Hedge Up Your Tongue by Hedging Up Your Heart - Proverbs 20-21

Proverbs 21:23

Whoever keeps his mouth and his tongue

keeps himself out of trouble.

In the above verse the word "keep" means to "hedge about."   Solomon is giving us some great insight into how we should handle ourselves, regarding speech, around others.   He has already established in numerous other proverbs that the tongue and the speech are a mirror of the heart:

 Proverbs 16:1 (ESV)

1 The plans of the heart belong to man,

but the answer of the tongue is from the LORD.

Proverbs 10:20 (ESV)

20 The tongue of the righteous is choice silver;

the heart of the wicked is of little worth. 

Proverbs 17:20 (ESV)

20 A man of crooked heart does not discover good,

and one with a dishonest tongue falls into calamity. 

Solomon wants us to understand that conflict and trouble might be initiated in the heart but it is consummated in life through our speech.   What we think in our hearts can and will come out through the portal of the tongue and our speech.  James takes up this same theme in his letter to the churches in the first century:

James 3:1-5

Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness. For we all stumble in many ways. And if anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle his whole body. If we put bits into the mouths of horses so that they obey us, we guide their whole bodies as well. Look at the ships also: though they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are guided by a very small rudder wherever the will of the pilot directs. So also the tongue is a small member, yet it boasts of great things. How great a forest is set ablaze by such a small fire!

The tongue and our speech can be the spark for trouble.   That is what Solomon is saying in his proverb, above.   When we hedge about our tongue we avoid trouble and stirring up trouble.    Since the tongue is connected to the heart, the only way to hedge the tongue is to hedge the heart.   We guard our hearts by putting Christ the Lord of our hearts.  When He is the Lord of our hearts He becomes the guard of our mouths.   Christ is our hedge.   When Christ is the hedge He keeps us from trouble.

Flower of the Field, or Beneficiaries of His Love? Psalms 102-104

 Psalms 103:15-19 (ESV)

As for man, his days are like grass;

he flourishes like a flower of the field;

for the wind passes over it, and it is gone,

and its place knows it no more.

But the steadfast love of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear him,

and his righteousness to children's children,

to those who keep his covenant

and remember to do his commandments.

The LORD has established his throne in the heavens,

and his kingdom rules over all.

In this song the writer is continuing the contrast between the human existence and the mighty power of God.  It has just been stated that man is but dust (vs 14).   Now the writer continues by reminding us that we are but the grass of the field, or the flower of the field.   When mere wind passes over the flower is gone.    That is the brevity of our lives.   Perhaps seventy years, or maybe eighty by reason of strength, another Psalm states:

Psalms 90:10 (ESV)

The years of our life are seventy,

or even by reason of strength eighty;

yet their span is but toil and trouble;

they are soon gone, and we fly away.

We live our lives like we will live forever.  Yet, we are so, so brief on this planet.  In contrast, God’s love is from everlasting to everlasting.   Our relationship with Him can be the same.   But, when we focus on our own brief lives, we miss the power and the might of the kingdom of God.   His kingdom is forever and is established in the heavens.  He rules over us all.   Why we insist on accumulating and acquiring substance from this world is so foolish as compared to the spiritual blessings God promises for us in His kingdom.  When we live for us we are the flower in the field.   When we live for Him we are beneficiaries of His everlasting love.  

Leaders Should Never Social Buffer in Decision Making - 1 Chronicles 15-19

1 Chronicles 19:1-4 (ESV)

Now after this Nahash the king of the Ammonites died, and his son reigned in his place. And David said, “I will deal kindly with Hanun the son of Nahash, for his father dealt kindly with me.” So David sent messengers to console him concerning his father. And David's servants came to the land of the Ammonites to Hanun to console him. But the princes of the Ammonites said to Hanun, “Do you think, because David has sent comforters to you, that he is honoring your father? Have not his servants come to you to search and to overthrow and to spy out the land?” So Hanun took David's servants and shaved them and cut off their garments in the middle, at their hips, and sent them away;

Sometimes the counsel we get from our friends is not all that good.   In the above incident the young, new king of the Ammonites, Hanun, listened to his friends and made a very bad decision about David’s intent and envoy.  It was sent to comfort him but his friends counseled him to treat them as foes.   His willingness to listen to them would cost him. When David rose up against him for this disgrace to his men, Hanun hired the warriors to fight for him.  That costs him.    These warriors were then destroyed by David’s army of mighty men.  That, too, would cost:

1 Chronicles 19:18 (ESV)

And the Syrians fled before Israel, and David killed of the Syrians the men of 7,000 chariots and 40,000 foot soldiers, and put to death also Shophach the commander of their army.

All this happened because a young leader listened to bad counsel.  Rather than become humble and accept David’s comfort, Hanun followed his friends counsel.   We need to be careful when we seek counsel that it aligns with what God intends.   Social buffering is when we hang around with those who agree with us and they tell us what we want to hear.   Hanun fell to the harm and dangers of social buffering in his leadership.   Leaders can NEVER social buffer.   They should spend time gather data and counsel from a variety of sources.  When we social buffer we only listen to those who agree with us.   That causes us to make poor decisions that result in loss.   

Church Family - 1 Timothy 4-6

 1 Timothy 5:1-2 (ESV)

Do not rebuke an older man but encourage him as you would a father, younger men as brothers, older women as mothers, younger women as sisters, in all purity.

God puts the church in order through the teachings of Paul and other Apostles.  In this section of 1 Timothy, Paul is telling young Pastor Timothy how to lead and grow and administrate the church.  We have to remember that Timothy was young.   In fact, Paul had just said to him:

1 Timothy 4:12-14 (ESV)

Let no one despise you for your youth, but set the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity. Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to exhortation, to teaching. Do not neglect the gift you have, which was given you by prophecy when the council of elders laid their hands on you.

Paul did not want the elder men to discourage Timothy.  But, he didn’t want the older men and women to be discouraged either.  In the above passage Timothy was told not to “rebuke” an older man.  The literal meaning of that word is to “strike upon.”   No one in the church is to use their words to “strike” someone, especially those older than them.   But, instead, Timothy is told to “encourage” them.  The word means to “come along side” them.  This speaks more as in discipleship vs condemnation.   When Peter was writing to the persecuted church he concluded his first letter this way:

1 Peter 5:1 (ESV)

So I exhort the elders among you, as a fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, as well as a partaker in the glory that is going to be revealed:

This “exhort” word is the same as this “encourage” word in the above passage.  So, we are to come along side the older men and encourage them, which will exhort them as they lead and/or continue in their faith.  

But, our conduct toward older it is not the end of our conduct in the Church. Notice what Paul tells Timothy about woman.  The older women are to be treated as you would a mother and the younger women as you would a sister.   This is the “God’s family” mindset for Timothy.   We are brothers and sisters in Christ.   We are to show “brotherly love” to each other.   

This sets us apart in the world today.  No organization can do this except through the power of the Spirit because in the Church (and in the Church alone) true believers have the the power of the Spirit to allow them and enable them to live this way.  

