Today's Faith Glorifies God Today - Ruminating in the :Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him and what came to my heart and mind in 1 Kings 17:24,

"Then the woman [the widow of Zarephath] said to Elijah, 'Now I know that you are a man of God and that the word of the Lord from your mouth is the truth.'"

This comment from the widow of Zarephath was her response to Elijah when he presented her dead son back to her alive. Elijah had cried out to the Lord to restore the son's life on behalf of the widow.

I find her observation somewhat remarkable. It is an expression of her faith, "Now I know...". What is remarkable is that she had already expressed an astonishing faith in the working of the Lord through Elijah. She demonstrated that in her giving Elijah bread from all the flour and oil she had, before preparing her and her son's own bread to eat. Her decision was based on the word of the Lord that the flour and oil would not give out, no matter how much it appeared likely to do so by what she saw in the jar.

On top of this, she witnessed this miraculous continual flow of flour and oil for a time! "So there was food every day for Elijah and for the woman and her family. For the jar of flour was not used up and the jug of oil did not run dry, in keeping with the word of the Lord spoken by Elijah." 1 Kings 17:15-16.

Yet, it was "Some time later", verse 17, that the woman's son died and was brought back to life by the Lord through Elijah. And now, at this later time she says, "Now I know..."! She confesses she now knew Elijah was a man of God and that "the word of the Lord from your mouth is the truth." Yet, look at all she had already been exposed to, and also how she had manifested a very real living faith when she gave what she thought was all she had to feed Elijah before her boy and herself!

I can't help but see in this that faith is a daily thing. I don't mean to convey the notion that saving faith comes and goes, as some mistakenly think we can lose and regain our salvation from day to day. I don't mean to imply that at all. The Scriptures are very clear that saving faith brings us an eternally secured salvation, once for all, at one given time.

However, our faith, as people of God, appears to ebb and flow. Strong one day and not so strong at another time. Paul refers to God giving people who have already been saved by faith, a special "gifting" of faith at times, "For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you." Romans 12:3. Abraham, our example of faith, expressed a strong faith at times and not so strong at others, e.g. when he lied, or misrepresented Sarah to the king of Egypt because he feared for his life. David is another man of strong faith, yet he counted his fighting men in a demonstration of a lack of faith in God's ability to bring the victory.

If anything, the account of the widow of Zarephath reminds me that while faith has provided me a place in God's kingdom for eternity, the daily faith (if I can refer to it that way) that I order my life by is a daily issue. While yesterday's faith brought me salvation, I have to live my life of faith today based on my complete trust in the Lord today - yesterday's simply won't do. 

To glorify my God today, I have to embrace him in total faith and trust today.

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!

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Short Lived Pleasures in This Life? Or, At Home in the Company of the Faithful? - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him and what came to my heart and mind in 1 Kings 16:1,

"Then the word of the Lord came to Jehu son of Hanani concerning Baasha..."

Jehu was a prophet the Lord used to communicate to kings of both northern and southern Israel. The Lord rebuked King Baasha through Jehu as referenced above, as well as Jehoshaphat of Judah, 2 Chronicles 19:1-3.

As we read of the kings of both kingdoms of Israel, north and south, as well as the activities of the Lord's prophets I am struck by the differences in lives of both occupations. Kings, of course, held the supreme position in society, had power, had wealth, had the best life had to offer.

On the other hand, what we read of the lives the prophets had, it doesn't sound like there was any comparison. Although there isn't much information to go on, the impression I have is that often (and I'm sure not always - as some prophets held important positions in the courts of kings) these prophets had relatively meager lives compared to the kings the Lord sent them to. Much of that service to the Lord provided by these prophets was in the form of rebuking kings the prophets were sent to. Something to consider as we read these accounts.

From the standpoint of this life, I suspect that many might be drawn to that which these kings often enjoyed. The indulgence of riches, of women, of fortune and fame, all anyone might want.

On the other hand, the prophets, as God's servants, while often living meager lifestyles in this life, looked forward to a rich reward in the next. Something most of these kings were not able to look forward to due to the choices they made. It is of the heritage of the company of prophets and others of faith the writer of Hebrews had in mind as he spoke, "All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance, admitting that they were foreigners and strangers on earth. People who say such things show that they are looking for a country of their own. If they had been thinking of the country they had left, they would have had opportunity to return. Instead, they were longing for a better country—a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them." Hebrews 11:13-16.

The writer of Hebrews goes on to say, "These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised, since God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect." Hebrews 11:39-40.

So... the pleasures of this life? Or, a breath-taking reward in the next? Here was the difference that lay between these prophets and kings. It is still the difference in choices we make for ourselves today: do we wish to enjoy the bliss of eternity in the same company as these prophets, or to enjoy the pleasures this life has to offer for a very, very short time, relatively speaking? 

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!

