Together again

"Prodigal Son" - Artist unknown

TODAY'S SPECIAL: Jeremiah 30-32; Psalm 21

TO CHEW ON: "Again I will build you and you shall be rebuilt,
O virgin of Israel!
You shall again be adorned with your tambourines,
And shall go forth in the dances of those who rejoice."  Jeremiah 31:4

A family feud, a rift between you and an old friend, a church split, a betrayal by a business partner… Most of us have experienced the severing of a trusted relationship and know its fallout of sadness, disillusionment and the ache of an empty place at the table, empty pews in church, the empty office.

Israel and Judah had split into two nations during the reign of Solomon's son Rehoboam. That was about 300 years before Jeremiah's time. Though the crisis pain of that split had no doubt long healed, the desire that the two nations of God's chosen people be reunited lingered. In today's reading we hear it in Jeremiah's prediction of  together again: "I will be the God of all the families of Israel and they shall all be my people" - Jeremiah 31:1.

Let's look at the bright picture Jeremiah paints of that reuniting:

This is a worldwide ingathering "I will bring them from the north country, And gather them from the ends of the earth…" Jeremiah 31:8, 10.

There is repentance and renewed spiritual sensitivity: "They shall come with weeping, And with supplications I will lead them" - Jeremiah 31:9.

There is celebration, singing and dancing - "You shall again be adorned with your tambourines, And shall go forth in the dances of those who rejoice …. Then shall the virgin rejoice in the dance, And the young men and the old together;  For I will turn their mourning to joy…" Jeremiah 31:4,13.

There is vibrant praise and worship - " ' Sing with gladness for Jacob, And shout among the chief of the nations; Proclaim, give praise and say, "O Lord, save Your people…" ' "  Jeremiah 31:7.

There is hope: "Again I will build you and you shall be rebuilt" - Jeremiah 31:4.

There is new life and productivity - "You shall yet plant vines on the mountains of Samaria …. Their souls shall be like a well-watered garden…" Jeremiah 31:5, 12.

Over it all there is a sense of God's love, protection, and care - "Yes, I have loved you with an everlasting love; Therefore with lovingkindness I have drawn you … He who scattered Israel will gather him, and Keep him as a shepherd does his flock … And My people shall be satisfied with My goodness says the Lord" - Jeremiah 31:3, 10-11,14.

The picture of God reclaiming His people Israel can be compared to what it's like when He brings humanity back to Himself, healing the rift that split us and God apart when Adam and Eve sinned.

He brings us from wherever we are and accepts us no matter what our condition. Our tears of repentance and renewed spiritual sensitivity soon change to joy, singing, celebration, praise, and worship as we realize our happy condition. Our relationship with our Creator leads to renewed life and creativity. In the Shepherd's care we find security and satisfaction.

If you haven't come home to the Father, He calls to you today: "Yes, I have loved you with an everlasting love; Therefore with lovingkindess I have drawn you…"

Come to Him today!.

PRAYER: Dear God, thank You for wanting me back and making a way. Help me today to appreciate and enjoy the benefits of being Your child. Amen.

PSALM TO PRAY: Psalm 21

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Unless otherwise noted all Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

A special people

Happy Mother's Day to all mothers reading here! 

 Jacob and Esau - Fresco painting by Raphael, 1518-1519

TODAY’S SPECIAL: Obadiah 1; Psalm 128

TO CHEW ON: "For violence against your brother Jacob, shame shall cover you, and you shall be cut off forever." Obadiah 1:10

Do we have brothers and/or sisters with whom we quarrel? Arguments and quarrels between siblings are common. Bible brothers and sisters had their differences too.

Take Jacob and Esau. Though they were twins, they were always competing against each other. Jacob tricked Esau into giving him the birthright (the inheritance that belonged to Esau as the oldest). Then he tricked Isaac, their father, into blessing him instead of Esau. This made Esau so angry, he threatened to kill Jacob. So Jacob left home.

Over the years the descendants of Esau became the nation of Edom. Jacob’s descendants became Israel. But there was no more love between the nations of Edom and Israel than there had been between their great-great-great-... grandfathers.

When Nebuchaednezzar destroyed and looted Judah, he was joined by soldiers from Edom. It is after this event that Obadiah prophesies.  In this short book (the shortest in the Old Testament) he speaks to the Jewish people mourning over the deaths of their family members and friends and the destruction of their beloved Jerusalem

His message condemns Edom for their treatment of their 'brothers.' He lists their treacheries against the Israelites in Obadiah 11-14. He scolds them for their pride. He tells Edom that though they think their strong cities can’t be conquered, because they have mistreated the Jews they will be defeated and disappear as a nation. And this happened. After 70 A.D. there is no more mention of Edom anywhere in history.

