Tag: daily devotion

The Prince of Persia

OLD TESTAMENT: Daniel 10

POETRY: Psalm 139

NEW TESTAMENT: John 11:38-57

For most of the modern era, we lived in a world that was unabashedly, even arrogantly, anti-supernatural. There were a number of early American founders who believed the respectable form of belief was Deism; God existed and created the world, but has not interfered. With the rise of modern science, the theory of evolution, the splitting of the atom, more and more people claimed that God was in the gaps of our knowledge, and when those gaps shrunk, so did our God. Soon, there would be nowhere left for him to go. 

In the time since the 1950s and 1960s, especially in the West, we have seen a continual decline of religious adherence (those who “go to church/mosque/synagogue” or believe in the doctrines of a major religion) but we have seen a marked increase in those who believe in God or gods, the supernatural, crystals, “manifesting”, life after death, angels, ESP, and more. 

As Christians, our beliefs should not be tied to the beliefs of our day or of our world, but on the words of scripture. Of course, we are not called to deny God or say he only lives in the gaps of knowledge, nor do we believe in every form of supernatural experience. Daniel gives us something more than Deism and something less than delusion.

In Daniel 10, Daniel is told that he has been heard by God, and that he has been answered, but the reason the angel was delayed was because “the prince of the Kingdom of Persia withstood me for twenty-one days.” Read again the description of this powerful angel. This is not a being who will be withstood by human forces. Nor is Michael merely a human prince, but a Chief of the Angels.This is an angelic messenger delivering news about the future. 

According to this passage, places like Revelation 12, and a small selection of other texts, there is a war in heavenly places, and we are called to be soldiers. Not against flesh and blood, not for any country or flag, but for our King against the common enemy of mankind. In a world that denies the supernatural, there are those who deny not only the angels, but deny the demons and the devil. If we deny the existence of the devil, how can we be prepared to stand against him and his schemes? Satan prowls about looking for someone to devour (1 Peter 5:8). We have to resist the devil, and only then will he flee from us (James 4:7). We are called to put on the whole armor of God, especially the shield of faith to extinguish the flaming arrows of the evil one. 

Today’s chapter is short. This devotion is also short. Just remember, you are called to fight against the evil of the devil and his angels, but you are filled with the power of God, wearing the amor of God, backed by the people of God and the angels of God, all for the glory of God. Satan is not more powerful than our God: “greater is he who is in you than he who is in the world.” (1 John 4:4) That is a battlecry to get behind. 

-Jake Ballard

Reflection Questions

  1. What effect did getting a glimpse of the spiritual warfare being fought have on Daniel?
  2. What does the Bible teach about spiritual warfare in the past, present and future? How often do you consider the spiritual battle being waged right now? How does it affect you when you do?
  3. Where do you see Satan at work? What has God given you to stand strong against Satan/the devil?
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The Solemn Joy of Christmas

OLD TESTAMENT: Daniel 9

POETRY: Psalm 138

NEW TESTAMENT: John 11:1-37

It’s the most wonderful time of the year. 

It’s my absolute favorite time. I love the snow falling from gray skies. The world turned crystalline with ice. Warm homes with twinkling lights and fireplaces burning, keeping the dark days bright. 

But notice, all the things I am speaking of are the current time of the year. I could be speaking of “the holidays,” a societal collection of days starting usually on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving and going to about January 1st. I’m not speaking of those days. Thanksgiving is a great reminder to give thanks to God, New Year’s is nice to think about the way we want to live differently and better in the year ahead. But the only holiday in “the holidays” that matters is Christmas, its twelve days beginning on December 25 and going on until January 6th! Before this time of Christmastide, we can celebrate Advent (meaning “coming”) about the coming of Jesus. Advent starts four Sundays before Christmas, meaning the first advent Sunday was yesterday. 

Though the weeks of Advent are based around familiar themes (hope, peace, joy, love), Advent should also be a time of solemnity. Why? It’s more fun to focus on the love of God and the peace toward men of good will, hope and joy given to those who see the babe in the straw. 

Why is the babe in the straw? “Behold the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.” In Advent, similar to Lent (the days before Easter), though not as intense, the Christian world is encouraged to remember our sins and to confess them to God. Daniel, in Daniel 9, embodies this for us well. 

