A Futile Hope

Readings for today: Nehemiah 11-13, Psalm 126

I grew up watching Star Wars as a kid and it is generally accepted that The Empire Strikes Back  is the best of the original trilogy, if not the best in the entire series. It’s a very dark movie. Evil is on the move and in fact, seems to be winning. The end of this second installment finds the heroes in disarray. Luke Skywalker has lost a hand and his innocence as he finds out Darth Vader is his father. Han Solo has been captured and frozen in carbonite so he can be delivered to Jabba the Hut. Leia, Chewbacca, the droids, and Lando aren’t quite sure what to do and the hopes of the rebellion seem very slim. It’s all a set up of course. The final installment of the series will see the heroes overcome all these obstacles to win an improbable victory against a seemingly invincible enemy. Stop me if this plot seems familiar at all. 

The Old Testament doesn’t end well. It doesn’t matter if you read it canonically (Genesis - Malachi) or chronologically as we have done this year. The bottom line is the same. Israel is in disarray. Despite their return to the Promised Land, they simply cannot get it right. They are unable to remain faithful. They intermarry. They profane the Sabbath. They worship other gods. It’s enough to drive us to despair. And that’s the point. Throughout the Old Testament, God is at work bringing us to the end of ourselves. The end of our strength. The end of our resources. The end of our wisdom so we will cry out to Him. He’s preparing His people for the coming of the Savior. Because it is impossible for us to remain faithful, He must do it for us. Because it is impossible for us to obey God’s Law, He must do it for us. Because the sacrifices are only temporary, Jesus must become the perfect sacrifice on our behalf. Hanging between heaven and earth. Representing both God and humanity. He intercedes for us even as He takes our place.  

If you are wired like me, you find the end of the Old Testament incredibly unsatisfying. It goes over like a lead balloon. A wet blanket. It just leaves a bad taste in your mouth. The reason I feel this way is because deep down I want to believe I can be a good person. Deep down I want to believe that if I work hard enough, stay disciplined enough, read the Bible enough, pray enough, worship enough, you name it; I can work my way to God. I can find favor with Him. I can earn His praise. But Ephesians 2:8-9 confronts me with the truth, “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.” Saved by grace. Saved through faith which is itself a gift from God. None of my works matter in the grand scheme of things because God will not allow me to boast in anything except Christ. 

We’ve spent nine months in the Old Testament. It’s a long, hard slog no doubt. We have watched the same pattern repeat itself over and over again. God raises up His people only to watch them fall into sin. Adam and Eve. Noah and his family. Abraham and Sarah. Moses and the Exodus. Joshua and the Judges. Samuel and Saul. David and Bathsheba. On and on the list goes until you get to Ezra, Nehemiah and the Exiles. All of them sin and fall short of the glory of God. All of them are like sheep who have gone astray. All of them unworthy of anything but God’s judgment. So how does God respond?  

“And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.”‭‭ (John‬ ‭1:14‬)

Readings for tomorrow: Psalm 106, John 1:4-14

God’s Story, Our Story

Readings for today: Nehemiah 8-10

Creation. Abraham. Egypt. Exodus. Judges. Promised Land. Kings. Temple. Priests. Prophets. Exile. Return. Whenever the people of God renew their covenant with the Lord, they take time to remember their story. They understood their current situation was but the latest link in a chain of events stretching all the way back to the Garden. All the way back to God Himself at the dawn of creation. But for God, they would have been destroyed. But for God, they would have been erased. But for God, there would be no history. No story to tell. Listen to them tell it again and think about how far they’ve come...

“You are the Lord, you alone. You have made heaven, the heaven of heavens, with all their host, the earth and all that is on it, the seas and all that is in them; and you preserve all of them; and the host of heaven worships you. You are the Lord, the God who chose Abram and brought him out of Ur of the Chaldeans and gave him the name Abraham. You found his heart faithful before you, and made with him the covenant to give to his offspring the land of the Canaanite, the Hittite, the Amorite, the Perizzite, the Jebusite, and the Girgashite. And you have kept your promise, for you are righteous. "And you saw the affliction of our fathers in Egypt and heard their cry at the Red Sea, and performed signs and wonders against Pharaoh and all his servants and all the people of his land, for you knew that they acted arrogantly against our fathers. And you made a name for yourself, as it is to this day. And you divided the sea before them, so that they went through the midst of the sea on dry land, and you cast their pursuers into the depths, as a stone into mighty waters. By a pillar of cloud you led them in the day, and by a pillar of fire in the night to light for them the way in which they should go. You came down on Mount Sinai and spoke with them from heaven and gave them right rules and true laws, good statutes and commandments, and you made known to them your holy Sabbath and commanded them commandments and statutes and a law by Moses your servant. You gave them bread from heaven for their hunger and brought water for them out of the rock for their thirst, and you told them to go in to possess the land that you had sworn to give them. "But they and our fathers acted presumptuously and stiffened their neck and did not obey your commandments. They refused to obey and were not mindful of the wonders that you performed among them, but they stiffened their neck and appointed a leader to return to their slavery in Egypt. But you are a God ready to forgive, gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, and did not forsake them. Even when they had made for themselves a golden calf and said, 'This is your God who brought you up out of Egypt,' and had committed great blasphemies, you in your great mercies did not forsake them in the wilderness. The pillar of cloud to lead them in the way did not depart from them by day, nor the pillar of fire by night to light for them the way by which they should go. You gave your good Spirit to instruct them and did not withhold your manna from their mouth and gave them water for their thirst. Forty years you sustained them in the wilderness, and they lacked nothing. Their clothes did not wear out and their feet did not swell. "And you gave them kingdoms and peoples and allotted to them every corner. So they took possession of the land of Sihon king of Heshbon and the land of Og king of Bashan. You multiplied their children as the stars of heaven, and you brought them into the land that you had told their fathers to enter and possess. So the descendants went in and possessed the land, and you subdued before them the inhabitants of the land, the Canaanites, and gave them into their hand, with their kings and the peoples of the land, that they might do with them as they would. And they captured fortified cities and a rich land, and took possession of houses full of all good things, cisterns already hewn, vineyards, olive orchards and fruit trees in abundance. So they ate and were filled and became fat and delighted themselves in your great goodness. "Nevertheless, they were disobedient and rebelled against you and cast your law behind their back and killed your prophets, who had warned them in order to turn them back to you, and they committed great blasphemies. Therefore you gave them into the hand of their enemies, who made them suffer. And in the time of their suffering they cried out to you and you heard them from heaven, and according to your great mercies you gave them saviors who saved them from the hand of their enemies. But after they had rest they did evil again before you, and you abandoned them to the hand of their enemies, so that they had dominion over them. Yet when they turned and cried to you, you heard from heaven, and many times you delivered them according to your mercies. And you warned them in order to turn them back to your law. Yet they acted presumptuously and did not obey your commandments, but sinned against your rules, which if a person does them, he shall live by them, and they turned a stubborn shoulder and stiffened their neck and would not obey. Many years you bore with them and warned them by your Spirit through your prophets. Yet they would not give ear. Therefore you gave them into the hand of the peoples of the lands. Nevertheless, in your great mercies you did not make an end of them or forsake them, for you are a gracious and merciful God. "Now, therefore, our God, the great, the mighty, and the awesome God, who keeps covenant and steadfast love, let not all the hardship seem little to you that has come upon us, upon our kings, our princes, our priests, our prophets, our fathers, and all your people, since the time of the kings of Assyria until this day. Yet you have been righteous in all that has come upon us, for you have dealt faithfully and we have acted wickedly. Our kings, our princes, our priests, and our fathers have not kept your law or paid attention to your commandments and your warnings that you gave them. Even in their own kingdom, and amid your great goodness that you gave them, and in the large and rich land that you set before them, they did not serve you or turn from their wicked works. Behold, we are slaves this day; in the land that you gave to our fathers to enjoy its fruit and its good gifts, behold, we are slaves. And its rich yield goes to the kings whom you have set over us because of our sins. They rule over our bodies and over our livestock as they please, and we are in great distress.” (Nehemiah‬ ‭9:6-37‬)

Those of you who have been tracking with us through the Bible this year know these stories. You’ve read them in great detail. You’ve pondered them. You’ve prayed over them. You’ve listened for the voice of God in them. Some of you grew frustrated at times. You couldn’t understand why they kept making the same mistakes. Others of you got angry at times. You couldn’t understand the righteous judgment of God. Many of you laughed and cried and wrestled and struggled with the lessons the people were learning. About themselves. About their God. About His plan and His future.  