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The Fear of the Lord, His Looming Judgment - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him and what came to my heart and mind in 1 Kings 15:29-30,

"As soon as he [Baasha] began to reign, he killed Jeroboam's whole family. He did not leave Jeroboam anyone that breathed, but destroyed them all, according to the word of the Lord given through his servant Ahijah the Shilonite. This happened because of the sins Jeroboam had committed and had caused Israel to commit, and because he aroused the anger of the Lord, the God of Israel."

King Jeroboam's son, Nadab, succeeded him on the throne of northern Israel. After a mere two years of ruling Israel and continuing in the idolatry of his father, Nadab was assassinated by a man named Baasha. When Baasha took the throne he killed all of Jeroboam's family. This prevented anyone from attempting to turn the throne back to Jeroboam's family. We are told in the above passage that these things came about because Jeroboam had "aroused the anger of the Lord, the God of Israel." This Jeroboam did by pursuing the evil idolatry that turned Israel away from the Lord - it also included child sacrifice (they burned to death their own children in worship to these disgusting idols - just as abominable as the abortion practice of today).

While the full extent of the Lord's anger against Jeroboam did not manifest itself immediately - it came to visit his family with certainty. There would be absolutely no avoiding the Lord's judgment of Jeroboam and his family once he had earned and aroused the Lord's anger.

Unstoppable, like a massive freight train that has left the station and headed right at us, full steam, the Lord's judgment is unavoidable, indomitable, insurmountable and invincible. Each person who has ever lived will have to face this same God of Israel on judgment day for each and every sin ever committed.

The payment for sin will be an unending eternal death for all. All, that is, except for those who have fled to the Savior, Jesus Christ, for refuge from the devastating and staggering judgment of God. The death of Jesus Christ on the cross was payment for sins. The sins of all mankind, not just a few. "He [Jesus Christ] is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world." 1 John 2:2.

All who seek the Lord's forgiveness of sins will find it in their embrace of Jesus Christ in faith. Those who do not seek the Lord's forgiveness will face the Lord's judgment, the expression of his righteous anger just as Jeroboam's family did.

It all boils down to one simple reality: do you fear the Lord? Do you have a healthy reverence for the one who will, with certitude, cast you, on the basis of your sins, into a fiery lake of burning sulfur, Revelation 21:8? We read in Proverbs 1:7, "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction."

Perhaps it is well to keep in mind, "It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God." Hebrews 10:31. 

A word to the wise, "... worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, for our "God is a consuming fire." Hebrews 12:28-29.

This is exactly why we celebrate Christmas! God has made a way for us through his Son, Jesus Christ! He is our only hope and our only refuge from God's horrific judgment, our great Savior, Jesus Christ!

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!

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Do Bad, Get Bad? Or Something Bigger Going On Here? - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him and what came to my heart and mind in 1 Kings 14:14-16,

"The Lord will raise up for himself a king over Israel who will cut off the family of Jeroboam. Even now this is beginning to happen. And the Lord will strike Israel, so that it will be like a reed swaying in the water. He will uproot Israel from this good land that he gave to their ancestors and scatter them beyond the Euphrates River, because they aroused the Lord's anger by making Asherah poles. And he will give Israel up because of the sins Jeroboam has committed and has caused Israel to commit."

The fate of the northern ten tribes of Israel is sealed with this prophecy. Not only will the throne be torn from Jeroboam's family, the northern kingdom of Israel will face its certain demise. This, because of the idolatry Jeroboam led the nation into.

Why this judgment from the Lord? We are told the Lord decreed this because Israel had "aroused the Lord's anger". Was he simply angry because his covenant people did not behave themselves? Is this the extent of the Lord's involvement with Israel? Behave and get blessings from the Lord, misbehave and get punished by the Lord?

Is this simple understanding all there was in Israel's relationship to God? Not by a long shot.

Israel, the descendants of Abraham, was chosen by the Lord to be his vehicle to bring his redemption to all mankind. It was due to Abraham's faith, which the Lord held up as a model for us all to see - the faith that would be the key for each of us to unlock the Lord's redemption for ourselves personally. Why did the Lord chose Israel to be his "chosen people"? Abraham's faith!

The Lord entered into a covenant with Abraham and his offspring to use the nation as his vehicle for redemption. When Israel ran off the tracks and became a liability rather than a useful vehicle for the Lord's redemption of mankind, the Lord made necessary corrections to Israel's fortunes.

God's judgment for sin takes place following the resurrection. This prophecy of doom for the northern ten tribes was not simply a "do bad, get bad" exercise on the Lord's part, but the next deliberate step in the Lord managing his agenda of redemption through a people ambivalent and recalcitrant toward his intentions, his plans.

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!

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A Dog Returns To Its Vomit - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him and what came to my heart and mind in 1 Kings 13:33-34,

"Even after this, Jeroboam did not change his evil ways, but once more appointed priests for the high places from all sorts of people. Anyone who wanted to become a priest he consecrated for the high places. This was the sin of the house of Jeroboam that led to its downfall and to its destruction from the face of the earth."

Jeroboam had become the first king of the northern ten tribes of divided Israel. He was hand-selected by the Lord to take these tribes away from the David's dynasty due to Solomon's idolatry inspired by the many foreign women he had taken for himself.