Daniel prays to God, but he does so with all the parts of his body. He covers himself with ashes, a symbol of mourning, and itchy sackcloth, and to show his total dependence upon God, he fasts, refraining from food. He claims responsibility for his own sin and for the sin of his people. “We have sinned and done wrong and acted wickedly and rebelled.” (9:5) He recognizes that God is righteous (9:7), merciful and forgiving (9:9), but for the people of God he knows that they are shameful in their disobedience. He recognizes that he and all God’s people transgressed and disobeyed the law, the voice of God. 

When was the last time you laid out your sin before the Lord and repented of it? Maybe you do this every day, and recognize those things in you that need to change and course correct at the end of each day. That’s awesome. But maybe it’s been longer than a day, and during this time of Advent, when we consider that Christ had to come to save us from our sins, you can say “God, I’m sorry for the mistakes I’ve made.” If you have never given your life to Christ, that is necessary for forgiveness and hope. We trust that God is merciful, as Daniel says in Daniel 9:18 “For we do not present our pleas before you because of our righteousness, but because of your great mercy.”

And because he is, forgiveness is quick to be given, and hope is not scorned, because we are not calling on a vindictive God but on a loving Father. Gabriel tells Daniel “as soon as you began to pray, a word was sent out.” Daniel gets a visionary message in answer to his prayer… but notice his prayer will be answered! We know now that it was answered. When we come to God and confess, he is faithful and just to forgive us of all sins and cleanse us of all unrighteousness.  (1 John 1:9)

So today, take the time in this Advent season to confess your sins, to course correct because you want to please the God who saves you and wants to bless you. But do so because of what Advent will receive, and what the season is Hope, Peace, Joy, and Love. 

Merry Christmas, and God bless us, every one. 

-Jake Ballard

Reflection Questions

  1. What makes the Advent season so special? How can you celebrate it in a way that brings honor to God and to the gift of His Son Jesus Christ?
  2. What role does confession play in your relationship with God? What do you notice in Daniel’s prayer? What does he acknowledge? What are his requests? When was your last prayer of confession?
  3. What will you pray today?
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When the End Isn’t the End

OLD TESTAMENT: Daniel 8

POETRY: Psalm 137

NEW TESTAMENT: John 10:22-42

I love a good hyperbole. The standards like “I could eat a whole elephant.” The things you ask kids like “how much money does the president have?” ”A million billion dollars!” They reply. Or getting to more beautiful like the hymn “The Love of God.” “Could we with ink the ocean fill, and were the skies of parchment made; were ev’ry stalk on earth a quill, and ev’ryone a scribe by trade; to write the love of God above would drain the ocean dry; nor could the scroll contain the whole, though stretched from sky to sky.” That last one is beautiful, and maybe not completely a hyperbole; God’s love for creation *is* beyond words. 

Today, we are going to see how Daniel uses hyperbole in chapter 8. After reading the chapter, we can put together vision and interpretation to understand what is going on. There are two kingdoms, the kings of Media and Persia (8:20) represented by a ram with two horns. (8:3-4) Then a male goat (8:5-7), explained to be the Kingdom of Greece (8:21), comes along and destroyed the Kingdoms of Media and Persia. The first great King of 8:21 is Alexander the Great, the conqueror of the ancient world. Notice that the horn is broken into four horns, just like the Kingdom of Alexander was broken into four kingdoms after his death (8:22), and just like the horn of the fourth, terrible beast grows, so the horn of 8:9 starts small and grows in power. 

After Alexander’s death (323 BC), much later (215-164 BC), there is a man, Antiochus IV, who grew in power, who stopped the sacrifices of the people of God, who with a “bold face” decided to put his face on the statue of Jupiter and set it up in the sanctuary. Who sacrificed a pig on the altar, we put down those who opposed him and killed those who followed the law or who circumcised their children. (8:23-24) Antiochus even is judged by God and killed, not with human hands, but with a sudden sickness (8:25)

