Tag: daily devotion

The Father’s Child

Old Testament: Hosea 10 & 11

Poetry: Psalm 125

New Testament: Matthew 11

I was touched by the beautiful imagery of the LORD calling to Israel as a child. Teaching him to walk and taking him into His arms. Here the LORD is also leading with kindness and bonded to His people in love. And I can just imagine a compassionate care taker releasing an animal from its burden-taking off the bridle and bit to allow the animal to freely eat and drink. The love and compassion of God are so evident in these passages. But Israel’s obstinance is also evident. These collections of poetry are calling out again to the people. Turn to God, do what is right and be saved. God desires for people to come to Him to be healed, forgiven and saved, but as we have seen over and over, the people continued to reject Him.

We are told what the result is, “Because there is no faithfulness or kindness or knowledge of God in the land. There is swearing, deception, murder, stealing and adultery. They employ violence, so that bloodshed follows bloodshed. Therefore, the land mourns, and everyone who lives in it languishes (4:1-3a)”. It is disturbing that this scripture could be describing parts of our own country today. But the poetic words of the prophet Hosea still speak through this book. Telling us about the LORD’S perfect character and His justice. We still hear a main theme of not rejecting, but accepting and remaining faithful to our God. How horrible to become stubborn and self-willed against the Only True Living God. That is a place that we never want to occupy. Unfortunately, I know that we could name some individuals who have turned away and have chosen lives that are in complete opposition to God. But we want to be those that faithfully hold to God. Hosea 14 describes it this way, “Whoever is wise, let him understand these things; Whoever is discerning, let him know them. For the ways of the Lord are right, and the righteous will walk in them, but transgressors will stumble in them (v.9)”. Hosea explains that someday the sons of Israel will return and seek the LORD their God; they will come trembling to the LORD and to His goodness. It is incredible that we can know, walk with, and most of all be in a loving relationship with Him right now.

-Rebecca Dauksas

(originally posted for SeekGrowLove on November 4, 2022)

REFLECTION QUESTIONS

  1. How is your nation like Israel? How are they different from Israel? How are you like Israel? How are you different from Israel?
  2. How would you describe God as a parent?
  3. How will you respond as His child? When have you been rebelled against Him? What is His desire for You?
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Jesus Gives

Old Testament: Hosea 6 & 7

Poetry: Psalm 123

*New Testament: Matthew 9

In this chapter (Matthew 9) we see that Jesus and the disciples are continuing an active pace proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness. This lively passage not only records 6 healing incidents, but also shows 3 incidents where the teachers of the law are becoming rattled by the actions and rising popularity of Jesus.

Ready for anything and everything, the action rolls out as follows for Jesus and the disciples: 1) heals a paralyzed man, 2) calls Matthew the tax collector, 3) stops a hemorrhage in a woman, 4) raises a dead girl, 5) gives sight to 2 blind men, 6) and loosens the tongue of a mute man

Not only was Christ seemingly running a mobile emergency room, he was “hiring” new workers, contending with naysayers, and stopping to notice the big picture of the work ahead.

Verse 36 takes my breath away. “He saw the crowds and had compassion on them.” We are not lost in a crowd to Him. He knows our name and our needs. There is no end to His goodness. No bottom to the well. You can’t wear Jesus out. He’s not running on low. He’s not in a bad mood because it’s you again. “For from His fullness we have all received, grace upon grace.” John 1:16

The biggest problem in these 38 verses is that Jesus needed assistance to support the needs of the “harassed & helpless.” Nothing’s changed. May God stir your heart and mine this day to be a worker fit and ready to support the hurting. Let God’s “grace upon grace” compel us to action to not overthink but DO!

