How to Get Exiled #18

II Kings 4:1 Now the wife of one of the sons of the prophets cried to Elisha, “Your servant my husband is dead, and you know that your servant feared the Lord, but the creditor has come to take my two children to be his slaves.” 2 And Elisha said to her, “What shall I do for you? Tell me; what have you in the house?” And she said, “Your servant has nothing in the house except a jar of oil.” 3 Then he said, “Go outside, borrow vessels from all your neighbors, empty vessels and not too few. 4 Then go in and shut the door behind yourself and your sons and pour into all these vessels. And when one is full, set it aside.” 5 So she went from him and shut the door behind herself and her sons. And as she poured they brought the vessels to her. 6 When the vessels were full, she said to her son, “Bring me another vessel.” And he said to her, “There is not another.” Then the oil stopped flowing. 7 She came and told the man of God, and he said, “Go, sell the oil and pay your debts, and you and your sons can live on the rest.

As with yesterday's passage, we find that God has a special place in His heart for widows, which His prophets needed to understand if they were to minister effectively.  Elisha, following in the spirit of Elijah, knew that what the woman needed was not merely money, but to see that God could and would supply for her. Just as the woman in yesterday's passage had one asset, this woman had this one jar of oil.  God multiplied that to give her what she needed not only for the present crises, but for ongoing support.  Once again, there were lessons for Elisha, the widow and her sons, and the people around them to be reminded of: God cares; He supplies; we should care for the needy and with them, trust in God's love and provision.

How to Get Exiled #17

I Kings 17: 8 Then the word of the Lord came to him, 9 “Arise, go to Zarephath, which belongs to Sidon, and dwell there. Behold, I have commanded a widow there to feed you.” 10 So he arose and went to Zarephath. And when he came to the gate of the city, behold, a widow was there gathering sticks. And he called to her and said, “Bring me a little water in a vessel, that I may drink.” 11 And as she was going to bring it, he called to her and said, “Bring me a morsel of bread in your hand.” 12 And she said, “As the Lord your God lives, I have nothing baked, only a handful of flour in a jar and a little oil in a jug. And now I am gathering a couple of sticks that I may go in and prepare it for myself and my son, that we may eat it and die.” 13 And Elijah said to her, “Do not fear; go and do as you have said. But first make me a little cake of it and bring it to me, and afterward make something for yourself and your son. 14 For thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, ‘The jar of flour shall not be spent, and the jug of oil shall not be empty, until the day that the Lord sends rain upon the earth.’” 15 And she went and did as Elijah said. And she and he and her household ate for many days. 16 The jar of flour was not spent, neither did the jug of oil become empty, according to the word of the Lord that he spoke by Elijah.

In this familiar account, God is saying a lot of things to both Elijah and the people of Israel, but the most important point is His care for the widow - even a widow outside the borders of Israel.  God was going to use Elijah to meet her needs in a personal and unique way.  God showed the woman He provides for those who trust in Him; He showed the people of Israel that it was clear they were not trusting in Him; and He was giving Elijah the privilege of seeing first-hand the joy of being used by Him in caring for the widows.  Without a heart to trust and obey God, we miss out on that opportunity and blessing. 

How to Get Exiled #15

Malachi 3:5 “Then I will draw near to you for judgment. I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers, against the adulterers, against those who swear falsely, against those who oppress the hired worker in his wages, the widow and the fatherless, against those who thrust aside the sojourner, and do not fear me, says the Lord of hosts. 6 “ For I the Lord do not change; therefore you, O children of Jacob, are not consumed. 7 From the days of your fathers you have turned aside from my statutes and have not kept them. Return to me, and I will return to you, says the Lord of hosts. But you say, ‘How shall we return?’ 8 Will man rob God? Yet you are robbing me. But you say, ‘How have we robbed you?’ In your tithes and contributions. 9 You are cursed with a curse, for you are robbing me, the whole nation of you. 

We are back in our other core passage, with a little of the following context to get the full thrust. Malachi begins with the evil things that they were doing which deserved judgment and then transitions to the "sins of omission" - those things they were failing to do.  When it came to the widows, fatherless, and sojourners, it was a matter of both.  Some were actively oppressing and taking advantage of them, while for many it was ignoring them and failing to reach out to them in compassion, just like they were failing to give God their offerings and thanksgiving,and recognizing Him as the Owner and Giver of every good thing. Yes, we may be able to say there are terrible evils we have not done (or not!), but we are often guilty of not doing what we should to demonstrate the heart and character of God. As James 1:27 says: Religion that is pure and undefiled before God the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world.

How to Get Exiled #15

Zechariah 7:8 And the word of the Lord came to Zechariah, saying, 9 “Thus says the Lord of hosts, Render true judgments, show kindness and mercy to one another, 10 do not oppress the widow, the fatherless, the sojourner, or the poor, and let none of you devise evil against another in your heart.” 11 But they refused to pay attention and turned a stubborn shoulder and stopped their ears that they might not hear.

We once again find ourselves back here in our core passage.  The problem of ignoring the plight of the fatherless runs deep.  There is a lack of justice, kindness, and mercy - key characteristics of God - in those who claim to be His people.  There is more this tendency to "devise evil in one's heart."  When that is the case, we ignore God, give Him the cold shoulder, and put our hands over our ears.  When we truly seek after God and set our love on Him, we will not be able to turn our backs on, turn our heads away, or close our ears to those who need His kindness and mercy. We will want to do just what He would do. 