By now, you might be asking, “Why do I need the history lesson?” Because when we read about this, Daniel is told not to worry because this will be “for the time of the end” (8:17, 19) and again that this will occur “many days from now.” The first thing you need to see is that prophecies aren’t ALWAYS about the future. We should *know* this, because December and Christmas is the fulfillment of multiple prophecies to the people of God about the Messiah. There is a time when every prophecy will be fulfilled, some of those in our world, and some of those at the end. But, what I also want you to see is that Daniel looked at this time of Antiochus, and the coming of the Maccabean Kingdom and the Hasmonean dynasty which ended Greek rule in Judea, and he was told that it was like the end. God gave his people a kingdom, he gave them power, he gave them a thrown. They cast out their enemies. But, and this is the final point, Jesus points to the future with some of the language here. Jesus talks about, from his perspective a future “abomination of desolation” or “transgression that makes desolate”. Clearly, from our point of view the temple was destroyed, but immediately after those days, the world did not come to an end. Maybe it was, again, a type. It would not be impossible for God to fulfill a prophecy multiple times and more perfectly each time. (A young woman gave birth in Isaiah; but Jesus was truly born to a virgin. (See Isaiah 7:14))

What I want you to see is that Daniel, Jesus, and John the Revelator were not necessarily speaking only for the far future. Of the end times. Daniel’s message was important to the people of the 160s BC, Jesus meant something in 70 AD, John clearly imparted wisdom for the 90s and 100s. But that is not the end of their story. The command to remain faithful in the midst of chaos and challenge, to look for the coming of the Son of Man and not fall prey to false Messiahs, and to be faithful unto death, each of those messages matter every day. Maybe the reason hyperbole works so well is that it shakes us to our core, wakes us up to the message. “The world is ending today!”… maybe; but my world could also be after I finish this devotion. Am I awake to the Lord? Did I live my mission and my purpose faithfully? Isn’t that a question we should all ask ourselves? Maybe, when we can say yes, a day will come when we can finally sing full and true the love of God, because we will live forever. 

Luckily, there is no hyperbole to “eternal life.”

-jake Ballard

Questions:

  1. Does Biblical hyperbole scare you or make you uncomfortable? Why or why not? If the Bible is really literature, and in literature we use hyperbole, shouldn’t we expect to see it in the Bible? As a thought it might be helpful to remember the genre when thinking of hyperbole. “A log in your eye” is a teaching, and not to be taken literally; Jesus feeds 5000 is narrative of the miracle working Christ and *should* be taken literally. 
  2. Understanding the history of the people of God between 400 and 0 BC is very helpful. While I couldn’t go in to depth here, what does this brief overview show you?
  3. What is keeping you from being awake to the Lord? To live your life and purpose faithfully, so that one day you may live forever? Are you talking to anyone about those things that are holding you back? May you be blessed by sharing those this advent season. 
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The Son of Man and the Ancient of Days

OLD TESTAMENT: Daniel 7

POETRY: Psalm 136

NEW TESTAMENT: John 10:1-21

If you have never read Daniel before, or you don’t remember it if you have, then we are now getting away from the stuff that we usually remember. Chapters 1-6 are mainly narrative, stories of Daniel and the boys and the people they encounter and the God who is with them every step of the way. Chapters 7-12 leave the comfort of narrative behind, and we move into the murky and deep waters of visions and interpretations. Let’s start with a caveat: we don’t know everything that will happen in the future. If and when Daniel speaks about the end of days and the beginning of a new world, then we should and must take his prophecies seriously. But there are a lot of different opinions on the interpretation of the book of Daniel. I am hoping to give you mine. First, we’ll do a rundown, and then we will see what it means to us now. 

First, Daniel’s four beasts who come up out of the sea are connected with the four kingdoms in the vision of Daniel from chapter 2. If you were curious then, here is what we begin to see. It is clear that the head of gold is Babylon, and the fact that the beast was a lion with wings and had the mind (found in the head) of a man connects these two. If we skip down to the fourth kingdom, notice the ten toes vs. the 10 horns; also, the legs are of iron and the feet of iron and clay, and the fourth terrible beast has ten horns where one uproots three. If it is clear that the first beast and the fourth beast are the same as the head and the legs of Daniel 2 respectively, then we can allow Daniel 2 to help shape our understanding of this passage. Still, we are not yet given the identity of the other kingdoms, so all we are working with, so far, is Babylon. We will fill in the blanks as we go forward. 

Second, we are treated to a picture of the throne rooms of God. God in the passage is called the “Ancient of Days,” basically saying God is the one who has existed from the beginning. He is not a tame, fatherly, or grandfatherly God, with a jolly face and an upturned nose handing out candy canes to good boys and girls. God isn’t Santa. He sits upon fire, and the wheels of the throne are fire, and he is served by legions of angels, and there is judgment held before this one who brings terror. And the fourth beast and the horn are destroyed, and their authority is taken away. 

