The Good Hand of God

November 24, 2024November 25, 2024 / kdmiller55 / Leave a comment

¹Now after this, in the reign of Artaxerxes king of Persia, Ezra the son of Seraiah, son of Azariah, son of Hilkiah, ²son of Shallum, son of Zadok, son of Ahitub, ³son of Amariah, son of Azariah, son of Meraioth, ⁴son of Zerahiah, son of Uzzi, son of Bukki, ⁵son of Abishua, son of Phinehas, son of Eleazar, son of Aaron the chief priest— ⁶this Ezra went up from Babylonia. He was a scribe skilled in the Law of Moses that the Lord, the God of Israel, had given, and the king granted him all that he asked, for the hand of the Lord his God was on him.

⁷And there went up also to Jerusalem, in the seventh year of Artaxerxes the king, some of the people of Israel, and some of the priests and Levites, the singers and gatekeepers, and the temple servants. ⁸And Ezra came to Jerusalem in the fifth month, which was in the seventh year of the king. ⁹For on the first day of the first month he began to go up from Babylonia, and on the first day of the fifth month he came to Jerusalem, for the good hand of his God was on him. ¹⁰For Ezra had set his heart to study the Law of the Lord, and to do it and to teach his statutes and rules in Israel. – Ezra 7:1-10 ESV

In the New Living Translation, verse 1 reads, “Many years later, during the reign of King Artaxerxes of Persia, there was a man named Ezra.” Roughly 60 years span the gap between the events recorded in chapter 6 and those found in chapter 7. The first six chapters of the Book of Ezra cover the years from 538-515 B.C. During this time, the following kings reigned over the Persian Empire: Cyrus, Cambyses, Smerdis, Darius I, and Xerxes (Ahasuerus). Xerxes is the king whose life is chronicled in the Book of Esther. The second half of the Book of Ezra covers the reign of Artaxerxes, who ruled from 464-424 B.C. This would put Ezra’s arrival in Judah sometime around 458 B.C.

Though this book bears his name, Ezra was a late arrival to Judah. He was not part of the original remnant of Jews who returned during the reign of Cyrus. It was not until the completion of the Temple and the reign of Artaxerxes, that Ezra would lead another wave of Israelites on the 900-mile, four-month-long journey from the land of Babylon to Jerusalem. This scribe and descendant of Aaron the first high priest knew God was behind this endeavor because he had seen God bring it all about. King Artaxerxes had decreed that Ezra would lead a group of Jews back to the land of promise and provided funding for the trip. Ezra’s response was, “Blessed be the Lord, the God of our fathers, who put such a thing as this into the heart of the king, to beautify the house of the Lord that is in Jerusalem, and who extended to me his steadfast love before the king and his counselors, and before all the kings mighty officers” (Ezra 7:27-28 ESV).

Ezra was encouraged by what he had seen God do. He knew the hand of God was on him, so he gathered the people together and planned the trip that God had ordained. It would be hard, long, and dangerous. So he called the people to fast and pray, seeking God’s divine protection and “a safe journey for ourselves, our children, and all our goods” (Ezra 8:21 ESV). God heard their prayers and He answered. Four months after leaving Babylon, they arrived in Jerusalem, tired but thankful to God for His hand in making their trip possible.

The hand of our God was on us, and he delivered us from the hand of the enemy and from ambushes by the way… – Ezra 8:31-32 ESV

But not everyone made the trip. Not every Jew was willing to leave the safety of Babylon to make the long, arduous trip back to Jerusalem. Many had grown comfortable with their lifestyle in captivity. A great many of the Jews had been born in Babylon and had never set foot in the land of Judah. So they were reluctant to make the trip. Ezra even had a difficult time finding enough Levites to return with him. This was the tribe God had appointed to serve in the Temple. They were the spiritual leaders of the people of Israel and, yet, when Ezra gathered all the people to prepare for the trip to Jerusalem, he said, “I found there none of the sons of Levi” (Ezra 8:15 ESV). Not everyone shared Ezra’s enthusiasm and optimism for returning to the land, even though it was in direct fulfillment of God’s promises.

God was orchestrating all the events so that His divine will would be fulfilled just as He had planned. He once again used a pagan king to accomplish His will. King Artaxerxes’ fear of divine retribution motivated him to send the people of God back to the land. Artaxerxes would write, “Whatever is decreed by the God of heaven, let it be done in full for the house of the God of heaven, lest his wrath be against the realm of the king and his sons” (Ezra 7:23 ESV).

This powerful king feared God and his actions were motivated by self-protection. We don’t know how God communicated His divine will to Artaxerxes, but it is clear that this man was not willing to anger God through disobedience. Yet, there would be countless Jews who would refuse to return to the land. They would choose to remain in captivity, even though God was providing them with a miraculous opportunity to return to the land He had given them many years earlier. God was faithfully keeping His promise to return them to the land, but many of them would refuse to go. The people of God would reject His offer of divine protection, provision, and peace. After decades in captivity, He offered them the chance to experience His rest and peace, but they refused.

Yet Ezra and his small band of faithful followers made the trip. They took God up on His offer and walked the 900 miles back to Jerusalem. They were willing to suffer the dangers and difficulties all along the way, with their kids in tow, the treasures given to them by King Artaxerxes hidden among them, and their sights set on their final destination. The writer of Hebrews addresses another group of God’s people, the believing Jews who were living out their faith during difficult days, facing intense opposition and surrounded by enemies. These Christian Jews found it difficult to remain faithful to God’s call on their lives. They were being tempted to give up and give in to the pressures to compromise their faith. So the author provided them with a word of encouragement.

Therefore, while the promise of entering his rest still stands, let us fear lest any of you should seem to have failed to reach it. For good news came to us just as to them, but the message they heard did not benefit them, because they were not united by faith with those who listened. – Hebrews 4:1-2 ESV

He uses the history of their own people to remind them of the need to remain true to their calling. Their ancestors, who had made the trip from Egypt to the land of promise under the direction of Moses, had failed to enter the land the first time. When they arrived at the edge of the land, they discovered it was filled with “giants.” So rather than trust God and enter, they gave in to their fears and turned away. That entire generation of Jews died off in the wilderness as they wandered for the next 40 years. The author uses this historic event as a warning.

Since therefore it remains for some to enter it, and those who formerly received the good news failed to enter because of disobedience, again he appoints a certain day, ‘Today,’ saying through David so long afterward, in the words already quoted, ‘Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts. – Hebrews 4:6-7 ESV

He strongly encouraged them to remain obedient and faithful, and to “strive to enter that rest, so that no one may fall by the same sort of disobedience” (Hebrews 11:11 ESV).

The rest spoken of in this passage is a future rest. It has to do with the ultimate fulfillment of God’s promises of eternal life. He is speaking of our final inheritance, set aside for us by God, and made available to us by our relationship with Jesus Christ. Peter reminds us of the nature of this inheritance.

All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. It is by his great mercy that we have been born again, because God raised Jesus Christ from the dead. Now we live with great expectation, and we have a priceless inheritance—an inheritance that is kept in heaven for you, pure and undefiled, beyond the reach of change and decay. And through your faith, God is protecting you by his power until you receive this salvation, which is ready to be revealed on the last day for all to see. – 1 Peter 1:3-5 NLT

In this life, we are to live with our hopes set on what is to come. This world is not our home. The things of this earth are a mere shadow of what is to come. Our expectations of greater things to come should motivate us to remain faithful in this life – regardless of the difficulties we may face along the way. Peter goes on to say:

So be truly glad. There is wonderful joy ahead, even though you have to endure many trials for a little while. These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold—though your faith is far more precious than mere gold. So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world. – 1 Peter 1:6-7 NLT

Like Ezra and his fellow travelers, we must keep our eyes on the prize. They had a long journey ahead of them, but they knew that Jerusalem was their final destination and the thought of seeing the Temple of God was all the motivation they needed. Even as they journeyed, they could find strength in the hope of their future rest. One day, we too will enter the rest that awaits us. But in the meantime, we must stay focused and faithful. We must keep walking and continue to trust in the promises of God.

English Standard Version (ESV)
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT)
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

The Handwriting on the Wall

October 25, 2024 / kdmiller55 / Leave a comment

¹King Belshazzar made a great feast for a thousand of his lords and drank wine in front of the thousand.

²Belshazzar, when he tasted the wine, commanded that the vessels of gold and of silver that Nebuchadnezzar his father had taken out of the temple in Jerusalem be brought, that the king and his lords, his wives, and his concubines might drink from them. ³Then they brought in the golden vessels that had been taken out of the temple, the house of God in Jerusalem, and the king and his lords, his wives, and his concubines drank from them. ⁴They drank wine and praised the gods of gold and silver, bronze, iron, wood, and stone.

