Tag: Jennifer Hall

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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Weaned

OLD TESTAMENT: Ezekiel 36-37

POETRY: Psalm 131

NEW TESTAMENT: John 5:1-15

Psalm 131 is short, but jam-packed with great stuff. As a fan of minimalism, I like the power and value the words in this psalm hold, all while taking up such very little space! In a book that in all reality…..if we are going to overflow closets and shelves with…..it’s the one! How fortunate we are in fact to have paper, printing presses, free Bible apps, a free country in which to purchase and publish Bibles all we want, and easy and instant access to the word of God in so many formats. However you access Psalm 131, it is worth your time today.

When I first read this psalm, I got a little confused. Seeing the words “calm and quiet” near “child”  and “mother”….basically….in my mental image at first, this was a comforted, calmed, quiet baby being nursed by its mother. Whoops. I mean….in my defense…..weaned, nursing…..they go together, right? And what have you seen that calms and quiets a child more than chugging it down? But, that word “weaned”….I even looked it up in Hebrew to make sure I was getting this image right this time…..yup, same as in English. It refers to a child who was no longer relying exclusively on milk from his or her mother. The total opposite to the picture in my mind upon my initial read.

We all know that babies and young children need assistance in being calmed and quieted. They simply do not have the cognitive, sensory processing, or emotional capabilities to do that independently, and it is why caregivers of young children are often bouncing, rocking, walking, shushing, white noising, swaddling, and most definitely….making sure that little person is sucking/drinking. Calm and quiet babies rely on external supports to get there, and that is the way God created them. However, children who are weaned are able to self soothe much more easily. In the Bible, children who were weaned were a big deal. Abraham held a big feast. Hannah took Samuel to the temple. It was an important step and one to be celebrated. In fact, I read that Jewish traditions today still often celebrate the weaning of a child including reading relevant scriptural verses. What a nice idea!

 At work, I get the opportunity to help little, big, and grown up kids sometimes who need some more supports and coping or sensory strategies to help them get to the regulated or “content” state mentioned in this psalm. Of course, it is easier to help others sometimes than it is ourselves in this area, and when I did today’s reading, I was struck by the fact that we all need help with this. Many times a day sometimes in fact! The recipe to being truly calmed and quieted from the most important internal support is right in Psalm 131. I don’t see requirements to breathe lavender oil under a weighted blanket while listening to rushing waves. But, I do see some things that make me feel better just reading…..imagine how content and calmed life could be with David’s ingredients in Psalm 131:

-Verse 1: a yielded spirit to God’s will recognizing that His ways are higher than ours and we might not understand the “great matters” God does.

– Verse 2: a person who has moved from milk to meat. Someone with enough spiritual maturity to understand that contentment can be found in the LORD even when circumstances aren’t desirable.

-Verse 3: a person with hope in the LORD of yesterday, today, and tomorrow. Not a hope in a political party, nation, human relationship, wealth, or stockpiled food. A hope in the LORD whose promises for a future kingdom are beautifully depicted in our Ezekiel reading today as well. 

“They will follow my laws and be careful to keep my decrees. 25 They will live in the land I gave to my servant Jacob, the land where your ancestors lived. They and their children and their children’s children will live there forever, and David my servant will be their prince forever. 26 I will make a covenant of peace with them; it will be an everlasting covenant. I will establish them and increase their numbers, and I will put my sanctuary among them forever. 27 My dwelling place will be with them; I will be their God, and they will be my people. 28 Then the nations will know that I the Lord make Israel holy, when my sanctuary is among them forever.” (Ezekiel 37: 24-28)

-Jennifer Hall

Questions:

  1. Consider where you are in your weaning process today.
  2. Do you know anyone not yet “weaned”who might benefit from your support and assistance? How could you use the hope of Ezekiel 37 and Psalm 131 to reach someone struggling with weaning?
  3. What verses (from today’s reading or anywhere) can provide encouragement and assistance to you when your thoughts are not calmed and quieted within you?
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I am he.

