Our Divisive Lord - 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 Nehemiah 2:20,

"The God of heaven will give us success. We his servants will start rebuilding, but as for you, you have no share in Jerusalem or any claim or historic right to it."

When Nehemiah secured King Artaxerxes' permission and support to travel to his homeland to rebuild the walls and gates in Jerusalem, it rattled, it disturbed, the local power brokers in the surrounding area. Sanballat the Horonite, Tobiah the Ammonite and Geshem the Arab are cited as among those who raised their voices against Nehemiah and the Jews as they set themselves to make the repairs.

The above verse is Nehemiah's response to the challenge raised by Sanballat, Tobiah and Geshem. Nehemiah's resolute commitment and work on the walls and gates of the city was done in the midst of the opposition brought by these outraged locals.

The point here being that Nehemiah had set himself to do what the local Gentiles objected to. The important thing to keep in mind is that it was the Lord himself who determined the returnees to the promised land rebuild the walls and gates following the temple being rebuilt and having the temple worship restored.

We might view this as the Lord acting divisively against the protests of these local power brokers. The Lord had his agenda and these locals had their own competing agenda. I am reminded of Proverbs 19:21, "Many are the plans in a person's heart, but it is the Lord's purpose that prevails."

It is quite apparent that when the Lord desires to pursue something, when he sets himself to his agenda, he remains unconcerned with the potential push-back from others.

In other words, our Lord can be very "divisive" in his intentions and actions. Intentionally divisive. He does not consult with the desires of others when he determines to do something. He doesn't do focus groups to make sure what he is doing is pleasing to others, he doesn't take polls and he doesn't hire consultants to bring about any kind of consensus.

He just does what he decides to do, no matter what opposition may arise.

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 Often Does Not Do It All - 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 Nehemiah 1:3,

"Those who survived the exile and are back in the province [Judah] are in great trouble and disgrace. The wall of Jerusalem is broken down, and its gates have been burned with fire."

This is the report given Nehemiah, the Jewish cupbearer to King Artaxerxes of Persia, when he asked his brother, Hanani, how the returnees to Jerusalem were doing, as well as the city itself. Hanani had just returned from Judah.

This report caused a great consternation to Nehemiah. In verse four, we read he sat down and wept, and for "some days" mourned, fasted and prayed. The bulk of chapter one is his prayer to the Lord. In it he confessed the sins of the nation, his family's and his own. He also reminded the Lord that he had told Moses that if Israel were to be unfaithful, he would scatter them among the nations, but if they returned to the Lord and obeyed his commands, he would gather them back to their homeland, the land the Lord had given them, verses 8-9. All this had happened and now Nehemiah was asking the Lord for help following the report.

In Ezra 1:1 we read that it was the Lord himself who had "moved the heart of Cyrus king of Persia" to allow the Jews to return to Jerusalem to rebuild the temple. Since it was the Lord himself who made it possible for the Jews to return to Jerusalem, why were they fairing so poorly? Why were they in "great trouble and disgrace"? Why hadn't the Lord "greased the skids" for the returning Jews and paved the way for easy success?

Something I have noticed about the Lord as I have read Israel's history: the Lord certainly does his part to pursue his agenda, and that he does make things happen. However, when it comes to utilizing his people, he doesn't do it all himself.

For those who wish to serve the Lord, the Lord provides them room to do just that. The Lord doesn't "do it all" on many occasions, but allows his people the satisfaction of accomplishing those good things for him. He provides opportunity for a sense of purpose, the expression of industry, and a sense of satisfaction for a job well done for the Lord. Additionally, the Lord does respond when those who are seeking to serve him call out for help. I believe it is precisely that opportunity for a call for help that the Lord often refrains from "doing it all" on his own. He wants to teach us to rely on him, and until we are backed in a corner, needing his help when we are serving him, we may miss out on valuable lessons if the Lord had just done everything needed up front.

Just a few thoughts this morning...

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All sins are not equal - 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 Ezra 10:3,

"Now let us make a covenant before our God to send away all these women and their children, in accordance with the counsel of my lord and of those who fear the commands of our God. Let it be done according to the Law."

