23 Pentecost
– Sunday
first posted
10/22/05
Jeremiah 29:1, 4-14
Jeremiah’s letter to the exiles
Jeremiah 39:11-40:6,
Jeremiah freed
Acts 16:6-15,
Paul’s call to
Luke 10:1-12, 17-20 The mission of the seventy
Jeremiah sent a letter of God’s word to the exiles
in
The Lord told the exiles that after seventy year’s
exile in
While Jeremiah had been in the court of the Guard under “house-arrest”, the Lord had told Jeremiah to tell Ebed-melech, the Ethiopian (who had rescued Jeremiah from starvation in the empty cistern; Jeremiah 38: 7-13), that God’s word of judgment would be fulfilled upon Jerusalem and Judah, but that the Lord would deliver Ebed-melech from the Chaldeans, and he would not be killed, because he had trusted in the Lord.
Jeremiah had been taken in chains from the
courtyard of the
guard in
Paul and Silas sailed from Troas to Samothrace and
then to
Neapolis and on to Philippi, the leading (but not capital) city of
There was a wider group of disciples who followed
Jesus in
addition to the Twelve of his inner circle. Jesus appointed seventy
disciples
to go out two by two, as he had sent out the Twelve (Luke 9:1-5),
giving them
similar instructions. They were to prepare the villages for Jesus who
was about
to visit. Jesus told them there was a great spiritual harvest to be
reaped, but
few laborers. They should pray to the Lord of the harvest (Jesus
Christ) to send
laborers to reap the harvest. Jesus warned them that they would be like
lambs in
the midst of wolves. They were to take no extra clothes or any
provisions, and
were not to be delayed by strangers they might meet on the road. They
were to
enter, in peace, the home of whoever received them in each village and
to stay
there in one house, not moving from house to house in a village. They
were to
eat what was provided. They were to heal the sick and announce the
coming of
God’s kingdom.
If any town refused to welcome and receive them they
were to
stand in the street and proclaim that they refused to receive from the
town
even the dust which clung to their feet, but that town should realize
that the
The Lord punished
After seventy years the remnant of
The Apostle Paul is the prototype and illustration
of a
modern, “post-resurrection,” “born-again” (John 3:3, 5-8) disciple and
apostle
(messenger of the Gospel) of Jesus Christ, as each of us can be. Paul
(formerly
called Saul) had apparently never known Jesus during Jesus’ physical
life and
ministry; he first encountered the risen and ascended Jesus on the road
to
I believe that Paul was the disciple the Lord chose to replace Judas Iscariot, Jesus’ betrayer, who had been one of the Twelve original disciples of Jesus’ inner circle, instead of Matthias, whom the eleven remaining of the Twelve had chosen while they had been commanded by Jesus to wait in Jerusalem for the gift of the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:4-5, 8). The eleven didn’t have the benefit of the Holy Spirit and their decision was made by casting lots (like rolling dice), instead of the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Matthias was selected and there is no further mention of him, but after Paul’s “rebirth” by the Holy Spirit (Acts 9:17-20), he was the leading Apostle throughout the rest of Acts and writer of most of the Epistles (letters; to churches he founded).
Paul was faithfully trusting and obeying the
guidance and
relying on the empowerment of the indwelling Holy Spirit. He was
staying out of
areas the Holy Spirit had forbidden him, and going where the Holy
Spirit led
him. The conversion of
There’s a great spiritual harvest to be reaped
today;
there’s never been a greater need for spiritual guidance and meaning in
life.
Discipleship is not optional for Christians. Discipleship is the
definition of
an authentic Christian (see Acts 11:26b). Christians need to be
discipled by
disciples, to learn to trust and obey Jesus. It takes born-again
disciples to
make born-again disciples. New disciples must obey Jesus’ command to
wait in
In a sense, we are all exiles from the Promised
Land. Now is
the time to turn to the Lord; to seek him with all one’s heart, while
he may
yet be found (Isaiah 56:6). The
Is Jesus your Lord? Are you Jesus’ disciple? Are you trusting and obeying Jesus? Have you received the indwelling Holy Spirit since you first truly believed (Acts 19:2)? Are you making disciples of Jesus Christ and teaching them to obey all that Jesus commands (Matthew 28:18-20)? Do you know with certainty where you will spend eternity (1 John 5:11-13; Ephesians 1:13-14)?
Alternative
Entry
first posted
11/15/03
Jeremiah 29:1, 4-14
Jeremiah’s letter to the exiles
Jeremiah.39:11-40:6 Deliverance
from
the Babylonians
Acts 16:6-15 The Macedonian Call
Luke 10:1-12, 17-20
Jeremiah, the prophet, was allowed by the
Babylonians to
stay in
The Lord promised Ebed-melech,
the
foreigner who had rescued Jeremiah from death in the empty cistern
(Jeremiah
38:7-13; see Journal entry for Thursday November 13, 2003), that he
would be
saved from the fall of
Paul, on his second missionary journey, passed
through Asia
(in the area of modern
Jesus appointed seventy (or seventy-two) of his
followers
(from the larger group beyond the inner circle of the Twelve) and gave
them a
commission very similar to the one given to the Twelve (Matthew
10:1-15; see
entry for Monday November 10, 2003), sending them ahead to the towns
where
Jesus was about to come. They were to go two-by-two, and stay at
whatever house
would receive them, rather than going house-to-house. They were to heal
the
sick and preach the coming of the
The Lord protected Jeremiah from the disaster which was happening all around him, because he had been obedient to the Lord. The Lord also protected Ebed-melech, the foreigner, because he had believed God and had rescued Jeremiah from death in the empty cistern. The Lord had sent the Judeans into exile because they refused to obey God’s word, but he promised them that he would be with them in exile, when they turned to them and sought him, and that he would bring them back to their own land at a specific time. Nebuzaradan, the captain of the Babylonian Guard, acknowledged the Lord’s will in the fall of Judah to Babylon, and was obedient to the Lord’s will to release Jeremiah and provide for him and give Jeremiah the choice of where to reside during the exile. The Lord sent the Judeans into exile not to destroy them, but to bring them to repentance, so that they might seek the Lord and be obedient to his word. He promised them that he would gather them back again to the Promised Land.
We can see that Paul’s missionary trip was
inspired and
guided by the Holy Spirit (Acts 16:6-7, 10). In a sense, Paul’s mission
was to
gather the children of
Paul was following the guidance of the Spirit of
the risen
Jesus, in crossing over to
Now is the ingathering; the time of the harvest.
Paul says:
“Behold, now is the acceptable time; behold, now is the day of
salvation” (2
Corinthians 6:2c). In a sense, we are all exiles from the Promised
Land. Now is
the time to turn to the Lord; to seek him with all one’s heart, while
he may
yet be found (Isaiah 56:6). The
23 Pentecost
– Monday
first posted
10/23/05
Jeremiah 44:1-14 Oracle
to exiles in
or 29:1, 4-14, Oracle to
exiles in
1 Corinthians 15:30-41, The nature of
resurrection
Matthew 11:16-24 This generation
Some of the people of
By leaving
In contrast, Jeremiah
wrote to the
people of
Paul asked why he would
be willing
to risk peril every day if there were no hope of resurrection. Why
would Paul
be willing to risk a “fight with beasts at
Some want to know what
kind of a
body the resurrected will have. Paul calls those people foolish. Paul
used a
metaphor of a seed symbolically dying (buried) which produces a new
body
different from the seed. (Jesus used a similar metaphor; John 12:24).
Each
variety of seed produces the body God has chosen for it. Varieties of
animals
have different kinds of flesh, according to God’s design. There also
varieties
of celestial bodies different from the terrestrial body, our Earth, and
different orders of glory of their bodies.