Third, one “like a son of man” comes into the presence of the ancient of Days, and is given dominion and glory and a kingdom and all will serve him. To be clear, this is explained in Daniel by an angel in the vision. The beasts are kings, but “the saints of the Most High shall receive the kingdom and possess the kingdom forever, forever and ever.” Again, later in verse 27 we read “the kingdom and the dominion and the greatness of the kingdom under the whole heaven shall be given to the people of the saints of the Most High.”

What does it mean for us now? 

  1. Simply, no matter how bad the world gets, God is going to win. If you are feeling like giving into gloom and despair as the world gets darker, literally in the Northern Hemisphere and metaphorically *everywhere*, remember, God is not worried about the end of the age, and we shouldn’t be either.
  2. The reason to not fear is that there is a kingdom coming. Back in chapter 2, this kingdom was described as a stone that crushed the feet mixed of iron and clay. Today it is the judgement of God upon the fourth kingdom of this world. We are going to have an interesting discussion about the fourth beast soon, and what kingdom it represents. But more importantly, the victory of God over the kingdoms of this world is not in doubt. The reason this is different from point one is that something better is coming. It’s not just that God is powerful over the fourth beast; its that something better is going to be put in its place, a kingdom for and of his priests, with life as the center (see Daniel 12). Look for and be ready for the kingdom. 
  3. We do that by being found in Jesus. Jesus calls himself “the son of Man” extremely often, seemingly in reference to Daniel. Daniel, however,  interprets the son of Man as the saints of God. What gives? Jesus is the personification and leader of the saints of God. Every promise for God’s people is given to and fulfilled in Jesus. As Christians, when we trust in Jesus, the Bible says we are “clothed in Jesus”. Jesus moves into our hearts and we dwell in his power. The reason we receive the Kingdom of God is only because Jesus shares it with us as the perfect saint of the Most High. The reason we have life is because he has life. If you want to be able to face the darkness of this world knowing it will be destroyed, and that you will be given’s God’s blessings rather than undergoing his wrath, you must trust in Jesus for this salvation, rely on him for his spiritual power, and live the way he commanded in response to the salvation he offers. 

And that is “the end of the matter “ (Dan. 7:28)

-Jake Ballard

Questions:

  1. Does it matter to you personally to know the identity of the Kingdoms in Daniel? Why or why not? Even if we might acknowledge that our knowledge is faulty, are you comfortable saying “I don’t know” to any question? Most questions? Every question? If we say “I don’t know” more often than giving an answer, are we truly loving God with all our mind?
  2. I don’t want to harp on yesterday’s theme, but notice the mispicturing of God: like a grandfather giving sweets, or Santa bringing presents to good kids. What is the picture of God in Daniel? How does this compare to the beginning of Ezekiel or Isaiah?
  3. Check in with your heart: are you worried about the world being too dark? Are you giving up hope in a brighter future of the kingdom of God? Don’t give in to despair. God desires for you to hope; it is a cardinal virtue. “These three remain, faith hope and love, but the greatest of these is love.”
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More Than You Can Handle

OLD TESTAMENT: Daniel 2

POETRY: Psalm 136 (all week)

NEW TESTAMENT: John 7:25-53

The next time someone asks you to “go above and beyond” at work, or to “give 110%” in a game, just be thankful your boss or coach isn’t Nebuchadnezzar. Nebuchadnezzar, King of Babylon in Daniel 2, had a dream and wanted to know the meaning of the dream. But instead of telling his dream to his wise men, he expected, even demanded, that *they* tell *him* the dream. Notice what the wise guys say to the King. “There is not a man on earth who can meet the king’s demand.” (2:10)  My friends, that’s *exactly* the point. Only “the gods” or more accurately, only God, can make know the contents of the dreams of the King. But the wise men of Babylon don’t know the God who knows all things, they don’t worship the God who sees everything, even into the hearts of people. 

The King even asks Daniel “Are you able to make know to me the dream?” Daniel replies “No… no one can.” But “there is God in heaven who reveals mysteries… This mystery has been revealed to me, not because of any wisdom that I have more than all the living, but in order that the interpretation may be made known to the king.” Over the next few days we will try to understand what is going on with the Kingdoms of the world in Daniel and try to understand this vision better, but today I want to make this very practical. 

