April 26-30, 2010

Their heart cried out to the Lord, “O wall of the daughter of Zion, let your tears run down like a river day and night; give yourself no relief; Let your eyes have no rest,

Lamentations 2:18

I’m sure many of those who are a generation older than me know the tune to Jeremiah’s lament – Cry me a river! Cry me a river! Cause I cried a river over you!!! It seems like Jeremiah is struggling to put his heartbreaking emotions into words. God’s utter destruction of the king, the priests and His utter distain for the prophets has brought complete devastation. With the removal of the king and priests, God has separated them from every facet of the Law. And with the banishment of the prophets, He has removed their hope. Everything Jeremiah sets his eyes on is wrong – totally contrary to all the promises God had made to His people.

In God’s anger, He kept His covenant with His people. Some might question how that can be true, but if we will go back and remember the covenant God had made with them, we will see His faithful to what He spoken. The covenant had two dimensions. One side of His agreement spelled out the blessings He would pour upon them if they were obedient, while the other side clearly stated what He would do if they did not. They made a covenant to follow YHWH and worship Him as their God. They failed to keep their side of the agreement. But God didn’t forget His oath. In His longsuffering mercy, God sent warning after warning until He knew there was no hope of their return. Only then was God obligated to fulfill His part of the agreement. He had bound Himself to discipline them! To leave Israel unpunished would have meant God would have to go back on His word. God had bound Himself to an oath when He spoke the curses that would come on the nation if they turned its back on Him. The people understood clearly God’s oath when they stood on Mount Ebal and Mount Gerizim and spoke aloud the blessings and cursings of the covenant.

It was this faithfulness to the covenant that caused Jeremiah to find hope and declare,

Surely my soul remembers and is bowed down within me. This I recall to my mind, therefore I have hope. The Lord’s lovingkindnesses indeed never cease, for His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; Great is Thy faithfulness. Lamentations 3:20-21

Since God had been faithful to His promise to deal with their sin, He knew God would be faithful to bring about their restoration. Knowing what God requires for their restoration, Jeremiah says,

“Who can command things to happen without the Lord’s permission? Does not the Most High send both calamity and good? Then why should we, mere humans, complain when we are punished for our sins?” Lamentations 37-39

Jeremiah follows this statement with clear direction for getting themselves back on track. I came up with eight steps to full repentance. As you go through the rest of the chapter, see how many you find and let’s compare notes.

It would also do us good to consider all the things Israel and Judah relied on, believing that they would save them from their enemies. They believed that as long as they had “the Lord’s anointed,” the term for the king, they couldn’t be conquered. (Lamentations 4:20) They trusted their allies. They relied on the words of the prophets. As we continue to listen to Jeremiah, let’s listen for the Israelites placement of wrongful trust. What would be the equivalent of those things today, and do we rely on the same types of things to bring us security?

At the end of the week, we meet Judah’s newly appointed governor Gedaliah. But we are quickly introduced to those who have an overzealous, patriotic ambition and Gedaliah’s rule is short-lived. Once again Jeremiah is consulted and once again we find that nothing in their hearts has changed!!! God’s word is thrown aside in preference of their own foolish discernment and plans and the remnant that had been left in Judah heads to Egypt. It is obvious that those in leadership throughout Jeremiah’s lifetime had a love hate relationship with him. Jeremiah keeps telling them the truth of God’s word. They kept disregarding it and hating Jeremiah for telling them, and yet they kept coming back because they couldn’t deny he speaking the truth when his words came to pass. If ever there were a frustrating ministry, Jeremiah’s would rank right near the top of the list!!! By the end of the week, Jeremiah has come to the end of his patience. Not only have the people been cut off from their homeland, their king, the Temple, and from the law that governed them, now Jeremiah tells them they are never again to invoke God’s name. What utter devastation! What complete hopelessness! Only in God is there the promise of salvation. Unlike those who went to Babylon with the promise of restoration, those in Egypt find themselves worse off than when they were slaves of the Pharaoh before the exodus. They are utterly destitute with no hope and certain death!!! Now that’s sad!!!!!!!

April 19-23, 2010

Your wealth, your wares, your merchandise, your sailors, and your pilots, your repairers of seams, your dealers in merchandise, and all your men of war who are in you, with all your company that is in your midst, will fall into the heart of the seas on that day of your overthrow.
Ezekiel 27:27

I trust you have been overtaken by the view as we have sailed the Mediterranean for the last couple of days and looked at the Island capital of Tyre. Why was God so enraged with Tyre, and why on a map does Tyre look more like a costal city than an island? Ahhhh, good questions!!! To give you a better understanding of what you have been reading, it may help to have more information on this “Mistress of the Mediteranean.”

