Annotated Annals

John 6:22–40

2026-03-07T00:00:00+00:00

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The crowd that received the miraculous meal stayed in the area, but they eventually realized that Jesus and His disciples had left. They probably knew that Jesus usually operated out of Capernaum when He was in Galilee, so they chartered the boats that arrived that morning to go across the sea to find Him. Once they do, they ask how and when He got there ahead of them, but He ignores the question and instead tells them they are seeking Him for the wrong reasons. They had come to Him in the first place because they saw the healings He had done throughout Judea and Galilee. They followed Him to Capernaum because He had fed them miraculously. He points out that it wasn’t the miracles that drew them, but the results of the miracles.
I think this distinction is subtle, but important. What is the purpose of a miracle? The answer is that John typically uses a different word to describe them: signs. While it is good that the sick became healthy and the hungry were nourished, the purpose was to point to something; to give a message. The message is, “God approves of what this man says and you should listen to him.” I find the conversation Jesus has with the people, therefore, deeply ironic.
They ask Jesus what they ought to do to serve God, and He answers very plainly, “Believe whom He has sent,” meaning Himself. So they ask Him what signs He has done. Really? Did they forget why they were following Him around this entire time? Clearly, more miracles would not actually convince them to believe what He was telling them if they hadn’t already. Jesus brings up the manna from heaven that God gave their ancestors, which also did not produce belief in them. Despite seeing it appear six times a week. Despite getting quail in the evening to satisfy their cravings for meat. Despite their clothes and shoes not wearing out for forty years. In spite of all those signs of God’s trustworthiness in His promise to care for them, they did not believe He would deliver the land He promised to them.
In the exact same way, these people didn’t really believe Jesus, though they had seen Him do amazing things. He tells them so in verse 36. However, He also explains that they cannot believe in Him without the Father working in them to do so. (v. 37) Additionally, whoever comes to believe in Him will not be cast away, but raised up to live forever with Him. Even in the midst of an unbelieving people, we see the promises of perseverance and intimate fellowship with God for the believer.

Help us to seek You for Yourself and not merely the blessings that come from knowing You.

John 6:16–21

2026-03-03T00:00:00+00:00

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It’s really funny to me that Jesus recognizes how the people feel about Him being the Messiah after giving them more food than they can eat, so He sends them away to pray by Himself and give them time to cool down, only to turn around and meet up with His disciples out on the sea without using a boat. Both of these were the kind of miracle that Elijah or Elisha might have done during their ministries, so while Jesus didn’t want the masses of people to hijack His ministry with their political ideas, He wasn’t afraid of the Twelve doing the same thing.
The detail that they had rowed for three or four miles before Jesus reached them is also interesting. The Sea of Galilee is a decent-sized lake, about 8 miles by 13 miles at furthest extents. Which means that depending on where the boat launched and which direction it went, Jesus may have met them right in the middle of the water.
I also wonder when they actually expected to meet back up with Jesus. Did they think He’d walk around the lake to meet them at Capernaum, perhaps? Or would He hire someone else’s boat to ferry Him across? John says they were “glad to take Him into the boat”. I can’t tell if that was just because they were frightened by seeing Him on the water, or the joy of being reunited with their teacher, or anything deeper.

We long for Your presence in the storms of life. Encourage us and spur us on in the calms as well.

John 6:1–15

2026-02-28T00:00:00+00:00

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The feeding of the five thousand is interesting because it appears in all four gospels. Take care to not confuse it with the feeding of the four thousand, which happens a bit later, but only recorded by Matthew and Mark. John makes it sound like the miracle happens as soon as the crowd catches up to Jesus, but the other accounts say there was a time of teaching beforehand. Considering the logistics of passing out food to thousands of people, I would not be too surprised to learn that both happened at once.
John is also the only writer to record the crowd’s reaction to being fed so well. “This is indeed the Prophet who has come into the world!” they said. (v. 14) They are referring to the “prophet like Moses” foretold in Deuteronomy 18:15–18</a>. In that this prophet would also be the foretold Messiah, they were correct, but they were going to try to make Him the Messiah they thought He should be right then. Even though Jesus will establish His kingdom over the earth eventually, that was not the correct day to do it. More work needed to be done in the hearts of the people so that all of God’s purposes could be fulfilled.

We thank you for Your provisions each day, and we look forward to Your promises being fulfilled.

John 5:30–47

2026-02-24T00:00:00+00:00

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Again, those of the unitarian persuasion will point to verse 30 to say, “You see? Jesus can’t do anything on his own, so how can he be God?” This conflates the different reasons someone would say what Jesus did, and only one of them applies, because He continues on. Jesus isn’t talking of inability because He lacks the power. This is a complete submission of His will to the Father’s will. The only things He lets himself do are those that the Father wants Him to do: a complete unification of purpose within the Godhead.
As He is on trial in the court of public opinion, Jesus lays out His case for His message and ministry. First, He recalls John’s testimony about Himself, and that the people believed John was telling them the words of God then as well. If only Jesus was saying things about Himself, there would be far less reason to believe Him. Jesus’s second “witness” is the number of miracles He had performed in public, both in Jerusalem and Galilee. God approves of what Jesus has been saying, so miraculous healings and other signs have occurred wherever Jesus goes.
Finally, the Scriptures themselves, God’s very Word to mankind, speak of Jesus and what He has come to do. However, while the Jews have been diligent students of the Torah and the prophets, they have not received the message because the Spirit has not revealed it to them. They are looking for God’s favor and eternal life, but miss finding it because their hearts are darkened by sin.

Reveal Your love to us so that we will not perish.

John 5:16–29

2026-02-21T00:00:00+00:00

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The Pharisees were upset that Jesus was contradicting their understanding of what it meant to rest on the Sabbath and keep it holy. Jesus maintained that He had authority over the Sabbath (here and elsewhere in the Gospels), which is as much a declaration of divinity as anything. Yet, Jesus doubles down and calls Himself the Son of God.
I watch apologetics videos often, and one argument I’ve seen skeptics bring against the divinity of Jesus is John 5:19. Particularly Muslims and Jehovah’s Witnesses will try to say that Jesus is dependant on the Father in the same way all created beings depend on Him. However, a careful reading does not show the Father giving the Son power to do anything. Instead, the Son sees what the Father is doing, and does it Himself. (v. 19) Of His own accord and power, the Son does the same things as the Father, in full approval, e.g.: raising the dead to life, judging the living and the dead.
In a sense, the Father has delegated authority to the Son, but in a complete and absolute way. The Father has raised from the dead, and the Son does too, but whomever He wills to. The Father does not judge, but leaves all the judging to the Son. The reason for this is that the Son will receive the same honor that the Father does. Created beings cannot receive the same honor as the Uncaused Cause, the Creator of heaven and earth. They simply can’t.
As if that weren’t enough, Jesus gives more reasons why the Son of God is also God. “For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son also to have life in himself.” (v. 26) This phrase “life in himself” is known by the fancy theological term aseity. Aseity is the concept of absolute independence, a complete lack of needs outside of oneself. We humans need food, water, shelter, and social interaction, but also gravity, the strong nuclear force, and logic. (I think Maslow’s hierarchy needs a few more layers at the bottom.) God doesn’t need these things to be God. He is. Just like the Father is, so the Son is. The Father is God, and the Son is God, and there is still only one God that is.
While agreeing with the Pharisees about the future resurrection from the dead (and disagreeing with the Sadducees who rejected it), Jesus clearly equates the titles “Son of God” and “Son of Man”. The Son of Man is the rider on the clouds (signal of divinity) who is given all rule, dominion, and authority from the Ancient of Days (the Everlasting Father) in Daniel 7:9–14</a>. I have seen some argue that these titles aren’t meant to be the same, but Jesus’s words show that doesn’t hold water.