How to Get Exiled #14

Ezekiel 22: 6 “Behold, the princes of Israel in you, every one according to his power, have been bent on shedding blood. 7 Father and mother are treated with contempt in you; the sojourner suffers extortion in your midst; the fatherless and the widow are wronged in you. 8 You have despised my holy things and profaned my Sabbaths. 9 There are men in you who slander to shed blood, and people in you who eat on the mountains; they commit lewdness in your midst. 10 In you men uncover their fathers' nakedness; in you they violate women who are unclean in their menstrual impurity. 11 One commits abomination with his neighbor's wife; another lewdly defiles his daughter-in-law; another in you violates his sister, his father's daughter. 12 In you they take bribes to shed blood; you take interest and profit and make gain of your neighbors by extortion; but me you have forgotten, declares the Lord God.

Here Ezekiel calls to task especially the leaders of the land.  They are guilty of misleading the people in all the ways we have been talking about, and more.  They not only were failing to defend the sojourner, fatherless, and widow; they were also disrespecting marriage, violating the sabbath, permitting sexual perversion, and adultery, and had become corrupt leaders who took bribes.  In short, they had totally left God out of the picture.  What a description of our society and leaders today!  They are doubly responsible, but the rest could not point the finger and blame only them.  All are responsible to stand up and speak up, and to do right themselves. 

How to Get Exiled #13

Jeremiah 5: 

23 But this people has a stubborn and rebellious heart;
    they have turned aside and gone away.
24 They do not say in their hearts,
    ‘Let us fear the Lord our God,
who gives the rain in its season,
    the autumn rain and the spring rain,
and keeps for us
    the weeks appointed for the harvest.’
25 Your iniquities have turned these away,
    and your sins have kept good from you.
26 For wicked men are found among my people;
    they lurk like fowlers lying in wait.
They set a trap;
    they catch men.
27 Like a cage full of birds,
    their houses are full of deceit;
therefore they have become great and rich;
28     they have grown fat and sleek.
They know no bounds in deeds of evil;
    they judge not with justice
the cause of the fatherless, to make it prosper,
    and they do not defend the rights of the needy.
29 Shall I not punish them for these things?
declares the Lord,
    and shall I not avenge myself
    on a nation such as this?”

Jeremiah, giving one last call for repentance, seeks to explain to His people why things are falling apart: They have been disobedient, ungrateful, and wicked.  They have sought riches through dishonesty and by taking advantage of the fatherless and needy.  Rather than seeing their world as falling apart through no sin of their own, they try by their own sinful methods to maintain their lavish lifestyle. That sounds much like our society today.  Those who suffer most are those most in need: the fatherless and the poor. God will avenge such behavior.

How to Get Exiled #12

 Isaiah 1:16 Wash yourselves; make yourselves clean;
    remove the evil of your deeds from before my eyes;
cease to do evil, 

17 learn to do good; seek justice, correct oppression;
bring justice to the fatherless, plead the widow's cause.
18 “Come now, let us reason together, says the Lord:
though your sins are like scarlet,
    they shall be as white as snow;
though they are red like crimson,
    they shall become like wool.
19 If you are willing and obedient,
    you shall eat the good of the land;
20 but if you refuse and rebel,
    you shall be eaten by the sword;
    for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.”

21 How the faithful city has become a whore,
    she who was full of justice!
Righteousness lodged in her,
    but now murderers.
22 Your silver has become dross,
    your best wine mixed with water.
23 Your princes are rebels
    and companions of thieves.
Everyone loves a bribe
    and runs after gifts.
They do not bring justice to the fatherless,
    and the widow's cause does not come to them.

Isaiah gets right to the point in the first chapter. Besides all the immorality and corruption running rampant in Israel, there was lots of injustice going on. Though they had been called to come clean and to show justice to the fatherless and widow, they did not do so.  The leaders who were especially entrusted to do just that turned a blind eye and became a part of the problem.  Judgement was coming; God had spoken. 

How to Get Exiled #11

 Proverbs 23:

10 Do not move an ancient landmark
    or enter the fields of the fatherless,
11 for their Redeemer is strong;
    he will plead their cause against you.

As Solomon is sharing words of wisdom, he pulls us back to the same pictures Job had used hundreds of years before.  The landmark was exactly that: a surveying mark like a stack of stones or other clearly recognizable indicator of where the boundary existed between properties.   To "move the landmark" would be equal to stealing someone else's land.  That is clear from the parallel in the second part of the verse: "entering" was much more than walking onto or through; it was walking in and taking over for oneself Though it should have been understood that such action was against God's command to not do injustice to the fatherless, the reality was that some broke God's law, as it seemed "easy to get away with."  Solomon challenges such faulty thinking and faulty character, reminding them that just like a widow, the fatherless have a Redeemer Who will step in on their behalf, and He is strong, wise, and true, and will win the case against them. In the long run, they will lose. 

How to Get Exiled #10

Malachi 3:5 “Then I will draw near to you for judgment. I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers, against the adulterers, against those who swear falsely, against those who oppress the hired worker in his wages, the widow and the fatherless, against those who thrust aside the sojourner, and do not fear me, says the Lord of hosts.