⁵Immediately the fingers of a human hand appeared and wrote on the plaster of the wall of the king’s palace, opposite the lampstand. And the king saw the hand as it wrote. ⁶Then the king’s color changed, and his thoughts alarmed him; his limbs gave way, and his knees knocked together. ⁷The king called loudly to bring in the enchanters, the Chaldeans, and the astrologers. The king declared to the wise men of Babylon, “Whoever reads this writing, and shows me its interpretation, shall be clothed with purple and have a chain of gold around his neck and shall be the third ruler in the kingdom.” ⁸Then all the king’s wise men came in, but they could not read the writing or make known to the king the interpretation. ⁹Then King Belshazzar was greatly alarmed, and his color changed, and his lords were perplexed.

¹⁰The queen, because of the words of the king and his lords, came into the banqueting hall, and the queen declared, “O king, live forever! Let not your thoughts alarm you or your color change. ¹¹There is a man in your kingdom in whom is the spirit of the holy gods. In the days of your father, light and understanding and wisdom like the wisdom of the gods were found in him, and King Nebuchadnezzar, your father—your father the king—made him chief of the magicians, enchanters, Chaldeans, and astrologers, ¹²because an excellent spirit, knowledge, and understanding to interpret dreams, explain riddles, and solve problems were found in this Daniel, whom the king named Belteshazzar. Now let Daniel be called, and he will show the interpretation.” – Daniel 5:1-12 ESV

Once again, the narrative jumps ahead, shifting the focus from Nebuchadnezzar to Belshazzar, the last king to reign over the Babylonian empire. Nebuchadnezzar’s daughter, Nitocris, married Nabonidus, to whom she bore Belshazzar. When Nebuchadnezzar died in 562 B.C., he was succeeded by Amel-Marduk. Over a period of nine years, a succession of family members would rule the nation, including Neriglissar, Labashi-Marduk, and Nabonidus. When Nabonidus was exiled in 550 B.C., he appointed his eldest son, Belshazzar, as his co-regent. This places the events of chapter five nearly 66 years after Daniel and his friends arrived in Babylon and some 36 years after the events in chapter four.

Chronologically, the story recorded in chapter five takes place after the events found in chapters seven and eight. The author’s decision to rearrange the order was meant to connect Belshazzar’s vision with Nebuchadnezzar’s dream. Both stories deal with the topic of pride and feature Daniel’s God-given capacity to interpret dreams and visions (Daniel 1:17). Daniel was likely in his 80s when this story takes place and had been in exile and service to the Babylonian crown for decades.

As the story opens, Belshazzar is hosting a sumptuous feast for 1,000 of his lords. Little did he know that his reign and the dominance of the Babylonian kingdom were about to come to an end. His father, Nabonidus, had already been captured in battle with the Medo-Persians and sent into exile. His departure left Belshazzar in charge of the kingdom and tasked with protecting the capital city from the Medo-Persian army that camped outside its walls.

But instead of making battle plans, the king throws a lavish party for his cronies. As the wine flowed and the tongues loosened, Belshazzar commanded that his stewards retrieve the gold and silver cups that had been plundered from the Temple in Jerusalem when his grandfather had captured the city decades earlier. Facing possible defeat at the hands of the Medo-Persians, Belshazzar decided to relive the glory days of his grandfather and impress his guests with looted treasure from a bygone era. During his short reign, he had done little to expand the borders of his kingdom. He had few exploits to celebrate and no stories of global expansion with which to impress his guests. So, he brought out the symbols of his grandfather’s glory days and drank heartily before his friends and family members.

The author provides a not-so-subtle hint of things to come when he writes, “While they drank from them they praised their idols made of gold, silver, bronze, iron, wood, and stone” (Daniel 5:4 NLT). The Hebrew audience for which this book was intended would have recognized the warning sign in this statement. Belshazzar and his fellow partiers were using sacred vessels consecrated for use in the worship of Yahweh to celebrate the false gods of Babylon. This pride-filled decision would not turn out well and the text conveys the immediacy of the outcome.

Suddenly, they saw the fingers of a human hand writing on the plaster wall of the king’s palace, near the lampstand. The king himself saw the hand as it wrote, and his face turned pale with fright. His knees knocked together in fear and his legs gave way beneath him. – Daniel 5:5-6 NLT

Belshazzar’s actions were likely meant to instill a sense of national pride among his key leaders. The nation was on the brink of annihilation and in desperate need of encouragement. But his decision to boast in his own might at the expense of God was a poor one. The vision of a disembodied hand scrawling a message on the wall of his palace left Belshazzar and his guests shaken to the core. The entire entourage sobered up immediately.

In a scene reminiscent of chapters two and four, Belshazzar sent for his enchanters, Chaldeans, and astrologers. These “wise men” were gathered up and brought before the king, who demanded that they use their supernatural powers to ascertain the meaning of the vision.

“Whoever can read this writing and tell me what it means will be dressed in purple robes of royal honor and will have a gold chain placed around his neck. He will become the third highest ruler in the kingdom!” – Daniel 5:7 NLT

Belshazzar was willing to richly reward anyone who could provide an explanation for what he had just witnessed. While the floating hand had disappeared, the message it scrawled was still there for all to see. But the handwriting was in a language no one could decipher. The king’s occult experts were left scratching their heads and unable to interpret what the words said, let alone what they meant. This left the king in an increasing state of unrest and fear. The party was over and the drunken guests could only watch with increasing fear as the king became increasingly more agitated.

At this point, an unlikely and unexpected individual came to the rescue: The king’s own mother, Nitocris. She recalled a scene from the past and informed Belshazzar of a man named Daniel who had come to the aid of her father during a similar situation.

“There is a man in your kingdom who has within him the spirit of the holy gods. During Nebuchadnezzar’s reign, this man was found to have insight, understanding, and wisdom like that of the gods. Your predecessor, the king—your predecessor King Nebuchadnezzar—made him chief over all the magicians, enchanters, astrologers, and fortune-tellers of Babylon.” – Daniel 5:11 NLT

Due to his advanced age, it seems likely that Daniel’s work schedule had greatly diminished. Despite his position as chief of all the wise men, Daniel had not been summoned to the palace. But the queen noted Daniel’s reputation for solving difficult mysteries.

“This man Daniel, whom the king named Belteshazzar, has exceptional ability and is filled with divine knowledge and understanding. He can interpret dreams, explain riddles, and solve difficult problems.” – Daniel 5:12 NLT

She purposefully shares Daniel’s Babylonian name, which is remarkably similar to that of her son. Belshazzar means “Baal protect the king” or “Prince of Bel.” Belteshazzar appears to be the feminine version of that same name and could be translated as “Lady protect the king.” But the similarities between their names would not have escaped Belshazzar. Desperate to have someone translate the words on the wall and provide their meaning, Belshazzar sent for Belteshazzar.

Once again, through a series of strange and unexpected events, God worked behind the scenes to communicate His will to a pagan, pride-filled king. Years had passed and a new king sat on the throne of Babylon, but he too would find himself little more than a pawn on the chessboard of God Almighty. This still-wet-behind-the-ears potentate had a lot to learn about sovereignty and power. He could drink from the Lord’s cups and gloat over his vast power and superiority, but his fate rested in the hands of Yahweh. Daniel, who was nearing the end of his life, was still a capable vessel in the hands of the Almighty. He was going to be used one more time to serve his God by proclaiming a divine message of judgment upon the arrogant ruler of a pagan kingdom.

God was not done with Daniel, and He was far from done with the nation of Babylon. Through the prophet Jeremiah, God had already predicted the demise of the once-mighty Babylonian empire.

“I will stir up a destroyer against Babylon
    and the people of Babylonia.
Foreigners will come and winnow her,
    blowing her away as chaff.
They will come from every side
    to rise against her in her day of trouble.
Don’t let the archers put on their armor
    or draw their bows.
Don’t spare even her best soldiers!
    Let her army be completely destroyed.
They will fall dead in the land of the Babylonians,
    slashed to death in her streets.
For the Lord of Heaven’s Armies
    has not abandoned Israel and Judah.
He is still their God,
    even though their land was filled with sin
    against the Holy One of Israel.” – Jeremiah 51:1-5 NLT

Belshazzar had been greatly disturbed by the handwriting on the wall, but he had no idea just how bad his day was about to get. Things were going to go from bad to worse. His little stunt of drinking wine from the vessels of God was going to cost him dearly. In an effort to glorify himself, Belshazzar had mocked God and now he would pay the price.

