Isaiah 52: The Suffering Servant

Egypt, Assyria, and Babylon had been oppressing Israel for as long as any of the Jewish people could remember. Songs and stories of captivity and exile were the only songs and stories most of the people were familiar with. But that was all about to change.

As we come to the latter stages of the book of Isaiah, God brings the Israelites good news – news of deliverance and redemption. In the first six verses of this chapter, God promises to restore Jerusalem, the “holy city” (1) to such a condition that sinners (“the uncircumcised and defiled”) would not be able to enter. Think for a moment what this promise would have meant to those who had seen their holy city trampled on and destroyed and mocked by those who opposed their God. There could be no better news for them… or could there?

In verses 10 & 12, God promises to demonstrate his power (“will lay bare his holy arm”), and his presence (‘the LORD will go before you and will be your read guard’) on behalf of his people as he delivers them. Again, think of what this promise must have meant to those who had to have wondered if God had abandoned and forgotten them while they were in captivity. There could be no better news for them… or could there?

There could be better news – and there was. This good news – which they probably did not completely understand – involved God sending his suffering servant to cleanse and redeem, not only Israel, but also many nations.

But this redemption – which cost Israel (and us) nothing – cost this servant great deal. The suffering that he endured on our behalf is foretold in graphic detail in verse 14. Please, NEVER take for granted that it is ONLY by his wounds that we are forgiven and healed.

There is no better news than that.

Ken Jackson

Isaiah 40 - Who's in Charge?

Broken relationships. Debt. Illness. Lies. Hectic schedules. Death. Stress. War. Loneliness. And the list could go on. Our daily lives offer a wide array of problems and circumstances that can cause us to grow weary. What’s the point in being good when no one else around us seems to care? Why is it that while we try to live with high moral standards those that disregard what is right still seem to get ahead? When is God going to come through for us? It’s in this place that we often lose sight of who God is and what he has done.

The previous 39 chapters in Isaiah focus a lot on God’s justice and judgment, while chapter 40 reminds us of restoration and deliverance because of who God is. These words in Isaiah help take our eyes off of our present circumstances and remind us of the One who’s in charge:

“Do you not know? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. 
He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom.”

Wherever life finds you today, what would it look like for you to hope in the Lord?

-Gina G.

Job 42 - Happy Endings

Yay for the good guy!! Job gets his due! In honor of Job, let's take a quiz of some good guys from Hollywood. Post your score in the comment box. Here we go.

1. Who is the Sheriff of Mayberrry?

2. He saves a woman from a sinking ship. She promises "she'll never let go."

3. He plays Walker Texas Ranger.

4. Darth Vaders son.

5. Nerdy teen often picked on by AC Slater and Zack Morris.

6. This guy normally has "24" hours to save the world.

7. This guy is a Doctor, a castaway, and always has the urge to fix everything. He always seems a bit LOST.

8. Spoof character based on the 007 movies.

9. He knows Kung Fu and can dodge bullets in the Matrix

10. This fictional character has been played by Kevin Costner, Russell Crowe, and even a fox.

Okay back to the blog

Job finally sees the pay off for his faithfulness. He is finally past the trails and the Lord blesses Him twice what he once had. (vs 10)
So this begs the question, "If I'm faithful will God bless me like He did Job?"

In some ways it seems that way in this chapter, but you must remember that Job had no idea the Lord would bless him like that. Job was faithful because he loved God, and knew he was better off praising the Lord rather than cursing Him. In this book Job says, "You give and take away, BUT my heart will choose to say, blessed be Your name!" Job knew that God was in control of everything and no matter the outcome Job would praise God.

God chose to bless Job, and He has chosen not to bless others that have been just as faithful. If the ultimate reward anytime some one was faithful was twice what they had, then every CEO in the world would jump on board the Christian cash cab! Where's the faith in that?

So let us love God as Job did even if He doesn't give us the winning lottery ticket after we have proven to be faithful!

John

Answers:
1. Andy Griffith
2. Jack Dawson
3. Chuck Norris
4. Luke Skywalker
5. Screech Powers
6. Jack Bauer
7. Jack Shepard
8. Austin Powers
9. Neo or Mr. Anderson
10. Robin Hood




- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Job 38: God speaks to Job

Job is the oldest book in the Bible, written long before Moses penned Genesis.  In fact, it’s one of the oldest pieces of literature of any kind known to man.  This ancient story asks a question that haunts us still: why do good people suffer?