It's only been a couple of weeks since we were here in this chapter and verse during our study on the Minor Prophets.  Along with yesterday's passage, this one forms the core of our present study.  Malachi was the last of the Minor Prophets, both chronologically and canonically. God was going to judge them once again for the same reasons they had been exiled: religious, moral, and relational.  They had turned away from God to worship idols, which were backed by demonic spirits.  They had also fallen back into that immoral lifestyle including every sort of sexual sin.  Finally, they were treating one another with lying, dishonesty, and a lack of compassion for those who needed it most.  The bottom line was that they did not reverence and love God, and it was clear for Him and everyone to see but themselves. They would be surprised when judgment came, though they clearly should not have been.

How to Get Exiled #9

 

Zechariah 7:8 And the word of the Lord came to Zechariah, saying, 9 “Thus says the Lord of hosts, Render true judgments, show kindness and mercy to one another, 10 do not oppress the widow, the fatherless, the sojourner, or the poor, and let none of you devise evil against another in your heart.” 11 But they refused to pay attention and turned a stubborn shoulder and stopped their ears that they might not hear. 12 They made their hearts diamond-hard lest they should hear the law and the words that the Lord of hosts had sent by his Spirit through the former prophets. Therefore great anger came from the Lord of hosts.  

You may recognize these words, as they were near the conclusion of our recent study in the minor prophets.  They contain the core of what we are talking about in this new series: disobedience had been taking place to core values of God's commands and therefore, of His character.  On positive side, God had told them to be just and to show kindness and mercy to only one another, but specifically to the widow, the fatherless, the sojourner, and the poor.  Negatively, they were not to oppress or in any way make an evil plan against them.  Instead, they had willfully chosen to ignore God's command and stubbornly turned away from Him and His will, hardened their hearts and violated God's command. They were acting nothing like His people.  That is how we get "exiled', separated from God's blessings, His peace, His safety, and His perfect will for us, both individually and corporately as His people.  We need to take these commands much more seriously. 

How to Get Exiled #8

Ezekiel 47: 21 “So you shall divide this land among you according to the tribes of Israel. 22 You shall allot it as an inheritance for yourselves and for the sojourners who reside among you and have had children among you. They shall be to you as native-born children of Israel. With you they shall be allotted an inheritance among the tribes of Israel. 23 In whatever tribe the sojourner resides, there you shall assign him his inheritance, declares the Lord God.

Like the other prophets, Ezekiel received visions and/or messages from God to address the people of Israel about their great sin and departure from His covenant with them, given when they entered the Promised Land. They also got glimpses of future times of restoration.  Here Ezekiel saw a time when God would restore His people to their land and reapportion it like in the days of Joshua.  What He wanted them to remember this time - something they had forgotten before - is that the Land was His, not theirs. When they divided it this time, they were to make sure that the sojourners with them received a portion as well. The last time, they had shut the sojourners out with no hope of ever being a part of God's people. They had misinterpreted their call to "come out and be separate" as rationalization for hoarding and greediness. This time, God wanted them to get it straight and include the sojourner in the division of the land.  We must never twist God's blessings into a view that only we deserve to taste of His goodness and share in them.

How to Get Exiled #7

Psalm 146

 5 Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob,
    whose hope is in the Lord his God,
6 who made heaven and earth,
    the sea, and all that is in them,
who keeps faith forever;
7     who executes justice for the oppressed,
    who gives food to the hungry.
The Lord sets the prisoners free;
8     the Lord opens the eyes of the blind.
The Lord lifts up those who are bowed down;
    the Lord loves the righteous.
9 The Lord watches over the sojourners;
    he upholds the widow and the fatherless,
    but the way of the wicked he brings to ruin.

God is, and always has been, looking for true worshippers: those who will know Him for Who He is, trust Him for all He plans, and follow Him in both of the above. What kind of God is He? He is faithful, just, compassionate and giving.  What does He do? He frees, He restores, He encourages, He loves. God also tells us how and to whom we can follow Him in His character and plan: watch over, take care of, and encourage sojourners, widows, and the fatherless.  Invest in those who have nothing to offer us in return. Sounds simple enough, yet they are also the ones we find it easiest to ignore. May we see clearly today. 

How to Get Exiled #6

Job 24:

 “Why are not times of judgment kept by the Almighty,
    and why do those who know him never see his days?
2 Some move landmarks;
    they seize flocks and pasture them.
3 They drive away the donkey of the fatherless;
    they take the widow's ox for a pledge.
4 They thrust the poor off the road;
    the poor of the earth all hide themselves.
5 Behold, like wild donkeys in the desert
    the poor go out to their toil, seeking game;
    the wasteland yields food for their children.
6 They gather their fodder in the field,
    and they glean the vineyard of the wicked man.
7 They lie all night naked, without clothing,
    and have no covering in the cold.
8 They are wet with the rain of the mountains
    and cling to the rock for lack of shelter.
9 (There are those who snatch the fatherless child from the breast,
    and they take a pledge against the poor.)