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Misunderstand God’s Ways Leads to Misjudging His Character

January 21, 2024January 22, 2024 / kdmiller55 / Leave a comment

¹The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, ²“Speak to the people of Israel, and get from them staffs, one for each fathers’ house, from all their chiefs according to their fathers’ houses, twelve staffs. Write each man’s name on his staff, ³and write Aaron’s name on the staff of Levi. For there shall be one staff for the head of each fathers’ house. ⁴Then you shall deposit them in the tent of meeting before the testimony, where I meet with you. ⁵And the staff of the man whom I choose shall sprout. Thus I will make to cease from me the grumblings of the people of Israel, which they grumble against you.” ⁶Moses spoke to the people of Israel. And all their chiefs gave him staffs, one for each chief, according to their fathers’ houses, twelve staffs. And the staff of Aaron was among their staffs. ⁷And Moses deposited the staffs before the Lord in the tent of the testimony.

⁸On the next day Moses went into the tent of the testimony, and behold, the staff of Aaron for the house of Levi had sprouted and put forth buds and produced blossoms, and it bore ripe almonds. ⁹Then Moses brought out all the staffs from before the Lord to all the people of Israel. And they looked, and each man took his staff. ¹⁰And the Lord said to Moses, “Put back the staff of Aaron before the testimony, to be kept as a sign for the rebels, that you may make an end of their grumblings against me, lest they die.” ¹¹Thus did Moses; as the Lord commanded him, so he did.

¹²And the people of Israel said to Moses, “Behold, we perish, we are undone, we are all undone. ¹³Everyone who comes near, who comes near to the tabernacle of the Lord, shall die. Are we all to perish?” – Numbers 17:1-13 ESV

The Israelites had proven themselves to be all-star professional whiners who could grumble with the best of them. Repeatedly, since the day they left Egypt, they had found reasons to complain – about everything from the food God provided to the leadership He had placed over them. Most recently, it had been God’s decision to have only the Levites serve as priests in the Tabernacle that had left them disgruntled and ready to voice their displeasure. God had given the tribe of Levi the sole responsibility of serving in the place of the first-born males of every tribe. The Levites had been divinely chosen to serve as substitutes.

But the people had decided they didn’t like this plan. Under the leadership of Korah and a few other leaders, the people had risen up against Moses and Aaron, demanding their version of equality and inclusion, but their demands were met with the discipline of God. He destroyed all those who instigated the rebellion against Moses and Aaron and then brought a plague against those who blamed Moses and Aaron for the deaths of their friends. Only the quick action of Aaron, who offered an atoning sacrifice for the people, spared even more from death that day.

In light of all the complaining, God came up with a plan to settle the matter once and for all. He knew the people were far from done, and it was just a matter of time before something else stirred them up and caused them to question His will and grumble against His chosen leaders. So, God instructed Moses to have each tribe select a branch from an almond tree and inscribe on it the name of the prince or head of their tribe. These 12 rods were then to be placed in the Tabernacle before the Lord.

The people agreed to God’s proposal and each tribe submitted their staff to Moses. He placed each of them in the Holy of Holies before the Ark of the Covenant. The next day, Moses went in and discovered that the rod bearing Aaron’s name had budded, blossomed, and borne fruit. Miraculously, Aaron’s rod had gone through an entire growing season overnight. Devoid of water and the benefits of the tree from which it had been taken, this one rod evidenced a supernatural capacity for fruitfulness. This amazing visual display was intended to convince the Israelites that God had selected Aaron and his sons to serve Him as priests – case closed. There was no more reason for the people to question or complain because God had settled the dispute once and for all.

Or maybe not. Immediately after this event, the people cranked up their complaining once again. This time it was about their physical well-being. They said, “We are as good as dead. Everyone who even comes close to the Tabernacle of the LORD dies. We are all doomed!” (Numbers 17:12-13 NLT). Instead of praising God for what He had done with the almond rod, they focused their attention on their own well-being. They were so busy pitying themselves, that they had no time to think about God’s miraculous demonstration of power and His clear endorsement of Aaron and his sons.

God’s divine display had been intended to settle the leadership dispute. He had unquestionably reaffirmed His selection of the Aaronic priesthood. He even commanded that the rod be placed alongside the Ark of the Covenant as a permanent reminder of Aaron’s selection. God had spoken and the matter was settled. His will was not up for debate and He expected His commands to be obeyed at all times.

But the people saw His actions as a statement of judgment and feared further retribution from God. They had just witnessed the earth open up and swallow the families of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram. Then they stood back and watched as the fire of the Lord consumed the 250 leaders who had joined in the rebellion. Finally, they had seen 14,700 of their fellow Israelites die from the plague that God had sent upon them.

So, they viewed the budding of Aaron’s rod as a further indictment of their guilt and reacted with fear.

“Look, we are doomed! We are dead! We are ruined! Everyone who even comes close to the Tabernacle of the Lord dies. Are we all doomed to die?” – Numbers 17:12-13 NLT

Rather than glorying in the greatness of God, they cowered in fear. Instead of repenting for their rebellion against Him, they accused Him of being a vengeful, bloodthirsty deity. They displayed no remorse. They exhibited no signs of sorrow for their sins. They simply expressed their fear of God’s judgment and wrath. After all the time they had spent in His presence, enjoying His power and provision, they still had no idea who He was and how they were to respond to Him. Centuries later, the psalmist would record God’s assessment of this generation of Israelites.

“For forty years I loathed that generation
and said, ‘They are a people who go astray in their heart,
and they have not known my ways.’” – Psalm 95:10 ESV

The author of The Letter to the Hebrews quoted this very passage when writing to his audience of Jewish converts to Christianity, and he followed it up with this admonition:

Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God. But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called “today,” that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. – Hebrews 3:12-13 ESV

Even this New Testament congregation of Jewish believers was struggling with disbelief and doubt. Having placed their faith in Jesus as their Messiah, they were beginning to have second thoughts because their lot in life had not improved. Living outside the land of Israel and surrounded by pagan Gentiles, these Jewish Christians were in the minority and even despised by their fellow Hebrews. Their decision to follow Christ had left them ostracized by their own people and questioning the validity of the gospel message they had so eagerly embraced. Their difficult circumstances caused them to question the validity of Jesus’ Messiahship and tempted them to return to Judaism and the Mosaic Law.

But isn’t that what we do? We can get so consumed by dissatisfaction over our lot in life that we fail to see the miracles of God taking place all around us. We whine and moan, and spend all our time grumbling to God that we become blind to His goodness and greatness. Yet God patiently endures our rejection of Him and continues to shower us with His grace and unmerited favor.

The author of Hebrews encouraged his readers to remain committed to Christ, their Messiah.

For we have come to share in Christ, if indeed we hold our original confidence firm to the end. – Hebrews 3:14 ESV

Rather than return to life under the Law, he wanted them to keep their eyes on the One who had set them free trying to earn their way into God’s good graces. Jesus had come to provide them with access to God’s presence through the effort of His saving work, not their own. Jesus had died for their sins so that they might enjoy full forgiveness and a restored relationship with God. This incredible gift of grace, made available by God through the death and resurrection of Jesus, was to become the focus of their lives. They no longer needed to fear God and there was no need to look to the Law as a way of earning His favor. Everything they needed had been provided by Jesus.

…let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. – Hebrews 12:1-2 ESV

The Israelites had sinned against God but had also been graciously spared. But rather than rejoice in His mercy, they feared His retribution. They had rejected His will and now, they failed to understand His ways. Because they had sinned, they expected judgment. Yet the budding of Aaron’s rod was less an indictment of their sin than it was a confirmation of God’s will. He wanted them to trust Him. His ways were righteous, just, and worthy of their obedience.

They had turned their backs on God but He had not abandoned them. The guilty had suffered the just and righteous penalty for their sins. But the vast majority of the Israelites had graciously been granted the mercy of God. Yet, they couldn’t fathom what God was doing. Rather than rejoice in His forgiveness, they expressed their fear of pending judgment. Despite all God had done, they remained ignorant of His ways and distrustful of His goodness.

The truth is, as God’s people, we still turn our back on Him, but He never abandons us. He disciplines us, but He never stops loving us. He is faithful, even when we are unfaithful. He provides us with leadership, direction, sustenance, and everything we need to survive in this hostile and sin-prone world. Yet we continually misunderstand His ways and misjudge His character. Worse yet, we end up fearing Him rather than basking in the love He pours out on us. Like the Israelites, we live as if God is out to get us, not to bless us. We view Him as a cosmic killjoy, not a loving Father who wants to meet our every need in Christ.