Sometimes people tell us ideas that are not entirely Biblical because they are trying to be nice. One such idea is that “God will never give you more than you can handle.” It sounds good; we will never be overwhelmed and we will always succeed. However, as soon as our lives meet the real world, we find out that God consistently “gives us” situations that are overwhelming; try balancing getting good grades, doing extracurriculars, volunteering to pad our college applications, and then getting into and maintaining relationships, not to mention work! It’s overwhelming to write; how much more to live. But beyond the normal chaos of life, there are times when people we love are sick, when we need surgeries, when we have huge doubts about what is happening next. Just like the King demanding that the wise guys explain his dream, the world very often gives us far more than we can handle… *on our own*. 

What God has promised is that we are never on our own. No one can handle this world with joy, hope, peace, and love *by themselves*. But there is a God in heaven who gives the joy, hope, peace and love we are looking for. There is a God in heaven who gives his spirit to his people, not because we are wise or smart, or pretty, or popular, or good. God gives because we trust him, and all of our faults doesn’t stop him from loving us, and he does not leave us on our own. The world often gives us more than we can handle; the world can NEVER give us something God can’t handle. 

-Jake Ballard

Reflection Questions

  1. What differences do you see between Daniel and Nebuchadnezzar? Are you ever more like Nebuchadnezzar than Daniel?
  2. What characteristics of Daniel’s do you admire? Which would you like to work on growing in your own life? How would one go about that?
  3. When has the world given you more than you could handle? In what ways did God provide what you needed? Thank Him!
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Of Daniel, Diets, and Defilement

OLD TESTAMENT:Daniel 1

POETRY: Psalm 136

NEW TESTAMENT: John 7:1-24

Over the next two weeks, we are going to spend some time in the book of Daniel. Daniel is a book that has generated a lot of discussion: it has been the subject of at least TWO retellings by our favorite cast of talking vegetables and at least one cookbook based on mostly eating those vegetables. However, we might miss the mighty story of this man of the Almighty when we get too hung up on cucumbers, mushrooms, and other morsels. Is the story of the fiery furnace really about chocolate bunnies? (See “note” below.) Are the health benefits of a  “Daniel-Diet” the point of the refusal to eat the King’s food? But, if not, then what is the point of Daniel?

To be clear, this book is one of the most discussed in scholarship from the Old Testament canon. Any statement made about date, authorship and the rest of the book has been discussed ad nauseum by Jewish rabbis and Christian thinkers since the pen was put to paper. The author, Daniel for our devotions, wrote in Hebrew but also in Aramaic; not common for the Old Testament. Moreover, the genre of the book is more similar in style to Revelation than anything else in the Biblical canon. These two books are full of big, bombastic images, metaphors, poetry, talk of beasts, monsters, dreams, the clash of Empires and the Kingdom of God. But, if we are ready to work, to interpret Daniel on his own terms, and to clearly see what he was writing about and what he was prophesying, we will get much more out of Daniel than we have before. 

For example, in chapter one, Daniel, and his buddies Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah (rather than Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego), who we will call “the boys” today, decide to not eat the king’s food. The boys decide that they are going to eat vegetables and water. They look better after ten days and they prove that this is the diet everyone should eat and life is good… right? Not quite. First, what are the boys giving up? “Meat and wine and choice foods”. In the ancient world, those who worked with the King were expected to be plump (“fat”) because of the wealth and excess of the King. The steward over the boys was *concerned* that they would lose weight, not hoping for it! At the end of ten days, by a miracle of God, though the boys ate only vegetables and water, they look good and FAT. Not a divine diet, not wisdom-based weight loss; it was a miracle of God to keep them healthy and plump! 

But again, the weight and food was never the real point in the first place. Look back at verse 8, “Daniel resolved that he would not defile himself with the king’s food or with the wine that he drank.” Daniel, as a good Jewish boy, knew that the King’s meat was probably slaughtered in the honor of a god of Babylon (much like the meat in the marketplaces in Greece, see 1 Cor. 10:27) and the wine was probably prepared in much the same way. Daniel’s choice to avoid this food was to honor God. YHWH, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, would be the only God that Daniel would follow; his law the only commands Daniel would obey, food laws as well as moral laws. Daniel’s obedience is blessed by God. The boys were able to understand the administration of state and Daniel was able to understand dreams and visions from God. 