Jesus compared the people
of “this”
generation to children who expect others to conform to their
self-centered
expectations. John the Baptizer was accused of being demon-possessed
because of
his austere lifestyle; but because Jesus didn’t fast but ate and drank
with
tax-collectors and sinners he was accused of being a glutton and
drunkard.
Wisdom is demonstrated by deeds.
Jesus rebuked, for their
lack of
repentance, the cities where he had done most of his miracles. Jesus
declared
that if the miracles Jesus had done in Chorazin (a city only a few
miles from
Capernaum in Galilee) and Bethsaida (about 2 miles northeast of the
Jordan
River where it enters the Sea of Galilee; birthplace of Peter, Andrew
and
Philip, disciples of Jesus’ original Twelve) had instead been done in
Tyre and
Sidon (pagan cities of Phoenicia) they would have long since repented.
Jesus
said that if the miracles done in
The Lord was able to
punish the
people of
The seventy years of
exile in
Some of the people of
The Church is the “New
Israel,” the
“New People of God.”
We are all eternal beings
in
physical bodies. Physical death came into creation through the sin of
Adam and
Eve (Genesis 3:1-19). God warned that if they disobeyed his word they
would
die. Satan contradicted God’s warning, telling Adam and Eve they
wouldn’t die
(immediately, at the moment they disobeyed; Genesis 3:4), so they
sinned, and
became subject to physical death (Genesis 3:19). Jesus Christ, the
Savior, is
not God’s afterthought; Jesus has been “built in” to Creation from the
very
beginning by God’s intentional design (John 1:1-3, 14).
All have sinned and fall
short of
God’s righteousness (Romans 3:23; 1 John 1:8-10) and the penalty for
sin is
eternal death (Romans 6:23). God has appointed for humans to physically
die
once and then comes resurrection to Judgment; not reincarnation; not
“nothingness” (Hebrews 9:27). Everyone who has ever lived will be
accountable
to the Lord on the Day of Judgment for what they have done in this
life;
everyone will be raised from physical death to either eternal life in
Heaven or
eternal death in Hell (John 5:28-29). Jesus is God’s only provision for
our
forgiveness of sin and salvation from eternal death (Acts 4:12; John
14:6).
Those who have trusted and obeyed Jesus will receive eternal life in
Heaven;
those who have rejected and refused to trust and obey Jesus will
receive
eternal condemnation and destruction in Hell with all evil (Matthew
25:31-46; 2
Thessalonians 1:5-10; see God’s Plan of Salvation, sidebar, top right).
Paul warns Christians not
to
associate, within the Church, with anyone who denies the resurrection.
There
have been those false teachers within the Church in Paul’s time and
ever since.
Christians are not to continue in sin, which means we must trust and
obey God’s
word, and avoid anything contrary to Jesus’ teachings, which are the
word of
God (John 14:23-24). Christians are not
to tolerate members within the Church who continue in sin, or live in a
manner
contrary to the word of God. Both congregations and nominal
“Christians” should
be ashamed of church members who are not disciples of Jesus Christ and
have no
personal knowledge of the Lord, through the gift of the indwelling Holy
Spirit;
who are “professors;” “unregenerate;” who have not been “born-again.”
There are
many nominal “Christians” in the Church today.
There has never been a
time in
history when Jesus’ words about “this generation” have been more true
than they
are today. People expect the Church to be entertaining; “seeker
friendly;” to
cater to their worldly lifestyle instead of conforming them to God’s
word.
People expect the Church to influence God to do their individual
secular will,
instead of seeking to know and do God’s will. People want to establish
their
own “church” to cater to their desires and ideas of what “church”
should be.
People think they can be “Christians” without going to worship, and
without
reading, knowing, and obeying God’s word. Jesus has promised to return
on the
Day of Judgment. What will he say about our Churches, our cities, our
nations
on that day?
We have the same choice
the people
of
Is Jesus your Lord? Are
you Jesus’
disciple? Are you trusting and obeying Jesus? Have you received the
indwelling
Holy Spirit since you first truly believed (Acts 19:2)? Are you making
disciples of Jesus Christ and teaching them to obey all that Jesus
commands
(Matthew 28:18-20)? Do you know with certainty where you will spend
eternity (1
John 5:11-13; Ephesians 1:13-14)?
Alternative
Entry
first posted
11/16/03
Jeremiah 44:1-14 No
safe refuge in
(or) Jeremiah 29:1, 4-14
Jeremiah’s letter to the exiles in
1 Corinthians 15:30-41 The nature of the resurrection
Matthew 11:16-24 Jesus warns the unrepentant
The Lord declared, through Jeremiah, that the fall
of
Jeremiah, the prophet, was allowed by the
Babylonians to
stay in
Paul’s point is that, as an apostle, he was continually in peril and facing death. If the dead are not raised, then one might as well live it up now, for we’d all soon be dead, but the truth is that the dead are raised. Paul tells his hearers not to associate with anyone who denies the truth of the resurrection. They are deluded and without knowledge of God. Some were having trouble conceiving of a bodily resurrection. Paul points out that there are different kinds of bodies. Paul uses seeds as an analogy. When a seed is buried, it gives rise to a new body, which might not be guessed merely by looking at the body of the seed, but which is provided by God according to his design.
Jesus said not to be conformed to the ways of the
worldly;
one will never be acceptable according to their standards anyway. The
“Worldly”
criticized John the Baptist’s and his disciples’ austerity as contrary
to their
worldly philosophy of “eat, drink and be merry…” and criticized Jesus’
and his
disciples’ lack of fasting as debauchery, although both were
proclaiming the
same message. John was too solemn to
suit the Worldly; Jesus wasn’t solemn enough. Jesus warned the
unrepentant that
if the miracles Jesus had done in Chorazin,
Beth-saida, and Capernaum had been done in Tyre
and Sidon (which were sources of
idolatrous pollution of Israel
by Ahab and Jezebel; see 1 Kings 16:23-34; Journal entry for Tuesday,
October
7, 2003), and Sodom (which was destroyed by fire from heaven because of
its
wickedness, as an example of God’s judgment; Genesis 19:24-28), they
would have
repented. At the Last Judgment, Jesus said,
Jeremiah sent two letters. One was sent to the
"involuntary" exiles in
Paul tells his hearers not to listen to the
deluded and
godless who deny the resurrection. The resurrection is well attested to
by
Jesus, by scripture, and by many witnesses, including Paul (on the
basis of his
Jesus warns us, in effect, not to listen to false prophets; not to adopt the worldly philosophy of living for ourselves in this world alone and denying life after death, or a Day of Judgment. He promises that there will be a resurrection and a Day of Judgment, with eternal consequences.
The world says “eat, drink and be merry, for
tomorrow we
die, (and then nothingness).” God’s word says we are all eternal and
that a Day
of Judgment is coming (John 5:28-29); that we’re all sinners (Romans
3:23);
that the penalty for sin is eternal death and destruction (Romans
6:23); that
Jesus is God’s only provision for our salvation (Romans 5:8; John
14:6). There
is salvation in no one else (Acts 4:12). Salvation is by grace (the
free gift
of God) through faith; we don’t deserve it; we can’t earn or buy it
(Ephesians
2:8-9). We need to receive that gift (John 1:12), by responding in
repentance
and faith, and inviting him into our hearts to be our Lord and Savior
(Revelation 3:20).
We have the same choice the Judeans had. We can
attempt to
avoid God’s judgment and try to save ourselves by some plan of our own,
trusting in some false god or false prophet, or we can submit to God’s
will and
learn to turn to him in obedience, accepting his plan for our
salvation. God
promises that his plan will bring us to eternal life in the Promised
Land of
Heaven, but that any other way will cut us off from his promise and
result in
our eternal death and destruction.