The Lord expresses himself about divorce in Malachi 2:16. He does not take it lightly. We find the same thing in 1 Corinthians 7, where Paul deals with divorce as an issue with grave concerns. As a whole, except in certain circumstances there is a prohibition against divorce for those who wish to live their lives in a pleasing manner to the Lord.

Here in Ezra, we read of another issue that eclipsed the sin of divorce - the sin of idolatry. Many returnees to the promised land from the Babylonian captivity married those from the surrounding nations and began again the vile wickedness of worshiping idols. It was determined the best thing to do was to divorce their Gentile wives and separate themselves from the sinful practices of the neighboring countries.

All sins are not equal.

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Ezra's Confession - 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 Ezra 9:15,

"Lord, the God of Israel, you are righteous!... Here we are before you in our guilt, though because of it not one of us can stand in your presence."

Here is a clear, unequivocal, unadulterated confession of sin. When Ezra returned to the homeland from the seventy year captivity Israel experienced in Babylon, he found that some of the people, together with priests and Levites of the earlier returnees had taken heathen spouses to themselves. They inter-married with those who maintained "detestable practices" of these surrounding nations. "They have taken some of their daughters as wives for themselves and their sons, and have mingled the holy race with the peoples around them. And the leaders and officials have led the way in this unfaithfulness." Verse 2.

We read in verses 3-5, "When I [Ezra] heard this, I tore my tunic and cloak, pulled hair from my head and beard and sat down appalled. Then everyone who trembled at the words of the God of Israel gathered around me because of this unfaithfulness of the exiles. And I sat there appalled until the evening sacrifice. Then, at the evening sacrifice, I rose from my self-abasement, with my tunic and cloak torn, and fell on my knees with my hands spread out to the Lord my God and prayed..."

The words in verse 16 are those that ended Ezra's prayer. Ezra's prayer is a heart-wrenching confession of the sins of the nation, together with the acknowledgment of God's just response to those sins. "I am too ashamed and disgraced, my God, to lift up my face to you, because our sins are higher than our heads and our guilt has reached to the heavens. From the days of our ancestors until now, our guilt has been great. Because of our sins, we and our kings and our priests have been subjected to the sword and captivity, to pillage and humiliation at the hand of foreign kings, as it is today." Verses 6-7.

This prayer of confession ought to be required reading for all who would educate themselves in the things of the Lord. We have all sinned and we have great need of learning how to address that with God. Ezra's plea is devastating: "But now, our God, what can we say after this?"

Not much can be said following sin, but Ezra shows us the way. The following chapter will reveal why Ezra was God's chosen man to be used in a mighty way to help prepare the nation for the eventual coming of her Messiah. The sin will be dealt with.

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Acting on Faith: Ezra - 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 Ezra 8:22-23,

"I [Ezra} was ashamed to ask the king for soldiers and horsemen to protect us from enemies on the road, because we had told the king, 'The gracious hand of our God is on everyone who looks to him, but his great anger is against all who forsake him.' So we fasted and petitioned our God about this, and he answered our prayer."

As Ezra prepared to leave the Ahava Canal outside Babylon to join the other returnees in Jerusalem, those who had already returned to the homeland, he made this observation. While he made an accounting of the returnees, the gold and silver they were taking with them, and other considerations, Ezra noted he could not in good conscience ask the king for a military escort for protection on the journey.

Since Ezra, a man who was unashamed of his God, had told the king that God's hand rested on those who look to him but opposed those who forsake him, how could he then ask the king for the protection of a military escort? If God was going to watch over them, what need would there be for protection?

Ezra put his faith where his mouth was. In keeping consistent with what he had shared with the king about God, (and considering his tremendous responsibility for the safety and welfare for all who traveled with him - hundreds of people) he decided against asking for the escort and instead placed his welfare, and the welfare of those with him, into the hands of God. He was not disappointed.

Ezra, through his faith, ordered his life according to what he knew about God. What a wonderful example of acting on faith by a man of faith!

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Seeking the Gracious Hand 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 Ezra 7:9-10,

"...for the gracious hand of his God was on him. For Ezra had devoted himself to the study and observance of the Law of the Lord, and to teaching its decrees and laws in Israel."