Chapter one is not a weird story about the diet of Jewish kids in a strange land. It is the story of God’s people, God’s Kingdom, clashing against the Kingdom of this world. Daniel and his buddies had a choice to make, to follow the ways of this world’s Empire, to eat the way everyone else ate, to drink what everyone else drank, to *worship* what everyone else worshipped. The choice they made was to follow God even at personal cost and they realized that resulted in blessing they could not have expected. 

That is a story worth working to understand. 

It’s the story Bob and Larry were trying to tell us all along.

Reflection Questions

  1. I’ve been a little harsh on “The Daniel Diet,” but it’s not just one diet or fast or book that makes this mistake. In fact, many have tried to take parts of Daniel to make a diet, or used Ezekiel 4:9 as a recipe for bread, without reading down to Ezekiel 4:12. Are you ready to use the Bible as it was intended? To work to interpret God’s word in a way that impacts you, not a small change but to lead a life of difference?
  2. In light of the first question, are you willing to make the choices that might cost you personally, if it means you remain faithful to God? Are you willing to look different, act different, eat different, vote different, shop different, wear different, **be different** if it means you can be more like Jesus? What strikes you as the first change you can make today that may cost you sounding or appearing cool, just like everyone else, but will make you more like Jesus?
  3. Are there other sections of scripture (beyond Daniel 1 and Ezekiel 4) where you think we may have missed the point? Talk to your mom, dad, grandparent, pastor, youth pastor, or Sunday School teacher about those ideas. What do they think about those harder sections that seem to be about more than surface level ideas?

Note: The author LOVES VeggieTales. In no way should his words be perceived as mocking or belittling the greatest show about talking vegetables ever made. 

-Jake Ballard

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YHWH Sammah

OLD TESTAMENT: Ezekiel 46-48

POETRY: Psalm 135

NEW TESTAMENT: John 6:25-71

Today’s reading finishes up our time in the prophetic book of Ezekiel. A book that I’ve enjoyed studying a bit more- even if some days I’ve found myself with more questions than answers. Ultimately, it is nice to close in hope, and Ezekiel’s last chapters end with hope and a climax with God’s glory being restored to the temple. His words of prophecy were full of hope to those in exile even before the promised Messiah had surfaced. For us who have received the gift of the Messiah, and a personal relationship with God, the hope for a future restoration in the kingdom of God is something we still cling to in our days of exile.

The book of Ezekiel starts with a little less good news, and some warnings of destruction which certainly came to Jerusalem, but it ends with this detailed, beautiful prophetic description of a new temple yet to come.  Historically, there has not yet been a temple meeting this description to fulfill this prophecy.  And while some argue that this prophecy was solely fulfilled figuratively (in Jesus, in the church, etc.), others assert it is a future literal temple yet to come in the Millennium where believers reign with Christ. While I am certainly motivated to study it more after stumbling across the various ideas out there, because I am confident from scripture that there will be a literal return of Christ to earth, it appears to me these prophecies work well alongside that in describing a literal temple.

 I appreciate the taste of restoration and return of God’s glory that Ezekiel gives us.  In the United States, we have just finished another tiresome election cycle, and it seems like in these times we hear it all….. over and over again…..the self-proclaimed prophets, empty promises, whining and blaming, “pride, patriotism, and prejudice”…..the whole shebang.  My hope and faith is not in America being great. Nor is it in world peace we know scripturally will not truly happen in this age- no matter who is president.  My true identification or affiliation is not found in my national citizenship or any other political, demographic, or who-knows-what-now-label. My only sustaining hope is based in the promises given to Abraham and shared with me thousands of years later. I look forward to the world being great again, and pray Jesus will return soon, so that the meek will inherit it.

Ezekiel closes his prophecy telling us the name of the city he had described in such detail. It is called “The LORD is there”. In Hebrew, “YHWH sammah”.  Two words that brought the most resonating image to my mind in all of the chapters in this book that I read. There will be a day when God and His son Jesus will dwell with us. Literally.

-Jennifer Hall

Questions:

  1. What are your thoughts on how the prophecies from these chapters are/will be fulfilled?
  2.  What gives you hope in today’s reading?
  3. How does the LORD “being there” impact a place? We know we’re invited!
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Bless the Lord

OLD TESTAMENT: Ezekiel 43-45

POETRY: Psalm 134

NEW TESTAMENT: John 6:1-24

Our psalm for today, Psalm 134,  is one of the fifteen psalms labeled as “Psalm of Ascents” which in the Hebrew Bible are Psalms 120-134, so today’s reading finishes up this section of psalms.  The author of this one is not known, but it is believed that these psalms were written during the 70 years of Judah being exiled in Babylon (same period from Ezekiel’s prophecies we are also reading right now).