It’s important for us to remember this story. To read it over and over again for it is our story as well. As Christians, we are grafted into this story. Adopted into this family. Warts and all. These people are our people. They are our mothers and fathers. Sisters and brothers in the faith. And we are so like them. If we’re honest with ourselves, we too make the same mistakes over and over again. We too sin and fall short of the glory of God. We too deserve judgment and death. Punishment and exile. But we have the benefit of living after Christ. Jesus Christ took the punishment we deserved. He went into exile for us. He endured the righteous wrath of God on our behalf. He stood in our place just as surely as He stands in the place of the Old Testament saints who came before us. He is Savior of the world. Past. Present. Future. He is the Alpha and Omega. The Beginning and the End. His blood is sufficient to cover every sin. As we head into the New Testament, we must hold onto our history. Christ came as the climax of this history. He is the One to whom the Old Testament points. He is the One in whom all prophecies are fulfilled. He is the One every single saint from Abraham forward looked to by faith. May we look to Him as well!

Readings for tomorrow: None

Punching Down

Readings for today: Nehemiah 5-7

I am the oldest of three boys. Growing up, we spent a lot of time together. Most of it good. Most of it fun. We remain close to this day. However, we had our moments. There were times we’d get frustrated with each other. Times we’d fight and get into it. Times we’d get in trouble or get busted for doing things we shouldn’t. That’s when mom or dad would step in and level consequences. As the oldest I often bore the brunt of the punishment. This bred a certain amount of resentment which I would proceed to take out on my younger brother and he would, in turn, take out his resentment on our youngest brother and he would, in turn, take out his resentment on our dog. ;-) Just kidding. In all seriousness, though, human beings are like that. We have a tendency to punch down. To exploit those who are weaker than us. Take advantage of those who have less power than us. To take out our own anger and bitterness and frustration on those who do not have the ability to retaliate.

Consider what happens in our text today. The people who returned to Jerusalem do not have it easy. They engage in back-breaking work day after day as they try to scrape out an existence in a city that lies in ruins. Due to their lack of a protective wall, they live under constant threat of attack. Despite their return from exile, they are not free. They live and serve at the pleasure of a pagan empire. All of this stress and pressure built resentment and bitterness in people which caused them to turn inward. To focus on controlling what they could control. So those with power - like the nobles and officials - did what they could to line their own pockets. They punched down against their brothers and sisters, exploiting the poor and powerless among them. Fields were mortgaged. Loans were taken out. Economic slavery ensued.

Thankfully, Nehemiah was a godly leader. A man who sought the Lord with all his heart. He did not “punch down” when given the opportunity but instead did all he could to build others up. From the time he was appointed governor in the land of Judah, he refused to take the food allowance. He rejected the oppressive practices of those who had served as governor before him. He persevered in his work on the wall in a valiant attempt to protect the most vulnerable. He acquired no land. He was inclusive as a leader, inviting 150 different officials to feast with him at his own expense. He was generous. He was magnanimous. All because he feared the Lord and wanted to bring honor and glory to His great name.

Nehemiah’s example is a powerful one. He shows us in real time what a life looks like that is lived for God. He cares nothing for the riches of this world. He cares nothing for temporal, earthly power. He cares nothing for the benefits and privileges he’s been given. He walks with open hands before the Lord. He walks with a pure heart before the Lord. He keeps his eyes fixed on the mission God has called him to and he is blessed as a result. What would that look like in my life? In your life? What would change if we kept our eyes fixed on Jesus and worked for His eternal rewards? What would happen if we held onto all we have loosely and walked with open hands before the Lord? Like Nehemiah, we would become conduits of blessing to our families, friends, co-workers, and community.

Readings for tomorrow: Nehemiah 8-10

Power of Prayer

Readings for today: Nehemiah 1-4

What is your first response when facing a crisis? What is your initial instinct when you receive bad news? When life seems to be falling apart, what do you turn to? For many, it is alcohol or drugs. Opioids. Marijuana. Psychedelics. All are readily available in my community. For many, it is sex. Porn. Tinder. Hook-up apps. All pose very real temptations to those who in need of a “fix.” For many, it is work. Longer hours. Longer days. More gratification. More achievement. More success. It can be intoxicating. However, all these behaviors only postpone the inevitable. At some point in time, we have to face our fear. We have to enter the darkness. We have to deal with the heartbreak and pain. 

Nehemiah receives the worst news imaginable. He had asked about his people. How many had survived? How many were still living in Jerusalem? What was life like for them? The news was grim. The people were helpless. Vulnerable. Weak. They were barely hanging on. Without a wall to protect them, there was no way they would survive. So how does Nehemiah respond? With prayer and fasting. Weeping and mourning before the Lord for days. Many would argue he’s wasting valuable time. He should use his position of influence to get what he needs to save his people. He should run to the king immediately to let him know what’s happening. Why waste time in prayer? Surely God understands! And can’t Nehemiah pray along the way? Why now? Why wait? When there’s so much work to be done? 

We live in a busy world. A world that puts the pedal to the metal 24/7. A world that sets a relentless pace. It is easy to get caught up in the race. It is easy to pull up anchor and let yourself be driven by all the activities and opportunities the world puts in front of us. It’s easy to go from crisis to crisis without ever stopping to ask why? Why am I trying so hard? Why am I running so hard? What am I trying to avoid? Who am I trying to impress? What’s the cost? Prayer forces us to slow down. It forces us to sit in the Lord’s presence and wait for His Word. Prayer silences the cacophony of voices that fill our head every single day. Or at least quiets them for a few moments. Prayer brings us in touch with what is truly real and noble and true and allows us to identify the lies we so often believe. Prayer gives time for wisdom to sink in. For plans to be made. For actions to be mapped out. 

Consider again the example of Nehemiah. After praying and fasting for days, he wipes his tears and resumes his post as cupbearer before the king. The king sensed his mood however and asked him what was wrong. Nehemiah clearly had prepared for this moment. When asked, he laid out his concern and his plan. “I said to the king, "Let the king live forever! Why should not my face be sad, when the city, the place of my fathers' graves, lies in ruins, and its gates have been destroyed by fire?" Then the king said to me, "What are you requesting?" So I prayed to the God of heaven. And I said to the king, "If it pleases the king, and if your servant has found favor in your sight, that you send me to Judah, to the city of my fathers' graves, that I may rebuild it." And the king said to me (the queen sitting beside him), "How long will you be gone, and when will you return?" So it pleased the king to send me when I had given him a time. And I said to the king, "If it pleases the king, let letters be given me to the governors of the province Beyond the River, that they may let me pass through until I come to Judah, and a letter to Asaph, the keeper of the king's forest, that he may give me timber to make beams for the gates of the fortress of the temple, and for the wall of the city, and for the house that I shall occupy." And the king granted me what I asked, for the good hand of my God was upon me.” (Nehemiah‬ ‭2:3-8‬) Nehemiah left nothing to chance. In prayer, he had sought the wisdom and counsel of God. He waited for days until the Lord revealed His will. He emptied himself through fasting in order that he may receive. And God was faithful. God gave him a plan to present to the king. Furthermore, because Nehemiah appealed to God first, God gave him favor when it came time to appeal to the king. 

Too often prayer is an afterthought. A last resort. Something we do when it’s time to “break glass in case of emergency.”  Too often we look at prayer as a passive exercise. We assume it is a way of avoiding hard work or hard conversations. We don’t value prayer as we should. Instead, we are people of action. We want to move and move now! We want to act and act now! We demand instant gratification and instant success and instant feedback. Especially in a social media world. But prayer is vital to the life of a believer. It slows us down. It calms us down. It gives us perspective. All good things in our world today! 

What’s your prayer life like? Do you make time to pray each day? What do you pray for? Wisdom? Understanding? Insight? Strength? Peace? All these things and more are available to you through our Heavenly Father. All you have to do is ask and you will receive. Seek and you will find. Knock and the door will be opened. 

Readings for tomorrow: Nehemiah 5-7

Overcoming Cultural Distance

Readings for today: Ezra 7-10

Today’s reading definitely presents a challenge. Particularly since we are so far removed from the specific cultural situation Ezra faced as the Israelites returned from exile. It is deeply offensive to our 21st century Western cultural sensibilities to imagine a group of men initiating a mass divorce over race and/or nationality. We rightly wonder what happens to the women and children who are kicked to the curb? Are they left destitute? Is this of the will of God? Was this an example of early Pharisaism rearing it’s ugly head? Zealousness for the Law of God taken to a logical extreme? Moreover, many wonder if this is yet another example of God’s Law remaining culturally bound? Irrelevant to our modern lives? After all, how can we respect a God who commands the breakup of so many families?  