Here is an observation made about Ezra. The Persian king, Artaxerxes, had released Ezra, a Jewish priest, to return to his homeland. He was given the direction by the king to be sure he taught the Scriptures to the people.

In this observation, we learn that due to a choice Ezra made for his life, the Lord responded in a way that is characterized as "the gracious hand of his God was on him." I am certain there were a number of ways the "gracious hand of God" being upon him was expressed. Certainly Ezra was a blessed man and was used mightily by the Lord.

The choice Ezra had made for his life was to give himself over to the Scriptures. He "devoted himself to the study and observance of the Law of the Lord". The "Law of the Lord" was the Bible as developed up until that time. Our first five books of our Bibles would be included as well as other books that had been added to the sacred library by this time. Not only did he study the Scriptures, he observed them, he did them, he applied them to his life, he sought to conform himself to what the Lord asked through his Word.

Further, Ezra also devoted himself to teaching what he had studied and observed. He made himself useful to the plans of God and furthered his agenda.

If any of us had a notion to have the hand of the Lord on us and experience whatever blessings that might bring, we may learn from the old priest Ezra. He shows us the way.

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God's Use of Rulers, Nations - 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 Ezra 6:22,

"For seven days they [the Jewish exiles] celebrated with joy the Festival of Unleavened Bread, because the Lord had filled them with joy by changing the attitude of the king of Assyria so that he assisted them in the work on the house of God, the God of Israel."

We are told the Lord prompted the king who held the Jewish remnant captive to release the Jews and have them return to their homeland and rebuild the temple in Jerusalem. The Lord even had the king decree the locals (who would oppose the returning Jews) to provide materials and supplies.

Just how does the Lord change an attitude of a king? I'm certain the Lord probably has a number of ways he does it, but, the point is, he does it. We know from a well-known proverb, the Lord engages the hearts of kings and leaders, "In the Lord's hand the king's heart is a stream of water that he channels toward all who please him." Proverbs 21:1.

In another interesting proverb about the Lord's control of those in authority, we read, "By me kings reign and rulers issue decrees that are just; by me princes govern, and nobles—all who rule on earth." Proverbs 8:15-16.

We may entertain ideas about limiting our own federal government from establishing a state mandated religion, but the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob establishes governments, "From one man he made all the nations, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he marked out their appointed times in history and the boundaries of their lands. God did this so that they would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from any one of us." Acts 17:26-27.

It was God himself that established the various nations with their governments for his own purposes. And, he uses those in control of those nations to carry out those purposes.

So, what exactly is the Lord doing in our nation today? Other nations?

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 Force of God's Determination - 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 Ezra 5:13-15,

"In the first year of Cyrus king of Babylon, King Cyrus issued a decree to rebuild this house of God. He even removed from the temple of Babylon the gold and silver articles of the house of God, which Nebuchadnezzar had taken from the temple in Jerusalem and brought to the temple in Babylon. Then King Cyrus gave them to a man named Sheshbazzar, whom he had appointed governor, and he told him, 'Take these articles and go and deposit them in the temple in Jerusalem. And rebuild the house of God on its site.'"

This was the response of the Jews who had returned from captivity and were now working on the completion of the rebuilt temple in Jerusalem. It was their response to the governor of Trans-Euphrates, Tattenai, when he came calling to see what the Jews were doing and who authorized it. Tattenai included this response to his letter to the current king of Persia, Darius.

At the end of seventy years in Babylonian captivity, the Persian king Cyrus (by this time Babylonia had fallen to Persia) allowed the surviving Jews to return to Jerusalem and to rebuild the temple.

It cannot be overlooked that God intended to use Israel to bring his Son, Jesus Christ, into the world, and part of those plans included a temple in place in Jerusalem. Israel required some serious course correction for these purposes as they constantly rebelled against God - and so he subjected them to a seventy year captivity in Babylon.

At God's prescribed time-table, when Israel had become useful again to his purposes, he prompted Cyrus to allow the Jews to return to their homeland.

