Thursday, October 31, 2024

Without God We Are Like the Beasts of the Field - Ecclesiastes 3-4

Ecclesiastes 3:18-22 (ESV)

I said in my heart with regard to the children of man that God is testing them that they may see that they themselves are but beasts. For what happens to the children of man and what happens to the beasts is the same; as one dies, so dies the other. They all have the same breath, and man has no advantage over the beasts, for all is vanity. All go to one place. All are from the dust, and to dust all return. Who knows whether the spirit of man goes upward and the spirit of the beast goes down into the earth? So I saw that there is nothing better than that a man should rejoice in his work, for that is his lot. Who can bring him to see what will be after him?


In the book of Ecclesiastes, Solomon is in a philosophical mood and on a quest to define the meaning of life through man’s eyes and on man’s terms.  As always, when reading or commenting on Ecclesiastes, we have to start with the last verses.  This is Solomon’s conclusion to the entire book:


Ecclesiastes 12:13-14 (ESV)

The end of the matter; all has been heard. Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. For God will bring every deed into judgment, with every secret thing, whether good or evil.


The need to read the book with the end in mind is never more apparent than what we read in the above lines.   Through man’s lens, Solomon states we nothing more than the beasts of the earth.   Through man’s lens we might as well just rejoice in our work, for that is our lot.   In the above passage we read that Solomon (again, through man’s eyes) is questioning if there is even anything different between man and beasts in our after life.   The implication is that Solomon is not sure if there is an afterlife for man.   if it were not for the fact that in the end, he draws the right conclusions, we might get lost in his thoughts as we read them.   But Solomon gives us the natural man’s mindset.   Most do not believe in the afterlife or, at least through their practice, don’t live like they believe in the afterlife.    Remember, Solomon did state earlier in this chapter:


Ecclesiastes 3:11 (ESV)

He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also, he has put eternity into man’s heart, yet so that he cannot find out what God has done from the beginning to the end.


The point Solomon is making is that, without understanding that the chief end for man is to fear God, they is nothing left to live for.  Without a Fear the Lord-God-centered-world-view, we are dumb beast, destine to live, eat and then die.   The life is futile if we have nothing beyond this life.   God has made man to enjoy this life, true.  But He is ultimately made man for His enjoyment and for man’s enjoyment in God.   Everything else is like the beast of the field.  


Wednesday, October 30, 2024

God Is Our Mountain of Protection - Psalms 125-127

Psalms 125 (ESV)

The LORD Surrounds His People

A SONG OF ASCENTS.

Those who trust in the LORD are like Mount Zion,

which cannot be moved, but abides forever.

As the mountains surround Jerusalem,

so the LORD surrounds his people,

from this time forth and forevermore.

For the scepter of wickedness shall not rest

on the land allotted to the righteous,

lest the righteous stretch out

their hands to do wrong.

Do good, O LORD, to those who are good,

and to those who are upright in their hearts!

But those who turn aside to their crooked ways

the LORD will lead away with evildoers!

Peace be upon Israel!


Unless you lived in Jerusalem it is tough for you to see and understand the power of Psalm 125:1-2. Mount Zion in verse one and Jerusalem in verse two are the same place; one place - two names. The writer is drawing attention to the safety and security that is found within the city of Jerusalem because of the geographical position and makeup. But, he is really drawing us to the theological implications of this. Just like mountains provide a measure of safety for Jerusalem, so too does God provide safety for His people. The mountains are not going anywhere - neither is God. The mountains are unmovable - neither is God. The mountains are always there - so to is God. The mountains are the a symbol of power and might - God is power and might. The only area where the two don't fit in the writers use of them as a metaphor is in the fact that the mountains are seen every time you look up. God is not always seen by the human eye. We sometimes think we are in a desert place where the wind, the beasts, the armies of this world and the storms of life can attack us. But in reality we are surrounded by God's powerful presence, like unseen mountains of protection. We might not see Him, but like Mt. Everest, He stands towering over us and protects us from the elements of life. We don't physically see Him so we don't practically feel Him. But He is there. No storm can break through the mountain to affect the people in the village when the mountain of God keeps us safe in the valley. Rejoice in the unseen Mountain that surrounds you. He is there whether you see Him or not.

Tuesday, October 29, 2024

Leaders Who Follow God’s Word - 2 Chronicles 29-32

2 Chronicles 29:1-2 (ESV)

Hezekiah began to reign when he was twenty-five years old, and he reigned twenty-nine years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Abijah the daughter of Zechariah. And he did what was right in the eyes of the LORD, according to all that David his father had done.