This is what makes Bible reading such a challenge. We can’t just read the words on the page and accept them at face value. We have to work hard to overcome the cultural distance between ourselves and the text. We have to dive deeper to understand the cultural currents of the day and how this story fits if we want to understand. Furthermore, we have to acknowledge the cultural assumptions we ourselves bring to the text. We are not objective observers. We too have biases and perspectives that are shaped by current cultural movements like #MeToo, feminism, and, at a more fundamental level, the US Bill of Rights. These things will shape how we respond to the text and make it incredibly difficult as we try to walk a mile in Ezra’s shoes.  

So why was Ezra so upset over the intermarriage of Israel with their pagan neighbors? And why does he call for them to “put aside” the foreign women and their children? And what were the social ramifications of such a drastic move? First and foremost, we need to understand that in Ancient Near East culture, ethnicity, tribal identity, and religion all overlapped. You see something similar in the world today where Islam is so closely identified with an Arabic ethnicity. Tribal kingdoms in the ancient world were defined in a very real sense by the god they worshipped. Each nation had their own god and their own unique religious practices. Their god ruled over a specific territorial boundary which defined the geographic limits of a particular kingdom. Other features that defined tribal and/or national identity had to do with the personality of the king who ruled, the language they spoke, and then, downstream from the rest, the particular physical features of the people themselves. One can see how different this is from modern racial theory forged in the 19th century to support chattel slavery, ethnic purges, and eventually the Holocaust.

From a Biblical standpoint, if one married a pagan, one pledged allegiance in a certain sense to their god. This obviously represents a fundamental break with the First Commandment which is why Ezra reacts so strongly to the news. Furthermore, intermarriage also brought into question one’s tribal and/or national identity and allegiance. It was an open question whether one could actually be an Israelite if one married a non-Israelite. One would always be suspect as would one’s children. If/when an invasion took place, whose side would you be on? Could you be trusted? All these were real, practical questions for a fragile group of people seeking to reestablish themselves and rebuild their nation. Certainly there were options for non-Israelites to become Israelites. The book of Ruth is a great example and a story the people in Ezra’s time would have known well. However, in order to become an Israelite one had to renounce any connection to their former god and their former people. “Where you go I will go, and where you lodge I will lodge. Your people shall be my people and your God my God.” (Ruth 1:16)

Hopefully, this helps us understand Ezra’s dilemma and heartbreak. He is ashamed. He is afraid. He knows his history well and he knows what happens when God’s people are unfaithful. "O my God, I am ashamed and blush to lift my face to you, my God, for our iniquities have risen higher than our heads, and our guilt has mounted up to the heavens. From the days of our fathers to this day we have been in great guilt. And for our iniquities we, our kings, and our priests have been given into the hand of the kings of the lands, to the sword, to captivity, to plundering, and to utter shame, as it is today.” (Ezra 9:6-7) He tears his robe. He rips his beard. He falls on his face before God and intercedes for the people. 

As he prays, a few men come forward with a solution. What if everyone who has taken a foreign wife puts her aside? What if they separated out the foreign women and children as an act of repentance? This seems good to Ezra. The proclamation goes forth. Those found guilty repent. And the story ends. We don’t know how it turns out for the women and children. Are they simply cast side? Left to fend for themselves? Surely not as God’s Law is just as clear about how we treat the foreigner and stranger, the orphan and widow, and the most vulnerable in our midst.

So what happened? No one can say with certainty. I can only here offer a modern day analogy. In many places in Africa, it is common for the men to take more than one wife. Polygamy is not God’s design for marriage so I’ve encouraged them to choose one wife and essentially “put away” the others. They remain in the household under the economic care and protection of the man of the house but he lives in covenant faithfulness with only one woman. He provides for them. He takes care of their children. He still fulfills all his responsibilities as a husband and father so they are not left destitute on the streets. It’s not a perfect solution but it is one offered in an attempt to bring the family into covenant faithfulness to the gospel. 

So what do we takeaway from a passage like this? Well, think about your own life. What does covenant faithfulness look like for you? Where are you living in covenant obedience? Where are you living in disobedience? Is your heart grieved by the brokenness and sin of your life? What do you need to confess before your Heavenly Father today? Where do you need His grace to cover your sin?

Readings for tomorrow: Nehemiah 1-4

Hard Questions

Readings for today: Malachi 1-4, Psalm 50

We love to make God in our own image. We are so prone to project onto Him our own notions of justice and goodness and righteousness and peace. We struggle to understand a God who would confront us, challenge us, discipline us, say “no” to us. Instead, we challenge Him. We question Him. We put Him on trial because of all the suffering and evil we see in the world. Is it any wonder then that the heavens so often seem closed to our prayers? Is it any wonder then that God seems so distant? Is it any wonder that we struggle so much to hear His voice and experience His abiding presence in our lives?

The people of God have always had this problem. We are constantly putting God to the test. Constantly rationalizing our sin. Constantly justifying our rebellious behavior. Listen again to the many different ways the people of God were challenging God in Malachi’s day…

• “I have loved you,” says the Lord. But you say, “How have You loved us?” (Mal. 1:2)

• “A son honors his father and a servant his master. If then I am a father, where is my honor? And if I am a master, where is my fear? says the Lord of hosts to you, O priests, who despise My name. But you say, “How have we despised Your name?” (Mal. 1:6)

• “For from the rising of the sun to its setting my name will be great among the nations, and in every place incense will be offered to my name, and a pure offering. For my name will be great among the nations, says the Lord of hosts…But you say, “What weariness this is and you snort at it, says the Lord of hosts.” (Mal 1:11, 13)

• “You have wearied the Lord with your words. But you say, “How have we wearied Him?” (Mal. 2:17)

• “Return to Me and I will return to you, says the Lord of hosts. But you say, “How shall we return? Will man rob God?” Yet you are robbing Me. But you say, “How have we robbed you?” (Mal. 3:7-8)

• “Your words have been hard against Me, says the Lord. But you say, “How have we spoken against You?” (Mal. 3:13)

Over and over again, the people of God challenge God. Accuse God. Defy God. Ignore God. Demand from God. And the wonder of it all is that God never loses patience. Never lashes out in anger. Never walks away from His people. Instead, He loves them. He is patient with them. He continues to work with them and walk with them in faithfulness. Canonically, Malachi is the final book of the Old Testament and the final words from the final book set up the opening act of the New Testament. “Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the great and awesome day of the Lord comes. He will turn the hearts of fathers to their children and the hearts of children to their fathers, lest I come and strike the land with a decree of utter destruction.” (Mal. 4:5-6) Fast forward a few hundred years and a man named John the Baptist begins preaching repentance in the wilderness. His self-proclaimed mission is to “prepare the way of the Lord.” He is Elijah reborn, come to make way for the Messiah. Emmanuel. God with us.

God is amazing. He never gives up on us despite all our questions and doubts and fears and failures. He perseveres with us through every trial and temptation. He holds onto us in all our pain and heartache and suffering. He walks with us through the darkest valleys of life. All He asks in return is that we trust Him. Believe Him. Turn to Him. Draw near to Him. Walk with Him. Surrender to Him. He knows what’s best. He knows the way. And if we will let Him, He will lead us on paths of righteousness for His names’ sake.

Readings for tomorrow: Ezra 7-10

Divine Reversals

Readings for today: Esther 6-10

At a fundamental level, Esther is a story of divine reversals. God turning things on their heads in order to save His people. Mordechai is lifted up. Haman is brought low. Esther becomes Queen after Vashti is deposed. The Jewish people go from mourning to joy. From defeat to victory. From death to life almost overnight. Purim is inaugurated to commemorate the incredible miracle of God’s deliverance and many Jews believe this is the one festival they will continue to celebrate even after Messiah comes.  

It is impossible to imagine the emotions behind such a dramatic turn of events. One moment, you are cowering in your home in fear as the mob gathers to bring death and destruction. Local authorities are no help. In fact, they are leading the charge at the king’s order. I think of my African-American friends who tell stories about the lynchings they witnessed during the Civil Rights struggle of the 20th century. I think of my South Sudanese friends who live in fear of violent retribution by their own government. I think of my Somali friends who are planting churches under the shadow of Islamic extremism. They know this fear well. It is a constant companion. I think of the women I’ve met who’ve suffered abuse, sexual or physical or otherwise. They often feel trapped and alone and afraid. I think of the children I’ve met who’ve been violently treated within their own family. I have seen the same fear in their eyes. It is crippling. It is paralyzing. It is dreadful. 

