Today’s Reading: Nehemiah 9; Nehemiah 10; Acts 2
Scripture: Nehemiah 10:31 "When the neighboring peoples bring merchandise or grain to sell on the Sabbath, we will not buy from them on the Sabbath or on any holy day. Every seventh year we will forgo working the land and will cancel all debts."
Observation: These Israelites are coming before God in repentance. They have dedicated themselves to renewing the covenant with God and walking in the way of the Lord. And here they commit to some parts of the covenant that have a true financial cost associated with them: to not do commerce on the Sabbath or other holy days and to observe the year of jubilee. These observances have an apparent cost. They will lose money (it seems) if they follow these rules. But these people know that the judgment of God came upon their forebears and them because such rules were not followed so they stand in the place of true repentance and swear to follow God's ways completely, no matter the cost.
Application: Repentance involves a cost. There is a sacrifice involved if a person truly repents. Today, many people think they can come to God on their own terms. They are sorely mistaken. We can only come to God on his terms. And in our unregenerate state, we are so far from God that significant repentance and change is always required.
Prayer: Lord, help me to stay away from a "gospel" of comfort. Your true Gospel always involves a cost and a sacrifice. Help me to always walk in repentance as I move toward you.
This I pray in Jesus’ name, Amen.
Saturday, October 13, 2007
Friday, October 12, 2007
Title: Have You Heard / Topic: The Word Of God
Today’s Reading: Nehemiah 7; Nehemiah 8; Acts 1
Scripture: Nehemiah 8:1-9
1 all the people assembled as one man in the square before the Water Gate. They told Ezra the scribe to bring out the Book of the Law of Moses, which the LORD had commanded for Israel.
2 So on the first day of the seventh month Ezra the priest brought the Law before the assembly, which was made up of men and women and all who were able to understand. 3 He read it aloud from daybreak till noon as he faced the square before the Water Gate in the presence of the men, women and others who could understand. And all the people listened attentively to the Book of the Law.
4 Ezra the scribe stood on a high wooden platform built for the occasion... 5 Ezra opened the book. All the people could see him because he was standing above them; and as he opened it, the people all stood up. 6 Ezra praised the LORD, the great God; and all the people lifted their hands and responded, "Amen! Amen!" Then they bowed down and worshiped the LORD with their faces to the ground.
7 The Levites... instructed the people in the Law while the people were standing there. 8 They read from the Book of the Law of God, making it clear and giving the meaning so that the people could understand what was being read.
9 Then Nehemiah the governor, Ezra the priest and scribe, and the Levites who were instructing the people said to them all, "This day is sacred to the LORD your God. Do not mourn or weep." For all the people had been weeping as they listened to the words of the Law...
Observation: What an amazing thing this is. The people of Israel are hungry for the word of God. They have not ever heard it because their forefathers neglected and disregarded the word. Now, after years of painful exile, the consequences of their forebears' turning away from God, they have gathered in Jerusalem for the sole purpose of hearing the word. What strikes me is the virtue and seriousness of their pursuit. All the people have gathered "as one man" it says -- they have real unity of purpose. As the word is read they stand up in reverence. At the end, as the Amen is pronounced, they lift their hands and responded, affirming the word with Amens of their own, and then "they bowed down and worshiped the LORD with their faces to the ground." The people had to be instructed, "'Do not mourn or weep.' For all the people had been weeping as they listened to the words of the Law..." This was a solemn and serious event to them. For the first time they were hearing the very words of their God.
Application: The first application is that it is every generations responsibility to teach God's word to the next generation. These people didn't know the word because their parent, grandparents, great grandparents, and so forth did not take this responsibility to heart. The word died out in Israel because of the neglect of the responsibility to pass it on. I think we are largely neglecting this responsibility today.
The second application is based on their seriousness and reverence for the word. They were truly committed to hearing from God and they demonstrated it with outward actions (standing, listening for several hours while standing, raising hands, bowing to the ground), words (saying "Amen", praising God), and emotion (anticipation of hearing the word, weeping as they heard it). I contrast these responses to how people respond to the word of God today: mostly with boredom or indifference. How wonderful it would be if the people of God today had some of this desire for, reverence regarding, and dedication to the word of God.
Prayer: Lord, help me to love your word. May I open myself to let it fully impact me as these people did. And may your people today take seriously the responsibility of passing the word along to the next generation. Show us how, give us the methods and the determination to accomplish this important responsibility.
This I pray in Jesus’ name, Amen.
Scripture: Nehemiah 8:1-9
1 all the people assembled as one man in the square before the Water Gate. They told Ezra the scribe to bring out the Book of the Law of Moses, which the LORD had commanded for Israel.
2 So on the first day of the seventh month Ezra the priest brought the Law before the assembly, which was made up of men and women and all who were able to understand. 3 He read it aloud from daybreak till noon as he faced the square before the Water Gate in the presence of the men, women and others who could understand. And all the people listened attentively to the Book of the Law.
4 Ezra the scribe stood on a high wooden platform built for the occasion... 5 Ezra opened the book. All the people could see him because he was standing above them; and as he opened it, the people all stood up. 6 Ezra praised the LORD, the great God; and all the people lifted their hands and responded, "Amen! Amen!" Then they bowed down and worshiped the LORD with their faces to the ground.
7 The Levites... instructed the people in the Law while the people were standing there. 8 They read from the Book of the Law of God, making it clear and giving the meaning so that the people could understand what was being read.
9 Then Nehemiah the governor, Ezra the priest and scribe, and the Levites who were instructing the people said to them all, "This day is sacred to the LORD your God. Do not mourn or weep." For all the people had been weeping as they listened to the words of the Law...
Observation: What an amazing thing this is. The people of Israel are hungry for the word of God. They have not ever heard it because their forefathers neglected and disregarded the word. Now, after years of painful exile, the consequences of their forebears' turning away from God, they have gathered in Jerusalem for the sole purpose of hearing the word. What strikes me is the virtue and seriousness of their pursuit. All the people have gathered "as one man" it says -- they have real unity of purpose. As the word is read they stand up in reverence. At the end, as the Amen is pronounced, they lift their hands and responded, affirming the word with Amens of their own, and then "they bowed down and worshiped the LORD with their faces to the ground." The people had to be instructed, "'Do not mourn or weep.' For all the people had been weeping as they listened to the words of the Law..." This was a solemn and serious event to them. For the first time they were hearing the very words of their God.
Application: The first application is that it is every generations responsibility to teach God's word to the next generation. These people didn't know the word because their parent, grandparents, great grandparents, and so forth did not take this responsibility to heart. The word died out in Israel because of the neglect of the responsibility to pass it on. I think we are largely neglecting this responsibility today.
The second application is based on their seriousness and reverence for the word. They were truly committed to hearing from God and they demonstrated it with outward actions (standing, listening for several hours while standing, raising hands, bowing to the ground), words (saying "Amen", praising God), and emotion (anticipation of hearing the word, weeping as they heard it). I contrast these responses to how people respond to the word of God today: mostly with boredom or indifference. How wonderful it would be if the people of God today had some of this desire for, reverence regarding, and dedication to the word of God.
Prayer: Lord, help me to love your word. May I open myself to let it fully impact me as these people did. And may your people today take seriously the responsibility of passing the word along to the next generation. Show us how, give us the methods and the determination to accomplish this important responsibility.
This I pray in Jesus’ name, Amen.
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