Worthy are You to receive honor, glory, power, dominion, authority forever and ever.

John 5:1–15

2026-02-16T00:00:00+00:00

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The legend goes that an angel sometimes causes the water in the Pool of Bethesda to move about, and whoever is first into the pool when he does is healed. What’s difficult is that some manuscripts include John 5:4, which explains this, and others do not. So did John actually write it, making it inspired and free of error, or was it added later by those who knew the legend and wanted to explain why there were a bunch of disabled folks around the pool? Ultimately, we don’t know, but it also doesn’t matter for the purposes of this narrative. There’s no evidence that an angel couldn’t do this thing, or that God can’t ordain a standing, repeatable miracle. When things like this are so vanishingly rare that they might as well not exist, we should live in the expectation that we won’t experience anything like it, but also be open to God working in mysterious ways in our lives. Miraculous healings are documented in modern times, so we can ask for them even when it is usually the will of the Father to do otherwise. We trust in His goodness and sovereignty in all things.
The actual point of the story is Jesus’s authority to heal on the Sabbath. This time, Jesus doesn’t ask whether the lame man believes Jesus can heal him. He just tells the man to get up and take his bed with him.
This makes the Pharisees upset with the man when they see him. They understood that the Israelite kingdoms had been conquered and exiled because of a failure to keep God’s Law that was revealed to them through Moses. In error, they thought they could keep God’s love upon them by keeping the law as perfectly as possible. This caused them to put hedges and safeguards around what the law required so that there was no possiblity the law would be transgressed. The law said, “Do no work on the Sabbath”, so they took “work” to mean “don’t pick anything up”, or “don’t let your wife look in a mirror, or she’ll pluck out a gray hair.”
The man deferred to Jesus’s authority because He had healed him, which is a reasonable thing to do. He didn’t know who Jesus was at the time, but if God had given this man the power to heal him, then He should also be able to tell him to carry his bed on the Sabbath. Even more, Jesus later tells him to “sin no more”, which further expands on His authority. Whether or not this man was lame because of past sin is irrelevant to the certainty of God’s judgement and wrath on sin if he persisted in it.

Give us the grace to follow Your ways to the very end.

John 4:46–54

2026-02-14T00:00:00+00:00

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There are definitely times when I wish the narrative included more details than they do. In this case, I want to see how Jesus and the official behaved and reacted to each other during the conversation. We can imagine the official is showing concern for his son, hope in Jesus that He can make him better, and worry that it might already be too late to do anything. Jesus’s response to this is weirdly abrupt, one could almost say it was callous. It sounds like He tells the official, “You don’t really believe I can do this.” Was the official offended or taken aback? Again, we aren’t told.
What we get instead is a reiteration of the request to heal his son. On the one hand, this shows that he has a certain amount of faith in Jesus; that is, he hasn’t given up in spite of what Jesus said to him. On the other, it kind of sounds like he’s just ignored what Jesus said to him. This seems like a strange way to get someone to do what you request of them.
Jesus ends up giving this man what he wants, a healed son, but He does it in a way that proves the official really believes in Jesus. He tells him to go back home because his son will live. Jesus won’t go anywhere, the man has no assurance besides Jesus’s word, and it is likely that he won’t know whether Jesus is right or not for several hours. (I don’t know how long it takes to get to Cana from Capernaum, but we know they met in the early afternoon.)
John tells us that not only the official believed, but his whole household. This sounds like more than just the belief that Jesus healed the son, but like saving faith. It’s the same phrase Luke uses in Acts to talk about Cornelius’s household, and the Phillipian jailer’s as well. Considering that John’s Gospel has very little of Jesus’s teaching in it, so far, this could be missed or misunderstood. But Jesus was teaching about the kingdom of God in parables and calling for the people to repent of their sins, so the signs and wonders He performed were not separated from the message He brought to the people, even though the Gospel writers tend to talk about them separately.

Help our unbelief, so that we may trust You in all things at all times.

John 4:27–45

2026-02-10T00:00:00+00:00

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The disciples return right after Jesus tells the woman that He is the Messiah. This apparently prompts her to leave her water jar and go tell the town what she has heard. Be careful as you read that you don’t assume that “disciples” means “the Twelve” whenever you see it. John doesn’t tell us when all of the Twelve were called, and many more people were following Jesus at various points in His ministry. However many they were, they were confused as to why the Rabbi would be teaching a woman, and a Samaritan at that, but they keep their questions to themselves. At that time, giving women theological instruction was largely considered a waste of time. Even in a legal setting, the testimony of a woman was considered only half as good as a man’s. Counter to this prevailing notion, this woman was more effective at leading the community of Sychar to Jesus than all of His disciples at once.
As the disciples try to get Jesus to eat the food they brought, we learn that they are way more focused on His physical needs—real and a legitimate concern—than they are on the spiritual needs of the town they are in. Jesus tells them that the harvest of souls is ripe and ready to be brought in. Many are desperately longing for salvation, even if they don’t realize it. God has been at work in their hearts sowing the seeds of regeneration and they are ready to put their faith in Him if only someone would show them the way.
The townsfolk knew the woman’s past as well as she did, and the fact that Jesus knew it too when He had no reason to is enough to get them to listen to Him teach. They asked Him to stay overnight so they could continue to hear what He had to say, and many more believed in Him because of that. This response is contrasted with the Galileans He encounters at the end of this journey. They also welcome Him, but it is because of the signs He performed at the feast in Jerusalem, which they had seen Him do.

Prepare our hearts to receive You, and help us to see and do the works You have prepared for us.