A Disciple of Christ Abides In Christ - John 7-9

 John 8:31 (ESV)

So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples,

Obedience to the words of Christ is essential for discipleship.   The word “abide” in the above passage is often translated in the New Testament as “stay.”    The point of the verse is to make sure we know that discipleship is not a moment in time in our lives.  The word “disciple” in the above passage is from the root word, “to learn.”   The thought process here is that those who “believed” Jesus are to continually learn about Jesus and that makes them a “disciple” of Jesus.   We can’t confess Jesus in belief and not follow Jesus in learning about Him and staying in His word in obedience.   The three key words in this verse: Belief, Abide and Disciples are all connected and intertwined.  

The concept that people can say they believe in God and believe in Jesus’ death and resurrection and then go on their way with no “abiding” in Him, is foreign to the teachings of Christ, Paul, Peter, John, etc.  No one in the early church days taught a view that belief without abiding was genuine Christianity. In fact, James (one of the first books in the New Testament) taught completely against it:

James 2:14 (ESV)

What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him?

James is talking about an “abiding” that is demonstrated in works.   Faith and works are not separate parts of our lives.  We often get confused as to their order (faith is always taught that it is before works), but we ought not get confused about their relationship.  We are to abide in Christ by learning about Christ and that makes us a disciple of Christ.  

Messenger of God’s Wrath or Recipients of God’s Wrath - Hosea 1-7

 Hosea 1:4-9 (ESV)

And the LORD said to him, “Call his name Jezreel, for in just a little while I will punish the house of Jehu for the blood of Jezreel, and I will put an end to the kingdom of the house of Israel. And on that day I will break the bow of Israel in the Valley of Jezreel.”

She conceived again and bore a daughter. And the LORD said to him, “Call her name No Mercy, for I will no more have mercy on the house of Israel, to forgive them at all. But I will have mercy on the house of Judah, and I will save them by the LORD their God. I will not save them by bow or by sword or by war or by horses or by horsemen.”

When she had weaned No Mercy, she conceived and bore a son. And the LORD said, “Call his name Not My People, for you are not my people, and I am not your God.”

To be a prophet for God in the days of Israel and Judah was an interesting call from God.   Unlike our leaders in churches today, the prophet was often a living example of God’s relationship with His people, Israel.   Jeremiah was giving a task to buy a ruined piece of material to show a truth about God and His relationship with Israel (Jeremiah 13).  Ezekiel was told to lay on his left side for a long amount of time and then on his right side (Ezekiel 4).   The prophet not only conveyed God’s message verbally, they did so with their life style.  

In the above passage we see the requirements for the prophet Hosea.   Because Israel had been so unfaithful to God, God told Hosea to marry a woman of “whoredom” and engage in relationships with her to produce children.   The children would be used as examples of God’s relationship with His children.  They were unfaithful to God and God is a jealous God.   Hosea’s wife had two children.  Their names would become the message God had for His people.  The first child would be called “Jezreel” which means, “God sows.”  God is going to sow disaster into the nation.   The second child was to be called, “No Mercy” (Hebrew, Lo-ruhama).    Why?  Because God would sow disaster but have no mercy on them.   Why?  Because they turned away from the living God.   Hosea’s wife would have a third child, as well, a son.  His name was, “Not My People” (Hebrew Lo-ammi).   Why?  Because God would sow disaster on the Israel, have no mercy on them and reject them as His people.  Hosea’s entire life would be a living example of God’s relationship with His people.   Two lessons:

1. God chooses to use His people the way He wants.  No one life looks the same under God’s love.  We are to be living sacrifices to allow Him to work in us what is pleasing in His sight (Romans 12:1-2; Hebrews 13:20-21)

2.  God is a jealous God.   As Hosea was WILLING to allow God to use him as a message board to the nation, the nation was UNWILLING to follow God in obedience.  Hence, God took them into captivity.   

Our God created us to bring glory to Him.  When we don’t, He will solicit others to convey His message to use.   We are either the living message board for God, or we are the audience of His wrath.   

My Plans vs His Plans - Proverbs 19

Proverbs 19:21 (NASB)

Many plans are in a man's heart, but the counsel of the LORD will stand."

Proverbs 19:21 (ESV)

Many are the plans in the mind of a man,

but it is the purpose of the LORD that will stand.

There is nothing that shows the difference between God’s ways and man’s ways more than when we compare our plans to His plans.  We are humbled when we compare what we want to do to God’s plans and what He actually allows to happen in our lives. Nothing that happens in our lives happens without God’s approval and without fulfilling God’s master plan. So, when we plan “our way,” He still makes “His way” happen in our lives. You can plan all you want, but it is God’s way we need to find. True harmony and peace in our lives comes from knowing that we are doing what God wants at the very moment. And the opposite is true as well: Nothing is more frustrating than to be out of God’s will and doing what we want. Of course, it doesn’t feel frustrating at the time but it will produce frustration as we walk away from Him. God’s purposes always prevail.  Solomon already covered this in this proverb a few chapters prior:

Proverbs 16:1 (ESV)

The plans of the heart belong to man,

but the answer of the tongue is from the LORD.

This, obviously, causes challenges in our mind when we think of our own personal autonomy and personal responsibility.   If God is “in charge” are we really “choosing” anything?  The best way to understand “free choice” vs God’s sovereignty in His plan is to understand that God is perfect in His planning and completely omniscient and omnipotent.  Man has no foresight about the future and can only plan to the knowledge level he knows.  God is omniscient and has no lack of foresight.  He can and does incorporate any “free will” of man to work His ultimate plan.   God is omnipotent and can carry out His plan with fidelity.  Man is not all powerful and must adjust his “free will” choice-plan to God’s power and design.   You can believe what you want about “free will,” whether is a true or a mirage.   But, the bottom line is that God is working out His design and your plans of your heart are not going to derail His sovereign plan.  

A.W. Pink has some good insight into God’s sovereignty and change:

“Repenting means revising one’s judgment and changing one’s plan of action. God never does this; he never needs to, for his plans are made on the basis of a complete knowledge and control which extend to all things past, present and future, so that there can be no sudden emergencies or unexpected developments to take him by surprise. 

“One of two things causes a man to change his mind and reverse his plans: want of foresight to anticipate everything, or lack of power to execute them. But as God is both omniscient and omnipotent there is never any need for him to revise his decrees.”

Commit Yourself to Holiness- Psalms 99-101

 Psalms 101:8 (ESV)

Morning by morning I will destroy

all the wicked in the land,

cutting off all the evildoers

from the city of the LORD.

Psalm 101 is a unique song to God, as it is not like most psalms.  Many of our psalms are praise songs to God to exalt Him and sing praises to Him.  But, this poem is about singing our commitment to God.  The main phrase in the song is, “I will ...”.    David, the writer, is making a convent with God about what he want his life to reflect toward God.   In the above passage he moves from the high and lofty commitments to how he will serve God to what he will do to those who do not serve God.   He stated something similar in verses five and seven of the psalm:

Psalms 101:5 (ESV)

Whoever slanders his neighbor secretly

I will destroy.

Whoever has a haughty look and an arrogant heart

I will not endure.

Psalms 101:7 (ESV)

No one who practices deceit

shall dwell in my house;

no one who utters lies

shall continue before my eyes.