Sin is ultimately self-centered; it always has been. It ends up being all about me, and when I constantly focus on myself, I tend to lose sight of Him. If I’m not careful, that myopic, me-centered perspective will lead me to mischaracterize God and miss out on the joy of His blessings, just like the Israelites did.

“We are bound to die! We perish, we all perish! Anyone who even comes close to the tabernacle of the Lord will die! Are we all to die?” – Numbers 17:12-13 NLT

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Where Was Paul When Job Needed Him?

November 15, 2023November 15, 2023 / kdmiller55 / Leave a comment

¹⁶“If you have understanding, hear this;
    listen to what I say.
¹⁷Shall one who hates justice govern?
    Will you condemn him who is righteous and mighty,
¹⁸who says to a king, ‘Worthless one,’
    and to nobles, ‘Wicked man,’
¹⁹who shows no partiality to princes,
    nor regards the rich more than the poor,
    for they are all the work of his hands?
²⁰In a moment they die;
    at midnight the people are shaken and pass away,
    and the mighty are taken away by no human hand.

²¹“For his eyes are on the ways of a man,
    and he sees all his steps.
²²There is no gloom or deep darkness
    where evildoers may hide themselves.
²³For God has no need to consider a man further,
    that he should go before God in judgment.
²⁴He shatters the mighty without investigation
    and sets others in their place.
²⁵Thus, knowing their works,
    he overturns them in the night, and they are crushed.
²⁶He strikes them for their wickedness
    in a place for all to see,
²⁷because they turned aside from following him
    and had no regard for any of his ways,
²⁸so that they caused the cry of the poor to come to him,
    and he heard the cry of the afflicted—
²⁹When he is quiet, who can condemn?
    When he hides his face, who can behold him,
    whether it be a nation or a man?—
³⁰that a godless man should not reign,
    that he should not ensnare the people.

³¹“For has anyone said to God,
    ‘I have borne punishment; I will not offend any more;
³²teach me what I do not see;
    if I have done iniquity, I will do it no more’?
³³Will he then make repayment to suit you,
    because you reject it?
For you must choose, and not I;
    therefore declare what you know.
³⁴Men of understanding will say to me,
    and the wise man who hears me will say:
³⁵‘Job speaks without knowledge;
    his words are without insight.’
³⁶Would that Job were tried to the end,
    because he answers like wicked men.
³⁷For he adds rebellion to his sin;
    he claps his hands among us
    and multiplies his words against God.” – Job 34:16-37 ESV

Elihu is unmerciful in his brutal assessment of Job’s condition, removing all doubt as to his guilt and any hope of getting a hearing before God. In Elihu’s far-from-humble opinion, Job is getting exactly what he deserves and has no right to blame God for his problems or to expect the Almighty to relent in the deliverance of justice. From Elihu’s perspective, God is only doing what comes naturally to Him.

“Could God govern if he hated justice?
Are you going to condemn the almighty judge?” – Job 34:17 NLT

God is a just and righteous deity who must punish all sin regardless of who commits it. He shows no partiality, treating all guilty individuals the same, whether they are rich or poor, well-connected or disadvantaged. Even the wealthy and well-to-do receive unbiased justice from the hand of God.

“He doesn’t care how great a person may be,
    and he pays no more attention to the rich than to the poor.
    He made them all.
In a moment they die.
    In the middle of the night they pass away;
    the mighty are removed without human hand.” – Job 34:19-20 NLT

While all of these statements offer an accurate assessment of God, they lack nuance and the benefit of contextual application. Elihu is speaking in theological generalities and drawing sweeping conclusions regarding Job’s life. He has no way of knowing what Job has done and has means of assessing the true condition of Job’s heart. Elihu has evaluated Job’s circumstances through the lens of his own theological rubric and confidently ascertained his friend’s guilt. But there was much that Elihu failed to understand about God and even more information he lacked about Job.

He was correct in saying that “God watches how people live; he sees everything they do” (Job 34:21 NLT), but Elihu didn’t possess that same 20-20 vision. He couldn’t see all, so Elihu was left to assume, conjecture, and speculate. He was far from all-knowing, but he had no problem coming across as a know-it-all. That’s why he could haughtily insist, “…listen to me if you are wise. Pay attention to what I say” (Job 34:16 NLT).

Elihu’s logic was simple.

God hates sin.
God punishes sinners.
Job was suffering, therefore,
Job was a sinner.

Once again, there is a degree of truth to Elihu’s logic. In fact, the apostle Paul would conquer that Job, like all human beings, is a sinner.

“…all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” – Romans 3:23 ESV

Solomon, the wisest man who ever lived, shared Paul’s conclusion.

Not a single person on earth is always good and never sins. – Ecclesiastes 7:20 NLT

But just because all people sin, it’s not fair to conclude that Job was suffering as a result of a sin or sins he had committed. His suffering could have been nothing more than the unfortunate outcome of living in a fallen world where disease, difficulties, and even death are common and unavoidable occurrences. Even Jesus warned His disciples about the inevitable reality of suffering.

“Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows.” – John 16:33 NLT

Jesus didn’t add the caveat: “When you sin.” He wasn’t warning about the judgment of God poured out as a result of willful disobedience. His words were merely a statement of fact that were followed up by a promise of hope.

“But take heart, because I have overcome the world.” – John 16:33 NLT

The presence of trials and sorrows is not a litmus test for the presence of sin. If that was the case, the apostle Paul should have been the poster boy for the judgment of God. But in defending his authority as an apostle of Jesus Christ, Paul virtually boasted about the many trials and tribulations he had suffered as a minister of the gospel.

“But whatever they dare to boast about—I’m talking like a fool again—I dare to boast about it, too. Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they descendants of Abraham? So am I. Are they servants of Christ? I know I sound like a madman, butI have served him far more! I have worked harder, been put in prison more often, been whipped times without number, and faced death again and again. Five different times the Jewish leaders gave me thirty-nine lashes. Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked. Once I spent a whole night and a day adrift at sea.” – 2 Corinthians 11:21-25 NLT

Paul goes on to describe himself as having endured sleepless nights, going without proper food and shelter, and hot having enough clothing to keep himself warm. Yet, none of this was an admission of guilt or proof of God’s punishment for some sin he had committed. It was actually meant to be evidence of his apostleship and calling by God. He saw God’s hands on his suffering but recognized it as divine enablement and part of his ongoing sanctification.

“I would rather boast about the things that show how weak I am.” – 2 Corinthians 11:30 NLT

In the very next chapter, Paul talks about a very specific trial he had been called to endure. He referred to it as “a thorn in my flesh, a messenger from Satan” (2 Corinthians 12:7 NLT). We are not told the nature of this trial, but Paul repeatedly prayed for God to remove it from his life.

“Three different times I begged the Lord to take it away.” – 2 Corinthians 12:8 NLT

But he came to recognize that it was actually a gift from God, to keep him from becoming proud and self-sufficient (2 Corinthians 12:7). And the presence of this thorn in the flesh actually produced a positive outcome in Paul’s life. Each time Paul asked God to remove it, God responded by saying, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness” (2 Corinthians 12:9 NLT). And this seemingly irresolvable trial became a means of spiritual transformation for Paul.

“So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me. That’s why I take pleasure in my weaknesses, and in the insults, hardships, persecutions, and troubles that I suffer for Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” – 2 Corinthians 12:9-10 NLT

Job was not there yet. He was not ready to embrace his difficulties with open arms or to boast about his many weaknesses. He wanted them removed. He desperately desired that his pain go away and his damaged reputation be restored. On top of that, he was ready for Elihu, Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar to catch the next bus out of Uz and leave him alone.

But Elihu was not going anywhere, and he had no interest in viewing Job’s plight as anything but hard evidence of unrepentant sin. Unwilling to buy Job’s excuses, Elihu declared, “Job speaks out of ignorance; his words lack insight “Job 34:35 NLT. Then he followed up that compassionless assessment with an ever harsher prediction of Job’s inevitable fall.

“Job, you deserve the maximum penalty
    for the wicked way you have talked.
For you have added rebellion to your sin;
    you show no respect,
    and you speak many angry words against God.” – Job 34:36-37 NLT

Too bad Job didn’t have a friend like Paul; someone who could have brought a much more balanced and optimistic perspective to the conversation. Paul would have built Job up, calling him to run the race to win (1 Corinthians 1:24), to press on (Philippians 3:12), and to endure suffering as a good soldier of Christ Jesus (2 Timothy 2:3).