John 4:1–26

2026-02-09T00:00:00+00:00

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Moreso than most stories, the cultural context of Samaritans in first-century Judea is important for understanding why Jesus and the woman from Sychar say what they say. Samaritans were descendants of the northern kingdom of Israel, conquered by the Assyrians in 721 b.c.. When the Assyrians were themselves conquered by the Babylonians, the Israelite kingdoms were reunited. At some point, however, a schism arose and the northern tribes built their own temple to the Lord and followed their own interpretations of the Law of Moses, rather than listening to scribes and Pharisees of Jerusalem. The animosity between these two groups was so bad by Jesus’s time that Jewish travelers would often avoid Samaria altogether and cross the Jordan River twice to get from Jerusalem to Galilee. Jesus defies this trend and goes straight through Samaria, but He gets tired in the middle of the day and stops to rest at Jacob’s well.
Cultural norms go almost completely out the window when the anonymous woman comes to the well. While drawing water was seen as the woman’s role, it is strange for her to be here in the heat of the day. Perhaps she is avoiding the other women of the town, who would normally be there around sunrise. It is strange that Jesus, a Jewish man, would speak to her at all, much less ask her for a drink. Samaritans were not as strict about ritual cleanliness as the Jews, so Jews would not use the same eating and drinking utensils as Samaritans as to maintain purity. (This makes me wonder what the disciples’ shopping trip in the town looked like.)
In His typical fashion, Jesus responds to her surprise with cryptic allusions that make sense in the context of the whole Gospel but which she takes literally. Eventually, though, He reveals His supernatural knowledge of her past and present circumstances, and she becomes convinced He is the Messiah. We must not be distracted from the truths Jesus teaches her, though. He tells her that the hour is coming that it will no longer matter where someone worships God because they will be worshipping in spirit and in truth. The Jews (are supposed to) know of the promised salvation that comes from their people, but it won’t matter what your background is as far as receiving that salvation is concerned. The Father seeks out those who would worship Him in spirit and truth.

Let us all worship You as You deserve, for You are exalted.

John 3:22–36

2026-01-09T00:00:00+00:00

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After the Passover, and presumably the Feast of Unleavened Bread, Jesus left Jerusalem and went out to make disciples of the people in the countryside nearby. Verse 22 says He was baptizing, but if we look ahead a little bit to John 4:2, we find that it was actually His disciples doing the baptizing and not Jesus Himself. Regardless of who physically performed the rite, the point is that more and more people were following Jesus to learn from Him. John’s disciples noticed this, as John was preaching and baptizing somewhat nearby.
I really want to know more details about the discussion mentioned in verse 25. Was this Jew one of the Pharisees disciples? (This seems most likely given that they were discussing ritual purification.) But if so, why was this the trigger for John’s disciples to come to him talking about everyone starting to follow Jesus?
Even though his own disciples don’t seem to understand, John knows precisely what he is about, and how his ministry is to relate to Jesus’s. John has an important role, but he’s not the main character, as it were. He points to the Messiah and prepares the people to receive Him, but once He shows up, John’s mission is basically complete and he can leave the spotlight.
Verses 31 to 36 may or may not be a continuation of the quote from John the Baptist. Different manuscripts end the quote at verse 30 or verse 36. Even though my Bible puts the quotation mark in the earlier position, I didn’t notice it and thought it made sense for John to continue speaking these words. However, the more I look at these words, I come to the conclusion that they sound more like John the Evangelist than John the Baptist. The themes and word choices are more similar to chapter 1 than anything we have recorded of John the Baptist. Either way, though, the words are inspired by the Holy Spirit, and we do well to pay attention to what they say even more than who said them.
Jesus is distinguished from every other man by His descent from heaven, whereas everyone else who has lived is from the earth. He is exalted over everyone because of this. God has sent Him, and He gives the Spirit of God freely to those who believe in Him.

May You ever increase while we decrease.

John 3:1–21

2026-01-07T00:00:00+00:00

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This discussion contains perhaps the most famous verse in the Bible, but reading it in its context brings a lot of nuance and depth that is lost otherwise. Nicodemus is a Greek name for a very Jewish man. He was a Pharisee and a member of the Sanhedrin, the ruling council of the Jews. At this point in Jesus’s ministry, the Pharisees were not set against Him, but also weren’t sure what to make of Him. The general consensus among them appears to be that He was a prophet because He was performing signs in Jerusalem, which He could not do if His message wasn’t from God. Perhaps Nicodemus was sent to find out more of what message Jesus was proclaiming. Perhaps he was just curious himself.
Nicodemus asserts that Jesus must have come from God, and Jesus answers that “unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” (v. 3) I learned today that “born again” in Greek is ambiguous, and can also be translated “born from above”. What’s especially interesting about this ambiguity is that both translations work in this context, and both meainings are probably intended at the same time. To see the kingdom of God, one must be born again from above, that is, spiritually. Nicodemus takes it only to mean “a second time”. (v. 4) I wonder if this double entendre works in Aramaic as well as Greek; if not, it may explain why Nicodemus needed Jesus to spell it out for him.
Because the Greek word for “wind” also means “spirit”, there is additional wordplay going on in verse 8. Just as the physical wind is invisible and uncontrollable, the Spirit moves in people invisibly and independently to bring about this spiritual rebirth. This happens whether they expect it or ask for it or not. Nicodemus is confused by this, but Jesus says he should have expected these things to be the case, as the Scriptures have taught it. Ezekiel speaks of the Lord giving people a new spirit, replacing their heart of stone with a heart of flesh. The Pslams and Proverbs speak of the sovereignty of God over the thoughts and actions of men, including to worship Him correctly. A baby doesn’t decide to be born; it just begins without conscious effort (modern medicine notwithstanding). So also, we are not born again because we decided to be but because the Spirit moved in us to regenerate us.
Therefore, those that believe in the Son are saved from the condemnation they had already earned by not believing in Him. We are given eternal life because we believe, but we don’t believe because we tried to. The description of “people [who] loved the darkness” in verse 19 does not imply any exceptions. God is the One who brings light to the people, and whether they come to it or not is up to Him. (v. 21)

Your love for us who hated Your light is radically magnificent.

John 2:13–25

2026-01-05T00:00:00+00:00

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We get the idea that Jesus’s ministry was about 3 years long from the Gospel of John. He records Jesus taking several trips to and from Jerusalem while the Synoptic Gospels only talk about the last one before His crucifixion. Similarly, all four accounts tell us that Jesus drove out the money changers and merchants from the temple court, but John records slightly different details. This should indicate that there were two different occasions where this happened. Only in John’s Gospel does Jesus make a whip of cords, the disciples remember Psalm 69:9</a>, or Jesus claim to be able to rebuild the temple in three days if it is destroyed.
While it is natural for us believers to expect Jesus to exercise authority over His own temple, absolutely no one present at the time saw it that way. So why didn’t anyone try to stop Him from making a huge mess or whipping the sacrificial animals so that they would run away? “And he poured out the coins of the money changers” (v. 15) gives me anxiety just thinking about it. I would expect this kind of violence against the status quo to cause the instigator to be arrested. Instead, we get a weak protest: “What sign do you show us for doing these things?” (v. 18) This tells us that the Jews 1) knew on some level that God did not approve of how they had been using the temple court, and 2) that Jesus was claiming to speak for God about it.
Jesus’s answer is characteristically ambiguous and easily misunderstood. He says He will raise up “this temple” three days after it is destroyed, but everyone at the time thought He was talking about Herod’s temple, which was actually still being worked on. Often we will see Jesus making a statement that is confusing to people until He or the Holy Spirit explains it to those who believe in Him. Even still, Jesus was performing other signs (miracles) in Jerusalem at this time, likely healing people, because “many believed in His name”. (v. 23) This belief was only superficial, though, because Jesus “did not entrust Himself to them”. (v. 24) They were believing in Him, but not completely or correctly. If they thought He was the Messiah, they would have wanted Him to take political power and drive out the Romans the way He did the money changers. If they thought He was a prophet, they were more concerned about the signs than the message that the signs validated.

