A Double Portion of Grace

He said to them, "This is what I told you while I was still with you: Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets, and the Psalms." --Luke 24:44

The entire Law is summed up in a single command: "Love your neighbor as yourself."  --Galatians 5:14

A dear friend of mine studies numerology, and infuses meaning to everyday occurrences based upon the numbers with which they are associated.  For example, this year, 2015 in the Gregorian calendar, is also the year 5775 in the Jewish calendar.  The number "5" is repeated three times in those two sequences, or names given to the current calendar year.  "5" is the number associated with grace.  So my friend believes that this is the year of Grace, meted out in double- or triple-portion: Grace in giving, Grace in receiving, Grace in our relationships and in our business dealings and in our budgets.  This is the year, he believes, that God will truly open the windows of heaven and bless us abundantly more than we could ever ask or think.

So in my quiet time this morning, I was reading a passage in the Old Testament Law that reminded me of a New Testament story with which we are all familiar.  I will remind you of it here.

On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. "Teacher," he asked, "what must I do to inherit eternal life?"  Jesus replied, "What is written in the Law?  How do you read it?"  The man answered, "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind; and, Love your neighbor as yourself."  Jesus replied, "You have answered correctly.  Do this and you will live."  But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, "And who is my neighbor?" In reply Jesus said: "A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he fell into the hands of robbers.  They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead.  A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side.  So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side.  But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came to where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him.  He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine.  Then he  put the man on his own donkey, took him to an inn and took care of him.  The next day he took out two silver coins and gave them to the innkeeper. 'Look after him,' he said, 'and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.'  Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?"  The expert in the law replied, "The one who had mercy on him."  Jesus told him, "Go and do likewise."  --Luke 10:25-32

We have all heard this story from the time we were in Children's Church.  There was, indeed, mercy shown by the Samaritan to the Jewish traveler.  There are some deeper meanings, as well, that we may have learned as we grew in the Lord: that Samaritans were considered unclean outcasts by the Jews, yet this Samaritan man was more merciful than the priest and the Levite, who were Jewish religious leaders.  The concept of "neighbor" was effectively expanded to include many more people than just those who live and work in our community, but may also include strangers, as well.

But I want us to take a fresh look at this passage, maybe expanding the meaning a little bit, to show what law the "expert in the law" may have been thinking of as he heard this story.  We may get a glimpse, too, of the ministry and work of Jesus, as well as the character and grace of God.

The scripture I read in my quiet time this morning was from Exodus 21.  You will recall that the Ten Commandments are listed in Exodus 20: you shall not commit murder; you shall not steal; etc.  In the rest of the Torah, the books of the Law, there are some 630 laws that God set out for His people to follow.  The expert in the Law would certainly know all 630 of them, inside and out.  The one most appropriate to our story in the parable may be in Exodus 21:18-19.

If men quarrel and one hits the other with a stone or with his fist and he does not die but is confined to bed, the one who struck the blow will not be held responsible if the other gets up and walks around outside with his staff; however, he must pay the injured man for the loss of his time, and see that he is completely healed.

In the scenario that Jesus described, the ones He called "robbers" were guilty of striking the man, either with their fists or with a tool, such as a stone. Under the law, these men would have been guilty of murder if the man had died.  But if he did not die, according to the verse we just read from Exodus 21, they would not be held responsible (for his death), but would owe him compensation for his lost wages and his medical expenses.

When the priest and the Levite in the story came by the man and saw him, they may have thought of other laws in the Torah, the ones that dealt with keeping themselves ceremonially clean.  There are laws that said a man with open sores or seeping wounds was unclean, and that anyone who touched such a person would be unclean, as well.  A practicing Jew would not want to touch a woman who was on her monthly menstrual period, as during that time she was considered unclean and anyone who touched her would be unclean, as well.  So in order to remain eligible to perform his priestly duties, the Priest would not be in a position to help.  The Levite, on the other hand, was of the priestly tribe, but was not scheduled to do any priestly duties at the time.  The Law gave a schedule of rotating shifts where the Levites were expected to cleanse themselves and be holy for a number of days, then after their rotation in the Temple they were given a rest, so that other Levites could perform the priestly duties.  By helping the man, the Law says that the Levite would be unclean until evening, that he could wash his clothes and bathe, and that the next day, he would be considered clean again.  But in our story, he didn't want the hassle.

But nowhere in the story is anyone concerned about the robbers and their culpability.  No one but Jesus (and perhaps the expert in the Law) would be concerned about them.  Let me show you what I mean.

By giving the injured man assistance and medical aid (pouring oil on his wounds, giving him wine as an anesthetic or antiseptic agent), the Samaritan kept the man from dying, thus absolving the robbers from responsibility for his death.  Look at Exodus 21:19 again:  "The one who struck the blow will not be held responsible if the other gets up and walks around with his staff."  By taking the man to the inn and nursing him back to health, the Samaritan saw to his healing, absolving the robbers of the medical responsibility outlined in the law.  By leaving money to see to the man's needs (food, shelter, new clothes), the Samaritan made sure that the man was compensated for his loss, again absolving the robbers of that responsibility in the Law.  The last part of verse 19 says, "However, he (the attacker) must pay the injured man for the loss of his time and see that he is completely healed."

This kind act by the good Samaritan was more than just an act of mercy for a stranger left bleeding and half dead by a band of robbers; by the strictest reading of the Law, this good deed was also an act of grace extended to the robbers themselves, whether they knew it or not.  Their sins had been atoned for by the act of one man.  Were they still guilty?  Of course.  They had broken the law against theft, and had almost broken the law against murder (if the man had not been rescued, he would have surely died).

If the band of robbers had been arrested and charged, and brought before a judge, they would certainly have been found guilty under the Law.  I would imagine that the judge would have made them pay a pretty hefty price for their sins.  But imagine if, at the time of their sentencing, the good Samaritan had stood up and interrupted the court proceedings.  Imagine him saying, in all truthfulness, "Judge, I have paid the penalty for these men's sins.  They are not to be held responsible in this case."  No condemnation would then be placed on the robbers, since their sins had been atoned for, their penalty had been paid.

I have written in prior postings about the word picture painted in Zechariah chapter 3.  In that chapter a man, Joshua, stood before God, with Satan standing at his right side to accuse him before God, and with Jesus at the right hand of God.  Satan accuses, and Jesus defends.  Joshua, who has nothing to say for himself, is given a white robe and clean standing before God, because Jesus' defense is greater than the accuser.

Isn't this a picture of what Jesus did for us?  It is a small measure of grace, representing the bigger and greater picture of grace that is Jesus Himself.  See, Jesus did not just pay the debts of one man who was beaten and stripped and left for dead.  He also paid the debt for murderers and thieves, and for all the sins of the whole world.  He paid the debt for you.  And He paid the debt for me.

