Who Is Righteous Enough?
I’m going to keep things brief today brothers and make just one minor observation. We are reading through the Bible chronologically this year. I chose this reading plan because I wanted to get a better feel for how the stories of the Bible progressed one to another. After we finish reading the book of Ezekiel, we will read Joel and then Daniel. As I’ve mentioned before, Ezekiel and Daniel were contemporaries. Take a look at the following verses.
Ezekiel 14:12-14
“And the word of the Lord came to me: “Son of man, when a land sins against me by acting faithlessly, and I stretch out my hand against it and break its supply of bread and send famine upon it, and cut off from it man and beast, even if these three men, Noah, Daniel, and Job, were in it, they would deliver but their own lives by their righteousness, declares the Lord God.”
Daniel was prophesying in Babylon around the same time that Ezekiel was prophesying near a canal off the Euphrates River. The verses above make it clear that Daniel was already famous as a righteous man. Both Noah and Job had existed hundreds, if not thousands, of years prior. Daniel was a living contemporary. I find that rather spectacular. This is quite a testimony to Daniel’s character.
The point God is making in this Scripture is that the righteousness of mere men is not enough to cover the sin of a nation. As good as Noah was, as good as Job was, as good as Daniel was, their righteousness was not enough to save their own children. If you remember Sodom and Gomorrah, God was willing to save those towns if only 10 righteous people could be found within them. I don’t get the sense that even Lot himself was righteous let alone 9 others. There is only one individual in the entire history of the human race whose righteousness is enough to cover the sin of others. That individual is Jesus Christ. All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God but God gave His only Son so that those who believe in Him should not perish but have ever lasting life. His righteousness alone is sufficient to save you; nothing else.
Have a blessed day!
Your brother and servant in Christ,
Bill
Dying to self, living to serve!
Don’t Give Up – Be Faithful
Let me clear something up which may be a bit confusing. There was not one exile from Judah to Babylon but three. I think we need a little review on the kings and the exiles. I’ll let one of my resources do the explaining.
“Q. King Jehoahaz
The captivity of Judah took place in stages. In 605 b.c., Nebuchadnezzar entered Jerusalem, made Jehoiakim a vassal, and took captives to Babylon, including Daniel (2 Kgs. 24:1). In 597 b.c., Nebuchadnezzar again invaded Jerusalem, deported Jehoiachin, and took additional captives, including Ezekiel (2 Kgs. 24:10). Finally, in 586 b.c., Nebuchadnezzar destroyed the temple and took captive all but the poorest of the people (2 Kgs. 25:1–10).
Jehoahaz … reigned only three months, then was deposed by the Egyptian king and forced to pay heavy tribute. He was an evil man, not at all like his father Josiah (cf. 2 Kgs. 23:31–34). He was taken to Egypt, where he died.
R. King Jehoiakim
Eliakim, also called Jehoiakim, was Jehoahaz’s older brother. He was placed on the throne by Necho. His eleven-year reign was characterized by wickedness and was ended by Nebuchadnezzar, who looted the temple in 605 b.c. Nebuchadnezzar intended to carry Jehoiakim to Babylon but did not succeed. Although Chronicles does not record the fact, we know that he died ignominiously while still in Jerusalem, as Jeremiah had prophesied (Jer. 22:19; 36:30).
S. King Jehoiachin
Jehoiachin was eighteen (NKJV marg.) when he became king. After a short reign of three months and ten days, Jehoiachin surrendered Jerusalem and spent the next thirty-seven years of his life in prison in Babylon. After the death of Nebuchadnezzar, he was released and elevated to a place of honor (2 Kgs. 25:27–30).
T. King Zedekiah
Zedekiah, whose other name was Mattaniah, was yet another son of Josiah. When Jehoiachin proved unfaithful to the Babylonians, they chose Zedekiah as his successor. He did evil and refused to humble himself before Jeremiah the prophet. He also broke his oath to Nebuchadnezzar and rebelled. Jerusalem underwent a terrible siege lasting eighteen months. When the Chaldeans (Babylonians) took the city in 586 b.c., they destroyed it and the temple. Then they took all but the poorest of the land into exile.