As Job was responding to his "friends," he at times really vented some of his inner struggles. Here he pines about all the injustice done in the world, especially to the poor: theft, intimidation, neglect, homelessness - even child abduction(human trafficking. Knowing that Job lived during the times of the Patriarchs, this passage is even more stunning: these things have been around a long time, yet still are not outwardly spoken often.  The question is: who will stand up for justice for them?  Who will have compassion on them? Will it be us?

How to Get Exiled #5

 Deuteronomy 26:12 “When you have finished paying all the tithe of your produce in the third year, which is the year of tithing, giving it to the Levite, the sojourner, the fatherless, and the widow, so that they may eat within your towns and be filled, 13 then you shall say before the Lord your God, ‘I have removed the sacred portion out of my house, and moreover, I have given it to the Levite, the sojourner, the fatherless, and the widow, according to all your commandment that you have commanded me. I have not transgressed any of your commandments, nor have I forgotten them. 14 I have not eaten of the tithe while I was mourning, or removed any of it while I was unclean, or offered any of it to the dead. I have obeyed the voice of the Lord my God. I have done according to all that you have commanded me. 15 Look down from your holy habitation, from heaven, and bless your people Israel and the ground that you have given us, as you swore to our fathers, a land flowing with milk and honey.’

Not only were the people of Israel to include the sojourner in their special celebrations and share with them by allowing them to glean their fields and vineyards, every third year they were to give a special tithe for the support of these special classes of people.  It was part of their showing God that they fully obeyed and trusted Him, and thoroughly believed that their land belonged to Him and that all the blessings they had were from His hand.  It truly was faith in action.  As part of this celebration, they invited Him in to examine their homes, hands, and hearts to any evidence to the contrary.  Why the big deal here? This was one of the easiest ways for their disobedience to slip by unnoticed and for ingratitude and self-sufficiency to slip into their lives.  Has it slipped into ours? 

How to Get Exiled #4

Deuteronomy 24: 17 “You shall not pervert the justice due to the sojourner or to the fatherless, or take a widow's garment in pledge, 18 but you shall remember that you were a slave in Egypt and the Lord your God redeemed you from there; therefore I command you to do this. 19 “When you reap your harvest in your field and forget a sheaf in the field, you shall not go back to get it. It shall be for the sojourner, the fatherless, and the widow, that the Lord your God may bless you in all the work of your hands. 20 When you beat your olive trees, you shall not go over them again. It shall be for the sojourner, the fatherless, and the widow. 21 When you gather the grapes of your vineyard, you shall not strip it afterward. It shall be for the sojourner, the fatherless, and the widow. 22 You shall remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt; therefore I command you to do this.

This is the third time in the Deuteronomy that God repeats He command to give attention to the sojourner, the fatherless, and the widow.  Again, God repeats the reason they should remember: they also were in that position of the sojourner: no land to call their own, at the mercy of the Egyptians, where they had been slaves.   Also again, they were to make sure that they did not go back for the gleanings, but to leave them for this disadvantaged group of people.  God gives three examples of the most abundant harvests: grain, grapes and olives, to give them the idea: everything was included.  In the middle of it all was the incentive: that the Lord your God may bless you in all the work of your hands. Their productivity and prosperity was dependent on His blessing, and His blessing was dependent on their willing obedience to the commands of His heart and character: compassion for these kind of people, who were just like they used to be.  May we have the heart and character of God. 

How to Get Exiled #3

Deuteronomy 16: 9 “You shall count seven weeks. Begin to count the seven weeks from the time the sickle is first put to the standing grain. 10 Then you shall keep the Feast of Weeks to the Lord your God with the tribute of a freewill offering from your hand, which you shall give as the Lord your God blesses you. 11 And you shall rejoice before the Lord your God, you and your son and your daughter, your male servant and your female servant, the Levite who is within your towns, the sojourner, the fatherless, and the widow who are among you, at the place that the Lord your God will choose, to make his name dwell there. 12 You shall remember that you were a slave in Egypt; and you shall be careful to observe these statutes.

As God continued to prepare His people for life in the promised land.  Having been nomadic shepherds, then being held in bondage in Egypt for over 400 years, they were now going to be experiencing something they never had before: sojourners abiding in their land.  They would have land, and its produce, which had been given by God to them.  Would they become greedy with it? They were given seven weeks to harvest it, then they were to give God an offering from with as part of a thanksgiving celebration for His provision.  They were to make sure that those who did not have land of their own: their servants, sojourners, orphans and widows, were included in the celebration: that they had something to eat and something to give as part of the celebration.  

How to Get Exiled #2

 Deuteronomy 10:12 “And now, Israel, what does the Lord your God require of you, but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in all his ways, to love him, to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, 13 and to keep the commandments and statutes of the Lord, which I am commanding you today for your good? 14 Behold, to the Lord your God belong heaven and the heaven of heavens, the earth with all that is in it. 15 Yet the Lord set his heart in love on your fathers and chose their offspring after them, you above all peoples, as you are this day. 16 Circumcise therefore the foreskin of your heart, and be no longer stubborn. 17 For the Lord your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great, the mighty, and the awesome God, who is not partial and takes no bribe. 18 He executes justice for the fatherless and the widow, and loves the sojourner, giving him food and clothing. 19 Love the sojourner, therefore, for you were sojourners in the land of Egypt. 