Still today the Jews have a special place in God’s heart (Deuteronomy 26:18,19). They are the people through whom God chose to bring His Son Jesus to earth. God has promised to raise them up as a strong nation again (Deuteronomy 30:3). God promises to bless those that bless and help the Jews (Genesis 12:3).

Though we may not understand or agree with everything that modern Israel does, God’s feelings about Israel haven’t changed. This nation is still His treasured possession. It is a nation Christians everywhere love and pray for.

PRAYER: Dear God, please bless the nation of Israel and the Jewish people. Amen.

PSALM TO PRAY:  Psalm 128

The Bible Project VIDEO: Obadiah (Read Scripture Series)





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Unless otherwise noted all Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Blessing

Image: Pixabay

TODAY'S SPECIAL: Deuteronomy 28-29; Psalm 62

TO CHEW ON: "And all these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you, because you obey the voice of the LORD your God." Deuteronomy 28:2 

We cannot read Deuteronomy 28 and not be struck by the repetition of the word "bless" in its various forms in the first 14 verses. I count ten repetitions.

["Bless" here is the Hebrew word barak - "to bless, kneel." 
"Blessing" is berakah, derived from barak - "blessing, prosperity, praise of God, gift, present."

In English we define bless as "to consecrate, make holy; to honor, exalt; glorify; to invoke God's favour upon; to bestow happiness or prosperity; to guard and protect."

We define "blessing" as the act or words of a person who blesses; a special favor, mercy or benefit; a favor or gift bestowed by God bringing happiness."]

As we follow the idea of blessing through the Bible, here are some things we discover:

1. Blessing is within our creator God's power to bestow (Psalm 134:3).

2. It is involved with God's plan for the Jewish people (Genesis 26:24)

• Blessing is evidenced in the unusually large harvest of year six in a seven-year cycle, so that the people would have food when they let their land rest in year seven (Leviticus 25:21).
• It is visible in their large families (Deuteronomy 1:11).
• It results in them settling in Canaan — the land of promise (Deuteronomy 26:15).
• Israel's independence and self-sufficiency are an evidence of God's blessing (Deuteronomy 15:6).

3. It is connected to obedience. Fourteen verses of Deuteronomy 28 (our reading) are taken up with promises of personal, family and national blessings that will flow out of obedience (Deuteronomy 28:1-14).

4. It is closely connected with giving (2 Chronicles 31:10; Ezekiel 44:30).

5. It is an expression of God's love (Deuteronomy 23:5).

6. It is His presence (Psalm 21:6).

7. It comes when people live peacefully together (Psalm 133:1-3).

8. It makes rich (Proverbs 10:22).

9. It is part of the upside down Kingdom of God, where we inherit a blessing when we refuse to reciprocate evil with evil, but with blessing (1 Peter 3:9).

But, you say, these blessings were for Bible time people not for us now — right?

Wrong! The exciting thing is that the blessing pronounced on Abraham and his descendants is linked to us too. Look at Galatians 3:13-14:

^"Through Christ Jesus, God has blessed the Gentiles with the same blessing he promised to Abraham, so that we who are believers might receive the promised Holy Spirit through faith." - Galatians 3:14 NLT

So when we say, "God bless you," we are not mouthing empty words. Rather we are invoking a rich heritage of blessing that is ours because of Jesus — just another fulfillment of God's promise to Abraham and the way he would bless, made way back in Genesis ("And in you all the families of the earth will be blessed" Genesis 12:3)

PRAYER: Dear God, help me to live blessed and under Your blessing. May my life be a means of blessing to others today. Amen. 

PSALM TO PRAY: Psalm 62

MORE: "I Will Delight" - Fernando Ortega

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Unless otherwise noted all Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked NLT are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Inherit the land!

Image: Pixabay

TODAY’S SPECIAL: Deuteronomy 1-3; Psalm 53

TO CHEW ON: “You have dwelt long enough at this mountain” - Deuteronomy 1:6

“You have skirted this mountain long enough” - Deuteronomy 2:3 NKJV
“You have roamed around this mountain country long enough” Deuteronomy 2:3 AMP

“… inherit the land…” Deuteronomy 3:28

In these first three chapters of Deuteronomy, Moses reviewed for the Israelites the chain of events that had brought them to this time and place (40 years out of Egypt, camped on the eastern border of Canaan). Three bullet points in his lecture stand out and may apply to us too.

