Little Bethlehem

TODAY'S SPECIAL: Micah 4:13-5:15

TO CHEW ON: "But you, Bethlehem, Ephrathah
Though you are little among the thousands of Judah
Yet out of you shall come forth to Me
The One to be Ruler in Israel,
Whose goings forth are from old
From everlasting." - Micah 5:2

This often-quoted passage from Micah is a prediction of Messiah's birthplace. The students of Scripture in Jesus' day took it as such (Matthew 2:5,6; John 7:41,42) and all Christendom since has considered Jesus' birth in Bethlehem fulfillment of it and part of the proof that He really was/is Messiah.

I wonder, did Joseph ever connect this prophecy with what the angel had told him (Matthew 1:20,21), or Mary with what Gabriel had told her about the baby she would bear ("...and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David. And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever..." - Luke 1:32,33)?

I've always imagined that they felt upset and nervous about the need to travel from Galilee to Bethlehem so close to Mary's due date. But maybe their angst was also accompanied by an undercurrent of epiphany and excitement. God had told them His secret in private and now He was engineering events so that the details would fit with prophecy!

Of course they still had to live through those uncomfortable days of travel, that panicky time of finding a place—any place—where Mary could birth her baby. No matter how they put the two together, there was still lots of room for faith to be stretched.

You know, we're in God's story too. Of course, not in the way Joseph and Mary were. But we are part of events that are playing out as Jesus and the prophets foretold. Let's live our roles, no matter how insignificant they seem, with the faith that God has all the details in hand as He did for Joseph and Mary.

PRAYER: Dear God, thank You for these Bible prophets and prophecies that bolster my faith in You and Your plan. Please help me to have implicit faith in You as I play my part. 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.

Lift up your eyes

"Adoration of the Magi" after Workshop of Raphael

TODAY'S SPECIAL: 2 Samuel 7:1-17


TO CHEW ON: "And your house and your kingdom shall be established forever before you. Your throne shall be established forever." 2 Samuel 7:16

What does a passage in 2 Samuel have to do with Christmas, you may be asking. As we read it we see, sure enough. Here in Nathan's prophecy to David is a very clear reference to Messiah. Of 2 Samuel 7:12-16 a footnote in my Bible says:

"The son of David (Solomon) and the son of David (the Messiah) merge here. It is the Messiah's throne that will be established forever" - Jerry Cook, New Spirit Filled Life Bible, p. 411.

Then the footnote suggests more Bible bits to read in the same vein. Let's read and ponder them, letting the prophetic words of hope and longing crane the necks of our spirits and lift our eyes as we anticipate the celebration of His birth and the revelation of His Kingdom established still to come.

Psalm 45. Note especially verse Psalm 45:6:

"Your throne, O God, will last for ever and ever;
   a scepter of justice will be the scepter of your kingdom." - NIV © 2010 

Psalm 2: 6-9:

^6"Yet have I anointed (installed and placed) My King [firmly] on My holy hill of Zion.
    ⁷I will declare the decree of the Lord: He said to Me, You are My Son; this day [I declare] I have begotten You.
    ⁸Ask of Me, and I will give You the nations as Your inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth as Your possession.
    ⁹You shall break them with a rod of iron; You shall dash them in pieces like potters' ware." -  Amplified

Psalm 89:3-4

 ³ "The Lord said, “I have made a covenant with David, my chosen servant.
      I have sworn this oath to him:
 ⁴ ‘I will establish your descendants as kings forever;
      they will sit on your throne from now until eternity.’”
                         Interlude" - NLT

Hebrews 1:8

⁸ "But to the Son He says:

      'Your throne, O God, is forever and ever;
      A scepter of righteousness is the scepter of Your kingdom.'"- NKJV

Revelation 11:15

¹⁵ "The seventh angel sounded his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven, which said:
   'The kingdom of the world has become
   the kingdom of our Lord and of his Messiah,
   and he will reign for ever and ever.'" - NIV © 2010

Revelation 19:6

^"6After that I heard what sounded like the shout of a vast throng, like the boom of many pounding waves, and like the roar of terrific and mighty peals of thunder, exclaiming, 'Hallelujah (praise the Lord)! For now the Lord our God the Omnipotent (the All-Ruler) reigns!'" - Amplified

PRAYER: Dear God thank You for Your kingdom, predicted by the prophets, fulfilled in the coming of Christ and still in the process of being revealed. I look forward to the day when Your complete victory over Satan, sin and death is visible. Amen.

MORE: "Of the Father's Love Begotten"

"All dominions bow before Him

And extol our God and King"

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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 AMP are taken from the Amplified® Bible, Copyright © 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission." (www.Lockman.org)

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

Scripture quotations marked NIV are taken from THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

The Spirit who moves in world affairs and the hearts of people

Prayer - Photo courtesy Pixabay.com

TODAY'S SPECIAL: Zechariah 9-14; Psalm 62

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 Him as one mourns for his only son, and grieve for Him as one grieves for a firstborn" - Zechariah 12:10

The prophet Zechariah was a contemporary of Haggai. He prophesied to the Jews who had returned from exile under Zerubbabel and Joshua. These returnees quickly set about rebuilding the temple. But their Samaritan neighbors resisted them, went to the King of Persia, and got an order for them to stop the rebuild. This project was then on hold for twelve years.

Into this context of discouragement and distraction (for in the meantime, the returned exiles became absorbed in fixing their own homes) Zechariah encouraged them to finish the job. He did this by pointing them to a day when Messiah will rule from a restored temple in a restored city.

I see two unexpected, we could say miraculous pictures in Zechariah 12.

The first is a picture of a restored Jerusalem (Zechariah 12:1-9).

This is something God does. Earth's armies don't stand a chance when God makes Jerusalem a "cup of drunkenness to all the surrounding peoples" (vs. 2) and a "heavy stone" (vs. 3), when He strikes "every horse with confusion... blindness" (vs. 4), and causes Judah's governors to be "like a fiery torch in the sheaves" (vs. 6). God says in plain language: "It shall be in that day that I will seek to destroy all the nations that come against Israel" - Zechariah 12:9.

The second is a picture of the Jews understanding and accepting "Me whom they pierced" (vs. 10).