Is Jesus your Lord? Are you Jesus’ disciple? Are you trusting and
obeying Jesus? Have you received the indwelling Holy Spirit since you
first truly believed (Acts 19:2)? Are you making disciples of Jesus
Christ and teaching them to obey all that Jesus commands (Matthew
28:18-20)? Do you know with certainty where you will spend eternity (1
John 5:11-13; Ephesians 1:13-14)?
23 Pentecost
– Tuesday
first posted 10/24/05
Lamentations. 1:1-5, (6-9), 10-12
Lament of
Jeremiah 40:7-41:3, Assassination and third revolt
1 Corinthians 15:41-50, Nature of the resurrection
Matthew 11:25-30, The Father revealed through the Son
Other people of
Johanan, a Jewish chief and a leader of the army
went to
Gedaliah and tried to warn him that Ishmael was plotting to assassinate
Gedaliah, with encouragement for Baalis, king of the Ammonites. But
Gedaliah refused
to believe Johanan. Johanan asked Gedaliah privately to authorize him
to
assassinate Ishmael; Johanan was trying to prevent Chaldean reprisals
for a
third revolt (Zedekiah’s revolt was the second, and precipitated the
fall of
In September, 582 B. C.,* Ishmael and ten men came to Gedaliah in Mizpah, and assassinated him as they ate with him as his guests. Ishmael also killed all the Jews who served Gedaliah in Mizpah, and the Chaldean soldiers garrisoned there.
Celestial bodies differ in glory; the Sun, the
moon and
stars have different degrees of glory. The resurrection of the dead is
similar.
Our earthly bodies are physical and perishable, but our resurrection
bodies are
spiritual and imperishable. Our earthly bodies are physically and
morally weak;
our resurrection bodies will be spiritually and morally strong. The
first
created human, Adam, became a living being; a man of Earth, created
from the
dust of the earth (Genesis 2:7). Jesus is the last Adam, (the first to
be
raised to eternal life) the man from heaven, who became a life-giving
Spirit.
As we resemble Adam, our earthly ancestor, those who are of heaven who
are
raised to eternal life will resemble the Lord, our spiritual ancestor.
Paul
asserted that physical flesh and blood cannot inherit the
Jesus declared that the mysteries of God have been hidden from those who consider themselves wise and understanding by worldly standards, and are revealed to those who are innocent and trusting like babies, in God’s gracious (unmerited good) will. All things have been given to Jesus by God the Father. Only God the Father truly knows Jesus, and no one truly knows God the Father except Jesus and those to whom Jesus chooses to reveal God the Father. Jesus invites each of us to come to him and exchange our worries and burdens for true rest which only Jesus can give; to exchange the impossibly heavy burden of the yoke of God’s Old Covenant of Law, for the light, easily doable yoke of faith (obedient trust) in Jesus Christ. Jesus invites us to learn from him (his word and example); we have no need to be worried or afraid of Jesus because he is gentle and humble, and our souls will find true rest only in him.
We are the “onlookers;” the “bystanders;”
witnesses of
Jesus is the “Gedaliah” who promises to protect us
from our
spiritual enemy, Satan. Jesus is our mediator for our good with God,
who is the
sovereign ruler of Creation, and who promises to bring us back from “
Ishmael represents the Jewish religious
authorities who
thought they were doing God’s will by killing Jesus, God’s anointed
eternal
king. Ishmael and his men assassinated Gedaliah, and precipitated the
deportation of the remnant of
In this present creation, we have been given physical life in a physical body. This life is our only chance to seek and find God; our only chance to learn to trust and obey Jesus; our only chance to exchange our perishable physical bodies for imperishable spiritual bodies.
We are all born into sin (disobedience of God; Romans 3:23; 1 John 1:8-10). The penalty for sin is eternal death (Roman 6:23). There is only one physical life on this earth and then we must all be accountable in the Final Judgment before the Lord (not reincarnation; not nothingness; Hebrews 9:27)! We inherited physical death from our ancestor, Adam; we inherit eternal life through faith (obedient trust) in Jesus Christ, our anointed Savior and anointed eternal King (Messiah and Christ mean “anointed” in Hebrew and Greek, respectively).
Only Jesus baptizes with the Holy Spirit (John 1:32-34), only his disciples who trust and obey him (John 14:15-17). The Holy Spirit is the seal and guarantee that one is in Christ and has eternal life (2 Corinthians 1:22; Ephesians 1:13-14; Romans 8:9b, 11, 15-16). One must be “born-again” (John 3:3, 5-8) to see (recognize around us, and enter into, individually) the kingdom of heaven. It is possible for one to know with certainty for oneself whether one has been born-again and received the indwelling Holy Spirit or not (Acts 19:2). Jesus is the life-giving Spirit (Romans 8:9) who gives spiritual, eternal life. (1 John 5:11-13).
God has hidden his mysteries from the rich and powerful so that they cannot take eternal life in the kingdom of heaven by deceit, force, or purchase. But the Lord wants us to receive his eternal kingdom by innocent and trusting faith like that of a child, as a gift. God has designed creation so that one cannot understand the mysteries of life without humble, obedient, trust in Jesus Christ.
The Old Covenant of Law was designed to teach us what God’s righteousness requires, and the impossibility of satisfying the demands of his law in our own human strength. We cannot earn his salvation from eternal death by our own merits. Salvation from eternal condemnation and eternal destruction is only by God’s grace (unmerited favor; free gift) through faith (obedient trust) in Jesus Christ (Ephesians 2:8-9), God’s only provision for our forgiveness and salvation (Acts 4:12; John 14:6; see God’s Plan of Salvation, sidebar, top right).
Is Jesus your Lord? Are you Jesus’ disciple? Are you trusting and obeying Jesus? Have you received the indwelling Holy Spirit since you first truly believed (Acts 19:2)? Are you making disciples of Jesus Christ and teaching them to obey all that Jesus commands (Matthew 28:18-20)? Do you know with certainty where you will spend eternity (1 John 5:11-13; Ephesians 1:13-14)?
________________________________________________________________________
*The Oxford Annotated Bible, Revised Standard Version, Ed. by Herbert G. May and Bruce M. Metzger, Jeremiah 40:13-41:3n, p. 968, New York, Oxford University Press, 1962.
________________________________________________________________________
Alternative
Entry
first posted
11/16/03
Lamentations1:1-5 (6-9) 10-12
(or) Jeremiah 40:7-41:3 The third revolt
1 Corinthians 15:41-50 The resurrection body
Matthew 11:25-30 The yoke of Jesus
Lamentation of the City of
She acknowledges that her suffering is because of the Lord’s punishment of her transgressions. Her enemies now rule over her.
The Judean military which was in the open
countryside at the
time of the fall of
In illustrating the nature of the resurrection,
Paul uses
the relative glories of the various astronomical bodies to illustrate
the
differences between the physical and spiritual bodies. Adam, the
created being,
is compared with Christ, the begotten Son of God. Adam was of the
earth,
created from dust (Genesis 2:7); Christ came down from heaven, the
whole fullness
of deity in bodily form (Colossians 2:9). “Just as we have borne the
image of
the man of dust, we (believers) shall also bear the image of the man of
heaven”
(v.49). “…flesh and blood cannot inherit the
Jesus said that God has deliberately designed the world in such a way that his mysteries are hidden from those who think they’re “wise and understanding,” and yet gladly reveals them to those who are innocent and trusting in Him. God has given authority for all things to Jesus. No one is able to fully understand Jesus like God does, and no one knows God but Jesus, and those to whom Jesus chooses to reveal God. [Jesus is the only way to the Father (John 14:6)]. In Jesus day, according to my Oxford Annotated Bible, “Rabbis spoke of the *yoke* of the law” . Jesus invited those who had become burdened with the legalism of the Pharisees of that day to exchange the heavy, restrictive yoke of legalism for the lighter, freeing yoke of grace through faith in Jesus.