The city of Tyre was actually a two-part metropolis. There was the city of Tyre, which was part of the main coastland, and the island of Tyre about 2,600 feet (800 metres) off the coast. God’s prophetic word through Ezekiel paints us a clear picture of the richness and supremacy of this Phoenician island city. Besides their rich trade of lumber, silver, copper, and tin, one of their greatest exports was purple dyes produced from two different species of shell fish, which when combined created the deep purple-red dye called “phoinix,” meaning “purple-red.” It was from this word the name Phoenician was derived. This rich color was said to be “worth more than its weight in gold,” and became the symbol of wealth and royalty worn only by the wealthy, royal and the aristocratic classes.

Tyre’s early connections with Jerusalem and the Temple give us insight into its connection with her fall.

Now Hiram king of Tyre sent messengers to David with cedar trees, masons, and carpenters, to build a house for him. (I Chronicles 14:1)

David’s relationship with the king of Tyre was once peaceful and pleasant. This rich king on Israel’s border recognized God’s hand on King David and treated him with true respect and friendship. We see this even more clearly after David dies and Solomon takes his place on the throne.

Now Hiram king of Trye sent his servants to Solomon, when he heard that they had anointed him king in place of his father, for Hiram had always been a friend of David. (I Kings 5:1)

Because of David’s relationship with Hiram, Solomon requested Hiram to send him cedar and cypress timber. Not only did Solomon use the wood for the structure of the Temple, he called for a man from Tyre to craft the beauty of the Temple.

Now King Solomon sent and brought Hiram from Tyre. He was a widow’s son from the tribe of Naphtali, and his father was a man of Tyre, a worker in bronze; and he was filled with wisdom and understanding and skill for doing any work in bronze. So he came to King Solomon and performed all his work. (I Kings 7:13-14)

What Bezalel was to the construction of the Tabernacle, Hiram was to the building of the Temple! If you go back and read all of I Kings 7, you can only stand amazed at this man’s God-given talent and ability. Tyre was not just another Phoenician city, it was a city whose king once recognized the God of Israel, the Temple where He dwelt, and the king God had placed on the throne!

We continue to see the connection of Jerusalem’s fall when we examine the chief god of the Phoenician’s. Baalism was always a prostitute in Israel’s path that constantly caused her to stumble. Baalism got its strongest foothold in the land of Israel when King Ahab married the Phoenician princess named Jezebel who was the daughter of Ethbaal, king of Tyre and Sidon!

God promised Tyre’s destruction. His word declared that those on ships, as well as those on the coast would stand and witness her devastation. Tyre had survived for centuries although it had been subject to several kingdoms. Assyria, Egypt, and Persia all claimed Tyre at one time or another. It was only when Alexander the Great set his sights on her that she was humbled and broken once and for all. After he had completely destroyed the mainland city, he used the rubble to build a causeway to the island. Seven months after the beginning of his siege, Alexander captured the island. He had 10,000 inhabitants put to death, and 30,000 sold into slavery. The city never recovered from its mortal wounding. The causeway, which had been built on a naturally formed sandbar, remained after the battle. The man-made bridge trapped the silting and eventually caused the island to connect to the mainland resulting in a peninsula.

By the end of the week, we see the great structure that Tyre helped to build come to complete ruin. Tyre had been there to help build her Temple, and through the introduction of her gods, she had been instrumental in tearing it down! And if we look at the hidden image in the picture, we see Satan’s face behind the mask!!! It is no wonder that God promised to pour out His fury on the city that was once called “The Queen of the Sea!”

Reading Schedule - Other Bibles

Unfortunately, it has come to our attention that some who are using other Bibles besides the Chronological Bible still have not gotten their reading schedules. I am so sorry for the confusion. I am posting the reading schedule through the rest of the year. Hopefully, this will solve any further difficulties. Thank you for your patience and persistence. Please let us know if you need anything else.

April 12-16, 2010

And now it is planted

in the wilderness,

in a dry and thirsty land.

Ezekiel 19:13

This week we continue our journey with Jeremiah and Ezekiel. Words that have been spoken over and over are now beginning to come to pass. One can only shudder at the imagery God sets before the people. God has told them He will take them from being lush and fruitful, to being totally barren and completely dry. He has stated clearly that He withhold rain in His time of judgment. When you live in a place like New Zealand or Michigan, it is nearly impossible to understand the severity of the judgment God is bringing on Judah. But if you have ever been to the wilderness of Israel you are aware of the total devastation that lies ahead for them. Land as dry and parched as the wilderness of Israel is incapable of soaking in the waters when they do come. It’s like pouring liquid over concrete!!!