-Julie Driskill

(originally posted for SeekGrowLove January 14, 2019)

Reflection Questions

  1. What do you learn about Jesus in Matthew 9? In what ways does he give?
  2. Who do you see who are harassed and helpless? What can you give to them?
  3. In what ways have you received “grace upon grace”? How can you share that with others?
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Just Say the Word

Old Testament: Hosea 4 & 5

Poetry: Psalm 122

New Testament: Matthew 8

In Matthew 8, Jesus is recorded as miraculously healing several distinct individuals that represent three classification of people who were viewed with lesser status in Jewish eyes. The first is a leper, who is considered unclean for a Jewish man to touch (vv. 1-4). Next is a servant of a Roman centurion, who was a Gentile foreigner and likely part of the oppressive Roman Empire, which Jews considered to be their enemy (vv. 5-13). Lastly, Jesus heals Peter’s mother-in-law (vv. 14-15), which is unique as women were not looked upon with much recognition or significance in Jewish society. In addition, the passage also reveals that Jesus healed numerous other people who were demon-possessed around Capernaum as well (vv. 16-17).

In verses 5-10 when Jesus is approached by the centurion, he concedes to the centurion’s request to come and heal his servant. Jesus’ agreement to come to the centurion’s home is quite a startlingly turn of events in this passage as a Jewish person would be deemed ceremonially unclean if they entered the house of a Gentile (cf. Jn 18:28; Acts 10:28). But nevertheless, Jesus humbly agrees to go and heal the man (vv. 5-7).

But the centurion replies quickly to Jesus expressing his “unworthiness” for Jesus to make the effort to come to his house. Rather, the centurion reveals a keen understanding of Jesus’ authority to speak with the power of God. The centurion explains that he knows what authority means because he speaks, and someone obeys, and the task is accomplished. In the same way, he claims that Jesus only needs to speak the “word,” and according to the authority of his “word,” the centurion’s servant will be healed (v. 8).

This proclamation amazes Jesus because the centurion understood the power and authority of God that Jesus represented. And in response to the centurion’s understanding of this reality, Jesus declares, “Truly, I tell you, with no one in Israel have I found such faith” (v. 10). What an unsuspecting pronouncement—that Jesus would confess such a great faith from this Gentile that superseded any he had seen in all of Israel. The emphasis here is that even a Gentile, who was not considered a member of God’s people, will see the power of God at work when they trust in Jesus, God’s Anointed.

What the passage can teach us is that God’s power flows in response to the exercising of faith (trust) in God as the source of all power and in Jesus as God’s Messiah. If we want to see God’s power at work in our lives, it begins by recognizing that God moves when we believe and trust in him, knowing that he is able to do even what may seem impossible in our eyes. Our trust in God doesn’t make God move; rather, God responds when we trust in him. And we must also trust in his character—that he responds as the good and loving God that we know he is.

-Jerry Wierwille

(originally posted on March 11, 2018 for SeekGrowLove)

Reflection Questions

  1. What do you learn about Jesus in Matthew 8? What makes him worthy of celebrating and following?
  2. What has Jesus done that his followers ought to do too? How can you do that this week? What did Jesus do that only he could do?
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Married to a Prostitute

Old Testament: Hosea 1, 2, 3

Poetry: Psalm 121 

New Testament: Matthew 7

As the wife of a pastor, I know first hand that many unintentional happenings in our lives often later become fantastic sermon illustrations. Sometimes, once we recover from the initial shock of a momentous event, my husband Dan and I will look at each other knowingly as if to say, “this will be a great sermon story someday.” Once in a while, Dan will remember and share stories off the cuff while he is preaching. He’s always very respectful of me, choosing to present me in a positive light and make himself the butt of any jokes, but as an introvert who prefers to blend in, I still feel embarrassed when the eyes of the congregation turn to me mid-sermon to take in my reaction to reliving the story. (I’ve joked with Dan that I need to attach a shock collar to him, and every time he starts to say my name, I will activate the shock collar so he will stop talking about me!)