Jeroboam himself became immersed in idol worship. We are told in 1 Kings 12:28-30, "After seeking advice, the king [Jeroboam] made two golden calves. He said to the people, 'It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem. Here are your gods, Israel, who brought you up out of Egypt.' One he set up in Bethel, and the other in Dan. And this thing became a sin; the people came to worship the one at Bethel and went as far as Dan to worship the other."

This sin became the defining aspect of all the kings of northern Israel that finally led to its demise at the Lord's hands. As we read of the succession of the nineteen kings of northern Israel, the "sin of Jeroboam" is often referred to. Chapter 12 goes on to tell us about Jeroboam's idolatry, "Jeroboam built shrines on high places and appointed priests from all sorts of people, even though they were not Levites. He instituted a festival on the fifteenth day of the eighth month, like the festival held in Judah, and offered sacrifices on the altar. This he did in Bethel, sacrificing to the calves he had made. And at Bethel he also installed priests at the high places he had made. On the fifteenth day of the eighth month, a month of his own choosing, he offered sacrifices on the altar he had built at Bethel. So he instituted the festival for the Israelites and went up to the altar to make offerings." 1 Kings 12:31-33.

We find the initial motivation for Jeroboam's promotion of idolatry was his fear that if the people from the northern ten tribes continued to worship the Lord at Solomon's temple in Jerusalem, they might eventually turn back to rejoin Judah, ending his throne. 1 Kings 12:26-27. Like all plans that impinge upon the Lord's activities, it led to certain doom.

In response to Jeroboam's promotion of idolatry, the Lord sent a young prophet from Judah. One day, while Jeroboam was making an offering at the worthless altar he made in Bethel, the prophet came and cried out against the alter, claiming the priests that served at the idolatrous altar would themselves be sacrificed upon it. A sign to validate the prophet's message was that the altar would be split apart and the ashes on it poured out. Jeroboam stretched out his hand and commanded the prophet be seized. His hand shriveled and the altar split apart. The king begged the prophet to have the Lord heal him, and after all that, we read that good old King Jeroboam "did not change his evil ways"!

Of King Jeroboam it can be safely said, "As a dog returns to its vomit, so fools repeat their folly." Proverbs 26:11. (I, unfortunately, can testify to the accuracy of this proverb personally!)

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!

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The Lord and the Pressure of Public Persuasion - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him and what came to my heart and mind in 1 Kings 12:15,

"So the king [Rehoboam] did not listen to the people, for this turn of events was from the Lord, to fulfill the word the Lord had spoken to Jeroboam son of Nebat through Ahijah the Shilonite."

In the previous chapter we read about Ahijah the prophet telling Jeroboam the Lord was going to split the nation of Israel by taking the northern ten tribes from Solomon's heir to the throne and giving them to Jeroboam to be king over them. This would split the nation as the Lord's response to Solomon turning to the idols of all the women that had led him astray. The Lord effected this by turning the people against Solomon's son, Jeroboam, through Jeroboam's own foolishness.

I find it interesting how the Lord utilizes public pressure to bring about the events he desires. Coming against rulers the Lord himself sets up, the crowd, the mob, the public, are used by the Lord to accomplish his desires. We see it here in the splitting of the nation of Israel. We also see it in a number of passages during the public ministry of Jesus, to manipulate events to secure the redemption of mankind Jesus wrought on that cross.

Here is an example in Jesus' manipulation of the chief priests and elders, "Jesus entered the temple courts, and, while he was teaching, the chief priests and the elders of the people came to him. 'By what authority are you doing these things?' they asked. 'And who gave you this authority?' Jesus replied, 'I will also ask you one question. If you answer me, I will tell you by what authority I am doing these things. John's baptism—where did it come from? Was it from heaven, or of human origin?' They discussed it among themselves and said, 'If we say, "From heaven," he will ask, "Then why didn't you believe him?" But if we say, "Of human origin"—we are afraid of the people, for they all hold that John was a prophet.' So they answered Jesus, 'We don't know.' Then he said, 'Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things.'" Matthew 21:23-27. Note that Jesus masterful manipulation of the chief priests and elders was predicated upon his use of public pressure. We read in that same chapter, "They looked for a way to arrest him, but they were afraid of the crowd because the people held that he was a prophet." Verse 46.

Many examples can be cited but this is enough to make the point. The Lord can and does use public pressure to accomplish what he desires, along with his many other approaches. This is not to say, obviously, that the will of the crowd is always reflective of the Lord's will -and I suspect most times not. But I think it good to observe how the Lord does work and bring about what he desires.

I expect he still does use public sentiment, and so an interesting question to ask is, from this past election season here in our country, in the spirit of Romans 13:1-2, what kind of role might the Lord have played in the outcome? How about the past two presidential elections? If we recognize the Lord's involvement, what might be the Lord's intentions?

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!

If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just respond and let me know.