Although we continue to hear the message that Judah and Jerusalem will fall into the hands of the Babylonians, there are several points of interest that I think would be beneficial for us to stop and look at. We have already seen that Jeremiah is speaking to those who still remain in Jerusalem and the two remaining fortified cities in Judah, while Ezekiel is God’s voice to the exiles in Babylon. There is something unique in their calculation of the dates God speaks to them. It would be easy for me to tell you what it is, but I think you would get more enjoyment from it if you discovered it yourself. Jeremiah is as consistent in his declaration of the dates as Ezekiel is his. Once you make the discovery, what thoughts do you have regarding it? What does it say to us spiritually speaking?

We have heard much about God’s anger with the sins of the people and their propensity to chase after the gods of the nations that surround them. We have heard God voice His displeasure with the kings and leaders of the people. He has made His point very clear that His heart is set against the false prophets who continually lead the people astray by proclaim their own desires as the word of the Lord. This week we hear God speak of another issue He has with the priests:

Her priests have done violence to My law and have profaned My holy things; they have made no distinction between the holy and the profane, and they have not taught the difference between the unclean and the clean; and they hide their eyes from My Sabbaths, and I am profaned among them. Ezekiel 22:6

Sometime I wonder if God would not also find us as guilty? There is nothing more beautiful than to see a Bible falling apart because of constant use. But its sad to see it destroyed because of abuse! There is no regard for the preciousness of its content. It is thrown in the category of the common, carelessly tossed in the back seat of cars or couches, on floors or stuffed in drawers. I’ve watch children be allowed to leaf through the pages as though it’s a children’s book. I’ve watch them tear pages or scrunch them up while adults calmly looked on. One of the things my father taught me from childhood is the honor of God’s word. My father would neatly underline passages God had made real to him. He carefully wrote things in the margins of his Bible, dating verses God had spoken to him personally. Today I have his Bible in my library. I have sat down and gone through its pages, enjoying looking at the sections of worn pages that he frequented more often than others. I’ve been blessed as I looked at the Scriptures and dates he’d marked that gave me a glimpse of his journey through this life. But Dad’s Bible was always sacred. On rare occasions as a child I was allowed to look at his Bible and because of the love he had for God’s Word, I was aware that what I held was to be treated with the utmost respect.

In today’s Christian culture we face the danger of falling into the same pattern as those Ezekiel addresses. There are times communion is treated as an after thought that has lost its true significance. Passover has been relegated to an ancient custom that only belongs to history or in the world of the Jews. Jesus’ words, “As often as you do THIS, do it in remembrance of Me,” are often not even linked to Passover, and therefore it’s practice is lost to a vast number of believers. Pentecost will come and go in many churches without notice, or barely get an honorable mention. Perhaps you can think of some issues or events that are worth sharing!

This week we also meet two sisters, Oholah and Oholibah. We are clearly told that Oholah is also called Samaria, while Oholibah is known as Jerusalem. Why these two cities? Because Samaria was the capital of the northern kingdom Israel, and Jerusalem was the capital of Judah. What can you find out about the names Oholah and Oholibah? Why does God use these two names?

We learn later on in the week that sometimes it is very dangerous to be a prophet’s wife!!! What amazing men these prophets of old were. Even through the most heartbreaking ordeals, they still remain faithful to God and His word. What examples of obedience!!! Their obedience was as extreme as the disobedience of the people. Obviously, the times called for extreme measures! I have a feeling that we are about to see and hear God speak to this world once again in the extremes.

God’s words of judgment are spoken to the neighbors surrounding Judah. Some are chastised and will be broken because of their pride, others will come under judgment because of their cruelty. But each one will find themselves under the fist of God. The message to Egypt which seals their doom is quite intriguing. Egypt is likened to Assyria and is told that they will be judged as such. I believe there is a deeper message in the words that are spoken. Do you see the hidden picture? Who else is God addressing in this passage?

May God continue to open our eyes as we journey through these solemn pages. May we not just hear the message in our heads, but may our hearts be opened to receive God’s words and warnings.

April 5-9, 2010

Then I looked, and behold, a likeness as the appearance of a man; from His loins and downward there was the appearance of fire, and from His loins upward the appearance of brightness like the appearance of glowing metal. Ezekiel 8:2

This week we continue to stand in God’s courtroom as He judges and sentences Israel for all her sins. The All-Consuming Fire will both reveal their sin in His light and consume them for their sin.

Ezekiel and Jeremiah continue to live out the messages to God’s people. Ezekiel’s tiny model city is emphasized by Ezekiel’s sacrificial life style. Rationed meals of bread and water cooked in an ungodly oven and eaten for 390 days could not have gone unnoticed. But unfortunately, once again it went unheeded.