The parable in Luke does not mention it, but if the man who had been beaten realized his hopeless state, he may have called out to the passers-by.  He may have called out to the Priest, who did nothing for him.  He may have called out to the Levite, who passed him by.  And he may have called out to the Samaritan, who stopped and ministered to him.  In the same way, we may call out to clergymen, but they cannot heal us.  We may have called out to religious leaders, but they cannot make things right.  But as we call out to Jesus, we can say with confidence, "Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered him stricken by God, smitten by Him and afflicted.  But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we were healed."  (Isaiah 53;4-5).

What about the robbers?  Weren't their penalties under the Law paid in full as well by what the Samaritan man had done?  Yes, but if they did not call upon the Samaritan to testify or defend them at trial, they would be convicted and sentenced for their crimes.  Similarly, if we die in our sins without Jesus, without His blood to cover our sins, we will be doomed.

Friend, I urge you to call on Jesus.  He is the firstborn of righteousness, the one and only sacrifice for our sins.  "Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we are saved." (Acts 4:12).

I had a debt I could not pay,
He paid the debt He did not owe,
I needed someone,
To wash my sins away.
And now I sing a brand new song,
“Amazing grace” all day long,
Christ Jesus paid the debt,
That I could never pay.

I hear the Savior say, 
Thy strength indeed is small;
Child of weakness, watch and pray, 
Find in Me thine all in all.

Jesus paid it all,
All to Him I owe;
Sin had left a crimson stain, 
He washed it white as snow.

Lord, now indeed I find 
Thy power and Thine alone,
Can change the leper's spots 
and melt the heart of stone.

Jesus paid it all, 
All to Him I owe;
Sin had left a crimson stain, 
He washed it white as snow.

And when before the throne 
I stand in Him complete,
Jesus died my soul to save,
my lips shall still repeat

Jesus paid it all, 
All to Him I owe;
Sin had left a crimson stain, 
He washed it white as snow
Sin had left a crimson stain, 
He washed it white as snow

O Praise the one who paid my debt
And raised this life up from the dead
O Praise the one who paid my debt
And raised this life up from the dead
O Praise the one who paid my debt
And raised this life up from the dead
O Praise the one who paid my debt
And raised this life up from the dead
O Praise the one who paid my debt
And raised this life up from the dead

Jesus paid it all, 
All to Him I owe;
Sin had left a crimson stain, 
He washed it white as snow
Sin had left a crimson stain, 
He washed it white as snow
He washed it white as snow

 https://ouvirmusica.com.br/gateway-worship/grace-that-wont-let-go/

State of the Union

Let not the wise man boast of his wisdom or the strong man boast of his strength or the rich man boast of his riches, but let him who boasts boast about this: that he understands and knows me, that I am the Lord, who exercises kindness, justice, and righteousness on earth, for in these I delight, declares the Lord. --Jeremiah 9:23-24

Tonight the President of the United States delivers his seventh State of the Union address.  He will doubtless say that the Union is strong, but that we can be stronger; that we have done well, but there are things we can do better; that there are things in our history that we'd better not repeat, and there are things in our future for which we must prepare.  The opposition party will take the stage for rebuttal, to say our present is not so good as our past, to say the way we have gotten here was the wrong path to take, and that we'd better watch our steps or we'll hasten our demise.

As we finish our character study of Joshua, we find him hitting on many of the same themes.  When he was young, God used him mightily.  He was one of the 12 spies that went into the Promised Land, and one of only two who believed that God would give it to them.  During the next 40 years, Joshua was mentored by Moses, and when Moses died looking across the Jordan into the Promised Land, Joshua led the people in.  Under Joshua's leadership, the sons of Israel conquered many kings.  They followed the commands of God as heard by Joshua, and were successful in their campaign, many times without having to lift a finger.

Even so, they still had work to do.  "When Joshua was old and well advanced in years, the Lord said to him, 'You are very old, and there are still very large areas of land to be taken over'." (Joshua 13:1). Joshua began to assign sections of land to each of the tribes.  The sons of Levi, the priestly tribe, did not receive an allotment of land, for the other tribes were to pay tithes to the Levites for their service to the Lord.  But Joseph, one of the twelve sons of Israel, had two sons of his own.  Ephraim took the towns in the highlands, the ones that had already been vacated during the military campaigns.  Manasseh had some towns that were still occupied by their enemies.

Yet the Manassites were not able to occupy these towns, for the Canaanites were determined to live in that region.  However, when the Israelites grew stronger, they subjected the Canaanites to forced labor but did not drive them out completely.  The people of Joseph said to Joshua, "Why have your given us only one allotment and one portion for an inheritance?  We are a numerous people and the Lord has blessed us abundantly." --Joshua 17:12-14

Joshua must have stood there shaking his head. He must have thought, "Oy!  These people.  Do I  have to do everything for them?"  If you have ever been in charge of a group trying to reach a goal but not quite making it, you know how he must have felt.

"If you are so numerous," Joshua answered, "and if the hill country of Ephraim is too small for you, go up into the forest and clear land for yourselves there in the land of the Perizzites and Rephaites."  The people of Joseph replied, "The hill country is not enough for us, and all the Canaanites who live in the plain have iron chariots, both those in Beth Shan and its settlements and those in the Valley of Jezreel."  But Joshua said to the house of Joseph--to Ephraim and Manasseh--"You are numerous and very powerful.  You will have not only one allotment, but the forested hill country as well.  Clear it, and its farthest limits will be yours; though the Canaanites have iron chariots, and though they are strong, you can drive them out." --Joshua 17:15-18

It appears that Joshua was having trouble getting his message to sink in with the sons of Joseph.  Back in chapter 11, the northern kings had been given into their hands, and the sons of Israel were ordered by God to hamstring the horses and to burn the chariots.  But now, the sons of Joseph were complaining because their foes had iron chariots.  Iron can't be burned, so they must somehow be superior to the chariots belonging to their earlier foes.  Or were these men afraid of chariots now that they only had one tribe to fight against instead of all twelve?

I am reminded of the movie, "Hoosiers".  When the basketball team from the tiny Indiana village advanced to the state championships, they entered the huge arena with awe and wonder.  There were more seats in that arena than they had ever seen in one place.  Why, their whole town could be swallowed up in just one section near the exit.  The wise coach, played by Gene Hackman, pulled a tape measure out of his jacket pocket.  He asked the team to measure the distance from the goal to the floor.  "It's just ten feet, Coach."  He smiled and told them that all of the other measurements were the same, as well--it was the same distance from the baseline to the foul line as their gym back home.  It was still basketball.  And though they were small, they were still very good at basketball.

Joshua was trying to convey the same message.  Unfortunately, the half-tribe of Ephraim and the half-tribe of Manasseh did not get the message.  Beth Shan, one of the cities in the territory they had been given, was a fortified city that was not conquered by them.  In 1 Samuel 31:10, it says that King Saul, the first king of Israel to reign instead of God, was killed by the Philistines, and that his body was fastened to the wall at Beth Shan.