The City of
A portion of the Judean military had avoided exile
(or
worse) because they had been out in the countryside when
The plight of
Like the Judeans, those who disobey God’s word
face exile,
not in
Those who have trusted in Jesus as their Lord and Savior will someday trade in their earthly bodies, which get sick, and die, and decompose, and get new bodies which are immortal and imperishable. There will be no more pain and no more tears; sorrow and sighing shall flee away (Revelation 21:4; Isaiah 36:10). We don’t know all the details yet, but our bodies will be like Jesus’ glorified risen body.
Would you like to live forever in Heaven with Jesus in a body that doesn’t get sick or die, or would you rather spend eternity dying in agony and torment in Hell with Satan and his demons?
__________________________________________________________
The Oxford Annotated Bible, Revised Standard Version, Ed. by Herbert G. May and Bruce M. Metzger, Matthew 11:29n, pg 1185 New York, Oxford University Press, 1962
I’m intrigued by the name “Baalis.” According to Strong’s* it means “in exultation.” I’m aware that Baal (Ba’al) (although not the principle god of the Ammonites) was the name a common false god or idol of the area, and that this name was frequently combined with place names, as in Baal-Peor (the Baal of Peor), or personal names of Baal worshipers, usually ending in “-baal.” It also meant “master” or “owner.” Another meaning was “husband,” as in II Samuel 11:26; and see especially Hosea 2:16.
*The New Strong's Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible,#1185, James Strong, LL.D., STD, Nelson, NY 1984 ISBN 0-8407-5360-8
23 Pentecost
–Wednesday
first posted 10/25/05
Lamentations 2:8-15, False Prophets
Jeremiah.41:4-18, Pilgrims killed
1 Corinthians 15:51-58, Victory over sin
Matthew 12:1-14, Lord of the Sabbath
The Lord was determined to destroy the wall of
The elders sat on the ground in sackcloth and
poured dust
over their heads (in ritual mourning) and the maidens bowed down to the
ground.
The poet was weary from weeping; his soul was troubled and his heart
was empty,
because of the destruction of
The poet was at a loss for a comparison to the
destruction
of
“Your prophets have seen for you false and
deceptive
visions; they have not exposed your iniquity to restore your fortunes,
but have
seen for you oracles false and misleading” (Lamentations 2:14). All
(Gentiles;
The day after the assassination of Gedaliah, the Jew who had been appointed governor of Judah by the Chaldeans, eighty Jewish pilgrims from Shechem (between Mt Ebal and Mt Gerizim; site of Abraham’s first altar and of the renewal of the Covenant after Israel took possession of the Promised Land) Shiloh (north of Bethel; early site of the tabernacle; Joshua 18:1-10) and Samaria (capital of the northern Kingdom of Israel), came bringing cereal offerings and incense to offer at the temple in Jerusalem. (They apparently didn’t know of the destruction of the temple and city.) Their torn clothing and cuts on their body indicated mourning and repentance.
Ishmael, the instigator of the revolt against
Chaldean
government, and the leader of the assassination of Gedaliah, lured the
pilgrims
to Mizpah, where he and his men killed all but ten who bought their
lives by
offering stores of food. The bodies of the slain were thrown into and
filled a
cistern [which had been dug at the command of Asa, King of Judah
(southern
Ishmael captured all the rest of the people in
Mizpah who had
cooperated with Gedaliah, and set out to cross the
Johanan, his soldiers, and the rescued captives,
camped at
“Chimham’s Inn” (possibly the inn where Jesus was later born), near
Christ reveals what once were mysteries, known only by God. By the Holy Spirit, Paul declared that not everyone will die physically before Christ’s return on the Day of Judgment. All those still living at Christ’s return will be changed from perishable physical bodies to eternal spiritual bodies in the blink of an eye, at the sound of the last trumpet (signaling the end of this present age). All the dead will be resurrected in eternal bodies and all those still living will be transformed into eternal bodies. This mortal perishable nature must become immortal and imperishable. This change from perishable mortality to imperishable immortality will be the fulfillment of God’s word (Isaiah, 25:8; Hosea 13:14) that death will be vanquished. Sin is the “poisonous sting” which caused death, and was empowered by God’s Law. But thankfully God gives us the victory over sin and death through faith (obedient trust) in Jesus Christ. So, Christians, be steadfast and unshakable in faith, always overflowing in the work of the Lord, certain that labor for the Lord will not be in vain!
As Jesus and his disciples were passing through a
grainfield
on the Sabbath, his disciples were hungry and they were picking heads
of grain
to snack on. Pharisees (a strict legalistic faction of Judaism), among
the
crowd following Jesus, criticized Jesus for allowing his disciples to
“harvest”
and “thresh” grain, in violation of Sabbath laws. Jesus reminded them
that
David (who became the great king of
Jesus entered their (these Pharisees’) synagogue, and encountered a man with one withered arm. The Pharisees asked Jesus whether it was lawful to heal on the Sabbath, hoping for Jesus to say something they could use against him. Jesus asked who of them wouldn’t rescue one of their sheep from a pit into which it had fallen on a Sabbath. The Lord loves us more than sheep. Jesus declared that it is always lawful to do good on the Sabbath. Jesus told the disabled man to stretch out his arm. The man’s arm was instantly healed as the man obeyed Jesus’ command.
The temple and priests having been destroyed,
forgiveness
through the sacrificial system of the Law of Moses was no longer
available.
Ishmael is an example of Satan, who lures
“pilgrims” seeking
forgiveness and restoration to the false kingdom, where they are
destroyed.
They can be spared temporarily by paying ransom for their lives.
Johanan is an
example of the Lord, who has defeated Satan’s plot to eliminate the
appointed
“governor,” Jesus Christ, the eternal king of the
Jesus is the “plumb-line” by which all will be
judged. Those
who do not conform to Jesus in obedient trust will be eternally
deported to the
“
We are all immortal souls in physical bodies. At
the Day of
the Lord, we will all receive immortality. The issue is where we will
spend
eternity. Those who have trusted and obeyed Jesus and have received the
gift of
the indwelling Holy Spirit will spend eternity in the paradise of God’s
eternal
Those who have not been “born-again” (John 3:3, 5-8) through the gift of the indwelling Holy Spirit of Jesus Christ, are under the condemnation of God’s Law. Only through faith (obedient trust) in Jesus are we freed from the demands of God’s Law (Romans 8:1-2, 9). Jesus has freed us from the demands of the law, not so that we might sin, but that we might be cleansed from sin and live according to God’s word. To be freed from bondage to the weakness, the perishing nature of the flesh, and the condemnation of God’s Law, we must trust and obey Jesus Christ, as the disabled man was healed as he trusted and obeyed Jesus’ command to stretch out his arm.
Jesus came to free us from Satin’s grip; to rescue us from deportation to Hell and Death. If we will follow God’s plan, we will have life and we will prosper. We must not listen to false prophets with deceptive visions of victory, who offer alternatives to God’s plan. Jesus is God’s only plan. He is the only way (John 14:6). There is salvation in no one else (Acts 4:12; see God’s Plan of Salvation, sidebar, top right)
Is Jesus your Lord? Are you Jesus’ disciple? Are you trusting and obeying Jesus? Have you received the indwelling Holy Spirit since you first truly believed (Acts 19:2)? Are you making disciples of Jesus Christ and teaching them to obey all that Jesus commands (Matthew 28:18-20)? Do you know with certainty where you will spend eternity (1 John 5:11-13; Ephesians 1:13-14)?