“You have dwelt long enough at this mountain” - Deuteronomy 1:6.

The mountain Moses was referring to here was Mount Sinai. We recall what happened there—an intense experience with God: the law, the Tabernacle, worship, all accompanied by God’s electrifying presence.

But they weren’t to stay there. The day came that God said “You have lived here long enough.”

“You have roamed around this mountain country long enough” - Deuteronomy 2:3 AMP.

Moses continued reminding the Israelites of their history in the wilderness, their 38 years of additional wandering. It was a fate they brought on themselves by their fear and refusal (two years into their journey) to trust that God would give them victory over the fearful giants of Canaan.

Thankfully the day came when God again said, “Enough! it’s time to re-engage with faith and courage and claim the promise I gave you 40 years ago” (my paraphrase).

“… inherit the land” - Deuteronomy 3:28

This is part of the assignment God gave Moses for Joshua at the end of our reading: “But command Joshua and encourage him and strengthen him; for he shall go before this people and he shall cause them to inherit the land which you will see.”

How do these things relate to us?

There are times we experience spiritual highs—times when God feels close and intimate. Like Peter on the Mount of Transfiguration, we’d like to camp there… and stay… forever! But that’s not what life is for. We need to re-engage with the world, life, and resume our pilgrimage to realize the purpose and destiny for which we were created.

We can also get stuck going in circles, as the Israelites did. Joyce Meyer has devoted a 10-chapter section of her classic Battlefield of the Mind to “Wilderness Mentalities”—attitudes which keep us from making spiritual progress. She says in the introduction to that section:

“We really shouldn’t look at the Israelites with such astonishment because most of us do the same thing they did. We keep going around and around the same mountains instead of making progress. The result is it takes us years to experience victory over something that could have and should have been dealt with quickly” - Joyce Meyer, Battlefield of the Mind, p. 175.

If we’re n such a place, let’s stop trudging around in the desert and pray for insights into attitudes and actions that will bring breakthrough and take us into the land of all God has for us.

PRAYER: Dear Father, I need Your insights into the parts of my life that seem to be going nowhere. Please show me Your secrets of breakthrough. Amen.

PSALM TO PRAY: Psalm 53

The Bible Project VIDEO: Deuteronomy (Read Scripture Series)



Unless otherwise noted all Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Unless otherwise noted all Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Thanks for reading! This year we are using The Bible Project "Timeless Reading Plan" to read through the Bible in 2018. If you'd like to read along in your own Bible, you can download a pdf of the reading plan HERE.

Sometimes the way leads down

Israel on the move - by James Tissot

TODAY'S SPECIAL: Genesis 46-47


TO CHEW ON: "'I will go down with you into Egypt, and I will also surely bring you up again....'" - Genesis 46:4


It was moving time for Jacob. At last he had received the word that Joseph was alive and had in fact invited him and the clan to move to Egypt where food was plentiful. This was a momentous occasion. It meant uprooting many families. It meant arduous travel, and Jacob was old. It meant exposing his family to the idolatrous culture of Egypt.

When he got to Beersheba, where Abraham had called on God (Genesis 21:33) as had Isaac (Genesis 26:25), Jacob "offered sacrifices to God" - Genesis 46:1. Matthew Henry comments:

"He had an eye to God as the God of his father Isaac, that is, a God in covenant with him. He offered sacrifices:

1] By way of thanksgiving for the late blessed change of the face of his family, for the good news he had received concurring Joseph and for the hopes of seeing him.

2] By way of petition for the presence of God with him in his intended journey.

3] By way of consultation. The heathen consulted their oracles by sacrifice. Jacob would not go till he had asked God's leave" - Matthew Henry - Matthew Henry's Commentary on the Whole Bible, p. 65.

God replied in a vision giving Jacob all the assurance he needed: "Fear not. I will make of you a great nation."

Note the directional words in what God said next: "I will go down with you into Egypt, and I will also surely bring you up again." As well as Egypt seeming geographically down from Canaan, might their use signal to us God's awareness of one of Jacob's niggling concerns?

For by leaving Canaan for Egypt, Jacob was forsaking the land God had promised his family. He had, after all, made the trip back home from his father-in-law Laban's to inhabit it. Perhaps he was questioning, Will I slip out from under the shadow of God's protection by again leaving the land of promise? And would he ever get it back? In that nomadic culture, it wouldn't take long for the land to be inhabited by someone else. Leaving Canaan probably felt to Jacob like he was taking a step down, not up.