I note that when God's agenda is afoot, he is able and capable of using whatever he determines useful to himself to carry out his intentions. I am reminded of the proverb, "In the Lord's hand the king's heart is a stream of water that he channels toward all who please him." Proverbs 21:1. Now that Israel had responded to the discipline of God while in captivity, it was no challenge to God to effect the heart of King Cyrus.

When the Lord determined to bring the captives back to Jerusalem, nothing could stop it. Although attempts were made to stop the returning Jews from rebuilding of the temple, the Lord determined it would happen."There is no wisdom, no insight, no plan that can succeed against the Lord." Proverbs 21:30.

A good message for us 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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#Resistance In The Spiritual Realm - 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 Ezra 4:4-6,

"Then the peoples around them set out to discourage the people of Judah and make them afraid to go on building. They bribed officials to work against them and frustrate their plans during the entire reign of Cyrus king of Persia and down to the reign of Darius king of Persia. At the beginning of the reign of Xerxes, they lodged an accusation against the people of Judah and Jerusalem."

Following the return of the Jews from Babylonian captivity to their homeland, the peoples of the surrounding areas began to oppose them. The Jewish returnees build an altar, began to worship the Lord in Jerusalem and laid the foundation for a new temple (the temple Solomon built had been destroyed).

These opposing people at first attempted to engineer a trick to stop the Jews by offering to help them build the temple. The Jews wisely refused. The next ploy was to write a letter to the king of Persia, Artaxerxes (who had allowed the Jews to return to their homeland in the first place.) In the letter, they claimed Israel was a rebellious people and that if they were successful in building the temple and city walls at Jerusalem, it would cause a disruption in the region and rob the royal coffers of Persia from the revenue it received from the region.

Although in the letter they claimed to be concerned about the political disruption it would bring about to Persia, and the loss of revenue for the king, their motivation to oppose the Jews had nothing to do with any concern for King Artaxerxes, but their own welfare. These surrounding peoples had been running the area as the power brokers and did not want to share that with anyone else. They also apparently feared a resurgent Israel, given the history of the area.

I can't help but see something else going on behind the curtain here. That is, there has always been opposition to the agenda God has for the redemption of mankind. The "dark side", the spiritual forces in dark places, have opposed the work of God throughout all ages. From the time of the fall of man in the garden, God has pursued his agenda of redeeming mankind in the midst of his enemies in the spiritual realm attempting to thwart him.

The "dark side" does its work in utter futility, losing at every turn and getting no where with their resistance to the work of God. Nonetheless, they press ahead. They truly are the "#Resistance!" movement and find lost and fallen mankind to be "useful idiots" to do their ever-failing dirty work. We see it today all about us.

God's plan was to use the people of his choosing, the offspring of Abraham, as his covenanted people, to bring his redemption to a lost and fallen world. The return of Israel to her homeland and the rebuilding of the temple with the restoration of Jerusalem was all part of setting the stage for the first coming of God's Son, Jesus Christ. This was God's plan and no amount of resistance from the dark side could possibly stop it. We will see a temporary halt to the work as we read through Israel's history. However, then came the prophets of God...

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Bringing About Change - 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 Ezra 3:1-2,

"When the seventh month came and the Israelites had settled in their towns, the people assembled together as one in Jerusalem. Then Joshua son of Jozadak and his fellow priests and Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel and his associates began to build the altar of the God of Israel to sacrifice burnt offerings on it, in accordance with what is written in the Law of Moses the man of God."

Following a seventy year captivity in Babylon (due to their unfaithfulness to the Lord), the Israelites were allowed to return to their homeland. Here we learn that in the seventh month the returnees assembled in Jerusalem and began to build "the altar of the God of Israel" so they could begin to worship the Lord. As they did so, they did in fear of the surrounding nations who were not happy in contemplating a resurgent Israel.

Nevertheless, the Jews pressed ahead and reestablished the morning and evening sacrifices. They celebrated the Festival of Tabernacles with the attendant burnt offerings. They offered New Moon sacrifices, the regular burnt offerings as well as sacrifices for all the "appointed sacred festivals of the Lord", in addition to freewill offerings to the Lord.