What is the message, then, for us? Ephraim and Manasseh knew that they had been blessed by God, because they were given many offspring, and were great in number.  Joshua was trying to get them to see that if God blessed them in this way, He would surely care for them: He would give them places to live, and raw materials to build new cities ("go up into the forest and clear the trees".)  But they either wanted to inhabit cities already built (laziness), or they were afraid that the Canaanites had tanks and large bore weaponry (iron chariots).  Either way, their disobedience to God limited God's blessing them in other ways, both militarily and territorially. How often do we do the same thing.  We hold on to God's blessing in one area, but fail to gain victory over what He wants for us, due to our own whining and laziness and fear.

As Joshua was approaching the age of 110, he summoned the people together, their elders, leaders, judges and officials, and said to them:

I am old and well advanced in years.  You yourselves have seen everything the Lord your God has done to all these nations for your sake; it was the Lord your God who fought for you....Be very strong; be careful to obey all that is written in the Book of the Law of Moses, without turning aside to the right or to the left.  Do not associate with these nations that remain among you; do not invoke the names of their gods or swear by them.  You must not serve them or bow down to them.  But you are to hold fast to the Lord your God, as you have until now.  The Lord has driven out before you great and powerful nations; to this day no one has been able to withstand you.  One of you routs a thousand, because the Lord your God fights for you, just as He promised.  So be very careful to love the Lord your God....Now I am about to go the way of all the earth.  You know with all your heart and soul that not one of the good promises the Lord your God gave you has failed.  Every promise has been fulfilled; not one has failed.  But just as every good promise of the Lord your God has come true, so the Lord will bring on you all the evil He has threatened, until He has destroyed you from this good land He has given you.  If you violate the covenant of the Lord your God, which He commanded you, and go and serve other gods and bow down to them, the Lord's anger will burn against you, and you will quickly perish from the land He has given you."  --Joshua 23:2-16

 He went on to remind them of their history, and how God had blessed Abraham, their father.  He blessed Jacob in Egypt, but when they became oppressed by the Egyptians, He sent Moses and Aaron to bring them out.  He blessed them in their battle with the Amorites, east of the Jordan.  These were the people who hired Balaam to put a curse on them, but God spoke through Balaam's donkey to dissuade him from that purpose, and to reinforce God's blessing on them.  God made the walls of Jericho fall down before them; He made the kings of the southern regions fall before them, and the armies of the northern regions fell.

So I gave you a land on which you did not toil and cities you did not build; and you live in them and eat from the vineyards and olive groves that you did not plant.  Now fear the Lord and serve Him with all faithfulness.  Throw away the gods your forefathers worshiped beyond the river and in Egypt, and serve the Lord.  But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your forefathers served beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living.  But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord. --Joshua 24:13-15

O, that we would have leaders today who would speak with such conviction.  We must not sacrifice faithfulness on the altar of diversity.  We can respect all people, but not buy in to their religions.  We must remember our history, and recognize how God has fought for us and given us victory.  But we must not return to the way we were before we knew God.  We must work for good, and not rest on our laurels.  We must give God the glory for what He has done in our lives; for if we boast in ourselves, we will surely fail.  We must build on the blessings that God has bestowed upon us, and not box up His gifts without using them to advance His kingdom.   We must make that choice, and make it today--will we serve God, or not?  As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.  That, my friends, is the state of the union.

His ways are not our ways

The Lord said to Joshua, "Do not be afraid of them, because by this time tomorrow I will hand all of them over to Israel, slain.  You are to hamstring their horses and burn their chariots." --Joshua 11:6

Last week we began a study of the book of Joshua.  He was leader of a group of men, women and children who had just completed a 40 year trek through the wilderness between Egypt and Canaan.  This trip could have been made in four days, but God thought it best to lead the people at His own pace, through hardships that would teach them to trust in Him.  "When Pharaoh let the people go, God did not lead them on the road through the Philistine country, though that was shorter.  For God said, 'If they face war, they might change their minds and return to Egypt.'  So God led the people around by the desert road toward the Red Sea.  The Israelites went up out of Egypt armed for battle." (Exodus 13:17-18).

See, the people wanted to do it on their own.  They thought they were prepared.  They thought they would need to fight the Philistines who were in the coastal area between Egypt and Canaan, what is today known as the Gaza Strip.  Is it any wonder, then, that Moses instructed the people, "The Lord Himself will fight for you; you need only to be still." (Exodus 14:14).

Now, 40 years later, the men who were armed for battle had all died.  Moses, their leader, had also died.  It was up to Joshua to prepare the people to invade and conquer the land that had been promised to their forefathers.  But Joshua did not teach the men to fight.  He did not arm them for battle.  He told them to trust in God, and to take the city with a shout, and with the sound of the trumpet.

In this season of New Year's resolutions, our church is doing a study of First Fruits.  We are being taught how tithing is an act of faith as well as an act of obedience.  See, God blesses our finances when we give our tithes and offerings first, before we spend the remaining 90%.  If when the first check we write is to God (in care of our local church body), then God is free to show us His blessing with the remainder of our finances.  We do not pay the bills first, and buy the groceries, and then give whatever is left to the church.  People who do that, and I was one of them for decades, are at best grudging givers; at worst, they are folks who fail to give to God what He asks for and deserves.  Think about it--if we pay the bills first, the money is all gone, and the few bucks we have left over we might put in the offering plate, but not without thinking of all the other things that money could be used for.  Then there are always unexpected bills, and we fight guilt because we had told ourselves we would give offerings this year, but there never seems to be any money left by Sunday.  On the other hand, if we offer God the First Fruits of our labors, then we are happy when the bills are all paid; we are happy when we have a little left over for ourselves.  In the Bible, "blessed" means "happy".

Now this is not meant to be a study on tithing, but one about God's ways not being our ways.  Just like God's blessing (and our happiness) is made manifest when we give of the First Fruits of our labor to God, God's blessing on the Sons of Israel came after the first few cities in the Promised Land were totally destroyed.  Follow me here, this is very interesting to me:  When Joshua led the people across the Jordan, the first city they took was Jericho.  When Jericho fell, it was given totally to God.  They did not take any spoils from the city.  Everything there was burned.  The same thing happened to Ai, the second city they defeated.  God told Joshua, and Joshua told the people, that Ai was to be burned, just like Jericho had been.  They were to take no spoils of war, no silver or gold, but everything was given over to God by destroying it completely.  A man named Achan disobeyed that order.  We see his confession in Joshua 7:20-21:

Achan replied, "It is true!  I have sinned against the Lord, the God of Israel.  This is what I have done:  When I saw in the plunder a beautiful robe from Babylonia, two hundred shekels of silver and a wedge of gold weighing fifty shekels, I coveted them and took them.  They are hidden in the ground inside my tent, with the silver underneath."