Alternative
Entry
posted
11/18/03
Lamentations 2:8-15 Ruined walls; Deceptive vision of victory
(or) Jeremiah 41:4-18 Johanan rescues the captives
1 Corinthians15:51-58 Victory over sin and death
Matthew 12:1-14 Jesus and Sabbath laws
A lament over the ruined walls of
On the day after the assassination of Gedaliah
by Ishmael, but before it became known, Ishmael lured a group of
pilgrims into Mizpah and slaughtered all
but ten who ransomed their lives
with food provisions they had brought with them. Ishmael threw the
bodies of
the dead pilgrims into the large well that had been built to supply the
city in
case of siege. Ishmael took captive all the people remaining in Mizpah and set out to go the Ammonites. (It was
King Baalis of the Ammonites who had urged
Ishmael to
assassinate Gedaliah--see journal entry
for Tuesday
November 18, 2003.) Johanan, who had tried
to warn Gedaliah of the assassination
plot, and had offered to kill
Ishmael to prevent it, went with an army to fight Ishmael. They caught
up with
him at the pool of
After the second coming of Jesus, the dead shall be raised imperishable and those who are still living will be changed into immortals in an instant. Paul Quotes Isaiah 25: and Hosea 13:14. Sin causes death and sin is empowered by the law. But Jesus gives us victory over death now (Romans 8:1 and hereafter (Romans 8:11) Paul tells his hearers to be steadfast, not shaken by false teaching or deceptive visions; to do the work of the Lord, knowing that in him your labor is not in vain.
Jesus passed through grain fields on the Sabbath, and his disciples were hungry, so they plucked grain and ate. The Pharisees saw it and criticized them on the grounds that they were harvesting on the Sabbath. Jesus pointed out that the laws could be set aside in the case of human need or service to God. As Messiah, Jesus’ authority is greater than the law. (He has come so that the requirements of the Law might be fulfilled in him.) He entered a synagogue and encountered a man with a withered arm, and healed him on the Sabbath, pointing out that it was permissible to give aid to a farm animal on the Sabbath and that a human was more valuable. But the Pharisees left and plotted to destroy Jesus.
Ishmael was working for the enemy (King Baalis
of the Ammonites) against God’s plan.
God had arranged it so that Jeremiah and the portion of the
Judean army
which had been in the open countryside at the time of the
Jesus is our Johanan, who rescues us from our captivity to sin, and keeps us from being deported to Hell with Satan. Paul tells his hearers to be steadfast, not shaken by false prophets or deceptive visions (of victory by some plan other than God’s). trusting that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.
Jesus is Lord of everything. “And you who were dead in trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us our trespasses, having canceled the bond which stood against us with its legal demands; this he set aside, nailing it to the Cross (Colossians 3:13-14) He has freed us from the demands of the law, not so that we might sin, but that we might be cleansed from sin and live. The Pharisees thought that long-term-afflictions should await treatment until after the Sabbath; Jesus wanted the man with the withered arm to have a better life immediately. Jesus uses his authority to our benefit.
Jesus came to free us from Satin’s grip; to rescue us from deportation to Hell and Death. If we will follow God’s plan, we will have life and we will prosper. We must not listen to false prophets with deceptive visions of victory, who offer alternatives to God’s plan. Jesus is God’s plan. He is the only way (John 14:6). There is salvation in no one else (Acts 4:12) Where will you spend eternity?
23 Pentecost
– Thursday
first posted
10/26/05
Ezra 1:1-11 Cyrus’ decree
Jeremiah 42:1-22,
Warning not to flee to
1 Corinthians 16:1-9, Paul plans to visit
Matthew 12:15-21 Hope of the Gentiles
Cyrus, King of Persia (present day Iran) conquered the Babylonian (Chaldean; present-day Iraq) empire and began to reign in Babylon in 538 B. C.[i] The Lord “stirred up the heart of Cyrus” (Ezra 1:1), so that Cyrus made a proclamation in writing throughout his kingdom that the Lord God of heaven had given Cyrus all the kingdoms of earth, and had commanded Cyrus to build God a house in Jerusalem in Judah. Cyrus told all the Jews in exile to Go to Jerusalem to build a temple for the Lord God of Israel, and he told those of his subjects who were in contact with the Jews in exile to assist them by providing gold and silver, provisions, animals for transportation, and freewill offerings for the house of the Lord in Jerusalem. Cyrus’ command fulfilled the prophecy of Jeremiah that the Lord would bring his people back to the Promised Land after seventy years of exile in Babylon (Jeremiah 29:10).
The heads of all the families of the tribes of
Judah and
Benjamin (the two tribes of the southern Kingdom of Judah) and all the
priests
and Levites, and all the people of Judah who were in exile in Babylon,
who were
stirred by the Lord to return and rebuild the temple prepared to go.
The
Gentiles (non-Jews) around them in
Johanan had rescued captives from Ishmael, who had
revolted
against the Babylonian government of
After ten days, Jeremiah received God’s word in
answer to
his intercession. Jeremiah summoned Johanan and his officers and people
and
told them that God promised that if they stayed in
Jeremiah warned that if the remnant of
Jeremiah declared that the Lord would had punished
Judah and
Jerusalem by the Babylonians, and if the remnant chose to go to Egypt
in
disobedience of God’s word God would make them an example of God’s
wrath and
curse. They would never see the Promised Land again. Their disobedience
would
cost them their lives. Jeremiah reminded Johanan and the remnant of
Paul was taking a collection for Christians in
Judea in the
congregations he supervised including
Paul planned to visit the Corinthian congregation
after
passing through
Jesus was aware that the Pharisees (a strict legalistic faction of Judaism; Jewish authorities) were seeking to destroy him, so Jesus withdrew, “and many followed him, and he healed them all” (Matthew 12:15b), telling them not to publicize Jesus’ healings. Jesus was the fulfillment of the prophecy of Isaiah; the chosen beloved servant of the Lord (God, the Father), with whom the Lord was well pleased. He was filled with God’s Spirit. He would proclaim justice to Gentiles. He would not be a rabble-rouser or stir up civil unrest; He would offer healing and restoration to those who were spiritually bruised and rekindle those who were like spiritually smoldering wicks. In him (divine) justice would be victorious, and Gentiles would find hope in his name.
Nebuchadrezzar had been perceived as a threat to
The Lord had promised beforehand that Judah would be exiled for seventy years in Babylon, and then God would bring the remnant back to the Promised Land (Jeremiah 29:10-14). It was seventy years from the destruction of the temple in 587 B.C. to its restoration in 517 B. C.
The Lord was able to raise up Cyrus, give him
success over
Jeremiah had warned the people of
Jeremiah had faithfully and fully declared God’s
word to
Johanan, but Johanan’s group didn’t believe Jeremiah, and fled to
Johanan professed to seek God’s will and promised to follow God’s word for better or worse, but failed to fulfill his promise, In contrast, the Apostle Paul is the prototype and example of a modern “post-resurrection,” “born-again” (John 3:3, 5-8) disciple of Jesus Christ, which all of us can be. He sought and was obedient to God’s guidance; he trusted and obeyed God’s word. Christians must not be intimidated; we must trust that God is faithful, abundantly powerful, able to fulfill what he promises, and able to deliver us from our adversaries.