How can this be a reference to anything other than Jesus on the cross? The cross was an instrument of torture and extreme humiliation. How will the Jews' scornful, mocking attitude toward Jesus change? Via another miracle. It happens when God pours on the "house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem the Spirit of Grace and supplication" - Zechariah 12:10.

I take encouragement for our own times from these pictures.

1. God's Spirit is active in nations.
God isn't governed by polls, the political pundits, or the media when it comes to who governs us and how successful they are. Whenever we're in election mode, it's easy to become smug or discouraged about the outcome depending on how our favorite party or leader is doing, based on the natural ways of measuring public support and the vote that will result. Do we believe that God is in these things too—that He can move in circumstances relating to who comes to power, no matter how it looks along the way? Let's not stop praying for the things God has laid on our hearts for our country, knowing that He is sovereign in who comes to power.

2. God's Spirit can enlighten the darkest heart.
Here God pours out His Spirit on those who killed Him so that they recognize who He is and understand what He did. He can also enlighten our loved ones.  In the words of a sidebar article in my Bible:

"This obvious prophetic reference to the Cross is a dramatic witness to the ministry and power of the Holy Spirit, whose mission is to glorify the Messiah and draw hearts to Him. It explains how the outpouring of the Holy Spirit has caused and will cause Jesus' death and sacrifice to become understood from Pentecost until He comes again" Scott G.Bauer, "The Holy Spirit Witnesses to the Cross of the Messiah," New Spirit-Filled Life Bible, p. 1261.

PRAYER: Dear God, thank You for these encouraging pictures of how You move in world affairs and in the hearts of people. Help me to continue to pray in faith that You are at work in my land and in the people I love. Amen.

PSALM TO PRAY: Psalm 62

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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 other side of God

TODAY'S SPECIAL: Proverbs 13-15; Psalm 2


TO CHEW ON: I will declare the decree:
The LORD has said to Me, 'You are My Son
Today I have begotten You
Ask of Me and I will give You
The nations for your inheritance
And the ends of the earth for Your possession." Psalm 2:7,8


The Lord is speaking through David here as he makes these prophetic pronouncements about Messiah (Jesus).

"You are My Son..." brings to mind the several times we see this phrase repeated in the New Testament. We hear it:
- at Jesus' baptism - Matthew 3:17.
- at His transfiguration - Matthew 17:5.
- through the words of Paul - Acts 13:33
- and the writer of Hebrews - Hebrews 1:5

Psalm 2 goes on to describe the ferocity of this Son/King as He possesses the nations. He will break them with a rod of iron and dash them in pieces like pottery—unless they are on His side. For they have another choice. They can choose to fear Him (Psalm 2:11) give Him obeisance (Psalm 2:12) and put their trust in Him (Psalm 2:12).

In our times we rarely portray God in such a stern, judgmental light. We like to emphasize His grace, mercy, and forgiveness. And He is gracious, merciful, and forgiving. But He is also black-and-white-holy, and will eventually come down on the black with a fury that will make us tremble in fear if we haven't trembled in awe and submission first. As the commenter Matthew Henry says it:

"The kingdom of Messiah is founded upon an eternal decree of God the Father. This our Lord often referred to as what He governed Himself by. God hath said unto Him, Thou art My Son, and it becomes each of us to say to Him, Thou art my Lord and my Sovereign."

PRAYER: Dear God, I acknowledge You as King and Sovereign in my affairs today. I long for the blessing of those who put their trust in You. Amen. 

PSALM TO PRAY: Psalm 2

MORE: "Ride on King Jesus" by Steve Bell



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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 700-year-old prophecy

TODAY'S SPECIAL: Micah 5-7; Psalm 131

TO CHEW ON: "'But you, Bethlehem, Ephrathah
Though you are little among the thousands of Judah
Yet out of you shall come forth to Me
The One to be Ruler in Israel,
Whose goings forth are from of old,
from everlasting.'" Micah 5:2

Near the time of Jesus' birth stargazers, "wise men" from the east followed a mysterious star to Judea. They believed it was a supernatural announcement of the birth of the King of the Jews.  They stopped in Jerusalem to inquire of King Herod about the whereabouts of this baby king. He was understandably puzzled (and vexed and disturbed—as far as he knew, he was the king of the Jews)!

He summoned the Jewish religious scholars. They quoted our verse from Micah as the prophecy concerning the birthplace of such a king (Matthew 2:6). Bethlehem was also the birthplace of David, the beginning of the Davidic line, from which the Jews  believed the Messiah would come (Matthew 2:5; John 5:41,42).

The fact that Jesus was born in Bethlehem when his parents actually lived in Galilee was as flukey as some of the seemingly random things that happen to us. Who would have connected the fulfillment of a seven-hundred-year-old prophecy with a census decree by a very secular Roman ruler?

As we reflect on the accuracy of this ancient prophecy and God's use of a secular ruler to accomplish His purposes, let's be encouraged about our own lives. For no person or circumstance can stymie God's plans and purposes for us either as we seek Him and live under His direction - Jeremiah 29:11-13.

PRAYER: Dear God, please help me to relax in the knowledge that You have my future in Your hands and can, with great efficiency, use every life event to fulfill your plans for me and in me. Amen.

PSALM TO PRAY: Psalm 131

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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.

Forgiven and healed

TODAY'S SPECIAL: Isaiah 52-54; Psalm 119:97-128

TO CHEW ON: "But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed."  Isaiah 53:5

Isaiah 53:5 has to be one of the most moving verses in the Bible. In it we see God's Servant mutilated, stripped of any attractiveness, despised, rejected, and treated with utter revulsion as He bears sin. Not just someone else's sin, but "our sin."

Isaiah uses two words to describe sin: transgressions and iniquities.

["Transgressions - pesha  means rebellion, transgression, trespass. Pesha comes from pasha which means to revolt, rebel, and trespass.  … a trespass has to do with revolting against law, God or government and was a transgressing, that is, going b beyond established limits" - Dick Mills, New Spirit-Filled Life Bible, p. 1072.]

[Iniquities - avon  means evil, fault, sin, blame, moral crookedness and perversion.]  It's the word that describes the inborn tendency to sin in which we are born: "Behold I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin my mother conceived me" - Psalm 51:5.

Here we see My Servant—whom we believe was Jesus—taking the punishment for our rebellion, revolt, trespass, evil, and moral crookedness. He is chastised, beaten, and crucified to buy our peace. He bears our sins and intercedes for us, the transgressors (Isaiah 53:12).