You probably know the story.  Achan paid for his sin with his life; not only his, but his family's as well.  Everything there was consecrated to God, and by taking it, Achan sinned.  The moral that is most often taken from this story is to be obedient to God's commands; that disobedience means death.  But I want us to look a little deeper into the story.

Joshua continues his campaign in the southern region of the land, and the five city-states that are left band together against the Sons of Israel.  By God's power, Israel is victorious.  But nowhere does it say that the cities of Jerusalem, Hebron, Jarmuth, Lachish, and Eglon were destroyed.  The people of Israel were free to take all the plunder and riches that these cities had left when the inhabitants all died.  The 11th chapter of the book of Joshua describes how many more cities in the northern areas were all defeated. "Yet Israel did not destroy any of the cities built on their mounds--except Hazor, which Joshua burned.  The Israelites carried off for themselves all the plunder and livestock of these cities." (Joshua 11:13-14a).  In the 12th chapter of the book of Joshua, it recounts all of the cities that Joshua was victorious over: 31 in all.  Three of the cities were given over to God, and were completely destroyed by fire.  The people did not gain anything from the cities of Jericho, Ai, and Hazor.  But they grew rich off the plunder of the 28 other cities.

If you are reading this and thinking of raiders, marauders, or violent warriors, you are missing the point.  What I am trying to show is the principle of the tithe, giving a tenth of everything over to God, as He commanded them.  You know what? God gives us the same command.  Malachi 3:10 says, "Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house.  Test me in this, says the Lord Almighty, and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it."  Think about how effective the churches of God could be if every member gave the tithe.  Why, the Church could have the resources to take care of the poor and needy, so there would not be a need for government welfare programs.  The Church could meet the physical needs of the community, as well as the spiritual needs.  Pastors would have more time to pray and prepare their sermons if the churches they served could hire caretakers and hospice workers and community outreach leaders.  Imagine the possibilities!

Okay, I'll get off finances again.  But I do want to go back to being obedient to God.  Joshua is again our example.

The Lord said to Joshua, "Do not be afraid of them, because by this time tomorrow I will hand all of them over to Israel, slain.  You are to hamstring their horses and burn their chariots."  --Joshua 11:6

Wait, what?  I've never been in the military, much less in combat.  But I would think that if I had defeated an army, I would want to go through and take their weapons, especially if their weapons were superior to mine.  First, I wouldn't want those weapons to find their way into the hands of enemies yet undefeated.  But second, can you imagine how much more effective the Isrealite army could have been if they had commandeered the chariots and horses?  They would have been a force to be reckoned with.  But God said to hobble the horses and burn the chariots.  Why?  Because He did not want them to rely on their own strength.  Because He wanted them to rely solely on Him.  Because, "Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God." (Psalm 20:7).

Even after they rested from war, and established themselves as a people with a land of their own, God set up a unique form of governance.  They did not have a king, as other peoples had.  They were governed by the Lord their God.  They had priests who would teach them the way that they should live. They had Judges or Prophets who would interpret the laws and execute justice, and who on occasion would lead them into battle against their enemies.  This was God's desire for them as a people.  I believe it is God's desire for us, as well.  The book of Revelation speaks of a Millennial reign of Christ after the Battle of Armageddon.  Like the purge of Canaan, God's army will again destroy all who stand against Him.  Then Jesus will be enthroned in Jerusalem, reigning over the entire world for a thousand years.  Those who are faithful to Him will be rulers over cities.  I had a pastor once who said he hoped his reward would be to rule over Las Vegas.  What joy it will be to live in harmony with one another and in obedience to the Savior.

God wants to change our culture.  His best is hard for us to imagine.  Isaiah 55:8 says, "My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts, says the Lord, and my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine." (New Living Translation).  1 Corinthians 2;9 says, "No eye has seen, nor ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love Him."  Let's give ourselves totally and completely to Him, and see what happens.

Be Careful What You Wish For

Well, I didn't win the lottery again this week.  And that's probably a blessing.  Like it says in Luke 16:10, if I can't make it on a little bit, I probably can't be trusted with a lot.  So I will not quit my day job (which, in itself, is a blessing).  

You see, lots of us wish we could win the lottery, or maybe get a call from a probate attorney advising us that we are the beneficiaries of great wealth.  But we don't wish for the responsibilities that go with it--the taxes, the bookkeeping, the investments, and the unending solicitations from charities, causes, and poor relatives you didn't know you had.  It's no wonder that most lottery winners are dirt poor again within two short years of claiming their winnings.

My daughter and I went to see the movie Into The Woods last week.  We'd missed the opportunity several years ago to see it performed on stage by our local theatre group.  As I watched the movie, I tried to imagine the people I knew, the theater major my son went to school with, my daughter's junior high school choir teacher, and others, in the roles I saw on the big screen. The major theme of the musical production is Be Careful What You Wish For.  The opening song introduces each of the characters individually singing, "I wish, I wish..." and then stating something they don't have.  The Baker and his Wife wish for a baby.  Jack wishes that his cow would give some milk.  Ella wishes she could go to the Festival and meet the Prince.  Jack's mother wishes that her son was not a fool, that the house was not a mess, that the cow would give some milk, and that the walls were full of gold--she wishes for a lot of things.  But as the story unfolds, the things these characters had to do to make their wishes come true were always fantastic and even unbelievable, but sometimes unethical, sometimes illegal, and sometimes even fatal.

It was a good show, and left me thinking.  We all have dreams that are too outlandish to even share with our closest friends.  But what would we be willing to do to actually make them happen?  That's probably what makes them seem outlandish--we know that we couldn't, or shouldn't, do the things that would put us in a position to realize our fondest wishes.  Like quit our jobs, or leave our families.  And part of us realizes that if we do end up getting everything we wished for, it won't make us happy or fulfilled.  It could leave us scarred, or ashamed, or alone.

Last Sunday the guest speaker at our church was Dr. Jack Hayford.  While I don't ascribe to all of his theology (he was president of The International Church of the Foursquare Gospel) or to all of his teachings, I do confess I have read some of his books and have enjoyed singing his songs (he wrote the worship chorus "Majesty", and he also wrote the hymn "Worship Christ the Risen King").  Anyway, he shared with us from his own personal study of the book of Joshua.  From the very first verses, God gave Joshua and the people of Israel a call to obedience.  

The first step in obedience was to cross the Jordan.  God told them to get ready to cross in Joshua 1:2.  He described how it would happen in Joshua 3:8.  The priests were instructed to go before the people, and to carry the Ark of the Covenant right up to the edge of the river.  "Tell the priests who carry the Ark of the Covenant: 'When you reach the edge of the Jordan's waters, go and stand in the river'."  They were actually told to go right up to the edge of the water, and take one more step.  Sometimes we are told to face the obstacles in our lives, and to dip our toe into the roiling waters.  When we do what He asks, in faith, God removes the obstacle.  In the Joshua narrative, the water stopped flowing; it piled up in a heap a great distance away, at a town called Adam. (see Joshua 3;16)  The people could then walk across on dry ground, just as their fathers had done with the Red Sea.