In that same year, Jeremiah continues his display of God’s anger as he places himself in a heavy oxen yoke. Israel had yoked herself to the pagan religions of the land and her neighboring nations, never realizing that they led her about like a young ox who didn’t could not get away if it tried. Empty words of prophecy could not change the truth Jeremiah acted out. You would think that Jeremiah’s prediction of Hananiah’s death would have turned the hearts of even the most wicked leader. But unfortunately, even miracles can’t penetrate the heart of the godless!!!

It must have brought some comfort to Jeremiah to know that as he was delivering God’s message in Jerusalem, Ezekiel was declaring God’s heart to the people in Babylon. Was Ezekiel there when Jeremiah sent the message with Seraiah? Did he hear him read the words? Was he there when Seraiah tied it up and through it in the Euphrates River? The Bible doesn’t give us a clue, but you can be sure Ezekiel wasn’t ignorant of the event!

Although Ezekiel resides in exile in the land of Babylon, most of his prophecies are spoken against the land of Israel. The people in Babylon still held hopes that the monarchy left in Israel would find a way to defeat Babylon and they would quickly be returned to their land. Through Ezekiel, God shows them the hopelessness of their hopes. Israel’s wickedness and pride had come to full fruition and their would be no reprieve.

On the 5th day of the 6th month of the 6th year of Jehoiachin’s reign God takes Ezekiel on a spiritual excursion to Israel. God’s revelation of what the leaders were doing in secret substantiated the necessity of God’s judgment. Even today it is still shocking to see what some “spiritual” leaders do in their secret places. Pornography, drunkenness, and promiscuity are not unheard of among those whose lives should be an example for others to follow. It is the love of God for His people that causes their sin to be exposed. God has the right to judge sin and the fire of His Spirit causes their hidden deeds to come out into the open. Unfortunately, the ways of the priests in the hidden places of the Temple had become the ways of the people in the open courtyard. What priests did in secret, common man did openly without shame, regret or remorse!

Consistently we are confronted with the fact that human nature never changes. Because there were some who were not taken into captivity in the first exile wave, those that remain in Jerusalem have convinced themselves that they were left behind because they were the righteous ones - that only the exiles are the ones who are the real sinners! Mankind has learned to justify sin since the moment Adam and Eve fell in the garden. We have a tendency to judge others without taking time to see ourselves. Had they been able to see things from God’s perspective, they would have been appalled by the sight. They would have seen that the vision of those in captivity was just a mirror of themselves. The only difference between them was that those in captivity had far more hope than those remaining in Jerusalem!!! For those in Babylon, the worse was basically over. For those in Jerusalem, violence, death and captivity were still at their doorstep!

Once again we hear God’s judgment on those who prophesy out of their own reasoning and desires. The seriousness of God’s judgment against these prosperity hungry, self-assured fortune-tellers is frightening. God say He will raise His fist against them. They will be banished from the community of Israel and their names will be blotted from God’s records!!! That ought to make anyone tremble who stands in the place to speak for God. I know it makes my heart cry out for truth and accuracy in the things I say!!!!!!!

On Thursday we see the uselessness of using a vine to fastened into a wall to be hung on. You can’t build solid structures with vines!

Also, we hear the story of God’s love and compassion for infant Israel on the day she was abandoned. We see His compassion and care for her as she grew to maturity. But then she forgets her covenant and becomes worse than a prostitute. People will often say that when a marriage falls apart, it certainly has to be the fault of both of them. God would say differently! There was nothing more He could have done for His wife, but her sinful, rebellious nature caused her to turn from the One who had only done her good. What a contrast between God and His chosen people. They may have forgotten their vow and broken their covenant, but God has not forgotten His. In spite of their failure, God will continue to deal with His people until the day He has developed a people with whom He can enter into a new covenant! What an amazingly patient God we serve!!! God had covenanted with Himself to have a bride before time began and He will fulfill His own covenant!!!!!

Friday is filled with riddles and proverbs. Shadowy images that hold far more than what we see at face value are waiting for those who are willing and diligent to look beyond the surface of the story. God’s declaration that He is able to take out of power and also willing to replant and give power is the same message that Daniel gave to King Nebuchadnezzar when he interpreted his dream. If the children of Israel would only believe that their captivity is a result of God’s judgment, they will have no problem trusting that He also has the ability to restore them! God is still calling people to repent and turn from their sin. May we be encouraged by the desire of God’s heart towards His people. He has and will continue to go to every length to conform us into a people who corresponds to Him. He will plant the “Branch” in the highest mountain and His kingdom will flourish. And all this because He wants us to live!!!