Is That The Lord Behind This Disaster? - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him and what came to my heart and mind in 1 Kings 11:14, 23,

"Then the Lord raised up against Solomon an adversary, Hadad the Edomite, from the royal line of Edom... And God raised up against Solomon another adversary, Rezon son of Eliada..."

King Solomon had it all. He asked the Lord for wisdom and received unparalleled wisdom, insight and knowledge. He had also become wealthy beyond belief. The Lord had blessed King Solomon with so much, yet, with the thousand women he took for himself, he allowed himself to be led astray by the idols his wives and concubines worshiped.

In response the Lord decided to split the nation and take ten of the twelve tribes of Israel away from Solomon's dynasty and give them to another, Jeroboam. Additionally, the Lord brought a couple of thorns in Solomon's side as a consequence to his straying after idols, Hadad and Rezon. There is not a lot mentioned of these men, however, some background is provided us about Hadad.

These two adversaries of Solomon might have been construed as unrelated troubling adversaries in foreign policy. One wonders, apart from the explanation provided us in the Scriptures, if anyone actually knew at the time these two adversaries of Solomon were dealt him from the Lord's own hands due to Solomon's own failures.

The Scriptures make it clear that these adversaries to Israel were brought against her because of Solomon's disobedience to the Lord.

Does the Lord still do such things? Can we identify national challenges, disasters - whether terrorist oriented or weather, or earthquake or whatever, as coming from the Lord due to a nation's disobedience to him?

There is nothing about the New Covenant that alters the Lord's involvement among nations. Quite a bit is seen in the Old Testament and in the New, Paul explains to us that the Lord is very active and involved in the national affairs of all countries. Listen to Paul's observation in this, "Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. Consequently, whoever rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves."

While many tend to think the Lord has shifted his focus to the personal, and only getting involved in people's lives on an individual basis, it appears little has changed in how the Lord interacts on the international stage as we read of the Lord's activities today in the Scriptures, as seen in Paul and others.

Might some of the challenges facing various nations today be due to their infidelity with the Lord's agenda of things, as was the case in Solomon's day? Something to consider.

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!

If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just respond and let me know.

The Splendor and Majesty Headed Our Way! - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him and what came to my heart and mind in 1 Kings 10:6-9,

"The report I heard in my own country about your achievements and your wisdom is true. But I did not believe these things until I came and saw with my own eyes. Indeed, not even half was told me; in wisdom and wealth you have far exceeded the report I heard. How happy your people must be! How happy your officials, who continually stand before you and hear your wisdom! Praise be to the Lord your God, who has delighted in you and placed you on the throne of Israel. Because of the Lord's eternal love for Israel, he has made you king to maintain justice and righteousness."

This is the observation the queen of Sheba made to Solomon as she observed his kingdom. Together with Solomon's wisdom, splendor and majesty - the majesty of his court, its furnishings, and everything connected with his kingdom, she was simply overwhelmed. Prior to her coming, upon hearing of Solomon, she doubted the grandeur of all the details she heard until she made the trek to see for herself. She was simply astonished!

The account brings to my mind the day we will arrive in the the kingdom of Jesus Christ in the resurrection. I am quite certain we will have our own "Queen of Sheba" experience when all we see registers within our minds. I believe we will all be astonished at the majesty and splendor of our wonderful king who died for us, that we might have a place in his kingdom. We will be overwhelmed with all the Lord has for us in the new age - our homes, our renewed bodies, a life lived in the pristine splendor that will mark the many perfections of our wonderful Creator! 

Yes, we know of it, we have been told of it, but we have yet to behold it! It is that moment of beholding and the thrill and astonishment that will grip us on that day is what attracts my mind this morning. How exciting!

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!

If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just respond and let me know.

All About God's Agenda of Redemption - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him and what came to my heart and mind in 1 Kings 9:7-9,

"Israel will then become a byword and an object of ridicule among all peoples. This temple will become a heap of rubble. All who pass by will be appalled and will scoff and say, 'Why has the Lord done such a thing to this land and to this temple?' People will answer,'Because they have forsaken the Lord their God, who brought their ancestors out of Egypt, and have embraced other gods, worshiping and serving them—that is why the Lord brought all this disaster on them.'"

Following Solomon's completion of the temple and his royal palace, the Lord "appeared" to him a second time. I'm not certain the nature of the "appearance" but we are provided what the Lord told Solomon. In what the Lord had to say, it is abundantly clear the role Israel was to play in the Lord's redemption of all mankind, of all nations.

In frightful foreknowledge and accuracy, the Lord provided Solomon his intentions and what his response would be should Israel turn from the Lord, the very thing Israel, in fact did. The Lord observed he had consecrated the temple Solomon had built and promised his presence would reside there forever. Unless... Israel turned from him.

It is within the Lord's articulated concerns that we see the role Israel was to play in bringing the knowledge of God to the world and the role Israel would play among the other nations. In order for Israel to further the Lord's priorities and agenda, Israel would need to maintain their fidelity with the Lord. If that didn't happen (and it didn't) the Lord expressed how this would impact other peoples.