The second step of obedience was to conquer Jericho.  In Joshua 1:3, God promised, "I will give you every place where you set your foot, as I promised Moses."  When they approached Jericho, however, they found it protected by high, thick walls.  We see the story in Joshua chapter 6.  Under Joshua's direction, again following the priests and the Ark of the Covenant, the people did not wilt before the walls.  Instead, they encircled the place with praise.  Six days they marched around the city, listening to the shofar, or ram's horns, as the priests were trumpeting them.  On the seventh day, they marched around the city seven times.  When Joshua gave the order, they all shouted.  What do you think they shouted?  The Bible doesn't say.  Some may have just made loud, unintelligible sounds, like "AAAAAUUUUUGGGGGHHHH!!!!"  Some may have shouted something else, like "For the Lord and for Joshua!"  Whatever they said, I'll bet that as they witnessed the walls crumbling before them, their shouts of war turned into shouts of praise.  This, too, is instructive to us.  If we trust the Lord to fight for us, we can shout his name at the gates, and they will open for us.  Jesus told Simon Peter, "Upon this Rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell will not prevail against it." (Matthew 16:18)

The third step of obedience was to continue the journey.  Let's look again at Joshua 1:3 and following:

I will give you every place where you set your foot, as I promised Moses.  Your territory will extend from the desert to Lebanon, and from the great river, the Euphrates to the Great Sea on the west.  No one will be able to stand up against you all the days of your life.  As I was with Moses, so I will be with you.  I will never leave you nor forsake you.  Be strong and courageous, because you will lead these people to inherit the land I swore to their forefathers to give them.  Be strong and very courageous.  Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or the left, that you may be successful wherever you go.  Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it.  Then you will be prosperous and successful.  --Joshua 1:3-8

God knew before the battle was even fought that they would conquer the land.  He knew before they were born what portion of the land would be theirs.  He knew before Creation itself what lot or portion he would generously give each family.  And as long as they obeyed, and went forward in the light of faith and obedience to His words, they would be blessed.  In the same way, God has always known what your portion would be, and what my lot would be.  He set the boundaries before the beginning of time.  We are blessed when we work within our boundaries.  That is why God gave Joshua the instruction about keeping the laws of God in His Word.

Be careful what you wish for.  Too many times we want to go outside the boundaries, and we get caught in the thorns.  When we ignore what God has given us to do in the place where He has put us, we will eventually find ourselves in tattered clothing, with cuts and scars that were not His will for us. But if we are faithful to the work He has given us, in the place He has appointed for us, we will be blessed.  He wants to bless us as we live within the boundaries of His blessing.

Be careful what you wish for.  Proverbs 5:15 says, "Drink water from your own cistern."  In context, it is talking about a marital relationship.  We are to have and to hold "the wife of your youth," it says in another place.  When we think the grass is greener on the other side of the fence, we end up poisoning the relationship, and finding our blessing greatly diminished.  God's perfect will for us is stolen by our lustful desires; we may regain fellowship with Him, but it will be in a much smaller lot.  He wants to bless us as we live within the boundaries of His blessing.

Be careful what you wish for.  There is nothing wrong with praying for our boundaries to increase.  Many Christians are familiar with the prayer of Jabez: in 1 Chronicles 4:10, a righteous man named Jabez prayed to God, "O, that you would bless me and enlarge my border."  Because of his faithfulness, God answered the prayer of Jabez.  He did bless him. He did enlarge his borders.  But that was because Jabez was faithful and obedient.  He did not go ahead of God, and try to get rich on his own.  He did not sacrifice his family in pursuit of the almighty dollar.  He did not look covetously at his neighbor's possessions (or his neighbor's wife), because acting upon those lusts would have taken him through the thorns.  God wants to bless us as we live within the boundaries of His blessing.

You are the Apple of His Eye

For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.  --John 3:16

Let's start with a simple syllogism:  God is Love (1 John 4:8 says "The one who does not love does not know God, for God is love.").  God loves you (see John 3:16 above).  Therefore, you are loved by God, by the One who is defined by and is the definition of true love.

The Bible says that you are the apple of His eye.  Really.  In Psalm 17:8, David prays to God, saying, "Keep me as the apple of your eye; hide me in the shadow of your wings." In Zechariah 2:8, the prophet is talking about the people of God, and he says, "For this is what the Lord Almighty says: After he has honored me and has sent me against the nations that have plundered you--for whoever touches you touches the apple of His eye." And in the King James version of Lamentations 2:18, the prophet Jeremiah speaks of those who truly seek the Lord with all their hearts, and says, "Their heart cried out to the Lord: O wall of the daughter of Zion, let tears run down like a river day and night; give thyself no rest, let not the apple of thine eye cease."

So what does it mean to be the apple of somebody's eye?  According to the Urban Dictionary, it means one's favorite person; the one you love most.  "In Old English, the pupil of the eye (the round, dark center) was called the 'apple'. It was thought that the pupil was a round object much like an apple (a piece of fruit).  When you look at someone, their reflection appears in your pupil.  So if someone is 'the apple of your eye', he or she is someone that you look at a lot and enjoy seeing." (reference citation: http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=apple+of+my+eye)

God made you.  When He made the earth, the plants, and all the animals, He said "It is good."  But when He made man and woman, He said, "It is very good."  There are not so many people in the world today that He cannot see them all.  He gazes at each one of us, as an inventor would hold up and admire his greatest work; like a collector would study a fine gold piece in her collection.  Think about that the next time you hear the phrase, "God watches over us."  He is not a distant king in an ivory tower, who may glance out of His window at all His subjects.  He is not an evil warlord in a guard tower, making sure we are all in line.  He knows each one of us individually, intimately, indiscriminately.  Our image is etched in His mind, because we are the apple of His eye.

Another meaning ascribed to the phrase is found from another web source, Answers.com.

The term was originally used in the bible and it was used to signify someone of great worth 'whoever touches you touches the apple of his eye', someone who was very precious. The 'apple of your eye' is the iris or center of the eye. If someone were to touch the apple of your eye it would be very painful and so it is protected by the eyelid. The biblical imagery is that we are the apple of his eye and God is the eyelid who protects us. Shakespeare also used the term with this meaning in 'A Midsummer Night's Dream' to again show something as most precious - 

Flower of this purple dye, 
Hit with Cupid's archery, 
Sink in apple of his eye 

Modern usage of this idiom usually refers to something that is especially beloved. (citation reference http://www.answers.com/Q/How_did_the_expression_%27apple_of_my_eye%27_come_about).