But down is sometimes how God directs. Matthew Henry again:

"Whatever low or darksome valley we are called into at any time, we may be confident, if God go down with us into it, that he will surely bring us up again. If he go with us down to death, he will surely bring us up again to glory" - Matthew Henry, p. 65.

The safest place to be is wherever God directs — even if it feels like down to us.


PRAYER: Dear God, thank You for being with me in the downs as well as the ups. Thank You for Your promise of being with me always (Psalm 139:7,8). Amen. 

PSALM TO PRAY: Psalm 15

MORE: Valley of Humiliation

"Then he began to go forward; but Discretion, Piety, Charity, and Prudence would accompany him down to the foot of the hill. So they went on together, reiterating their former discourses, till they came to go down the hill.

Then said Christian, 'As it was difficult coming up, so, so far as I can see, it is dangerous going down.'

'Yes,' said Prudence, 'so it is; for it is a hard matter for a man to go down into the valley of Humiliation, as thou art now, and to catch no slip by the way.'

'Therefore,' said they, 'we are come out to accompany thee down the hill.'

So he began to go down, but very warily; yet he caught a slip or two.'

- John Bunyan, Pilgrim's Progress, "The Fourth Stage — the Valley of Humiliation" - Kindle Location 1091.

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Unless otherwise noted all Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Israel—a land in waiting

Jerusalem (Image: Pixabay)

TODAY’S SPECIAL: Isaiah 49:14-26

TO CHEW ON: “… your walls are continually before Me … For they shall not be ashamed who wait for Me” - Isaiah 49:16b, 23b

On December 27th the United Nations Security Council passed its latest resolution against Israel—passed because the U.S., which has in the past supported Israel by vetoing such resolutions, chose to abstain from voting.

The result has been a war of words between U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, Israelite President Benjamin Netanyahu, and others.

The resolution is one of twenty the U.N. has adopted against Israel this year while passing just four for the rest of the world (one each for North Korea, Syria, Iran, and Russia). It seems obvious that anti-Semitic sentiments are again surfacing, indeed flourishing internationally.

In the context of the above, I find the prophecies in today’s passage reassuring. The first part of Isaiah 49 promises salvation for the Gentiles through God’s Servant (yesterday’s reading). Continuing on, God assures “Zion” (Jerusalem) who laments, “‘The LORD has forsaken me, / And my Lord has forgotten me”— that NO. God remembers like a mother remembers her child and "See, I have inscribed you on the palms of My hands" - Isaiah 49:15,16.

God’s promises to Israel in Isaiah 49 include:

• “Your walls are continually before Me” - Isaiah 49:16. This promise brings to mind a particularly onerous part of the recent U.N. resolution that labels Jewish settlements in East Jerusalem including the Western Wall as illegal. This assures us that God is up-to-the-minute aware.

• Victory over their enemies - Isaiah 49:17,18.

• Adequate space to live - Isaiah 49:19.

• Population growth - Isaiah 49:20.

• International respect and obeisance - Isaiah 49:22,23.

• God Himself as their defender - Isaiah 49:25.

What specific events loom in the immediate future for Israel are impossible to predict, though I don’t have a good feeling in light of prophecies such as all nations against Jerusalem (Zechariah 14:2) and other predictions of terrible trouble ahead for her (Zechariah 13:8,9; Jeremiah 30:7; Daniel 12:1; Matthew 24:21,22). But I know in the end, victory for Israel is sure because God keeps His promises!

PRAYER: Dear Father of Gentiles and Jews, I pray for the land of Israel (in waiting to realize her ultimate destiny), her people, her leaders and for the peace of Jerusalem. Amen. 

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Unless otherwise noted all Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Grace to believe

Traditional Jewish man (Image: Pixabay.com)

TODAY'S SPECIAL: Zechariah 12:1-14

TO CHEW ON: "And I will pour on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem the Spirit of grace and supplication; then they will look on Me whom they pierced. Yes, they will mourn for his only son and grieve for Him as one grieves for a firstborn." Zechariah 12:10


In her 2015 memoir Love Triangles, Bobbie Ann Cole (a British-born Jew who recognizes Jesus as Messiah) tells the story of her sojourn in Israel where she, with her Gentile husband decided to become citizens. (For her it was called making aliyah.)