Whether or not this was necessarily the intent of these psalms, they were used later by Jewish people who would sing them as they traveled to Jerusalem for the appointed “Pilgrimage festivals” according to the instructions they had been given in Deuteronomy 16.  Looking back on this group of psalms, I can imagine they would be a wonderful source of encouragement on a long journey (heading uphill to Jerusalem!), and could also facilitate a spirit of giving praise and honor to the LORD.

I read some commentators noting how many phrases from these psalms were used in early/traditional hymns as well as how many continue to surface in contemporary worship songs. In fact, when I read today’s psalm, I had a song pop in my head using these words, and imagine others might have had the same happen but with completely different songs based on the many choices out there.  Personally, I also had a scene surface from the Sound of Music when I read Psalm 121! These psalms are certainly jam-packed with lots of beautiful references, lyrics, and thoughts on which to meditate.

We do not have to make the pilgrimage to Jerusalem anymore, and we do not currently live in Babylonian captivity. But, we live in a world whose messages and words are far different than the ones we read in the Psalms of Ascent. Sometimes the messages are blatant screams, and sometimes they are subtle whispers, but as they bombard us, it is easy to forget who deserves our praise, honor, and obedience. It is also easy to mindlessly sing familiar songs, recite familiar psalms, or get caught up in the razzle dazzle displays of “worship music” sometimes.  But, He deserves better.

“Come, bless the Lord, all you servants of the Lord. . .” (Psalm 134)

What does blessing the Lord mean though? Doesn’t He bless me?  Ahh….well, to give us a picture of how we are to be blessing Him here…..this Hebrew word in this context means to “praise and adore”.

This week, I’m guessing many of us could likely amp it up in the praise and adoration of God and Jesus.

-Jennifer Hall

Questions:

  1. How can psalms, hymns, verses, or worship songs encourage you on the difficult life journeys you face?
  2. How did the Psalms of Ascents make you feel as you were reading them?
  3. Consider some reasons God and His son Jesus are worthy of praise and adoration!
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On the Banks of Kebar Creek

OLD TESTAMENT: Ezekiel 40-42

POETRY: Psalm 133

NEW TESTAMENT: John 5:31-47

In today’s Ezekiel reading, we enter into Chapter 40 after a thirteen year gap of time since Ezekiel’s last vision described in the preceding chapters. A lot can happen in thirteen years.  For Ezekiel….well…he was still in exile and oppressed under Babylonian rule. Though he had grown up in a priestly family, before he could even serve as priest, he was hauled out of Jerusalem in the first siege, and mentions being on the shores of the Kebar River when he receives his prophetic visions. In addition to Judah remaining in captivity in the hands of the Babylonians, by now the old temple in Jerusalem (you know, the super fancy and detailed one from Solomon’s era?) has been crumbled as well.

I can imagine how I might feel hearing my church building or house had been destroyed and taken over. But, it is hard for me to even imagine how it would feel to deal with all that Ezekiel and Judah were dealing with at this time….being in captivity in a foreign land, laden with guilt knowing that exile was related to their people’s own sinful choices, surrounded by those not worshiping the same God, and then hearing that their beautiful temple……that really big important place the LORD had told them in precise detail how to build and what to do in it……it was….gone.  Destroyed.

Ezekiel tells us he sat among exiled people along the Kebar River, and Psalm 137 (coming up soon, written by the exiles living in this area) describes how these people felt

“By the rivers in Babylon, we sat and wept, when we remembered Zion.”  (Psalm 137:1)

In those circumstances, I am confident I would long for something to look forward to and believe in, and that is what we are introduced to in these chapters.

Ezekiel’s vision in chapters 40-42 reference (again in amazing detail!) a new, future, restored temple. And while it is easy for a reader in the comforts of the modern western world, not in captivity, whose houses and churches are not physically crumbled, to find some of this reading a bit tedious perhaps. But, in the context of looking forward to something restored….something yet to come…..I find it a beautiful message of hope. Judah wasn’t in captivity forever. The Messiah finally did come. And he will come again. They were promised. We are promised.

The temple described in these chapters has not yet appeared, and there are all sorts of thoughts on this prophetic vision and how it is fulfilled. To me, it sounds like there will be quite a majestic temple when Jesus returns!