MacDonald, W. (1997). Believer’s Bible Commentary : Old and New Testaments (A. Farstad, Ed.). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.
Jeremiah was an old man when the Babylonians had come to call. He had been saying they were coming for years. It is possible that both Daniel and Ezekiel heard Jeremiah preach as young men. Daniel, along with many others, was taken to Babylon in the first exile. Ezekiel was among a group of captives taken to a canal coming off the river Euphrates in the second exile. Jeremiah had been taken by his fellow Jews into exile in Egypt when they ran from Babylonian soldiers in direct disobedience of God’s direction. So here we have three godly men being used by God to prophecy to three different exiled groups all around the same time. Even in their punishment and exile God sent godly men to warn these wayward children and call them to obedience.
Do you see God’s redemptive purpose at work? Even when punishment comes He goes with His people to call them back to Him. In today’s reading we discover that even after the first exile the people did not return to God. God, however, sends yet another messenger to warn them of what is coming. God doesn’t give up. Do you?
Brothers, being a Christian doesn’t mean we are yet perfect. We are progressing toward perfection but it is a long hard road with a lot of pot holes. We will, from time to time, stumble. Sometimes we will catch ourselves before we hit bottom and other times we will have to hit the bottom rather hard before we right ourselves and continue down that road. Sometimes our stumbles can be rather discouraging but we must not give up. I’m reminded of the woman who was dragged before Jesus with the charge of adultery. After sending her accusers away with an eyeful of their own hypocrisy Jesus told the woman to go and sin no more.
God truly is a God of second chances. If you will fall to your knees and confess your sins He is faithful and true to forgive you. Your task is to go and sin no more. Okay, maybe your task is a little more than that. You are supposed to tell others the good news of salvation. It is my hope that like Jeremiah, Daniel, and Ezekiel you are a godly man who warns those around him of their need for a Savior. In reading about Ezekiel in one of my commentaries I came across a quote from Daniel Webster, one of America’s early legislators and great orators.
“If religious books are not circulated among the masses and the people do not turn to God, I do not know what is to become of us as a nation. If truth be not diffused, error will be. If God and His Word are not received, the devil and his works will gain the ascendency. If the evangelical volume does not reach every hamlet, the pages of a corrupt and licentious literature will. If the power of the Gospel is not felt through the length and the breadth of the land, anarchy, misrule, degradation, misery, corruption, and darkness will reign without mitigation or end.”
If the truth be not diffused, error will be. America is on a road that leads ever downward. Our country already reeks of anarchy, misrule, degradation, misery, corruption, and darkness. The only way back to the light is through the faithful obedience of Christians sharing the Gospel. Are you faithful?
Have a blessed day.
Your brother and servant in Christ,
Bill
Dying to self, living to serve!
Staying In His Presence
Today we finish Jeremiah. Jeremiah told of the coming destruction of Judah which took place during his lifetime. He also foretold of the coming destruction of Babylon which took place after he was gone. Babylon is interesting in that it was a tool used by God to punish His Chosen People but then was punished in its own turn. Reading Revelation we know that John speaks of a revived Babylon from which the Anti-Christ shall reign. He, and this revived Babylon, will be used as a tool to bring about the end of days; the punishment of the world. The question is are we talking about an empire ruled once again from the location of the ancient city of Babylon, or is this a figurative Babylon which could be located anywhere in the world? I don’t have the answer to this question but look at the following verse from today’s reading.
Jeremiah 51:61-64
“And Jeremiah said to Seraiah: “When you come to Babylon, see that you read all these words, and say, ‘O Lord, you have said concerning this place that you will cut it off, so that nothing shall dwell in it, neither man nor beast, and it shall be desolate forever.’ When you finish reading this book, tie a stone to it and cast it into the midst of the Euphrates, and say, ‘Thus shall Babylon sink, to rise no more, because of the disaster that I am bringing upon her, and they shall become exhausted.’”