Jesus had many adversaries. They only managed to crucify him because God allowed it and Jesus submitted to God’s will. Jesus knew that the Jewish authorities were seeking to destroy him but he didn’t let that threat keep him from trusting, obeying, and declaring God’s word. Jesus’ adversaries didn’t have the last word. They crucified him but God raised him from the dead.
Sometimes
we may find ourselves in a situation where the worldly, common-sense
thing to
do seems to be the opposite of what the Lord is directing us to do. In
the case
of Johanan and the rescued captives, human
logic
would tell us it would be safer in
Now
is the time to make our travel plans. Are we heading for eternity with
Jesus in
Heaven or are we going to eternal death and destruction in the Hell of
fire
with Satan and his demons? The word of God never fails. The Lord kept
his
promise to bring the exiles back to
Is Jesus your Lord? Are you Jesus’ disciple? Are you trusting and obeying Jesus? Have you received the indwelling Holy Spirit since you first truly believed (Acts 19:2)? Are you making disciples of Jesus Christ and teaching them to obey all that Jesus commands (Matthew 28:18-20)? Do you know with certainty where you will spend eternity (1 John 5:11-13; Ephesians 1:13-14)?
[i] The Oxford Annotated Bible, Revised Standard Version, Ed. by Herbert G. May and Bruce M. Metzger, Ezra 1:1-4n, p. 573, New York, Oxford University Press, 1962.
[ii] ibid; Jeremiah 44:15-28n, p. 972
[iii] The International Bible Commentary, New
International
Version, Gen. Ed. (rev. ed.), F. F. Bruce, (orig. ed. F. F. Bruce, H. L
Ellison,
G. C. D Howley, Jeremiah 43:8-14, (xxii. f.) Guideposts,
_______________________________________________________________________
Alternative
Entry
first posted
11/19/03
Ezra 1:1-11 Cyrus’ Decree
(or) Jeremiah 42:1-22
Warning against flight to
1 Corinthians 16:1-9 Contributions; travel plans
Matthew 12:15-21 Jesus’ healing ministry
In the first year of the reign of Cyrus, King of
Persia, who
had conquered Babylonia, the Lord stirred Cyrus to make a decree that
the
Temple in Jerusalem should be rebuilt, fulfilling the prophesy of
Jeremiah
(Jeremiah 29:10). Cyrus ordered that the exiles be allowed to return to
Johanan and the Judean
forces and
the rescued people from Mizpah asked
Jeremiah for
guidance from the Lord as to what they should do. Jeremiah made inquiry
of the
Lord. The people promised to obey whatever Jeremiah reported from the
Lord,
whether good or bad. After ten days, the Lord told Jeremiah that if the
people
remained in
Paul directed the church at
“Many followed him (Jesus) and he healed them all” (v.15b). He ordered them not to make him known. He fulfills the prophecy of Isaiah 42:1-4 quoted in v. 18-21: “…he shall proclaim justice to the Gentiles…and in his name will the Gentiles hope” (v. 18d, 21).
Cyrus fulfilled the prophecy of Jeremiah by
ordering the
return of the exiles to
When Johanan, the
Judean military
commander, had rescued the captives from Ishmael, the assassin of Gedaliah, (see entry for Wednesday, November 19,
2003),
they sought the Lord’s guidance, through Jeremiah, about where to go.
The Lord
promised that he would protect them from Babylonian reprisal for the
revolt
which Ishmael had instigated, if they obeyed the Lord by staying in
Paul, in all his activities, sought and followed
the leading
of the Holy Spirit. The Holy spirit kept him from preaching in Asia,
and led
him instead to cross over to
Jesus didn’t seek publicity. He frequently told those he healed to tell no one. Some of them disregarded his instruction, and it became difficult for Jesus to move about openly because of the crowds (Mark 1:40-45). Because people didn’t obey him, perhaps thinking they knew better, or that they were doing a good thing by exulting Jesus, they made it more difficult for Jesus to do his work. It hindered his ability to follow God’s direction of his travels.
Sometimes we may find ourselves in a situation
where the
worldly, common-sense thing to do seems to be the opposite of what the
Lord is
directing us to do. In the case of Johanan
and the
rescued captives, human logic would tell us it would be safer in
Now is the time to make our travel plans. Are we
heading for
eternity with Jesus in Heaven or are we going to eternal death and
destruction
in the Hell of fire with Satan and his demons? The word of God never
fails. The
Lord kept his promise to bring the exiles back to
23 Pentecost
– Friday
first posted 10/27/05
Ezra 3:1-13, Rebuilding the temple
Jeremiah 43:1-13,
Nebuchadrezzar will conquer
1 Corinthians 16:10-24, Concluding messages
Matthew 12:22-32, Source of Jesus’ power
There were four groups of Jewish exiles returning
to
Fourteen months later, work was started on the temple foundation. Adult Levites were appointed to oversee the workmanship of the house of the Lord; Jeshua and his sons and Kadmiel, a Levite returned exile, and his sons, supervised the laborers. All the returning exiles assembled for the laying of the foundation, and there was a great celebration with music and praise to the Lord, in accordance with the directions for the dedication of the temple given by David (2 Chronicles 3:1; 29:25-30). There was great rejoicing, but also sorrow and weeping among the elders who had seen the first temple (built by King Solomon). The weeping mixed with and could not be distinguished from the shouts of joy, and the sound of the celebration was heard from a great distance.
Johanan, leader of the remnant of Jews who had
avoided exile
in
When Jeremiah finished declaring God’s word,
Johanan and
other insolent people with him, accused Jeremiah of lying, and blamed
Baruch,
Jeremiah’s scribe, for plotting to deliver the remnant of
In Tahpanhes, the Lord told Jeremiah to hide two
large
stones in the pavement at the entrance to Pharaoh’s palace in
Tahpanhes. The
Lord told Jeremiah that Nebuchadrezzar (Nebuchadnezzar, King of
Babylon), who
would accomplish God’s will, would place his throne and spread his
canopy over
the stones Jeremiah had placed. The Chaldeans would attack
Timothy, son of a Greek father and Jewish mother
in Lystra
(in Asia Minor: present-day
Paul urged the Christians to be watchful,
courageous, strong
and unshakable in their faith, and to let everything be done in love.
Paul
reminded them that the household of Stephanas had been Paul’s first
converts in
Achaia (one of two Roman provinces of
A man made blind and mute by demonic possession was brought to Jesus. Jesus healed him and the man’s speech and vision returned. The crowds who witnessed the healing were amazed, and wondered if Jesus could be the Son of David (the Messiah, the anointed eternal heir to the throne of David; Matthew 1:1-16; Luke 2:4-7). But the Pharisees (strict legalistic faction of Judaism; religious authorities) said that Jesus was only able to cast out demons by the power of Belzebul (the prince of demons; Satan).
Jesus knew their thoughts and said that a kingdom
divided
against itself is torn apart, and a city or house divided cannot stand.
Why
would Satan attack his own kingdom? Jewish exorcists were also casting
out
demons, so if Jesus was casting out demons by the power of Satan, what
was the
source of the Jewish exorcists’ power? So the Jewish exorcists will be
testimony against the Pharisees. But if it was by the Spirit of God
that Jesus
was able to cast out demons, then the
Jesus declared that whoever is not committed to following Jesus is working against him, and whoever is not bringing others to Jesus is impeding Jesus’ mission. Jesus declared that every blasphemy (speaking against God; insult; verbal abuse) is forgivable, except the blasphemy against the Holy Spirit, which will not be forgiven. Blasphemy against Jesus is forgivable, but Blasphemy against the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven, in this age or the age to come.
God’s will is going to be done, whether we
cooperate with
him or not. God’s word is completely true and reliable, and always
fulfilled,
not just once, but over and over, as the conditions for its fulfillment
are
met. God’s word contains promises and warnings (both “carrot” and
“stick”).