Help us understand all that You have spoken in Your Word, that we may believe in You and trust Your promises.

John 2:1–12

2026-01-03T00:00:00+00:00

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“On the third day” may continue the progression that had been building in chapter one. (“The next day” repeated in John 1:35</a> and 1:43</a>.) It may also be that it refers to the third day Jesus spent in Galilee after arriving there, which seems more likely as it could have taken a week for travellers to go from the Jerusalem area to Galilee on foot. In any case, that day was the day of a wedding in the town of Cana. It suddenly occurs to me that the words are “the mother of Jesus was there”, but “Jesus also was invited”. That almost implies that Mary wasn’t invited to the wedding herself, but attended in some official capacity. Almost, considering the “also” in v. 2.
At the wedding feast, Mary finds out that there were not sufficient preparations for the number of guests. The wine had run out, but the feast was not close to being done. She makes this observation to Jesus, but from His response it’s clear that she was making a subtle request. (Jesus addresses His mother as “Woman”, but at the time it was as polite as calling her “Ma’am”. It amuses me that today addressing someone with “Hey, man” is normal, but “Hey, woman” is not.) By saying “My hour has not yet come,” He lets her know that He is the one who decides the timetable and methods of His ministry. Despite this, she tells the servants to do whatever He tells them.
It is hard to figure out what her motivations and expectations were here. Clearly, from the other Gospel accounts, she knew that He was the promised Messiah, but perhaps she was wondering when He was going to get on with it. That doesn’t explain what she wanted Him to do about the insufficiency of wine at a party, though.
The first miracle that Jesus performs publicly is to turn water into wine. Specifically, the transformed water comes out of large storage basins which held the water used to wash guests’ feet when they arrived, as well as other purification rites. That the wine is used for a wedding feast alludes to the wedding banquet of the Lamb when God’s plan of salvation comes to its ultimate fruition. (Cf. Isaiah 25:6–9</a> and Revelation 19:6–9</a>.)
While I have heard this passage preached on several times, I don’t think any of them paid much attention to verse 11. With this first sign, Jesus “manifested His glory”, the glory “we have seen” (John 1:14</a>). By performing this miracle, Jesus was revealing His deity to those who saw it, that is, His disciples. They believed in Him because of what they saw Him do here at this wedding, even more than when He called them. This is why He did the miracle the way He did. If the point was just to keep the party going, it could have been done more subtly. (“Go look in the basement again, maybe there’s more you missed”, or “There’s more wine in this barrel than expected. It just keeps coming out.”) Instead, the symbolism of the water of purification being turned into the wine of salvation shows everyone the point of Jesus’s ministry as the Messiah in the first century.

We look forward to the ultimate wedding feast, when we celebrate Your eternal victory over sin and death.

John 1:43–51

2025-12-26T00:00:00+00:00

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While it is certainly true that the Lord was sovereign over the way the disciples were called, the way it was portrayed to us feels rather haphazard to me. Maybe I just want more details, but it seems like Jesus’s thought process was something like, “OK, time to Galilee, but first, where’s Phillip? Ah there he is, and he’ll get Nathaniel to come too.” I just find it strange that we know so little about the apostles, particularly before Jesus called them. Maybe once we get to talk to them in heaven we’ll find out what these days were like.
Phillip goes to get Nathaniel because he is convinced that Jesus is the long-awaited Messiah. I suspect it’s because he had been talking with Andrew, who was from the same town so they probably knew each other. Nathaniel is skeptical at first because he doesn’t expect the Messiah to be from Nazareth. Nazareth was a back-water town that is never connected to the Messiah (or even mentioned at all) in the Old Testament. Nevertheless, Nathaniel goes to see who this Jesus person is.
As Nathaniel approaches, Jesus makes a mysterious proclamation. The reason for it appears to contrast Nathaniel with the original Israel, i.e. Jacob, because both of them have seen angels ascending and descending. (v. 51) Jacob was known as a conniver and deceiver, though God used him to found the nation named after him, and he was shown the dream of angels going up and down from heaven at Bethel. Jesus declares that there is no deceit in Nathaniel, though Nathaniel’s reaction is kind of odd. “How do you know I’m not deceitful?” is a weird sentiment. Or maybe it’s really just that Nathaniel really does have a reputation for always telling the truth, but he wonders how Jesus knows. Jesus’s answer is that he saw Nathaniel sitting under a fig tree before Phillip brought him over. Clearly this was the case, but it’s also a weird thing to give as proof. Fig trees were common in the area, and I don’t expect it to be that unusual for someone to sit under one. Remember, though, that Nathaniel wasn’t trying to be skeptical. He already had Phillip’s testimony that Jesus was the Messiah, and he wanted to believe this too. This validation was the tiny nudge needed to convince him. It’s also funny to me that Jesus points out to him how little convincing he needed. (v. 50) In my opinion, this is further evidence that Jesus was truly God, applying just the right amount of “pressure” needed to set people on their proper course.

Help us to listen carefully to Your voice and pay attention to gentle guidance, so that You do not have to catch our attention more forcefully.

John 1:35–42

2025-12-16T00:00:00+00:00

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In the synoptic Gospels, Jesus goes out to the wilderness where He is tempted immediately after being baptized by John, and then He calls His first disciples upon His return. In John’s account, John declares Jesus is the Lamb of God, and the next day Jesus calls His first disciples. I have been wrestling with the timeline of these events, trying to see how they can be reconciled, and I realized I was drawing on extra-biblical material which was causing conflicts. In the “Jesus Storybook Bible”, which I have read to my children, John sees Jesus coming to be baptized, and declares “Behold the Lamb of God”. But that’s not how any of the Gospels say it happened. Only John’s Gospel records those words, but he doesn’t connect it to Jesus’s baptism. (That event isn’t in John’s account at all. We assume it is because it talks about John baptizing at the river, but it never says here that Jesus was baptized.) Instead, what makes more sense is that John says this once Jesus returns from the wilderness and since he says this to two of his disciples, they realize they should progress from following the messenger to following the Message.
One of these disciples is Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter. This is another difference in John’s account, because the other Gospels say Simon and Andrew were called while fishing. Again, even though the heading for this section is titled “Jesus Calls the First Disciples” in the ESV, that’s extra-biblical material and technically inaccurate. Jesus didn’t call anyone to follow Him in these verses. They decided to follow Him and He allowed it, but that’s not “calling”. Additionally, we imagine Jesus and His disciples travelling around Judea and Galilee in a static group of 13 men, but that’s not how it went either. Eventually, many more people were following Jesus besides the Twelve, and there would have been a lot of coming and going from that group. Even in verse 41, Andrew leaves Jesus to go find his brother, and we don’t actually know how long that took.
It’s also really funny to me that the first thing Jesus does upon meeting Andrew’s brother is to give him a nickname. I don’t know if Peter thought it was a col thing to be called at the time, though he certainly owned it later on because no one thinks of him as Simon any more.