But sadly, Elihu was too busy pouring salt in Job’s wounds to see that his words were doing more harm than good. Sometimes the best thing anyone can say is nothing at all. Sometimes, silence is the best policy or, if you have to speak, the only words that come out of your mouth are, “I don’t know.” But Elihu was too proud to plead ignorance and too in love with his own voice to stay silent. Much to Job’s detriment and dismay.

Peace, Power, and Promises

September 29, 2023 / kdmiller55 / Leave a comment

²⁰Now may the God of peace who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great shepherd of the sheep, by the blood of the eternal covenant, ²¹equip you with everything good that you may do his will, working in us that which is pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.

²²I appeal to you, brothers, bear with my word of exhortation, for I have written to you briefly. ²³You should know that our brother Timothy has been released, with whom I shall see you if he comes soon. ²⁴Greet all your leaders and all the saints. Those who come from Italy send you greetings. ²⁵Grace be with all of you. – Hebrews 13:20-25 ESV

It was Peter who wrote, “By his divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life. We have received all of this by coming to know him, the one who called us to himself by means of his marvelous glory and excellence” (2 Peter 1:3 NLT). And as he wraps up his letter the author of Hebrews echoes that same theme. As part of his benediction, he calls on the God of peace to equip his readers with “everything good” so that they may be able to do His will.

The Greek word translated “equip” in this passage is katartidzo and it means “to strengthen, perfect, complete, make one what he ought to be” (Greek Lexicon :: G2675 (KJV). Blue Letter Bible). It was also commonly used to refer to mending something that was damaged, such as setting a broken bone in order that it would heal properly.

Part of God’s ongoing work in our lives is to repair what sin has damaged. Our sanctification includes the process of healing us from the negative effects of sin. God has justified us, declaring us righteous in His eyes, but that is a positional or judicial status. It does not mean that we are sinless or morally righteous. It simply means that, because of our faith in Christ, God views us through the sacrificial blood of His Son, “the blood of the eternal covenant.” But as long as we live on this earth, God is constantly equipping and perfecting us, in order to make us increasingly more like His Son.

…those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son… – Romans 8:29 ESV

…the Lord—who is the Spirit—makes us more and more like him as we are changed into his glorious image. – 2 Corinthians 3;18 NLT

Peace. The author refers to God as the God of peace. He is the God of shalom, and His desire for us is wholeness, completeness, and a sense of oneness with Him. When sin entered the world, that shalom with God was shattered. But with the coming of Christ, God provided a means by which man’s peace with Him might be restored. Paul reminds us, “Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ” (Romans 5:1 ESV).

Writing to an audience made up primarily of Jewish Christians, the authorof Hebrews most likely had Jeremiah 29:11 in mind. It says, “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.”

The word translated “welfare” is actually the Hebrew word shalom. This statement from God was given to the people of Israel by the prophet Jeremiah at the beginning of their Babylonian exile. It was a reminder that God was not done. He had not completely given up on them. One day He was going to return them to the land of Canaan. But there is a yet-to-be-fulfilled aspect to this verse. God is still not done with the people of Israel. He will one day restore them to a right relationship with Himself. They will once again enjoy shalom – peace with God.

The Jewish believers to whom the letter of Hebrews was written were being reminded that they were already the beneficiaries of this promise. They had been restored to a right relationship with God through faith in Jesus Christ. But God was also working in them in such a way that they might be equipped to do His will. God is always working in His children “that which is pleasing in his sight.” Paul put it this way: “For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him” (Philippians 2:13 NLT).

Power. The very same power that raised Jesus back to life from the dead, is at work in us who have placed our faith in Him as our Savior. Revitalizing, resuscitating, rejuvenating, restorative, resurrection power is available to us and at work in us. We have the power of God available to us in the form of the Spirit of God who dwells within us. Our ongoing transformation does not depend upon our own efforts and willpower. It is the work of the indwelling presence and power of God. Truly, He has “given us everything we need for living a godly life.”

Promise. The author ends his letter by reminding his readers of the promises found in Jesus Christ. One of the most amazing statements in this passage that can easily be overlooked and under-appreciated is his reference to “our Lord Jesus, the great shepherd of the sheep.” In that simple phrase, the author reminds us that the sacrificed Lamb of God has become our Great Shepherd. He died for our sins but rose again so that we might have life more abundantly. He gave His life so that He might guide us into new life.

Jesus said of Himself, “I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep” (John 10:14-15 ESV). His death was not wasted. He didn’t die a martyr to a hopeless cause; He gave His life knowing that He would rise from the dead and provide the means by which all who believe in Him might enjoy eternal life.

“For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life that I may take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This charge I have received from my Father.” – John 10:17-18 ESV

Peter reminds us, “He personally carried our sins in his body on the cross so that we can be dead to sin and live for what is right. By his wounds you are healed. Once you were like sheep who wandered away. But now you have turned to your Shepherd, the Guardian of your souls” (1 Peter 2:24-25 NLT).

Our Great Shepherd found us wandering from the fold of God. He rescued us. He has healed us. And He has promised to guide and direct us as we make our way to the glorious future God has prepared for us. He sits at the right hand of the Father in heaven, and from His place at His Father’s side, He intercedes for us. He watches over us. And He has promised to return for us one day.

“Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.” – John 14:1-3 ESV

And when the Great Shepherd appears, you will receive a crown of never-ending glory and honor. – 1 Peter 5:4 NLT

It is for that day we are to live. It is for that hope we are to eagerly wait.

For we know that all creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. And we believers also groan, even though we have the Holy Spirit within us as a foretaste of future glory, for we long for our bodies to be released from sin and suffering. We, too, wait with eager hope for the day when God will give us our full rights as his adopted children, including the new bodies he has promised us. We were given this hope when we were saved. – Romans 8:22-24 NLT

And while we wait, we enjoy peace with God, the presence and power of God, the guidance of the Great Shepherd of God, and the hope of the eternal promise of God.

Obey. Submit. Pray.

September 28, 2023 / kdmiller55 / Leave a comment

¹⁷Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls, as those who will have to give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with groaning, for that would be of no advantage to you.

¹⁸Pray for us, for we are sure that we have a clear conscience, desiring to act honorably in all things. ¹⁹I urge you the more earnestly to do this in order that I may be restored to you the sooner. – Hebrews 13:17-19 ESV

In our culture, we tend to view leadership through a distorted lens. We aspire to leadership. We see it as something to be sought after and as kind of a reward for a job well done. Leaders are the successful ones, the over-achievers who have earned the right to be followed and to enjoy all the benefits that come with their title.

For many of us, leaders are not so much to be followed as envied. We covet their corner office and exorbitant salaries. We grow jealous of their prestige and power, and we dream of the day when we will get our moment in the spotlight. This mentality, while mostly visible in the secular arena, can even make its way into the church, the body of Christ. It can even lead to a sense of disrespect for leadership among God’s people. But this is nothing new.

Moses, the man whom God chose to deliver the people of Israel out of captivity in Egypt and lead them to the promised land, found himself constantly questioned and blamed for everything. His own brother and sister tried to stage a coup and force him to share his power and authority with them.

The prophets of God were all ignored, disliked, and treated like social outcasts – all because their message was not what the people wanted to hear.

Jesus Himself was a victim of leadership loathing. As long as He performed miracles, handed out free meals, and talked about a new kingdom, the people flocked to hear what He had to say. But as soon as He started talking about suffering, taking up your cross, and dying to self, the crowds quickly thinned out. When He entered into Jerusalem riding on a donkey, fresh off the heels of His raising of Lazarus from the dead, the people celebrated Him with great gusto. But when news of His arrest got out, His former cheerleaders disappeared from sight, including His twelve disciples.

The author of Hebrews knew that people can be fickle when it comes to leadership, even in the church. So he encouraged his readers to do three things: Obey, submit, and pray. He knew that the role of a leader was difficult and virtually impossible if those being led refused to follow. He also knew that reluctant or disgruntled followers could make the life of any leader miserable. Gossips, grumblers, and discontented followers can become like cancer, spreading discord and disunity throughout the body. So, he encouraged his readers to obey and submit.

The Greek word for obey is peithō and it means “to listen to, obey, yield to, comply with.” But it also carries the idea of trust and confidence. As believers, we are to place our trust and confidence in those whom God has placed in leadership over us. We are to see them as hand-picked by Him, and we are to submit to them. The Greek word he uses is hypeikō and it means “to yield to authority and admonition.” It includes the concept of non-resistance. When we submit to and obey the leadership God has placed over us, we are ultimately placing our faith in Him. We are displaying our belief that He knows what He is doing and is working through those He has placed in authority over us.