However, the cloud over the whole experience was the fact that she felt she had to hide her belief in Jesus as Messiah in order to be accepted. Though in public speeches the Prime Minister lauded Israeli democracy and tolerance, she knew of many Messianic Jews who experienced nothing but roadblocks in their attempts to become Israeli citizens. Her conclusion: "The nation whose vision I heartily embraced had a policy of waging war on Jewish believers like me" - Love Triangles, Kindle Location 1898.

The prophecy in our today's reading predicts a time when there will be a change, not only in Israel's political position from besieged to besieger (Zechariah 12:6), but also its spiritual position from rejection to acceptance of "… Me whom they pierced …"  (Zechariah 12:10).

"Me whom they pierced" sounds like Jesus.

How will this change take place? Through an outpouring of "the Spirit of grace and supplication." A sidebar article in my Bible explaining the word grace says:

"God's grace poured out upon Jerusalem enables them to look longingly and beseechingly toward their pierced King. God's grace will result in Israel's seeing Jesus as someone of infinite beauty" - Dick Mills, New Spirit-Filled Life Bible, p. 1261.

I would submit that God's grace is necessary to open the eyes of not only Jewish people but Gentiles as well concerning who Jesus is, what He did, and its personal significance. Let's pray for God to pour on all our unbelieving loved ones this "Spirit of grace and supplication" even as we continue to pray for currently beleaguered Jerusalem and its peace (Psalm 122:6).

PRAYER: Dear Father, Help me to never overlook the necessity of the wooing of Your Spirit to draw people to Jesus. I pray that He will be active in the lives of my loved ones who don't recognize Jesus for who He is and what He did. Amen.

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Unless otherwise noted all Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

The great Jewish return

"Reconstruction of Jerusalem and the Temple of Herod" by James Tissot

 
TODAY'S SPECIAL: Zechariah 8:1-123

TO CHEW ON: "Thus says the Lord of hosts:
'Behold I will save My people from the land of the east
And from the land of the west;
I will bring them back
And they shall dwell in the midst of Jerusalem,
They shall be My people
And I will be their God,
In truth and righteousness.' "  Zechariah 8:7,9


The Old Testament prophets Zechariah and Haggai preached to the people who had returned from exile. Their messages were meant to arouse the returned Jews to finish rebuilding the temple.

In addition Zechariah's writings contain many references to the coming Messiah. Some well-known Messianic prophecies in Zechariah are of Messiah entering Jerusalem on a donkey (Zechariah 9:9) and of the Jews mourning over the One they have pierced (Zechariah 12:10).

Zechariah 8 is the prophecy of a restored Zion (a.k.a. Jerusalem). The prophet paints a picture of a future vibrant, safe, and peaceful city where:

"Old men and old women shall again sit
In the streets of Jerusalem,
Each one with his staff in his hand
Because of great age.
The streets of the city
Shall be full of boys and girls
Playing in its streets - Zechariah 8:4,5.

Our focus verse describes the return of the city's inhabitants. They come from all directions to live in Jerusalem. But they do more than just live there—they come to again be Yahweh's people:

"They shall be My people
And I will be their God."

It was a prophecy that was partially fulfilled in the exiles' return during and after Zechariah's time. But modern Bible scholars also interpret this passage as prophetic of events still to come. My Bible's notes say about chapter 8:

"Many Bible students believe the promises of a restored Zion are to apply primarily to a cleansed and invigorated church…"  and: "Some see this passage as partially fulfilled in God's building of a new people in the church age" David Warren Shibley, Introduction and study notes on Zechariah, New Spirit-Filled Life Bible, p. 1248 &1256.

There may be some truth here, but I think we need to guard against taking a stand that removes the literal Jerusalem and the Jewish people from the equation. Though Replacement Theology (that says the church has replaced Israel in God's plan) is popular these days, I believe the Bible is unequivocal about the special place of the literal Jerusalem and the Jews in world events still to come.

Instead of writing off the Jews, let's pray for the peace of Jerusalem (Psalm 122:6) and the day when the Jews will accept and follow their Messiah (Revelation 7:3-8; 14:1).

PRAYER: Dear God, thank You for the Jewish people through whom Jesus came. As world events unfold, with peoples fighting over Jerusalem, help me to continue to pray for its peace and the salvation of the Jewish people—the "apple of Your eye" (Zechariah 2:8). Amen.