OLD TESTAMENT: Ezekiel 33

POETRY: Psalm 129

NEW TESTAMENT: John 4:1-42

In today’s John 4 reading, one of our main characters is a woman from Samaria. When I hear the term Samaria, two phrases jump into my mind.  The “Good Samaritan” and the “Samaritan Woman”.  Those who label Sunday school lessons or chapter headings don’t seem to toss in the adjective “good” for this one. Just woman. She’s not a man. She’s not a Jew. She’s not married. And she’s out fetching water at the old Jacob’s well (which was in Samaria at that time in history) when she runs across a weary Jesus.

We don’t know the exact reasons Jesus chose to travel through Samaria on his way from Judea to Galilee since he could have easily avoided the area the way “Samaritan-avoiding-Jews” were often known to do.  We just know he did travel right through it, and when he asked a woman for a drink at the well, he was recognized as a Jew who would not be expected to interact with her socially.  There seems to be some differing opinions among historians and commentators regarding the time of day for this drink, but that detail is not what matters. Whether on Roman time (around 6pm) or Jewish time (noon), we know that  Jesus was intentionally interacting with a Samarian woman with a bit of a reputation in a public area, and we are given an account of that meaningful conversation.  His words are what sparked the things she learned, what she said of him in the moment, and what she told Samaria about after he was gone. Not what time the old sun dial said when she was at the well.

Jesus allowed himself to be served by this woman, and in turn, by telling her about living water, by showing her he was willing to minister to her even with awareness of the past and present sins in her life, and by revealing himself as the Messiah to her, “many more believed (verse 41).”

This woman (I wish I knew her name just because I’m tired of typing woman, but that detail doesn’t matter either I guess, and Jesus himself calls her “woman”!) uses a number of terms for Jesus which evidence who he is and seem to increase a bit in honor:

Verse 11: Sir

Verse 19: Prophet

Verse 25:  Messiah, Christ

And in verse 32 we see that the people she told about him call him “the Savior of the world.”

Jesus acknowledges being the Messiah, the one prophesied about for generations. When he answers in John 4:26 he said “I am he.” In Greek, the words “ego eimi”. The same words the blind man uses of himself a few chapters later in John 9. Jesus essentially said, “Yup, I’m that guy.” Not I am…..anything else. Not I AM YHWH. Not the Creator. Not …I am a coequal part of this mysterious triune deity thing. He said “I am he” referencing being: the Messiah.  If Jesus speaks, I think his words deserve our critical attention in a world, even a Christian world, that is often careless with them. 

The Samaritan woman knew he was the Messiah and proclaimed him to be who he was.  In addition to the personal level of interaction and forgiveness we see in this story giving a beautiful taste of the personal aspect of salvation, our Messiah also referenced the gospel he came to teach,  “. . .fruit for eternal life (v. 36)” . . .our inheritance in the coming kingdom of God! The hope for an imperfect Samaritan woman remains my hope as an imperfect American woman.

-Jennifer Hall

Reflection Questions:

  1. Consider if there are any people or groups of people you could treat more like Jesus treated the Samaritan woman even if it goes against norms in your social group.
  2. How can you better draw from Jesus’ living water in your life when you find yourself spiritually and emotionally “thirsty”?
  3. Is there anything you need to share with God or others about what Jesus has done in your life the same way the Samaritan woman did?
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Be Careful

Old Testament: Joshua 23 & 24

Poetry: Psalm 51

New Testament: 1 Corinthians 11

Today’s Old Testament reading of Joshua 23 and 24 provides such good closure and an excellent way to wrap up the week. A farewell address from a man who had helped lead the Israelites into the promised land, and reminiscent of some of the things Moses said at the end of his life to the same people.

As I read Joshua 23 a phrase jumped out at me that was used several times. “Be careful!” As a mother, an occasional babysitter, a friend, neighbor, wife, and occupational therapist, this phrase is……one I try to avoid. Well, unless used more like Joshua. We’ve all said it, and chances are if we’ve survived this far, we’ve all had it said to us. It pops out before we even have the chance to think sometimes. What else would you say when seeing someone……dangling from the top of the climbing rainbow at Camp Mack, driving back to college, hiking with middle-aged directionally-challenged individuals in the Upper Peninsula, climbing up the bookcase while drinking from a bottle, using a walker to get around while trying to carry a cat, or pretty much any of the very exciting choices made by my “sensory seekers” at work.