The prophet Hosea was a living, breathing sermon illustration tasked with the responsibility to demonstrate God’s relationship with Israel by marrying a prostitute and having children with her. The whole book is a metaphor about the intimacy, or lack thereof, between YHWH God and his chosen people. It reads almost like a soap opera, declaring how God continues to pursue them even though they keep turning away from Him as Hosea continues to redeem and love his wayward Gomer. (This seems to be the overall theme of the entire Old Testament, doesn’t it?)

It is frustrating to see how our world overall devalues true committed relationships, referring to marriage as a prison, for example. Likewise, our post-Christian culture does not understand the blessing of an intimate relationship with God, our Creator and Sustainer who loves us so much. I am grateful that, though I have sometimes rejected God, He still pursues me. Psalm 121 from today’s reading is evidence of God’s love for us – he wouldn’t help us so much if He didn’t love us and desire to draw us back into a relationship with Him! 

I am still in awe that, despite our wishy-washiness toward Him and even knowing that humankind would tend to always have such a desultory demeanor, still “God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16, NIV) 

Reflection questions:

-How has God pursued you? 

-In what practical ways can you demonstrate the never-failing love of our Father YHWH to those around you? 

Rachel Cain

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Weird

Old Testament: Daniel 11, 12

Poetry: Psalm 119

* New Testament: Matthew 5

As a fifth-grade introvert who wanted nothing more to blend in with the small class in my little Christian school, “weird” was about the meanest name one could call me. Because I didn’t even want anyone to so much as notice me, remaining quiet and going with the flow was the most obvious way to camouflage among my peers. 

I’ve had a bit of a wake-up call since my private school elementary days. In my public secondary and post-secondary education, God called me to stand up for my faith on several occasions, even when it meant that I was standing alone – resulting in <gasp> people noticing me! More recently, ever since my husband and I felt God leading us to do things that go against the culture, such as home-birthing and home-educating all four of our children, I’ve had to learn to be confident in those decisions and keep my eyes focused on God, no matter if others think I am weird. (As fate would have it, since opposites attract, I married an extrovert who thinks “weird” is a compliment and loves nothing more than helping others laugh at his own expense, so he tries to do silly things when we are out in public – which then, of course, draws attention to me too! I’ve learned to loosen up and not care as much what others think, and he’s learned to rein in the silly antics a little bit when I am with him.)

Jesus was the epitome of weird, but not in a bad way; in fact, many people were drawn to him because they could sense his sincerity and wisdom. (Some even failed to recognize him as the Messiah for whom they were searching because he didn’t meet their expectations!) Most of Jesus’ teachings in Matthew 5 are quite counter-cultural; for example, the Beatitudes is a list of dichotomous concepts which indicate (in my simple summary) that bad things can be blessings in disguise.

Because God is love (I John 4:8) and Jesus is God’s Son and representative, one could deduce that the primary mission of Jesus’ ministry was to demonstrate the love of his Father to this broken world. That, I believe, is why the end of this chapter (Matthew 5:43-48 NIV) gives perhaps his most controversial nugget of wise advice yet: “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” Showing love to people who are not like me or who don’t deserve it can be hard enough, but to show love to my enemies and those people who have hurt me? Well, that just takes Jesus’ weird, radical love to a whole new level. Jesus demonstrated this love throughout his ministry, though, by dying for generations of sinners including you and me (see Romans 5:8) and even forgiving the people who brutally murdered him (see Luke 23:34). 

Romans 12:1-2 is one of my favorite passages; I especially love the down-to-earth wording of The Message paraphrase that reminds us why it is important to be weird: “So here’s what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him. Don’t become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You’ll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you.” 

(This is a reminder to myself, but you can read it too if you like: Because I am following Jesus, I need to not be so afraid of being weird that no one around me even knows I am a Christian. I need to be weird in a Jesus kind of way so that people want to have the eternally-focused hope that I radiate, the kind of contagious joy that shows others there’s something different and gives me a reason to share my faith with them (see 1 Peter 3:15). In Matthew 5:14 & 16 (NIV) Jesus says, “you are the light of the world… let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.” Our light must have a source, and today’s Psalm 119 has a great bit of wisdom in verse 105: “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” Help me, Lord, to know you more through your Word and relationship with you. May I not be so afraid to be weird that I fail to shine your light in this dark world.)