With this act, not only is our penalty paid but we are healed. I believe this healing includes all aspects. Jesus' death purchased our healing from rebellious crookedness along with healing from physical diseases.

May the enormity of what Jesus did never cease to impress us. May we never become casual or blasé about how He took my place and yours as the object of God's wrath against sin and made possible our health and wholeness.

PRAYER: Dear Jesus, thank You for taking the punishment for my sin, and making it possible for me to be healed. Help me to cooperate with Your Spirit to make possible  healing from my rebellious tendencies. Amen.

PSALM TO PRAY: Psalm 119:97-128

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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 Suffering Servant

Image: Hans_Hofer / pixabay.com

TODAY'S SPECIAL: Isaiah 49-51; Psalm 119:65-96

TO CHEW ON: "'For the Lord God will help Me;
Therefore I will not be disgraced;
Therefore I have set My face like a flint
And know that I will not be ashamed.'" Isaiah 50:7

In this third Servant Song (Isaiah 50:4-9) we see the human and suffering Servant. It's not hard to recognize parallels from this passage in Jesus' and His life.

• From Isaiah: "'The Lord God has given Me the tongue of the learned…'" (Isaiah 50:4)

From Jesus' life: already by the age of 12 He was known for His words. In them He demonstrated:

- Understanding: "And all who heard Him were astonished ad His understanding and answers" - Luke 2:47.

- Grace: "So all … marveled at the gracious words which proceeded out of HIs mouth" - Luke 4:22.

- Authority: "… His word was with authority" - Luke 4:32.

- Life: "'The words I speak to you are spirit and they are life'" - John 6:63.

• From Isaiah "… a word in season to him who is weary" (Isaiah 50:4):

Jesus said: "'Come to Me all you who labor and are heavy-laden, and I will give you rest'" - Matthew 11:28.

• From Isaiah: "'He awakens Me morning by morning…" (Isaiah 50:4)

It was said of Jesus: "Now in the morning having risen a long while before daylight, He went out and departed to a solitary place; and there He prayed" - Mark 1:35. See also Luke 5:16. 

• From Isaiah "'I gave My back to those who struck Me, / And My cheeks to those who plucked out the beard; / I did not hide My face from shame and spitting'" (Isaiah 50:6):

This happened to Jesus: "So then Pilate took Jesus and had Him scourged (flogged, whipped) and they slapped Him in the face" - John 19:1,3 AMP.

And this: "Then they spat in His face and beat Him; and others struck Him with the palms of their hands…" Matthew 26:67.

• From Isaiah "'For the Lord God will help Me; / Therefore I will not be disgraced; / Therefore I have set My face like a flint / And I know that I will not be ashamed'" (Isaiah 50: 7):

Compare Jesus' words from the cross: "'My God, My God, why have You forsaken me…'?" - Matthew 27:46 (when it seemed that He had been disgraced) to this triumph after His resurrection: "And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, 'All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth…'" Matthew 28:18-29.

There is something very reassuring about finding these prophetic words about the Servant's (Jesus's) suffering and eventual victory. Keeping them in mind as we read the story of Jesus' passion helps us understand that what happened that weekend in Jerusalem 2000+ hears ago was a planned, intentional chain of events, put into motion by the God who loves us and in this way purchased our salvation.

He knew/knows our lives in the same prophetic, beforehand way. We are not some chance or random blip on the radar of time, but planned pieces of the puzzle that is making the picture God has designed and knows from eternity past.

PRAYER: Dear God, thank You for this picture of Jesus, given hundreds of years before the cross. Help me to trust Your plan for me, especially when it seems to make no sense. Amen.

PSALM TO PRAY: Psalm 119:65-06

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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.

Meet the Servant

Image: aschenputtel / pixabay.com

TODAY'S SPECIAL: Isaiah 42-44; Psalm 119:1-32

TO CHEW ON: "Behold! My Servant whom I uphold,
My Elect One in whom My soul delights!
I have put My Spirit upon Him;
He will bring forth justice to the Gentiles." Isaiah 42:1


In today's passage we read the first of what Bible scholars call the Servant Songs of Isaiah. GotQuestions.org defines these:

"There are four “Servant Songs” of Isaiah that describe the service, suffering, and exaltation of the Servant of the Lord, the Messiah. All four songs show the Messiah to be God’s meek and gentle Servant. He is a royal figure, representing Israel in its ideal form; He is the high priest, atoning for the sins of the world. Isaiah predicts that this Servant of the Lord would deliver the world from the prison of sin. In the royal terminology of the ancient Near East, a servant was a “trusted envoy,” a “confidential representative,” or “one who is chosen.” The Servant Songs are found in Isaiah 42:1–9; Isaiah 49:1–13; Isaiah 50:4–11; and Isaiah 52:13—53:12" (read entire article...)

I am sure there are many scholarly approaches we could take to discovering the riches of these songs, but I'm going to look at them personally and devotionally, through the lens of Jesus being their fulfillment—the Servant that these songs celebrate.

The Servant involves all of God.
This first song is rich in all of the Godhead. All of the trinity is here: The speaker, God the Father, who "puts upon" the Servant (God the Son) the Spirit - Isaiah 42:1. Later the Servant qualifies to receive God's glory (which He will not give to another) - Isaiah 42:8.

The Servant is gentle.
I have heard the Holy Spirit described as a gentleman. That is certainly how He appears here as the Servant empowered by the Spirit administers justice, but with a soft voice and unshowy ways - Isaiah 42:2. He is also gentle with the hurting and frees the most tightly bound - Isaiah 42:3,7.

The Servant is trustworthy.
He stands for what is right and true, and is the means by which God keeps His promises - Isaiah 42:3,6.

The Servant is creative.
He was active with God in creation - Isaiah 42:5 and will be the catalyst of new things - Isaiah 42:9.

I invite you, as I am doing, to let this first Servant Song be salve to your spirit today. Do you need gentleness? Jesus is gentle. Do you crave truth and righteousness? Jesus is that too. Do you need to know you have put your faith in someone who can and will keep His promises? That's Jesus. Do you need His creative activity in your life? Ask Him to be Creator in your circumstances.


PRAYER: Dear Jesus, thank You for this beautiful picture of Your willingness to serve God the Father, and us. Help me to find comfort and hope in Your abilities today. Amen. 