Where Israel once turned from worshiping the Lord in favor of chasing false idols with their detestable worship, the nation now could not wait to begin to worship her God in his prescribed way - and that before the temple had yet been built.

Israel had suffered a rightful and horrific judgment of God for their unfaithfulness. However, that judgment was not without intent and design in mind by God as he performed his precision surgery upon the nation to bring about the changes he desired. Just look at this urgency to worship the true God by this former idolatrous nation!

Does God still do these kinds of things today? Might he do them on a personal level? I wonder what he might be doing in my life today to bring about what he desires…

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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Israel's "Second Entry" Into The Promised Land - 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 Ezra 2:64,

"The whole company numbered 42,360..."

The second chapter of Ezra documents the people that returned from Babylon back to Jerusalem and Judea. The above number appears to be the total headcount, not counting their slaves (some of the returnees seemed to have done well during their captivity in Babylon).

From what we glean from the book of Numbers, Israel was maybe 2-3 million strong when they left Egypt. Following their forty year wandering in the desert (due to their lack of faith in the Lord), the Israelites entered into the promised land as we read in the book of Joshua. It was still quite a large number.

Following centuries of faithlessness on their part, the Jewish population was eviscerated through God's various judgments of the nation, particularly when the northern ten tribes were destroyed by Assyria and the southern two by Babylon with just a remnant left and carried into a seventy year captivity.

Now comes a second entry into the promised land by God's people. An entry marked by a shockingly small group compared to the first entry.

The judgment of God can be horrific!

However, from this remnant, following the work God did with the nation through his judgments, etc. the nation was eventually prepared for the coming of his Son, Jesus Christ to be born among these people in another five centuries.

Something to ponder today... what starts out as so grand in the beginning just may have to be altered by God for his own purposes as he achieves his agenda. And, the result being even more grand when he finishes. This ought to be a great topic of conversation as we view things from our perch the resurrection!

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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What Was It Jeremiah Said? - 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 Ezra 1:1-3,

"In the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, in order to fulfill the word of the Lord spoken by Jeremiah, the Lord moved the heart of Cyrus king of Persia to make a proclamation throughout his realm and also to put it in writing: 'This is what Cyrus king of Persia says: "The Lord, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth and he has appointed me to build a temple for him at Jerusalem in Judah. Any of his people among you may go up to Jerusalem in Judah and build the temple of the Lord, the God of Israel, the God who is in Jerusalem, and may their God be with them."'"

The end of 2 Chronicles provides us with a brief account of the fall of Jerusalem to Babylon. Judah had turned from God and as a result, faced his judgment. That judgment was fulfilled in the form of the destruction of Jerusalem with a remnant of Jews being carried off to Babylon as captives.

The book of Ezra provides us the account of the return of the remnant of Jews in Babylon to Jerusalem that, as the passage notes, was prophesied by the prophet Jeremiah. Jeremiah had warned Judah prior to her destruction and devastation that God's judgment was coming. He further prophesied the Lord would bring about the return to Jerusalem of a remnant after a captivity of seventy years.

In Jeremiah 25:10-14 we read, "This is what the Lord says: 'When seventy years are completed for Babylon, I will come to you and fulfill my good promise to bring you back to this place. For I know the plans I have for you,' declares the Lord, 'plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you,' declares the Lord, 'and will bring you back from captivity. I will gather you from all the nations and places where I have banished you,' declares the Lord, 'and will bring you back to the place from which I carried you into exile.'"

Why did the Lord provide Judah with a prophesy about a return following the seventy years captivity? There were several, I am sure. One being to provide a people doomed by him hope and the prospect of a future as they faced his judgment. 

However, I am convinced another important reason was to provide Israel certainty that he, the Lord, was both responsible for the destruction of Jerusalem as well as the return from captivity. It is my perspective the Lord provided this certainty so they would understand that the Lord had plans and intentions for his people. His people were not simply the victims of the push and pull of powerful world powers, but that Israel figured very prominently in God's plans. God intended to use the nation of Israel to carry out his redemption of mankind. 