The book of 2 Chronicles is a chronicled history of the kings of Judah.   It goes king by king by king and, in most cases, tells us when they ruled, how long they ruled, who ruled in Israel while they ruled in Judah and, more importantly, how they ruled.    Here are just a few to account that have already been listed by the writer:


1. Hezekiah’s father:


2 Chronicles 28:1 (ESV)

Ahaz was twenty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem. And he did not do what was right in the eyes of the LORD, as his father David had done,


2. Hezekiah’s grandfather:


2 Chronicles 27:1-3 (ESV)

Jotham was twenty-five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Jerushah the daughter of Zadok. And he did what was right in the eyes of the LORD according to all that his father Uzziah had done, except he did not enter the temple of the LORD. But the people still followed corrupt practices. He built the upper gate of the house of the LORD and did much building on the wall of Ophel.


3. Hezekiah’s great-grandfather: 


2 Chronicles 25:1-2 (ESV)

Amaziah was twenty-five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned twenty-nine years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Jehoaddan of Jerusalem. And he did what was right in the eyes of the LORD, yet not with a whole heart.


So, we can see that the chronicler wants us to see not only who was leading the nation but how they lead in relationship to God and His word.   Some started out well, but ended poorly.  For instance Hezekiah’s father, Ahaz.  Note his downfall:


2 Chronicles 28:19-22 (ESV)

For the LORD humbled Judah because of Ahaz king of Israel, for he had made Judah act sinfully and had been very unfaithful to the LORD. So Tiglath-pileser king of Assyria came against him and afflicted him instead of strengthening him. For Ahaz took a portion from the house of the LORD and the house of the king and of the princes, and gave tribute to the king of Assyria, but it did not help him.  In the time of his distress he became yet more faithless to the LORD—this same King Ahaz.


While all the kings of Israel (to the north) were evil kings, the kings of Judah (to the south) were mostly godly kings.   Hezekiah was one of the most faithful to God.  We will read later, however, that Hezekiah struggled to finish well:


2 Chronicles 32:24-26 (ESV)

In those days Hezekiah became sick and was at the point of death, and he prayed to the LORD, and he answered him and gave him a sign. But Hezekiah did not make return according to the benefit done to him, for his heart was proud. Therefore wrath came upon him and Judah and Jerusalem. But Hezekiah humbled himself for the pride of his heart, both he and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, so that the wrath of the LORD did not come upon them in the days of Hezekiah.


And that his son failed to start well:


2 Chronicles 33:1-2 (ESV)

Manasseh was twelve years old when he began to reign, and he reigned fifty-five years in Jerusalem. And he did what was evil in the sight of the LORD, according to the abominations of the nations whom the LORD drove out before the people of Israel.


So, as we read about these kings we have to realize that they, like us, struggled in their faith.  But the common denominator for those who reigned well was that they obeyed God’s word.   Those who failed, disobeyed God’s word.   That is the common theme throughout Chronicles and the Scriptures.   We all might want to ask ourselves this question:   “If someone chronicled my life how would it read? Would it read that I did what was right in the sight of the LORD or that I did evil in the sight of the LORD?


The problem is that Hezekiah would fail in the end.   When the Babylonians came to spy out the land Hezekiah’s heart was lifted up in pride.  He would fall into a trap and that would be his end:


2 Chronicles 32:31 (ESV)

And so in the matter of the envoys of the princes of Babylon, who had been sent to him to inquire about the sign that had been done in the land, God left him to himself, in order to test him and to know all that was in his heart.


Don’t let it be your end!



Monday, October 28, 2024

Remember and Learn From the Past - Deuteronomy 7-9

Deuteronomy 9:22-24 (ESV)

“At Taberah also, and at Massah and at Kibroth-hattaavah you provoked the LORD to wrath. And when the LORD sent you from Kadesh-barnea, saying, ‘Go up and take possession of the land that I have given you,’ then you rebelled against the commandment of the LORD your God and did not believe him or obey his voice. You have been rebellious against the LORD from the day that I knew you.


Most psychology teaches us to learn from the past but not live in the past.  The extreme view is to get over it and move on and don’t linger on the past.   There are some views that say we don’t even have to think about the past because we can’t change it.  Some would say that the past can cripple our present and our future.   In the above passage Moses is recounting some past failures of the nation of Israel.  He has just outlined how Aaron made them a golden calf to worship while he was in the mountain talking to God.  It was there he received the Ten Commandments, which contained the command to not worship idols.  Before it was even written in stone, Aaron had lead them to already do so in their hearts.   In the above verses we read some of the other times they complained, murmured and/or disobeyed God.  Israel had a habit of complaining.   They didn’t like the water, they didn’t like the food, they didn’t like the camping conditions, they didn’t like ... !   God is reminding them of their failings now because this is a new generation.  This new generation is about to enter the promise land.   God wants them to learn about the failings of their fathers so that they do not repeat them.  A philosopher or government leader stated, “If we don’t learn from history we are destined to repeat history.”   However, Moses said it before anyone else did.  Moses’ version would be:  “Don’t forget what your fathers did in rejecting God so that you don’t also reject Him.”  We might be wise to recall when we have failed so that we don’t repeat the same conditions and fall into the same trap we have before.   