Job was the richest guy around, but lost it all in a single day, even his health.  His wife told him to curse God and die, but he couldn’t do it.  That was sort of the problem.  Job was one of the good guys, so why was God letting this happen to him?  He had friends who tried to cheer him up by telling him it was his fault.  While they talked, Job wondered where God was and why he had abandoned him.  And the mystery of his suffering remained a mystery.

Then (in chapters 38 to 41) God enters the conversation.  It is one of the most elegant speeches God gives in the Old Testament, but it never answers the big question, never resolves the mystery of Job’s suffering.

Instead, God remembers here what we often forget.  People who are suffering don’t need explanations.  There are answers to the problem of suffering – complex, well-thought-out answers that make perfect sense to a reasonable person.  But they make little or no sense to someone in pain.  And they don’t help, even when the hurting person demands them.  What does help is companionship, someone to share in our suffering, someone to walk the hard road with us.

Somehow in this exchange God does this.  He walks the road with Job.  And when he speaks, it’s not to Job’s head, but to his heart.  Job finds comfort in this.  More than that, he finds God in a new way.  His past experience with God was nothing compared to what he knew and felt now.  It was the difference between hearing about someone and knowing them.  Job says:

My ears have heard of you, but now my eyes have seen you, Job 42:5. 

And that was enough.

(Now I’m crowding John’s blog tomorrow – sorry John.)

- Paul Abbott

Job 1-2 – Is God Unfair?

And now we’ve stumbled onto a profound question indeed, one as old as the text we just read.

Is God unfair?

For me, this text raises even more questions.  First of all, how much power does Satan have?  And what do we make of his “roaming through the earth”?  If He is not omnipotent, does Satan still have some level of omnipresence?  This account seems to put him on equal footing with the angels—alternately translated here as “Sons of God”—that is, he presents himself along with God’s other subjects as one who recognizes his authority comes only from the LORD.  And it is Satan’s request that puts into motion a tsunami of pain and suffering to a righteous man and his family.

But of course, this doesn’t get God off the hook.  If Satan only gets this authority to bring suffering on Job from God’s hands, we can trace the source back to God and are faced with the same question we began with: is God unfair?

Satan, it seems, is fixated on the scandal of suffering.  If God removes the blessing from his child and allows suffering to take its place, surely this proves He is no God of love or justice, and certainly not worthy of praise.  Like so many after him who have cried out in protest, Satan stakes his position on this point: “How could a loving God allow bad things to happen to good people?”

In our next One80 reading, God actually shows up and gives His response.  You won’t want to miss this…

Reuben Smith

Malachi 2 - Low-grade Disappointment

This is a powerful illustration about being faithful to our God.  The nation of Israel had so often forsaken it's "first love" and served other God's.  And here the prophet Malachi brings a warning/declaration that if/because you don't resolve to honor God curses are coming your way.  And there is some graphic discussion of how that will be playing out that I will choose not to discuss here.

Bottom line here is simple, and sometimes simple is best:

We must stay faithful to God!  We must "resolve to honor Him" in our lives!  If we don't, unpleasant things are heading our way.

The end of the chapter hit me like a ton of bricks:  vs 17 "you have wearied the Lord with your words".
One thing I hope will never be said of me is "you have wearied the Lord with your words".  So one thing I will do this day is "resolve to honor the Lord".

God, help it be so in my life!

Mathew McCabe

Esther 4: A Race's Survival

Molly and I went and saw the “Green Lantern” movie on Monday night. Without giving too much of the plot away, let me just say that the themes of fear and courage intertwine throughout the entire movie.

We find those same two themes woven through the book of Esther. As we come to chapter four, Mordecai informs Queen Esther that plans have been put in place to exterminate the Jewish people. The Jews held no real power in this Persian kingdom – politically, economically, or militarily – they were more or less helpless to do anything to thwart Haman’s wicked scheme.

Consider Esther's options - she could have:

• Given in to despair and hopelessness
• Taken steps to save herself without any concern for others
• Sat back and done nothing and waited for God to fix everything
• Risked everything by acting – trusting that God would use her to deliver her people.

