DAY 168

CONVICTION

Nehemiah 7, 8 & 9 and Acts 3

What to say about chapters 7 – 9 of Nehemiah? Nehemiah has Ezra, the priest, read the law. People are moved over what they hear, so much so that they weep. I love the command to the people, “Do not weep for this day is holy to the Lord.” Days that are holy to the Lord are to be days of celebration! The people are strongly convicted by what they read, it causes them to change their entire attitude about how they are to live. Chapter nine closes with the leaders signing a sealed covenant to God.

In the New Testament we read of two similarly convicted people: Peter and John. Going up during prayer they come across a man who is lame; unable to walk he is begging for money. Perhaps one of the most remembered verses of the Bible then happens. “Gold and silver I have not, but what I do have I give you, in the Name of Jesus of Nazareth, arise and walk” and the man does!

Peter and John had the Holy Spirit: we have the Holy Spirit. I am not sure that you are I could make such a command, but why not? Do we have the conviction to follow God, to follow Jesus the way we read of today? It requires turning your world upside down, or maybe a better way to say it, is having God turn us upside down. When He does, will we “go for it?” 

DAY 167

DEVOTION

Nehemiah 4, 5 & 6 and Acts 2:22-47

Devotion: something we all admire; something we all hope to be able to do to something or someone worthy of it.

In the Old Testament we read of Nehemiah’s devotion: he was devoted to the rebuilding the wall and to the people. I love the image of people so determined that they were rebuilding the wall with one hand, and with their other hand they held their weapons – there is a devotion to the task at hand.

Nehemiah was not just a task oriented person; he was devoted to the people. We note that some people were really suffering. Nehemiah not only corrects the situation with the nobles, but he also provided financial relief.

In the New Testament, after the Holy Spirit comes upon the early believers, we read they were devoted to “the apostles teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of the bread, and to the prayers.”

The Greek word for devotes is “proskartereo” meaning to join, to adhere to, to be ready, and to be fully committed to. The first century church had a devotion to the things of God all by themselves. They wanted to learn more about Christ.

I find the phrase “They devoted themselves” is one of the most inspiring and dynamic descriptions of the early Church. They are the first words ever written about the church and a springboard for them to launch in a new direction.

I am asking myself, “What I am devoted to, what am I so consumed by that I would even keep one hand on my weapon!”

DAY 166

PERSISTENCE

Nehemiah 1, 2 & 3 and Acts 2:1-21

There is this “persistence” in today’s readings. Persistence over the city of Jerusalem; persistence by God. First to the city: David founded it, Solomon adorned it, the kings of Judah had an “on again-off again” relationship with it, the kings of the northern territory feared it…and into Jesus’ own time it served as a center of worship and controversy.

The opening chapters of the Book of Nehemiah bring us into the “third wave” of people returning to this great city following the exile. Nehemiah receives the news that the city walls and gates are in disrepair and therefore the people in danger. Nehemiah is quick to act. He receives the king’s permission and support, surveys the situation at night, and divides and organizes the people.

Center to Nehemiah’s actions is his prayer. Consider chapter one: Nehemiah wanted to go to Jerusalem, but he first sought God’s guidance through a positive response from his boss, the king. We are often moved by situations in our lives, the key is to seek God.

In the New Testament we read of the Feast of Pentecost…it is taking place in Jerusalem. People from many nations are gathered as they have made one of the three annually required pilgrimages to the Temple. All should be going to seek God. Yet going to the Temple can be done out of obligation or sincerity. Often times we can allow our religious practices to slip into some rote performance, and other times we can sincerely be seeking God. Remarkably God persists. He is present regardless of our condition. At times he will break through our numbness and awaken us, at times he will meet our sincerity, and at times he will move his hand and we will be in the presence of this Otherness – the Day of Pentecost is a day of Otherness, a Day of the Holy Spirit.

Can you imagine, have you experienced, the Holy Spirit of God sweeping through a place? At times it is peaceful, at times it is private, and at times palpable to all. The point is not so much the dramatic external evidence, but rather what is happening on the inside. God persists. He persists in his world and in his children. Earlier I posted on the Promise of the Father and how it culminates in this day in history. God has told us this day is coming, he has laid the foundation for this day with Jesus Christ as the cornerstone…He persists…not for a city…but for his people…you and me.