PSALM TO PRAY: Psalm 119:1-32

The Bible Project VIDEO: The Gospel of the Kingdom (Theme 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.

Still looking forward to "Then"

Peter heals a lame man - Acts 3:8

TODAY'S SPECIAL: Isaiah 31-35; Psalm 116

TO CHEW ON: "Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened,
And the ears of the deaf unstopped.
Then the lame shall leap like a deer,
And the tongue of the dumb sing.
For waters shall burst forth in the wilderness,
And streams in the desert."  Isaiah 35:5,6

The first word in our focus verse, "Then," refers back to verse 4, where Isaiah says, "Behold your God will come with vengeance … He will come and save you." Bible commentators interpret these verses to refer to the coming of Messiah—Jesus.

What a beautiful picture Isaiah paints of unheard-of fruitfulness ("the desert shall rejoice and blossoms as a rose"), the return of courage ("strengthen the weak hands / And make firm the feeble knees"), and restored health as sight replaces blindness, hearing deafness, song gushes from the throats of the mute, and the lame "leap like a deer." Hallelujah!

As we review the life of Jesus we find that many of these wonders characterized His ministry. We read how he healed blind men in Matthew 9:27 and again in John 9:6,7. He had a great healing conference "on the mountain" when "great multitudes came to Him having with them the lame, blind, mute, maimed and many others … and He healed them" (Matthew 15:29,30). He actually quoted words from our Isaiah reading to John the Baptist, referring to Himself as a fulfillment of these prophecies (Matthew 11:4,5).

But there is also an aspect of Isaiah's prophecy that has yet to be fulfilled. The "Day of the Lord"—and I think we're safe in equating the "Then" in verse 4 to that "Day"—has layers of fulfillment in prophecy. A footnote in my Bible explains:

"'The Day of the Lord' is used by OT prophets to signify a time in the history of mankind when God directly intervenes to bring salvation to His people and punishment to the rebellious..."

The explanation goes on to identify four stages of the Day of the Lord:
1. The time of the prophets.

2. The time of the fulfillment of their prophecies.
Periods of fulfillment were typically merged in the prophets' views, however (they couldn't differentiate between near or distant fulfillment). From our vantage point, though, we can recognize the first coming of Jesus and the church age as part of the coming of "The Day."

But there's more to come as we look forward to the fulfillment of the "Then," the "Day of the Lord."

3. The Second Coming of Christ: is another part of this, "… during which Christ's personal righteous and universal rule will restore God's order to earth - Isaiah 11:6-9; Amos 9:13."

And finally…

4. The ultimate fulfillment of "The Day … with its new heaven and a new earth - Ezekiel 47:1-12 compared with Revelation 22:1-5" - Timothy Mark Powell, footnotes on Obadiah 15, New Spirit-Filled Life Bible p. 1190.

And so our attitude is rejoicing in something that has passed and anticipating for the future and the "Then" we still have to look forward to!

PRAYER: Dear Jesus, thank You for coming to show God's heart of abundance, restoration and healing. Help me to live with faith and soberness as I anticipate the next unveilings of "Then." Amen.

PSALM TO PRAY: Psalm 116

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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.

Worship tug-of-war

Image: Pixabay

TODAY’S SPECIAL: Micah 7:1-20

TO CHEW ON: “Therefore I will look to the LORD,
I will wait for the God of my salvation
My God will hear me.” Micah 7:7

Micah’s hopeful declaration: “I will look to the LORD; I will wait …My God will hear” comes out of a deep desire to see Judah turn back to God.

Micah prophesied at the same time as Isaiah. They preached between when Israel was divided into two (Israel and Judah) and the destruction of the temple. Canaanite idolatry was popular. Though King Hezekiah had legislated reforms and had won a victory over Assyria, the people were still spiritually enslaved to idols. Micah knew: “Judah was bound to fall unless the nation turned back in wholehearted repentance” - Willard S. Elijahson, “Introduction to Micah,” New Spirit-Filled Life Bible, p. 1201.

And so Micah’s prophecies are full of warnings of what will happen if the people persist in worshiping idols versus enticements to come back to God. What “carrots” did he hold before the people of his time?

• God would be their teacher - Micah 4:2.

• God would be their righteous judge - Micah 4:3.

• God’s fair judgments would bring peace and security - Micah 4:3,4.

• If they repented God would shine light into their darkness - Micah 7:8,9.

• God would shepherd them and lead them to good places - Micah 7:14.

• With mercy and compassion God would forgive their sins - Micah 7:18,19.

We live in a time when idolatry looks different but is no less real. We are tempted to worship and trust in ourselves, our wealth, education, entertainment, science, technology, government, the democratic process, our legal system etc. But these things are, finally, no more reliable or efficacious than the images, high places, and divining ceremonies of the ancients. They will never deliver us from existential angst—that hole in our spirits that drives us to lust, greed, selfishness, pride, deception, etc., which inspire personal and interpersonal turmoil. Ours is a hole that can only be filled satisfactorily with God and a relationship with Him.

Let’s focus all our worship on God, who will also be these things (teacher, righteous judge, source of peace and security, light, shepherd, forgiving and merciful Saviour) to us.

PRAYER: Dear Father, thank You for faithful Micah whose words are still relevant today. Help me to see through the allure of false worship and to put all my trust in, give all my worship to You. Amen.
MORE: First Sunday of Advent

Today is the first Sunday of Advent! Today’s liturgy begins with this Collect:

Almighty God, give us grace to cast away the works of darkness, and put on the armor of light, now in the time of this mortal life in which your Son Jesus Christ came to visit us in great humility; that in the last day, when he shall come again in his glorious majesty to judge both the living and the dead, we may rise to the life immortal; through him who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. 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.

O Little Town of Bethlehem

Bethlehem City (Image: Pixabay)

TODAY’S SPECIAL: Micah 5:2-15

TO CHEW ON: “But you, Bethlehem, Ephrathah
Though you are little among the thousands of Judah
Yet out of you shall come forth to Me
The One to be Ruler in Israel
Whose goings forth are from of old
From everlasting.” Micah 5:2


Bethlehem first appears in the Bible as the spot Jacob buries his beloved Rachel when she dies suddenly on their trek through Canaan - Genesis 48:7.