But then a new edict is read! A new proclamation is issued! Freedom! Deliverance! Salvation! Think of the joy the Jewish people must have felt, living in the midst of a hostile, pagan empire. They were not helpless! They were not alone! God had raised up a deliverer! A savior! A messiah! In the person of Esther. In the person of Mordechai. God was acting anew to protect His chosen people. Now think of the joy that accompanied the Emancipation Proclamation or the Civil Rights Act in our own time. Think of the joy that accompanied the permanent cease-fire agreement in South Sudan. (The terms of which were unfortunately violated almost immediately...) Think of the joy that comes when entire villages are saved by the gospel and delivered from the influence of Islamic extremism. Think of the joy that comes to a woman when she finally finds the courage to leave her abuser, seek healing and help, and start a new life. Think of the joy that comes to children when they experience love for the first time. These too are Purim. 

And what about your life? What about the bondage you have faced or are currently facing? Is it addiction? Is it slavery to sin of some sort? Is it the darkness of depression? The painful affliction of a mental, emotional, or physical illness? Where do you need deliverance today? Where do you need a savior? In what corners of your heart do you still cower in fear? Afraid of what tomorrow may bring? Let Esther’s example give you hope! Even at the 11th hour, God is still working to bring salvation! 

Readings for tomorrow: Malachi 1-4, Psalm 50

For Such A Time As This…

Readings for today: Esther 1-5

Nothing is new under the sun. Humanity seems perpetually committed to “rinse, wash, repeat” their sinful ways. Today’s story from Esther could have just as easily been ripped from our own headlines. Lavish parties. Drunken orgies. Garish displays of wealth and excess. Sexual harassment. Abuse of power. Outrage and anger. Corrupt, political manipulation. Unjust and immoral laws. Plans for mass violence and genocide. We see it all the time. Substitute Ahasuerus for Jeffrey Epstein or Harvey Weinstein or Bill Cosby or Deshaun Watson or Vince McMahon or Mark Driscoll or Ravi Zacharias or numerous Roman Catholic priests or Vladimir Putin or Xi Jinping and you begin to get the point. We are utterly broken. Given the right conditions and access to the right amount of wealth and power and we are capable of just about anything.

Thankfully, God is not blind to our condition. He knows our weak and helpless estate. He knows we are conceived in iniquity and born into sin. He knows sin’s power over us. He knows we are enslaved to our basest appetites. This is why He sets apart a people for Himself. He always preserves a remnant in order to save humanity from itself. Esther and Mordecai are just the latest players in the divine drama God has been working out since the beginning of time. They are called “for such a time as this” to serve and protect God’s people from annihilation and to confront the pagan powers of this world. It is not an easy call. It doesn’t come at a convenient time. It will potentially cost Esther her life should she fail to gain the king’s favor. However, Esther knows she is not alone. She knows God is on her side. Though He is never mentioned in the book, the attentive reader sees His presence everywhere like in the days of fasting and prayer Esther calls for as she prepares to go before the king.

Friends, God has not turned His face away from our world. He sees all the pain and suffering. He sees all the injustice and oppression. He sees all the excess and licentiousness. He is deeply aware of the evil that is continually perpetuated by the creatures He made in His own image. This is why He still sets apart a people for Himself. He preserves a faithful remnant He calls the “church” and His purpose is to work through the church to save humanity from itself. We are just the latest players in God’s divine drama of salvation. We walk in the footsteps of faithful people like Esther and Mordecai and all those who have gone before us. We are called for “such a time as this” to serve and protect the lost and most vulnerable and to confront the pagan powers of this world. It is not an easy call. It will never come at a convenient time. It will potentially cost us everything, including our very lives. But we are not alone. God is with us. He will never leave us nor forsake us. Even in those moments when we cannot sense His presence, He is at work to bring about His good and perfect will for our lives and for the world.

Readings for tomorrow: None

God is with you

Readings for today: Zechariah 8-14

I love these words from Zechariah today, “Thus says the Lord of hosts: In those days ten men from the nations of every tongue shall take hold of the robe of a Jew, saying, “Let us go with you, for we have heard that God is with you.” (Zech. 8:23) Can you imagine? Can you imagine a day where God’s people are so marked by His grace and peace and steadfast love and righteousness and holiness that people from every tribe, tongue, and nation on the earth would lay hold of us just to be in God’s presence? Can you imagine a day when the culture wars cease and the perpetual outrage cycle ends and people turn in exhaustion to those who walk humbly before their God? Can you imagine a day when we lay aside all our selfishness, greed, lust for power, and love of deception and instead cling to those who follow Jesus?

The Apostle Paul says, “All creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons and daughters of God.” (Romans 8:19) The whole world is looking forward to a day when the people of God, filled with the Spirit of God, will answer the call of God and walk in the ways of God to fulfill the mission of God. Read that sentence again to yourself. Read it slowly. Read it carefully. If you are a believer in Jesus Christ, the message is clear. The world is waiting for you! The world is waiting for me! The world is groaning under the weight of sin, longing for release! Longing for freedom! Longing for the day when the people of God will take up their mandate once again to care for and steward all God has made, especially the creatures made in His image.

This is God’s plan. He reveals it clearly to His prophet. Over and over again, Zechariah declares the truth of God. Over and over again, Zechariah proclaims the promises of God. The Lord will return to Zion and dwell in the midst of Jerusalem. (Zech. 8:3) The Lord will save His people and gather them from the east and the west to live with Him in Jerusalem. (Zech. 8:7-8) The Lord will return in righteousness, humble and riding a donkey. (Zech. 9:9) The Lord will make His people like jewels in a crown. They shall shine like stars in the land. (Zech. 9:16) The Lord will protect His people. He will make the weak as strong as David. The strong like angels in all their glorious splendor. He will pour out a spirit of grace and mercy upon them. (Zech. 12:8-10) The Lord will do all these things and more as He establishes His reign and rule over all the earth. (Zech. 14:9)

Friends, the message to us could not be more clear. We are to live as citizens of heaven here on earth. The church is created to be a community of life in the midst of a culture of death. We are called to be salt and light in the world. We must live and love and serve and speak in such a way that those around us who do not yet know God will sense His Spirit within us. Today is an opportunity for us to walk with Christ. Today is an opportunity for us to be like Christ. Today is an opportunity for us to share Christ with those around us who do not yet know God so that they too may experience the joy and peace and grace that comes with His abiding presence.

Readings for tomorrow: Esther 1-5

God is Gracious

Readings for today: Zechariah 1-7

I love these words from Zechariah 1:2, “Return to Me, says the Lord of hosts, and I will return to you.” It’s an amazingly gracious promise from an amazingly gracious God who never lets go of His promise to love us unconditionally. I have to admit I had a harder time appreciating passages like this when I was younger. Then I had kids of my own. ;-) And like any family, we’ve had our ups and our downs. There have been times when I have been so angry with them like when they lie to me or ignore my rules. But after I’ve cooled down, my deep love and affection for them always returns. I hold them in my arms. I let them know I will never stop loving them. Never stop fighting for them. Never give up on them. It’s in those moments that I often feel a tap on the shoulder from God letting me know that’s exactly how He feels about me.

God has always felt this way about His people. Psalms 30:5 says, “His anger lasts only a moment but His favor lasts a lifetime.” Numbers 14:18 says, “The Lord is slow to anger, abounding in steadfast love and forgiving sin and rebellion.” We see God’s gracious character on display over and over again in our reading today. “Therefore, thus says the Lord, I have returned to Jerusalem with mercy; my house shall be built in it, declares the Lord of hosts, and the measuring line shall be stretched out over Jerusalem. Cry out again, thus says the Lord of hosts: My cities shall again overflow with prosperity and the Lord will again comfort Zion and again choose Jerusalem.” (Zech. 1:16-17) “Jerusalem shall be inhabited as villages without walls, because of the multitude of people and livestock in it. And I will be to her a wall of fire all around, declares the Lord, and I will be the glory in her midst.” (Zech. 2:4) “Now Joshua was standing before the angel, clothed with filthy garments. And the angel said to those who were standing before him, “Remove the filthy garments from him.” And to Joshua he said, “Behold, I have taken your iniquity away from you, and I will clothe you with pure vestments.” (Zech. 3:3-4) Over and over again throughout these chapters, God speaks words of forgiveness and mercy and grace over His people. It’s truly amazing.