In verse eight we read that this wanting to purge God’s house and his life from evil doers is not a one and done thing with David.  He wants to make sure each morning he has sanctified himself from those who would desire to bring him away from his walk with God.   

Our sanctification matters to God.   He is the one who is holy and we are to keep ourselves holy before Him.  To do that we will have to separate ourselves from the “wicked of the land.”   We tend to want to rub shoulders with them.  Note what Peter says about Lot as he became cozy with the wicked men of Sodom and Gomorrah:

2 Peter 2:7-8 (ESV)

... and if he rescued righteous Lot, greatly distressed by the sensual conduct of the wicked (for as that righteous man lived among them day after day, he was tormenting his righteous soul over their lawless deeds that he saw and heard);

David did not want to be like Lot.  He wanted to separate himself from those who would pull him away from his fellowship with God.   We don’t know if this song was written before or after David sinned with Bathsheba in adultery.  But, we do know that David had this desire in his heart.  He failed with Bathsheba, yes.  But, the desire of his heart was to commitment himself to remain free from those who would not and do not worship His Lord.  

Bitter vs Better Men - 1 Chronicles 10-14

 1 Chronicles 12:1-2 (ESV)

The Mighty Men Join David

Now these are the men who came to David at Ziklag, while he could not move about freely because of Saul the son of Kish. And they were among the mighty men who helped him in war. They were bowmen and could shoot arrows and sling stones with either the right or the left hand; they were Benjaminites, Saul's kinsmen.

Everyone needs mighty men to join them!  This passage is about the list of men who came to fight with David and for David when he became king over Israel. Saul is now dead.   So, too, his son Jonathan, whom David loved.  Upon their deaths, the nation came to David to ask him to be there king.  The admitted that, even when Saul was alive, it was David who brought them leadership.    In chapters 11 and 12 we have a considerable list of those renowned warriors who came to his side.  The remarkable aspect of this passage can only be understood fully when we consider how David started out.   When he first had to run from Saul he had people come to his side as well.  But, back then they were described as the following:

1 Samuel 22:1-2 (ESV)

David at the Cave of Adullam

David departed from there and escaped to the cave of Adullam. And when his brothers and all his father's house heard it, they went down there to him. And everyone who was in distress, and everyone who was in debt, and everyone who was bitter in soul, gathered to him. And he became commander over them. And there were with him about four hundred men.

When David had to run to a cave to escape Saul’s anger, note the type of characters who joined him: Distressed debtors, who were bitter of soul!    Later, as above, they are described as: Mighty men of war!    This is what happens as you walk with God.  David had no idea what was about to happen to him.  He could have rejected the bitter men but than he would never have discovered the better men.   God did a great work in these man’s souls, bodies and minds.   They are now ready to help David lead a nation.   In the beginning they were only read to hide with him in a cave.   Everyone needs people like this in their lives.   We need mighty people to come to our aide.  This is how God works.  God gives them skills and talents and strength and courage.  We only have to receive the gift of their help.  It is David’s humility that allowed these men to become mighty.  

Which “R” Word Should We Use? Numbers 5-8

 Numbers 8:23-26

And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, “This applies to the Levites: from twenty-five years old and upward they shall come to do duty in the service of the tent of meeting. And from the age of fifty years they shall withdraw from the duty of the service and serve no more. They minister to their brothers in the tent of meeting by keeping guard, but they shall do no service. Thus shall you do to the Levites in assigning their duties.”

Truth:   God recognizes seasons of our life

The title in my Bible for this section states, "Retirement of the Levites."   Those who laid out this version of the Holy Scriptures read the above passage and connected it with "retirement."   And, as we read the text it certainly does state that at the age of 50 the Levites were no longer to be used to do the work of the Tabernacle.   The concept of retirement seems to be something, however, that is more born out of the industrial revolution, then something taught in Scripture.   There is no doubt that the passage does say, at a specific age (50), there is going to be a change in the duty assignments of the Levitical Priests.  At the age of 50 it states they are no longer to be included in the "assigning their duties."   However, the "older" Levitical priest was to still "minister to their brothers" by "keeping guard."   Their ministering didn't stop, but it did change its focus.    I was recently given a copy of a book entitled, "Refire Don't Retire" (Ken Blanchard and Morton Schaevitz).   The mindset of most people in our society is to earn enough money were we can sunset our lives into relaxed and easy living.    The American dream is a focus on possessions and retirement.   The concept taught to us is:  Work hard enough that you can buy enough and that you can stop working to enjoy all the stuff you bought.    Even some great Christian financial teachers have an emphasis on our retirement.  Perhaps they use the above passage to do such teaching.    However, if we read the text completely, the "refire" concept seems to better fit the text.   What Moses is telling the 50 Levite is that they will no longer have to do one type of work in the tabernacle, but they will be asked to do another.   Their 25 years of service does not end, but they are to "minister" to the younger priests and the younger priest are to allow that ministry to take place.  They are to "guard" the tabernacle.   These older men are to be the ones that make sure the tabernacle is treated and respected and cared for in the right manner.  Later we will read a number of stories of how the Levitical priest failed in their duty to the nation and the care of the Tabernacle.  It would be a concern if these "50-year old" priest were doing their job of "keeping guard."   What the text does say is that God is very much in-tune with and recognizing the seasons of our lives.  In other passages the young man who gets marries is allowed to take a year off of service for his new bride and him.   God recognizes the seasons of our life and makes adjustment.  However, as stated in this text, the concept of the modern day retirement does not seem to fit the passage.   The New Testament shows us that serving in the body of Christ is continual life activity.   John was in his 90s and still writing letters to the Churches (Revelation).   God recognizes our seasons of life, but He does not fit the pattern of our society.   We need to focus on God's plan for the later years of our life, and not the worlds system.   What will be our “transition” plan to old age?   If we follow the world’s pattern shuffle board and squash are in our future (paddle ball).    Yet, God talks about a change in ministry, here, not a stop in ministry.  One of the reasons we are so consumed with retirement thought is that we see our jobs as our mission or purpose.   Paul saw his tent-making job as a resource to allow him to minister.   God gives us “work” so that we can use what we get from work as opportunities to minister to the world around us.  We were not created to work to fulfill our purpose.  We were created to glorify God and work is just a tool that makes that happen.  It is not the end.   Yet, most people start out conversations about what they do for a living.   This shapes our view of old age and the retirement concept.   We might better ask, “I wonder what my next ministry experience will be, when this one ends?”  

Posting: Church Leaders Needed Based Upon These Criteria - 1 Timothy 1-3

 1 Timothy 3:2-7 (ESV)

Therefore an overseer must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, sober-minded, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, not a drunkard, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money. He must manage his own household well, with all dignity keeping his children submissive, for if someone does not know how to manage his own household, how will he care for God's church? He must not be a recent convert, or he may become puffed up with conceit and fall into the condemnation of the devil. Moreover, he must be well thought of by outsiders, so that he may not fall into disgrace, into a snare of the devil.