So here we get the sense that God wants to protect us as a part of His body.  1 Corinthians chapter 12 reference Christ's followers in the Church as having different functions flowing from their disparate talents and make-up, much like the different parts of the body.  In this case, the pupil or center of the eye is something that a body would naturally defend and protect.  So in our anthropomorphisms that help us understand God better, if we are the center of God's eye, He would naturally want to keep us out of harm's way.  He would cover us with His hand, and might even rub us raw to remove any foreign object that irritates us or makes us less effective.

Finally, there is a sense from the origin of the phrase that we are to be students of Him, as well.  We are to gaze upon Him as He gazes upon us.  According to Wikipedia, "The original Hebrew for this idiom, in all but Zechariah 2:8, was 'iyshown 'ayin (אישון עין), and can be literally translated as "Little Man of the Eye." This is a reference to the tiny reflection of yourself that you can see in other people's pupils. Other KJV translations of the word 'iyshown include dark and obscure, as a reference to the darkness of the pupil.

This Hebrew idiom is surprisingly close to the Latin version, pupilla, which means a little doll, and is a diminutive form of pupus, boy, or pupa, girl (the source also for our other sense of pupil to mean a schoolchild.) It was applied to the dark central portion of the eye within the iris because of the tiny image of oneself, like a puppet or marionette, that one can see when looking into another person's eye." 

(citation reference http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apple_of_my_eye).

So the origin of the word "pupil", or student, comes from the same root word as "eyeball". We are the students of His vision, His outlook on humanity. We are to "Study to show yourself approved unto God, a workman that needs not be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth." (1 Timothy 2:15). As we learn more about how God sees others, we can be more like Him. We can truly be the "apple of His eye" as we see as He sees, and as we watch His work in our world.In summary, then, He loves us dearly; He watches us intently; He protects us fiercely; and we can now see as He sees. Isn't God good? You are, indeed, the apple of His eye. Don't forget it!

In God We Trust

If you happened to be in the Pancake House early on Monday mornings, you may not notice a table near the back, where four men would break fast together and begin the work week in prayer.  They were not overbearing in their religion, but if the waitress Martha happened to seat you at a table near them, you would notice that they were passionate about their beliefs.  They were not boisterous--who is, before sunrise on a Monday?--but if you listened closely, you might say they were intense.

The older man, Aaron, sat with his back to the wall.  He was clearly the leader, and the others would often ask him questions regarding their faith.  Both at the beginning of their meetings, and at the end, Aaron would lead the other men in prayer.  They would often share challenges in their lives: mistakes they had made in their marriages or in raising their kids, setbacks at their jobs, or especially trying times in their relationship with God.  There were good reports, as well, often echoed by "Praise the Lord," or "Hallelujah."

Aaron would always arrive first, and Martha would have a cup of coffee waiting for him.  On this particular day Aaron looked up from his cup and saw Pete coming through the door.  Pete was the largest of the four; at six feet four inches and 320 pounds, one could easily mistake him for a professional athlete.  He greeted Aaron with a big bear hug.  As the two were exchanging small talk, the other two men in their group arrived.  Jake and Sean were brothers, but each with his own very distinct personality.  Jake was crafty and alert, always trying to outfox his opponents, whether in business or across the table at the weekly prayer meetings.  Sean was good-hearted and amiable, always eager to lend a hand to anyone in need.

"Well, here we are," said Pete.  "Just like the early church, who met 'early in the morning on the first day of the week'."

Aaron smiled.  "Acts chapter 20, verse 7."

Jake smirked.  "Isn't Sunday the first day of the week?  And didn't the early church meet on Sunday, in honor of the day of Jesus' resurrection from the dead?"

"You know what?" Sean punched his brother on the shoulder.  "Let's eat.  I'm starved."

Martha placed coffee before the two brothers, and a Diet Coke in front of Pete.  "What will you have, boys?" she said.  "The waffles are good this morning."

The men ordered, and Martha left them alone.  After asking each member of the group how their week had gone, Aaron led them in prayer.  When he finished, he asked them, "Did you remember the homework assignment I gave you last week?  Instead of listening to me give a morning devotional thought, you were supposed to all study Psalm chapter 16, and bring back a report of what it meant to you."

The other three all groaned in unison, but each of them took out a page where they had written notes.  Aaron smiled and continued.  "This is a Psalm of Trust.  David was praying to God for protection, but he was remembering what God had done in his life, and the things he had been taught about God's nature.  Last week I asked you to read the psalm, and think about what you might say about it if you had a chance to share in a Bible Study, Sunday School class, or even if you were asked to preach a sermon.  I even gave you a working title: In God We Trust.  Let me read the psalm first, and then we can each listen to what God has spoken to each of us about this passage."

Preserve me, O God, for in you I have put my trust.  O my soul, you have said to the Lord, "You are my Lord, my goodness is nothing apart from you."  As for the saints who are on the earth, "They are the excellent ones, in whom is all my delight."  Their sorrows shall be multiplied who hasten after another god; their drink offerings of blood I will not offer, nor take up their names upon my lips.  O Lord, you are the portion of my inheritance, and my cup.  You maintain my lot.  The lines have fallen to me in pleasant places; yes, I have a good inheritance.  I will bless the Lord who has given me counsel; my heart also instructs me in the night seasons.  I have set the Lord always before me; because He is at my right hand I shall not be moved.  Therefore my heart is glad and my glory rejoices; my flesh also will rest in hope.  For you will not leave my soul in Sheol, nor will you allow your holy one to see corruption. You will show me the path of life; in your presence is fullness of joy.  At your right hand are pleasures evermore.

Pete cleared his throat.  "I guess I'll go first," he said.  "I think this passage is talking about idolatry.  So many time we get our eyes off of God, and trust our ways with other things.  We don't necessarily bow down to graven images so much anymore, but we do tend to look to other things to meet our needs.  Like work.  It gives us something to do, something to keep our minds occupied, but it also gives us a paycheck.  So many people at my job are there all hours of the day or night, trying to get ahead, trying to make the deal, or get the overtime, or get the promotion.  It's like their god is the almighty dollar.  But sooner or later, like verse 4 says, they are sorry for time they missed with their families.  They are sorry for wasting so much of their lives working, and in the end they don't have anything to show for it.  No family, no friends, and no real relationship with God.  In my own life, I'd rather be called a saint.  I want God to look at me and say, 'Good job; I really delight in you.'  In the end, my own efforts at being good, of making a good life and a good living, are nothing without God's help.  So I want to place my trust in Him, not in me or my work, or my possessions."

Aaron smiled.  "Thanks, Pete.  You gave us all something to think about.  The passage is so deep, though, that you could really go a lot further with that line of thinking.  You could really plumb the depths, and talk about a lot of things from this chapter.  That's why I asked all three of you to share from the same Scripture today.  Jake, what do you have for us?"