As we noted yesterday, the reason they people of Israel ended up in exile is because they forsook their love and obedience toward God.  In His restating His expectations after the wilderness wanderings just before they entered the Promised Land, He explained the reason for His commands about how they were to view and treat the fatherless, the widow, and the sojourner. Here He especially emphasizes that they were to love the sojourner - to watch out for them and do what was best for them. Why? Because that is what God had done for them: He had set His heart in love of them while they were sojourners in Egypt. God was calling on them -and calling on us - as His people to demonstrate His character of love, justice, and compassion.  When we don't, we're heading down the wrong road toward exile. 

How to Get Exiled #1

Exodus 22:21 “You shall not wrong a sojourner or oppress him, for you were sojourners in the land of Egypt. 22 You shall not mistreat any widow or fatherless child. 23 If you do mistreat them, and they cry out to me, I will surely hear their cry, 24 and my wrath will burn, and I will kill you with the sword, and your wives shall become widows and your children fatherless.

Having just completed our study on the Minor Prophets, we saw that God had good reason to exile His people Israel (and Judah).  The exile happened because they had violated His heart and His laws going back to their founding as a people.  Whether it was the majority of these prophets who warned them of impending judgment, or those who were sent to help them pick up the pieces after the exile, there were repeated charges God brought against them which led to the exile.  One of those charges was their mistreatment, their injustices toward these three groups of people: sojourners, widows, and the fatherless.  Over the next  few weeks we will look at what God had to say about them and why He was so upset about their behavior. Why did His "wrath burn"? Why did He "kill them with the sword"? Why did He make their "wives become widows and their children fatherless."?  It's no shallow wade into the heart and ways of God. May we have more of His Spirit concerning them when we're done.

 

Read Obadiah

Background: The nation of Edom had always been a major sore spot in the history of Israel.  Since the rivalry between Esau and Jacob, their descendants had clashed throughout the centuries.  Whenever their paths crossed, Edom would do anything possible to cause them harm.  As they lived high in mountains, they also had a high and mighty attitude, as if no one could ever bring them down.  During the defeat and exile of Israel, and then during the impending siege and destruction of Jerusalem and Judah, Edom allied with their enemies, with hopes that they would be spared the wrath of Assyria and then Babylon. But for the most part they too were defeated and never rebuilt like Israel did.  Finally, when Rome sacked Jerusalem and the sounding areas, Edom fell once and for all. God had judged them both for their pride and their hatred toward Israel.

Key Verses: 15 For the day of the Lord is near upon all the nations.
As you have done, it shall be done to you;
    your deeds shall return on your own head.
16 For as you have drunk on my holy mountain,
    so all the nations shall drink continually;
they shall drink and swallow,
    and shall be as though they had never been.
17 But in Mount Zion there shall be those who escape,
    and it shall be holy,
and the house of Jacob shall possess their own possessions.
18 The house of Jacob shall be a fire,
    and the house of Joseph a flame,
    and the house of Esau stubble;
they shall burn them and consume them,
    and there shall be no survivor for the house of Esau,
for the Lord has spoken. 

Thoughts: The big message here is contrast.  God would restore Israel to such an extent that they would swallow up the lands around them - all those that had harassed and conspired against them, including and especially, Edom. There were no survivors.

How Long, Lord? #3

 Read Habakkuk 3

Background: God and Habakkuk had been having quite a conversation.  When Habakkuk asked God how long until He did something about all the evil in Judah, God told him Babylon would soon be used of Him to take care of the situation. Habakkuk then questioned God about how long until the even more evil Babylon would be judged, and he was urged to be patient and trust in God's justice and timing. Habakkuk now does what we all should in such situations: he pours out his heart in prayer in the form of a psalm. He begins by submitting himself reverently to the Lord's timing, then asks for God to still show His mercy. He recounts the great victories of God over Israel's enemies and the awesome power God has shown. He is left totally shaken in God's holy presence.  

Key verses: 

17 Though the fig tree should not blossom,
    nor fruit be on the vines,
the produce of the olive fail
    and the fields yield no food,
the flock be cut off from the fold
    and there be no herd in the stalls,
18 yet I will rejoice in the Lord;
    I will take joy in the God of my salvation.
19 God, the Lord, is my strength;
    he makes my feet like the deer's;
    he makes me tread on my high places.

Thoughts: These verses form the conclusion to the prophecy.  Even though he is trembling with fear over what lies ahead, Habakkuk also finds joy in knowing that he serves the true and living God, who has it all under control. He realizes that even though there are rough times ahead, God will give him the strength and provision he needs no matter how tough things may get.  God had heard his cry and answered with the truth, and that's what he needed to hear.  

How Long, Lord? #2

 

Read Habakkuk 2

Background: We saw yesterday in chapter 1 that Habakkuk lives in the very evil days in the years leading up to Judah's exile.  The idolatry, immorality, and injustice causes Habakkuk to cry out to God: "How long until You do something about this, Lord?" God answered, telling him that He was about to use Babylon, the powerful and evil empire of that day to wipe out and take Judah away. That caused Habakkuk to cry out with another question: "How long until You do something about them? They are even more evil than we are!"  Chapter 2 gives God's answer to that question.  

Key verses: “Write the vision;
    make it plain on tablets,
    so he may run who reads it.
3 For still the vision awaits its appointed time;
    it hastens to the end—it will not lie.
If it seems slow, wait for it;
    it will surely come; it will not delay.
4 “Behold, his soul is puffed up; it is not upright within him,
    but the righteous shall live by his faith.