This is the job posting for the “episkopē” of the church.   We would translate “episkopē” as “bishop.”  According to one word dictionary the word literally means:  

(Vine's Complete Expository Dictionary) an overseer” (epi, “over,” skopeo, “to look or watch”)

When referring to leaders of the church there are three terms that seem to be interchangeable:  Bishop, Elder and Pastor.   In Acts 20 Paul calls for the “elders” of the church (those in spiritual maturity) and tells them to “oversee” the church (look out for and watch) and to “pastor” (care for and shepherd) the church. 

In the above passage we read that Paul is telling young Timothy (the bishop, pastor and elder of the church in Ephesus) what the qualifications are for this position.   This is the proverbial job posting.    Can you imagine an organization today (even today’s church) posting these qualifications online.  The EEOC would site them for a variety of equal employment code violations.   But, God has standards for leadership.  Although our church today has certainly changed all those standards, God’s Word continues to stand.   This is what the job needs and entails.   We can try to water them down but then we disobey God’s Word to meet the standards of society vs the standards of God.   Change it all you want, but when we do we are just as disobedient to God’s Word as those who twist it to meet their needs for other areas of society’s pressure to “up-date” standards to meet the change in our human “evolution” and “wokeness.”   This is the Bible and this is the way God designed church leadership and what He will, in turn bless with spiritual blessings.  

Satisfied in Christ - John 5-6

 Notice all the ways that Jesus describes Himself to His disciples and those who seek Him:

Living Water

John 4:10 (ESV Strong's)

10 Jesus answered her, “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that is saying to you, ‘Give me a drink,’ you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water.”

Bread of Life

John 6:35 (ESV Strong's)

35 Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.

Light of the World

John 8:12 (ESV Strong's)

12 Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”

Door

John 10:7 (ESV Strong's)

So Jesus again said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep.

Good Shepherd

John 10:11 (ESV Strong's)

11 I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.

Resurrection and the Life

John 11:25 (ESV Strong's)

Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live,

The Way

John 14:6 (ESV Strong's)

Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

True Vine

John 15:1 (ESV Strong's)

1 “I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser.

All satisfaction of life is found in Christ.   He is everything we need and nothing else.   

God Rules the Rulers - Daniel 7-12

 Daniel 11:3 (ESV)

Then a mighty king shall arise, who shall rule with great dominion and do as he wills.

Daniel 11:16 (ESV)

But he who comes against him shall do as he wills, and none shall stand before him. And he shall stand in the glorious land, with destruction in his hand.

Daniel 11:36 (ESV)

“And the king shall do as he wills. He shall exalt himself and magnify himself above every god, and shall speak astonishing things against the God of gods. He shall prosper till the indignation is accomplished; for what is decreed shall be done.

In the above passages we have a vision of Daniel.   It is about kingdoms of the earth that are vying for power.   There are many various interpretations of who these kings are.  But, the congruent thought for each of these earthly rulers is that they as “they will.”  They will exalt themselves and magnify themselves.  That is what rulers who do not acknowledge God, do.    The issue for them, however, is that it is God who does has He will.  Note what Nebuchadnezzar said after he came out of his mental health crisis caused by his exalting himself:

Daniel 4:34-35 (ESV)

At the end of the days I, Nebuchadnezzar, lifted my eyes to heaven, and my reason returned to me, and I blessed the Most High, and praised and honored him who lives forever,

for his dominion is an everlasting dominion,

and his kingdom endures from generation to generation;

all the inhabitants of the earth are accounted as nothing,

and he does according to his will among the host of heaven

and among the inhabitants of the earth;

and none can stay his hand

or say to him, “What have you done?”

What earthly kinds fail to realize is that it is God who puts them in their place:

Psalms 75:6-7 (ESV)

For not from the east or from the west

and not from the wilderness comes lifting up,

but it is God who executes judgment,

putting down one and lifting up another.

And, it is God who equips them to do HIS will, not theirs.   The following verses are spoken by Isaiah to the king of Assyria in his day:

Isaiah 45:5-7 (ESV)

I am the LORD, and there is no other,

besides me there is no God;

I equip you, though you do not know me,

that people may know, from the rising of the sun

and from the west, that there is none besides me;

I am the LORD, and there is no other.

I form light and create darkness;

I make well-being and create calamity;

I am the LORD, who does all these things.

We can watch and be fearful of the world leaders.  But, we must be in awe of God who rules the rulers.  

God Says A Lot About Our Speech - Proverbs 17-18

God has a lot to say about how we use our talk:

Proverbs 17:4 (ESV)

An evildoer listens to wicked lips,

and a liar gives ear to a mischievous tongue.

Proverbs 17:7 (ESV)

Fine speech is not becoming to a fool;

still less is false speech to a prince.

Proverbs 17:10 (ESV)

A rebuke goes deeper into a man of understanding

than a hundred blows into a fool.

Proverbs 17:27-28 (ESV)

Whoever restrains his words has knowledge,

and he who has a cool spirit is a man of understanding.

Even a fool who keeps silent is considered wise;

when he closes his lips, he is deemed intelligent.

Proverbs 18:4 (ESV)

The words of a man's mouth are deep waters;

the fountain of wisdom is a bubbling brook.

Proverbs 18:6 (ESV)

A fool's lips walk into a fight,

and his mouth invites a beating.

Proverbs 18:8 (ESV)

The words of a whisperer are like delicious morsels;

they go down into the inner parts of the body.

Proverbs 18:13 (ESV)

If one gives an answer before he hears,

it is his folly and shame.

Proverbs 18:20 (ESV)

From the fruit of a man's mouth his stomach is satisfied;

he is satisfied by the yield of his lips.

Make Known His Salvation - Psalms 96-98

 Psalms 98:2 (ESV)

The LORD has made known his salvation;

he has revealed his righteousness in the sight of the nations.

What a blessed truth this little verse in Psalm 98 states.   God has made known His salivation!   A God who can save, will save, does save and wants to save will first and foremost make know His salvation.   John the Baptist said it this way:

John 1:29 (ESV)

The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!

This was the purpose of the nation of Israel.  Note what Isaiah wrote:

Isaiah 49:5-6 (ESV)

And now the LORD says,

he who formed me from the womb to be his servant,

to bring Jacob back to him;

and that Israel might be gathered to him—

for I am honored in the eyes of the LORD,

and my God has become my strength—

he says:

“It is too light a thing that you should be my servant

to raise up the tribes of Jacob

and to bring back the preserved of Israel;

I will make you as a light for the nations,

that my salvation may reach to the end of the earth.”

We, today, are to make known His salvation to others:

1 Chronicles 16:23-24 (ESV)

Sing to the LORD, all the earth!

Tell of his salvation from day to day.

Declare his glory among the nations,

his marvelous works among all the peoples!

God makes known His salvation.  We are to make known His salvation.  

Service to God Can Look Different - 1 Chronicles 5-9

 1 Chronicles 7:40 (ESV)

All of these were men of Asher, heads of fathers' houses, approved, mighty warriors, chiefs of the princes. Their number enrolled by genealogies, for service in war, was 26,000 men.