Let’s take courage together to be weird in a countercultural, Jesus kind of way!

Reflection questions: 

-What are ways that you have blended in with the culture rather than standing out for Jesus? 

-Pray about the actions God wants you to take to be more “weird” in a Jesus kind of way. 

Rachel Cain

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Christ Jesus and Thanksgiving

Theme Week – Thanks: 1 Timothy 1

Old Testament: Daniel Introduction found below

Poetry: Psalm 113

Thanksgiving is a cultural institution; something like 85% of Americans typically partake in the holiday, and in 2022 we spent $1.27billion on Turkeys. Just. Turkeys. 

But when we celebrate thanksgiving, that means we give thanks *to someone*. It *might* be possible to just have a thankful attitude generally, but that’s not thanksgiving. Thanksgiving is giving thanks. And when 85% of Americans celebrate and only 81% believe in God, our culture tends to treat thanksgiving as a time to give thanks to our loved ones, or to be thankful generally. 

As Christians, however, we give thanks to someone. Or someones?

During this week, most of our focus and attention was given to giving thanks to God. 

Giving thanks because it is our duty to the God who gives us all things. 

Giving thanks because it allows our eyes to be open and our minds to be holy toward God.

Giving thanks for our generous blessings during our every time of prayer and to give thanks in every circumstance. 

But when we give thanks, there are times that our thanks should spill out to God’s Son as well. 

In 1 Timothy, Paul says, “I thank him who has given me strength, Christ Jesus our Lord.” (1:12) When we look to Jesus, he sends the Spirit in Acts, he provides wisdom to his people, he provides the Revelation to John. Our Lord Jesus Christ is STILL the empowering, teaching, revealing King of God’s Kingdom. Christ appointed Paul to service (1:12). It is the grace of Jesus, our Lord, that overflowed onto Paul. (1:14) The one who looked upon those who were crucifying him and said “Father, forgive them” is the one who looks upon us, the blasphemer, the persecutors, the insolent opponents to his grace, and still forgives, still gives grace so that faith and love overflow. 

Today give thanks to God, of course. But think about the mercy, grace, love, forgiveness and sacrifice of Jesus, and thank him for his grace. His intercession on your behalf in heaven will be honored when we recognize what he has done for us. 

-Jake Ballard

Reflection and Application

  1. Accurate Thanksgiving : When you give thanks to God and Jesus, it is helpful to distinguish the way they bless you individually. While Jesus empowers Paul and calls him to service, he ends this section in 1 Timothy with “to the King of the ages, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.” That is CLEARLY not speaking about Christ, but about his Father, God. Today, for what can you thank God? (Maybe, creation) For what can you thank Jesus? (Maybe, his sacrifice.)
  2. Giving thanks for forgiveness : Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost. My friends, we should all say this in unison with Paul. We should see our sin as the most grievous, as the worst. We should consider ourselves as the chief of sinners. Even then, God is saving you through Jesus. Take the time to consider that salvation and give God and his Son thanks today. 

Daniel Introduction

The book of Daniel was written by the prophet Daniel (whose name means “God is my judge”) while in exile in Babylon from 605 BC until 536 BC.  Daniel was among the group of “Israelites from the royal family and the nobility – young men without any physical defect, handsome, showing aptitude for every kind of learning, well informed, quick to understand, and qualified to serve in the king’s palace”.

The Book of Daniel is a fascinating and exciting mix of history (chapters 1-6) and prophecy (chapters 7-12).  Chapter 1 starts by giving Daniel’s example of how to live a Godly life while surrounded by evil influences.  Chapter 3 is Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego’s example of Godliness despite persecution.  