Thoughts: God was going to tell Habakkuk what was going to happen to Babylon, but he wanted to make a few things clear.  First: It was a scary message, and you wouldn't want to be there when it came.  Second, it was not yet time, so they had to be very patient.  Third, Babylon would fall because of pride, and the last thing that God's people needed was to follow in the same path.  No matter what happened, or how long it took, God's people are humbly live by faith in Him and not fall into the same path of pride. That, in fact, is why they were in the predicament they were in.

After that, God does give a detailed description of the fall of Babylon. All the nations they had crushed and taken away into exile would cheer at their falling.  Babylon would pay for their cruelty and plundering. Most of all God would show that their idols were worthless, with no power to save.  By contrast: 20 But the Lord is in his holy temple; let all the earth keep silence before him.”

How Long Lord? #1

 

Read Habakkuk 1

Background: Habakkuk was called because he cared.  He looked out at the violence, injustice, and immorality of Judah during "the beginning of the end" of their downfall just before the Exile and could not understand why God did not do something.  As we look back, it is obvious that God was preparing the evil empire of Babylon to do something, but from his vantage point at that time he could not.  His opening question to God was "How long until you do something?" God answers him by telling him to step back from focusing on Judah alone to see that the Babylonians had already captured everyone around them and soon would be coming for them.  

Key Verses: O Lord, you have ordained them as a judgment,
    and you, O Rock, have established them for reproof.
13 You who are of purer eyes than to see evil
    and cannot look at wrong,
why do you idly look at traitors
    and remain silent when the wicked swallows up
    the man more righteous than he?

When Habakkuk hears God's answer, he doesn't like it.  It was fine for God to use Babylon to chastise Judah, but surely He was not going to totally wipe them out, was He?  After describing the atrocities of Babylon back to God from his perspective, Habakkuk ends the chapter with this new question: Is he then to keep on emptying his net and mercilessly killing nations forever? We'll see God's answer tomorrow. 

Getting the House in Order #6

 

Malachi 4: 1 For behold, the day is coming, burning like an oven, when all the arrogant and all evildoers will be stubble. The day that is coming shall set them ablaze, says the Lord of hosts, so that it will leave them neither root nor branch. 2 But for you who fear my name, the sun of righteousness shall rise with healing in its wings. You shall go out leaping like calves from the stall. 3 And you shall tread down the wicked, for they will be ashes under the soles of your feet, on the day when I act, says the Lord of hosts. 4 “Remember the law of my servant Moses, the statutes and rules that I commanded him at Horeb for all Israel. 5 “Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the great and awesome day of the Lord comes. 6 And he will turn the hearts of fathers to their children and the hearts of children to their fathers, lest I come and strike the land with a decree of utter destruction.

Thoughts: As we said a few days ago, this last "Word of the Lord" in the Old Testament began with the same bookend theme as the first Minor Prophet, Hosea: God's faithful love.  It ends with a thread found in half of the books: The Day of the Lord. Here we find the common picture of a fiery judgment on the wicked.  A different fate, however, awaits those who fear His name: they shall jump for joy.  Like all the prophets, major and minor, there is a call to remember and return to the law of the Lord.  God will continually and repeatedly send His prophets to call people back, but many - even most - will refuse to respond. We need to learn from Israel's history such refusal brings destruction. 

Getting the House in Order #5

 

Read Malachi 3

Background: Having made it clear that the miserable conditions in Jerusalem and Judah were due not to the lack of justice on God's part, but the injustices, immorality, and idolatry on their own part, God has Malachi give the people of Israel a glimpse of the glory that is possible and that will take place when the Messiah comes.  First, God will once again send a prophetic messenger to announce His coming.  Messiah will then come, also as a Messenger. He will come to cleanse and purify His people.  This means judging them for their rebellious sin and neglect of their relationship with Him.  Malachi now reveals another of the many sins of Israel: robbing God of their tithes and offerings.  It was not that God "needed them", but that it signified a lack of trust and obedience on their part, as well as their selfishness and injustice. 

Key verses: 16 Then those who feared the Lord spoke with one another. The Lord paid attention and heard them, and a book of remembrance was written before him of those who feared the Lord and esteemed his name. 17 “They shall be mine, says the Lord of hosts, in the day when I make up my treasured possession, and I will spare them as a man spares his son who serves him. 18 Then once more you shall see the distinction between the righteous and the wicked, between one who serves God and one who does not serve him. 

Thoughts: Often in those days kings would keep record books of those who had done something showing good citizenship or commitment to the king.  He would have it written down so that he would not forget to acknowledge that person at a future date.  It would also serve at evidence if there was ever any question of the person's character in the future.  God also "keeps books."  The key phrase is that they "fear the Lord." The people of Malachi's day did not fear the Lord: the wrongly accused Him of injustice, complained in His presence, and arrogantly argued with Him.  May we not do the same. 

