The Joy in the Word- Nehemiah 8

1all the people came together as one in the square before the Water Gate. They told Ezra the teacher of the Law to bring out the Book of the Law of Moses, which the Lord had commanded for Israel.

2So on the first day of the seventh month Ezra the priest brought the Law before the assembly, which was made up of men and women and all who were able to understand. 3He read it aloud from daybreak till noon as he faced the square before the Water Gate in the presence of the men, women and others who could understand. And all the people listened attentively to the Book of the Law...

 8They read from the Book of the Law of God, making it clear^a and giving the meaning so that the people understood what was being read.

9Then Nehemiah the governor, Ezra the priest and teacher of the Law, and the Levites who were instructing the people said to them all, “This day is holy to the Lord your God. Do not mourn or weep.” For all the people had been weeping as they listened to the words of the Law.

10Nehemiah said, “Go and enjoy choice food and sweet drinks, and send some to those who have nothing prepared. This day is holy to our Lord. Do not grieve, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.” (Nehemiah 8)

Thoughts: The context of these verses is important.  The people had come back from exile after 70 years.  The hopes were restored, and the scriptures were pulled out.  Some wept at the emotions of coming back to the land God had promised and hearing the scriptures read once again.  For about six hours the people all stood, and they listened "attentively" (vs. 7).  They knew God was not a secondary piece of their lives- for He had restored them and given them a fresh start- a second chance to be His people.  The Bible (Book of the Law- maybe Deuteronomy) was being read and Ezra and the Levites were "making it clear" that is preaching on it.  So there is the Word of God read and the Word of God preached.  The best preaching is defined here in vs. 8: "making the word clear."
        Nehemiah reminded them this is a time to celebrate- so the party began with good food and drink, and sharing.  The reading of the Bible may convict us of our sin,and may strike a nerve to our core, but it is also our strength and our joy.  

Prayer: Lord, may your joy strengthen me and sustain me.  May I find joy in your word, and excitement from knowing you speak to me and help me through the tough time.  

2-10-15 Ezra and the scripture

 6this Ezra came up from Babylon. He was a teacher well versed in the Law of Moses, which the Lord, the God of Israel, had given. The king had granted him everything he asked, for the hand of the Lord his God was on him... the gracious hand of his God was on him. 10For Ezra had devoted himself to the study and observance of the Law of the Lord, and to teaching its decrees and laws in Israel. (Ezra 7)

Thoughts: The connection Ezra 7 is trying to make is between the blessing of God and the devoting of a man of God to the scriptures.   Ezra was well-versed in the Law- not by magic- but by a regular, steady daily intake of the scripture- the law into his life.
     Verse 10 says, "Ezra devoted himself."  It was his passion, his goal to study and observe the Law.  He didn't just seek to know it, but to practice it.  Many today study the scripture as if it were a spiritual end in and of itself.  But knowledge without practice means little and is empty, lending itself to pride.  Knowledge indeed can puff up- to make you feel better than others.  But Ezra set an example for the people- but more than that saw that practicing the Law was a way to also please God and walk on his narrow path.
    But that is not the end.  Ezra did not just know it and practice it- he also taught it.  He passed his knowledge and practice on to others.  If we know it, we should want to share what we know with others.  These verses give us a great example of what to do with the scriptures- and that God's hand- His blessing is on those who devote themselves to God's Word. 

Prayer: Lord, may my heart be focused on your word, and may my ears here your cry.  

2-9-15 Trusting Scripture's Inspiration

14But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it, 15and how from infancy you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. 16All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, 17so that the servant of God^a may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.
(2 Timothy 3:14-17)

Thoughts: Paul is writing to Timothy about trusting the tradition and faith that was passed down to him.  He was to trust it because his mother and grandmother trusted it with their lives and bore fruit in their lives through their belief.  Paul was appealing to Timothy's experience of transforming grace that the scriptures made him wise for salvation by his faith in Christ.  Timothy had been taught to trust scripture from infancy and it had proved him well in experience.  He also would find scripture useful for equipping for every day use.  But the real authority of scripture is not our experience or even our own salvation through scripture- but that God gave us scripture as a gift to reveal Himself to us and to help us in this life is the true authority.
   The King James Version says "all scripture is inspired" but the Greek word is exousia- meaning coming out of God's breath- more than in from God's breath.  The NIV translates this rightly, "God-breathed."  The scripture spoken of here was the Old Testament- but it could easily apply to the words of the disciples.  Scripture is authoritative not only because it is inspiring, but it is inspired in and of itself.  It is the light bulb through which the light of God shines- but it is the God-created and God-used light bulb.  

Prayer: Lord, help me be inspired and trusting in your word.  Keep me reading it daily and truly.  

2/8/15- Revelation and Holiness

6“I have revealed you to those whom you gave me out of the world. They were yours; you gave them to me and they have obeyed your word.
 14I have given them your word and the world has hated them, for they are not of the world any more than I am of the world... 17Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth. (John 17:6,17)

Thoughts: Jesus reveals God the Father to those who are chosen and given by God- picked out of the world.  Why are some eyes opened and others' eyes seem to be blind no matter how many miracles or clear evidences are before them?  To think our choices are simply made in a vacuum underestimates the effects of nurture, nature, and God.  Jesus reveals the Father to His own. In another place Jesus says, "He who has seen me has seen the Father" (Jn. 14:9).  When we look at Jesus we see what God is like.
      Jesus also talked in the same chapter of the word- referring to both scripture and his own words- as truth.  Jesus was not merely claiming that He alone was the word of God.  He gave the word to his disciples- both in terms of his message of love and the words he used of his own and from scripture.  It is the word of God that sanctifies us- makes us holy and better people.  It is the word of God that makes us different from animals and from giving into our base instincts.  While there is a part of us that pulls us into acting like animals- the word of God pulls us away into both toward self control and calls us to care beyond our selfishness.  The truth- the reality of life- pulls us away from fakeness and the illusions of life into living how we are designed and meant to live.  