Finally, the author of Hebrews encourages us to pray for those who lead us. It is easy to complain about leadership. We won’t always agree with what they are doing or where they are leading us. But rather than question our leaders, we should pray for them. Theirs is not an easy job, and we must never lose sight of the fact that they will one day answer to God for how they have led. Leaders in the church answer to a higher authority – God Himself. They will have to give an account of how they have cared for the flock of God.

It was Peter who warned the elders of the local church to “care for the flock that God has entrusted to you. Watch over it willingly, not grudgingly – not for what you will get out of it, but because you are eager to serve God” (1 Peter 5:2 NLT). Paul told the elders of the church in Ephesus, “Pay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to care for the church of God, which he obtained with his own blood” (Acts 20:28 ESV).

Leading the church of God is not easy. Shepherding the flock of God is a big responsibility. Do some godly leaders do their job in a less-than-godly way? Certainly. Do all pastors, teachers, elders, and deacons always lead in the way that God would have them? Sadly, the answer is no.

Moses was far from perfect. David had his flaws and failings. Solomon was wise, but not always the brightest bulb in the box when it came to leadership. But God had placed each of them where they were. Praying for our leaders is the best way to ensure that they become godly leaders. Obeying and submitting to them as having been placed over us by God is an expression of our faith in His sovereignty. But we must never forget that godly followers are essential to the success of any godly leader.

Stay the Course

September 27, 2023 / kdmiller55 / Leave a comment

⁷Remember your leaders, those who spoke to you the word of God. Consider the outcome of their way of life, and imitate their faith. ⁸Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. ⁹Do not be led away by diverse and strange teachings, for it is good for the heart to be strengthened by grace, not by foods, which have not benefited those devoted to them. ¹⁰We have an altar from which those who serve the tent have no right to eat. ¹¹For the bodies of those animals whose blood is brought into the holy places by the high priest as a sacrifice for sin are burned outside the camp. ¹²So Jesus also suffered outside the gate in order to sanctify the people through his own blood. ¹³Therefore let us go to him outside the camp and bear the reproach he endured. ¹⁴For here we have no lasting city, but we seek the city that is to come. ¹⁵Through him then let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that acknowledge his name. ¹⁶Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God. – Hebrews 13:7-16 ESV

Consistency. Constancy. Steadfastness. A determination to stay the course, unwavering and undeterred from the goal. That is the key characteristic the author of Hebrews encourages us to look for in the lives of those we follow, whose lifestyle and faith we emulate.

Living the Christian life is difficult, and God never intended for us to do it alone. He has placed others within the context of our lives to act as role models and companions along our faith journey. Within the body of Christ, there will always be leaders, both men and women who act as guides along the way, providing us with invaluable insights into the Word of God and the way of faith.

But the author warns us to “consider the outcome of their way of life.” Was theirs a life well-lived? Did they finish strong? Was their character consistent with their teaching? Did they practice what they preached? Or were they all over the map spiritually? Was their faith consistent and their walk steady? Or were they “tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes” (Ephesians 4:14 ESV)?

Our spiritual leaders should model consistency and steadfastness for us. They are to be like Christ, who is the same yesterday and today and forever. That does not mean our spiritual mentors, pastors, and teachers should live perfectly consistent lives, but it is an encouragement to seek out those who have lived long enough for their confession to show up in their character and their creed to be translated into conduct. What they say they believe has had time to manifest itself in who they have become.

The author warns his readers, “So do not be attracted by strange, new ideas. Your strength comes from God’s grace, not from rules about food, which don’t help those who follow them” (Hebrews 13:9 NLT). Mankind’s obsession with novelty is nothing new. We love new ideas, new fashions, new trends, and even new teaching. We are naturally drawn to anything that sounds innovative or provides never-before-seen insights into living the Christian life. The early church, just like the church today, was constantly being bombarded with new and improved teachings about everything from Jesus’ identity to how to grow in godliness. That’s why the author mentioned devotion to different kinds of food. There was evidently a teaching influencing the local church that encouraged abstinence from certain foods as a requirement for true spirituality.

Paul had had to deal with this very same thing.

Therefore let no one pass judgment on you in questions of food and drink, or with regard to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath. – Colossians 2:16 ESV

He warned Timothy:

Now the Spirit expressly says that in later times some will depart from the faith by devoting themselves to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons, through the insincerity of liars whose consciences are seared, who forbid marriage and require abstinence from foods that God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth. – 1 Timothy 4:1-3 ESV

There will always be those who claim to have new insights into God’s Word. They will boast of having received new revelations from God and will teach a new-and-improved version of the truth of God. But we must always judge their claims by their character. We must learn to compare their teaching with that of Christ and His apostles. Anyone who brings in “new” teaching that adds to or distracts from the grace of God or the finished work of Jesus Christ on the cross is to be avoided at all costs.

That is the point the author is trying to make with his somewhat cryptic statement: “We have an altar from which those who serve the tent have no right to eat. For the bodies of those animals whose blood is brought into the holy places by the high priest as a sacrifice for sin are burned outside the camp” (Hebrews 13:10-11 ESV). His Hebrew readers would have easily understood his point. Under the old covenant, the priests were allowed to eat part of the sacrifice that was made; it was how God provided for them. But any animal whose blood was sprinkled on the mercy seat within the Holy of Holies was not allowed to be eaten. Instead, it was to be burned outside the camp. His point was that Jesus was sacrificed “outside the gate in order to sanctify the people through his own blood” (Hebrews 13:12 ESV).

Only those who live according to the new covenant in His blood are allowed to benefit from His body and blood. Those who want to live under the old covenant of law and legalism are not partakers in the new covenant.

Our faith is to be in Christ and Him alone. Anyone who adds to that formula is to be avoided, no matter how novel, new, and exciting their teaching may sound. We are to remain consistently faithful to the teachings of Jesus and those of His apostles. We are to live with our eyes on the future, “for here we have no lasting city, but we seek the city that is to come” (Hebrews 13:14 ESV).

The gospel is more than 2,000 years old. It needs no improvement. It requires no new insights or innovative teachings to explain it. Through our relationship with Christ, “let us offer through Jesus a continual sacrifice of praise to God, proclaiming our allegiance to his name” and let us never forget “to do good and to share with those in need” (Hebrews 13:15-16 NLT).

New isn’t always improved. And when it comes to the Christian faith, novelty isn’t the best policy. Innovation doesn’t produce sanctification but consistency, constancy, and steadfastness do. They are essential ingredients in our pursuit of Christlikeness.

Walk the Talk

September 26, 2023 / kdmiller55 / Leave a comment

¹Let brotherly love continue. ²Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares. ³Remember those who are in prison, as though in prison with them, and those who are mistreated, since you also are in the body. ⁴Let marriage be held in honor among all, and let the marriage bed be undefiled, for God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterous. ⁵Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” ⁶So we can confidently say,

“The Lord is my helper;
I will not fear;
what can man do to me?” – Hebrews 13:1-6 ESV

The author ended chapter 12 with an exhortation to “be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken” and to “offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire” (Hebrews 12:28-29 ESV). The same God who shook the landscape surrounding Mount Sinai and rattled the knees of the Israelites with His divine presence is our God and He has prepared a kingdom for us. So what should be our response? Proper worship, reverence, and awe. And to make it even more practical, in the closing chapter of his letter, the author illustrates what those things look like in everyday life.

Sometimes we’re tempted to make our worship of God an external show for others to see. We confuse worship of God with the intensity of our singing, the verbosity of our prayers, the selflessness of our service, or the generosity of our giving. But sometimes our love for God is best measured by our love for others. Worship of God that does not include love for others is hypocritical and insincere.

So, the author moves from grand descriptions of God as a consuming fire to a plea for brotherly love. “Let brotherly love continue” (Hebrews 13:1 ESV). Love for one another is an indispensable and non-negotiable requirement for anyone who claims to be a lover and worshiper of God.

At one point in His earthly ministry, Jesus was confronted by the Pharisees, who posed to Him what they believed to be a trick question. One of them, a lawyer, asked Him, “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?” (Matthew 22:36 ESV). His intent was to entrap Jesus. The question he posed was one that the Scribes and Pharisees debated regularly. They had numbered the laws of God and had come up with the staggering sum of 613, which they categorized into two groups, with 248 deemed positive and 365 designated as negative. Then they divided them all into two categories, the “heavy” or more important ones, and the “light” or the less important ones.