Sunday, October 27, 2024

God Puts Us Into the Gym! - James 1-3

James 1:2-8 (ESV)

Testing of Your Faith

2 Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, 3 for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. 


4 And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.


5 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. 6 But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. 7 For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; 


8 he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.


Stability in the Christian faith is a key component of James’ letter.  It might be wise to remember that this little letter from James to the churches was written to those of the church Dispersion, or as some versions state it, those scatter abroad.  So the audience for the letter are those who are risking their very lives reading the letter.  This is why it is so important that James first and foremost address their steadfastness.   The word means to remain under.  In this case it takes on the meaning of remaining under your oath to follow Jesus despite the outside afflictions and trials.   James is making the point that these very trails will be used by God to produce in them the very steadfastness needed to continue to remain under more trials.   It might sound like circular reasoning but think of someone who goes to the gym each day to lift weights.   The discipline of a daily workout, lifting weights, ensures that you will be able to lift even more weight later.   This principle of trail produces endurance for more trials is available only by faith.    The one who is not coming to God by faith to live in these trials is not steadfast.  In fact, James states that he is double-minded, unstable in all his ways.   When we fail to live in faith in the midst of trials we become wobbly and wonky in our faith.  We begin to teeter under the pressure and succumb to the weight.    Again, going back to the gym analogy:  When you don’t go to the gym enough and are forced to carry heavy weights throughout your day, you stumble and fall because you are weak.   The trials we have in life are our work-out routine.  God puts us into His gym through trials.  He expects us to approach these moments through faith.  As a result we become steadfast and not weak like those who have no faith.  Enjoy your work-outs.  They produce steadfastness in trials.  They are gifts from God and are to be treated and approached with joy because, as James goes on to write:


James 1:17-18 (ESV)

Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change. Of his own will he brought us forth by the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.


Saturday, October 26, 2024

God Came To Save ALL Mankind - Acts 9-10

Acts 10:44-48 (ESV)

While Peter was still saying these things, the Holy Spirit fell on all who heard the word. And the believers from among the circumcised who had come with Peter were amazed, because the gift of the Holy Spirit was poured out even on the Gentiles. For they were hearing them speaking in tongues and extolling God. Then Peter declared, “Can anyone withhold water for baptizing these people, who have received the Holy Spirit just as we have?” And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Then they asked him to remain for some days.


The heading over the above verses in the ESV Bible reads, The Holy Spirit Falls on the Gentiles.  To the Jewish believer this must have been such a sad moment.  But to those of us who are NOT Jews, this is one of the most powerful and uplifting verses in all the Bible.  Salvation comes to the Gentiles!!   It should be noted that this event is taking place in a Gentile Centurion’s home named, Cornelius.   If you remember the story, Cornelius had a dream to send for Peter to explain to him more fully the gospel.  Cornelius was a devote believer in Yahweh but didn’t know about Jesus, the Son of God, dying for his sins.   At the same time Cornelius had his dream, Peter also had a vision that even though in the past some foods were unclean, God had made them, now, clean.  The food vision was just a way to teach Peter an important truth.   This was a picture for Peter for what he was about to learn.   Here are Peter’s words when he had his own revelation of this important truth:


Acts 10:28, 34-35  (ESV)

V. 28 - And he said to them, “You yourselves know how unlawful it is for a Jew to associate with or to visit anyone of another nation, but God has shown me that I should not call any person common or unclean.


V. 34-35

So Peter opened his mouth and said: “Truly I understand that God shows no partiality, but in every nation anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him.


Peter spoke the gospel to Cornelius and he believes.   At that moment the Holy Spirit falls upon him and those in his house who also believed.   This is the gateway story for all future Gentiles to know that God has indeed come to save all mankind.   Jesus is not just the king of the Jews.  He is the savior of the world.  All Gentiles who read the above passage ought to break out in praise that God came to save Jews and Gentiles.   Yes, Israel may be God’s chosen people (and He is not finished with them yet).  But God came to build His church and that includes all people, tribe and tongue.  


Revelation 7:9-10 (ESV)

After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!”

Friday, October 25, 2024

Habakkuk - Why Was It Written?

HABAKKUK


Means: To clasp or embrace.  This was an "oracle" - a burden to bear (May have been a Levite - 3:19)


Historical Setting

1. During Josiah's reign revival had taken place  (622 B.C.)

2. Assyrian city (Ninevah) and army are destroyed (612 & 609 B.C.)



Time Period

626-605 B.C. - (Pre-Exile of Judah)

Before the fall of Judah (1:6)

Before Judah formed an alliance with Babylon

After Judah had a brief time of autonomy


Prophecy Against

The prophecy is against Babylon as Habakkuk questions why God can use a wicked nation (Babylon) to punish His beloved people (Judah).  



