Resource Manager Posted September 26, 2011 Author Report Share Posted September 26, 2011 26 September 2011 1 Chronicles 9Ezekiel 22Luke 19 " ... IN THEIR OFFICE OF TRUST” We read in the Psalms, “I’d rather be a doorkeeper in the house (Temple) of my God than dwell in the tents of wickedness” [Psalm 84:10]. These words came to mind as we read 1 Chronicles 9 this morning which contains an account of those who return from captivity in Babylon [1 Chronicles 9:2]. We read that among, “the first to dwell again in their possessions … the gatekeepers … all these who were chosen as gatekeepers … were 212. They were enrolled … in their office of trust.” [1 Chronicles 9:2,17,22] Gate keeping was a most important role, although it had no ‘glory’ from a human perspective compared to a position of ‘honour’ as a ruler. Another factor noticed in today’s chapter is the statement, “and some of the people of Judah, Benjamin, Ephraim and Manasseh lived in Jerusalem” [1 Chronicles 9:3], part of a contingent of “690” [1 Chronicles 9:6] who returned from exile.” This is strange seeing Ephraim and Manasseh were leading tribes in the north who had gone into exile into Assyria generations before! They were there “to this day.” [1 Chronicles 5:26]. However we will notice when we come to read 2 Chronicles next month and the details of the kings who reigned in Judah that the good king Asa “gathered all Judah and Benjamin, and those from Ephraim, Manasseh and Simeon who were residing with them, for great numbers had deserted to him from Israel when they saw that the LORD his God was with him.” [2 Chronicles 15:9] Those who are really God-fearing seek to associate with those who are faithful to the true way to believe and worship. They see their involvement in true worship as “an office of trust.” We recall the parable we read 3 days ago and the point it made “if then you have not been faithful in the unrighteous wealth, who will entrust to you the true riches.” [Luke 16:11] Those who were faithful in the northern tribes came seeking true worship. It is a lesson for all, just as much today as in those days, who desire to so live that the Lord, by his grace, will give to them “an office of trust.” -------- DC Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Resource Manager Posted September 27, 2011 Author Report Share Posted September 27, 2011 27 September 2011 1 Chronicles 10Ezekiel 23Luke 20 "THOSE WHO ARE CONSIDERED WORTHY" We read how those who deny there is a resurrection come to Jesus with a hypothetical story about a woman who had had seven husbands, but no children. They ask him who would be her husband in the resurrection. Jesus said to them, “those who are considered worthy to attain to that age and to the resurrection from the dead neither marry nor are given in marriage, for they cannot die anymore, because they are equal to angels and are sons of God, being sons of the resurrection.” [Luke 20:35-36] Our first thought about this passage was that, in one sense, no one will be worthy. No one can “attain to that age” as a result of their way of life. First, we have to be worthy to receive his grace and as a result attain to the wondrous time of God’s kingdom on this earth – to be established at the time of the resurrection. The second thought was about what the Sadducees believed about a future life – but this seems impossible to know. Possibly they had been influenced in the Greek concept of a continuing existence of the soul in spiritual realms – just as in later centuries a large part of the Church did – resulting in a contradiction with the Bible’s testimony of a resurrection and judgement when Christ comes. History shows that every generation has had those who follow their own imagination in what they decide to believe – believing what they want to believe! But “those who are considered worthy” by God will have been most careful to follow God’s words and ways; this is the reason we refer to different parts of the Bible to support every point we make. We note Paul’s commendation of believers in the 2nd letter he wrote to the Thessalonians. We “give thanks to God for you … because your faith is growing abundantly, and the love of every one of you for one another is increasing. Therefore we ourselves boast about … your steadfastness of faith … that you may be considered worthy of the kingdom of God …” [2 Thessalonians 1:3-5] The believers at Thessalonica were enduring many difficulties – and their endurance was an essential part of being “considered worthy”. May we follow their example. -------- DC Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Resource Manager Posted September 28, 2011 Author Report Share Posted September 28, 2011 28 September 2011 1 Chronicles 11Ezekiel 24Luke 21 "UNTIL THE TIMES OF THE GENTILES ARE FULFILLED" Quite a number of Bible Readers would know where to find the above quotation! Can we become too familiar with such passages of Scripture so that they lose their impact for us? We read Luke 21 very slowly this morning. It is evident that the first 24 verses were primarily for those who heard Jesus: and these except for the elderly, were going to experience these “days of vengeance” and “great distress upon the earth and wrath against this people” [Luke 21:22,23]. There is a striking parallel between this and our reading in Ezekiel 24 where the message the prophet sent to Jerusalem is totally blunt. Twice he writes, “Woe to the bloody city” [Ezekiel 24:6,9]. Less than 2 years are now left before God acts to destroy the city and the wonderful Temple Solomon had built. The totally unspiritual behaviour of the inhabitants would finally cause God “to rouse my wrath, to take vengeance … on account of your unclean lewdness” [Ezekiel 24:8,12]. There are direct parallels to our generation – and we look carefully at the words of Jesus that apply to our generation. Are the words of Jesus in Luke 21:25, 26 symbolic or literal or a mixture of both? Jesus’ statement is plain enough that Jerusalem will be trampled underfoot by the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.” [Luke 21:24] What we cannot say for certain is whether the part