Until that day when we will live in true restoration, we will have seasons like those on the banks of the Kebar. Sometimes as a result of our own accord like Judah and Israel experienced. And sometimes just because we live in…. Babylon. But, we have a God who has not left us and will not leave us in exile.

“. . .be content with what you have, for He has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”  (Hebrews 13:5)

-Jennifer Hall

Questions:

  1. What connections can you make between today’s readings?
  2.  What encouragement does God’s word provide for the days you find yourself feeling like the exiles along the shores of the Kebar?
  3. Imagine your church building or house being completely destroyed. Now imagine it being completely restored, and way better then it was before. Think about what is coming!
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He is the LORD

OLD TESTAMENT: Ezekiel 38 & 39

POETRY: Psalm 132

NEW TESTAMENT: John 5:16-30

Have you ever taken a sneak peak to the end of a book? I don’t do it often, but when I do, it may be just a quick glance to see if a character is still alive at the end. In today’s reading, we have some exciting, confusing stuff! Ezekiel 38 and 39 have it all…..new characters, epic battles, armed horsemen, plundering, hailstones and burning sulfur, crumbling cliffs, overturned mountains, and all people and creatures (even fish!) trembling.  If you were to illustrate this section….you’d need quite the mural.

As one can imagine for such exciting material, there are many studies, teachings, commentaries, and beliefs associated with which modern day peoples/nations might be associated with Gog and Magog, how this prophecy ties in with end time prophecies, etc.  I learned a lot studying it, and thought it was interesting that just a few weeks ago, in an adult Bible class I attend, the teacher asked us our thoughts on these chapters and Gog and Magog and what was going on in the world today. A question I had certainly never been asked before. I’m pretty sure I’ve been asked “what are your thoughts on God”….but “what are your thoughts on Gog?!”…that one was a new one for me!  But, I’m confident that as things continue to unfold with devolving world relations, new alliances, political turmoil in so many places, these chapters will continue to prove interesting. And no matter our age or place in life, current events and awareness of Biblical prophecies and a worldview based in scripture matters.

 I remember as a kid visiting my great-grandma in her nursing home (Pinecrest Manor in good old Mt. Morris, Illinois!) and being struck by how worked up she was when she (at the age of 100, legally blind and hard of hearing by then) was listening to my mother chat about the news at the time. The Berlin Wall had recently come down and the Soviet Union had just collapsed -which I realize makes me sound ancient to many of you reading this. But, I distinctly remember looking up from my book to watch her face as she said so emphatically to my Mom, “Why don’t they TELL us these things here?!”  She was fascinated because she knew her Bible, she was interested in Biblical prophecy and how they relate to current events, and I’d imagine at the age of 100….she liked to consider the coming kingdom of God!

Regardless of precisely who all these characters are in these chapters, we see the purpose of the story clearly stated. Clearly stated numerous times. When I was reading through Ezekiel, I noticed that I had read the phrase “know that I am the LORD” a few times. Enough times that it caught my attention and I ran the phrase through Logos to see how many times it was used.  Umm…..more than a few! More like that specific Hebrew phrase is found 88 times in scripture and 76 of them are in the book of Ezekiel. 76 times this prophet reminds us of the importance of knowing that He is the LORD!

When battles rage and we are persecuted, when landscapes crumble and fires burn, when enemies pursue and God’s name is profaned, He is the LORD!

We live in a world of increasing disrespect toward the LORD, but that doesn’t change the fact that He is who He is.  If I ever need a reminder again of who He is, who will win and be alive in the end, and whose promises for a coming kingdom and eternal peace I need to rely on….I think these chapters will be great ones for me.

“So I will show my greatness and my holiness and make myself known in the eyes of many nations. Then they will know that I am the LORD.” (Ezekiel 38:23)

“ I will send fire on Magog and on those who dwell securely in the coastlands, and they shall know that I am the LORD.”

“And my holy name I will make known in the midst of my people Israel, and I will not let my holy name be profaned anymore. And the nations shall know that I am the LORD, the Holy One in Israel[1]  (Ezekiel 39: 6-7)

-Jennifer Hall

Questions:

  1. Make a mental list of ways God has shown you He is the LORD.
  2. Are there ways you have seen the LORD’s name being profaned recently? How can you honor Him today? How do you picture Him being honored in the coming kingdom?
  3. So, what are your thoughts on Gog?!
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