If any of Solomon's descendants turned from the Lord, the Lord said he would expel the people from the land and reject the new temple Solomon had just completed. This, not just for the benefit of Israel's understanding of the Lord's justice, but for all nations to see. The Lord goes on to observe just how this would be viewed by the other nations, "Israel will then become a byword and an object of ridicule among all peoples." Verse 7. Other nations would ask, "All who pass by will be appalled and will scoff and say, 'Why has the Lord done such a thing to this land and to this temple?'" Verse 8. Then we read, "People will answer,'Because they have forsaken the Lord their God, who brought their ancestors out of Egypt, and have embraced other gods, worshiping and serving them—that is why the Lord brought all this disaster on them.'" Verse 9.

The impact of the Lord rejecting his people on the other nations of earth is unmistakably important for the Lord as he expressed himself to Solomon. God did not secure for himself a people in Israel such they would be pampered and coddled by the Lord. God chose Abraham (the man of faith) and his offspring to be useful, to participate in his agenda of reconciling all peoples from all nations to himself. How Israel might do as the Lord's people was measured, in part, on how that impacted the other nations on earth.

We do well to recognize the Lord's agenda, his priorities and what he intends through his work in the redemption of all mankind. All of Scripture points to the coming Messiah, Jesus Christ, and the Lords intent of redeeming all who will embrace him in faith.

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!

If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just respond and let me know.

The Ten Commandments - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him and what came to my heart and mind in 1 Kings 8:9,

"There was nothing in the ark except the two stone tablets that Moses had placed in it at Horeb, where the Lord made a covenant with the Israelites after they came out of Egypt."

At one time the ark contained not just the two stone tablets with the ten commandments inscribed, but also a golden jar of manna, the manna that sustained Israel in the wilderness, as well as Aaron's rod that had budded. You will recall that there was an insurrection directed against Moses' leadership and the selection of his brother, Aaron, to be the chief priest of Israel. The insurrection was quelled when the Lord displayed his choice of Aaron by having his staff bud with leaves, providing a miraculous and powerful statement.

The ark was built, together with the tabernacle, its other furnishings and utensils. Over the intervening several hundred years, it had moved from place to place, was even captured by the Philistines (the enemies of Israel) and returned. Now, only the ten commandments remained within the ark, the "tablets of the covenant."

What was so important about these commandments God had provided through Moses? First, these laws revealed the nature of God's own character. These laws became the guiding direction Israel was to take if they were to continue in the covenant they had made with God. Additionally, these commandments expressed God's expectations of sinful mankind. For mankind, through Israel, to live in harmony with God, these laws would need to be observed.

However, the most important aspect of the ten commandments lay in the revelation to all mankind of their sinful condition. As they might attempt to keep the laws contained in the tablets of the covenant, they would discover an inability to keep them - driving them to seek the Lord's mercy. The sinful condition of man is not a matter of a need for rehabilitation brought about by the moral efforts of law-keeping, but a need for seeking God's forgiveness, the throwing of oneself at the feet of God's mercy and a needed satisfaction of his sense of justice. The ten commandments are a tool to show us our need for salvation!

This we find in Jesus Christ. He died on that cross to pay the penalty for all of mankind's sins. When we embrace him in faith, the payment Jesus made is credited to our account with God in his court.

The law, the ten commands illustrate and magnify our need for salvation, "in order that sin might be recognized as sin, it used what is good to bring about my death, so that through the commandment sin might become utterly sinful." Romans 7:13.

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!

If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just respond and let me know.

Priorities, Priorities. Priorities - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him and what came to my heart and mind in 1 Kings 7:1,

"It took Solomon thirteen years, however, to complete the construction of his palace."

I note it took Solomon seven years to build the temple and another thirteen to build his palace. We read in 1 Kings 9:10 that both buildings took twenty years to build. It appears to me that the twenty year construction period for both included Solomon finishing the temple before he started on his own palace.

This temple was destroyed about 586 BC if memory serves me correctly (which is not always the case), with a remnant from Judah being taken into captivity. following the seventy years of captivity the survivors were released to go back to Jerusalem and allowed to rebuild the temple.

We read something different about the returning Jews, however, regarding their rebuilding of the temple. After a good start on the foundation, they allowed the temple to project to sit idle for twenty years. We read the Lord's perspective on this in Haggai 1:4-11,

"Is it a time for you yourselves to be living in your paneled houses, while this house [the unfinished temple] remains a ruin? Now this is what the Lord Almighty says: 'Give careful thought to your ways. You have planted much, but harvested little. You eat, but never have enough. You drink, but never have your fill. You put on clothes, but are not warm. You earn wages,only to put them in a purse with holes in it.' This is what the Lord Almighty says: 'Give careful thought to your ways. Go up into the mountains and bring down timber and build my house, so that I may take pleasure in it and be honored,' says the Lord.'You expected much, but see, it turned out to be little. What you brought home, I blew away. Why?' declares the Lord Almighty. 'Because of my house, which remains a ruin, while each of you is busy with your own house. Therefore, because of you the heavens have withheld their dew and the earth its crops. I called for a drought on the fields and the mountains, on the grain, the new wine, the olive oil and everything else the ground produces, on people and livestock, and on all the labor of your hands.'"