Those who trust and obey God’s word receive the promises; those who
reject and
disobey, receive the consequences the warnings were given to avoid. God
used King
Cyrus of
Johanan was the leader of the people of
Paul is the prototype and illustration of a modern, “post-resurrection” “born-again” disciple and apostle (messenger; of the Gospel) of Jesus Christ, as all of us can be. He had come to faith (obedient trust) in Jesus and to rebirth by the gift of the indwelling Holy Spirit (Paul was formerly known as Saul; see Acts 9:1-20) after Jesus’ resurrection and ascension into heaven. He is an illustration of one who is following the example of Jesus and completing the mission of saving people from eternal death through the proclamation of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. He was making disciples of Jesus and teaching them to obey all that Jesus commanded, fulfilling the Great Commission which Jesus gave to his disciples (Matthew 28:19-20). All Christians are to follow the example of Jesus, Paul and all fellow disciples and apostles, who are working for the Gospel of Jesus Christ and for the Second Coming of Jesus Christ in power and glory to establish his eternal kingdom, which is the age to come. Maranatha! Come, Lord Jesus!
The blind and mute man was physically disabled,
but that
disability was the manifestation of spiritual illness.
Jesus healed the spiritual problem and the
physical disability was healed. (Compare Paul’s healing on the road to
The Pharisees refused to accept Jesus as the Messiah, the Son of God. They rejected God’s Plan of Salvation (sidebar, top right).They accused Jesus of blasphemy (Matthew 9:3; 26:65), but it was they who were guilty of blasphemy, and they who blasphemed against not only Jesus but the Holy Spirit (Matthew 12:24, 32). It was the Jewish religious leaders who were spiritually blind, because they could not recognize and acknowledge Jesus as the Messiah and Son of God.
Those who are not following the example of Jesus
and Paul are
working against the Gospel and the
Are we open to the truth, or do we refuse to hear the truth because it doesn’t fit with our preconceived ideas? Do we acknowledge that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God? Do we seek God’s will, regardless of whether it appeals to us personally, or do we want to know God’s will before we decide whether to do it, so that we can pick and choose? Are we working for Jesus, or are we opposing him? Are we going to go to our eternal death in Hell with Satan and his demons in spite of the warnings in God’s word because we don’t want to hear them and refuse to believe? Jesus is the way, the truth and the life; no one comes to the Father but by him (John 14:6) There is salvation in no one else (Acts 4:12)
Is Jesus your Lord? Are you Jesus’ disciple? Are you trusting and obeying Jesus? Have you received the indwelling Holy Spirit since you first truly believed (Acts 19:2)? Are you making disciples of Jesus Christ and teaching them to obey all that Jesus commands (Matthew 28:18-20)? Do you know with certainty where you will spend eternity (1 John 5:11-13; Ephesians 1:13-14)?
_____________________________________________________________________
*The Oxford Annotated Bible, Revised Standard Version, Ed. by Herbert G. May and Bruce M. Metzger, Ezra 3:1-13n, p. 576, New York, Oxford University Press, 1962.
_____________________________________________________________________
Alternative
Entry
Ezra 3:1-13
Rebuilding the
(or) Jeremiah 43:1-13 Johanan’s group rejects Jeremiah’s oracle
1 Corinthians 16:10-24 Final exhortations
Matthew 12:22-32 The unforgivable sin
In the second year (520 BC*) of Darius I of
Johanan and the
Judeans he had
rescued from Ishmael had to decide whether to remain in
Paul made arrangements for several of his
co-workers to
visit the Corinthians. He exhorted the members to stand firm in their
faith and
to do everything in love. He commended Stephanas,
Fortunatus and Achaicus,
who had
apparently had visited Paul. He passed on personal greetings from Aquilla and Prisca,
whose house
in
A blind and mute man was healed by Jesus, but the Pharisees charged that Jesus was casting out demons by Beelzebul, the prince of demons (a pagan god identified with Satan). Jesus answered by saying that no house divided against itself will stand. He also used the analogy of a robber of the house of a strong man, to indicate that one must first overpower a strong man before he can be robbed. Jesus said that whoever is not with Jesus is against him, and that every blasphemy, including blasphemy against the Son of God (Son of Man) is able to be forgiven, but blasphemy against the Holy Spirit cannot be forgiven.
The Lord fulfilled his promise to bring the exiles
back from
Earlier, while the exiles were still in
Paul’s life was an example of obedience to the
will of God
and the leading of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit kept him from
preaching in
Asia, and led him instead to cross over to
Jesus healed the deaf and mute demoniac. The people were amazed and began to consider that Jesus might be the Messiah (v.24). That questioning indicates a search for truth. The man had obviously been healed, and the power that healed him was beyond human ability. The most logical inference would be that it was by the power of God. The Pharisees, however, had rejected the possibility that Jesus was the Messiah, and seized the alternative explanation which, even by worldly logic, was improbable, as Jesus showed. The Pharisees were unwilling to work with Jesus; they rejected God’s plan.
Are we open to the truth, or do we refuse to hear the truth because it doesn’t fit with our preconceived ideas? Do we acknowledge that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God? Do we seek God’s will, regardless of whether it appeals to us personally, or do we want to know God’s will before we decide whether to do it, so that we can pick and choose? Are we working for Jesus, or are we against him? Are we going to go to our eternal death in Hell with Satan and his demons in spite of the warnings in God’s word because we don’t want to hear them and refuse to believe? Jesus is the way, the truth and the life; no one comes to the Father but by him (John 14:6) There is salvation in no one else (Acts 4:12)
___________________________________________________________
*The Oxford Annotated Bible, Revised Standard Version, Ed. by Herbert G. May and Bruce M. Metzger, Ezra 3:1-13n, p. 576, New York, Oxford University Press, 1962
23 Pentecost
– Saturday
Ezra 4:7, 11-24, Opposition
to rebuilding
Jeremiah 44:1-14,
No refuge in
Philemon 1-25, Mediator of reconciliation
Matthew 12:33-42, Request for a sign
During the reign of Artaxerxes, King of Persia
(464-423 B.
C.*), Rehum, the Persian commander (of the Persian province of “Beyond
the
River” which included
The purpose of the letter was to inform King
Artaxerxes that
the Jewish returnees from exile in
The king replied that he had searched the records
and
verified that the provincial officials’ allegations were true. He gave
the
officials authority to decree that the city not be rebuilt and that
work should
cease, and they should diligently enforce the decree until the king
ruled
otherwise. The provincial officials went in force to
Jeremiah and his scribe, Baruch, had been taken to
Then the Lord asked why the remnant of
Because of their impenitence and disobedience, the
Lord had
resolved to cut them off from
While Paul was under house arrest in
Paul rejoiced in Philemon’s love and faith, and prayed that Philemon’s sharing of faith would bring others to know the blessings we have in Christ. Paul had rejoiced in the love and comfort of Philemon’s love and his encouragement of the saints (Christians).
Paul, an ambassador and prisoner on Christ’s behalf, preferred to ask Philemon rather than to demand that Philemon receive Onesimus, whom Paul loved and considered his spiritual son. Paul said that the slave named “Useful” had been “useless” to Philemon in the past (having run away) but since his conversion was “useful” to Paul and to Philemon. Paul would have been glad to consider and keep Onesimus’ service as a gift of support from Philemon, but preferred not to act presumptively, without Philemon’s consent, so that Philemon’s generosity would not be by compulsion by of his own free will.