DAY 165

CAPTURED HEART

Ezra 9 & 10 and Acts 1

In Ezra today we come upon one of the difficult parts of Scripture. The Jewish men have intermarried; a violation of God’s Law. The action to correct it is to send away their wives and children from these marriages. Many want to part-company at this point with the “God of the Old Testament.” It is worth a close read.

In 9:1-2 we see that Ezra’s return had a profound effect on the people; the text says the leaders approached Ezra and confessed the situation to him. He was devoted to teaching them. The realized that while they were performing the outward sacrifices something was amiss “on the inside.” Somehow the Law had captured their hearts. Isn’t that what happens when we willingly “confess our sin?” For me, those are moments when the Holy Spirit captures my hearts attention and I am undone. (John 16:8)

The issue is not racial, these people were all of the Semitic race; it is a religious issue. We have read the history of the nation(s) of Israel and noted how intermarriage was often the beginning of worshipping false gods. You do not have to think back too many days, and you were immersed in reading about all the kings “that did evil in the site of the God.” Those kings were practicing the religions of their foreign wives.

Ezra’s response is both typical and dramatic of God’s people when sin is acknowledged. He tears his cloak, lies before God and prays. His prayer is amazing. He notes their sin and God’s faithfulness. Their captivity in Babylon was to be a time of purifying the people, but apparently it did not happen. Ezra concludes God would be just in destroying them. His prayer includes no specific request; he simply throws himself on God’s mercy.

The people in chapter 10 acknowledge their sin and then determine to put things right. The scene is dramatic…but look closely. They go about in a very systematic way to examine the marriages. Some people may have converted to Judaism and their marriages would have been acceptable. The people gather and agreed with the plan (10:9-15) and then they set out in a very intentional manner to examine each marriage; it takes three months.

The marriages are examined and the offenders listed: 17 priests, 10 Levites and 84 others. We know nothing of what happened to these wives and children. My hope is that this was done with real integrity, although it is still a tough situation to process. Remarkably the narrative ends abruptly. The message of the book in complete: in order for the people to be back in fellowship with the Lord it was absolutely necessary for them to have proper Temple worship (chapters 1-6) and to live according to God’s Word (chapters 7-10).

This message, to be in fellowship with the Lord, is why Jesus came to earth. He came not to abolish the Law, but to fulfill it. He fulfills it through His life, death, resurrection and ascension. We read of the Ascension today in “Acts.” Acts of the Apostles is really volume two of Luke’s Gospel. He is the author, and so we read the phrase, “In the first book, O Theolphilus…” which connects us to Luke’s work.

The Ascension is described in a remarkably brief manner. As I think about it, so is the Resurrection. No “fireworks” as it word, just the Son of Man ascending…remarkable. Perhaps more important than how the event captured by words, is how it captures our hearts and minds. God come to earth, the restore our fellowship the Father-Son-Holy Spirit.

DAY 164

REMNANT

Ezra 6, 7 & 8 and John 21

Today we read about the completion of the Second Temple! This is a wonderful moment, and yet we know it is not of the grandeur of the first one. Gone are the pages and pages of directions from God about how to build it; gone is the great nation that surrounded it. What will it be? How will it be used? In the coming pages we will find out, but today a remnant, a faithful remnant, has overcome amazing odds to rebuild and dedicate the Temple. It would appear to have taken about 20 years to build.

We then read of Ezra coming to Jerusalem; most scholars put this moment around 458 BC, over 50 years after the dedication of the Temple. Artaxerxes, the king, is certainly favorably pre-disposed to this effort, providing lavish amounts of money and stating that the rulers of the local provinces give Ezra whatever he asks for. A read of the text shows the modesty of this undertaking…and yet these are the faithful remnant.

In our New Testament reading we come across another remnant out fishing. John 21 presents an episode that has me scratching my head while at the same time my heart is moved.