Daniel contains some well known stories, including:

Chapter 3 – the fiery furnace

Chapter 5 – the writing on the wall

Chapter 6 – Daniel in the lion’s den

Daniel chapters 7-12 are prophetic, prophesying about the rise of world powers after Babylon, including: Medo Persia, Greece, …, and eventually prophesying about the Great Tribulation, and ultimately the resurrection of the dead and the Kingdom of God. 

The book of Daniel highlights the fact that God is in charge.  2:21 says, “He [God] changes times and seasons; he sets up kings and deposes them.”  4:34-35 says, “…His [God’s] dominion is an eternal dominion; his kingdom endures from generation to generation.  All the peoples of the earth are regarded as nothing.  He does as he pleases with the powers of heaven and the peoples of the earth.  No one can hold back his hand or say to him: ‘What have you done?’“

It’s important to remember that in the end, God wins.  This will be particularly important as persecution arises, as we see in 11:33-35, “Those who are wise will instruct many, though for a time they will fall by the sword or be burned or captured or plundered.  When they fall, they will receive a little help, and many who are not sincere will join them.  Some of the wise will stumble, so that they may be refined, purified and made spotless until the time of the end, for it will still come at the appointed time.”

-Steve Mattison

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Holiness and Thanksgiving

Theme Week – Thanks: Romans 1

Old Testament: Ezekiel 41 & 42

Poetry: Psalm 109

Yesterday, we learned that giving thanks to God is a part of our duty as those saved by grace through faith in Jesus. Today in Romans we see what happens to our souls when we don’t give thanks to God. 

In the magnum opus that is Romans, Paul lays out the case that Jews and gentiles both are redeemed by grace through faith in Jesus, that we are all members of Israel made new and we all can be grafted into the people of God. But to get to that point, Paul has let us know there is some bad news ; people are unrighteous. To be clear, God is angry at sin and those things that oppose his good will upon the Earth. God’s desire for humanity has been “made clear” by his creative action and people are without excuse to worship him. (Rom. 1:18-20)

Then we get to the point : “For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened.” (Rom. 1:21)

Read that again : Paul seems to be connecting what they did not do and what happened to them. When people who could know God do not honor him or give thanks to him, they THEREFORE become futile in thinking and have darkened hearts. Which could also mean that if we want to not become futile in our thinking, if we do not want our hearts to remain in the dark, we need to honor God as God and give thanks to him. 

Now, let’s be clear about Paul’s point : we are not going to give thanks to God enough to be saved. Romans presents a powerful case that we can’t save ourselves! “We have all sinned and fallen short of the glory of God” (Rom. 3:23) and “the wages of sin is death.” (Rom. 6:23) However, we also remember what God gave: “the free gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” (Rom. 6:23) 

Rather than simply “being thankful”, today give thanks to God for Jesus Christ our Lord, through and in whom we have salvation : “Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord… There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” (Rom. 7:25-8:1)

Application and Reflection

Paul gives us a number of different ideas of what to be thankful for today : 

  1. Paul gives thanks to God for the church in Rome. (Rom. 1:8) When was the last time you gave thanks to God for your local church? Your local youth group or youth pastor or pastor? Take a moment to give thanks to God for that today.
  2. Paul gives thanks to God for the salvation of others! (Rom. 6:17) Look around at your mom, dad, brothers, sisters, and other family. Think about those people around you who know the salvation of God found in Jesus. Thank God for those who know Jesus around you. If you have some people who need to know more about Jesus and God, how can you share the gospel message of salvation by grace through faith with them?
  3. Paul says that we should give thanks for our food (Rom. 14:6) Will you take the time before every bite of food today to remember that God has given you this food? Will you make sure that God is honored by your thanks today?