Esther knew the risks. What she did not know was the outcome. But that uncertainty did not prevent her from acting. She was absolutely committed to doing what was right despite the possible consequences. Hear the courage in her voice when she says, “And if I perish, I perish.”

If Esther had not acted, would her people have survived? Once again, we are reminded that God works through those who choose to trust in him and ACT on that trust… releasing the outcome to him.

In hindsight, it is easy to see that God placed Esther where he wanted her for “such a time as this” (14). Where has God placed you these days? Do you ever find yourself tempted to remain silent rather than stand up for what is right? Remember Esther’s example – commit to do what is right and leave the outcome in God’s hands. 


Ken Jackson

Nehemiah 8 – Mourning into Joy

The walls of Jerusalem have been rebuilt, yet lives are still in shambles. The people of Israel had forgotten their heritage, their native language, and more importantly, God. They are assembled in Jerusalem and ask to hear the Law of Moses (the first five books of the Old Testament). As Ezra taught, God began to work mightily amongst them. The people bowed their heads and worshiped the Lord with their faces to the ground. Many wept because they realized how disobedient they had been.

Nehemiah 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.”

They then celebrated the Feast of Tabernacles. It was a time of remembrance, “We’re sinners, but God is faithful. He was faithful to our forefathers, he’s faithful to us now, and he’ll continue to be faithful in the future.”

After today’s reading, I’m again struck by the power of God’s word. As the people diligently studied, they found that which was forgotten. Their lives were transformed and it caused them to rejoice in God and his goodness. God’s word can have that same transforming power in our lives. All we need to do is open the book.

-Gina G.

Nehemiah 2 - A Man For All Seasons

The nation of Israel is a far cry from where it was when God delivered them from Egypt. It is a far cry from when Joshua led then into the promise land. It is a far cry from when King Saul, King David, and King Solomon ruled as kings. Matter of fact, the nation has been divided, defeated and frankly embarrassed by other nations. Then along comes Nehemiah. 


Nehemiah is wanting to rebuild. He is wanting to start over. He is wanting to press the reset button and wanting to give new hope to his nation. 


We have all been there. We have all wanted to press the reset button in our lives. I know I have. We have all had the divided, defeated, and embarrassed moment in our lives, and then we finally turn back to God for help. But, when we finally get the strength to pick ourselves up and start again some one is there to ridicule us.


At the end of the chapter these guys named Sanballat the Horonite, Tobiah the Ammonite official and Geshem the Arab, begin mocking Nehemiah's efforts. These men continue to plot against him and ridicule him throughout the book. Nehemiah never bats an eye and presses forward. These 3 men's efforts were in vein throughout the book of Nehemiah, and the walls were rebuilt, and many of God's chosen nation returned to Jerusalem and repented. 


When you fall in your spiritual journey you can be guaranteed you will have people ridicule you and mock you. When God finally helps you back up from your fall, you can bet they will be there to laugh at you again. They will hope you fall down again, but just as Nehemiah did, you must keep moving forward and have the courage to allow God to rebuild you. 


John    

Zechariah 8 – Raising Sights

Zechariah paints a picture of God’s blessing on his people as he calls them back from captivity in Babylon to the Promised Land.  The words here that tug at my heart are these.

Once again men and women of ripe old age will sit in the streets of Jerusalem, each of them with cane in hand because of their age.  The city streets will be filled with boys and girls playing there.

The very elderly and the young.  We could read this as another expression of God’s concern for the weakest and the most defenseless members of society and I suppose it is that, but it speaks to me of something else.  It reminds me of my childhood, of summer nights when the streets were actually filled with kids playing and our parents and sometimes their parents sat on the front porches talking about nothing.  I would inevitably play too hard and too long – until long after dark – and then fall into bed too tired to sleep.  At the time it was just another summer evening.  Now it seems a golden time.  Remembering it makes my heart ache just a little. 

God’s blessing isn’t always seen in grand things, holy things – the temple rebuilt, the nation returned to its former glory.  His richer gifts may be found in the simple joys of long evenings shared with friends.

 – Paul Abbott

Haggai 1 – A Needed Boost

“Now this is what the LORD Almighty says: ‘Give careful thought to your ways.  You have planted much, but have 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.’”