I am scratching my head because I am wondering why they are fishing? In John 20 they have met the Risen Lord. Maybe “scratching my head” is really me “judging them.” I am thinking, “These are the disciples, they have met the Lord, they ought to out there.” But that judgment immediately rightly turns upon me evoking two responses:

·         These are 11 or so confused men and women, and

·         The same could be said of me, “I’ve met the Lord, so what am I doing.”

The place I come to in my thinking is that they are persons, just like us. It is easy to see them as “super stars,” but at that end of the day they are persons; in some way a remnant, and they can only do a godly appointed task if God is with them.

And He is. Jesus in this episode is on the beach. I have never been fond of fish, especially in the morning. Beyond the cuisine the moment is amazing. Here is the Risen Lord, cooking, and they know who it is, but are too anxious to speak. Why? I am not sure. Is it because they are fishing, having gone back to their “pre-call” vocation? Is it because they just don’t know what to say or do because it is all so new? I am not sure.

The silence matters not because it allows Jesus to take the initiative – and his initiative is always first and foremost about reconciling human beings to God. I wonder if Peter, who has dashed in, realizes that last time their eyes met were when the “cock crowed?” Could you imagine if that was the case? Here is Peter rushing to the shore, and then it dawns on him.

It is no wonder Jesus takes the initiative. First asking about fishing: Asking a fisherman about fishing is akin to asking someone about the weather…its small talk. Then, after a bite to eat, Jesus asks the ultimate question of Peter, “Do you love me more than these?” The threefold question has an interesting Greek language twist.

In Greek there are a number of words for love. Agapé is one – it is self-sacrificing/self-giving love. That is the word Jesus uses in His question. Peter answers “Yes I love you” with a different Greek word: Phileo. Think of our “city of brotherly love,” Philadelphia. Brotherly, sibling love, is the best way to understand that word. Why might Peter use it instead of Agapé? Perhaps because he knows he fell short once and doesn’t want to overreach. We will not know the answer this side of heaven. What we do know is the Lord persists. He pursues. He reconciles Peter to himself.

That is our God: a God who is in the business of reconciling us. A God who calls home the remnant to build a Temple. A God who calls home those who have even denied Him. A God would will do godly work to those who join Him in his mission.

DAY 163

OPPOSITION

Ezra 3, 4 & 5 and John 20

Today we read about the “first wave” of people coming to Jerusalem under the leadership of Zerubbabel. We also note how this work was opposed and we should not be surprised.

As we read chapter 3 of Genesis, Satan makes his appearance opposing God’s will for Adam and Eve – he always is opposed to God’s will. When people, when you, are engaged in doing God’s will, opposition will immediately be present. Some people today think talk of Satan is ancient and superstitious; nothing is further from the truth.

I doubt I have to convince you that there is evil in the world, just turn on the television or read the newspaper. We accept evil, but many today reject that there is a spiritual component to it. Our belief in God is to believe in a world that is “seen and unseen.” Our belief in God is to acknowledge, through faith, that there is a spiritual component to our existence, and further, that we are enmeshed in this spiritual-physical world. In this spiritual-physical world there is evil and the Bible tells us it is not random. The Father of Lies is behind it all.

Therefore when people set off to rebuild the Temple they should not be surprised there is opposition. Who put those opposing its reconstruction up to it? Who do you think?

“In this world you will have trouble, take heart, for I have overcome the world.” Those are Jesus’ words from just a few days ago in John 16:33. Today in John 20 we read how he has broken free the bonds of death, he has defeated the force which sought to kill him – to kill God – that would be…?

In the reading we see the concern and fear and doubt in Mary and the disciples. It is natural. We also see the relief when they come into contact with the Risen Lord.

Three thoughts emerge for me: First this is not some 50-50 battle between God and Satan, with you and me wondering how it will turn out. We already know: Jesus has won! The second thought is that we need to expect opposition when we follow God. Take for example reading the Bible in One Year, do you think this is going to be unopposed? Not for a minute. Yet the more you follow Christ, the more you pray, the more you spend time with God, then the stronger your defense against such attacks. The Third thought is that we need to be close to Jesus. The fear, the concern, and the doubt drained away for those on that first Easter morning – and it will drain away for us when we stay with him.