-Jake Ballard

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Paradise

Old Testament: Ezekiel 37 & 38

Poetry: Psalm 107

New Testament: Revelation 22

     Revelation 22 begins with a few more verses describing New Jerusalem, a topic which began in chapter 21. It is full of life. I go back and forth on how to visualize this from the details we have. The city is described with one street, paved in gold like glass. The street leads to the throne of God and Christ – it is the most important destination. Perhaps the street spirals up to them, and the clarity of the gold helps the light from the throne reach everywhere. The river of the water of life passes down the center of the street, and the tree of life is on either side (v. 2). So perhaps the water goes through a tunnel carved in the thick trunk of the tree of life, which has grown quite large since being transplanted from the Garden of Eden. The design does not concern me greatly, the key is the offer of life and blessings. This is a place of contentment and worship – it has no temple because it needs none, all within it are constantly in the presence of God and Christ, bathed in their glory.

     Rather than design, I am interested in the idea that things have, at last, moved beyond the stage where God considers them “very good” (Genesis 1:31). After each of the first five days of creation God declared the work “good”; after day six it was “very good” – notably with the addition of humans. It may be that things didn’t remain at “very good” for long before they slid into distress and pain due to the addition of sin, but that isn’t the point in this chapter. God has restored matters. The curse is gone! But I think God more than restored things and passed “very good” to “perfect.” I suspect the needed element for that to take place involves free will – God would not force Adam and Eve to love and accept Him, it was to be our choice if we would seek companionship with Him.

     Well, talking about this sort of thing with God can wait, and by the time we enter those kinds of conversations with God we will be better equipped to do so. For now, we know the challenges we face, and the Spirit we have been entrusted with to face them. Let us continue toward the paradise God has planned for us.

     The Greek word for “paradise,” by the way (Luke 23:43; Revelation 2:7), from which we get our English word “paradise,” comes from a Persian word for a pleasure garden. It seems like we are striving to get back to a garden, where we could eat from the tree of life and perhaps even walk with God.

     With understanding and acceptance of each other.

     Loving and loved.

     Forever.

     These are goals worth having.

     Lord, the book says a blessing is on those who read and hear the words of this prophecy and heed the things written in it, for the time is near. Help us be attentive to these words, and all that you direct for our lives. Thank you for the gift of your words. Do not let us be drawn astray from you, your message, or your work. You are a gracious God. In Jesus’ name I pray to you, Amen.

-Daniel Smead

Reflection Questions

  1. We are repeatedly told there will be no night in the time of the New Jerusalem – what do you associate with night that you will be pleased to have end?
  2. How do you find the curse affecting your life this week? How is knowing Jesus, and believers, helping you to deal with the curse now?
  3. Looking back over Revelation, what directions stand out to you for your life? How is it going? Do you think you should call on someone to help you be accountable for what you feel called to do?
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A Glimpse of Coming Glory

Old Testament: Ezekiel 35 & 36

Poetry: Psalm 106

New Testament: Revelation 21

     In Revelation 21 we have come to the climax of events. In the Garden of Eden God set out to undo the separation between Himself and us, and that goal is at last complete. Humans may have been short sighted during history and at times tied themselves in knots over other issues, but God wanted to return to our sides. With “the first things” passed away there will be no more pain. Evil is removed from the scene and God is changing the universe, making everything new. He intends to freely give the water of life to those who overcome (John 4:14).

     God lists some of those who will not receive what He offers, addressing several issues that were raised in the book, murder, sorcery, idolatry – but it begins with the cowardly (v. 8). I wonder if that is directed at early readers, facing persecution in the Roman Empire and possibly hesitant to commit. But it extends to later readers, who might question if they wish to stand up for Jesus’ name and his authority and risk conflict, or if it would be simpler and safer not to, even to appear to be unsaved. Some of God’s servants, like Gideon, were called to serve while not eager to act on their own. That may seem to give a basis for seeing hiding as credible. But I think God chose from the reluctant to make a point, and to stir the hearts of others. And those were not Christ’s disciples, already gifted with the Spirit. He expects something else from us. Not that I am saying we are to be abrasive and offensive in an eagerness to act, there are proper and wise moments and ways to stand up, and we are not always the right people to do so in a situation. Like I said, the appearance of that word first in the list strikes me. It convicts me, all too often, of taking an easier route. But I work for Jesus, and I’ve never heard of anyone braver than him. I leave it to you how it makes you feel. 