Solomon had his priorities right. Not so much the returnees from Babylon. They did get the second temple finished eventually, after the Lord sent them prophets to provide the people correction.

How about me? Am I busy "feathering my bed" while allowing the things of the Lord he wants me to do, left undone? I believe there is a message here.

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!

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The Lord Quietly Building His Temple - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him and what came to my heart and mind in 1 Kings 6:7,

"In building the temple, only blocks dressed at the quarry were used, and no hammer, chisel or any other iron tool was heard at the temple site while it was being built."

This simple observation is made of the construction of the temple King Solomon built. Prior to this the tabernacle Moses had made was used for worship, for the sacrificial offerings and provided the center for the religious observations of the nation. As Solomon constructed this temple, we are told that no sound from iron tools was heard at the site as it was being built.

I think of the temple the Lord himself is building today. That temple is made up of the communion of believers the Lord dwells within today. We read, "As you come to him, the living Stone—rejected by humans but chosen by God and precious to him— you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ." 1 Peter 2:4-5. Also, listen to these fascinating words as Paul addresses the Gentiles in Ephesus, "Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God's people and also members of his household, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit." Ephesians 2:19-22.

The Lord is building his temple today just as Solomon built one three millenia ago for him. Where Solomon used cut stone and cedar to build the temple, the Lord builds his temple of all who embrace him in faith. Both are homes, residences, where the presence of the Lord dwells and so both considered sacred. Where Solomon's temple was destroyed by the Babylonians, the temple the Lord is building today will last forever.

One aspect to the building of both these temples is the quiet nature of the construction of both. Where Solomon's temple, being built of stone and cedar, required the use of tools, no sound of an iron tool was heard at the construction site. So, also, the Lord is quietly building his temple today. Right under our noses, the Lord is busy drawing people to himself. Right under our noses, brothers and sisters he has raised up for himself share the gospel with others, and right under our noses, people are receiving the inheritance the Lord has promised to all those of faith as they are built into the Lord's temple of today!

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!

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Whose Lord is Jesus Christ? - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him and what came to my heart and mind in 1 Kings 5:3-4,

"You know that because of the wars waged against my father David from all sides, he could not build a temple for the Name of the Lord his God until the Lord put his enemies under his feet. But now the Lord my God has given me rest on every side, and there is no adversary or disaster."

These words of Solomon come from a message he had sent to King Hiram of Tyre when asking for materials to build a temple to the Lord.

In it I note the reference to "the Lord his God" changes to "the Lord my God". Where Solomon refers to his father's [David's] God, he now refers to God as "my God". Solomon did not find solace in the Lord through his father, but appropriated his own relationship with the God of his father.

How about us? Are we content with a false notion that somehow we have access, we have a relationship through our parents to God? Through our spouse? Through our pastor? Through our priest? Through the pope? Through some shyster evangelist on TV? None of this will do.

The Lord Jesus Christ desires an immediate relationship with each of us... directly. Not through anyone else. As Paul observes, "For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all people." I don't see a priest in there. I don't see my Sunday School teacher in there. I don't see a pope in there. I don't see an elder in there. I don't see any family members in there. Likewise, I don't see a church membership in there, I don't see an attendance record in there. I don't see the financial statement of my giving in there either.

Each and every one of us must appropriate our own relationship with God through Jesus Christ. Each of us must possess our own embrace of faith in him. Our parents won't do and our spouses won't do. It is with my own faith in Jesus Christ that I find my inheritance in the kingdom of God and it is with your own faith in Jesus Christ that you will find your inheritance in the kingdom of God.

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!

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Peace and Prosperity - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him and what came to my heart and mind in 1 Kings 4:20,

"The people of Judah and Israel were as numerous as the sand on the seashore; they ate, they drank and they were happy."

A few verses later we read, "During Solomon's lifetime Judah and Israel, from Dan to Beersheba, lived in safety, everyone under their own vine and under their own fig tree." Verse 25. All of Israel lived in peace and prosperity during Solomon's reign as king.

Peace and prosperity are the ultimate goals of mankind in this life. Politicians promise it, all kinds of churches promise it, people who write books and give seminars promise it. Simply put, peace and prosperity sells!

Yet, that there is a market today for peace and prosperity simply points to the fact that unlike Israel in Solomon's day, the world has anything but peace and prosperity. Here in the United States, we, of course, enjoy a prosperity not seen in other places. But for the most part, peace and prosperity sells because there is plenty of room for it in the heart of mankind. Man was ultimately created for a world marked by the peace and prosperity God designed us for, but because of the fall of mankind, that peace and prosperity awaits our arrival in the next age.

I mentioned above that peace and prosperity are the ultimate goals of mankind in this life. However, they are not the the goals our Lord has for us in this life. God has different goals, he has a different agenda. It is far removed from the peace and prosperity we so desperately seek. God's goal in this life is to build his kingdom. It will only be in his family, in the next age, that peace and prosperity awaits us.