Getting the House in Order #4

 

Read Malachi 2

Background: In chapter 1, God had Malachi confront the priests about how they were dishonoring Him by offering third-rate sacrifices and focusing more on their wants and desires than His. They were not serving Him according to the covenant He had with Levi. In this chapter He continues to address them and the poor example they were giving to His people: they were marrying women who worshipped foreign gods, and at the same time divorcing their own wives from Israel.  This had the obvious effect of creating a syncretic religion in Israel, as well as leaving women of Israel unprotected and unprovided for:  a great injustice.  Rather than realizing and repenting of their sin, the priests and people alike were complaining about the hard life they had, blaming God for their lot in life.

Key verses: 17 You have wearied the Lord with your words. But you say, “How have we wearied him?” By saying, “Everyone who does evil is good in the sight of the Lord, and he delights in them.” Or by asking, “Where is the God of justice?”

Thoughts: These closing verses of the chapter indicate their twisted perspective: they arrogantly thought that those who did evil were faring better than they were, and that they were totally innocent. They dared to blame God of being unjust when they were suffering due to their own sins of injustice and idolatry.

Getting the House in Order #3

Read: Malachi 1

Background:  Haggai and Zechariah had pleaded with the returnees from the exile to turn away from their selfish pursuits of trying to rebuild their lives and city by focusing on their own prosperity, and instead to rebuild the temple and the walls of the city.  Then they would city God bless them individually and as a people. They also had warned them not to fall back into the same destructive patterns of idol worship, neglect of their relationship with God, and insensitivity to the needs of others.  Malachi, written about ninety years later, gives us a glimpse of how things went.  He begins where the Minor Prophets as a whole begin, with Hosea's theme of the loyal love of the LORD.  He then gives an overview of how things stood: the priests themselves, who represented the people, were offering third-rate sacrifices, totally dishonoring God and His system of worship.  This was just one glaring example of how far they were drifting from God. 

Key Verses: 11 For from the rising of the sun to its setting my name will be[b] great among the nations, and in every place incense will be offered to my name, and a pure offering. For my name will be great among the nations, says the Lord of hosts. 12 But you profane it when you say that the Lord's table is polluted, and its fruit, that is, its food may be despised. 13 But you say, ‘What a weariness this is,’ and you snort at it, says the Lord of hosts. You bring what has been taken by violence or is lame or sick, and this you bring as your offering! Shall I accept that from your hand? says the Lord. 14 Cursed be the cheat who has a male in his flock, and vows it, and yet sacrifices to the Lord what is blemished. For I am a great King, says the Lord of hosts, and my name will be feared among the nations.

Thoughts: Though the good news was that the temple had been rebuilt and was fully function, being used in regular worship, the bad news was that the system was being misused and abused.  The grumbling priests complained that God was not being fair to them or the people and showed irreverence toward Him.

Getting the House in Order #2

 

Read Haggai 2

Background: Haggai continues to receive and repeat God's message to the Israelites in Jerusalem who had returned after the exile.  He first tells them to look around at the temple site.  For those who had been alive for the original temple, it was a sad state by comparison. But God could see what it one day would be. He would use them to rebuild it and get it back into operation. Though they would never see it as beautiful and grand as it had been before, some day it would be even grander, more beautiful, and more purposeful than ever.  Under Herod, using tax monies, it would be expanded and highly decorated, advertised as one of the world's "must see" places.  Even beyond that, God could one day the temple being a draw for all peoples to "come and see" Him and the place where true peace rests.  Secondly, God tells them to take a look around and see that NOT working on the temple had gotten them nowhere.  Why They were being self-focused and trying by their own strength to rebuild their lives.  He says "Now watch and see. Now that you start focusing on rebuilding, this will be the turning point. You will start seeing successful harvests, plentiful provision, and fulfilling lives.  That's what happens when you get your house in order.

Key Verses: 20 The word of the Lord came a second time to Haggai on the twenty-fourth day of the month, 21 “Speak to Zerubbabel, governor of Judah, saying, I am about to shake the heavens and the earth, 22 and to overthrow the throne of kingdoms. I am about to destroy the strength of the kingdoms of the nations, and overthrow the chariots and their riders. And the horses and their riders shall go down, every one by the sword of his brother. 23 On that day, declares the Lord of hosts, I will take you, O Zerubbabel my servant, the son of Shealtiel, declares the Lord, and make you like a signet ring, for I have chosen you, declares the Lord of hosts.”

Thoughts: This concluding paragraph is not just a promise to Zerubbabel. It is for the people as well. When the temple and Jerusalem fell, the kings were all captured and killed and the heir to the throne wiped out.  God now brings Zerubbabel into the line of David.  He is the last listed Old Testament name in the genealogy of Jesus in Matthew 2. This was a promise to Israel that the line of the promised Messiah had been restored.  There was hope for their future.

Getting the House in Order #1

Read Haggai 1

Background:  Most of the Minor Prophets had been warning God's people of the coming exile to no avail. Finally, after the exile, God called a remnant of His people back to Jerusalem for the purpose of rebuilding the temple, the walls, and the city.  It was a long, tedious process full of frustration and discouragement. It was to this group of people that God sent the likes of Zechariah and Haggai.  Haggai in particular gave a series of challenges within a brief period of time to challenge the people to not give up and to obey and trust God's plan.  In the opening chapter, he confronts them with the fact that they had focused all their time, energy, and resources on rebuilding their own houses, businesses and farms, only to see them falter and fail. If they were to put God's house and plan first, they would succeed personally as well.