of Jerusalem still not under Jewish control, the Mount on which the Temple stood, is significant in the fulfilment of this prophecy. Jerusalem is not being trampled underfoot as it was in former generations. Is there significance in that the Jews were prevented from gaining a good degree of control of the Old City until 1967? The oft quoted passage, “this generation will not pass away until all have taken place” [Luke 21:32] is in the context of “the kingdom of God is near” [Luke 21:31]. We are mindful that Jesus said, “that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels, nor the son” [Matthew 24:36] but Christ’s message at the end of today’s chapter is surely for us in 2011! “But watch yourselves lest your hearts be weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness and cares of this life, and that day come upon you suddenly like a trap. For it will come upon all who dwell on the face of the whole earth” [Luke 21:34,35] Not just Jerusalem! So let us from now on - “stay awake at all times” [Luke 21:36] --------- DC Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Resource Manager Posted September 29, 2011 Author Report Share Posted September 29, 2011 29 September 2011 1 Chronicles 12Ezekiel 25Luke 22 "RISE AND PRAY THAT YOU MAY NOT ..." The biggest test of commitment to God’s will in the life of our Lord Jesus came in the final hours before his arrest. We read of this today in Luke 22. As he instituted what is usually called, “the last supper,” he caused his disciples to search their hearts by speaking of there being a traitor among them. He said “Woe to that man” [Luke 22:22.] This could have triggered off the “dispute … that arose among them, as to which of them was to be regarded as the greatest.” [Luke 22:24] Spiritual growth involves climbing the testing path of self examination. Jesus met and overcame his crisis of commitment to one of complete submission to his Father’s will. We perceive this involved total clarity of vision of what that Will was. How great was his character in that, amid his own crisis, he was very conscious of his disciples’ frailty of faith. He encourages them, there is no condemnation of their human attitudes such as a lesser mortal could have made. He says, “You are those who have stayed with me in my trials, and I assign to you, as my Father assigned to me, a kingdom” [Luke 22:28,29] He tells Peter, “I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail” [Luke 22:32] and the crucial time of feeling overwhelming failure would have been when “he went out and wept bitterly” [Luke 22:62] His faith certainly faltered, but would not his ultimate faith and vision be stronger and better balanced as a result of this experience! Now consider the intensity of emotion in the Garden of Gethsemane, “and when he came to the place, he said to them, “Pray that you may not enter into temptation.” [Luke 22:40] How intense can prayer become? All too often normal mortals do not sense the greatness of the need! Jesus did, “being in agony he prayed more earnestly; and his sweat became like great drops of blood” [Luke 22:45] Christ’s final words to them is to virtually repeat his earlier words, “Rise and pray that you may not enter into temptation.” [Luke 22:46] His focus on their need is a help to him in keeping his own in perspective. We saw a lesson here for our own meditations, for surely, as the return of our Lord grows ever more imminent and the world around us grows ever more godless, there is a parallel with the evil that was closing in on the disciples. Temptation and testing is really one and the same thing – so let us “Watch and Pray” -------- DC Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Resource Manager Posted September 30, 2011 Author Report Share Posted September 30, 2011 30 September 2011 1 Chronicles 13; 14 Ezekiel 26Luke 23 "I WILL MAKE ... HER LIKE A BARE ROCK" Beginning with yesterday’s reading in Ezekiel we see how God causes the prophet to turn from sending warning messages to Jerusalem to receiving “the word of God’ about other nations. Today [Ezekiel 26] is the first of 3 chapters about Tyre. The prophecy is given “in the eleventh year” [Ezekiel 26:1], which is the year Jerusalem is destroyed by Babylon. [Jeremiah 39:2] The prophecy is provoked “because Tyre said concerning Jerusalem, ‘Aha, the gate of the peoples is broken … I shall be replenished, now that she is laid waste” Leading God to say, “I am against you, O Tyre, and will bring up many nations … they shall destroy the walls of Tyre and … will scrape her soil from her and make her like a bare rock … a place for the spreading of nets” [Ezekiel 26:2-5] Two things occurred to us as we read this. First, the people of Tyre had had a special relationship with Jerusalem and its people; they had worked with David and then with Solomon in building the Temple – and that generation had been blessed as a result! But now, they are anti-Israel! Second, the prophecy of the destruction of Tyre is fulfilled in 2 stages, the first stage was fairly immediate by Nebuchadnezzar, the second stage was not until about 250 years later in 332 BC at the hands of Alexander the Great. This aggressive warrior used the ruins of the old city and even scraped the soil off the rocks to build a causeway to reach the island city! A detailed prophecy that proved totally accurate. A third point worth noting is Ezekiel 26:7, “For thus says the Lord GOD: behold I will bring against Tyre from the north Nebuchadnezzar …” Now Babylon is almost due east of Tyre. The fact that danger comes from the north does not necessarily mean it originates in the north. Therefore we should not use ‘direction’ as a conclusive point of evidence when trying to identify those who attack Israel when we come to read Ezekiel 38; 39. Finally, those who rejoice as Tyre did, when they see Jerusalem in trouble should consider what happened to Tyre because of this attitude – but of course they know not the word of God. But those who do know that word need to act on what they know.-------- DC Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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