MORE: Anti-semitism
Anti-semitism is on the rise again in the world. Global journalist Martin Himel has put together a series of documentaries called Jew Bashing that show the persecution and harassment of Jews in all quarters:  The Middle East, Anti-Semitism in Europe, Conspiracy of Anti-Semitism, and Canada.  Where anti-Semitism happens in the church, the belief in Replacement Theology is often a precursor to such a stand.

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Unless otherwise noted all Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Israel in God's plan

TODAY'S SPECIAL: Ezekiel 37:15-28

TO CHEW ON: " ' … and I will make them one nation in the land, on the mountains of Israel; and one king shall be king over them all; they shall no longer be two nations, nor shall they ever be divided into two kingdoms again.' " Ezekiel 37:22

Ezekiel has just witnessed the bones—those very many, very dry bones in a vast valley—come together. God has told him what it means: " ' I will put My Spirit in you, and you shall live, and I will place you in your own land…" - Ezekiel 37:14.

Then God instructs him to take two sticks, symbolic of Israel and Judah, and join them together. It's a picture, God says, of how Israel will again be one nation instead of two - Ezekiel 37:16-20.

And they will be repatriated in their own land, established "forevermore" as the location of God's sanctuary - Ezekiel 37: 20, 25-28.

This must have seemed fantastical to Ezekiel, writing from this side of  the departure of God's presence from the temple with idolatry having taken over (Ezekiel 8:1-11:25) and the siege of Jerusalem (c. 587 B.C.). But parts of this prophecy alert us to a more long-range fulfillment than even the return of the exiles to Jerusalem and the rebuilding of the temple under Ezra and Nehemiah.

Ezekiel talks of "David My servant" being king over them, "one shepherd," an "everlasting covenant" and that God's sanctuary would be among them forever (Ezekiel 37:24-28). It sounds Messianic—a prophecy yet to be fulfilled.

My Bible commenter on Ezekiel explains two common views of interpreting Bible prophecy:

"Dispensational hermeneutics interprets them literally applying them to a physical end-times national Israel. Classical hermeneutics interprets them more symbolically with Israel here being primarily the church but also end-time national Israel to some degree" Howard M. Ervin & Roy E. Hayden, New Spirit-Filled Life Bible, p. 1092.

Wherever we find ourselves on this interpretational continuum, we can't help being transfixed by events in the Middle East—especially Israel. That this tiny fought-over country still has a special place in God's plan is, I think obvious, by the very fact of her against-all-odds existence.

As we watch, let's keep in mind prophecies like Ezekiel's that underline the fact that history has never gotten away from God (no matter how beleaguered and unpopular Israel is these days). His plan will continue to unroll with, I believe, Israel playing a key role. Let's continue to be astute students of the Bible and its prophecies so we won't be surprised by or caught off-guard by her still-to-come bright future.

PRAYER: Dear God, please open my eyes to Your hand working through the nations, especially Israel, in history. Amen.

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Unless otherwise noted all Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

They shall return

"Old Passports" - Image from RGBStock.com

TODAY'S SPECIAL: Zechariah 10:1-12

TO CHEW ON: "I will sow them among the peoples,
And they shall remember Me in far countries …
And they shall return…
Until no more room is found for them." - Zechariah 10:9,10

The prophecy Zechariah is making here, has it already happened or is it still in the future?

My Bible's notes say about this passage:

"Though the covenant people be sown among the nations, God promises that they shall return. This prophecy was partially fulfilled in Zechariah's day in the return of the exiled Jews from Babylon. The prophecy will have its final fulfillment in the New Jerusalem, where not only Jews but all nations come to worship God" - David Warren Shibley, New Spirit-Filled Life Bible, p. 1259.

Hmmm. I'm not finding the above totally convincing. On the hunch that Zechariah's prophecy is being fulfilled literally in our day, as Jews from around the world stream back into Israel, I looked around for statistics and found the "Latest Population Statistics for Israel."

According to the report, Israel's population growth was 2% in 2014, much of it from immigration. Top countries from which Jews are emigrating to Israel: Ukraine, France, Russia and the U.S. From the report linked above:

"A study performed by the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life found that one in four Jewish individuals currently live in a country other than the one they were born in.  In contrast, one in twenty Christians and one in twenty five Muslims live in a country other than that of their birth.  This makes Jewish individuals the world's top migrants."

Another article from the "Word Population Review" says this about population projections for Israel:

"Atypical of the population growth rate for a developed country, the State of Israel has a rapid growth rate. Since the establishment of the State, the population has increased approximately tenfold, primarily as a result of the high immigration of Jews into the country."