Elimelek is from Bethlehem. When he takes his family to Moab to ride out a famine, he and his sons die. It is to Bethlehem that his widow Naomi returns with her daughter-in-law Ruth, also a widow, some years later - Ruth 1:19.

Boaz is from Bethlehem (Ruth 2:4). He declares his intentions to marry Ruth to the elders at the Bethlehem gate (Ruth 4:11) and their child Obed becomes the grandfather of David (Ruth 4:18-22).

David’s family lives in Bethlehem and he is anointed king there (1 Samuel 16:4, 12). He lives there, working as a shepherd while also employed at the palace (1 Samuel 17:15). He calls Bethlehem his hometown (1 Samuel 20:6) and longs for a drink from the well near the Bethlehem gate (2 Samuel 23:15).

Bethlehem becomes a town of defence under King Rehoboam (son of Solomon, grandson of David) - 2 Chronicles 11:6.

In Micah 5:2 (our passage) Bethlehem is the city out of which Micah prophesies “The One to be Ruler in Israel, whose goings forth are from of old, / From everlasting (literally, “from eternity”) will come.

Jesus is born there - Matthew 2:1. Angels announce the location of His birth to shepherds and they find Him in Bethlehem (Luke 2:11, 15,16).

My study Bible says of the present city of Bethlehem:

“Bethlehem, the city of David, lies five miles south of Jerusalem.… The Church of the Nativity was built by Helena (the mother of Emperor Constantine) in A.D. 328-330, over a site then believed to be the place of Christ’s birth…. In 1934 William Harvey carried on limited excavations, and about 18 inches under the floor of the present church he discovered portions of the mosaic floor of the original church built by Helena… At the eastern end of the chapel is a small crypt. A simple Latin inscription announces the most stupendous event in all history: ‘Here Jesus Christ was born of the Virgin Mary’” Thompson Chain Bible, p. 2194.

I love how Phillips Brooks brings this iconic city into our personal lives in the third and fourth stanzas of  his beautiful carol “O Little Town of Bethlehem.”

3. How silently , how silently
The wondrous gift is giv’n!
So God imparts to human hearts
The blessings of his heav’n.
No ear may hear His coming,
But in this world of sin,
Where meek souls will receive Him still
The dear Christ enters in.

PRAYER:

4. O Holy Child of Bethlehem!
Descend to us, we pray:
Cast out our sin, and enter in;
Be born in us today.
We hear the Christmas angels
The great glad tidings tell;
O come to us, abide with us,
Our Lord Emmanuel. (Emphases added)

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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.

Building Blocks of Belief

Image: Pixabay

TODAY’S SPECIAL: Matthew 22:34-46

TO CHEW ON: “‘The LORD said to my Lord,
Sit at My right hand,
Till I make Your enemies Your footstool’” - Matthew 22:44


After the Jewish leaders had come to the end of their questions, Jesus had one for them: “‘What do you think about the Christ? Whose Son is He?’”

Of course they gave Him the right answer: “‘The Son of David.’”

Jesus volleyed back with, What about the words of King David Himself, spoken by the Spirit: “‘The LORD said to my Lord / Sit at My right hand, ‘ Till I make Your enemies Your footstool’” - a quote from Psalm 110 written by David and believed by the Jews to be full of Messianic references.

Jesus’ questioners were silenced. They left Him realizing that the logical implication of His observation was that Messiah, the Christ, was not only the physical descendant of David. My Bible’s study notes explain:

“A father does not call his son Lord but rather the reverse, a son calls his father, 'Lord.' Therefore, if the LORD (God) said to my Lord (Messiah) how can the Messiah be the Son of David? Thus the title ‘Son of David’ is inadequate. To be sure Jesus Christ is the “Son of David” (Matthew 1:1) but no less is He the ’Son of God.’” - J. Lyle Story, New Spirit-Filled Life Bible p. 1332.

Despite all the arguments in which Jesus bested these clever men, did He convince them? Not many. Which brings us to the question, what would it have taken to win them over to belief in Him if apologetics (what many of us consider evangelization's trump card) didn’t?

Similarly in our time we tend to think that having convincing apologetic points at our fingertips and winning arguments with them should convince unbelievers to believe in Jesus. But they rarely do.

John Dickson, author of Jesus: Who He is and Why He Matters, explores the foundations of belief in the book’s opening chapters (posted online as the article “Jesus: God’s Tangible Sign"). He quotes the findings of the ancient philosopher Aristotle, who identifies three building blocks of belief:

“… people form their beliefs on the combination of three factors: What is called logos, pathos and ethos.”

Logos is the intellectual dimension that would be influenced by convincing arguments.

Pathos is the personal or emotional aspect. “… an argument with pathos is one with a beauty and poignancy that resonates with our deepest selves.”

Ethos is the social aspect of persuasion: “What we believe is hugely influenced by our upbringing, our education and the circle of friends we find ourselves in.”

If even Jesus could not sway these religious teachers by his astute apologetics, perhaps we should not be as fixated on coming up with the airtight right answer, the undeniable proof. For belief is multifaceted.  When some religious leaders believed in Jesus, they changed sides not after hearing Him win an argument but after seeing Him raise Lazarus from the dead (John 11:45). And Pharisees like Nicodemus and Joseph kept their belief in Jesus secret because of “ethos”—their fear of their peers - John 19:38.

A segment from Mr. Dickson sums up well how Aristotle’s building blocks of belief function today:

“When Christians talk about how they 'became Christians,' they will often mention an intellectual component, a personal component and a social component. They will talk about some book they read or sermon they heard that laid out the facts about God and Christ. Their intellect was nourished and impressed. 

But they will also happily tell you, for example, how one day while pondering the significance of Jesus they felt a deep resonance with the Christian gospel. The message somehow became attractive and personally satisfying. It answered deep longings and clarified certain confusions. 

And very often such people will admit to having been drawn into a community of Christians, at school, church or wherever, whose lives had an authenticity and goodness that was hard to argue with” - John Dickson. This segment of Mr. Dickson’s book is published online at rzim.org. Read  entire article “JESUS: God’s Tangible Sign”.

Let’s keep these things in mind as we interact with an unbelieving world.

PRAYER: Dear Jesus, help me to be  always conscious of how You draw people to Yourself using many means. Help me to live and speak in a way that will draw people to, not repel them from You. 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.