–Haggai 1:5-6

Obviously, this scripture has absolutely NO relevance or application to our lives today [note: overt sarcasm here].  You and I live in the most affluent, fast-paced, product-oriented place and time in human history.  We’ve all planted much, but have you ever felt like the fruits of our frenzy just leave us feeling more depleted?  Like you’ve got holes in your money purse?

“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 his own house.”

–Haggai 1:9

Now, let’s be practical here: Does God really need us yahoos to build Him a house?  I mean, really?  Is there any way we can improve on his address in Heaven?  So why the hang-up on this point?

I think this has little to do with what God needs and a lot to do with what we need.  We were created to love and serve our Creator, to give ourselves away and build His Kingdom, not our own.  Anything that takes us away from this purpose will malnourish us; and so God gives us warning—don’t try to fill up on the empty things.  God is always interested in us building stuff that lasts.

Today, let’s give careful thought to our ways and consider, “Whose house am I busy building?”

Reuben Smith

Ezra 3: Home at Last

I was reminded as we have been reading the Old Testament in the One80 and as I was teaching my Bible as Story class this week just how up and down the story of the Nation of Israel was.  Things are good, things fall apart, things are dark, God rescues them and brings light once again.  It is like riding a roller coaster.  This past week we have spent some time in the book of Daniel which takes place at a time where the Nation of Israel is being help captive by Babylon and Persia.  So a bit of a down turn in the nations history.  And then today we jump to Ezra and once again God is brightening things up and the nation is on the upswing again.  In chapter one of Ezra it speaks of how the Lord moved the heart of King Cyrus of Persia to build the Temple of God once again.  So he releases the captives and send them back to the Promisland, back to Jerusalem to rebuild the Temple.
And here in Chapter 3 the alter is built again so they can once again make sacrifices to worship the one true God.  And they did.  And the foundations of the entire Temple are laid! Those old enough to remember the original Temple wept.  But those born in captivity and disconnected from what it once was and even the pain and suffering that took place to get where they are today, they rejoiced.  Either way they were passionate in what they felt since they "made a great noise" and "were heard from far away".

I couldn't help but be struck by the starting over nature of this part of the nations history.  Things had unraveled from what God wanted for the nation in the first place due to some unfortunate decisions by the nation of Israel.  And yet because of God's faithfulness they are having the opportunity to start once again, for like the millionth time.  Made me remember how many times God has allowed me to "start over" after things have come unraveled in my life due to stupid mistakes and stepping away from His plan for me.

Thank God today that if things are falling apart in your life, God has a plan for you to "start over" again with him.  He is faithful.  A fact I am overwhelmed by this day.

Mathew McCabe

Daniel 6: Daniel's Longest Night

So much to say and not enough blog space to say it in! When I read this chapter, two things about Daniel just jump off the page at me: his integrity and his prayer life. I am humbled and challenged by his example in both areas… okay, let’s be honest – his example in both just kicks my fanny!

Daniel was now eighty years old; he had been involved in national politics in both Babylon and Persia for years (not exactly a profession known for integrity!). His competence and character led to greater and greater influence for him – and he made some enemies who wanted to trip him up. But no matter how hard they looked for some crack in his integrity, they could find nothing – and they knew his impeccable character was because of his faith in God. I wonder, what can unbelievers who work with us determine about our faith?

When it came to prayer, Daniel was a man of consistency. There is so much that we can learn from him. Take a moment and reread verse 10. Daniel has been in a foreign land his whole life. Three times a day he stops whatever he is doing – and he was a VERY busy man – and prays at a window facing Jerusalem. Why? Because, three times a day…

• he reminds himself that Persia is not his home
• he remembers that God has promised to take him somewhere else
• he prays for God to deliver his people out of captivity
• he gives thanks for the good things in his life  
• he asks for God’s help in remaining faithful
• he bows towards Jerusalem to remind himself who the true God is

Due in large measure to Daniel’s integrity and prayerfulness, God used him to influence an entire kingdom for good. How might he want to use you? Is there one small step that you can take to more closely align yourself with Daniel’s example?


Ken Jackson

Daniel 5 – Like Father, Like Son

So what does one do when the Medo-Persian army has surrounded your city? Why throw a party, of course! Belshazzar was so arrogant that he thought he could just divert everyone’s attention to something else instead of dealing with the impending danger outside the city walls.