God would bring his Son into the world through the human agency of Israel. Additionally, he provided his communication to the world of his offer of redemption through the Scriptures he had provided Israel.

Israel needed the certainty the Lord was working through them, and when he had to bring about a course correction to the nation, he wanted them to know that he was the One who brought it about. He was preparing the world for the coming of his Son as its Savior through Israel.

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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Forgiveness of Sin: the Shedding of Blood - 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 Chronicles 35:11,

"The Passover lambs were slaughtered, and the priests splashed against the altar the blood handed to them..."

Why was blood from the Passover lambs splashed against the alter at the temple in Jerusalem?

The Passover was an observance commemorating the "passing over" the Israelites by the death angel just prior to Israel leaving Egypt. The Lord told his people in Egypt to apply blood to the doors of their homes so a death angel, who was to visit death upon all the first born Egyptians, would pass over them. The Lord was preparing his people with an object lesson that death could be avoided by applying blood.

The fulfillment of that object lesson resides in an event that follows this age when all mankind who has ever lived will be raised from the dead and face the great white throne judgment. See Revelation 20:11-15. We learn from the Scriptures that all who symbolically apply the blood of God's sacrifice of his Son, Jesus Christ, for all sin will have eternal death pass over them - they will be delivered from it! That blood is applied by embracing Jesus Christ in faith today.

Hebrews 9:22 tells us, "without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness." Jesus Christ paid for the sins of the whole world by shedding his blood on that miserable cross two millennia ago! The blood that was splashed on the altar at the temple in Jerusalem was a foreshadow of these redemptive acts that were to come.

Embrace Jesus Christ today to have his blood cause eternal death to pass from you!

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 Sobering Read... - 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 Chronicles 34:24,

"This is what the Lord says: 'I am going to bring disaster on this place and its people—all the curses written in the book... '"

After Israel's northern ten tribes were destroyed by the Lord following their abandonment of him and with Judah's future uncertain, King Josiah of Judah sent to inquire of the Lord. This is the beginning words of the Lord's response to Judah.

The message was dire. Israel had so far removed herself from the Lord's purposes, the Lord tells them he is going to bring his horrific judgment on what was left of the nation.

Nothing in all mankind's existence is quite as horrifying as the Lord's judgment.

Some are afraid of the dark, some are afraid of ghosts, goblins and witches. Some are afraid of demons and demon possession. Some are afraid of Satan. Some are afraid of death. None of those things come close to the horrific judgment the Lord can, has and will bring to those who oppose him, who reject him.

I note the Lord himself points to the Scriptures, "the book", as a reference to the terrifying judgment, the curses he can bring.

Read that book! It can be quite sobering...

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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Getting Manasseh's Attention - 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 Chronicles 33:11-13,

"The Lord brought against them [Manasseh and his people] the army commanders of the king of Assyria, who took Manasseh prisoner, put a hook in his nose, bound him with bronze shackles and took him to Babylon. In his distress he sought the favor of the Lord his God and humbled himself greatly before the God of his ancestors. And when he prayed to him, the Lord was moved by his entreaty and listened to his plea; so he brought him back to Jerusalem and to his kingdom. Then Manasseh knew that the Lord is God."

King Manasseh of Judah was an interesting character. His life exemplifies a process the Lord uses to get our attention.

At the beginning of Manasseh's reign he was a sinful and wicked man. He led the nation into idolatry, even sacrificing his own children in the fire to worthless idols. Verse 9 says it best, "Manasseh led Judah and the people of Jerusalem astray, so that they did more evil than the nations the Lord had destroyed before the Israelites."

The Lord responded by first speaking to Manasseh and his people but they wouldn't listen, so he brought the Assyrian army against them, "So the Lord brought against them the army commanders of the king of Assyria, who took Manasseh prisoner, put a hook in his nose, bound him with bronze shackles and took him to Babylon." Verse 11.

Next we see that the Lord finally got Manasseh's attention by what we read in verse 11, "In his distress he [Manasseh] sought the favor of the Lord his God and humbled himself greatly before the God of his ancestors." In response to the overwhelming pain the Lord brought into his life due to his sin, Manasseh finally humbled himself before the Lord.