Paul tactfully suggested that God’s providence was at work in Onesimus’ “separation” (running away), so that he might be returned to Philemon no more as a slave, but as the beloved Christian brother of both Paul and Philemon. So Paul asked Philemon, if he considered Paul his partner (in the Gospel), to receive Onesimus as if he were receiving Paul himself. If Onesimus owed Philemon anything Paul promised to personally repay it, but reminding Philemon of his debt to Paul for his conversion and salvation in the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The repayment that Paul sought was the joy and encouragement of Philemon’s faith and love in Christ.
Paul trusted that Philemon would do what Paul asked and even more (perhaps giving Onesimus his freedom). Paul hoped to be delivered from his imprisonment through Philemon’s prayers, so that he could visit Philemon (and see how Onesimus was being treated).
Paul conveyed the greetings of Epaphras and
Aristarchus
(Colossians 4:10), fellow prisoners with Paul in
The Pharisees (a strict, legalistic faction of Judaism; religious authorities) were seeking grounds to destroy Jesus (Matthew 12:14). They had challenged his authority and had blasphemed the Holy Spirit (Matthew 12:24, 32). Jesus replied that only good trees produce good fruit; bad trees produce bad fruit. Jesus called them poisonous snakes! He told them that they couldn’t speak what is good because they were full of evil. A good person is a storehouse of goodness from which he brings forth good, but an evil person treasures what is evil and from that treasure he brings forth evil. Jesus warned that on the Day of Judgment, everyone will be accountable for every careless word they have spoken. Each individual will be condemned or acquitted by his own words.
The scribes (teachers of the Law) and Pharisees
asked Jesus
to give them a sign proving his authority, but Jesus said that they
were an
evil and (spiritually) adulterous generation, who were seeking a sign,
but the
only sign they would see is the sign of Jonah (the reluctant prophet to
Nineveh). As Jonah spent three days and nights in the belly of the
whale, so
the Son of man (Jesus) will be three nights in the belly of the earth
(the
tomb). At the Day of Judgment “this” generation will be condemned by
the
witness of the people of
The returned Jewish exiles from
The remnant of
God’s word contains both promises and warnings (“carrot” and “stick”). To receive the promises we must trust and obey God’s word; otherwise we will receive the consequences the warnings were intended to help us avoid.
Paul is an example of a leader of the Church who uses divine authority with love to mediate between brethren in Christ. Under Roman law, Philemon had absolute authority over the life and person of his slave. Paul is using love to motivate Philemon to obey God’s word and to respond in love to Onesimus, rather than asserting his worldly authority. Philemon is being discipled by Paul to grow in spiritual maturity. Paul is following Jesus’ example, and demonstrating that he is a disciple of Jesus Christ. Paul is mediating between master and servant, as Jesus mediates between ourselves and God the Father. Paul is an ambassador of Christ to the world and the Church.
The Pharisees were “run-away servants” of God, who were unwilling to accept Jesus’ love, authority and his mediation on their behalf to God. Jesus is the Messiah (Christ; God’s anointed eternal king) who was appealing to them in love, rather than compelling them by his power and authority. They refused to return to obedient trust in God’s word. They wanted to be “kings” and to use their worldly power and authority to preserve their worldly “kingdoms” and their material well-being. They were trying to provide their own salvation by some way other than God’s way. Jesus is God’s only way (John 14:6); God’s only plan for our forgiveness and salvation (Acts 4:12; see God’s Plan of Salvation, sidebar, top right).
The scribes and Pharisees wanted “proof” that Jesus was the Messiah. For those who need “proof” to believe in Jesus there is none, but for those who believe (trust and obey) there is an abundance of proof. There were many “signs” done by Jesus and witnessed by the Jewish religious authorities, but they still asked for “proof.” The reason they didn’t believe the signs is because they wanted to be “lord;” they refused to believe the signs they saw.
God has always intended to create an eternal kingdom of his people who choose trust and obey him. God’s plan of salvation through Jesus Christ is not an “afterthought;” it has always been God’s plan, from the beginning of creation, and has been “built in” to the structure of Creation (John 1:1-3, 14). This creation is our opportunity to seek and come to a personal relationship with God through faith in Jesus Christ by the gift of the indwelling Holy Spirit (Acts 17:26-27). Salvation is by God’s grace (unmerited favor; free gift), which can only be received by faith (obedient trust) in Jesus Christ (Ephesians 2:8-9). If Jesus were to prove that he is the Messiah and Son of God, then his Lordship would not be by our free choice through faith.
Are you willing to acknowledge your need for reconciliation, and accept the reconciliation which Jesus offers? Is Jesus your Lord? Are you Jesus’ disciple? Are you trusting and obeying Jesus? Have you received the indwelling Holy Spirit since you first truly believed (Acts 19:2)? Are you making disciples of Jesus Christ and teaching them to obey all that Jesus commands (Matthew 28:18-20)? Do you know with certainty where you will spend eternity (1 John 5:11-13; Ephesians 1:13-14)?
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*The Oxford Annotated Bible, Revised Standard Version, Ed. by Herbert G. May and Bruce M. Metzger, Ezra 4:7-23n, p.577, New York, Oxford University Press, 1962.
**ibid; Jeremiah 44:1n, p.971
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Alternative
Entry
Ezra 4:7, 11-24 Opposition to Rebuilding
(or) Jeremiah 44:1-14
Reiterated Warning to Diaspora in
Philemon 1-25 Reconciliation
Matthew 12:33-42 Request for a sign
Local Persian officials, Bishlam,
Midredath, and Tabeel
wrote a
letter to Artaxerxes the King of Persia,
by
authorization to Rehum, the commander, and
Shishai, the scribe, complaining that
The word of the Lord came to Jeremiah, concerning
the Jews
that had fled to
Paul was writing to Philemon, a resident of
Jesus says that a tree will bear fruit according to its nature, and that a person will be judged according to what he does and says. The Pharisees asked for a sign, and Jesus responded with the analogy of Jesus burial and resurrection to that of Jonah being swallowed by the whale. His point was that Nineveah repented at the preaching of Jonah, but that the Pharisees had not repented at the preaching of Jesus, although Jesus was far superior to Jonah. He also suggested that his wisdom was greater than Solomon’s and that the Queen of Sheba had come from far away to hear the wisdom of Solomon, but that the Pharisees, who are right at hand, do not appreciate the wisdom of Jesus, which is far superior to that of Solomon.
Onesimus had rebelled against his master, Philemon, but he had come to salvation in Jesus and had repented of his rebelliousness. According to Roman law, Philemon could have had Onesimus put to death for his rebellion against his master. Paul was interceding with his master for him for his reconciliation, on the basis of his master’s own godliness.
Jesus came to bring reconciliation. We have all been rebellious to God. The punishment for that rebellion is separation and eternal death. Jesus is willing to have the father charge our debts to Jesus’ account. Are we willing to be reconciled? The people of Jonah repented and were reconciled. The Pharisees were unwilling to acknowledge their rebelliousness and unwilling to turn to Jesus and be reconciled with God.
Jesus is God’s only provision for our reconciliation. (John 14:6, Acts 4:12) We have all sinned and fall short of the Glory of God (Romans 3:23) The wages of (punishment for) sin is death (eternal death and separation from God. (Romans 6:23) But God showed his love for us , in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us (Romans 5:8) and that whoever believes in Jesus might not perish but have eternal life (John 3:16). And this salvation is a free gift, by faith in Jesus, not by works (Ephesians 2:8-9). Anyone who receives Jesus, who believes in his name, receives the power to become children of God. (John 1:12) Jesus stands at the door and knocks; if anyone hears his voice and opens unto him, he will come in and have intimate fellowship with him (Revelation 3:20). Are you willing to acknowledge your need for reconciliation, and accept the reconciliation which Jesus offers?