In these early chapters of 1 Chronicles we read about a number of genealogies.  The writer is establishing for us the eventually line for the Messiah, Jesus Christ.   From the above passage we can see that the writer was able to glean some of the genealogies from military census.   The above passage is noteworthy, not just because it list out “mighty warriors and chiefs of the princes,” but because they are from the “men of Asher.”  In the previous chapter we read that Asher was part of the group who lead the singing in the Temple.   Note the beginning of a list that includes Asher’s name:

1 Chronicles 6:31 (ESV)

These are the men whom David put in charge of the service of song in the house of the LORD after the ark rested there.

The men of Asher were both singers and military warriors.    They were in service of singing and service of war.   God’s -people are often equipped with many skills and many roles.   With a sword in one hand and a violin in the other, “Asher’s men” served God and the people of Israel.   Paul was a tent maker and a preacher.  Peter was a fisher men and a builder of the church.   Lydia was a seller of garments and a host of a church.  Let us not forget that God equips us for numerous roles and responsibilities.   Our job is to be faithful in whatever role He gives us.  

Awe of God - Numbers 1-4

 Numbers 4:17-20 (ESV)

The LORD spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying, “Let not the tribe of the clans of the Kohathites be destroyed from among the Levites, but deal thus with them, that they may live and not die when they come near to the most holy things: Aaron and his sons shall go in and appoint them each to his task and to his burden, but they shall not go in to look on the holy things even for a moment, lest they die.”

Moving companies are supposed to move your things without damaging them.   But, suppose you told them that they were not only to move your items from your home but also they were to not allowed to look at the items from your home?   They would probably refuse the task.   Well, one of the children from the descendants of Levi, the Kohath family tree, was to be the moving company for the Tabernacle.  It was there job, any time the nation moved from one place to another, to pack up the Tabernacle.  They had to carry all the curtains and rods.  They had to pack up all the dishes and serving utensils.   And they had to pack up the Holy of Holies with the actual Ark of the Covenant.   And, when it came to all the items in the Holy of Holies, there were not even to look at them, least they die.   To assure they did not and that their family tree continued to thrive, Aaron and his sons were to give them specific tasks to do and items to carry so that they did not die in the process of moving.   In Numbers 33 we read that the nation of Israel moved almost 30 times during those 40 years.   Plus, once they reached the promise land and began to conquer it, the Tabernacle would be carried and moved.   The Kohathites would take the risk each time to lose a life if they failed to obey God’s command in this area.   

We don’t move Tabernacles or the Ark of the Covenant today.   We are free to worship in awe of God and in the Fear of the Lord, but we don’t fear being struck dead in our churches.  But, we are supposed to realize and worship in holiness.  We are to approach God in the same spirit of holiness that Aaron, his sons and the Kohathites did.   God is holy and must be recognized as such.  Our often “familiarity” with God is refreshing.   But, it is also, at times failing to recognize the awe of God.   He wants us to approach Him, but even in the New Testament we are told that we are to fear Him in holy reverence.

Hebrews 12:28 (ESV)

Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe,

Prepare For Christ’s Return - 2 Thessalonians

 2 Thessalonians 2:1-4 (ESV)

Now concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered together to him, we ask you, brothers, not to be quickly shaken in mind or alarmed, either by a spirit or a spoken word, or a letter seeming to be from us, to the effect that the day of the Lord has come. Let no one deceive you in any way. For that day will not come, unless the rebellion comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction, who opposes and exalts himself against every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, proclaiming himself to be God.

The letters Paul wrote to the church at Thessalonica were probably the first of his writings.  They were probably written around the 50s AD.   This would have been, probably, less than 20 years after Christ’s death.   Probably a main difference between the early church and today’s church is the mindset of Christ’s return.   When Christ said He would return the early church was much more understanding the the word “imminent” much different that we comprehend it.   Christ’s return is imminent.   That is taught throughout Scripture.  One commentator states that one out of every twenty-five verses in the New Testament tells something about either Christ’s return or His establishing His kingdom on earth.   It was a MAIN theme of discussion that Jesus had with His disciples.   

In the above passage Paul is writing to tell the church that the rumors or false teaching they heard about Christ ALREADY coming, was false.   Paul goes on to warn them about what it will look like before Jesus comes.  Chapter 3 of 2 Timothy does the same things.   In the letter to Pastor Timothy Paul stresses the condition of the world around us. In this letter to Thessalonica he stressed the leadership of the sedition against God.   

The point we should take from this is that the church should be understanding, believing and acting with the expectation of Christ’s return.   In this letter Paul is trying to tell them Christ has not already come, but that they should also be actively working for Christ to love the brothers and expand the kingdom, until He does come.   Even though there was a false teaching going around that Christ had already come, there was also a false belief that since He was coming any time they (believers) did not have to do anything but sit around and wait (chapter 3 of this letter).   The fact is, Christ is coming again.  We are to be diligent until He does return and we should watch for and be aware of activities in society that will lead up to that moment.   We are to anticipate Him coming at anytime and be actively preparing the Church for that moment all the time.   

Worship in Spirit - John 3-4

 John 4:20-26 (ESV)

Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, but you say that in Jerusalem is the place where people ought to worship.” Jesus said to her, “Woman, believe me, the hour is coming when neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem will you worship the Father. You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know, for salvation is from the Jews. But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him. God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.” The woman said to him, “I know that Messiah is coming (he who is called Christ). When he comes, he will tell us all things.” Jesus said to her, “I who speak to you am he.”

This passage is the end of a conversation with a woman who Jesus has meet at a a well, looking for water.   She is a Samaritan women who Jesus has just outed was married five times and is currently living with a man, not her husband.    Jesus has confronted her with her sin.   Confront might be a harsh word.    He actually told her about the living water He wanted to offer her and told her to go get her husband.  She stated she has “no husband.”    This was when Jesus told her He knew she had five previous husbands and was now living with a man, who was not her husband.  So, this woman has had a hard life by any societies norms.   She is amazed that He knows this.   But, rather than deal with this truth about her life, she wants to know a question about worship.   It is a question about a where to worship.   It is a question about disputes in worship.  It is a question about how nations are divided about worship.   But, Jesus goes right for the core challenge.  Worship is not a place.  Worship is a spiritual act.   Why?  Because God is “spirit.”  This is the same type of description of God as, “God is love (1 John 4:8)”  Or, “God is light (1 John 1:5).”   This speaks to the fact that God operates in the spiritual realm.   That does not mean that our worship does not take on a physical form.  It is means that to worship God we start on the inner being of the spirit and express our worship through the outer being of our senses and behaviors.  But, it begins on the inside of our spirit.  This is why when Jesus came he said:

Matthew 5:21-22 (ESV)

“You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder; and whoever murders will be liable to judgment.’ But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother will be liable to the council; and whoever says, ‘You fool!’ will be liable to the hell of fire.

Matthew 5:27-28 (ESV)

“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart.

Anger and lust begin in the spirit.   They manifest in behavior but they begin inward. This is why we worship in the spirit.  Because that is what matters to God.  Because God is spirit and those who worship Him must worship Him in spirit and truth.  

Give God Glory IN the Decision Making Process - Daniel 1-6

 Daniel 2:20-23 (ESV)

Daniel answered and said:

“Blessed be the name of God forever and ever,

to whom belong wisdom and might.