     John is taken to a tall mountain by an angel to see “the bride, the wife of the Lamb” and arrives at “the holy city, Jerusalem” (v. 9, 10). It is reminiscent of Ezekiel being shown the new temple, which was on a mountain (Ezekiel 40). I have taught about Revelation 21 numerous times. I have considered taping a cardboard mockup on a globe of the world to show the size of New Jerusalem. I didn’t end up attaching it, and I wasn’t sure if it should be a cube or a ziggurat, or a pyramid (we are told its base is square, and the height). Just describing my idea to the students got the gist across. New Jerusalem is large.

     Earth’s breathable atmosphere extends out for about eleven miles at the equator. Perhaps you have heard the idea about being able to see the Great Wall of China from orbit. You can’t. You could bump into New Jerusalem in orbit. We aren’t totally sure of the size of the city, it depends on how you understand twelve thousand stadia, the 1995 NASB says 1,380 miles and some other versions say 1,500 miles. The International Space Station orbits about 250 miles from Earth. The Hubble telescope is 340 miles out. The upper range of what are known as “low Earth orbit” satellites is 1,243 miles, so the city would tower above all of them, if they were still around. (Which they won’t be.) But the geostationary satellites are much further out, at 22,236 miles. And the Moon is 238,900 miles away, which is nowhere near it. Speaking of the Moon, it has a diameter of 2,159 miles. Earth is 7,917.5 miles in diameter. Under the smaller estimate for the city (1,380 miles) it is 15.69% of the width of Earth, and my cardboard mockup needed to be 1.88 inches wide for a standard 12-inch globe.

     We are told that with God’s new heaven and new Earth there is no longer a sea (v. 1). If that refers to the Mediterranean Sea it seems like a necessary removal, to give New Jerusalem ground space to fit. If it was centered on the location of Jerusalem it would extend about halfway through Greece, assuming it was aligned square with the equator. It also couldn’t be flat on the bottom since the Earth curves, which matters at this size.

     I think this raises some questions. When God replaces the Earth, will it be the same size as the old one? What is being described here sounds like God planned on expansion. The millennium just took place, a thousand years without plagues, famine, and war. It didn’t start off with very many mortal people, but I think the population had a good opportunity for growth. It may be that the number saved during human history leading up to Christ’s return will be just a fraction of those who will ultimately be saved, guided in part by the priests we are being prepared to be. Oh, may it be so.

     My questions are skipping over a rather obvious point. The angel who volunteers to show New Jerusalem to John does so under the description of “the bride, the wife of the Lamb” (v. 9). It isn’t clear to me whether that is because the bride (the population) is inside the city, or because the city is simply a symbol of those who have been accepted as Christ’s bride. The names inscribed on it, of the twelve tribes and the twelve apostles, may not simply be honoring those figures but symbolizing all who came from the lineage of those figures. Consider the description of its size and splendor, and the statements that none with bad character will enter. It says that God and the Lamb provide it with temple and light and lamp. All of this fits the idea that New Jerusalem is the people of God. Now, perhaps the language here presents people and city in another of the Bible’s double fulfillments and both cases are true. Whatever God intends it will be wonderful, and the beautiful description given in this chapter leaves me in awe and anticipation. I say, rejoice in your Lord!

     Thank you, Father, for giving us this glimpse of the glory that lies ahead. Thank you for your commitment to us, that you did not give up on the work of Your hands, but took such care and effort to restore what had been damaged. Please help us to value what you value, to seek what you desire. There are so many lost sheep, so many hurting hearts, that you desire to be blessed by the love of your son. Please shape me into who you desire me to be, until I am complete. Thank you, in the name of Jesus, Amen.