Following this we see that the Lord blessed Manasseh's humility by restoring him, "When he [Manasseh] prayed to him, the Lord was moved by his entreaty and listened to his plea; so he brought him back to Jerusalem and to his kingdom. Then Manasseh knew that the Lord is God." Verse 13.

We see this cycle throughout Israel's history. The Lord knows how to get our attention and he knows how to get us on track. I'm not saying the Lord does this for everyone, but for those whom the Lord intends to use for his purposes, he can certainly get our attention.

There is no pain like the pain the Lord can bring when he needs to do so to get our attention. And, certainly, when he is afoot on fulfilling his agenda, he lacks nothing needed to get us on board.

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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Recognizing Hezekiah's Experiences In Our Own Lives - 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 Chronicles 32:1,

"After all that Hezekiah had so faithfully done, Sennacherib king of Assyria came and invaded Judah. He laid siege to the fortified cities, thinking to conquer them for himself."

Here is something instructive for us. As this verse points out, Hezekiah, king of Judah, had to face the threat of a military campaign against himself and Jerusalem. And, this, as our verse points out, after Hezekiah had been so faithful in all he had done before the Lord.

Sometimes you hear in the church today that if you just do all the right things before the Lord, he will bless you and all your troubles, cares and concerns will all go away. This is a foreign concept to the Scriptures for us in the church today, as well as King Hezekiah and Judah back in his day.

In 2 Chronicles 31:20-21 we read, "This is what Hezekiah did throughout Judah, doing what was good and right and faithful before the Lord his God. In everything that he undertook in the service of God's temple and in obedience to the law and the commands, he sought his God and worked wholeheartedly. And so he prospered." Yet, two challenges came his way in spite of this: the threat posed by Assyria against Judah, and an illness that personally threatened Hezekiah that we read of toward the end of chapter 32.

I find an interesting observation given us in verse 31 where we read of envoys from Babylon sent to Hezekiah to ask him about the "miraculous sign that had occurred in the land", we are told, "God left him to test him and to know everything that was in his heart."

God has promised us redemption from our sins if we embrace him in faith. He has promised us eternal life with a guaranteed place in his family, his kingdom. He has promised us gifts through his Holy Spirit, he has promised to bless us in so many ways. However, he has never promised he would remove difficulty from us, that he would remove all of our troubles, cares and concerns from us.

Here is what Jesus Christ promised us in Revelation 3:19, "Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline." Here is what we are taught in Hebrews 12:7-11, "Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as his children. For what children are not disciplined by their father? If you are not disciplined—and everyone undergoes discipline—then you are not legitimate, not true sons and daughters at all... No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it."

We should all reject the false teachings promoted these days and look to the Scriptures. It is certainly better for us to be trained in the Scriptures so we know what to expect when we come into God's family. The Scriptures provide us all we need. A part of that provision is this account of King Hezekiah.

As God's children in this life, we need to be prepared for the difficulties the Lord sends our way as he pursues his purposes in our lives. These difficulties are the masterful work of our loving heavenly Father designed purposely and specifically for each one of us.

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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Bringing God's Blessing, Reward and Happiness To Us - 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 Chronicles 31:20-21,

"This is what Hezekiah did throughout Judah, doing what was good and right and faithful before the Lord his God. In everything that he undertook in the service of God's temple and in obedience to the law and the commands, he sought his God and worked wholeheartedly. And so he prospered."

Although Hezekiah exhibited a small episode of the weakness of pride toward the end of his life - proving the scriptural principle that all are sinful, including the Lord's heroes we read of - here is the summation of the Scripture's view of Hezekiah: "he did what was good and right and faithful before the Lord his God."

The result of these choices Hezekiah made was to be blessed by the Lord, "And so he prospered."

Hezekiah turned out to be a good fit for the Lord's agenda as he moved the nation directly into the plans and purposes of God. The end outcome of the Lord's agenda through Israel was to provide redemption to all mankind and use the nation as an important tool in that enterprise.