We find Belshazzar in a similar prideful state as Nebuchadnezzar years earlier. Belshazzar knew what had happened to Nebuchadnezzar, but clearly hadn’t learned from it. In fact, he blatantly challenges God by bringing out the goblets that had been taken from the temple in Jerusalem. He shows further disrespect by praising man-made, lifeless gods. All the while failing to recognize that his life was held in God’s hand. 

God crashes the party in quite a dramatic fashion! Did the disembodied hand stand out to anyone else? I’m just trying to picture the scene. There’s a crazy party and everyone’s having a grand time, when all of the sudden a hand shows up to put the writing on the wall. That’d get some people’s attention, eh?

My prayer this morning is that we would learn from those that have gone before us, walk humbly, and glorify the One who holds our breath in His hand and owns all our ways.

-Gina G.

Daniel 3 - Trial by Fire

Sorry for the delay today.
faith

noun

1.

confidence or trust in a person or thing: 

2.

belief that is not based on proof: 

3.

belief in God or in the doctrines or teachings of religion:

Lets look at verses 17 and 18.

¹⁷ If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to deliver us from it, and he will deliver us^[c] from Your Majesty’s hand. ¹⁸ But even if he does not, we want you to know, Your Majesty, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up.”

I want you to read that again. 

They tell King Nebuchadnezzar that you can throw us into the furnace, and our God will deliver us, but even if He doesn't He is still God. What an amazing statement of faith!!

As a kid I can remember thinking that God would answer all my prayers just the way I wanted. I would lay in my bed, say my prayers, and ask God for all the toys I wanted at that time. I was really into He-Man (see photo below for those too young to know who that is) and I would ask God to place He-Man action figures on the door step of our home. The next morning I would run out to the front steps, and be highly disappointed that God had not place the He-Man action figure where I told Him too. Basically as a child, I saw God as a glorified Santa Claus. 

How many of us look at God in that way? We look at Him and say, "If things don't go my way then I'm checking out." We turn our back on God, because we lose our jobs or we lose an important relationship in our lives. Even if it's for a season, a lot of us grow tired of God, because we feel He isn't performing the "miracles" we need right now.

You see it doesn't take much faith to believe in something that always pulls through or always puts things back together when we ask Him too. If God made everything okay in the world then why would we need faith? 

Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego's faith did not depend on God saving them from persecution or making things right. Their faith solely came from a genuine love and zeal for God. 

I want that type of faith. I want to stand on the doorstep of death and despair, pray to God for help, and no matter His answer give Him the glory!!  

John

Daniel 1 – Enemy Employers

The past few weeks have been a delightful chaos of kids graduating from high school or college, kids getting engaged, kids getting married.  That so many of these kids have grown up here at Cedarbrook makes it all bittersweet.  Tears come easily for me this spring.  And over it all hangs this thing we call hope.  As they clutch their diplomas or walk back up the aisle, they dream dreams of their future.

Daniel and his friends were at that same place in life – at the beginning.  But now over their young lives hung, not hope, but despair, anxiety, fear.  Their future was gone, robbed by choices not of their making and powers beyond their control.  Then a window opened, a little ray of hope.  Imagine the sense of relief they must have felt at being chosen.  They were to be trained as servants in the royal court – not the life they wanted, but given their options, a good life.  A chance.  A future. 

But the good life has a price.  In this case, compromise.  (Some of you are at that same place in life right now.)  To climb through that window, they would have to compromise their convictions.  We can already hear the internal dialogue.  But it’s such a small thing.  It’s only lunch.  No one’s asking us to fall down before an idol.

But Daniel resolved not to defile himself (Daniel 1:8).

Any battle with sin begins here, with an internal choice, a resolve, a fixing of the heart, a purpose not to be defiled.  There may be many steps to follow: prayers prayed, verses memorized, prayers enlisted, accountability partners, Bible studies.  But it all begins here, alone, deciding not to take even the first step.

And my story, your story, begins here.  The kind of life we will build, the sort of man or woman we will become begins with a resolve, a fixing of the heart, a decision about what we will or will not do to earn the good life.

In the end, Daniel and his friends didn’t find a good life.  They lived charmed lives.  They walked through the fire and faced down lions and lived to tell about it.  (You really should read the whole book.)  And it was far more grand than anything they had ever dreamed those long years ago skipping rocks across the Jordan.