The thing is, the phrase “be careful” is super abstract and subjective, and it just has very little meaning in most cases if left hanging in the air as it often is before…..kaboom/crash/oops. Given it is often said to children with little to no abstract reasoning capabilities, or in the case of many of my friends of all ages who come to see me at work, those who may not be emotionally or cognitively able to process that abstract language at the time…..it is far more useful with something concrete attached. You won’t hear it much where I work, though I assure you we witness many choices which are the opposite of careful. Instead, you will hear things like….“keep both hands on the monkey bars”, “push up from the chair first, then place your hand on the walker”, or a fun conversation I got to have recently, “Do you think that was too rough, too light, or just right?”…… “I agree. Bikes are for riding. The balls are for throwing.”

It seems as Joshua was saying farewell, he wanted the Israelites alerted to potential concerns, but he left them with excellent concrete directions. In verse 6 they are told to be careful, but at the same time instructed to know and obey the Book of the Law of Moses, to not associate with pagan nations, and to “hold fast” to the LORD.  In verse 11 they are cautioned again to “be careful”, and instructed to love the LORD, to avoid intermarrying with pagan nations, throw away pagan gods, and serve the LORD alone.  One would think the Israelites must have known a bit themselves by now that they kind of struggled with these things historically, and they were certainly still in reach of potential corruption and distraction.  Joshua’s farewell address to them is a beautiful balance of cautious reminders and powerful directives laying out the choice they were given.  Joshua chose for himself as stated in verse 15, and the people answered with their choice that day in verse 18….again in 21….and again in 24. We have the same choice, and we are blessed to have such tremendous access to the Bible for the concrete foundation on which to establish our worldview. We also have so many resources, commentaries, and Christians surrounding us with the freedom to seek clarity for the things we don’t understand or might need help getting tightened up from abstract to concrete.

So many rights could be wronged, if we all did what the Israelites said they would do….

“And the people said to Joshua, “We will serve the Lord our God and obey him.”

(Joshua 23: 24)

-Jennifer Hall

Questions:

If you tend toward being a “nervous Nellie” sort, or perhaps are just struggling with worry and being careful today, how could you redirect some of your attention to what you should be doing and who you should be trusting and serving?

If you might benefit from a few more cautious reminders in life or perhaps have some contamination from the world to throw away today, what can you extract from Joshua to apply to your life and mind?

What can you do right now to serve and obey the LORD?

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Foreshadowing

OLD TESTAMENT: JOSHUA 21 & 22

POETRY: PSALM 51

*NEW TESTAMENT: 1 CORINTHIANS 10

In the Seek Grow Love reading plan, we are given the opportunity to connect with the Old and New Testament each day, and one pro of reading the Bible this way is the opportunity to see connections and  evidence of a sovereign God directing things, weaving things together from beginning to end. It is especially nice for me when the New Testament authors clearly state the connections like we run across today in 1 Corinthians 10. Immediately following a paragraph of Old Testament events from over 1000 years before, we then see several verses connecting the past to the present. Verse 11 makes it very clear that the events of the Old Testament were expected to be studied and known by Christians under the new covenant and had a benefit for their learning:

“These things happened to them as examples and were written down as warnings for us, on whom the culmination of the ages has come. So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall! No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. . .” (1 Corinthians 10:11-13)

In this case, it appears the “things that happened” referenced in this verse include the Israelites crossing the Red Sea, being under a cloud, God being displeased with them in the wilderness, eating manna, getting water from a rock, etc.  If we have read the Old Testament stories, these things are familiar to us, but we see in 1 Corinthians that some of the connections referenced are symbolic and a foreshadowing of what is to come when the Messiah comes on the scene, not necessarily the exact same events repeated. For example, the Israelites were not literally baptized in the Red Sea and a cloud. We are told they crossed on dry ground, they were set apart and led by God, and we can certainly identify how that connects to what Jesus brings us in salvation and protection for believers.  The same idea is evident in verse 4 where we are told they drank from a rock and that rock was Christ. They did not literally drink from Jesus, nor was a rock following them around in the wilderness. While Jesus existed in the plan and complete foreknowledge of God at that time, the Messiah was not even born yet, and I feel the need to emphasize this after seeing some very confusing commentaries out there on this passage. It appears that Paul is using a familiar story from the Old Testament as a teaching metaphor comparing what was achieved through the Messiah to the provision and salvation God gave the Israelites. For a lovely chat on this subject, I highly recommend 21st Century Reformation’s video commentary below:

1st Corinthians – 21st Century Reformation (21stcr.org)

I find this to be a good reminder that God has had a plan for all time and His ways are better than ours. I also find comfort that just like the Israelites did reach the promised land, we also have promises yet to be fulfilled for a place even better than Canaan when Jesus comes back as king.

-Jennifer Hall

Questions:

  1. How does it make you feel to know that God has had a plan of salvation for you since the very beginning?
  2. What other examples of foreshadowing can you think of from the Bible?
  3. Since Paul tells us the Israelites were examples for those generations which came later, and warns us not to be cocky in thinking we are standing firm, what can we do to help us not fall?

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Refuge

Old Testament: Joshua 19 & 20

Poetry: Psalm 51

New Testament: 1 Corinthians 9

In today’s reading in Joshua we see the establishment of cities of refuge for those needing a safe place to dwell, whether Israelite or soujorner. The Israelites had been instructed to sanctify these cities, consecrating them and declaring them cities of refuge for the innocent. I am always impressed in the attention to detail and proactive instructions for so many scenarios when I read through the Old Testament law.  For example, in this chapter we have very concrete directions for what to do for those who “accidentally kill someone.” It is clear God had a detailed plan, and the instructions He gives us are not flippant or derived from the latest child-rearing or leadership self-help book. They are put in place by a holy, sovereign Father who knows all and wants the best for His children.

The Matthew Henry Commentary points out the Hebrew meaning of the names of these cities of refuge we read about in Joshua 20 and some potential correlation to the place of refuge we as Christians find in Jesus.

Kedesh:           holy

Shechem:        shoulder (e.g. the government is upon his shoulder)

Hebron:           fellowship

Bezer:              fortification

Ramoth:          high or exalted

Golan:             joy or exultation

In the same way God planned for safe dwelling places in the time of Joshua, He planned the same for us in the gift of His son who came to preach the gospel of the coming kingdom and died and was resurrected as a sacrifice for us. Not just for those who “accidentally” did something wrong, but for us who have done wrong knowingly. Time and time again. For those like David who plotted a murder, committed adultery, and whose words we read again today in Psalm 51. David seemed to live much of his life seeking safe dwelling places, but he ultimately claimed his safety in God as his refuge. In fact, if you scan the Bible for uses of God as a refuge, you’ll definitely find yourself in Psalms! Like David, we won’t find safe dwelling places regarding what matters to God in the caves, suburbs, America, or by stockpiling weapons and descending into underground bunkers. We find our safe dwelling place in God through Christ.  Hebrews 7:23-25 states this very nicely:

            “Now there have been many of those priests, since death prevented them from continuing in office; but because Jesus lives forever, he has a permanent priesthood. Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them.”

With current events exploding with more and more people living in such turmoil from the Middle East to every corner of the globe it seems, safe dwelling places are not things to take for granted. If we are a follower of Christ, we have been reconciled to God finding immediate safety today as well as the most beautiful hope in the coming kingdom and eternal life with Jesus. Only then will true refuge be found.

            “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging.” – Psalm 46:1-3

-Jennifer Hall

Questions:

  1. Are there things in the world you seek or believe to be sources of refuge outside of God and His sources of refuge?
  2. What encouragement can you find in today’s reading or God’s word regarding His promises to be our source of refuge?
  3. What do you look forward to in God’s coming kingdom where we will have perfect safety and an eternal dwelling place?
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Land

Old Testament: Joshua 17 & 18

Poetry: Psalm 51

New Testament: 1 Corinthians 8

            It is obvious from reading the Old Testament and our reading in Joshua today that God talks about land as inheritance. A safe place for his people to dwell on the earth. Interestingly, He isn’t concerned about its financial value or acreage, interest, shiny jewel heirlooms, and all the rest that this world can throw at us as a concept of an inheritance.  In Joshua, after decades of Israelites wandering and fighting, a generation dying, and all the excitement of the years since they left Egypt, we finally see them coming into their land, getting particular boundaries and instructions tribe by tribe. A promise fulfilled. But, wait. . . who had been promised the land? Who is missing in action in these chapters?