Shining transformation

The Transfiguration - Artist unknown

TODAY’S SPECIAL: Matthew 17:1-13

TO CHEW ON: “And He was transfigured before them, His face shone like the sun, and His clothes became as white as the light.” Matthew 17:2


During His time on earth Jesus occasionally gave His disciples glimpses of heavenly reality. His transfiguration was one of those times.

It started as another simple mountain getaway for Jesus, Peter, James, and John. The Luke account tells us this incident began unspectacularly enough with Jesus praying. But then--wow! “As He prayed, the appearance of His face was altered and His robe became white and glistening” Luke 9:29. And Old Testament characters appeared and talked with Him.

“The appearance of Moses and Elijah would have confirmed Jesus’ Messianic identity to the inner circle of disciples. The entire scene was reminiscent of Mount Sinai: the cloud, the light, and the presence of God’s voice - Exodus 19:16-19” - NIV First Century Study Bible.

Indeed! And in that Sinai period, we find more details that resonate here.
- Remember the leadership retreat we read about several day ago, where God showed up in glory - Exodus 24:10,17.
- Then later, Moses’ face shone when he came down from communing with God on the mountain - Exodus 34:30-35.

During Jesus’ lifetime we have this display of glory here at His transfiguration and again at His resurrection - Matthew 28:3.

I love how Paul pulls these threads together to make an application for our lives as Christians. In 2 Corinthians 3, referring to the glory on display at the giving of the law (which he calls “the ministry of death”) Paul argues that the ministry of the Spirit is much more glorious - 2 Corinthians 3:7,8. He ends his treatise on Christ’s glory and how it exceeds the glory of the law with an inspiring declaration:

“But we all with unveiled face, beholding in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord” - 2 Corinthians 3:18 (emphasis added).

May we cooperate with the Spirit to effect such heavenly transformation in us!

PRAYER: Dear Jesus, thank You for these glimpses of Your glory in the Bible, May Your indwelling Spirit transform me so that I reflect Your shining presence. 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.

Who is Jesus?

Jesus asking Peter who He is - Matt. 16

TODAY'S SPECIAL: Matthew 16:1-20

TO CHEW ON: "Simon Peter answered and said, 'You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God.' " Matthew 16:16


Peter's confession of who Jesus was is classic in its simplicity, directness, and boldness. Author Matthew relates it in the chapter that follows Jesus'  feeding of four thousand (Matthew 15:32-39) and another sparring match between Jesus and the Pharisees and Sadducees (Matthew 16:1-4). When Jesus and His disciples were alone again, Jesus warned them, " 'Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees' …" (Matthew 16:6).

The disciples puzzled over what He meant. Was He referring to the fact that on this particular day they'd forgotten to pack bread for lunch?

I can just see Jesus giving a bit of an eye roll and saying (in my words), "You've just seen me feed crowds of people. I can take care of you in the physical bread department. It's the leaven of bad doctrine I'm talking about" (Matthew 16:8-11).

What was the bad doctrine? Legalism and strict adherence to tradition by the Pharisees, and materialism and refusal to acknowledge the supernatural by the Sadducees (J. Lyle Story, Study notes on Matthew, New Spirit-Filled Life Bible p. 1320).

Peter's answer to Jesus' question: "'Who do men say that I am?'" would have scandalized both parties.  When he said, "'You are the Christ, the Son of the living God'" he acknowledged Jesus as the promised Messiah (Christ) that every Israelite was longing for, and as supernatural i.e. God (Son of the Living God).

I can just imagine Jesus' smile of congratulations. Yes, Peter, you got it!

Jesus then said two more important things to Peter:
1. God showed you this (Matthew 16:17).
2. Your realization comes with a responsibility and mission (Matthew 16:18,19).

Our relationship with Jesus starts in the same way as Peter's, by acknowledging Jesus for who He is—the fulfillment of the world's need of a Messiah and Savior from our sin. After we've found Him, there's no more need to go seeking after someone else to follow, to pattern our lives on, to do life with.

Like Peter, for us this "aha" moment is also engineered by God and communicated in ways as various as we are individuals.

After we've recognized Jesus and crowned Him king of our hearts and lives, we too have a responsibility. We're partners with Peter and every other believer across the ages in building Jesus' church and doing the "binding and loosing" work of His Kingdom.

What a heritage! What a responsibility!


PRAYER: Dear Jesus, please help me to recognize and acknowledge Your presence in my everyday life. Help me to give my life to Kingdom work. Amen.

MORE: Confession of St. Peter

Today the church celebrates Peter's confession in the Feast of the Confession of St. Peter. The day's liturgy begins with this Collect:

Almighty Father, who inspired Simon Peter, first among the apostles, to confess Jesus as Messiah and Son of the living God: Keep your Church steadfast upon the rock of this faith, so that in unity and peace we may proclaim the one truth and follow the one Lord, our Savior Jesus Christ; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. 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.

Is this Servant your Master?

Jesus and the Children - Artist unknown

TODAY'S SPECIAL: Isaiah 42:1-13

TO CHEW ON: "'Behold! My Servant whom I uphold,
My Elect One in whom my soul delights!
I have put My Spirit upon Him;
He will bring forth justice to the Gentiles.'" Isaiah 42:1

Usually when the prophets referred to "servant" they meant Israel. However, "The Servant here appears to be someone different," writes Nathaniel M. Van Cleave in my Bible's commentary on Isaiah (New Spirit-Filled Life Bible, p. 922.

When we read the New Testament with the words of Isaiah 42 in our ears, it doesn't take long for us to discover who this Servant is.

In Matthew 3:17 and 17:5 a voice from heaven at Jesus' baptism and when He is on the mountain calls out: "'This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased," reminding us of "My Elect One in whom My Soul delights" - Isaiah 42:1.

Then the gospel writer Matthew clearly links Isaiah's Servant here with Jesus: "Yet He (Jesus) warned them not to make Him known, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet saying, 'Behold My Servant whom I have chosen…'" and goes on to quote at length from Isaiah 42.

What will this Servant be like? According to Isaiah, He:

• Is God's delight (Isaiah 42:1).

• Is full of the Holy Spirit - Isaiah 42:1.

• Is for the Gentiles - Isaiah 42:1,6.

• Is soft-spoken, not loud and bombastic - Isaiah 42:2.

• Is gentle and understanding of the hurt and broken - Isaiah 42:3.

• Stands for justice and truth - Isaiah 42:3,4.

