heb12 – PulpitPress

A Spectacle To The Unbelieving!

Ezekiel has been warning God’s people for 32 chapters. The results are dismal! No one has responded! There are no salvations and baptisms to report to headquarters. By today’s standards, pragmatism would have changed the method and the message at this point in search of results. But God comforts Ezekiel by reminding him that the results are not for him to manufacture. His job is to remain faithful to the message that God has given him. But if you warn the wicked to turn from his way, and he does not turn from his way, that person shall die in his iniquity, but you will have delivered your soul. (Ezekiel 33:9, ESV) Ezekiel finds comfort in obeying the Lord despite the results.

So, why has there been no repentance? God allows us and Ezekiel to peer into the hearts and private moments of the people. In Ezekiel 33:30-33, God reveals that the people talk about Ezekiel in their homes, whisper to one another about him, and even come and sit before him to hear what he has to say. But their actions are not sincere. They have no intention of following God’s Word. Their interest is purely self-serving. They find it entertaining, like a trip to the theater.

This situation reminds me of what the Apostle Paul said in 1 Corinthians 4:9, where he and the Apostles were made a spectacle to the world. In another place, the writer of Hebrews recalls how his audience was publicly ridiculed in Hebrews 10:33. Christians have a message for the world, and we are not to alter it for the sake of results. Even though the world may view our message as foolishness and us as ridiculous, we are to remain obedient and faithful, living out the Gospel of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. Just as Jesus endured the ridicule of sinners on the cross, in Him, we can find strength to be obedient in the face of such indifference and opposition. (Hebrews 12:1–3)

Thank you for joining me as I read and journal chronologically through the Bible! This devotional reflection comes from Ezekiel 32-34.

A Loving Father: The Fruit of God’s Chastening!

Does God love His chosen people? Reading through the prophets can be heavy. It can be hard to read about the chastisement God brings upon them for their sins. So, does God love His people?

The Chastening of God

In today’s reading, the thought that stands out to me is the picture of God chastening or correcting His people.

“Is not Israel still my son, my darling child?” says the Lord. “I often have to punish him, but I still love him. That’s why I long for him and surely will have mercy on him. (Jeremiah 31:20, NLT)

Does God love His people? Yes! That is why He chastens or corrects them. In love, He warned them; in love, He chastens them.

A Changed Heart

What is the fruit of this love?

I have heard Israel saying, ‘You disciplined me severely, like a calf that needs training for the yoke. Turn me again to you and restore me, for you alone are the Lord my God. (Jeremiah 31:18, NLT)

The fruit is a changed heart, a heart of repentance. This heart of repentance will have a profound effect on Israel. Notice the peaceableness of Israel after the chastening.

Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: “Once more they shall use these words in the land of Judah and in its cities, when I restore their fortunes: ” ‘The Lord bless you, O habitation of righteousness, O holy hill!’ And Judah and all its cities shall dwell there together, and the farmers and those who wander with their flocks. For I will satisfy the weary soul, and every languishing soul I will replenish.” (Jeremiah 31:23–25, ESV)

Peaceable Fruit in Our Lives

What a reminder that God loves His own, and evidence of this love and that we are His own is His chastening and correction.

For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth. If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not? But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons. (Hebrews 12:6–8, KJV)

What is the expected result of this love?

No discipline is enjoyable while it is happening—it’s painful! But afterward there will be a peaceful harvest of right living for those who are trained in this way. (Hebrews 12:11, NLT)

True Love

As believers, as God’s children, let us embrace the correction of our loving Father. He is seeking a harvest of right living, which yields peaceable fruit in our lives. He is showing us His love, which should cause us to love Him more!

Thank you for joining me as I read and journal chronologically through the Bible! This devotional reflection comes from Jeremiah 30-31.

The Suffering Servant: Jesus our Saviour!

Jesus Described In The Old Testament

Today’s reading contains the description of a Servant. Not just any servant, but the Servant. This Servant that Isaiah describes is the Servant-Messiah, affirmed in the New Testament as Jesus of Nazareth, the Son of God (Matthew 8:17, Mark 15:28, Luke 22:37, John 12:38, Acts 8:27-40, 1 Peter 2:21-24). In fact, Isaiah 53 is quoted or alluded to in the New Testament more times than any other Old Testament chapter.

The Suffering of Jesus

The heart of this prophecy is Isaiah 53:4-6. Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.

Yes, this Servant suffered for the guilty, though He was innocent. He took upon Himself our sins, our iniquities. He took our punishment for sin so we might have peace and healing. He kept the law perfectly and lived a sinless, spotless life that He, the perfect sacrifice, might reconcile us—bring us back to God! He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities. (Isaiah 53:11, KJV)

Endurance Through Jesus

What does this mean for us as believers? Among many things, let’s keep our eyes on Jesus! He’s the author and finisher of our faith. Let’s endure with patience the race before us. Let’s not grow weary in well-doing. Let’s consider Him who endured much to redeem us! (Heb 12:1-4)

Thank you for joining me as I read and journal chronologically through the Bible! This devotional reflection comes from Isaiah 49-53.

Tent pegs, oxgoads, and victory!

Today’s reading covers about two hundred-plus years of Israel’s history. During this time, God’s faithfulness and mercy are apparent! God is faithful to chasten Israel when they stray from Him into idolatry. God’s mercy is evident when Israel repents, rescuing them from their oppression by raising up a judge.