"Well," Jake started, nervously.  "I see God's gifts as being sufficient for our needs.  Verse 5 talks about God giving each of us our own portion, and making our lot secure.  I know David was a king and all, so his inheritance was really, really good, you know?  But every one of us has gifts from God that we can use to live on and use for our own purposes.  I think there is a warning here against gambling--taking what God has meant for us to use for Him and for ourselves, and risking it in hopes of a big payoff.  But if I won the lottery, you know, I'd take my eyes off Him, you know, and kind of rely on my own.  Like Pete said, we need to rely on God and not on what we don't have.  There in verse 7, where it talks about the Lord giving us counsel, so that our hearts know what to do even at night.  Like, most sins happen at night time, you know?  Gambling, adultery, stealing, you know, most of those things happen in the dark.  But the Bible says we should walk in the light as He is in the light, you know?  We should be holy, and not corrupt; 'cause when we put on the righteousness of God, you know, He takes delight in us and we have true joy.  Not the joy of hitting it big in Vegas, you know, but true joy, like only the Lord can give."

"Well," mused Aaron, "you certainly hit on some examples where our trust might be misplaced.  But I don't think that David was talking about the particular sin of gambling here.  We should always use Scripture to help us make good decisions.  But when we pick out a theme and try to find Scriptures to support it, that's called 'isogesis', and it's something we should be careful about.  But if God is working in your heart, Jake, about gambling or those other sins you mentioned, who am I to stand in the way?  I hope you were blessed in the study of that passage.  Sean, what do you have for us?"

As all eyes turned to look at Sean, he was beaming.  "Brother Aaron, I am really excited about this particular psalm.  You see, I read in the study helps in the footnotes of my Bible, and it says that this is a companion psalm to Psalm 23.  We all memorized Psalm 23 when we were kids, right?  We could probably all recite it from memory now.  Look at verse 2: "I said to the Lord, You are my Lord; apart from you I have no good thing."  Now look at Psalm 23, verse 1: "The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not be in want."  We all have needs.  God provides our needs.  When we trust Him to meet our needs, they are met.  Period.  And since God is the source, we know that everything He gives is good.  We can't do good on our own.  The World doesn't give good things to us.  We can either trust in ourselves and have nothing; or trust in the World and have our needs met, but still feel something is lacking; or we can trust in God, and know that we lack nothing.

"Look at verses seven and eight of chapter 16: 'I will praise the Lord, who counsels me; even at night my heart instructs me.  I have set the Lord always before me.  Because He is at my right hand, I will not be shaken.'  Now look at Psalm 23:4, where it says, 'Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for your are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.'  God takes care of us in the darkest night, in the deepest valley, even to the point of death.  If we trust in Him, we will not fear, we will not be shaken.

"Go back to verse 5 of Psalm 16: 'Lord, you have assigned me my portion and my cup; you have made my lot secure.'  Psalm 23:5 says, 'You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies.  You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.'  As Christians, our hope and trust is in the Lord.  He will meet our needs, every time.  Jake talked about David being a king, so his portion was bigger.  But God is our king, and we are His children; so don't we have more wealth at our disposal than King David ever had?  The world just looks at us in wonder, because where they have graft and corruption, there is greed and discontent.  You guys know that I don't make a ton of money, not by American standards.  But if you look at all the people in the world, all the poverty, anybody in America who has a cell phone and a television set--we are the 1% even when folks just like us are demonstrating in the streets, chanting 'We are the 99%'.  They just have no idea how blessed they are.  And as Christians, we are even more blessed, because we are children of the King.  We are anointed, guys!  Our cup overflows.  And if it empties out, we have an intimate relationship with the Source.

"Finally, look at Psalm 16, verse 11: 'You have made known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand.'  Compare that to Psalm 23:6, where it says, 'Surely goodness and mercy (or love) will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.'  We follow God, gentlemen, and He leads us in the paths of life and joy, of goodness and love.  There is no end to it, because it is promised to us forever.  That's God's promise.  That's why I trust in Him."

There was silence at the table, while the four men meditated on what they had just heard.  Then Jake looked at his watch and picked up the check.  "Well.  Aaron, I hope you have a good word for us next week.  This homework thing feels too much like I'm back in school again."

"It's good to get out of our comfort zone from time to time," Aaron said.  "Let's pray.  God, thank you for these men and what they stand for.  Thank you for the message from your word, especially the word you gave to Sean today.  Above all, thank you for being trustworthy.  Help us to be faithful as you are faithful.  There are people out there who place limited trust in us.  As we walk the walk and talk the talk, let us always put our full trust in you.  In Jesus' name we ask it, amen."

As always, the men paid their tickets, left a generous tip, and bade farewell to each other with hearty handshakes, and promises to call each other during the week to keep each other accountable.  Then they went their separate ways.  Just four men, who look like everybody else, leaving the Pancake House with their stomachs filled and their spirits raised.  And Martha, before she cleaned their table, scribbled some lines on the back of  her notepad.  Because even if you may not have noticed the four nondescript men at the back table, someone did.

Peace on Earth

Rejoice in the Lord always; again I say, rejoice. Let your forbearance be known to all, for the Lord is near at hand; have no anxiety about anything, but in all things, by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be known to God. Lord, you have blessed your land; you have turned away the captivity of Jacob.

— Philippians 4:4–6; Psalm 85:1 (Opening verses usually read on this, the third Sunday of Advent)

If you have read my previous posts, you know that I did a whole series on rejoicing.  This is truly a season of joy, of hope, of peace on earth.  And if you read the last post, you saw a connection or correlation between Jesus, the Hope of Man's Desiring, and Joshua, the high priest of the Restoration.  I want to build on that foundation again today.

Have you ever been afraid?  Have you ever been discouraged?  Of course you have. We all have had those emotions.  Even Jesus.  Hebrews 4:15 says, "For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched by the feelings of our infirmities, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin."  The Bible says, "Whenever I am afraid, I will trust in You." (Psalm 56:3).  I think Jesus knew this.  And I think I have found a passage of Scripture that must have been one of Jesus' favorites.  As we go over it today, I hope that it will become one of your favorites, too.

On the twenty-first day of the seventh month, the word of the Lord came through the prophet Haggai: "Speak to Zerubbabel, son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, to Joshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and to the remnant of the people.  Ask them, 'Who of you is left who saw this house in its former glory?  How does it look to you now? Does it not seem to you like nothing?' " --Haggai 2:1-3

By way of context, the prophet Haggai is talking to the Jews who have returned to Jerusalem after 70 years of exile in Babylon, the most wicked place on earth.  When they saw the Temple, they must have been very discouraged.  But they were there, and each man had the ability to roll up his sleeves and fix it.  They all together had the ability to team up and rebuild the Temple of God.  Haggai's prophecy was intended to encourage them in that endeavor.