In the question they posed to Jesus, they were asking Him to give His opinion as to which of all the laws was the “heaviest.” And Jesus didn’t hesitate in giving His answer.

“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.” – Matthew 22:37-38 ESV

Love God AND love others. According to Jesus, those two commands encapsulate the entirety of the rest of the law.

So, it is no wonder that the author of Hebrews told his readers, “Let brotherly love continue.” But he took it a step further. “Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers” (Hebrews 13:2 ESV). This recalls the parable of the good Samaritan that Jesus told in response to another inquiry from a Pharisee.

This man approached Jesus and asked, “Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” (Luke 10:25 ESV). In His inimitable way, Jesus responded with a question of His own, asking the man to tell Him what the law said. The Pharisee quickly replied, “You shall 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 your neighbor as yourself.”

What Jesus said next must have surprised the learned Pharisee. It was not what he was expecting.

“You have answered correctly; do this, and you will live.” – Luke 10:28 ESV

Unsatisfied with Jesus’ answer, the man asked for clarification. “And who is my neighbor?” (Luke 22:29 ESV). That’s when Jesus told the story of the good Samaritan. In it, He described what it truly means to show hospitality and kindness to someone who is a stranger and in need. It involves sacrifice. It requires giving up your rights and a commitment of your resources. The author of Hebrews echoes the sentiment of Jesus’ parable when writes, “Remember those who are in prison, as though in prison with them, and those who are mistreated, since you also are in the body” (Hebrews 13:3 ESV).

Our love for God is best expressed by our love for others. The apostle John encourages us to compare the love Christ expressed for us with the way in which we love others.

By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers. But if anyone has the world’s goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God’s love abide in him? Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth. – 1 John 3:16-18 ESV

Love should permeate all of our relationships, including that between a husband and wife. A couple that truly loves one another, as Christ loved them, will find no place for adultery or immorality in their marriage. They will always want what is best for one another.

Self-obsession or self-love is the greatest detriment to loving others. When we love ourselves too much, we are incapable of loving others. We end up pouring into our relationships in a selfish attempt to get something in return. We give to get, and those relationships quickly become self-serving rather than selfless.

It’s interesting that, in this context, the author warns against the love of money. “Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have” (Hebrews 13:5 ESV). The love of money is self-directed. We love money for what it can do for us. And yet, to properly love others, our money may need to be involved. We may be required to let go of our resources in order to best express our love. It was James who said, “If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, and one of you says to them, ‘Go in peace, be warmed and filled,’ without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that?” (James 2:15-16 ESV).

Talk is cheap. Words cannot fill someone’s stomach or make them warm.

The walk of faith is to be future-focused, recognizing that the ultimate promise of God is our glorification and final redemption. We are to live with the end in mind. But our faith walk is also to be God-dependent. We are to spend our days on this earth with a constant recognition that He is our provider and sustainer. That is why the author reminds us to be content because God has promised, “I will never leave you nor forsake you” (Hebrews 13:5 ESV).

But not only are we to be future-focused and God-dependent, we are to be other-oriented. We are to live our lives with an outward orientation that puts the needs of others ahead of our own. When we love others, we are loving God. When we lovingly sacrifice for others, it is an act of worship to God. When we give up what we have for the sake of others, we are letting God know that we are dependent upon Him. All that we have comes from Him and is to be used for His glory and the good of others. Our constant attitude is to be, “The Lord is my helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me?” (Hebrews 13:6 ESV).

An Unshakeable Future

September 25, 2023September 25, 2023 / kdmiller55 / Leave a comment

²⁵See that you do not refuse him who is speaking. For if they did not escape when they refused him who warned them on earth, much less will we escape if we reject him who warns from heaven. ²⁶At that time his voice shook the earth, but now he has promised, “Yet once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heavens.” ²⁷This phrase, “Yet once more,” indicates the removal of things that are shaken—that is, things that have been made—in order that the things that cannot be shaken may remain. ²⁸Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe, ²⁹for our God is a consuming fire. – Hebrews 12:25-29 ESV

It pays to listen to God. That should go without saying. Yet when God spoke to the Israelites from Mount Sinai, they trembled in fear but refused to obey what He had to say. They were scared out of their wits by all the booming thunder, lightning, and smoke, but that fear didn’t turn into faithful obedience to God’s commands.

The author tells us “the sound of a trumpet and a voice whose words made the hearers beg that no further messages be spoken to them” (Hebrews 12:19 ESV). They heard, but they felt like they had heard enough. Even Moses trembled in fear at the sight of God descending upon the top of Mount Sinai. And it was from the top of that mountain that God gave him the Ten Commandments and the Book of the Covenant. From that point forward, the righteous expectations of God would be clearly articulated and scrupulously regulated through the Law. Sin went from being a somewhat subjective, arbitrary thing to a highly objective, non-debatable trespass against a holy God.

The author of Hebrews warns his readers not to repeat the mistake of their ancestors.

See that you do not refuse him who is speaking. – Hebrews 12:25a ESV

God had come down from heaven and descended upon Mount Sinai. There He gave to Moses His list of commands. As God Almighty met with His servant on the mountaintop, His voice shook the heavens, and His physical glory could be seen from the valley below in the form of thunder, lightning, smoke, and fire. But while this spectacular sight petrified the Israelites, it failed to produce obedience.

…they did not escape when they refused him who warned them on earth… – Hebrews 12:25b ESV

While Moses had been up on the mountain receiving the Ten Commandments from God, the people were down in the valley worshiping and dancing before a false god they had made. As a result of their disobedience, Moses commanded the Levites, “Put your sword on your side each of you, and go to and fro from gate to gate throughout the camp, and each of you kill his brother and his companion and his neighbor.’ And the sons of Levi did according to the word of Moses. And that day about three thousand men of the people fell” (Exodus 32:27-28 ESV).

While God spared the majority of His rebellious people, the history of the Israelites reveals that they failed to learn the lesson from that fateful day. Throughout their generations, the people of Israel would be marked by disobedience and disloyalty to God. Their ancestors heard His voice from Mount Sinai and yet, they refused to listen and suffered the consequences. This pattern would repeat itself over the centuries, as the people of Israel continued to hear but not heed the word of God.

And so, the author of Hebrews warns his readers not to repeat the same mistake. The glory of God no longer resides on Mount Sinai. Instead, He speaks from His throneroom in heaven, where He is accompanied by His Son. Yet, despite the distance, His words ring loud and clear.

Quoting from the Old Testament book of Haggai, the author of Hebrews credits God with the words, “Yet once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heavens” (Hebrews 12:26 ESV). The actual quote from the prophecies of Haggai is “For thus says the Lord of hosts: Yet once more, in a little while, I will shake the heavens and the earth and the sea and the dry land” (Haggai 2:6 ESV).

When Haggai penned these words, the people of God had recently returned from exile in the land of Babylon and had completed the reconstruction of the temple. But the once-glorious temple of Solomon was just a shadow of its former glory. The city of Jerusalem was still being reconstructed and the nation was in a highly weakened state, with no king and no army to protect it. Yet, in the midst of that less-than-glorious setting, Haggai went on to deliver the following promise from God.

“And I will shake all nations, so that the treasures of all nations shall come in, and I will fill this house with glory, says the Lord of hosts. The silver is mine, and the gold is mine, declares the Lord of hosts. The latter glory of this house shall be greater than the former, says the Lord of hosts. And in this place I will give peace, declares the Lord of hosts.” – Haggai 2:7-9 ESV

That prophecy has yet to be fulfilled. But the author of Hebrews is reminding his readers that the day is coming when it will be.

God is going to one day shake the earth again. This time, it will involve “the removal of things that are shaken—that is, things that have been made—in order that the things that cannot be shaken may remain” (Hebrews 12:27 ESV). God is going to redeem what He has made. He will destroy the old created order, marred by sin, and replace it with something new and free from the effects of sin. The apostle John was given a vision of this future day and he recorded it in his Book of Revelation.

Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.” – Revelation 21:1-4 ESV

Centuries earlier, the prophet Isaiah recorded the words of God describing the same incredible end-times event:

“For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth, and the former things shall not be remembered or come into mind. But be glad and rejoice forever in that which I create; for behold, I create Jerusalem to be a joy, and her people to be a gladness. I will rejoice in Jerusalem and be glad in my people; no more shall be heard in it the sound of weeping and the cry of distress.” – Isaiah 65:17-19 ESV

The apostle Peter provided his readers with another glimpse of that coming day.