– Paul Abbott

Ezekiel 37 – Resurrection Time

If the One80 blog had an accompanying soundtrack, I’d be cuing up Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” right about now.  Wow!  This has to be one of the most outlandish passages in the Bible: dry bones of the long-dead come rattling back together, their bodies rising again with new breath.  If we already thought God had turned up the extreme teaching illustrations on Ezekiel, He cranks it to the max here.

Just one chapter before, in Ezekiel 36:24-38, God announces the future restoration of the nation.  Bible scholars believe God then gave Ezekiel a vision of what this restoration will be like.  Drawing from the vivid imagery God gives here of lifeless bones rising from the ground, scholars make these connections:

• The “bones” in verse 11 represent the whole house of Israel, their resting place the unmarked graves of foreign nations they have fallen into.

• Verses 12-14 prophesy the bringing of God’s people out of these graves and back together into one body, one nation—like tendons on the bone.

• Verses 13-14 speak of their conversion back to God, the breath of His Spirit filling their souls and restoring their lives.

All great news indeed for the embattled nation of Israel, but don’t miss the prophecy just for the gentiles in the last verse of this chapter—when God hints at His even wider plan of redemption (see Acts 15):

“Then the nations will know that I the LORD make Israel holy, when my sanctuary is among them forever.”

Reuben Smith

Ezekiel 4 - Write Loud and Shout

Okay, lets just be honest here.  There is a lot of really weird stuff in this chapter.  I am with Gina G...Ezekiel just does not fit the "flannel graph" picture of God we have.  In fact, some of the stuff in this chapter if put into a flannel graph would be down right disgusting.  I don't know any one that wants to see a representation (in any way shape or form) of bread being baked over human excrement (vs 12).  I would have been at least mildly interested to see what kind of clay representation he could have made of Jerusalem and it certainly would have been entertaining see him destroy the clay model.  It kinda made me think back to when I was a kid and would set up vast amount of those green army men in the yard and then wipe them out in a glorious battle scene.  Clearly there is some cultural references at play here that we may not fully understand with the lying on his side for well over a year and the very specific ingredients to the bread he was to eat during that time (it was a kind of bread that was typically used in times when food was scarce).   But all the weirdness aside the end of this chapter is very powerful.

"He then said to me: “Son of man, I am about to cut off the food supply in Jerusalem. The people will eat rationed food in anxiety and drink rationed water in despair, for food and water will be scarce. They will be appalled at the sight of each other and will waste away because of their sin." vs 16 & 17


Why is all of this happening....BECAUSE OF THEIR SIN.  At the end of the day...weirdness of this chapter and the sometimes apparent harshness of God in the Old Testament aside...it comes back to us.  They were being punished because they strayed away from what God wanted for them and from them.  And they suffered for it.  Important for us to consider when we are faced with the daily decisions of God's way....or our way.

Mathew McCabe

Ezekiel 2-3: Toughening Up

Like Jeremiah, God called Ezekiel to a pretty tough gig. Ezekiel was to be a lone voice that would speak God’s word – not very popular at this time – to a “rebellious”, “obstinate and stubborn” people (Ezekiel 2:2-3). Sounds like fun doesn’t it?

But, at some level, can’t you relate to Ezekiel? Don’t you feel sometimes like a lone voice as you seek to live for and speak up for Christ in a world that continues to revolt against God? Has it ever crossed your mind that it might be easier just to keep your mouth shut about God and what he says?

I bet you Ezekiel had those thoughts. I observe two instructions that God gives to Ezekiel that I think we can benefit from today:

• “Do not be afraid” (Ezekiel 2:5-10). Here we read God telling his spokesman three times to not be afraid. God knew what Ezekiel was up against – just like he knows what we are up against. God always provides us grace to accomplish what he asks us to do.
• “Take to heart” the words of God (Ezekiel 3:3-11). Ezekiel needed to make sure that he had taken God’s words deep into his heart before attempting to tell others about it. The same is true for us: we must allow the message of Christ to sink deep into our hearts before we can help other understand the gospel.

The next time you have an opportunity to speak God’s words to someone and find yourself double-clutching, remember these two instructions to Ezekiel. As with Ezekiel, may God find us faithfully reaching out to others, regardless of how they respond.