            Well, one fellow comes to mind, and that is Abraham! I found myself wondering how many years had even passed since Abraham had been promised an inheritance of land figuring it had been “a while”. Umm…..a little history research clued me into the fact that it had been more than just “a while”. . . it had been more like 700 years!  In Joshua 17-18, Israelites are receiving their inheritance that had been promised 700 years before. As we await Jesus’s return, and our inheritance, it is encouraging to remember. . . God DOES fulfill His promises in His time, in His sovereign design.  

            In the article “The Land Promise to Abraham and His Descendants” written by Anthony Buzzard and used with permission here, I loved to see how the idea of “land” was referenced as part of an entire plot of the Bible. Centuries more have passed since Joshua entered the promised land, and the Israelites certainly did not stay on the straight and narrow or even keep possession of the land, but the promise of land to Abraham was never broken because it was more than an area of particular ravines, slopes, and springs we see in these chapters. I’d recommend the full article found at https://focusonthekingdom.org/land.pdf to anyone and have included a few highlights to reflect on here:

“The entire biblical drama hangs on this remarkable tension: Abraham and his seed have never yet inherited the land/earth. In fact Stephen in the sermon which cost him his life (Acts 7, the longest chapter in that book) explicitly says that Abraham did not inherit as much as a square foot of the promised land! But “God promised it to him and his descendants”

“The fascinating fact is that Abraham has until this day not received a square foot of his inheritance. Acts 7:5 is a marvelous “John 3:16” verse! The point to be gained is that Abraham and all the faithful who are now dead, sleeping the sleep of death (Ps. 13:3), must at the future return of Jesus rise from the sleep of death (1 Cor. 15:23) to receive their promised inheritance.”

“There is coming a brand new world order on earth, to be inaugurated at the return of Jesus, and we are urged by the Gospel, the one Gospel about the Kingdom (Mark 1:14-15), to prepare with all urgency for that coming event.”

And who else will inherit the land God has promised? Thankfully that answer is woven through scripture and can include us. “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.” (Matthew 5:5)

-Jennifer Hall

Questions:

  1. What do you like best about the idea that you can be an heir to the promised land?
  2. What encouragement do you find here in Joshua 17-18 seeing God fulfill promises in His time?
  3. How does the Biblical idea of receiving a perfect promised land after Jesus returns and the dead are resurrected contrast with some common beliefs of what happens after we die?
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Steadfast

Old Testament: Joshua 15 & 16

Poetry: Psalm 51

New Testament: 1 Corinthians 7

In today’s readings, again we find ourselves in Psalm 51, and while I’m not going to write about it all 6 days we will be reading it, based on some commentaries I’ve read, there are definitely those who could!

It’s hard for me to read Psalm 51:10-11 and not find myself humming the chorus you may also know, “Create in me a clean hea-a-art, o-o-o, God, and renew a right spirit within me. . .”  What I thought was interesting though was that reading along in my ESV, the words matched up exactly to the song I knew so I was absolutely stuck with the music running through my head.  The next time I read it I must have used NASB when I stumbled into “renew a steadfast spirit within me” which is when I realized Keith Green apparently didn’t use that version, it added a syllable, and threw me off! Different versions use different words, fine and dandy. But, I realized I just didn’t equate “steadfast” with “right” in my use of the words. It makes sense reading either one in the Psalm, but it led me to do a bit more of a word study I found interesting.

The word “steadfast” (or “right”) in verse 10 is used approximately 217 times in the Bible, but the only place it is translated steadfast is 6 times in the book of Psalms. Other translations of this word throughout scripture include: made ready, established, set, formed, reliable, trustworthy.  This helped me get a better grasp on the desirable type of spirit David was asking God to renew in him.