He changes times and seasons;

he removes kings and sets up kings;

he gives wisdom to the wise

and knowledge to those who have understanding;

he reveals deep and hidden things;

he knows what is in the darkness,

and the light dwells with him.

To you, O God of my fathers,

I give thanks and praise,

for you have given me wisdom and might,

and have now made known to me what we asked of you,

for you have made known to us the king's matter.”

Imagine if this were our prayer before every decision we have to make!   Our recognization of God’s sovereign rule over all matters is a key to our understanding the road we travel.  We tend to want to make our lives about us and our choices.   In the above passage we read a different manner of decision making. 

The context for the above passage is that King Nebuchadnezzar has had a bad dream.  He has requested that all his enchanters, magicians, sages, and wisemen all tell him what it means.  But, he not only wants the meaning of the dream, he wants THEM to tell him the dream and the interpretation.  If they don’t, they all die.   It is probably accurate to state that none of us have every faced such a situation from those who hold power over us.   But, this is what Daniel faced.   So, he immediately turned it over to God in prayer.   He called his three colleagues and asked them to pray with them.   In their prayer they first and foremost acknowledged God’s knowledge of the situation and his sovereignty over the situation.   

This is the formula for walking with God in decision making.   This allows us to worship in decisions and not simply get lost in the variables of the decision.   Our decision making model has many moving parts.  Most people don’t have a systematic method for making decisions.  They rather rely on their intuitive nature.  But, one part that can’t just be an after thought is God’s sovereign rule over each decision we make, no matter how trivial we think it might be.   God gives wisdom and might to make decisions.  They are for the purpose of glorifying Him.    He reveals insights and knowledge for us to make decisions.   If we began with Daniel’s approach to glorify God while making a decision we might find we have more decisions that glorify God.   

Love and Faithfulness Atones for Sin - Proverbs 16

 Proverbs 16:6

By lovingkindness and truth iniquity is atoned for,

And by the fear of the Lord one keeps away from evil.

Proverbs 16:6 (ESV)

By steadfast love and faithfulness iniquity is atoned for,

and by the fear of the LORD one turns away from evil.

Have you ever wondered how to overcome and refresh from some sin you committed or have committed against others.   Here is an incredible proverb to tell us just how to overcome iniquity.   The first line, "By lovingkindness and truth (faithfulness) iniquity is atoned for,” tells us we are to lose our personal agendas and our anger and replace them with the practice of truth (faithfulness to truth) and the expression of real love.   Love is a self-sacrificing concept.   Solomon is telling us to seek truth and pursue love, if we really have the desire to "atone" for our past.   This is exactly what Christ did for us, as the Way, the Truth and the Life.  It is Christ’s steadfast love and faithfulness that atones for sin.  But, the second line tells us, "And by the fear of the Lord one keeps away from evil."  The problem Solomon is addressing for us in this line is how do we "atone" for sin when we are but man and we tend to "fear man" (bend toward peer pressure ... Proverbs 29:25)?   He tells us to not fear man and bend to their peer pressure but to fear the Lord and that will keep us from further sin.   As we fear the Lord we will not return to the sin we previously committed.  The reason we are often not trusted after we sin is that those we love and have hurt think we will return to that sin again.  But, if we fear the Lord we will “keep away from evil.”   Note other proverbs that say this:

Proverbs 8:13 (ESV)

The fear of the LORD is hatred of evil.

Pride and arrogance and the way of evil

and perverted speech I hate.

Proverbs 14:27 (ESV)

The fear of the LORD is a fountain of life,

that one may turn away from the snares of death.

What a great proverb about how to maneuver through difficult times of sin - whether we committed it or it was committed against us.   Love, truth and faithfulness to the fear of the Lord will atone for sin.   Christ did it and, through Solomon, He gave us the recipe to do it.  We have to practice love, truth and become trustworthy by the fear of the Lord, realizing that it is through Christ’s faithfulness we have atonement.  

Standing Tall in a Slouching World - Psalms 93-95

 Psalms 94:16 (ESV)

Who rises up for me against the wicked?

Who stands up for me against evildoers?

Psalm 94 is a liturgical song, probably used in corporate worship.   The entire song is about God’s justice against the wicked and His refuge for the believer.   In the above lines we read that God, in His vengeance upon those who forsake Him, is looking for someone to stand up for Him and to stand against those who are wicked.  This is not a passive stance, however.   This is an implied position one takes “against” the wicked and evildoers.   God is calling for someone to stand in the gap.  He has done this before.  Through the prophet Ezekiel God called out:

Ezekiel 22:29-31 (ESV)

The people of the land have practiced extortion and committed robbery. They have oppressed the poor and needy, and have extorted from the sojourner without justice. And I sought for a man among them who should build up the wall and stand in the breach before me for the land, that I should not destroy it, but I found none. Therefore I have poured out my indignation upon them. I have consumed them with the fire of my wrath. I have returned their way upon their heads, declares the Lord GOD.”

The same was true for Isaiah.  When God needed someone to go and stand for Him, Isaiah stated:

Isaiah 6:8 (ESV)

Isaiah's Commission from the Lord

And I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” Then I said, “Here I am! Send me.”

And, in case you want to dismiss these calls because they are Old Testament oriented, note what Jesus told the disciples to pray for regarding the need for people to go fourth to declare His message:

Matthew 9:36-38 (ESV)

When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.”

God looked for someone to stand against the wicked in the Old and wants someone to stand with Him in the New.   If you live your live for God in today’s society to live for Christ you will be standing against the world’s philosophy.   When we stand for something we always are standing against something else.  

Genealogy Matters to God - 1 Chronicles 1-4

1 Chronicles 1:1-4 (NASBStr)

Adam, Seth, Enosh, Kenan, Mahalalel, Jared, Enoch, Methuselah, Lamech, Noah, Shem, Ham and Japheth.

Why does God include all the genealogies in the Bible?  What is the purpose of this book starting out with four chapters of names of people, we probably don't care to know?   There are probably countless reasons, but let’s look at two:

1. It is important to understand the purpose of 1 and 2 Chronicles prior to reading all these names.   Even though God's Word says that ALL of it is profitable for doctrine, reproof, correction and instruction (2 Timothy 3:16,17), we don't always see it.   When the book was written the nation of Israel was being allowed to return to the promise land after years of captivity under three different leaders/countries.   As they made their trek back to Israel in general and Jerusalem specifically, they found themselves without the structure and leadership of the past.   They had NO king.   They were under the rule of the King of Persia and had no political or distinctive Jewish structure.  The temple was destroyed, the city in ruin and the leadership gone.  Were they still significant as a nation?   Did they still matter to God?   Were the covenants with God still in effect and viable to trust?   These are all questions those returning were asking.   The chronicler wanted to remind them of where they came from and how special they were to God. He wanted to show them how they got where they were (including the disobedience).  He wanted to trace their steps back to the past so they could fully grasps the future. 