And what does God ask in return? He asks us to return to Him. To love Him with all our hearts, minds, and souls. To give Him the honor and glory due His name. What does such love and devotion look like in real life? In the day to day? Listen to what the Lord shares with Zechariah, “Thus says the Lord of hosts, render true judgments, show kindness and mercy to one another, do not oppress the widow, the fatherless, the sojourner, or the poor, and let none of you devise evil against another in your heart.” (Zech. 7:9-10) Returning to God means repenting of our sin and submitting our lives to Him. True repentance means embracing the ways of God in our lives and refusing to walk in the ways of this world. It means rejecting all the anger, all the hate, all the outrage, all the violence, all the neglect, all the greed, and all the selfishness that consumes so much of our time and attention and energy. It means living for something greater than ourselves…the Kingdom of God. It means loving someone other than ourselves…God and our neighbor. If we will do these things, God promises to dwell in our midst. The nations of the earth will experience revival and we will know the Lord of hosts is with us.

Readings for tomorrow: Zechariah 8-14

Putting God First

Readings for today: Haggai 1-2

I once had neighbors who tried to have it all. They both held lucrative jobs that paid six figures annually but caused them to travel most of the year. Their two kids were in competitive sports which held practices before and after school almost every day. Weekends were spent traveling to games all over the country. They rarely took a season off. They had a beautiful home they rarely slept in. Two new cars they rarely drove. They had so little time left over for friends or family or even each other. Sadly, it came as no surprise that they were soon divorced and their kids estranged. Their home sold. Their possessions divided. Both of them relocating to different parts of the country to start over.

I was reminded of their story when I read these words from Haggai today, “Now, therefore, thus says the Lord of hosts: Consider your ways. You have sown much, and harvested little. You eat, but you never have enough; you drink, but you never have your fill. You clothe yourselves, but no one is warm. And he who earns wages does so to put them into a bag with holes.” (Haggai 1:5-6) I meet people all the time who fall into this trap. They chase the world’s promises only to end up running on empty. They spend their lives acquiring possessions. Achieving success at all costs. Moving up the corporate ladder. Allowing their kids’ activities to eat up all of their extra time. The results are not pretty. Divorce. The breakdown of the family. A deep sense of isolation and loneliness. Superficial friendships. And definitely no room for God.

Haggai calls us to a different way. He calls us to put God first. To honor God with our time and our talent and our treasure. To give God the firstfruits of our labors not the leftovers. “Thus says the Lord of hosts: Consider your ways. Go up to the hills and bring wood and build the house, that I may take pleasure in it and that I may be glorified, says the Lord. You looked for much, and behold, it came to little. And when you brought it home, I blew it away. Why? declares the Lord of hosts. Because of my house that lies in ruins, while each of you busies himself with his own house. Therefore the heavens above you have withheld their dew, and the earth has withheld its produce. And I have called for a drought on the land and the hills, on the grain, the new wine, the oil, on what the ground brings forth, on man and beast, and on all their labors.” (Haggai 1:7-11) This passage isn’t really about the Temple. God doesn’t need us to build Him a home. It’s not like God lacks a place to live. What this is really about is the priority of our hearts. Do we put God first? Are we willing to take care of the things He cares about before we take care of the things we care about? Is He number one in our lives or is that just lip service? Do we order our lives around His ways and His commands or do we take Him for granted?

All of us have a chance today to “consider our ways.” All of us have an opportunity to sit down with our schedules and our bank statements and evaluate where we spend our time and money. All of us can take stock of where we put our energy and talent and resources. Do we spend time with God every day? Do we gather in person with God’s people every week? Are we building deep, spiritually friendships with those we love? Have we set apart time to serve Christ in His mission in the world? These questions serve as a kind of diagnostic that reveals the truest desires of our hearts.

Readings for tomorrow: Zechariah 1-7

Faith over Fear

Readings for today: Ezra 4-6

I am turning fifty in March and as I think back over my life, I can point to many places where I faced a choice between fear or faith. When I chose the path of fear, I ended up in a dark place. I became anxious and depressed. I didn’t sleep well. I lacked motivation. I made all kinds of excuses. I blamed everyone and everything around me. My heart was full of regrets. When I chose the path of faith, I found my spirits lifted. I experienced freedom. Peace that passed all understanding. I slept well. I woke up energized every morning. I took responsibility. I owned my successes and my failures. I had no regrets. No second guessing. My life was rich and full.

Our reading from Ezra today illustrates what God’s people can do when they walk by faith. Sadly, it also illustrates what can happen when God’s people walk in fear. “Then the people of the land discouraged the people of Judah and made them afraid to build and bribed counselors against them to frustrate their purpose, all the days of Cyrus king of Persia, even until the reign of Darius king of Persia.” (Ezra 4:4-5) Zerubbabel and leaders of God’s people had rightly rejected the offer of help from the people of the land for the god they worshipped was not the God of Israel. The people who had been resettled in the land after the Assyrian Empire wiped out the Northern Kingdom of Israel were a mixed group culled from different tribes and nations. They each brought their own ideas of god to the table and the result was a syncretized view of god that bore no resemblance to the God of Israel. If Zerubbabel allowed them to work alongside God’s people as they rebuilt the Temple, there was a very real danger that the worship of God would become polluted and corrupt. The people of the land didn’t take their rejection well. They embarked on a campaign of intimidation, threatening God’s people with the very real consequences of opposing the might of the Persian Empire. The rebuilding work was hanging by a thread.

Thankfully, there were those who chose a different path. The path of faith. Haggai and Zechariah rose up to prophesy. Prophesy in this case had little to do with future-telling and more to do with truth-telling. They preached in the name of the God of Israel. Reminding God’s people of God’s sovereign power and authority. They encouraged the leaders of God’s people to renew the work and trust in God’s faithfulness and so the work resumed. It’s important to note that the people still faced opposition. They still had to overcome all kinds of resistance. The factors that made them afraid in the first place didn’t magically disappear. The difference now was that their focus was on God and not on all the obstacles standing in their way. Their eyes were fixed on God’s mission rather than on all the reasons they couldn’t or wouldn’t be successful. Their faith gave them the strength to persevere through the challenges and setbacks rather than succumb to them.

What about you? Where does life find you today? As you think about the challenges you face in your own life, are you choosing the path of faith or the path of fear? Are you fixing your eyes on Jesus or do you find yourself consumed by all the stress and anxiety of your circumstances? Are you clinging to hope or are you paralyzed by doubt and indecision? Friends, God is with you! He promises to walk by your side every step of the way. Trust Him. Listen to Him. Lean not on your own understanding but in all your ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your paths.

Readings for tomorrow: Haggai 1-2

Rebuilding

Readings for today: 2 Chronicles 36:22-23, Ezra 1-3

Our God specializes in rebuilding. He takes what is broken and He builds it back up. He takes what is ruined and He raises it back up. He takes what’s been torn down and He pulls it back together. We see it over and over again throughout the Scriptures. After Adam and Eve sin, humanity descends into evil and chaos resulting in a great flood. God rebuilds using Noah. Humanity scatters in confusion at the Tower of Babel when their languages are confused. God rebuilds using Abram. Abram’s descendants are enslaved and brutally oppressed in Egypt. God rebuilds using Moses. Israel plunges into complete anarchy at the end of the Book of Judges. God rebuilds using a prophet named Samuel and a king named David. Both the Northern and Southern Kingdoms of Israel fall into idolatry and are invaded. Their way of life destroyed and the people carried off into exile. God rebuilds using men like Nehemiah, Ezra, and Zerubbabel.

God rebuilds His Temple. God rebuilds His city. Most importantly, God rebuilds His people. He brings them back home just as He promised. He stirs the heart of a pagan king. A Persian named Cyrus who has destroyed the Babylonian empire. A royal decree is issued. Sacred elements are gathered. The people begin their journey back home. It’s a massive undertaking involving thousands of people. Genealogical records are consulted to make sure the leaders all come from the correct lineage. Those eligible for the priesthood are identified. Those eligible to serve from the Levite tribe are identified. The direct descendants of the temple servants and royal servants are identified so they can all be restored to their rightful place, God leaving no detail left to chance. When they arrive, the first thing they do is rebuild the altar so they can worship. They keep the Feast of Booths according to God’s Word. And most importantly, they lay the foundation of a new Temple which causes the old to weep and the young to praise. It had to be quite a moment. 