But do not overlook this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance. But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved, and the earth and the works that are done on it will be exposed. Since all these things are thus to be dissolved, what sort of people ought you to be in lives of holiness and godliness, waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be set on fire and dissolved, and the heavenly bodies will melt as they burn! But according to his promise we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells. – 2 Peter 3:8-13 ESV

So what should our response be to all of this? The author of Hebrews tells us.

Since we are receiving a Kingdom that is unshakable, let us be thankful and please God by worshiping him with holy fear and awe. For our God is a devouring fire. – Hebrews 12:28-29 NLT

We have much for which to be grateful. Our God is in control. He has a perfect plan, and He will one day complete that plan and restore things back to the way He made them before the fall. So, let us hear His words of promise and rest in His holy character, fully believing that we will receive a Kingdom that cannot be shaken. This future Kingdom is the same one for which Abraham longed.

For he was looking forward to the city that has foundations, whose designer and builder is God. – Hebrews 11:10 ESV

All those listed in the great “Hall of Faith” lived their lives on earth, waiting for “a better country, that is, a heavenly one” (Hebrews 11:16a ESV). The author of Hebrews goes on to say, “Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared for them a city” (Hebrews 11:16b ESV).

Unlike the Israelites who stood at the base of Mount Sinai and heard the voice of God, let us not “refuse him who is speaking” (Hebrews 12:25 ESV). Instead, let us “offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe” (Hebrews 12:28 ESV). By faith, we are to rest in the reality of the future Kingdom God has reserved for us because He is trustworthy and true, and He never fails to fulfill His promises. He has prepared for us a city and one day His Son will return and that promise will become reality.

The Journey from Merit to Mercy

September 24, 2023 / kdmiller55 / Leave a comment

¹⁸For you have not come to what may be touched, a blazing fire and darkness and gloom and a tempest ¹⁹and the sound of a trumpet and a voice whose words made the hearers beg that no further messages be spoken to them. ²⁰For they could not endure the order that was given, “If even a beast touches the mountain, it shall be stoned.” ²¹Indeed, so terrifying was the sight that Moses said, “I tremble with fear.” ²²But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to innumerable angels in festal gathering, ²³and to the assembly of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven, and to God, the judge of all, and to the spirits of the righteous made perfect, ²⁴and to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel. – Hebrews 12:18-24 ESV

The author of Hebrews compares the Christian life to that of a long and arduous journey. Because of his Hebrew audience, he most likely had in mind the more than 40-year journey the people of Israel took to get to the land promised by God to their forefather, Abraham.

That trek had ended up being an ultra-marathon, covering thousands of miles and four decades, and it required incredible endurance and a constant awareness that there truly was a goal in mind. They were headed somewhere. The seemingly endless journey had an actual destination. Even on those days when it all felt pointless and mind-numbingly repetitious, they had to keep walking and trusting that God knew what He was doing and that Moses knew where he was going. At times, they had their doubts and felt free to make them known.

In these verses, the author contrasts Mount Sinai with Mount Zion. The first mountain was from their past. It was the place, early on in the Exodus story, where God had met with Moses and given him the Ten Commandments and the Book of the Covenant. That fateful day, when Moses prepared to ascend Mount Sinai had been a terrifying and life-changing moment for the people of God.

On the morning of the third day there were thunders and lightnings and a thick cloud on the mountain and a very loud trumpet blast, so that all the people in the camp trembled. Then Moses brought the people out of the camp to meet God, and they took their stand at the foot of the mountain. Now Mount Sinai was wrapped in smoke because the Lord had descended on it in fire. The smoke of it went up like the smoke of a kiln, and the whole mountain trembled greatly. And as the sound of the trumpet grew louder and louder, Moses spoke, and God answered him in thunder. – Exodus 19:16-19 ESV

The physical manifestations that accompanied the presence of God on the pinnacle of the mountain had left the people in a state of fear and anxiety. The Exodus account goes on to say, “when all the people saw the thunder and the flashes of lightning and the sound of the trumpet and the mountain smoking, the people were afraid and trembled, and they stood far off and said to Moses, ‘You speak to us, and we will listen; but do not let God speak to us, lest we die’” (Exodus 20:18-19 ESV).

The dramatic pyrotechnic display they witnessed that day left them terrified. None of them missed the significance or symbolism of it all. Their God was powerful, holy, transcendent, and not to be trifled with. The dramatic display on the top of Mount Sinai was intended to reinforce in their minds the holiness of God. It was also a reminder of their own sinfulness. That fact would be reinforced by God’s giving of the Ten Commandments to Moses.

But as the book of Exodus recounts, the first time Moses returned from the top of the mountain with the tablets in his hands, he found the people worshiping the golden calf. Just days after the dramatic and frightening display of God’s presence on the mountain that had left them trembling in fear, they had determined to make their own god. Moses had been gone for 40 days and the people began to doubt that he would ever return. So, in his absence, they convinced Aaron, Moses’ older brother, to fashion a false god out of their trinkets of gold.

When the people saw how long it was taking Moses to come back down the mountain, they gathered around Aaron. “Come on,” they said, “make us some gods who can lead us. We don’t know what happened to this fellow Moses, who brought us here from the land of Egypt.” – Exodus 32:1 NLT

Angered by the actions of His rebellious people, God informed Moses of His intentions to destroy them.

“I have seen how stubborn and rebellious these people are. Now leave me alone so my fierce anger can blaze against them, and I will destroy them. Then I will make you, Moses, into a great nation.” – Exodus 32:9-10 NLT

But Moses interceded on behalf of the people, pleading with God to remember the covenant He had made with Abraham.

“Change your mind about this terrible disaster you have threatened against your people! Remember your servants Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. You bound yourself with an oath to them, saying, ‘I will make your descendants as numerous as the stars of heaven. And I will give them all of this land that I have promised to your descendants, and they will possess it forever.’” – Exodus 32:12-13 NLT

But their sinful actions produced painful consequences. That very day, God used the Levites to execute 3,000 individuals who had instigated the rebellion. So, from that day forward, the remaining Israelites would always view Mount Sinai as a symbol of God’s holiness and their own unrighteousness, and the Law God gave them would prove to be a constant reminder of their own sinfulness and incapacity to live obediently.

But for the believer, Mount Zion is a radically different mountain that represents an altogether different encounter with God. Mount Sinai was physical in nature and could be seen and touched, albeit on pain of death. Yet Mount Zion is a spiritual mountain. There is no smoke, fire, thunder, lightning, or ban against drawing near. Mount Zion is not only approachable, it is preferable. It is our final destination. It represents “the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem” (Hebrews 12:22 ESV).

During the reigns of David and Solomon, Jerusalem was a powerful city, the capital of the Jewish empire. It was in Jerusalem that Solomon built the temple. It was there that the people came each year on the Day of Atonement to make sacrifices to God. As the people journeyed from the surrounding areas up to Jerusalem, they would sing the Songs of Ascent found in the Psalms. One of them says, “Those who trust in the Lord are like Mount Zion, which cannot be moved, but abides forever. As the mountains surround Jerusalem, so the Lord surrounds his people, from this time forth and forevermore” (Psalm 125:1-2 ESV).

Jerusalem, the royal city, sat on the top of Mount Zion, where it represented the presence of God. It was there that God dwelt in the Holy of Holies of the temple. It was to Zion that the people walked in order to celebrate the various feasts and festivals. It was to Mount Zion they ascended to receive forgiveness of sin and to have their relationship with God restored.

For those who have placed their faith in Jesus, Mount Zion is the final destination on their spiritual journey. It represents the believer’s heavenly home – “the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem.” Christ-followers are on a journey to a place where they will encounter God, but rather than experiencing fear and trembling, they will enjoy peace, acceptance, joy, and freedom from sin and sorrow. There will be no condemnation. There will be no need for the law to remind us of God’s holy expectations. We will be holy.

There will be no conviction of sin or any need for the law to expose our sin anymore because we will be sinless. In a sense, the Christian life is a journey from one mountain to another. It is a long, sometimes difficult trip away from the mountain where man’s relationship with God was marked by law, rule-keeping, disobedience, fear, and failure. It is a daily walk toward another mountain where we will find complete forgiveness, the redemption of our bodies, and our final glorification.

Paul reminds us, “But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body” (Philippians 3:20-21 ESV).

We are on our way to Mount Zion. That is our final destination. It is our home. And while the journey there may seem long and at times difficult, we must keep our eye on the prize. We must never turn back to Mount Sinai, marked by rules and a constant reminder of our guilt and sin. Mount Zion is our home, where we will be with all those who have gone before us and enjoy unbroken fellowship with God and “Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant” (Hebrews 12:24 ESV).

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