DAY 162

HOLD GENTLY

Ezra 1 & 2 and John 19:23-42

You’ve made it through 1 & 2 Samuel, 1 & 2 Kings, and 1 & 2 Chronicles! Those books form a large part of the history of the Israel as it grows from wandering tribes in the desert into a prosperous nation and then sadly slips into oblivion. The span of years is from about 1050 B.C. to about 586 B.C. ~ roughly 500 years.

If you have been reading the Bible with me, then let me congratulate you for reading through this history. It is not easy, especially with the nation splitting into two, and all the kings.

The curtain falls with the people of Jerusalem being carried off into exile by Babylon as we came to the close of 2 Chronicles, BUT just before the curtain touches the floor, at the end of the 2 Chronicles the last four verses skip ahead some 50 years. Babylon has been defeated by Persia. A new empire is ruling most of the world and its king, a man named Cyrus, makes a proclamation. Cyrus says he has heard from the “Lord God” and allows some of the Jewish people to return to Jerusalem with the task of rebuilding the Temple – amazing!

To help you keep what is coming straight in your head, you can think of the people returning to Jerusalem, doing so in “three waves.” The first was lead by Zerubbabel beginning in 538 BC, the next wave was lead by Ezra in 458 BC, and the third wave was lead by Nehemiah in 445 BC. We will read the details of each of these, but I wanted to provide you this idea of “three stages.”

Central to all of this is the Temple, a source of pride and identity. Yet in the New Testament we continue reading of Jesus’ death and burial. We have read this before and we know that Jesus, while on earth, was critical of the how the “Idea of the Temple” had been handled roughly, you might say twisted. How the place from which light was to shine and living water was to flow, had turned inward, and the result was that God was being obscured by, rather than radiating from, the Temple.

So strong in the people’s mind is the idea of Nationhood (Zionism) and so fixated on the Temple are the religious of the day, that they will kill their Messiah. I am not trying to mislead you: Jesus’ death on the Cross was part of God’s plan – it pays the debt for our sin and the sins of the world and it makes a way for our relationship with God to be restored.

Yet the human beings involved in this event had completely different motives for crucifying Jesus. We can suffer the same fate. We can become full of pride about Jesus, about Christianity, about being Anglican, or Catholic, or Methodist…, or we can become full of pride about our local church. When we do, we have twisted the message and obscured God…we will have indeed killed the Messiah.

One of the biggest challenges we face today is not just religious pride, but intellectual pride. In Jesus’ day the religious thought they knew better then what their own Torah and Talmud (our Old Testament) said. They had twisted the Sacred Text to their own purposes. I don’t think they set out with malicious intent. I simply think that when challenged by difficult teachings or tempted by power, they rationalized God’s Word in order to make the text fit how they would like things to be…they formed God in their own image.

We do the same thing today with Jesus and with God. I spend a lot of my week talking to very sincere people who want to argue with me about some of Jesus’ actions and teachings. “He didn’t do those miracles, they are not possible” is one that I often hear. “I am the way, the truth, and the life…no one comes to the Father but through me” is one that is avoided. “Certainly God cannot be that mean” is the retort. When I ask, “Does everyone get into heaven?” The answer is usually “almost everyone” as hell is reserved for the really bad people, and yet “who the really bad people are” is rather vague. I could go on with examples, but I pray you see my concern.

I am trying to make a few points:

·         First, it is very important to understand Old Testament history. It allows us to see God’s faithfulness and to better appreciate Jesus’ Jewishness and His role as Messiah.

·         Second, knowing this story allows us to see the all too common mistakes that we, humans, are very prone to as we relate to God.

·         Third, make no mistake, we can in a sense “kill the Messiah;” in essence robbing the world of him. Yes He is Risen, but do people know? If they know, does it bring them into a relationship with God? Or have we so roughly handled this treasure that it has become distorted?

I have no doubt that God will prevail, but we must hold very gently this treasure we have been given. Read again how God looked down from the Cross at his human mother with tenderness. Read again how his side was pierced. Read again the words “It is finished” and then hold them gently.