The Lord's agenda is to utilize what he has created to build a family, a kingdom for himself. Unlike the false promises of the heath-and-wealth preachers of today, the Lord has his own things he is pursuing. If we would but listen to the Scriptures, we would learn of these.

One place is Romans 8:19-21, where Paul makes the fascinating observation, "For the creation waits in eager expectation for the children of God to be revealed. For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the freedom and glory of the children of God." Here Paul tells us God himself has subjected the world to frustration with the hope the "creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the freedom and glory of the children of God."

Why would God do that? We are sinful. We are all, each and every one of us, sinful. As such we are all, each and every one of us, subject to being cast into God's judgment following the end of this age. God wants us to know that, so that we might feel the need for his salvation in Jesus Christ. Who looks around for something/someone to save them unless they feel a threat to their well-being? That frustration the Lord sends our way is designed to draw us to him, to find the solution to our need in him. For this reason, peace and prosperity will never be ours in this life.

Unlike Israel in Solomon's day, the world, in this age, will never know the peace and prosperity Israel enjoyed. The account of peace and prosperity Israel enjoyed under King Solomon is a picture, an illustration the Lord provides us of what will be ours in the next age under King Jesus Christ. He paints for us a picture of hope that satisfies the most deeply felt needs of our hearts.

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!

If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just respond and let me know.

The Lord Gives Wisdom - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him and what came to my heart and mind in 1 Kings 3:28,

"When all Israel heard the verdict the king had given, they held the king in awe, because they saw that he had wisdom from God to administer justice."

This observation from the text follows King Solomon's threat to cut a child in two when two women asked him to render judgment as to whose child the boy was. The true mother, as you recall, was determined by Solomon when she readily decided to give up her claim on the boy to spare his life.

The text tells us the wisdom Solomon had was from the Lord. We are told in 1 Kings 4:29-31, "God gave Solomon wisdom and very great insight, and a breadth of understanding as measureless as the sand on the seashore. Solomon's wisdom was greater than the wisdom of all the people of the East, and greater than all the wisdom of Egypt. He was wiser than anyone else... And his fame spread to all the surrounding nations."

Solomon received this wisdom from the Lord because he asked the Lord for it. The Lord offered to give Solomon anything he wanted, and with the insight of an already wise and prudent man, he asked the Lord for wisdom to aid him in governing the Lord's people as king.

The Lord, likewise offers us wisdom. As personified as a woman, wisdom calls out to each of us, "Let all who are simple come to my house!" Proverbs 9:4. "Come, eat my food and drink the wine I have mixed." Proverbs 9:5. In fact, the book of Proverbs is presented us as our textbook from the Lord to impart wisdom to us, "The proverbs of Solomon son of David, king of Israel: for gaining wisdom and instruction; for understanding words of insight; for receiving instruction in prudent behavior, doing what is right and just and fair; for giving prudence to those who are simple, knowledge and discretion to the young— let the wise listen and add to their learning, and let the discerning get guidance— for understanding proverbs and parables, the sayings and riddles of the wise." Proverbs 1:1-6.

There are 31 chapters in the book of Proverbs, one for each day of the month. If you read the chapter for the day of the month, you would expose yourself to God's instruction in wisdom every month. Today is the seventh of December and so chapter seven would be the chapter to read today. It takes all of about ten minutes to read. Is wisdom worth ten minutes of my time each day?

Wisdom calls out to us, "Out in the open wisdom calls aloud, she raises her voice in the public square; on top of the wall she cries out, at the city gate she makes her speech: 'How long will you who are simple love your simple ways? How long will mockers delight in mockery and fools hate knowledge? Repent at my rebuke! Then I will pour out my thoughts to you, I will make known to you my teachings." Proverbs 1:20-23.

We rightfully are in awe of the wisdom God gave Solomon. How much, as well, with the wisdom the Lord can impart to us... to someone as thick-headed as me!

Listen to these words:

My son, if you accept my words
    and store up my commands within you,
turning your ear to wisdom
    and applying your heart to understanding—
indeed, if you call out for insight
    and cry aloud for understanding,
and if you look for it as for silver
    and search for it as for hidden treasure,
then you will understand the fear of the Lord
    and find the knowledge of God.
For the Lord gives wisdom;
    from his mouth come knowledge and understanding.
He holds success in store for the upright,
    he is a shield to those whose walk is blameless,
for he guards the course of the just
    and protects the way of his faithful ones.
Then you will understand what is right and just
    and fair—every good path.
For wisdom will enter your heart,
    and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul.
Discretion will protect you,
    and understanding will guard you." Proverbs 2:1-11.

"For the Lord gives wisdom..."!!

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!

If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just respond and let me know.

Imputed Guilt Versus Satisfaction of Justice- Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him and what came to my heart and mind in 1 Kings 2:31-32,

"Strike him [Joab] down and bury him, and so clear me [King Solomon] and my whole family of the guilt of the innocent blood that Joab shed. The Lord will repay him for the blood he shed, because without my father David knowing it he attacked two men and killed them with the sword."