The connection between "he did what was good and right and faithful before the Lord his God" and "And so he prospered" can't be missed. Even though we may not be royalty and the head of a nation to be used by God to bring his Son into the world, we nevertheless have the same opportunity to live our lives for God and find his blessing, his reward, his happiness with us.

I think this is an important message for us today. How about you?

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 Call To Avoid God's 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 2 Chronicles 30:6-8,

"People of Israel, return to the Lord, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel, that he may return to you who are left, who have escaped from the hand of the kings of Assyria. Do not be like your parents and your fellow Israelites, who were unfaithful to the Lord, the God of their ancestors, so that he made them an object of horror, as you see. Do not be stiff-necked, as your ancestors were; submit to the Lord. Come to his sanctuary, which he has consecrated forever. Serve the Lord your God, so that his fierce anger will turn away from you."

Here is a portion of the letter King Hezekiah sent out throughout Israel. Because of the wickedness of Israel, the northern ten tribes had been slaughtered by the Assyrians at the Lord's behest. Hezekiah's father, King Ahaz, had led the southern two tribes right into the same idolatry the northern kingdom engaged in. Now, following the restoration of the temple, good king Hezekiah made an appeal to all of remaining Israel to return to the Lord and join him in celebrating the Passover. This verse is a part of that invitation.

Sin brought the Lord's judgment to Israel. Sin always brings the Lord's judgment.

What we have with Hezekiah's appeal to Israel was an opportunity for those of the nation who were left to turn his anger away from them. This opportunity existed because God had an agenda for Israel - he would use the nation as a tool in bringing his Son, Jesus Christ, as the Savior to the world for all who will embrace him. Eventually all worked out per God's plan, but not without the southern kingdom also eventually being destroyed by the Babylonians.

God has already accomplished his agenda of bringing his plan of redemption to the world through his Son two millennia ago. While God is active in the affairs of the nations of the world today for his purposes, he will remove his "restrainer" such that mankind fully expresses the sinful condition within their hearts. See 2 Thessalonians 2. This is how the end of this age comes. I believe all of us in the world today are well on the way...

The most important thing to keep in mind regarding the Lord's judgment is the judgment following this age. The great white throne judgment awaits all for their sins and those who have availed themselves of the redemption Jesus Christ has provided through his death on the cross will find forgiveness and deliverance from that judgment. All others will be cast into a "fiery lake of burning sulfur", Revelation 21:8.

Embrace Jesus Christ today to avoid God's judgment!

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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Hezekiah's Example - 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 Chronicles 29:5-6,

"Listen to me, Levites! Consecrate yourselves now and consecrate the temple of the Lord, the God of your ancestors. Remove all defilement from the sanctuary. Our parents were unfaithful; they did evil in the eyes of the Lord our God and forsook him. They turned their faces away from the Lord's dwelling place and turned their backs on him."

Hezekiah was one of the wonderful kings of Judah. At the start of his reign as king, he took steps to turn the nation from the sinful idolatry his father, King Ahaz had reintroduced to Judah, back to God. This is reflected in his cleansing the temple and reestablishing the nation's worship there.

I note that Hezekiah's approach reflects much of what we read in the Scriptures of those who turn, (or return) to the Lord:

First, Hezekiah determined to get himself and the nation right with the Lord, "Now I intend to make a covenant with the Lord, the God of Israel, so that his fierce anger will turn away from us." Verse 10.

Secondly, he stopped or ended what was evil in the eyes of the Lord, "Remove all defilement from the sanctuary." Verse 5.

Thirdly, he unabashedly confessed the sin the nation had been engaged in, "Our parents were unfaithful; they did evil in the eyes of the Lord our God and forsook him. They turned their faces away from the Lord's dwelling place and turned their backs on him." Verse 6.

And, fourthly, engaged and immersed the nation in the pursuit of the Lord through worship, "So the service of the temple of the Lord was reestablished." Verse 35b.

I can't help but see a pattern here for all of us when the need of getting right with God exists:

-- Make the determination to get right with the Lord.

-- Turn from sin.

-- Confess that sin to identify and acknowledge it.

-- Begin to live a life of the worship of our loving heavenly Father!

We can learn a lot from old King Hezekiah!

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.