• Works in the light as a bringer of sight and insight - Isaiah 42:6,7.

• Stands for freedom - Isaiah 42:7.

• Deserves the glory and all our worship - Isaiah 42:8, 10-13.

• Is able to do away with the old and bring about this new state of affairs - Isaiah 42:9.

How thrilling to see these things predicted hundreds of years (about 700) before Jesus came to earth as a flesh-and-blood baby that matured to become this God-man. And the beautiful thing is that each one of us can have a personal relationship with this Servant. For Jesus says:

"Behold I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him and he with me" - Revelation 3:20.

and

"Jesus answered, If a person really loves Me, he will keep My word—obey my teaching: and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home (abode, special dwelling place) with him" - John 14:23 AMP.

Have you made the acquaintance of this Servant? Has he become the One whose word you "keep," in other words, your Master?

PRAYER: Dear Jesus thank You for the clear testimony of the prophets concerning Your identity, character and destiny. I have chosen, and continue to choose You as my Lord. Amen.

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 Unless otherwise indicated, 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 labelled AMP are taken from the Amplified^® Bible, Copyright © 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation
Used by permission. (www.Lockman.org)

God—inhearted, enmeated, immarrowed

WISHING ALL WHO READ HERE A BLESSED CHRISTMAS! 

Image: Pixabay

TODAY’S SPECIAL: Hebrews 2:1-18

TO CHEW ON: “Inasmuch then as the children have partaken of flesh and blood, He Himself likewise shared in the same…” Hebrews 2:14


Today we celebrate the incarnation—God taking on human flesh, a human body and mind in Jesus Christ. Throughout the Bible we find footprints leading to and from this event.

Isaiah prophesied it:

“… Behold the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son…” - Isaiah 7:14.  

“For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given…” Isaiah 9:6 

“The LORD has called Me from the womb,
From the matrix of My mother He has made mention of My name” - Isaiah 49:1.

He would be born of David's kingly line:

"There shall come forth a Rod from the stem of Jesse,
And a Branch shall grow out of his roots" - Isaiah 11:1

Mary was the Hebrew girl God chose to be Jesus’ mother:

" And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name Jesus" Luke 1:31.

"And she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn" Luke 2:7.

The New Testament writers understand and communicate this incarnation in a variety of ways.

Paul draws our attention to the humbling plunge of this event:

“…but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant and coming in the likeness of men” - Philippians 2:7.

In another place He calls it a “mystery”:

“…great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifested in the flesh…” 2 Timothy 3:17.

John adds a layer of significance by calling Him the "Word":

“… the Word became flesh and dwelt among us” - John 1:14.

Paul affirms that He is from David’s line:

“Concerning His Son Jesus Christ our Lord, who was born of the seed of David according to the flesh” - Romans 1:3.

Paul and the writer of Hebrews also tell us the purpose of His coming—to deal once and for all with all of mankind’s sin, exposed by our inability to keep the law:

“For what the law could not do … God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh" - Romans 8:3.

“Inasmuch then as the children have partaken of flesh and blood, He Himself likewise shared in the same that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is the devil” - Hebrews 2:14.

And this belief in the incarnation is a pillar of the Christian faith:

“For many deceivers have gone out into the world who do not confess Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist” - 2 John 1:7.

It’s really mind-bending—God, creator of all there is, humbling Himself to become a person… I have found in a book of Advent readings a wonderful poetic expression of it. Here is a snippet:

Incarnation

I
Inheart yourself, immensity. Immarrow,
Embone, enrib yourself….
… Enmeat
Yourself so we can rise onto our feet
And meet. For eyes, just take two suns and shrink them.
Make all your thoughts as small as you can think them...

- by Amit Majmudar (read entire)

PRAYER: Thank You, Jesus for inhearting, immarrowing, emboning, enmeating Yourself for us—for me. May I never lose my awe of and gratitude for this. Amen.

MORE: The Feast of Christmas

Today the church celebrates the Feast of Christmas.
The Christmas day liturgy has a choice of beginning prayers. I leave you with this (third) collect:

Almighty God, you have given your only-begotten Son to take our nature upon him, and to be born [this day] of a pure virgin: Grant that we, who have been born again and made your children by adoption and grace, may daily be renewed by your Holy Spirit; through our Lord Jesus Christ, to whom with you and the same Spirit be honor and glory, now and for ever. 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.

Christmas light

Our little lit-up tree.

TODAY'S SPECIAL: Isaiah 8:21-9:7

TO CHEW ON: "The people who walked in darkness
Have seen a great light;
Those who dwell in the land of the shadow of death,
Upon them a light has shined." Isaiah 9:2

Those of us who live in the northern hemisphere and celebrate Christmas only four days after the shortest day of the year, easily relate to the promise of Jesus bringing light and being light.

Of course there are some advantages to darkness. Our many hours of it are a wonderful chance to enjoy the pretty lights of the season. Long nights also prompt us to look up at the stars and remember the importance of one star in the Christmas story. But the season's darkness also reminds us every day of how much we need light.

In Isaiah's prophecy about Messiah, our reading today, he predicts that Messiah's coming will bring light.

A brief overview of Bible verses that refer to Christ as the light of the world remind us of the richness of this promise.

• This prophecy is old. Balaam, that ancient prophet King Balak hired to curse Israel (which he wouldn't/couldn't do) delivered this prophecy about a descendant of Israel  coming as light while the Israelites were still on their way to the Promised Land - Numbers 24:17.

• Messiah's light is bright according to Isaiah - Isaiah 30:26. Malachi calls Him the "Sun of Righteousness" - Malachi 4:2.

• This light is not only to the Jews but also to the Gentiles - Isaiah 42:6.

• This light comes with healing as well as illumination - Malachi 4:2.

• Matthew quotes our focus verse from Isaiah when he tells about John the Baptist preparing the way for Jesus - Matthew 4:13-16.

• Apostle John in his gospel:

- refers to Jesus as the light - John 1:4,9
- quotes Jesus' bold words: "'I am the light of the world…'" - John 8:12, also John 12:46.

• Paul describes how the light of Christ illumines our hearts and even shines through us - 2 Corinthians 4:6; Ephesians 5:8.

• Someday, Jesus will be the light of heaven - Revelation 21:23.