Prayer: Lord, may your word- abiding in it and you make me a better person- more holy for you.  

2/7/15- The Difference Maker

6For you are a people holy to the Lord your God. The Lord your God has chosen you out of all the peoples on the face of the earth to be his people, his treasured possession.

7The Lord did not set his affection on you and choose you because you were more numerous than other peoples, for you were the fewest of all peoples. 8But it was because the Lord loved you and kept the oath he swore to your ancestors that he brought you out with a mighty hand and redeemed you from the land of slavery, from the power of Pharaoh king of Egypt. 9Know therefore that the Lord your God is God; he is the faithful God, keeping his covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love him and keep his commandments.  (Deuteronomy 7:6-9)

16You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you. 17This is my command: Love each other. (John 15:16,17)

Thoughts: God is a God who does not stay away from us- transcendent, holy other, and distant.  He maintains His holiness but reveals Himself.  Part of what makes Him holy is His love.  His love is also a good and holy love.  God, however, chooses those to whom He reveals Himself.  This is the scandal of particularity and election.  Often we ask the question why does God not reveal Himself to all of us- picking us all or none.  We would claim it is unfair for God to pick any to save.  Perhaps we would rather that God left us all alone and saved none?  The truth is absolutely none of us deserve salvation.  Noah did not deserve to be saved from the flood. He showed that afterwards.  Rather Noah found grace- undeserved favor- in the eyes of the Lord.  Lot did not deserve to be saved from Sodom.  David did not deserve to be chosen as king.  None of the disciples deserved to be chosen- they all denied, betrayed, or ran away from the Lord.  Why would Jesus choose to reveal Himself to these twelve?  It is the scandal of grace and love.  No one deserves love, but when one is chosen to be loved it is a beautiful thing.  We are dust but God chooses to make some dust life.  We are clay and God has the right as the potter to mold the clay as He wills- choosing some to make a beautiful pot. Jesus did not heal everyone when He was on earth.  But He healed some.
     When God chose Israel it was not that they deserved it.  When the Lord Jesus chose the disciples it was not that they deserved it or chose Him first.  When God chooses to open our eyes- and make His revelation in scripture real to us- it is a gift that we do not deserve, and we should not squander it.  God is the difference maker.  He culls us out- to make a difference in our lives that we might make a difference in the world for good.
      It is God's differentiation of us that makes us different and holy (meaning separate).  Not all faiths are the same.  To not be able to differentiate between the faith of someone who worships a piece of wood, or someone whose worship inspires terrorism, and the Christian way of love is naiive at best.  The one who wishes to disavow themselves from all religion because of the abuse of religion by others, loses the gift that faith gives of adding value, purpose, hope, and love to simple atoms and chemicals.  The great experiments of the last century of disavowing from faith killed themselves by the cruelty of the Gulags, the killing fields, or Mao's cultural revolution along with the clear selfishness of their leaders.  Everyone lives by some system or lack thereof in life.  It is important to be able to distinguish between beliefs that are good for society and those that are not.  If we cannot do this, we cannot truly distinguish between right and wrong.  Who your God is defines your ethics.  If your god is tolerance of all- then no belief or behavior should matter.  In this passage in Deuteronomy 7 the people of God are called to be holy- to be different because the God who chose them is holy and different from the world. Certainly a part of that holiness is love even for those who differ from us.  

Prayer: Lord, in your holiness you make choices.  Keep me from doubting your choices or fairness, for you define what is right because you made all that is seen.  Keep me from squandering the choice you have made by unbelief or failing to make a difference in this life.  

2-6-15 Christ the Revelation

25Now to him who is able to establish you in accordance with my gospel, the message I proclaim about Jesus Christ, in keeping with the revelation of the mystery hidden for long ages past, 26but now revealed and made known through the prophetic writings by the command of the eternal God, so that all the Gentiles might come to the obedience that comes from^f faith— (Romans 16:25-26).

 

Thoughts: The mystery of God remains hidden until Christ comes and sets us free from darkness about God.  There is a sense that God revealed Himself fully to the Gentiles only after Christ came.  Now all people may know.  Christ is the light of the world that pierces the darkness. 

 

Prayer: Lord, thank you for opening to me yourself and your hope.

2/5/15- Revelation of the mystery of God

25I have become its servant by the commission God gave me to present to you the word of God in its fullness— 26the mystery that has been kept hidden for ages and generations, but is now disclosed to the Lord’s people. (Colossians 1:25,26)

Thoughts; Revelation is a mystery revealed.  God is cloaked in mystery- now we see in a mirror dimly.  Revelation of God is the uncloaking- the pulling back of the curtain to reveal God in all His fullness.  Jesus Christ is the word of God in its fullness.  He is true to what the Bible says- and lived according to the other revealed history found in scripture.  He is true to Himself- not going back on his own teaching- without hypocrisy or two faced wavering.  He is true to the purpose and revealed plans of God for our ultimate salvation even if that meant death on a cross.
    Revelation in its fullness will never be seen in a sunset or a mountaintop.  Beauty is never perfect in this life- but it points to the most  beautiful.  Revelation in its fullness is never fully seen in a salvific or holy event.   The fullness of the revealed God is found in the God squeezed down so we may see who He is- Jesus.  So let us fix our eyes on this revelation- Jesus- the author and perfector of our faith. 

Prayer: May my eyes focus on you- the only true God.