I also really liked how David wished to use his experiences of sin/guilt/repentance to help others and bring God glory as we see in verses 13-14. I am grateful David’s testimony lasted the centuries, and grateful for the testimonies I have heard in people throughout my life as well. We know as a society even from a more medical/psychological perspective that guilt and shame are two incredibly destructive emotions for mental and physical health for those of any age. Top of the list kind of emotions selected for those struggling with severe depression, suicidal thoughts, and other health problems. When we are stuck in a pattern of guilt and shame or know others stuck in that pattern, we need a sovereign God with a perfect plan of forgiveness and reconciliation to help just like David did. As we experience life including its mistakes and wrongs, like David, we want to share the mercy and hope we have been given with others in our lives.

As Psalm 51 ends, we see reference to Zion and the walls of Jerusalem prospering. It seems historically there have been some varying interpretations from theologians/commentators on these last two verses. Some hold the belief that just these two verses were added later during the time in exile after Jerusalem had been destroyed, and others suggest they were more prophetic words of David. Regardless of who wrote them and when they were written, I like that the Psalm ends with a tie to Jerusalem. A city that will continue to be in our news it seems throughout our lifetimes, and a hope of a New Jerusalem one day where there will not be sin, tears, pain, sorrow.  Until then, may we seek to be restored and upheld like Psalm 51 so beautifully describes.

Create in me a clean heart, O God,

and renew a right spirit within me.

                Cast me not away from your presence,

and take not your Holy Spirit from me.

                Restore to me the joy of your salvation,

and uphold me with a willing spirit.

 The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Ps 51:10

-Jennifer Hall

Reflection Questions

  1. What can you learn from David’s Psalm 51 about sin, confession and repentance?
  2. What effects have you seen, including in your own life, of guilt and shame?
  3. How has David’s example helped you? How can you be an example to others in the way you respond to sin in your own life?
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Hyssop

Old Testament: Joshua 13 & 14

Poetry: Psalm 51

New Testament: 1 Corinthians 6

Ahh….Psalm 51. There are few Psalms I can remember off hand what they are about. I usually can recall that Psalm 119 is the really long one kinda smack dab in the middle of the Bible that talks about the word of God. Psalm 100 is my Mom’s favorite that she still has memorized and can recite on turbo speed which is an uplifting one full of gratitude. And then there is Psalm 51. It isn’t super long and it isn’t super cheerful, but it is authentic, transparent, and full of repentance. A psalm of confession at a time in David’s life that is so significant even our Bibles tell us what David had just been caught doing before writing this.

I don’t know about you, but I know I wouldn’t particularly want people thousands of years from now reading about my sins or finding prayers I wrote on my darkest days. But, I am so grateful that God allowed that from the man after God’s own heart, a beautiful poet and gifted communicator whose contrite and sincere words are available for us today to encourage, convict, and restore.

 In Psalm 51 verse 7, hyssop caught my eye because right now I have it growing in my yard again, transitioning back to a vibrant green after the long winter of blah. For my purposes today, I like that it is a perennial with pretty foliage and purple flowers that also have some herbal benefits. But, in the Bible it is referenced as a cleansing and purifying plant, one used for cleansing lepers, ceremonial cleansings, and what the Israelites were instructed to use as a paintbrush of sorts for smearing the sacrificed lamb’s blood on the doorposts in Exodus 12.  How beautiful a psalm and image to read on the first day of Passover. How wonderful to know that since David’s time, through his line, we received a Messiah through whom we can be cleansed and made right to God.  It is encouraging to know that God always knew we needed this Messiah, and that Jesus was part of God’s plan from the beginning. The relationship with God we have through Jesus and the hope of the gospel he preached in the coming kingdom, a time of no more mistakes and tears, provides a source of joy today.

                Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean;

wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.

 Let me hear joy and gladness;

let the bones that you have broken rejoice.

 Hide your face from my sins,

and blot out all my iniquities

Someone else must think Psalm 51 is a noteworthy one we can relate to because like it or not. . . here we come. . . .6 days in a row!

-Jennifer Hall

Questions:

1. What do you like about Psalms and the books of poetry in scripture?

2. How do you relate to the words in Psalm 51?

3. Consider what you need to ask God to cleanse you of today, and rejoice in the mercy and great compassion David reminds us are abounding in Him when we turn to him in repentance.

