighbors and they are not nice people. Given the opportunity, they will make his life extremely difficult. We are reminded of the things that Jesus said to one of the churches in the book of Revelation – I know where you live, the same place where Lucifer’s seat resides (see Revelation 2:13). This is a strong statement and I suspect it applies to these scorpions.

Imagine the transition for Ezekiel, first he is hanging out in the middle of a vision, then he is talking with God about stuff.  But when he edges back to reality, he finds himself with a parcel of scorpions, people who are hecklers doing their utmost to drive him away. I think they knew their captivity was self-inflected, they were being controlled by Babylon, but they could bark out all manner of threats and noise to scare Ezekiel in the same way that people railed against Jeremiah (see Jeremiah 3:5).

In the midst of all this commotion, Ezekiel has learned to keep his eye on the endgame.  He knows that he must be faithful to his calling. The people who are harassing him need him and need the message.  He knows that God will eventually soften their hearts. He knows God will do the work if Ezekiel does his part and accurately reflects the message. The weight of this mantle is no small thing for him. It would be easier to blend in and avoid trouble. But God has placed a love for these scorpions in his heart and he is determined to stay faithful. Goodness, if only we had a heart similar to this, amen.  And, with the missive that comes from this final thought, I choose Jesus.

Learning From David

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It has been my observation that one of the more difficult passages for soldier’s (including me) to review and learn from is 2 Samuel 11. This is one of the most poignant accounts of human failure in Scripture notwithstanding the betrayal of Jesus by Judas. Yet, at the same time, it also has great value as it offers us redemptive hope about the greatness of God’s extremely gracious forgiving heart. This passage provides a plain, easy to understand warning about the terrible consequences of sin, coupled with the aftermath of forgiven sin. I traveled down a similar path during the divorce process from my first wife. I am not proud of the time, nor do I talk about it very much. It is my past not my present.

When you start reading 2 Samuel, David is moving in concert with Gods will. He is popular, successful, and able to inspire his people. His throne has been established. His enemies have been subdued, he is respected in the kingdom, and plans are in progress. Then trouble starts.

David sees a beautiful woman near his palace in the evening, he calls her to himself. He sleeps with her and she gets pregnant. Her husband (Uriah) is part of David’s Mighty Men. David knew Uriah. David has Uriah murdered to coverup his sin (2 Samuel 11). As a soldier, I can think of no more heinous action – my commander killing a fellow soldier and taking his wife. I would guess that trust in David as a commander drops to zero among his troops. The prophet Nathan confronts David on behalf of God (2 Samuel 12). David repents. God forgives. David is told that Elohim has forgiven the sin, David’s death will not be required, nor will his throne be required (2 Samuel 12:13). But for David there are consequences for his sin. When much is given to a man; much is expected (Luke 12:48). David’s troubles are not over.

Later, David writes — Blessed is the one whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered. Blessed is the one whose sin the Lord does not count against them (Psalms 32:1–2). Centuries later, Paul writes of God’s forgiveness for David to demonstrate salvation has always been for the unworthy, we are saved by grace through faith (Romans 4:4–8).

I suspect, it is with humility and tears that God chose to document the tragedy of Uriah, Bathsheba, and David in scripture. This could have slipped into obscurity. But God chose to mark this event in history books. Every time I run across the message in both 2 Samuel 11 and Psalms 51, I am reminded of the extraordinary grace offered to us by the one true living God. It is especially important that we not only see David’s initial reaction; but we need to also take note of the things that happened to David later in life. Review 2 Samuel 12, you will see the death of Davids first born from Bathsheba, you will see civil wars and outside attacks on the Israeli kingdom. You will see the violence and murder committed by his two sons Amnon and Absalom. You will see struggle after struggle as David reels from one mess to another. Yet, Bathsheba is one of a handful of women mentioned in the bloodline for Jesus. Selah!

Words cannot accurately describe the fullness of God’s grace offered to us, especially when we are acutely aware of just how widespread sin is in our life. Death is very near. Yet, we know that God justifies us while we are ungodly (Romans 4:5). Nothing we have ever done is out of range for God’s grace and redemption. God invites us to seek his compassion, his pardon, his shelter (Isaiah 55:6-7).

The deeper truth – there is a wonderful balance to Scripture. While grace draws us close to him, we know that bad things may happen in our life to keep us focused on him (see Hebrew 3:15). I see David’s example as proof that God will always embrace us. God wanted his complete attention. Even during the consequences for our actions – our salvation is not at risk. Elohim’s amazing redemption for us is renewed every morning. His mercy will always overpower the troubles we create. Always…

I choose Jesus.

The Passover

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Essay by Dan

It has been my observation, while reading the Book of Exodus, the Hebrews were compelled to provide backbreaking labor in the brickyards of Egypt; but, despite the hardship, they prospered. They became a large nation with no way to loosen the shackles that held them – from that situation — our story begins.

The Book of Exodus opens with God looking upon the Hebrews. The Lord said to Moses– I have … seen the misery of my people in Egypt. I have heard them crying out because of their slave drivers, and I am concerned about their suffering. So, I have come down to rescue them from … the Egyptians and to bring them up out of that land into a good and spacious land, …. So now, go. I am sending you to Pharaoh to bring my people the Israelites out of Egypt (Exodus 3:7-10 paraphrased).

Then a battle ensued, a battle between idols and the one true living God. Our God pitted Himself against the idolatry of Egypt with plagues. Each plague originated from the one true living God. The plagues were directed against the idols of Egypt. First, the sacred Nile was turned to blood; then there were frogs, lice, then flies that swarmed over the land; the livestock sickened and died; boils broke out on both man and beast; hail and locusts devastated their crops; then darkness enveloped them for three days. God’s message was straight forward. The plagues demonstrated to the Hebrews their redemption and emancipation was in progress; not because of any merit within them, but solely by His sovereign grace and power. The demonstration culminated with the last plague — the death of the firstborn (implied from Exodus chapters 7-13).