Your Word is suffient for teaching and reproof, for all life and godliness.

John 1:24–34

2025-11-29T00:00:00+00:00

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When the Pharisees question John’s baptism, he responds with a cryptic answer. Though he is not the Christ, nor the Prophet, he baptizes people in water to symbolize their acceptance and dedication to a new life. It came out of the ritual washing that was prescribed for ritual cleanliness required for worship. John points out that he baptizes because of the One who was to come very soon.
That One arrives the very next day. John calls Jesus the “Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world”. (v. 29) This is an obvious reference to the sin offering in the Law of Moses, wherein the sin of the celebrant was transferred to the animal before it was slaughtered. This symbolized the payment of life-blood for the sin being paid not by the one who committed the act, but the innocent lamb. John also declares that he sees the Holy Spirit descend on Jesus, which is the sign that He is the Messiah, who will baptize the people with the Holy Spirit. He had been given a revelation from God that this was his purpose, to make the way straight by being the signpost towards Jesus so that all the people would know for sure He was the one they had been waiting for.
John’s assertion that he did not know the One to come is a bit curious when we read Luke’s account. Their mothers were relatives, and spent time together while both were pregnant with these very sons. One might assume that they had knowledge of each other while growing up.
Perhaps, but I believe the evidence points away from that conclusion. Mary had to travel to visit Elizabeth, which indicates their families weren’t in the same town. John’s parents were also advanced in years (Luke 1:7</a>) which may indicate they died while John was still young. There is a tradition that John was raised by the Essenes, an ascetic sect of Jews that lived out in the desert. (This is the group that preserved the famous Dead Sea Scrolls.) Jesus’s family moved to Bethlehem for a couple of years, and then to Egypt for possibly a few more before returning to Nazareth. It is entirely plausible that they were not in contact at all until the day Jesus came to be baptized.

You order our lives and make all things work out for Your good purposes.

John 1:19–23

2025-11-28T00:00:00+00:00

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I find it interesting that the Gospel of John talks a lot about John the Baptist in this first chapter, but doesn’t go into details about who he was or what he was preaching to the people. We get insights into his role in redemptive history, but not much else. Compare to the Synoptic Gospels, particularly Luke, where we get an idea of his message and why people thought he was a big deal. Instead, we get the reaction of the religious leaders first. They recognize that John is drawing crowds, preaching, and baptizing people. Perhaps they can even tell there is something like a spiritual revival happening, and they want to know more. Remember that all the Jews are expecting the Messiah to show up at any time. God hasn’t sent a prophet for 400 years, and the Romans are oppressing their country, so any indication that God is working in people’s lives would be welcome.
So, they ask John, “Who are you?” John knows what he is supposed to do, but actually gives a wrong answer to them. He denies being the Christ, or Messiah—correct. He denies being Elijah—literally correct, but metaphorically incorrect. He also denies being the Prophet, that is, the “prophet like Moses” who was to come. (Deut. 18:15</a>) We know that John is the “Elijah who is to come” because Jesus says to the crowd that he did in Matthew 11:14, even though he is not literally Elijah, nor a reincarnation of him or anything like that.
John instead says he is the messenger, or herald, of the Messiah. He quotes Isaiah as his commission to “make straight the way of the Lord”. Whenever dignitaries or officials travelled, they would send a forerunner ahead to the town or manor where they would be staying the night. This messenger would announce the impending arrival of the personage and make sure that everything was in order for them and their entourage to be comfortable and cared for. Even today, state visits are formal occasions, and a lot of planning and preparations are done to make sure everything goes correctly. This was John’s role: to prepare the hearts of those who would soon see the Messiah so that they would react appropriately. The Pharisee’s thought they were ready. They didn’t understand God’s true purpose in sending John or the Messiah.

Prepare our hearts to be Your temple, to be worthy of Your dwelling place.

John 1:14–18

2025-11-09T00:00:00+00:00

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With the identity of the Word well-established, John drops a bomb. “The Word became flesh and dwelt among us…” It was a common belief in the first century that spirit and flesh were diametrically opposed, representing good and evil, respectively. The Greek myths are rife with incidents of the gods disguising themselves as mortals and affecting people’s lives with their interactions, but for one of them to become a human, permanently, and still remain divine would have been a radical concept. For the Jewish mindset, accepting this idea would be even harder because God is shown to be so holy and transcendant in the Old Testament. And yet the Creator of the universe, the Almighty, laid aside His divine prerogatives and became one of His own creatures. Not only became one, but lived among them. “Dwelt” has the connotation of “pitched his tent”, which points to the temporary nature of the Word’s earthly location. It also recalls the tabernacle that God used when He dwelt with Israel as they wandered in the wilderness and established themselves in the Promised Land. God’s glory was visible to the people on the mountain, in the tabernacle, and in the temple. It was also visible when Jesus was transfigured and talked with Moses and Elijah, but it may be that John is talking about Jesus’s ministry or resurrection here.
John connects the glory of God to the grace believers receive from Jesus. The Son (i.e., the Word) has the same glory as the Father, being full of grace and truth, and from that fullness we receive grace upon grace. Like Paul in his letter to the Romans, John contrasts grace with the law given to Moses, though he only discusses grace in this passage. What grace does he refer to? The gift of seeing and knowing God through Jesus Christ. The Word who is God has been made visible, present, and relatable to the finite creatures He loves.

You reached down to us because we could never reach You in any manner or capacity.

John 1:6–13

2025-10-30T00:00:00+00:00

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Even though we are reading the Gospel according to John, and the first name we read in it is John, these are not the same man. The author is John, brother of James, sons of Zebedee, who were called to be disciples of Jesus. The evidence for this—ironically—is that he is very careful not to call himself by name, even when it would be natural to do so. Instead he refers to himself indirectly as “the disciple Jesus loved” or something else. This was common practice for biographical works in the first century, and accounts from the second century who knew John consistently ascribe his authorship to this work.
The John mentioned in verse 6 is John the Baptist, whose origin story is told in Luke 1</a>. He was appointed by God to prepare the way for the Messiah among the people of Israel. Though “the light”, the Word, had entered the world He created, His own chosen people did not know who He was. Even though John preached about His coming, most did not accept the message or the Person. Most, but not all. Though who did receive Him were given “the right to become children of God”. (v. 12) To keep anyone from boasting about this gift, John goes on to explain that this inheritance isn’t because of who you are related to (“not of blood”), nor what your body can do (“nor of the will of the flesh”), nor even what you or anyone else has decided (“nor of the will of man”). (v. 13) Instead, it is all because of the will of God. He alone has decided who are His children, and none may gainsay Him. None of us deserve it for any reason, except by His sovereign choice to make it so.