Some prominent theologians believe that the church has replaced Israel in God's plan and that prophecies of a renewed Israel apply to the church, not literal Israel ("Replacement Theology").

The writer of my Bible's notes seems to tilt in that direction. From his "Introduction to Zechariah":

"Many Bible students believe the promises of a restored Zion are to apply primarily to a cleansed, invigorated church" - David Warren Shibley, New Spirit-Filled Life Bible, p. 1248.

I don't agree. I believe these prophecies and promises also concern the literal Jewish people and are even now being fulfilled before our eyes. Let's continue to watch world events with an eye to how God is fitting things together in fulfilled prophecy in our time. And let's continue to pray for the country of Israel and the Jewish people.

PRAYER: Dear God, it's exciting to see things prophesied in the Bible happening before my eyes. I pray for Jewish people everywhere, especially in places where antisemitism is again on the rise. Most of all, may they find a home in Jesus. Amen.

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Unless otherwise noted all Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Watch with double vision

TODAY'S SPECIAL: Ezekiel 17:22-24

TO CHEW ON: "'And all the trees of the field shall know that I, the Lord, have brought down the high tree, dried up the green tree and made the dry tree flourish; I the Lord have spoken and have done it.'" Ezekiel 17:24

Our short reading today is obviously a parable or metaphor. What or who is it about?

All the commentaries I read agree that this tree story is a picture of little Israel, exalted above other nations. It is also messianic or prophetic of Jesus.

There is a sense in which this prophecy has already been partially fulfilled in history. For example, Howard M. Ervin, the writer of my Bible's notes on Ezekiel says: "All the trees are foreign nations. The high tree is Jehoiachin, the low tree a scion of David (and Jehoiachin)" New Spirit-Filled Life Bible, p. 1070.  Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible Commentary says: "… Some by the high and green tree understand Zedekiah, who was brought low; and by the 'low' and 'dry tree' Jeconiah who was raised by the king of Babylon - Jeremiah 52:11."

However, we can't help but pick up Messianic references. My Bible's study notes again: "'I will take' (vs. 22)  signifies the divine intervention of God to establish a descendant of David on the throne."

As we understand the cedar to represent the house of David (Pulpit Commentary), we read this line: "I the Lord, have brought down the high tree and exalted the low tree…" and recall words from Hannah's prayer: "The Lord …  brings low and lifts up," 1 Samuel 2:7. It reminds us too of Mary's words from the Magnificat: "He has put down the mighty from their thrones, and exalted the lowly" - Luke 1:52.

And Jesus referred to the green and dry wood as He was led to the cross: "'Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for Me. … For if they do these things in the green wood, what will be done in the dry?'" Luke 23:29,31.

The prophecy still to be fulfilled is of a day when Israel will be exalted under the leadership of that cedar branch (Messiah—Jesus) as if planted "on a high and prominent mountain."

As we continue to watch world affairs, let's do it with double-vision. Let's  keep our sights on what's happening around us and at the same time stay alert to what God, through His prophets, under the influence of the Holy Spirit, has said will happen, those things "I the Lord have spoken and have done it."  Let's not be caught napping (Matthew 25:1-13).

PRAYER: Dear God, help me to be an astute watcher of world events as I seek to understand them in the light of prophecy. Amen.

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New King James Version (NKJV) Used with permission. The Holy Bible, New King James Version Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc.

Israel, God's servant

TODAY'S SPECIAL: Isaiah 49:1-13

TO CHEW ON: "And He said to me,

'You are My servant, O Israel

In whom I will be glorified.'" Isaiah 49:3

Chapters 49 to 55 of Isaiah talk much about the Servant of God. They are sometimes referred to as Servant Songs. In answer to the question, who is the servant, Halley's Bible Handbook says:

"In some passages the Servant seems to be Israel, the Nation, and in other passages the Messiah, the ONE in whom Israel would be Personified. And the passages are pretty well blended, the context itself indicating which is meant" - Halley's Bible Handbook, p. 303.

Taking Mr. Halley's comment as permission to interpret who the Servant is by context here, it appears that the first two verses of Isaiah 49 refer to the Nation-of-Israel-Servant. In them, Isaiah mentions things about Israel that help explain the large role this nation has and is playing in world events:

• God has called her into existence:

"The Lord has called Me from the womb

From the matrix of My mother He

has made mention of My name"

(Got to love the NKJV alliteration—the humming sound of all those 'm's. I count eleven!)

• Her influence is powerful, far exceeding what one would expect from such a small nation: "And He has made My mouth like a sharp sword."