As the head of David's military forces, Joab held a powerful position. Unfortunately, he exploited that position and killed two innocent men, Abner and Amasa. David's son, Solomon, now sat on the throne and it was left to him to bring justice to these transgressions.

Solomon makes a startling point here. He took the action to bring Joab to justice, in part, to clear himself as well as his whole family, from the guilt of the blood Joab had spilled. Why would Solomon be held to account for the murders committed by Joab?

Most obviously, as king, Solomon held the position of power to insure justice be done. Yet, failure to follow through on the justice that would be appropriate from the perspective of both his court, and the court of God, should only constitute failure to fulfill his responsibility as the chief officer of justice for the nation, shouldn't it? We might think there is a big difference in being held culpable for murder versus failure to prosecute and punish for that murder.

Yet, Solomon observes his concern that he and his family be cleared "of the guilt of the innocent blood that Joab shed."

All ground for determining what is just, what is right, and what is appropriate resides within the purview of our Creator. He is the designer of life and he created us. It is to his sense of justice that we are beholden. Just ask those who will be cast into the lake of fire in the judgment to follow this age as to whose sense of justice we are beholden. And a sense of justice is one of our Creator's driving passions: "'Let the one who boasts boast about this: that they have the understanding to know me, that I am the Lord, who exercises kindness, justice and righteousness on earth, for in these I delight,' declares the Lord." Jeremiah 9:24.

What I learn from Solomon here is that if I hold a responsibility and/or position to right a wrong, my failure to do so brings to myself, beyond the guilt of irresponsibility, the very guilt of that wrong.

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!

If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just respond and let me know.

Trevor Fisk
trevor.fisk@gmail.com

Nathan: the Great Prophet of God - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him and what came to my heart and mind in 1 Kings 1:22-23,

"While she [Bathsheba] was still speaking with the king [David], Nathan the prophet arrived. And the king was told, 'Nathan the prophet is here.'"

It was the Lord's intention to place Solomon on the throne of his covenanted people Israel. King David, who was now old, was ready to be succeeded on the throne and another son of David, Adonijah, had put himself forward to take it for himself.

The plot was brought to an end when the prophet Nathan approached Solomon's mother, Bathsheba. He told her to go in to see David and make her appeal. Then he told her what he was going to do seal the resolution of it all. Nathan would come in to talk with David just as Bathsheba was making her appeal on Solomon's behalf. Nathan himself would join her to make the request to David to put an end to Adonijah's attempt at siezing the throne.

Enough cannot be said about this great prophet Nathan. Imagine the Lord giving you the task of confronting someone (King David) about his most egregious sin. Confronting the one man who had the ability to have your life ended in a heartbeat. Confronting David in the midst of his temptation, passion and illicit behavior. Behavior that already included not just adultery, but deception as well as murder.

This was Nathan's task. Unlike some other prophets who shirked their duty (Jonah, as well as others come to mind), Nathan stood tall and risked his life for what the Lord asked of him.

Due to this past intervention into David's life by Nathan, Nathan held a unique position to cross into David's life where many might not have been successful. I am reminded of Proverbs 28:23, "Whoever rebukes a person will in the end gain favor rather than one who has a flattering tongue." Where the rebuke had its origin in the Lord himself, it was Nathan who was faithful to deliver the message and it was Nathan who was now particularly and especially positioned to impact David later when Solomon's ascension to the throne was threatened.

It causes me to think about circumstances today. Might there be something the Lord is asking of me, something that needs to be addressed by me, and faithfully following through on it, will later yield another opportunity for me to be used by the Lord, because he had uniquely prepared me for it by what he asks of me today?

Just musing here...

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!

If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just respond and let me know.

Trevor Fisk
trevor.fisk@gmail.com

A Certainty of Outcomes - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him and what came to my heart and mind in 2 Kings 25:21b,

"So Judah went into captivity, away from her land."

In this short and appalling phrase, the judgment of Judah for rejecting her God is announced.

As I read of the judgment that came to Judah, I can't help but think of that horrific judgment that awaits all who reject God in their lives today.

That judgment will surely be exacted if we fail to embrace Jesus Christ in faith. It is entirely within our control. We can embrace Jesus Christ in our lives through faith and trust, or, cling to our sin and reject him. Those who do so will certainly have the same thing said of them, that they went into the captivity of God's condemnation and judgment into a frightful lake of burning sulfur... just as certainly as Judah went into the captivity of her judgment.

However, God, in his incomprehensible love has made a way for us! He sent his Son to take our place in judgment for all the sins we will ever commit in our lives. Listen to Jesus words, "Very truly I tell you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be judged but has crossed over from death to life. Very truly I tell you, a time is coming and has now come when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God and those who hear will live. For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son also to have life in himself. And he has given him authority to judge because he is the Son of Man." John 5:24-27.

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!

If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just respond and let me know.

Trevor Fisk
trevor.fisk@gmail.com