You bestow the greatest honor that can be given to us pitiful, wretched creatures. Make us worthy of it.

John 1:2–5

2025-10-28T00:00:00+00:00

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Having identified the Word as God, John continues his prologue by describing the Word’s role. He reiterates the eternality of the Word, and His distinction as a person, because he then tells us that the creation of everything was accomplished through the Word. Creation is a divine prerogative, and cannot be obtained by anything that was itself created. Yet, we see the multiple Persons united in the Godhead acting in concert to create the entirety of the universe.
The phrase “In him was life” (v. 4) is another proclamation of the Word’s deity. Created things have live in themselves because it was given to them, but God is alive simply because He is. He is the source of all life, and was not given it by another. Instead, His life is compared to the light that shines on men. Shining down on everyone as it is, the darkness cannot stop the light from accomplishing its purpose.

Author of life, shine on us and make us alive in You.

John 1:1

2025-10-27T00:00:00+00:00

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The Gospel of John wastes no time with introductions or purpose statments, but gets right to the heart of theology. Perhaps surprisingly, he links the Jewish religion with ancient Greek philosophy. The “Word”, or “Logos” (Λόγος) was what the philosophers settled on calling the fundamental underpinnings of existence. Some had thought it was fire or water, but later thinkers recognized that materials could not account for the immaterial things we experience. John brings this thinking around to the truth by equating the Logos with the eternal God. However, he also says “the Word was with God”, which implies a distinction between them. Still, the repeated echo of Genesis 1:1</a>, “in the beginning”, tells us that the Word is eternal, having existed from the very beginning.
Though the new Arians like Jehovah’s Witnesses will try to argue that John 1:1 should be translated with an indefinite article, saying “the Word was a god”, this argument tries to use a rule of Greek grammar while ignoring a more important one. The idea is that Greek doesn’t have a word for “a” or “an”. Either there’s a definite article, like “the”, or there isn’t. John 1:1 has “the” in “the Word was with [the] God”, but not in “the Word was God”. First century Greek also was only capital letters, so there isn’t the hint of the difference between “God” and “god” as in English. But first century Greek doesn’t rely on word order to indicate meaning the way it does in English. (“Dog bites man” is a very different headline from “Man bites dog”.) Instead, word order is used to indicate emphasis, and when the predicate of a sentence or phrase is put first, the definite article can be implied. This is what happens in John 1:1. (The Interlinear Bible</a> shows the word order in the original Greek.) The second occurrence of “God” is put at the beginning of the phrase, making it more obvious and more clear that John intends to say that the Word is the very same God that the Word was with.

Singular in essence, triple in personhood, You are the only God, without beginning or end. Show us how to love You as You have loved each Other.

2 Chronicles 36:15–23

2025-10-01T00:00:00+00:00

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In a lot of ways, the history of Israel, Judah, and all of humanity can be summed up in verses 15 and 16. The Lord has compassion on His people and on the land in which they dwell, so He sends word to them through the prophets. The people don’t want to hear it, so they mock and deride the message and the ones who brought it. For hundreds of years, this went on, so the Lord’s compassion was very great.
Eventually, though, the promises of the Lord came to pass and the people were driven out of the land of Judah. Jerusalem’s wall was torn down, the temple burned down, and all of its treasures were carried away. The people were forced to live in Babylon, and the emptied land was given rest from the abominations they were carrying out. Ever since the death of Abel, the Lord has described the land as being burdened and crying out because of the blood shed upon it. By neglecting the Lord’s commands, they were polluting their inheritance with their murderous, filthy practices.
So the Lord cleansed the land of them until they learned repentance. Then he was kind and gracious to His people and allowed them to return after seventy years. Much like the wandering in the wilderness, the older, disbelieving generation needed to be taken out of the way so that the next generation would believe in the Lord. There were still a few who saw both the old and new temples, but for the most part, those who returned were not the same as those who left.
When Cyrus the king of Persia allowed the people of Judah to return, it wasn’t for the purpose of rebuilding their kingdom or their capital, but to rebuild the temple of the Lord. I don’t know if this meant he believed in the Lord in a saving way, or if he was just trying to undo the policies of the Babylonians which the Persians had conquered. Whatever his motivation, the result was that the first thing the returned exiles did was to establish the proper worship of the Lord.

Establish true worship for You in our hearts.

2 Chronicles 36:1–14

2025-09-25T00:00:00+00:00

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After Josiah, three of the last four kings of Judah were his sons. The people set up Jehoahaz as the king after Josiah’s death, which tells us that Josiah really did not expect to die in the battle with the Egyptians. Furthermore, Jehoahaz was not the oldest son, as might be expected. I suspect they chose him because he was the one that would more closely follow his father’s faith in the Lord, but it’s hard to say. Jehoahaz was not given much time to prove himself, because Neco came back to Judah and deposed him three months later. Neco captured Jehoahaz and took him to Egypt.
In his place, the older brother Eliakim was set up as a vassal king, and his name was changed to Jehoiakim. Tribute was sent to the Egyptians, who desparately needed it after losing to the Babylonians at Carchemish. This arrangement lasted for eleven years, and during that time Jehoiakim did not follow the God of his father. Perhaps he was trying to appease his Egyptian overlords. Maybe he thought Yahweh had not done enough for his people before. We aren’t told his motivations, or even what evil deeds he did.
Nebuchadnezzar, now king of Babylon, brought his army south on his way to deal with Egypt further. Judah, being a vassal state of Egypt, became a target, and the Babylonians captured Jehoiakim and took him back to Babylon. Jehoiachin his son reigned after him, for only three months and ten days. The grandson of Josiah followed his father’s ways and did not seek the Lord. He, too, was taken to Babylon, along with more of the precious furnishings of the temple.
Zedekiah, son of Josiah, was made king as a vassal to the Babylonians. He was only a few years older than his nephew Jehoiachin. He reigned for eleven years, during the ministry of the prophet Jeremiah. Not only did he not listen to Jeremiah, but “all the officers of the priests and the people likewise were exceedingly unfaithful”. (v. 14) The curses of the covenant the people made with the Lord are just about ready to be placed upon them.

You are our hope that is more sure than kings, armies, and empires.