Then the LORD…gave them over to King Cushan-rishathaim of Aram-naharaim…But when the people of Israel cried out to the LORD for help, the LORD raised up a rescuer to save them… (Judges 3:8–9, NLT)

Once again the Israelites did evil…and the LORD gave King Eglon of Moab control over Israel because of their evil. But when the people of Israel cried out to the LORD for help, the LORD again raised up a rescuer to save them… (Judges 3:12 & 15, NLT)

So the LORD turned them over to King Jabin of Hazor, a Canaanite king…So on that day Israel saw God defeat Jabin, the Canaanite king. (Judges 4:2 & 23, NLT)

What stood out to me in the reading were the instruments God’s mercy blessed in overcoming the enemy once there was repentance. For example, Ehud used a homemade dagger to kill a king. Shamgar used an oxgoad (a wooden pole with a point on one end to “goad” the oxen when plowing; the other had a flat piece of iron to scrape mud off the plow). And a woman, Jael, used a hammer and a tent peg to kill the commander of an entire army! In other words, once Israel repented, God mercifully blessed some humble, ordinary means to either start or secure victory over the enemy! Wow!

This same God is just as faithful and merciful in our lives as believers! He lovingly corrects His children when they stray and is merciful to them when they repent. Victory over sin, empowered by repentance, is often far more humble, simple, practical, and far more frustrating to the enemy than we tend to think.

No discipline is enjoyable while it is happening—it’s painful! But afterward there will be a peaceful harvest of right living for those who are trained in this way. So take a new grip with your tired hands and strengthen your weak knees. Mark out a straight path for your feet so that those who are weak and lame will not fall but become strong. (Hebrews 12:11–13, NLT)

Believer, no sin has such a hold on us that repentance and a “tent peg” can’t overcome it! There is no enemy that God’s mercy and an oxgoad can’t defeat! No child belongs to God that He won’t faithfully correct so that there is the blessed harvest of right living! Therefore, rejoice that God loves us! He is faithful and merciful in correcting us. Through repentance and practicality, we can experience the blessing of right living in our lives for His glory and our good!

Loving God means keeping his commandments, and his commandments are not burdensome. For every child of God defeats this evil world, and we achieve this victory through our faith. And who can win this battle against the world? Only those who believe that Jesus is the Son of God. (1 John 5:3–5, NLT)

Thank you for joining with me as I read and journal chronologically through the Bible! This devotional reflection comes from Judges 3:1-5:31.

Still going strong!

Caleb! What a man! He is eighty-five years old and more alive today with faith, hope, and God’s promise than when he spied out the land as a younger man. Let’s hear a sound byte of him from forty-five years earlier.

Two of the men who had explored the land, Joshua son of Nun and Caleb son of Jephunneh…said to all the people of Israel, “The land we traveled through and explored is a wonderful land! And if the Lord is pleased with us, he will bring us safely into that land and give it to us. It is a rich land flowing with milk and honey. (Numbers 14:6–8, NLT)

Notice what Caleb says to Joshua in our reading today…

“Now, as you can see, the Lord has kept me alive and well as he promised for all these forty-five years since Moses made this promise—even while Israel wandered in the wilderness. Today I am eighty-five years old. I am as strong now as I was when Moses sent me on that journey, and I can still travel and fight as well as I could then. So give me the hill country that the Lord promised me. You will remember that as scouts we found the descendants of Anak living there in great, walled towns. But if the Lord is with me, I will drive them out of the land, just as the Lord said.” (Joshua 14:10–12, NLT)

Wow! This man’s life of faith has kept him from becoming cynical, grumpy, pessimistic, and tired! Think about it; He saw the promise but then had to endure Israel’s wandering, complaining, and tempting of God for forty-five years. That would get old! Forty-five years ago, he wanted to go after those giants of Anak. Still, today, he is less intimidated than he has ever been! He is still going strong; he wants victory! What a spirit! What a faith! What a hope!

Believers, there is enough wrong in the world around us to seal our spirit in a coffin, lower our faith six feet into the ground, and bury our hope beneath the sod! Just watch the news! Putting up with challenging situations can seem, and do, go long. Getting a taste of what the Lord will do but then having to patiently wait for it can make the heart sick. But all of this is only if we let it be so!

Is there a lot wrong in this world? Yes! But this world is not our home; we are strangers and pilgrims just passing through! Do we endure trials and tribulations? Yes! But they shall seem as but for a moment compared to the weight of our eternal glory coming! Waiting on the Lord does not have to make our hearts sick; it can renew our strength as it did for Caleb! How do we know these things? We know them by faith! Our faith is not a hope-so, guess-so, maybe-so, imaginative positive thought cycle! Notice what the Bible says…

Faith shows the reality of what we hope for; it is the evidence of things we cannot see. Through their faith, the people in days of old earned a good reputation. (Hebrews 11:1–2, NLT)

Caleb’s good reputation is still going strong! How did he and a great company of others do it (Hebrews 11)? The same way we can do it!

We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne. Think of all the hostility he endured from sinful people; then you won’t become weary and give up. (Hebrews 12:2–3, NLT)

Believers, are we still going strong?

Thank you for joining with me as I read and journal chronologically through the Bible! This devotional reflection comes from Joshua 12:1-15:63.