Most people don't like family reunions.   Especially the younger generation.   This book is a paper trail family reunion.   It is written to show them they are connected with the past and still significant for the future.  For the church today and the believer it is important to remember the connection God's plan has with the past.  Nothing will derail what God has planned. His interaction in history has a purpose and it is all connected.  Each name we read is important to God and a small piece of His plan.  Just as our day-to-day walk with Him matters to us, but it matters more to Him.  Our each step is ordained by God to accomplish His complete plan.  We are tied to the past; the past is significant for the future.   Don't simply forget it.   It matters to God.  It should matter to us.   These names matter to God.  But, more important to the reason the book was written, God wanted the people to know that He knew them and that He was in this with them.   When putting a culture back together you have to give them a sense of their past (the Lover archetype) and a place in history.   To start something (in this case a new Israel ... in their own land),  you have to know you belong to something greater than yourself.  

2.  On top of knowing these connections and this history and this significance, these genealogies also trace the names from Adam to Abraham to Jacob to King David; what would be the line of Jesus, our Savior.   If you read the genealogies in Matthew you see that Jesus is traced back to David.  If you read the genealogies in Luke you see that Jesus is traced by to Adam.  These genealogies give us the evidence we need to see that Jesus was able to represent us and was the chosen Messiah, becoming the Son of God and son of man.   

These records show the integrity and veracity of God’s plan, God’s Word and God’s sovereign direction over the affairs of man.   

We Are To Represent God’s Holiness - Leviticus 25-27

 Leviticus 26:14-16 (ESV)

Punishment for Disobedience

“But if you will not listen to me and will not do all these commandments, if you spurn my statutes, and if your soul abhors my rules, so that you will not do all my commandments, but break my covenant, then I will do this to you: I will visit you with panic, with wasting disease and fever that consume the eyes and make the heart ache. And you shall sow your seed in vain, for your enemies shall eat it.

Throughout the book of Leviticus we have read laws and precepts that the nation is to follow to please God.  We read laws about worship and sacrifice.  We read laws about how to care for the nation regarding leprosy.   We read laws about sexual practices.  We read laws about picking up sticks on the Sabbath.   In the above passage Moses comes to a close in listing all the laws they are to follow.  In these verses and the ones that follow, Moses is addressing what will happen if you don’t obey the laws.   The above passage begins a long list of the fallout if they (Israel) decides to not obey God’s Word.   And, eventually they don’t obey Him.  God will bring all these curses on them from their disobedience.  God will discipline them for disobeying Him.  Note that at the end of the above passage is one reason God will discipline them.   He states, “And you shall sow your seed in vain, for your enemies will see it.”    The main reason for their discipline is because God is holy and their disobedience toward a holy and righteous God is always condemned.  But, another reason is that Israel was supposed to be a light to the Gentiles.  They were to be the one who lives in an honorable manner so that they Gentiles would glorify God.   When they disobey God this brings shame to God.   When the representative is tainted it makes the One they represent tainted.   

The same is true today.   The Church is to be the light to the Gentile world.  Note how Peter stated it in his first letter:

1 Peter 2:9-12 (ESV)

But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Once you were not a people, but now you are God's people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.

Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul. Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation.

God wants His people to live in a way that brings glory and honor to God.  When we don’t we not only disobey God and violate His holiness, we also fail to be the representative we are required to be for Him.   That brings discipline.   Again, note Peter’s words: 

1 Peter 4:16-18 (ESV)

Yet if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in that name. For it is time for judgment to begin at the household of God; and if it begins with us, what will be the outcome for those who do not obey the gospel of God? And “If the righteous is scarcely saved,

what will become of the ungodly and the sinner?”

Death and Dying - 1 Thessalonians 4-5

 1 Thessalonians 4:13 (ESV)

The Coming of the Lord

But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope.

There is not secret that God’s Word informs the believer they have different experiences than the non-believer.   Even when it comes to death and dying, God does not want our sorrow to look like the worlds.  God wants us to sorrow differently.    Before Paul wrote the above passage he had already told the church about the difference of our sorrow as compared to the that of the non-believing world:

2 Corinthians 7:10 (NASBStr)

For the sorrow that is according to the will of God produces a repentance without regret, leading to salvation, but the sorrow of the world produces death.

We can rejoice that even in the deepest pain of mankind, facing a death of a loved one, God provides us with a comfort that is unmatched by the world.   In fact, one of the first truths Jesus ever stated to an audience in His teaching times was this:

Matthew 5:4 (ESV)

“Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.

This is the second of eight Beatitudes.   To understand the Beatitudes you have to know the structure of the Beatitude.   The little word “for” is a big word in the Greek when it comes to knowing the meaning of each Beatitude. It is a “because” phrase.   The Beatitude does not say we are blessed “because” we mourn.   We are blessed “because” the believer is “comforted” in all their mourning.   No matter the mourning, but especially mourning due to loss.   The word “blessed” is the Greek “makarios.” The Greek philosopher would not use the word “makarios” when speaking of human beings.  It was such a high and lofty word.    They thought only the gods could experience “makarios.”   Yet, here, in His first sermon ever preached, Jesus is using it eight times to tell us that believers can have the most glorious of blessings and it is even provided by Christ in times of great sorrow.   Paul picks that theme up in the above passage from 1 Thessalonians.  He writes to tell the church to not sorrow like the world.  We have a hope about future uniting with loved ones “in Christ” when Christ returns.   Profound, but more than that.  It is an assured makarios (blessed) gift from God.   Claim it by faith. It does not remove heart ache, but it elevates the spirit as we allow the Holy Spirit to apply the truth to our hearts and minds via faith.  

He Took Our Sin - John 1-2

 John 1:29 (ESV)

Behold, the Lamb of God

The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!

The Gospel!!   If anyone asks what is the gospel or what does the word “gospel” mean, you can simply quote the above verse.   The gospel is God sending His Son, Jesus, to take away the sins of the world.    Note other references:

1 John 3:5 (ESV) 

You know that he appeared in order to take away sins, and in him there is no sin.

Hebrews 10:4,10-11 (ESV) 

For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.

And every priest stands daily at his service, offering repeatedly the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. But when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God,

The struggle we have in the world is that the natural man does not believe he has to received forgiveness for sins.  It is amazing how we have a conscience that knows when we do wrong and hurt someone we need them to forgive us.  But, it beyond comprehension that mankind does wrong before God each and every day and there is not compelling desire to seek forgives from a holy, righteous God.   We can rejoice that god forgives our sins and not only forgives, but came to take them away.   Note what the song writer wrote in this psalm:

Psalms 103:12 (ESV)

as far as the east is from the west,

so far does he remove our transgressions from us.

Not only did He come to take away our sins but He removed them as far as east from the west. This is the freedom we have in Christ and the peace we have with God.  God, by His nature is obligated to be hostile to sinners and to punish them with His wrath.  But, Jesus came to take away our sins and bring us back into a peaceful relationship with God:

Romans 5:1 (ESV)

Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.

We can’t have peace with God with lingering sin between Him and us.  So, the fact that Jesus came to “take away” the sins we commit against Him, is the most amazing truth we can grasp. It is the Gospel!

By the way, what is the alternative to Christ taking away ours sins?

Nahum 1:3 (ESV)

3 The LORD is slow to anger and great in power, and the LORD will by no means clear the guilty. His way is in whirlwind and storm, and the clouds are the dust of his feet.