2 Chronicles 35:20–27

2025-09-11T00:00:00+00:00

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Despite all the good he did and the faithfulness he displayed, Josiah’s reign ends because he did not listen to the word of the Lord. This period of time is well-studied in history because it involves the rise and fall of world powers and great empires. The Babylonians have thrown off the rule of the Assyrians and are in the process of beating them back into irrelevancy. Neco, seeing an opportunity to make Egypt ascendant again, moves his armies north through Judah in order to fight the Babylonians at Carchemish. Josiah, for reasons unknown, send his army out to harass, delay, or stop Neco if they can.
Neco does something extraordinary in response. In the middle of trying to use diplomacy to get Josiah to let his army march north, he claims that it is God’s will that they do this, and Josiah is opposing God Himself by trying to stop the Egyptians. Neco was a foreign, pagan king. We would not expect him to care what the Lord’s will was, and one might say Neco is just trying to use an argument that would persuade a pious adversary. However, the Chronicler confirms that what Neco said was “from the mouth of God”. (v. 22) Neco knew, somehow, that it was God’s will for him to go fight the Babyonians at Carchemish. (He probably did not know that it was also God’s will for him to be completely defeated there.)
Josiah did not heed the warning and fought against Neco anyway. He took a deadly wound in the battle and died at Jerusalem where he was buried. All the people mourned for their king, including Jeremiah who made a lament for him. The book of Lamentations is mostly concerned with the fall of Jerusalem some twenty years later, but it may be that some parts of it were written earlier for this event.

Help us heed Your words so that we may obey You.

2 Chronicles 35:10–19

2025-09-04T00:00:00+00:00

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The Chronicler is careful to point out how closely the priests and Levites followed the regulations for the Passover from the Law of Moses. Each step of the process was followed, from the places the men stood, to the way the lambs were prepared for sacrifice, to the distribution of the meat to the people who brought the offerings. The blood was thrown against the altar and the fat parts were given to the Lord in fire. The skins were flayed and the meat was roasted. “As it is written in the Book of Moses” (v. 12), “according to the rule” (v. 13), “according to the command of David” (v. 15). Everything that was done had a process or was because instructions were followed.
We can also see how very strong the sense of community was, especially among the priests and Levites. They worked together to quickly prepare and offer the sacrifices of all the people who came to celebrate the Passover. The labor was organized so that the distribution of the offerings could be done swiftly and fairly. Additionally, the priests and Levites served each other after the lay people had been served. (v. 14) The singers and gatekeepers were also able to stay at their stations because the other Levites prepared the Passover for them as well.
In the conclusion to this section, we learn something very interesting. “No Passover like it had been kept in Israel since the days of Samuel the prophet.” (v. 18) The last Passover celebration we read about was in Chapter 30, during Hezekiah’s reign. Then, the Chronicler said it hadn’t been done like this since the reign of Solomon. Now, this Passover is unlike any since the time before all the kings of Israel and Judah. While there were certainly some kings of Judah who did not keep the Passover, this verse isn’t saying none of them did. Instead, this seems to refer to the number of people who gathered or the number of animals offered as sacrifices. This quantifiable number likely implies the intangible quality of the celebration and joy the people felt as they remembered the Lord’s protection, promises, and provisions throughout their history. This Passover was unique in its magnitude and it would have felt extra special to the faithful after Josiah’s reforms had been implemented.

Renew our awe and gratitude for You every day.

2 Chronicles 35:1–9

2025-08-23T00:00:00+00:00

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The last major accomplishment of King Josiah was the celebration of the Passover with all the people in the eighteenth year of his reign. (v. 19) Very likely this is in response to finding the Book of the Law in the temple. The chronology is a little confusing because Passover occurs in the first month of the year, which wouldn’t leave a lot of time for the book to be found also in the eighteenth year of Josiah’s reign. It wouldn’t, except the count of years of a king’s reign don’t necessarily line up with calendar years, just like birthdays. Your eighteenth year of life starts on your seventeenth birthday and ends on your eighteenth birthday, regardless of when during the year you were born.
When Josiah starts making preparations for the Passover, giving the orders to the Levites and priests to celebrate it, he gives an interesting command. “Put the holy ark in the house that Solomon the son of David, king of Israel built. You need not carry it on your shoulders.” (v. 3) Where had the ark been? Why wasn’t in the temple already? We can’t know for sure, but my guess is that it had been moved so that it wouldn’t be disturbed during the renovations and cleansing of the temple. It may even be possible, is they didn’t have the tabernacle still, that they didn’t want to set it down anywhere so they needed shifts of Levites to carry the ark for the entire time. That scenario seems unlikely, though.
Since the people hadn’t known to prepare for the Passover, Josiah and his officials give bulls and lambs from their own flocks and herds to make sure everyone who came to Jerusalem could celebrate as well. Not only them, but the chiefs of the Levites and the chief priests themselves gave offerings for the people. The generosity of the leaders shows how much they valued following the Lord, but not only for themselves but for everyone else too.

Ignite a passion in us to share Your righteousness with everyone around us.

2 Chronicles 34:22–33

2025-08-14T00:00:00+00:00

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To inquire of the Lord, Josiah’s men go to the prophetess Huldah. We are given surprising details about who Huldah is, but not nearly enough for my curiosity. Her grandfather-in-law was “keeper of the wardrobe” and she lived in the Second Quarter of Jerusalem. These are interesting things about her that we don’t usually see about the prophets, especially those who don’t have their own writings preserved for us. I also suspect this is how they knew to ask her what the Lord had said: “Keeper of the wardrobe” might be a position in the royal house, and if he heard that the king wanted to ask the Lord what to do, he could have said to them, “My grandson’s wife receives words from the Lord. She lives at such-and-such street in the Second Quarter.” Now I want to know how the rest of her life and ministry went. How often did the Lord tell her, “Say to my people”, and which people did she speak to? Did they listen?
What we do know, however, is that the king’s men and the high priest did find her, and she was able to tell them what the Lord was going to do. Josiah had grieved because he had heard the curses that would befall the people of Israel if they abandoned the Lord to go after idols, because he knew they certainly had done that. Huldah confirms that the disasters described in the curses would come eventually, but she offers some consolation as well. The Lord recognized Josiah’s contrite heart and heard his grief, so He will not fulfill the curse in Josiah’s lifetime.
When Josiah hears the word of the Lord from Huldah, he gathers together all of the elders of the people. He reads to them the same book that was read to him, and he calls them all to make a covenant anew with the Lord that they will keep His commandments as were written in the book. This may be an effort to continue to avert the disaster that is coming, but it is also the right response to hearing God’s word regardless. The Lord had also promised blessing on those who obeyed Him, and beyond that He has the authority to order His creation.

Increase our obedience and our love for You.