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Unleavened

Old Testament: Joshua 11 & 12

Poetry: Psalm 50

New Testament: 1 Corinthians 5

As is frequent with God’s word, we see connections, themes, and promises fulfilled which transcend centuries, and today’s readings are an example of this. From our Old Testament reading of Joshua we see a thorough purging and annihilation of pagan people who were not followers of God in the land God wanted inhabited by his chosen people. Terms like “captured”, “struck every person”, “no survivor”, and “utterly destroyed” used more than once paint a pretty clear picture of what Joshua and the Israelites were busy doing. But, why? That is also repeated throughout, and while it could be summed up as “God said so”, it seems more beautifully stated in Joshua 11:15,

“Just as the Lord had commanded His servant Moses, so Moses commanded Joshua, and so Joshua did; he left nothing undone of all that the Lord had commanded Moses.” New American Standard Bible (La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation, 2020), Jos 11:15.

Over a thousand years later, our New Testament reading in 1 Corinthians written to the church in Corinth also references instructions on purging out the evil. And just like the pagan people and cultures surrounding and within the promised land in the time of Joshua, Corinth was certainly a place full of evil. A city known for immorality (not immortality as I just accidentally typed!), for all varieties of sexual sins and deviance, statues and idols of lovely false gods like Aphrodite and none other than a thousand prostitutes kept busy at the temple. One could imagine as new converts came out of this culture to Christianity, and for the existing church functioning within that society, there were some things that needed cleaned up. And then there were some things that just straight up needed called out, purged, and done away with. Finding ourselves progressed another couple thousand years from there, I think we can relate.

Tomorrow, the Jewish people and those celebrating Passover will be starting their remembrances and celebrations. I really like that the Jewish holidays have Biblical and spiritual meanings, and Passover is directly mentioned in our New Testament reading today. One instruction the Hebrews were given for the Passover was to remove the yeast/leaven from their homes on the first day. Today, there are all sorts of traditions on how to do this for Passover including varieties of special cutlery and cleaning to remove every speck of potential leaven from  cookware to corners of homes and cabinets. Even the kids are apparently often helpful at finding those hard to reach remnants. As Christians according to 1 Corinthians 5, we know Jesus is our Passover lamb, which brought about a huge culture change, and one I am incredibly thankful for because I absolutely do not want to be doing anything with the blood of lambs or goats! But, while Jesus’s sacrificial life and death is a tremendous gift and blessing that reconciles us with God, scripture also tells us we can’t just be thankful for Jesus and leave whatever filth we have in our lives, homes, and churches.  Leaven is often correlated to sin in scripture, and today’s reading is very clear. Leaven is not good in this case. It will creep into every corner of the loaf. It contaminates. If we tolerate evil, we will contaminate ourselves and the body of Christ if we are a member of it. If we ignore it and don’t even look for the small hidden pieces of leaven in our lives, the leaven is very efficient at growing, attracting bugs, and all the rest.

We are forgiven and cleansed through our Messiah who took the place of the Old Testament sacrifices. We also know we are human beings living in another Corinth, and it is easy to be deceived when society is screaming “that’s not leaven, that’s just fine”.  May we all prayerfully consider the internal, spiritual leaven within ourselves along with any other things we might be cleaning up this spring. While smudges on windows, crumbs under the stove, and dead leaves in landscaping simply do not matter in the big picture, the spiritual stuff is a life and death matter. I love these verses in Psalm 19: 12-14 which talk about intently looking for the hidden pieces of leaven in our hearts.

But who can discern their own errors?

Forgive my hidden faults.

Keep your servant also from willful sins;

may they not rule over me.

Then I will be blameless,

innocent of great transgression.

May these words of my mouth and this meditation of my heart

be pleasing in your sight,

Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer.

-Jennifer Hall

Questions:

1. What similarities do you see between the culture in Joshua’s day, the city of Corinth, and today?

2. Have you ever seen someone’s sin in the body of Christ negatively impact others in the church family?

3. What challenges do you and the church face in identifying sin and right/pure actions from a Biblical worldview in today’s society?

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