Historical Theme - What did it mean then?


1. The people of Judah were in the midst of a revival under Josiah, or were just ending it.  The nation needed to know that God would punish them for past failures but still would be saved.

2. The people needed to know that even though God would use a wicked nation to punish them God would, in turn, punish Babylon

3. Other prophets brought God's message to us - Habakkuk takes our message to God.  



Outline of the Book

1. The dialogue between God and the prophet (Chapter 1): Why suffering? Why does God allow the wicked cause the righteous to suffer?

2. The answer of God (Chapter 2): God will punish the wicked for:

a. Being unrighteous aggressors (2:6-8)

b. Justifying their evil ways (2:9-11)

c. Shed blood for personal gain (2:12-14)

d. Deceiving their neighbors (2:15-17)

e. Trusting in false idols (2:18-19)

3. The deliverance of God's people (Chapter 3) 



Future Theme - What's it mean in future?


1. We can see how God works in the past so we will can see how God will work in the future.

2. *THE JUST SHALL "LIVE" BY FAITH - 2:4 (theme of Paul in Romans and Galatians)


Reasons to read it:

1. If you have ever questioned how God works.

2. If you have ever wanted to confront God with those questions.

3. If you have ever wondered why there is wickedness and suffering in the world.



Practical Theme - What does it mean for me today?


1. Even great theologians don’t know all the answers and instead of writing about it; talking to each other; and preaching about it, they ought to go and ask God and allow His Word to reveal it. 

2. God will use unbelievers in His interaction with believers.  

3. In the midst of theological confusion, it is alright to have questions and take those questions to God. Habakkuk was a man of faith and was confused as to why God would use these unbelievers (wicked people) to discipline believers (righteous people). 

4. We must allow God to be God and live by faith in view that He is sovereign (2:4)

5. In the midst of despair the only place to turn and to trust is God via faith (3:17-19)

Thursday, October 24, 2024

Nothing New Under the Sun - Ecclesiastes 1-2

Ecclesiastes 1:9-11 (ESV)

9 What has been is what will be,

and what has been done is what will be done,

and there is nothing new under the sun.

10 Is there a thing of which it is said,

“See, this is new”?

It has been already

in the ages before us.

11 There is no remembrance of former things,

nor will there be any remembrance

of later things yet to be

among those who come after.


In my leadership business I teach a leadership cohort.  The leadership coaching last for an entire year but the group is told at the beginning of the class that our last session is on innovation.   They are required at the start to come up with an innovative idea to present to their cohorts at the end of the leadership sessions.  So they get one year to think about and incubate an idea, only they have thought of.  At the end of the class they present their idea and we vote on which one is truly innovative.   Imagine their surprise when the above verse is shown to them.   Solomon, with all his money, wealth and power, wrote this entire book of Ecclesiastes to discover what this worldly life has to offer.   You really can’t read the book without reading, first, his conclusion to the entire research project:


Ecclesiastes 12:13-14 (ESV)

The end of the matter; all has been heard. Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. For God will bring every deed into judgment, with every secret thing, whether good or evil.


His conclusion is that the fear of the Lord is the ONLY thing that matters.  As he pursued innovative travel, toil, tools and toys he discovered there was a nothing new under the sun.   What we think was new was already tried in the past.   What we produced now will be forgotten and later it will be looked at as new.  But it won’t be new, it will just be new to someone else.   We might have a hard time squaring this with our experiences.   We see new stuff all the time that even Solomon didn’t see.   I think what is meant by Solomon’s thoughts is that we might come up with new ways to accomplish something but the something we want to accomplish is always the same.   Solomon’s point is that the earth remains the sam. He is teaching that as one generation is forgotten, it is replaced by another, who repeats the previous generations exploits and experiences.  His point of the book is to show the futility of mankind without God.   There are new things but they simply repeat the desire in man to be self sufficient and autonomous from God that the previous generation pursue.   Nothing is new from one generation to the next.  They keep trying to find new ways to satisfy the same inward desire.   The above lines are a poem and are not to be taken literally that there is nothing new.   They are to be taken spiritually that there is nothing new, invented by man, that can satisfy the longing in the hearts of man from one generation to the next.  NOT ONE THING!   Except, Solomon concludes, to fear the Lord.  

The Nations Rage - Isaiah 12-17

  Isaiah 17:12-14 (ESV) Ah, the thunder of many peoples; they thunder like the thundering of the sea! Ah, the roar of nations; they roar...