Sadly sin will run its course once more. God’s people will struggle and suffer yet again. As Daniel foretold, they will become a pawn in a much greater conflict as kingdoms clash over the legacy left by Alexander the Great. Eventually, Rome will rise and crush all in her path. Herod the Great will be installed as a “client king” set to rule over Israel. In a bid to curry favor, he will refurbish the Temple but his corruption and penchant for violence is evident to all. Tensions rise. Factions jockey for power and influence. Israel is a powderkeg ready to blow at anytime. And into this mess, a baby is born. A child grows up. His name is Jesus. Come to save His people from their sins. Come to rebuild the ancient ruins. Come to restore God’s Kingdom once and for all. He dies on a cross. An apparent failure. But three days later, He rises from the dead in glorious triumph! Delivering the final, decisive blow to sin and evil in this world. Right before He ascends into heaven, He commissions His disciples. His followers. Those who would eventually be called “Christian” to carry on His rebuilding work. Armed with tools like compassion and grace and mercy, they are to go out into the world proclaiming the gospel to every tribe, tongue and nation. They are charged to build up a spiritual house. Equipping the saints for the work of God’s Kingdom. 

So what about you? Where is God at work in your life today? Where is He rebuilding? Where is He restoring? How is He using you to rebuild and restore others in His name? 

Readings for tomorrow: Ezra 4-6

Apocalypse

Readings for today: Daniel 10-12

Apocalypse means “revelation.” It’s so common in the Bible that we literally refer to an entire genre as “apocalyptic writing.” Books like Daniel, Ezekiel, Revelation, etc. all fall under this category. They typically involve a prophet being given a vision of the future which they then communicate to God’s people. It often involves dramatic imagery that is notoriously difficult to interpret as they are drawing on ancient near east categories of thought. But the genre serves an important purpose. First and foremost, it sounds a note of judgment against the powers and principalities of this world. Second, it sounds a note of comfort for God’s people by reminding them of God’s sovereign power and plan. Finally, it has a predictive element to it as it often foretells the future. This is certainly the case in Daniel 10-12. Here’s a brief timeline...

535 BC - Third year of Cyrus the Great’s reign. Daniel is now 85 years old and has been serving pagan kings for seventy years. Daniel’s grief is most likely the result of the conflict those who have returned from exile under the leadership of Nehemiah and Ezra are facing as they rebuild both Jerusalem and the Temple. Daniel fasts for three weeks but unbeknownst to him, a battle is taking place in the heavenly realm. Gabriel - most likely the identity of the angelic being who visits Daniel - is at war with Satan and his demonic forces and only prevails with the help of another archangel named Michael. Gabriel has been sent by God to comfort Daniel. To give him hope for the future. Hard times are coming. Terrifying times. Forces will be arrayed in heaven and on earth against God’s chosen people. Satan is seeking - as he always does - their compete eradication from the face of the earth. God, knowing what is to come, sends his angel to Daniel with a vision of the future so he can record it for future generations. 

Three relatively minor kings follow Cyrus on throne. But the fourth referred to in Daniel 11 is Xerxes who ruled from 486-465 BC. His power and might was unrivaled at the time and as he seeks to expand his empire, he will provoke the might of Greece. After a number of years, Alexander the Great (336-323 BC) will unite the Greek into one empire and head east to destroy the Persians. Alexander dies tragically and his empire is then broken up into four pieces, ruled by four of his closest generals. The Ptolemaic (Southern king) faction goes to war with the Seleucids (Northern king) and their battle rages for generations with Israel as the primary “buffer state” in between. Eventually, a brutal tyrant named Antiochus Epiphanes IV will sweep down from the north and cause tremendous suffering for the people of God. “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 ‭11:16‬) He will even seek to place a statue of Zeus in the Holy of Holies (abomination of desolation mentioned in 11:31) which in turn gives rise to the Maccabean revolt detailed in the Old Testament Apocryphal books of 1st and 2nd Maccabees. 

All of this is ancient history to us but it was still very much in the future for Daniel. As God unpacks for him what is to come, he sees tremendous suffering ahead for his people. “And there shall be a time of trouble, such as never has been since there was a nation till that time...” Under the influence of Haman, Xerxes will try to kill every single Jewish man, woman, and child within the borders of his empire. You can read all about this in the book of Esther. The wars between the Ptolemaic and Seleucid factions will take a tremendous toll on both land and people as many of the battles are fought in and around the borders of Israel. Pagan kings will rape and pillage and burn what God’s people are trying to build. And the worst of them all - Antiochus Epiphanes IV - will literally torture and kill as many Jews as possible. At the same time these conflicts are raging on earth, there is a battle going on in heaven. Michael and his forces are fighting Satan and his demons and though the battle is fierce, they will prevail just as God’s people will prevail on earth. This is why Daniel closes his book with such hopeful words, “But at that time your people shall be delivered, everyone whose name shall be found written in the book. And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt. And those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the sky above; and those who turn many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever.” (Daniel‬ ‭12:1‬-3) 

What’s the relevance of all this history for God’s people today? No matter what you are going through, know that God is with you. He is literally fighting at your side. He is bringing about His purposes and His will even amidst your hardships. He will send His messengers to serve you. To comfort you. To bless you. He will bring you peace. Though you may experience suffering for a time, He will preserve your life. In fact, He has a reward waiting for you in His heavenly Kingdom. There the righteous will shine like stars in the sky and will reign with Him forever. As Christians, we do not place our hope in the things of this world. We do not place our hope in what we can achieve in this world. We place our hope in God alone. 

Readings for tomorrow: None

Visions and Dreams

Readings for today: Daniel 7-9

What the book of Daniel is most famous for are the visions Daniel sees in the night. So much ink has been spilt trying to interpret the meaning of these dreams. Are they historical? Referring to past events and past kingdoms that have come and gone? Do they tell the future? Of a time when the great Enemy will rise and attack God’s people? Are they both? Can we learn from what has happened in the past and look for those same signs to take place in the future? And what does it all mean for the Christian in 21st century America? How does it all relate to our daily lives? 

I think we often miss the forest for the trees when it comes to reading Scripture. We get so wrapped up in the details. So lost in the weeds. And we lose sight of the overarching message God has for us. Daniel and his people are in exile. They have experienced national trauma on a level we simply cannot grasp or imagine. Their pain and suffering is real and terrible. Their hopes and dreams have been crushed out of existence. Ground under the heel of a merciless pagan empire. Everything they once held dear has been destroyed. These are the circumstances in which God has placed Daniel. He has been a counselor to pagan kings. He has served foreign rulers. He has done all he can to embrace the call God placed on His people back in Jeremiah to “Seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the Lord on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare.” (Jeremiah‬ ‭29:7) And he has prospered. He has been given power and authority. He has access and influence. He has wealth and privilege. He is considered one of the greatest wise men the empire has ever produced. But one thing continues to set Daniel apart...his great faith.  

Daniel never loses sight of God. Never loses hope in a future restoration where God will act to deliver His people once again. Daniel trusts God. Daniel is faithful to God. At great personal risk, Daniel has demonstrated this faith over and over again. Lions. Fiery furnaces. Under threat of torture and death. Daniel has seen it all and done it all and not only survived but thrived. And now God is again visiting him with visions and dreams. He is showing him the future. Kings and empires will rise and fall. The pain and suffering they inflict will be great. The fear they will engender will cause many to flee. Safety and comfort will be in short supply. But over it all, there is this promise. God is in control. God is on the move. God is bringing human history to a predetermined end with Christ taking His seat in glory and His kingdom shall never end.  

 “As I looked, thrones were placed, and the Ancient of Days took his seat; his clothing was white as snow, and the hair of his head like pure wool; his throne was fiery flames; its wheels were burning fire. A stream of fire issued and came out from before him; a thousand thousands served him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him; the court sat in judgment, and the books were opened...I saw in the night visions, and behold, with the clouds of heaven there came one like a son of man, and he came to the Ancient of Days and was presented before him. And to him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve him; his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom one that shall not be destroyed.” (Daniel‬ ‭7:9-10, 13-14‬) Forget the four great beasts. Forget the visions of lions and eagles  and bears. Rams and goats thundering towards one another across the earth. Forget the terrifying beast with ten horns or the little horn with the big mouth. The focus of Daniel’s vision is on the One called the Ancient of Days. The One who reigns and rules over it all. Pure as driven snow. Engulfed in holy fire. Tens of thousands at his beck and call. He judges the earth. He judges kings and rulers. He holds all dominion and power in His hand. And He calls to the Son of Man. Out of the clouds of heaven comes the Christ and He is given all authority on heaven and on earth. All peoples and nations and tribes and tongues shall serve him. His kingdom shall never end. This is the main point of the vision Daniel receives. God letting his beloved prophet know He is not done. There is still hope. There will come a day when Christ shall come and all things shall be set right and made new. 