As we enjoy the lights of the Christmas season, let's view them not only as symbols of celebration but also as metaphors of how Jesus brings light to us. His life sheds light on who God is. His teachings explain to us what living in the light is all about. His sacrifice allows us to be reconciled with God so that clothed in Christ's righteousness, we no longer need to fear the day we will stand  before God and under the scrutiny His holy brightness.


PRAYER: Dear Jesus, thank You for coming as light. May Your light sine through me today. 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.

Jesus—offense or sanctuary?

Image: Pixabay

TODAY’S SPECIAL: Isaiah 8:3-20

TO CHEW ON: “He will be as a sanctuary,
But a stone of stumbling
And a rock of offense
To both the houses of Israel,
As a trap and a snare to the inhabitants of Jerusalem.” Isaiah 8:14

Whatever this (“He will be a stone of stumbling and rock of offense”) meant to the people of Isaiah’s time, we now recognize “Rock of Offense” as one of Christ’s names.

• The image of an offending stone appears as early as Psalm 118:22:

“The stone which the builders rejected
Has become the chief cornerstone.”

• Our passage speaks of of He (Messiah) as a sanctuary to some but “a stone of stumbling,” “rock of offense” and a “trap and a snare" to both Judah and Israel. (See also Jeremiah 6:21).

• The Gospel instances of Jesus mentioned in connection with offense are many:

• He said to John’s disciples when they asked: “‘Are You the coming one?’” “‘Blessed is he who is not offended because of Me’” - Matthew 11:6. 

• People of Nazareth wondered how a local boy who had grown up before they eyes could have such wisdom and supernatural power. “So they were offended at Him” and their unbelief quelled His miracles among them - Matthew 13:57. 

• He offended the Pharisees by laying bare of their hypocrisy - Matthew 16:12.

• Paul gets at the root of the reason for this offense. By his estimation it’s all about the Jews clinging to law-keeping as a way of earning right standing with God versus accepting righteousness by faith (see Romans 9:31-33).

• Peter sums up this dilemma well (1 Peter 2:6-8), even bringing in the  OT verses that we noted at the beginning:

"Therefore it is also contained in the Scripture,

'Behold, I lay in Zion / A chief cornerstone, elect, precious, / And he who believes on Him will by no means be put to shame.' (quoting Isaiah 28:16) 

Therefore, to you who believe, He is precious; but to those who are disobedient,'The stone which the builders rejected / 
Has become the chief cornerstone,' (quoting Psalm 118:22) 

 and 

“A stone of stumbling
 / And a rock of offense” (quoting Isaiah 8:14).

I think there is a warning for us in this too. We may not be hung up on keeping the Jewish law, but there is in our culture an underlying belief that it’s on the basis of the good we do that we’ll earn our way into heaven. This “I’ve done more good things than bad” thinking fails to take into account God’s righteous, holy standard and the realization that even our best living is tainted by sin:
“All we like sheep have gone astray…” - Isaiah 53:6.

and

“All our righteousnesses are as fllthy rags” - Isaiah 64:6.
 
So let’s live in a posture of faith in Him and Him alone as our righteousness even though it’s a message that continues to offend. For it is the only way to find in this Stone a sanctuary instead of one that will someday offend, stumble, snare, even destroy (Mathew 21:44).

PRAYER: Dear Father, help me to life by faith in the sanctuary of Jesus  and His death for me as the basis of my right standing with God. 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.

A world that needs to be made new

Image: Pixabay

TODAY’S SPECIAL: Isaiah 7:17-8:2

TO CHEW ON: “It shall happen in that day,
That wherever there could be a thousand vines
Worth a thousand shekels of silver,
It shall be for briers and thorns.” Isaiah 7:23

Our reading today is more prophecy of the variety we read yesterday. A quote from The Bible Panorama explains about prophecy and this passage:

“God’s prophecy is often like looking at a range of mountains or a series of clouds, some of which are close and some distant. It is sometimes difficult to distinguish one range or series from another.

(Isaiah 7:10-16 - yesterday’s reading) " Here there are specific prophecies which God gives to Ahaz as a sign. The widest and furthest sweep of prophecy concerns the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ as Messiah. He will be born of a virgin, and that is a sign of God sending His Son… Isaiah 7:17-25: "Here the closer prophecies concern the invasion of Judah by other countries. When Judah is invaded and taken into captivity, it will be very hard to survive and earn a living. Previously fruitful occupations and places will become wastelands” - The Bible Panorama - Accessed through Biblegateway.com.

While prophetic passages like Isaiah 7 are hard to understand completely, not to speak of difficult to apply, they do paint a general picture that we readily see is dire. The details of the difficulties prophesied over Judah here bring to mind aspects of God’s ways with mankind through history.

1. “The Lord will whistle for the fly … and for the bee” - Isaiah 7:18.

This reminds us of God’s sovereignty over nature, even in its broken, potentially destructive state. Humankind is also part of that nature (some Bible scholars interpret “fly” and “bee” to refer to invading armies from Africa and the Euphrates).

2. “…thorns… It shall happen in that day / That wherever there could be a thousand vines … / It will become briers and thorns … / You will not go there for fear of briers and thorns” - Isaiah 7:19, 23, 24, 25.

Here we have a harsh reminder of the old curse of the fall spoken to Adam: “Cursed is the ground for your sake; / … Both thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you” - Genesis 3:17,18.

3. “… the Lord will shave with a hired razor… / The head and the hair of the legs, / And will also remove the beard” - Isaiah 7:20.

Shaving hair and plucking the beard were signs of dishonor applied to slaves. They serve as a reminder of our troubled world and how we abuse each other. The plucked beard also recalls a detail Isaiah prophesied about Messiah’s treatment: “I gave My back to those who strike, / And My cheeks to those who pull out the beard” - Isaiah 50:6.

4. “For curds and honey everyone will eat who is left in the land" - Isaiah 7:21,22.

Cottage cheese made from the milk of one cow and two sheep (Isaiah 7:21), plus honey! Not exactly rich fare is it? This speaks of the diet of deprivation.

These reminders of our fallen world give us every reason to celebrate the incarnation of the One who has promised to banish the curse of fallen nature and mankind, and to make all things new -  Isaiah 65:17-25; Revelation 21:1.

PRAYER: Dear Father, when I’m in the thick of this world’s snags, problems, and darkness, I will lift my eyes to the hope of Your promise of renewal. 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.