Key Verses: 12 Then Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, with all the remnant of the people, obeyed the voice of the Lord their God, and the words of Haggai the prophet, as the Lord their God had sent him. And the people feared the Lord. 13 Then Haggai, the messenger of the Lord, spoke to the people with the Lord's message, “I am with you, declares the Lord.” 14 And the Lord stirred up the spirit of Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and the spirit of Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and the spirit of all the remnant of the people. And they came and worked on the house of the Lord of hosts, their God, 15 on the twenty-fourth day of the month, in the sixth month, in the second year of Darius the king.

Thoughts: At first, it seemed that the people might not respond, but the two leaders rallied the people and they all came together to do the work.  The response of obedience was to fear the Lord.  By obeying God they experienced the presence of God, which was what they all needed and really longed for in the first place.  Haggai saw initial success in his service for God.

Remember... #14

 Read: Zechariah 14

Background:  Zechariah was used by God throughout his ministry to constantly and repeatedly remind his people of God's character and activity in their past as a motivation to trust and obey Him in the present. God had called on them to return and reboard, trusting Him to provide, protect, and empower them while they built the temple, walls, and city.  Mixed in with this encouragement was also a warning attached to God's faithfulness; He still would discipline selfishness, infidelity, and disobedience. They were to stay the course.  In this final chapter Zechariah is told to bring up a theme common in the Minor Prophets: The Day of the Lord.  "On that Day" enemy nations would once again come up against Jerusalem to invade and plunder.  At first it would seem that they were succeeding in their wicked intentions, as half of the city fell.  But then the Lord will step in to fight for them. He will send plagues, panic, and punishment on all those who had attacked them, then they will come and depend on Him as Israel did in the wilderness.

Key Verses: 20 And on that day there shall be inscribed on the bells of the horses, “Holy to the Lord.” And the pots in the house of the Lord shall be as the bowls before the altar. 21 And every pot in Jerusalem and Judah shall be holy to the Lord of hosts, so that all who sacrifice may come and take of them and boil the meat of the sacrifice in them. And there shall no longer be a trader in the house of the Lord of hosts on that day.

Thoughts:  This final paragraph was intended to be a special encouragement to the people.  They were being challenged to do their part to rebuild the temple, the holy place of the Lord.  They were not to lose sight of that fact that Jerusalem was to be the earthly reminder of God's holy rule over all the earth.  When Zechariah began his prophecies, the people were selfishly working hard for food and worldly goods, but they could never seem to get ahead or even get enough, while they also neglected building and supplying for temple worship.  Now, there would be food in every pot, especially the one in the House of the Lord. 

Remember...#13

Background: God had spoken through Zechariah a message of hope and comfort. Through visions and oracles He gave them a charge to return not just to Jerusalem, but to Him.  They were to remember what God is really like: Holy, but forgiving; patient but punishing sin; powerful both to save and to destroy.  This was all done to challenge them to trust God to rebuild and prepare for the future He had for them. In this chapter he speaks mostly prophetically about: "On that day" - the day when the Lord will bring his ultimate salvation and restoration.  He will send a shepherd, a prophet, who will bring a message rejected. This One will be beaten, and killed, and His sheep scattered, yet, the ultimate response will be a repenting and turning to God. 

Key Verses: 

7 “Awake, O sword, against my shepherd,
    against the man who stands next to me,”
declares the Lord of hosts.
“Strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered;
    I will turn my hand against the little ones.
8 In the whole land, declares the Lord,
    two thirds shall be cut off and perish,
    and one third shall be left alive.
9 And I will put this third into the fire,
    and refine them as one refines silver,
    and test them as gold is tested.
They will call upon my name,
    and I will answer them.
I will say, ‘They are my people’;
    and they will say, ‘The Lord is my God.’”

Thoughts: There are so many parts of this chapter we see fulfilled in Christ's coming.  The bottom line is found in the last verse: after begin tried and tested, a faithful remnant will be committed to God, and He will claim them as His own. 

Remember... #12

Read Zechariah 12

Background: Having given a balanced picture of God's character: that He is a God who both judges sin His covenant, Zechariah looks forward to the day of ultimate restoration: when God's people will once more be assembled in Jerusalem and Judea, empowered by Him to stand against all enemies.  He would give salvation and protection from any who would do them harm.   It would be obvious to all those around that it was God who was strengthening, protecting, and prospering His people. God then suddenly gives this word of prophecy:

Key Verses:  10 “And I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and pleas for mercy, so that, when they look on me, on him whom they have pierced, they shall mourn for him, as one mourns for an only child, and weep bitterly over him, as one weeps over a firstborn. 11 On that day the mourning in Jerusalem will be as great as the mourning for Hadad-rimmon in the plain of Megiddo. 12 The land shall mourn, each family by itself: the family of the house of David by itself, and their wives by themselves; the family of the house of Nathan by itself, and their wives by themselves; 13 the family of the house of Levi by itself, and their wives by themselves; the family of the Shimeites by itself, and their wives by themselves; 14 and all the families that are left, each by itself, and their wives by themselves.

Thoughts: As Zechariah is looking forward, God gives him a glimpse of the One they have pierced, which moves them to a mourning of repentance.  A price has been paid for their restoration, and the whole people - corporately and individually alike- will weep in repentance in response to God's Grace and Mercy in Christ.