Now Babylon was indeed cut off and no one had lived there for a very long time. I have heard talk of Iraqi plans to rebuild the ancient city of Babylon on the very site in which it once stood though I don’t know how seriously such talk can be taken. I thought I heard that Sadam Hussien had built one of his many palaces there. The implication is that the site is no longer absolutely desolate. It appears there may be a number of people living in the area today. So, is the verse above using hyperbolic language to play up the contrast between how powerful Babylon was and how meaningless it would be come or are bits of this prophecy yet to occur?
Here come the pop fiction writers! I don’t know if the Babylon mentioned in the prophecies of Revelation are a figurative or literal Babylon but I’ve read a lot of fun stories about each scenario. What I find most compelling about the story of the real Babylon, however, is that this global power was used by God to punish His wayward people. Judah, Jerusalem in particular, was where the presence of God was found on earth. His people had chosen to turn their backs on Him and now they were taken from His presence. Is there an analogy here for us Christians?
If we are Christians we submitted our lives to Christ, and His Holy Spirit has come to reside within our hearts to guide us toward righteousness. Are we doing what God asks of us? Are we obeying God’s commandments? Are we following the leading of the Holy Spirit? If not we’ve turned our backs on Him. Are we not headed into a self-imposed exile from God’s presence? Is that where you want to be? Staying in God’s presence isn’t hard if you have submitted to Christ and are willing to put his desires before your own. Are you doing that? With God’s own Holy Spirit residing within you the power you need to submit is within you. At the end of the day you have to decide to do so.
Have a blessed day!
Your brother and servant in Christ,
Bill
Dying to self, living to serve!
The Cup Of Wrath
We continue in today’s reading the pronouncements of God’s coming judgments on various nations ending with Babylon. The punishment of Babylon is an interesting subject that is pertinent today because of the prophecy concerning Babylon in the book of Revelation. Since we will learn more about Babylon’s destruction in tomorrow’s reading I’m going to skip that topic for now and point out a verse found in the midst of the judgment of Edom.
Jeremiah 49:12
“For thus says the Lord: “If those who did not deserve to drink the cup must drink it, will you go unpunished? You shall not go unpunished, but you must drink.”
Does that verse remind you of anything? It reminded me of Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane when He asked His father to let His cup pass Him by.
Matthew 26:39
“And going a little farther he fell on his face and prayed, saying, “My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will.”
Now Jeremiah 49:12 is specifically discussing Edom and I don’t mean to imply that it is somehow revelatory about what Jesus said in the garden, and yet Jesus drank a cup He did not deserve to drink. Edom would drink a cup of God’s wrath for their sinful ways. Jesus drank a cup of God’s wrath that belonged to others. To me this does have relevance to us today.
Jesus drank a cup of God’s wrath so that those who submitted to His authority and accepted His bloody sacrifice would be forgiven. Understand that this forgiveness does not include the pardon of sin. In an earlier post I had discussed the fact that we are not technically pardoned of our sin when we accept Christ since a pardon means there is no punishment. This isn’t accurate since Jesus takes our punishment on Himself. The punishment is exacted but it is exacted on Jesus not us. In the verse above God is saying that if one who did not deserve to drink of His wrath, Jesus, has done so, surely those that do deserve to drink of it will as well.
Brothers, all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. All of us have a cup of wrath waiting for us. The question is who will drink it. Will you drink it or will Christ drink it in your stead? Most of you reading this have already accepted Christ so that issue is decided but what is your response to what Christ has done for you? Was His sacrifice something that has no meaning for you? What meaning does it have? Remember the root of all sin is self-centeredness. Has Christ’s sacrifice for you altered your self-centeredness? Are you more interested in doing what He asks of you or are you more interested in what you want?