You will see that I highlighted the name of the high priest, Joshua son of Jehozadak.  You will remember from last time that Joshua, or "Yeshua" in Hebrew, means "God saves."  His father's name, Jehozadak, combines the name of Jehovah, or "Yahweh", with the Hebrew word "Sadeq", which means to be just.  So the meanings of the name Jehozadak are "Yahweh has justified", or "The Lord has made just", or even "God is Righteous."  I can imagine the times that Jesus went off by Himself, away from the crowds, to be alone with His Father and pray, that He might have meditated on this Scripture, as it could be speaking to Him by name:  Yeshua, the son of The Righteous God Who Deals Justly, Who Has Justified Us.  Read on to see the encouragement.

"But now be strong, O Zerubbabel," declares the Lord.  "Be strong, O Joshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest.  Be strong, all you people of the land," declares the Lord, "and work.  For I am with you," declares the Lord Almighty.  "This is what I covenanted with you when you came out of Egypt.  And my Spirit remains among you.  Do not fear."  --Haggai 2:4-5

Be strong.  Work.  My Spirit is with you.  Do not fear.  How many times do we need to hear those words spoken over us?  Even Jesus, I would imagine, had times in His life when He needed to hear these words spoken over Him by the Father.  And lest we fall into despair and despondency, saying "What's the point?", the encouragement goes on.  God says "this is the deal I made with you, the Covenant, when I brought you out of Egypt."  He was speaking directly to the nation of Israel, who, you will remember, were slaves in Egypt until God delivered them by the hand of Moses.  I think the words also speak directly to Jesus.  You will remember the account of Christ's birth, when Herod sent soldiers to Bethlehem to kill all the children two years old and under.  God warned Joseph in a dream to get away, and to take Mary and the baby to Egypt.  But they did not stay there.  When the angel told them that Herod had died, Joseph and Mary moved back to Israel, and settled in the district of Galilee, in a town called Nazareth "so was fulfilled what was said through the prophets: 'He will be called a Nazarene'." (Matthew 2:23).

 So Jesus could take this passage and apply it directly to His own life.  And we can apply it indirectly to ours.  Each of us has been called out of a foreign land, to follow God in this life, and to hope in a promised land.  We may not have had to cross geographic borders, but we have been called to a new life, a new way of living--a new culture, if you will.  And we all can take courage in the words the Lord spoke through the prophet Haggai: be strong, work, My Spirit is with you, do not be afraid.

I love the hymn that Charles Wesley wrote about the coming of Christ in Christmas.  It is not generally sung as a Christmas carol, but it is significant during this season, and for this study.  The first verse goes like this:

Hail, thou long-expected Jesus,
    Born to set Thy people free!
From our sins and fears release us,
    Let us find our rest in Thee.

Again, I highlighted the word "fears".  Jesus came to release us from our sins and our fears.  When we trust Him with all our hearts and minds and strength, and His Spirit lives in us, then we can know peace.  We can heed the words of the prophet Haggai: "And my Spirit remains among you.  Do not fear."

Let's read on.

 This is what the Lord Almighty says: "In a little while I will once more shake the heavens and the earth, the sea and the dry land.  I will shake all nations, and the desired of all nations will come, and I will fill this house with glory," says the Lord Almighty.

There are three interpretations for this passage.  One, obviously, was to the exiles rebuilding the Temple.  Once they had completed their work, the God of Abraham would again take up residence in the Holy of Holies.  Whenever God moves, the earth is turned upside-down.  The second interpretation, I think, is when Jesus came to fulfill what the prophets had spoken.  He turned the political and religious world upside-down.  He shook things up, so that we would all look upon His glory, and give glory to Him all our days.  The third interpretation, according to Bible scholars, is with the Second Coming of Christ to this world.  When he comes not as a Lamb for sacrifice, but as a Lion to root out injustice and to establish His Kingdom forever.

You will notice that I highlighted the phrase "the desired of all nations".  The Apostle Paul spoke of this in Romans chapter 8: "We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time.  Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies.  For in this hope we were saved." (Romans 8:22-24a).  Maybe this is what Wesley had in mind when he penned the second verse of his hymn:

Israel's strength and consolation,
    Hope of all the saints, Thou art;
Long desired of every nation,
    Joy of every waiting heart.

 Malachi 3:1 speaks of this earnest desire for the coming Messiah.  "See, I will send my messenger, who will  prepare the way before me.  Then suddenly the Lord you are seeking will come to his temple; the messenger of the covenant, whom you desire, will come, says the Lord Almighty."  All creation waits for His appearing.  The sons of God await with eager anticipation.  The wicked await His coming with fear and trepidation.

Can you see how Jesus, when He was living on this earth as a man, may have been encouraged by this passage?

"The silver is mine and the gold is mine, declares the Lord Almighty.  The glory of this present house will be greater than the glory of the former house," says the Lord Almighty." --Haggai 2:8-9a.

Everything belongs to God.  He may allow us to use it for our purposes, but ultimately it will be used for His glory.  The people who originally heard the words of Haggai, who were looking at a pile of rubble where their temple used to be, were encouraged by the words, "The glory of this present house will be greater than the glory of the former house."  I am sure that gave them motivation to roll up their sleeves and get to work restoring and rebuilding and refurbishing the Temple.

Jesus, too, may have been encouraged when reading and meditating on these words.  The "house" or body in which He resided at the time of his Incarnation was subject to pain and death.  But He knew that in time His resurrected body would show that "the glory of this present house will be greater than the glory of the former."  He knew that his purpose was to bring the kingdom of God to man.  We see this in the third verse of Wesley's hymn:

Born Thy people to deliver,
    Born a child, yet God our King,
Born to reign in us for ever,
    Now Thy gracious kingdom bring.

 God's plan was for Jesus to reign in us, and over us, and through us forever.  God's desire is to rule in our hearts.  Our desire is for peace on earth, good will to men.  These disparate desires are met in Jesus.  Haggai's last words in this passages read this way:

"And in this place I will grant peace," declares the Lord Almighty.  --Haggai 2:9b

What did the Angel first say to Zechariah the priest, the husband of Elizabeth and future father of John the Baptist? "Do not be afraid." (Luke 1:13).  What were the Angel's first words to Mary, the one betrothed to Joseph and the future mother of Jesus?  "Do not be afraid." (Luke 1:30).  What did the Angel say to the shepherds abiding in the fields, keeping watch over their flocks by night? "Fear not, for I bring you good tidings of great joy." (Luke 2:10)  Then the Angel was surrounded by a great number of other angels, and they sang together, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests." (Luke 2:14).

Recent unrest in our nation has brought out protesters, who chant the slogan "No justice, no peace."  As we saw at the beginning of this piece, God Almighty brings Justice.  For all who truly want peace, He offers His Son.  True justice cannot be found in a courthouse; true peace cannot be found in the streets.  We must make room for Jesus, the Prince of Peace, whose father is the God Who Deals Justly. Thus we end with the fourth verse of Wesley's hymn:

By Thine own eternal Spirit
    Rule in all our hearts alone;
By Thine all-sufficient merit
    Raise us to Thy glorious throne.