Ken Jackson

Ezekiel 1 - In Exile

As I’ve read the Bible over the years, I’ve honestly never really paid much attention to Ezekiel. It has been one of those skip-it-over books. Perhaps it’s the seemingly bizarre visions that caused me to shy away because they didn’t fit my flannel graph view of God. However, there’s some good stuff here.

At the onset of the book, we find that God had lifted his hand of protection from the Israelites because of their disobedience and their enemies conquered them. Some of the people were left in Israel while others were exiled to the land of the Babylonians.

And Babylon is where we meet Ezekiel. He’s 30 years old and standing alone by the Kebar River. Now that might sound all fine and dandy, but he’s a Levite and at age 30 he should be starting his priestly duties. However, he’s stuck in Babylon with no temple in sight to fulfill his calling. But it’s right here that God shows up in a vision.

Now I can’t fully wrap my head around everything from that vision, but I like the fact that it challenges the flannel graph view I sometimes have of God. It reminds me of the mystery. And that mystery had a profound effect on Ezekiel. It moved him so much that he fell flat on his face in response to such awesome majesty and glory.

“Like the appearance of a rainbow in the clouds on a rainy day, so was the radiance around him. This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the LORD. When I saw it, I fell facedown, and I heard the voice of one speaking.”  

-Gina G.

Obadiah - No Time To Gloat

To me this chapter is a warning. Green Day wrote a song about warning signs. The song is about how would life be like if we lived a life without reading warning signs. It's kinda humorous and the video is funny too. In this chapter God is telling Esau's nation and the accomplices that you have ignored My warnings and you shall pay for what you have done, and are going to do. God is taking up for His people.

I see two things that stand out in this chapter. One is pride. Pride gets us all at some point, right? We get tangled up in ourselves, and the next thing you know we have ruined a great thing because of our pride. We have ruined a good friendship, a marriage, or even a church. The nations that are coming against Israel are prideful, because they have committed these acts against the nation of Israel, and that Israel is not the nation God wanted them to be. God warns them of being prideful and gloating in verses 12-15.

Next I see God's LOVE for His people. Can you imagine a God that loves His people so much that even when they don't claim Him to be their God he still looks after them? These are the same people that have killed His prophets, and have worshipped other gods in His temple, and yet He will persecute those that persecute them. That is an amazing love. 

If you have read my blogs then you know that I try to take away something from every chapter that I can apply directly in my life, and what I am taking away from this chapter is two things. One is don't mess with God's people. That ain't no joke!! Second thing is, not to ignore the warning signs God has for us. We see spiritual warning signs all the time and they are called temptations. We are tempted and this big red light starts blinking, and we have a decision to make, either choose sin or choose righteousness. I want to follow God's path for my life, so I am praying I don’t ignore those warning signs and choose righteousness.

John 

Lamentations 3 – Poet in Shock

It was hopeless.  Babylonians were standing at the gate of Jerusalem, about to take the city and take everyone in it into captivity in a distant foreign land. 

It was hopeless.  Jeremiah spoke for God to people who would not change, who wouldn’t even listen, who were so angered by Jeremiah’s message they hunted me like a bird and tried to end my life in a pit (Lam. 3:52-53).

It was hopeless.  Jeremiah played by the rules.  Did what was right.  Answered God’s call on his life.  And this is where it got him.  When I call out or cry for help, he shuts out my prayer (Lam. 3:1).  Even God abandoned him. 

But his beautiful song of sorrow insists that even when everything you’ve ever hoped for is gone (Lam. 3:18), there is still hope.  Because God’s compassion is unfailing and new every morning.  Because God is faithful.  Because God is God.   (Lamentations 3:21-24 – verses worth memorizing.)

Jeremiah was called the weeping prophet.  When Babylon conquered Judah, he was not taken into captivity.  Instead he was carried off by a remnant of Jews to Egypt where, tradition says, he continued to speak for God and so was executed by being sawn in two. 

Jeremiah.  Remember him the next time you have a tough day.  Or a tough year.  If Jeremiah says there’s hope, there’s hope.

– Paul Abbott

Habakkuk 1 – Debating God

Right out of the gate, we’re confronted by not one but two complains from Habbakkuk hurled up at God.  He’s seeing all this injustice play out before him, but is unsatisfied with God’s response.  How long, O LORD?  Why are you silent?  Why do you tolerate the treacherous? 