Christ drank a cup of wrath for those who belong to Him. How will you respond?
Have a blessed day!
Your brother and servant in Christ,
Bill
Dying to self, living to serve!
I’ll Pray While You Pack
A week ago today I sat in my Adult Sunday School class and listened as Steve Johnson ably taught about the very verses we are reading today. At the beginning of his remarks he told us of the pastor who came home to inform his wife that he had just been offered a new job at a large prestigious church. He told her to start packing while he went and prayed to God for guidance. I had a good chuckle at that. Isn’t that really the way we do things? We come to God with our minds already made up asking Him to guide us, when in truth we want Him to rubber stamp approval of our desires.
In today’s verses we read of how the remnant of Judah, fearing reprisal from the king of Babylon for the slaughter of his hand chosen governor, decide they must flee to Egypt. As they prepare to leave they go to Jeremiah to ask him to pray on their behalf to God for guidance.
Jeremiah 41:16-18
“Then Johanan the son of Kareah and all the leaders of the forces with him took from Mizpah all the rest of the people whom he had recovered from Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, after he had struck down Gedaliah the son of Ahikam—soldiers, women, children, and eunuchs, whom Johanan brought back from Gibeon. And they went and stayed at Geruth Chimham near Bethlehem, intending to go to Egypt because of the Chaldeans. For they were afraid of them, because Ishmael the son of Nethaniah had struck down Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, whom the king of Babylon had made governor over the land.”
Jeremiah 42:1-3
“Then all the commanders of the forces, and Johanan the son of Kareah and Jezaniah the son of Hoshaiah, and all the people from the least to the greatest, came near 2 and said to Jeremiah the prophet, “Let our plea for mercy come before you, and pray to the Lord your God for us, for all this remnant—because we are left with but a few, as your eyes see us— 3 that the Lord your God may show us the way we should go, and the thing that we should do.”
So here we have it. They want to go to Egypt to escape the wrath of Babylon. As a precaution they go to Jeremiah and ask him to inquire of the Lord what they should do. If you continue reading you discover that they promise to obey the voice of God not matter what. Of course God tells them to stay and they go anyway. Actually, God says stay and I will bless you but if you go you will die by the very sword you fear. Have you ever heard the phrase “don’t shoot the messenger”? The people didn’t like what God had to say so they took it out on Jeremiah.
The remnant of Judah did go to Egypt and God did punish them there. The king of Babylon invaded Egypt and conquered it. If the people had remained in Judah as God had commanded they would have escaped the fate they feared. Instead, they did things their way and suffered the consequences. Brothers, what is your prayer life like? Do you go before God asking for His guidance when your mind is really already made up? Is your prayer a monologue in which you rattle off all the things you want? What do you think is wiser, to go before the Creator of all and speak or listen? If your prayer life is all about you and what you want I suspect you don’t find it very fulfilling. Have you tried going before God and praising His Holy Name? Have you simply thanked Him for all His blessings and asked forgiveness for all your failings? Have you then simply sat quietly and listened for what He wishes to lay upon your heart?
Many people don’t really believe that God speaks to us. They are mistaken. God is not a shouter. God speaks through His Holy Word, through His Holy Spirit, and through His faithful servants. May I suggest that before your next time of Bible reading that you pray beforehand? Just get down on your knees, praise Him, thank Him, ask for forgiveness, and then ask Him to open your mind to what He wishes you to learn. Then read the Bible. When you complete the reading for the day simply close your eyes and in a prayerful attitude quietly contemplate what God has revealed. You’ll be surprise the difference this will make in your life as you consistently apply this discipline.
May your prayers faithfully reflect your Heavenly Father’s will for your life!
Have a blessed day!
Your brother and servant in Christ,
Bill
Dying to self, living to serve!
The Darkest Days
We’ve been reading in Jeremiah for a little while now and in the last day or two we saw Jeremiah’s prophecy that Judah would be laid waste by Babylon come to pass. Today we read of the same event as described in 2 Kings and 2 Chronicles. How awful those days must have been. I imagine they were scared and lonely, and struggling just to survive. I found it heart breaking to read how the glory of God’s temple was torn up and carted off.