What Truth Comes From Reading Blue Prints? Ezekiel 43-48

 Ezekiel 44:4 (ESV)

Then he brought me by way of the north gate to the front of the temple, and I looked, and behold, the glory of the LORD filled the temple of the LORD. And I fell on my face.

Probably the most difficult challenge reading these last chapters of Ezekiel is finding practical application for our day-to-day lives.  The prophet is explaining the dimensions and activities of a future Temple.   If it is the heavenly temple describe in the new heaven and new earth in the book of the Revelation, how do we read about it and leave with something that is admonishing for us.   Remember, all scripture is for the purpose of our growth:

2 Timothy 3:16-17 (ESV)

All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.

So, what is the instruction here to equip us?   How should we respond to the dimensions and diagrams he writes?  Well, the above verse gives us God and Ezekiel’s response.  When God saw it He filled it with His glory.  When Ezekiel saw God’s glory he fell down and worshiped God.   That should be our response.  God is building a great place for us to fall down and worship Him.   That is the point of the descriptions and blue prints.  I don’t know anyone whoever looked at the blue print and said, “Wow!  That’s amazing.”    But, that is what we are being asked to do.  The above verse is from a vision of Ezekiel seeing the Temple completed.   We only have the prints.   But, that should swell up in our hearts and minds the element of adoration for God.  That is what He wants.  That is what He is designing.   We can rejoice that we don’t need these plans to see His glory.  Christ is His glory to us in our hearts.   We will be able to see and experience this new Temple some day.   But, that will be frosting on the cake.  We now have Christ, the living word, and we have in descriptions, Christ the written word.   

Ponder How You Use Your Tongue - Proverbs 14-15

 Proverbs 15:1-2 (ESV)

A soft answer turns away wrath,

but a harsh word stirs up anger.

The tongue of the wise commends knowledge,

but the mouths of fools pour out folly.

Proverbs 15:4 (ESV)

A gentle tongue is a tree of life,

but perverseness in it breaks the spirit.

Proverbs 15:7 (ESV)

The lips of the wise spread knowledge;

not so the hearts of fools.

Proverbs 15:14 (ESV)

The heart of him who has understanding seeks knowledge,

but the mouths of fools feed on folly.

Proverbs 15:23 (ESV)

To make an apt answer is a joy to a man,

and a word in season, how good it is!

Proverbs 15:26 (ESV)

The thoughts of the wicked are an abomination to the LORD,

but gracious words are pure.

Proverbs 15:28 (ESV)

The heart of the righteous ponders how to answer,

but the mouth of the wicked pours out evil things.

All the above proverbs say something about the tongue, the mouth or how we talk/respond verbally.   Solomon goes to great lengths to remind us and guide us on how to use our tongue.  We might wonder if James was reading the proverbs when he penned this for the early church:

James 3:5,6 (ESV)

So also the tongue is a small member, yet it boasts of great things.

How great a forest is set ablaze by such a small fire! And the tongue is a fire, a world of unrighteousness. The tongue is set among our members, staining the whole body, setting on fire the entire course of life, and set on fire by hell.

In the above proverbs we learn:

1. The tongue is a reflection of the heart.  What is in the inside comes out via the tongue. 

2. The good use of the tongue can have favorable responses in us and for others. 

3. The poor use of the tongue can have adverse impact on us and others. 

4. The tongue can bring joy to man and God and self. 

5. The one who first ponders with their tongues demonstrates the wisdom of God and the on who does not ponder demonstrates the folly of fools.  

Use your tongue wisely.  It is a reflection of your walk with God and the demonstration of His wisdom inside you.  

Mercy Flows When We Show Humility - Psalms 90-92

 Psalms 90:13 (ESV)

Return, O LORD! How long?

Have pity on your servants!

In Psalm 90 we read a prayer of Moses.   It begins the fourth book of the Psalms.  In this song we read the plea of Moses for God to have pity on the nation of Israel for their sins.   He regencies that God is in a high and lofty place and from everlasting.  But, we are in at temporary space, ready to pass away and full of sin.   That is the purpose of the above lines of the poem.   He knows that our sin separates us from a holy, righteous God.  The only way to combat that is to pled for mercy (pity).   All these verses in other books of the Bible speak of the same aspect of pity:

Ps. 106:45; 135:14; Ex. 32:12; Deut. 32:36; Judg. 2:18; Jonah 3:10; 

The word for “pity” carries the implication that God turns back from what He intends to do and does so out of His extreme mercy.   The Jonah 3:10 passage probably conveys the meaning of the word the best:

Jonah 3:10 (ESV)

When God saw what they did, how they turned from their evil way, God relented of the disaster that he had said he would do to them, and he did not do it.

When we turned to God in our wickedness and admit we need His divine pity, we are recognizing His profound awesomeness and our incredible and deep uselessness.   It is not until we repent and relent of our sin and recognize that we are but dust that God bestows on us His GREAT pity.   This takes humility on our part to recognize who we are.   Note how young David responded to Saul’s attacks even though God had already told him he would soon be king and take Saul’s position:

1 Samuel 24:14 (ESV)

After whom has the king of Israel come out? After whom do you pursue? After a dead dog! After a flea!

Even though he knew what God told him about his future, David still considered himself nothing but a flea on the back of a dead dog.   That is humility and that is when God shows up with His pity ... His divine mercy!

God is Sovereign Over the Nations - 2 Kings 21-25

 2 Kings 24:1-4 (ESV)

In his days, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came up, and Jehoiakim became his servant for three years. Then he turned and rebelled against him. And the LORD sent against him bands of the Chaldeans and bands of the Syrians and bands of the Moabites and bands of the Ammonites, and sent them against Judah to destroy it, according to the word of the LORD that he spoke by his servants the prophets. Surely this came upon Judah at the command of the LORD, to remove them out of his sight, for the sins of Manasseh, according to all that he had done, and also for the innocent blood that he had shed. For he filled Jerusalem with innocent blood, and the LORD would not pardon.

God is sovereign!  That is a major take-a-way when reading the Bible in general and the books of the Kings in particular.    First and Second Kings are the stories about the leadership of the kings who lead God’s people after the nation split between Israel and Judah.   All the kings of Israel were evil leaders.   Most of the kings of Judah were evil leaders. In the above passage we read about one of the last kings of Judah, Jehoiachin.   He was evil.     But, when Judah was taken captive under his leadership it was not only because of his evil leadership but because of all those who came before him and lead in a way contrary to God’s Law.   The interesting aspect of this is that God used Babylon, another evil nation, to take His chosen people into captivity.  If we read the prophet Habakkuk we will read about his objection to using this evil nation to punish God’s “people.”  Yet, that a the truth to take from this.  God is sovereign and He will do what He pleases.    He uses one evil peoples or person to punish and/or correct another.   God’s ways are hard for us to understand, but even more difficult if we refuse to believe and worship and respect His sovereignty.  He can do what He wants as long as He does not violate His own character.  That is the one thing God can’t do - violate His divine attributes.   We are to worship Him for how He sovereignly directs the nations.