• Her defense has been unusually effective: "(He has) made Me a polished shaft"

• She experiences God's protection: first nurtured within the womb, then "...hidden in the shadow of His hand ... in his quiver."

• Her existence and role have and will serve God's glory: "You are My servant, O Israel, In whom I will be glorified."

Israel is much in the news these days. I am writing this the day after Prime Minister Netanyahu addressed the U.S. Congress, against the wishes of President Obama.* He, with others, is in negotiations with Israel's enemy Iran. In his speech Netanyahu laid out what Israel fears from a nuclear-equipped Iran, whose leaders have openly stated they want her destroyed.

As those who have read the end of the book, we believe that Israel will not be destroyed. In the interim, let's:

1. Interpret world events through the lens of the Bible, realizing that God is sovereign and not puzzled or confounded by any of the things happening in the Middle East or on the world stage.
2. Pray for the peace of Jerusalem (Psalm 122:6) and for wisdom for her current leader, Benjamin Netanyahu.
3. Continue to give Israel—the "apple of God's eye" (Zechariah 2:8-9) our political and moral support.

PRAYER: Dear God, thank You for Your plans in which the nation of Israel has played and is playing a vital part. I pray for wisdom for her leaders and protection for her people. May You get the glory from Your servant Israel. Amen.

MORE: Following events in the Middle East

If you are interested in following events in the Middle East and getting help with interpreting them from a biblical perspective, author and speaker Joel Rosenberg is a great resource. On Joel C. Rosenberg's Blog (Tracking events and trends in Israel, Russia and the epicentre) Rosenberg posts links to current articles and opinion, keeping readers in the loop about world events in ways that the mainstream media never will.

He has also written numerous books—fiction and non-fiction—that deal with Israel and end-time prophecy.

If you have an opportunity to attend one of his lectures or simulcasts—take it. I attended one last year; it was excellent.

* How significant that Netanhayu addressed Congress on March 3rd, the day before Purim (March 4-5, 2015), when Jews celebrate their deliverance from an ancient threat to their existence, brought about by the courage and obedience of Queen Esther and her cousin Mordecai - Esther 9:20-22.

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Unless otherwise noted all Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

New things

TODAY'S SPECIAL: Isaiah 43:1-21

TO CHEW ON: "Do not remember the former things
Nor consider the things of old
Behold I will do a new thing,
Now it shall spring forth;
Shall you not know it?
I will even make a road in the wilderness
And rivers in the desert." Isaiah 43:18-19


"A road in the wilderness … rivers in the desert"? Highly unusual. Even impossible?

That's what God is saying here: I can and will do the unusual, the impossible in the process of buying you back—redeeming you.

Israel has lots of impossible already in her history. Isaiah alludes to some of those things.

• "When you pass through the waters … through the rivers…" the people might recall their miraculous passages through the Red Sea and the Jordan River (Exodus 14:10-30; Joshua 3&4).

• "I gave Egypt for your ransom…" would remind them of the death of the firstborn sons of Egypt (Exodus 12:13,23-28).

• "Who brings forth the chariot and horse … they are quenched … extinguished" would bring back the story of the Egyptians coming to reclaim their once-slaves and how they drowned in the Red Sea (Exodus 14:23-30).

Some of the things Isaiah speaks were certainly prophetic to the people of his time.

• "When you walk through the fire, you shall not burn" reminds us of Shadrach, Meshech and Abednego in Nebuchadnezzar's furnace, something that hadn't yet happened when Isaiah wrote these words (Daniel 3:1-25).

• "Bring My sons from afar, My daughters from the ends of the earth" reminds us of the Jews and their various returns from exile, as lately as Israel now resettling her land after millennia of disbursement.

All that to say, God's program of redemption is not stymied by anything.

I take this as encouragement to keep praying for straying loved ones, the spread of the gospel in my community and country, the fulfillment of God's agenda globally.

And in many ways we see 'impossible' things happening before our eyes. Who would have dreamed, fifteen to twenty years ago, of a system whereby people all over the planet could communicate almost simultaneously (the internet)? Talk about a means of fulfilling Jesus' words in Matthew 24:14 - "And this gospel of the Kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come."

I wonder what other new things God still has up His sleeve!

PRAYER: Dear God, You made the world and its systems, so of course nothing is impossible to You. Help me to live in the truth of that. Amen.


MORE: Who Paints the Skies - Stuart Townend

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The Holy Bible, New King James Version Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. - Used with permission.