And what happens to us on that great day? Listen to how Daniel describes it, “And the kingdom and the dominion and the greatness of the kingdoms under the whole heaven shall be given to the people of the saints of the Most High; his kingdom shall be an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey him.'” (Daniel‬ ‭7:27‬) We get to share in this glory! We get to share in this victory! When Christ comes again in glory, we will be given dominion and power and authority to reign and rule at His side and under His Lordship! There will be no more sin. No more evil. No more crying. No more pain. No more suffering. No more fear. For God Himself will be our God and we shall be His people! This is the great hope of the gospel! The great hope sealed by Christ’s death and resurrection! An empty tomb bears witness! Millions upon millions throughout history all stand to give their testimony! Christ has died! Christ has risen! Christ will come again! 

Readings for tomorrow: Daniel 10-12

Power of Prayer

Readings for today: Daniel 4-6

Daniel was given a powerful position within Babylonian society. He had the ear of the king. He was known for his wisdom and godly character. He never sought personal gain. Never used political maneuvering for his own personal benefit. Never sought power or privilege or higher status. His allegiance was to a much higher authority. He lived for God alone and this made his position unassailable. When his political enemies came after him, they found nothing to pin on him. They dug up no dirt. They found no one who would speak against Daniel. Daniel’s deep faith led to true freedom. He was free to speak God’s truth to Nebuchadnezzer. Free to confront him on his pride and arrogance. Free to give him the bad news about the meaning of his dreams. Daniel was free to call Nebuchadnezzer to repent which he eventually did.

“King Nebuchadnezzar to all peoples, nations, and languages, that dwell in all the earth: Peace be multiplied to you! It has seemed good to me to show the signs and wonders that the Most High God has done for me. How great are his signs, how mighty his wonders! His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and his dominion endures from generation to generation…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?…Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and extol and honor the King of heaven, for all his works are right and his ways are just; and those who walk in pride he is able to humble.” (‭Daniel‬ ‭4:1-3, 34-35, 37‬)

Where did Daniel find such freedom? Prayer. He humbly presented himself before the Lord multiple times a day. He came before the Lord with praise. He confessed his sins. He lifted up his needs and the needs of his people. And I am convinced Daniel prayed fervently for the kings he served like Nebuchadnezzer. Sometimes it is tempting to think we have it bad in our country. To think our leaders have reached a level of corruption that places them beyond the grace of God. Nothing could be further from the truth! Nebuchadnezzer was one of the world’s great tyrants. When Peter and Paul talked about honoring and praying for the emperor, they were talking about Nero of Rome. Christians throughout the centuries and throughout the world today suffer under the harshest of regimes and still they pray for their leaders. Can we do any less?

Readings for tomorrow: Daniel 7-9

Living God’s Truth

Readings for today: Daniel 1-3

“In your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect...” (1 Peter‬ ‭3:15)

Daniel is one of my favorites. He is a man sold out to God. No matter what life throws at him, he never once seems to waver. When he was a young man, he was carted off into exile in Babylon. A traumatic, painful experience. Once he arrived in Babylon, he was identified as a young man of promise and removed from his family. Sequestered in the king’s household, he began training as a wise man. Someone who would counsel the king on the most important matters. Someone who would serve the empire and seek to expand its influence and power. One can easily imagine the internal struggle Daniel must have felt. How does he serve God faithfully while counseling one of the great tyrants in history? How does he speak God’s truth to a pagan power? How does he maintain his integrity even as he counsels a king whose ego is out of control? 

The challenges start early. As part of his training, he is presented with unclean food to eat. Right off the bat, he has a choice to make. Will he trust God or will he compromise his convictions? Here it is critical to note how Daniel responds. It will become the pattern for the rest of his life. “But Daniel resolved that he would not defile himself with the king's food, or with the wine that he drank. Therefore he asked the chief of the eunuchs to allow him not to defile himself. And God gave Daniel favor and compassion in the sight of the chief of the eunuchs, and the chief of the eunuchs said to Daniel, "I fear my lord the king, who assigned your food and your drink; for why should he see that you were in worse condition than the youths who are of your own age? So you would endanger my head with the king." Then Daniel said to the steward whom the chief of the eunuchs had assigned over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, "Test your servants for ten days; let us be given vegetables to eat and water to drink. Then let our appearance and the appearance of the youths who eat the king's food be observed by you, and deal with your servants according to what you see." (Daniel‬ ‭1:8-13‬) First and foremost, Daniel resolves to remain faithful to God’s Law. He will not eat unclean food. At the same time, he recognizes his convictions put the chief eunuch in a tough position. If Daniel and his friends refuse to eat and start to suffer physically, the eunuch is going to be punished so Daniel comes up with a plan. Essentially, let us do it God’s way for ten days and then compare us with the rest of the group. If we don’t measure up, we’ll do it your way. It’s a brilliant approach. Daniel remains faithful to God. He is able to share with the eunuch the reason for his hope. And he treats the man with gentleness and respect. 

Fast forward a few years. Now Daniel has taken his place among the wise men of Babylon. A decree goes out that everyone is to be killed because no one can pass the king’s test. Once again, Daniel approaches the captain of the guard with gentleness and respect. He asks for an audience with the king. He trusts God to reveal the mystery in prayer. And when given his audience, he testifies to the greatness and power of God and the king humbles himself before him. 

A few more years pass. The king grows so insecure he decides to build a monument to himself and demand everyone fall down in worship before it. It’s the height of arrogance. Daniel doesn’t appear in this story but his colleagues do. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego follow his example. Confronted with a situation which would force them to break the second commandment, they refuse to bow down in worship and instead stand faithful. The king is furious but the men answer him with grace and truth. "O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter. If this be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of your hand, O king. But if not, be it known to you, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up." (Daniel‬ ‭3:16-18‬) They are thrown into a furnace of fire. The king and his courtiers watch, waiting for them to be consumed. An incredible miracle happens as God Himself appears and delivers them from death. The result is again the humbling of the king. "Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who has sent his angel and delivered his servants, who trusted in him, and set aside the king's command, and yielded up their bodies rather than serve and worship any god except their own God.” (Daniel‬ ‭3:28‬)

Daniel is an amazing example of faith to us all. In the way he lives his life, he shows us how to live and engage our increasingly complex, non-Christian world in a faithful way. We do not have to relinquish our faith in Christ to serve in politics or business or education or any other field for that matter. Holding onto Christ in our hearts, we do have to be prepared to give an answer for the hope we have in Him. People will ask. They may wonder why we do the things we do or refuse to act in ways that are dishonest or morally compromised. We may be attacked for our faith at times. Through it all, we are not to respond with violence or anger or fight for our “rights” but instead stand firm with gentleness and respect. We are not to resort to the underhanded ways of this world to accomplish the will of God. We must not use the ways of this world to achieve the purposes of God. Instead, we must let go and let God act as He chooses. Use us as He pleases. Place our lives and our future in His hands. 

Readings for tomorrow: Daniel 4-6

Living Waters

Readings for today: Ezekiel 45-48

I love Ezekiel’s vision today. Water flowing from the Temple of God. Beginning as a trickle but becoming a mighty river, flowing southeast out of Jerusalem towards the Dead Sea. The region around the Sea is a wasteland. A desert. A void. A place where nothing grows. I’ve been there. It’s desolate. And yet, as the river reaches the sea, this amazing miracle takes place! Trees begin to grow on either side. Their fruit providing food and sustenance to all. Their leaves never wither or fade. The water itself teems with life. Fish of every kind find a home there. As the waters reach the Sea, they bring it from death to life. The saltwater turns fresh and it begins to produce a hundredfold. Yes, there are still reminders of the former days. Still reminders of the death that once reigned here. The marshes and swamps retain their salty character but those simply serve as witnesses to the miracle of resurrection that has taken place! 

For the Christian, we recognize the prophetic nature of Ezekiel’s vision. Many centuries later, the Apostle Peter will actually stand on the steps of the Temple and preach the gospel for the first time. The Holy Spirit moved powerfully through his words and 3000 gave their lives to Jesus Christ. Along the very stairs where Peter most likely preached are the ceremonial mikvehs where Jewish believers would wash before going into worship. You can see them today. The 3000 who were saved were probably baptized in those very waters! What began as a trickle soon became a mighty river as the Spirit moved in the hearts of those early believers. From 20,000 at the end of the 1st century to over 20 million some two hundred years later to over 3 billion today; the river of the gospel of Jesus Christ just gets deeper and wider as it flows! 