God said it would be a night that they would never forget. Today if you go into the home of most Orthodox Jewish families, you will find the Passover on their calendar. After all these years, Passover is still remembered. This is the day that God delivered His own. The Hebrews in Egypt were asked to select a lamb; they were to slay it and eat it for dinner accompanied by unleavened bread and bitter herbs. The blood of that lamb was to be put outside on the doorposts of their home. On that night, the death angel arrived. He did not take time to determine if people on the inside of the house were praying. He did not ask if they had joined the right political group. He did not examine their walk with God. He did not inquire if they were Hebrews. The only thing he checked for was blood on the doorpost. When he saw the blood, he passed over the house. If the blood was not present on the doorpost, the firstborn in that unprotected house was killed (implied in Exodus 12:1-12).

Passover was judgment from Almighty God upon a sinful nation and a sinful people. The firstborn who lived through that night knew that they were redeemed by the blood of a lamb. The single thing that enabled God’s redemption was blood. That night the Hebrews ate the Passover and were redeemed by the lamb’s blood. They consumed the lamb, and they consumed unleavened bread. Does this sound like a precursor to Communion? We have the body of Jesus (lamb, Bread) and blood of Jesus (lamb’s blood). Is Communion a reminder of Passover? I think it is (implied in Luke 22:14-19). There is more…

Do you remember my previous essay on eagle wings? “Ye have seen what I did unto the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles’ wings and brought you unto myself” (Exodus 19:4). Isaiah 40:31 says “Those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary; they will walk and not be faint.”  Deuteronomy 32:11 says — “As an eagle stirs up her nest, flutters over her young, spreads abroad her wings, taketh them, bears them on her wings.” We are lifted-up high; we go where no ordinary man can go; we pass over trouble using a transport mode that no ordinary person can use. Eagle Wings.

I choose Jesus.

Under His Wing

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Essay by Dan

It was my observation — there was a young woman named Ruth; she left the land of Moab and traveled to the land of Israel because she trusted God. Boaz, a wealthy man in Israel said to her — “May the Lord repay you for what you have done. May you be richly rewarded by the Lord, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to take refuge” (Ruth 2:12). You may recall from Psalm 91:4 our journey is described as being “covered with His feathers” and “under His wings you will find refuge.” Deuteronomy 32:11 describes the protective wings as eagle wings. What a picture of God’s shelter.

Sometimes we are under the wings, sometimes we are on eagle wings. When God leads the Hebrews out of Egyptian darkness into the promised land, we find it described as an airlift, by eagles’ wings. God says to the Hebrews in Exodus – “You yourselves have seen what I did to Egypt, and how I carried you on eagles’ wings and brought you to myself. Now if you obey me fully and keep my covenant, then out of all nations you will be my treasured possession. Although the whole earth is mine, you will be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation. These are the words you are to speak to the Israelites.” (Exodus 19:4-7). Moses went back and summoned the elders of the people and told them what God said. The Hebrews responded, “We will do everything the Lord has said.” Moses brought their answer back to the Lord. (Paraphrased from Exodus 19:8).

For a moment, consider using two utterly separate modes of travel through our life. Consider the difference between a rowboat and an aircraft. You cannot travel with one foot in a rowboat and the other foot in an aircraft — it is impossible. Yet today, as a matter of faith, people are trying to live by a blend of law and grace. I am not saying you are, but if you are not clear about the nature of your walk with God, accidentally trying to live by your good works, may I suggest to you there is a better way – an easier way that is much less stressful. There is a way that takes us to the ‘eagle wing’ and places us in the center of the one true living God’s world.

J Vernon Magee tells us – “The Law demands; grace gives. The Law extracts; grace bestows. The Law says do; grace says believe. The Law says work; grace says trust. The Law growls, pronouncing trouble; grace invites, announcing a respite. The Law decries all of us; grace pulls us into safety. The Law reveals the sovereignty of God then grace reaches out in power lifting man up on eagle wings.

Paul says – The things Moses and the prophets witnessed all those years has happened. The God-setting-things-right that we read about has become Jesus-setting-things-right for us. And not only for us, but for everyone who believes in him. For there is no difference between us and them in this. Since we have compiled this long and sorry record as sinners (both us and them) and proved that we are utterly incapable of living the glorious lives God wills for us, God did it for us. Out of sheer generosity he put us in right standing with himself. A pure gift. He got us out of the mess we were in and restored us to where he always wanted us to be. And he did it by Jesus Christ. (implied Romans 3:21-24 MSG)

Paul continues – God sacrificed Jesus on the altar of the world to clear that world of sin. Having faith in his resurrection places us in the clear. God decided on this course of action in full view of the public—to set the world in the clear with himself through the sacrifice and resurrection of Jesus, finally taking care of the sins he had so patiently endured. This is not only clear, but it is now—this is current history! God sets things as they belong. He makes it possible to live in his way. (implied Romans 3:25-26 MSG).

It is by His mercy, it is by eagles’ wings, it is by His grace. Embrace it! Let Easter happen to you.

I choose Jesus.

A Quiet Evening in Bethlehem

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Sometimes, it seems proper just to quote a lot of scripture, today is one of those days. The passages below from John are NIV and passages from Luke are MSG. The brackets mark subtle text changes (I replaced ‘hostel’ with ‘inn’; I guess I am a bit more traditional than I first realized). Take your time, breathe in the message… Continue reading “A Quiet Evening in Bethlehem” →