-Daniel Smead

Reflection Questions

  1. What does God’s commitment to fixing what was broken tell you about Him? What does it say about how God sees us?
  2. What are some of the “first things” that will have passed away when the events of Revelation 21 have come to be?
  3. If (when) you are tempted to hide, what helps you overcome that temptation and stand up?
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She Falls

Old Testament: Ezekiel 29 & 30

Poetry: Psalm 103

New Testament: Revelation 18

     Revelation 18 pictures the shock of those who supported and gained from the success of Babylon the great, and then see it destroyed. As others have said, true wealth is found only in Christ, so those who tried to gain from corrupting themselves with Babylon did so at the cost of their lives (Matthew 16:26). When the voice from heaven warns to come out of Babylon it isn’t just about leaving before the city falls if you happen to be there, but to avoid contamination with its practices lest we fall as well (compare 2 Corinthians 6:17).

     It is again difficult to decide whether some details in the chapter were meant literally. Does Babylon engage in sorcery, or does that express its evil influence on those caught up with it? Which of the trade goods listed are we to think Babylon truly receives – the list wasn’t going to include modern luxury items, but is it just trying to give the feel of wealth based on first century items? Is it in the slave trade, or does it wreck people’s characters? Some will ask if Babylon is a port city at all, or a system with a global reach. Is Babylon destroyed and burned in a single hour, or does it just suffer a rapid fall? (In Revelation 17:12 we were told that the ten kings shared their power with the Beast for one hour, so we may have a reason to see this time reference as metaphorical. Contrast for example the effort taken in the text to show that three and a half years / 42 months / 1260 days is a precise figure.) That last point would be simple to explain in our modern society, however, as a collapse after a single hour which leaves fire behind could refer to a nuclear attack.

     You might hear part of this chapter and think you were in the Old Testament (for example you could compare Ezekiel 27). There is that feel to it. You could imagine Jonah saying these things about Nineveh. It’s all from the same God. Sometimes God gets to show mercy, but when judgment is called for God does not hold back. In fact, after recounting the despair of the kings and merchants and sailors who sinned with Babylon, the chapter calls on God’s servants to rejoice in what has come about. In Revelation 18:21 a strong angel announces Babylon’s permanent fall and punctuates the point by throwing “a stone like a great millstone” into the sea. Jeremiah never went to Babylon, but he sent a scroll there with Seraiah describing the fate of the city and told him to read it aloud, and then tie a stone to it and throw it into the middle of the Euphrates (Jeremiah 51:63). The judgment of God was being left to sink to the bottom, like the city would sink. As I said, we are reading words in a familiar style.

     I’ve long been struck by cases where God set up instructions that don’t seem to have end conditions. How long was the Garden of Eden guarded by an angel with a flaming sword (Genesis 3:24)? Perhaps it was until the flood of Noah’s day destroyed it, or it could have all withered away first. And while the millennium brings grace across the world, will the former site of Babylon the great sit as a blighted patch reminding people of old evils? That may be its fate. As the angel said, no more will the sounds of music, work or happiness be found in her. But then “in her was found the blood of prophets and of saints and of all who have been slain on the earth.” It seems like Babylon the great is worthy of the treatment it receives. We would do well to learn its lesson in advance and turn our backs on all its ways and put our hearts fully toward that other city (the one with foundations; Hebrews 11:10).

     Lord, thank you for sanctifying us by the Spirit and faith in the truth. Thank you for teaching us to take pleasure in righteousness. Thank you for disciplining us for our good, so that we may share in your holiness. Thank you for giving us sound words through your servants. Please help us to listen, and to reflect on what you have said. Help us to grow in your will. And in everything we do, in word or deed, may we do all in the name of the Lord Jesus. Through him we give thanks to you, dear God. Amen.

-Daniel Smead

Reflection Questions

1.  When you envision God, do you see God as preferring to show mercy or to give judgment?

2.  What do you find yourself most valuing about your life as a Christian?

3.  What do you most look forward to in your future as a Christian?

4.  What do you most appreciate being able to share with others as a Christian?

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