But even this is just a foretaste of what’s to come! In the Book of Revelation, the Apostle John receives a vision that sounds eerily similar to what Ezekiel received. “Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, bright as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb through the middle of the street of the city; also, on either side of the river, the tree of life with its twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit each month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations…The Spirit and the Bride say, “Come.” And let the one who hears say, “Come.” And let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who desires take the water of life without price.” (Revelation‬ ‭22:1-2, 17‬) Friends, God is still on the move! Even after all these centuries, the living waters are still flowing. Lives are still being changed by the gospel. God refuses to remain in His Temple. His grace moves out into the wastelands of our world. Into the darkest places where death reigns. And His grace brings life. Hope. Joy. Peace. Churches sprout up along its banks, bearing the fruit of the Spirit to sustain the nations. As they seek Christ themselves, they find their leaves never wither. The world itself is renewed. Restored. Redeemed. Where O Death is now thy sting? Where O Death is now thy victory? The Living Water that Christ offers us fills the void! It becomes a spring of water welling up continually in our souls. Healing our hurts. Easing our pain. Comforting our grief. Sustaining us until the day when Christ will come again to wipe away every tear and make all things new. 

Readings for tomorrow: Daniel 1-3

The Glorious Return of the Lord

Readings for today: Ezekiel 41-44

It’s hard to imagine how Ezekiel must have felt when he saw the Lord returning to the Temple. The only thing close to it might be watching the memorial being built after the Towers fell in New York City. To visit Ground Zero or to see the lights shining on a clear night reminds us all to never forget what happened on that terrible day. I still remember sitting in my car, waiting to make a left turn onto Alexander Road from Canal Pointe Blvd, as I headed into Princeton for school that morning. Classes were cancelled. Work was suspended. We all watched in horror as the events unfolded. My wife Kristi remembers being at school when the news came down and scrambling to figure out if any of the parents of her kids had been trapped in the towers as they fell. One of my good friends was mobilized as a National Guardsman and spent the next year serving as a chaplain at the site where they took the remains of those who had been killed so they could be identified. The experience was so traumatic for him that he ended up in therapy himself for almost a year. Another friend of mine was serving as the senior pastor of 5th Avenue Presbyterian Church at the time and when the towers fell, he donned his clerical robe, threw open the doors of his sanctuary, and ran out into the streets to usher people into safety. Living in such close proximity to New York meant we knew people personally who experienced the loss of loved ones. Lisa Beamer, whose husband Todd lost his life heroically in the charge to retake Flight 93, went to church literally a few miles away. As terrible as that day was for so many, it is equally if not more powerful to watch our nation memorialize those who fell. Millions visit the memorial and museum each year to pay their respects. It is a powerful witness and testimony to the resilient heart of the American people.

Now multiply 9/11 many times over. Imagine not only the Towers going down but planes flying into the Capitol building in Washington DC or the White House. Imagine tanks rolling down the highways of our country. Imagine bombs being dropped on every major city. Imagine armies burning and destroying everything in their path. Imagine America in ruins. Imagine living in exile in some foreign nation for decades, wondering if you will ever return home. Now imagine a prophet coming to you and laying out the exact dimensions of a new Capitol being built. A new White House. A new Supreme Court building. Imagine that prophet rolling out the blueprints of every national monument and showing them to you. Imagine him telling you a time is coming soon when you will return and America will be reborn. Can you imagine your excitement and joy? The feeling of national pride that would swell in your heart?

“Then he led me to the gate, the gate facing east. And behold, the glory of the God of Israel was coming from the east. And the sound of his coming was like the sound of many waters, and the earth shone with his glory. And the vision I saw was just like the vision that I had seen when he came to destroy the city, and just like the vision that I had seen by the Chebar canal. And I fell on my face. As the glory of the Lord entered the temple by the gate facing east, the Spirit lifted me up and brought me into the inner court; and behold, the glory of the Lord filled the temple.” (‭Ezekiel‬ ‭43:1-5‬) It is impossible to overstate the joy Ezekiel must have felt as he sees this vision of the Lord’s return. As painful as it was for him to see the Lord leaving the Temple in his earlier visions, it is now equally exciting to witness the Lord’s return. God had not forgotten His people! God had not abandoned His promises! God would prove faithful! No wonder he fell on his face.

Life is often hard. There are moments, even seasons, where we feel like everything has come crashing down around us. We lose our job. Homes go into foreclosure. Relationships break down in divorce. We experience the sudden, tragic loss of someone we love. There is so much in this world that brings us pain and heartbreak. It can even feel at times like the Lord has abandoned us. Ridden off on his chariot somewhere far away, never to return. Don’t believe the lie! God is faithful. He is true. He is steadfast in His love. He will never forsake or abandon you. He is with you. His glory is your sanctuary and your rearguard. If you walk by faith. If you trust in Him. If you surrender to His will and His ways. He will provide for you. He will restore the years the locusts have eaten. He will rebuild the ruins of your life. He will bring forth new growth and new life from the barren ground. This is His promise and He will never fail!

Readings for tomorrow: Ezekiel 45-48

Can Dry Bones Live Again?

Readings for today: Ezekiel 37-40

Ezekiel 37 and the valley of dry bones is one of my favorite passages in all the Bible. I love how God uses Ezekiel to literally raise the dead to new life. In a sense, every time I get up to preach this is my prayer. I ask God to awaken hearts that may have become dry and stale and bring new life through the preaching of His Word and the movement of His Spirit. 

Of course, the power to raise the dead to new life doesn’t come from me. And this is of great comfort! Ezekiel was simply called to prophesy. To speak the words God gave him. This was his act of faith. To declare the goodness and glory of God to a valley full of scattered bones. We never know what season we will find ourselves in. Some are born into seasons of revival where the church is vibrant and growing and seeking the Lord with all its heart. Some are born into seasons where the church is dying and struggling and enslaved to fear and sin. Ezekiel was called to be a prophet in exile. At a time in Israel’s life where it seemed all hope had been lost. Their beautiful city had been destroyed. Their Temple razed to the ground. Their land conquered and occupied by foreign invaders. All the promises of God seemed to have come to an end. But in the midst of this national catastrophe, God brings a word of hope through His prophet. Ezekiel prophecies to the dry bones of Israel and a great “rattling” is heard. The scattered bones come together. Muscles and tissue and sinews form. The bodies rise. A great multitude as far as the eye could see. So Ezekiel prophecies again and the Spirit of God begins to blow. The dead bodies come alive! And why does God perform such a miracle? What is His primary aim and goal? Listen to what He tells Ezekiel. “And you shall know that I am the Lord, when I open your graves, and raise you from your graves, O my people. And I will put my Spirit within you, and you shall live, and I will place you in your own land. Then you shall know that I am the Lord; I have spoken, and I will do it, declares the Lord." (Ezekiel‬ ‭37:13-14‬)

Now consider our own spiritual condition. The church in Europe and America is dying. For far too long, it has tolerated sin. Think of the scandals rocking the Roman Catholic Church or the number of influential Protestant pastors whose moral failings have been exposed. Think of the number of churches who have lost sight of their mission in their arguments over styles of church music or the color of the carpet in the sanctuary. Think of the number of churches who have exchanged the truth of the gospel for the lies of our culture. Think of the number of churches who are closing their doors every day in communities across our country. It is heartbreaking. It can seem hopeless. I close my eyes and it’s almost like I can picture the valley filling up with the bones of these formerly great congregations. 

Now let’s make it personal. As a pastor, I meet so many Christians who are struggling. Suffering. Dying spiritually. Their connection to God is tenuous at best. They’ve made choices and those choices have taken them far from God. They no longer spend time in His Word. No longer spend time with Him in prayer. No longer gather to worship with His people. Their everyday lives are filled with sinful pursuits they don’t even recognize because they do not give God a second thought. Their hearts are not broken by the things that break God’s heart. Instead, they spend their lives chasing their own happiness. Fulfilling their own wants and desires. They jump from church to church, never really putting down roots. Never really building authentic community because to do so would require them to die to themselves. It would require them to forgive past hurts. Look past the sins of others. Endure the heartache and pain that is part and parcel of the journey of building deep friendships. The end result of all this is spiritual death. This way of life ends in a valley of dry bones. But thankfully, even there, there is hope! For God can meet us in our valleys just as surely as He met Ezekiel! God can raise us to new life in these valleys just as surely as He did the people of Israel! With God, hope is never completely lost! 

Readings for tomorrow: None