2 Kings 25:13-17
“And the pillars of bronze that were in the house of the Lord, and the stands and the bronze sea that were in the house of the Lord, the Chaldeans broke in pieces and carried the bronze to Babylon. And they took away the pots and the shovels and the snuffers and the dishes for incense and all the vessels of bronze used in the temple service, the fire pans also and the bowls. What was of gold the captain of the guard took away as gold, and what was of silver, as silver. As for the two pillars, the one sea, and the stands that Solomon had made for the house of the Lord, the bronze of all these vessels was beyond weight. The height of the one pillar was eighteen cubits, and on it was a capital of bronze. The height of the capital was three cubits. A latticework and pomegranates, all of bronze, were all around the capital. And the second pillar had the same, with the latticework.”
Remember the minute detail God gave Moses when instructing him on how to build each of the temple utensils? Remember the long descriptions of these very items and the bronze pillars and sculpted pomegranates? Remember how David and Solomon both invested great wealth and artistry to create all of these things that now are cut up and carried off. Why did it have to happen? It had to happen because the blessings of God had been taken for granted.
I know that in today’s economy if you aren’t looking for work you know someone who is. I know of men who have been out of work for two years and counting. A few years back I had been unemployed for 9 months. I realize that compared with what folks are experiencing today that may not seem like much, but it was a scary time for my wife and me. God had truly blessed us and we had gotten rather used to those blessings. You know, God’s many blessings kind of became my normal. I had a good job, a great income, a wonderful house, three cars, several TVs, lots of electronic gadgets. Life was good, but that was my floor. I still dreamed of more blessings. I thought about how I could improve my career. I dreamed of a nicer house in a nicer neighborhood and a sexy little sports car. I really wanted to get a lot more money into our retirement fund and boy wouldn’t it be nice to someday have a vacation home on a beach someplace warm?
Then the company I worked for shut its doors. My floor suddenly dropped a couple of stories. Thankfully I am married to a frugal woman who long ago helped me to stifle my spendthrift ways. We had put away in a savings account what we thought was 6 months of expenses. Thank God He brought Dave Ramsey into this world brother! We made that little nest egg last beyond the nine months. At the time, however, we were frightened. The months went by and I couldn’t get a job. I was either over qualified or under qualified. I tried my hand at a few things but they weren’t generating any income.
A strange thing happened during that lean time. I turned toward God with a vengeance. I knew I wasn’t going to get through the trouble without Him by my side. Yep, the guy I couldn’t seem to find time for was suddenly my most precious companion. In that lean time God reminded me of how much I needed Him and how precious was His company. Funny how God’s blessings seem to separate us from Him and how His discipline draws us closer.
That’s what happened to Judah. They had long ago become accustom to God’s blessings; so much so that those blessings became their floor, their normal. They turned their backs on God and no matter how long and hard He tried to get their attention they just didn’t have time for Him. Brothers, there are consequences for turning our backs on God. The further we are from Him the more we hurt. Eventually, out of His infinite love, God will discipline His children. Now I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, sometimes bad things happen to us as a result of God’s discipline and sometimes bad things happen just because we live in a fallen world. The trick is to know which is which.
If you are struggling today it may be due to God’s discipline or living in a fallen world but it still offers the same opportunity; the opportunity to spend time with your most precious companion. You can’t make it without Him so why try? Jesus didn’t promise us that we wouldn’t have trouble. He promised us that He would go with us through the trouble. Have you been walking through difficult times ignoring Him? Don’t miss your silver lining my friend. Spend time in the Master’s presence. Pray. Read the Bible. Get active in your church. Serve God and serve others. You’ll find that sometimes the best blessings emerge from our darkest days.
Your brother and servant in Christ,
Bill
Dying to self, living to serve!