Debating God?

I wonder, is there any place for this sort of thing before the Lord?  Is there room in our faith for questions, laments, and complaints?  Just look through the Bible and you will see this modeled for us over and over again by some of the most passionate followers of God.  They are people who care deeply about what God cares about, and so they raise their voices for God to act.  Writes Walter Wink:

“Biblical prayer is impertinent, persistent, shameless, indecorous.  It’s more like haggling in an outdoor bazaar than the polite monologues of the church.”

Perhaps God wants us to be people who feel what He feels, people who—like Habbakkuk—cry out to Him in earnest when His kingdom is threatened and the bad guys are winning.  Maybe God actually welcomes this kind of prayer, and Habbakkuk can teach us something about prayer we’ve lost long the way.

Reuben

Jeremiah 38 - Prophets Perils

I have been chewing on this idea about “choosing” recently.

It seems that in my day-to-day life I have to consciously choose happiness, joy, and other such attitudes that are needed for certain situations in my life.

Therefore, While reading through this chapter, the word “choose” automatically stuck out in my head.

“Jeremiah replied, “You won’t be handed over to them if you choose to obey the Lord, your life will be spared, and all will go well for you.” –verse 20

I am not going to pretend that I know exactly what the theological implications of this chapter reveal; however, I confident that the Lord has called me to choose certain things in my life. For Zedekiah it was the choice between surrendering and fighting. I am sure that was a difficult decision!

Choosing the Lord is not always the easiest or does it make sense in the moment. But I am choosing to put my hope in the Lord because he is good and all will be beautiful in His time. What will you choose on this glorious Friday?

With love,

Charity Harlan

Jeremiah 31: Israel's Future

Finally, after wading through many words of reprove and judgment, we come to words of hope, words of optimism, words of restoration for God’s people. This chapter is one of the emotional high points of this entire Bible book.

At this point in our one80 journey, we have seen (again and again) how Israel was unable to keep the Old Covenant that they had lived under since the days of Moses. This Mosaic Covenant could direct their conduct but not change their character. If God was going to restore his people completely, something had to change.

In verses 31-34, we find out what that something was – God initiated a New Covenant with Israel. This was not just another renewal of the Old Covenant that God gave at Sinai; it is a covenant that is new in every way.

• The New Covenant is inward so that God’s Law is written on the heart and not stone tablets.

• The New Covenant is personal rather than national, with each individual person putting faith in the Lord receiving a “new heart” and with it a new disposition toward godliness (see also Ezekiel 36:24-27).

• The New Covenant is not aimed at controlling people’s conduct but instead, changing their character so that they want to love God and one another and obey God’s will.

• In the Old Covenant, God pronounced curses for the sins of the people. In the New Covenant, he promises to forgive their wickedness and remember their sin no more.

Of course, the basis for this entire New Covenant is the work of Jesus Christ on the cross. This promise of the New Covenant was absolutely the best news that the Jewish people had heard in a long, long time. Take some time today to express thanks to God for what he has done for you through the life and death of Jesus. 

Ken Jackson

Jeremiah 15 – Balky Prophet

Jeremiah is not a happy camper in this chapter.  He’s basically telling God: “Hey, look, you know what’s going on here. You called me to this gig, so could you help me out? And it’d be great if you’d help me…NOW. I’ve done everything you’ve expected of me. I’m innocent and I’ve been nothing but faithful and devoted to you. So how long will this suffering continue? Why are my wounds incurable?”

You’ll notice that Jeremiah starts off on the right track – he addresses God, offers a petition, and states his innocence.  However, then he moves into complaining. I find it interesting how God doesn’t respond to the complaint, but the complainer. He’s more concerned about Jeremiah’s heart than his circumstances. God tells Jeremiah that he needs to repent for his poor attitude of self-pity and blame and stay faithful to his calling, to God. And God says: “If you repent, I will restore you that you may serve me; if you utter worthy, not worthless, words, you will be my spokesman.”

What a great reminder that my circumstances don’t justify wrong attitudes or behaviors. As Henri Nouwen writes: “Our life is full of brokenness – broken relationships, broken promises, broken expectations. How can we live that brokenness without becoming bitter and resentful except by returning again and again to God’s faithful presence in our lives?”

                                                      

-Gina G.