2 Chronicles 34:8–21

2025-08-12T00:00:00+00:00

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After the campaign to cleanse the land of the idols, Josiah recognizes that the temple of the Lord is in need of repair. He sends responsible, trustworthy men to gather the necessary funds and to bring it to the high priest so that he may oversee the work. It is curious that this project wasn’t started until the eighteenth year of Josiah’s reign, though. Perhaps Josiah’s attention was occupied with the removal of idolatry for ten years, and wanted to make sure the practices of his father were eradicated first. Maybe the money for the repair work took a long time to be gathered, as it would have to be from the contributions of the people. The people would have needed to turn from their idols and to the Lord to even consider giving resources for the repair of the temple, and it can take a long time for a whole populace to change. With the money in hand, the builders and repairmen get to work, and collect the materials they need to restore the temple. New stone and timber are brought in under the supervision of the Levites.
When I heard this story as a child, it was made to seem like the Book of the Law was found amid the mess and ruin of the temple as they were cleaning the place up. I don’t think that’s correct. Verse 14 says they found it “while they were bringing out the money that had been brought into the house of the Lord”. This sounds like it was found in the treasure room, possibly hidden underneath some gold or silver. We don’t know when it was put there, but it makes sense for it to be in the time when the temple was sealed shut during Ahaz’s reign, or (more likely?) when Manasseh set up idols in the temple. The Book of the Law, the Torah, was hidden away to protect it during a time of great apostasy. Manasseh’s reign was very long, and since his repentance came late in life, the knowledge of where the Book was hidden might not have gotten passed down from priest to priest, especially if Manasseh set up a different priesthood in the temple during this time.
When Hilkiah the high priest finds the Book, he gives it to the king’s secretary to read to the king. Upon hearing the Law, Josiah immediately recognizes that he and his people deserve the wrath of the Lord because they have not been keeping His laws for a long time. However he gives the right response of displaying grief through tearing his clothes and seeking to ask the Lord what needs to be done.

Do not let us forget Your Word, because they are the words of eternal life.

2 Chronicles 34:1–7

2025-07-31T00:00:00+00:00

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The boy-king Josiah was the last king of Judah who was faithful to the Lord. We call him a boy-king because he was only eight years old when he began to reign, but as boys are wont to do, he grew up. What’s interesting about this account of his reign is that the chronology of important events is preserved. We are told that Josiah “began to seek the God of David” in the eighth year of his reign, when he was sixteen. In the twelfth year, when he was twenty, he took down the idols, altars, and high places of idol worship throughout Judah.
Contrast this with 2 Kings 22–23</a>. That account starts with the book of the Law being found in the eighteenth year, and makes it sound like that was the catalyst for all of the reforms that Josiah made throughout the land. The notes in the Reformation Study Bible say this is because the emphasis in 2 Kings is geography, rather than timeline.
Considering that the temple of the Lord had been effectively shut down at least twice in Judah’s history, it is not too surprising that the Torah had been lost for a period of time. What is more surprising is Josiah’s love of the Lord without access to it. Possibly he remembered what his grandfather Manasseh taught him when he was very young. Certainly he would know what his father Amon was like before he was killed, and he had that negative example to learn from. However nothing really explains what his heart was like for the first eight years of his reign and why he seems to all of a sudden begin making religious reforms. Certainly it was the grace of the Lord working in him, but I’m still curious what means were used.

Knowledge of You will never completely disappear, no matter how wicked people become.

2 Chronicles 33:21–25

2025-07-25T00:00:00+00:00

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Manasseh’s son Amon might have the shortest account of all the kings in 2 Chronicles, but that may be because his reign was the shortest of all of Judah’s kings. The Chronicler also had nothing good to say about him, and with his purpose of encouraging the returning exiles to worship the Lord properly, there was no reason for dwelling on Amon’s reign.
Amon followed in his father’s idolatrous practices, but did not repent and humble himself before the Lord as his father had done. I am not certain, but I think this makes sense from what I can gather of the historical timeline. According to verse 1</a>, Manasseh was seventy-two when he died. Amon was only twenty-two when he became king, so his father was old even when he was born. The real question is when did Manasseh get captured and taken to Babylon, and how long was he there? My guess is after Amon was born, around 664 b.c., and not so long that there was a succession crisis. Babylon’s rebellion against Assyria occured in 652–648 b.c., so Manasseh probably came home around this time.
I’m speculating, but I imagine Manasseh was captured in Amon’s formative years, at the height of the idolatry he was pursuing. Amon is left in Jerusalem, still steeped in a pagan culture. Manasseh returns while Amon is a teenager, and suddenly (to Amon’s mind) upends all the religious practices he has known his whole life. Amon may even have thought he was about to take the throne, and now resents Manasseh returning and “taking” it away from him. (Who did rule Judah while Manasseh was away, anyway?)
Whatever the reasons and motivations, it is clear that Amon did not agree with Manasseh’s reforms upon his return. After Manasseh’s death, Amon set back up the altars and images for his gods and worshipped before them. Some of his servants decided to put a stop to this, or some other misdeed maybe, and conspired to kill their king. They were successful, but the people of Judah killed them in return, and they made Amon’s son Josiah the king after him.

Help us to teach others Your ways because they alone lead to life.

2 Chronicles 33:10–20

2025-07-23T00:00:00+00:00

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But Manasseh’s story is also one of hope. Manasseh did great evil before the Lord, leading the nation to all kinds of unrighteousness. The Lord spoke to the king and the people (Through prophets or visions? We don’t know), but they did not listen to Him. So the Lord raised up the Assyrian army again to attack Judah, and Manasseh was captured and taken to Babylon. At this time, Babylon was a vassal state of Assyria, though that situation would change in the next hundred years. While in captivity, Manasseh “humbled himself greatly” by entreating the Lord to do good to him again. He repented of his sins and trusted in the Lord to save him. Sound familiar?
We must keep in mind that our own sins are very great, just like Manasseh’s. Child sacrifice to the gods of wealth and self are rampant today. We chase after things and ideas that promise success and pleasure but do not satisfy as full as the One who made us. We think we are in charge of our own destiny, and no one can deny us our due.
The Lord conquered Manasseh’s heart when it seemed unassailable. He is gracious, willing and able to do the same to us and for us so that we will recognize His goodness and glory. Then we will be saved from our own foolishness that earned His holy wrath, covered by the blood of Jesus who paid our penalty.
Manasseh returned to Jerusalem to reign as its king again. I really wish I knew how that worked out. It lines up with the time that Babylon rebelled against Assyria, so releasing Assyria’s political prisoners from Babylon may have been a calculated move. Whatever the human motivations, it is clear that the Lord’s hand was in it because of the change in Manasseh’s heart towards Him. Manasseh built a new, tall wall around Jerusalem. He took down the idols and altars he had set up before he was captured. He reinstated worship of the Lord, alone, at the temple, and instructed the people to do likewise. They still gave offerings at the high places, which they should not have done, but it wasn’t to the host of heaven any more.

You are sovereign over kings and you turn our hearts to You.

2 Chronicles 33:1–9

2025-07-17T00:00:00+00:00

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The account of Manasseh is one of the greatest warnings to believers. His father Hezekiah was one of the most faithful kings of Judah, bringing about religious reform, trusting in the Lord’s defense against the powerful Assyrian army, and repenting of his pride. Even with that great example in his life, Manasseh did more evil during his reign than even the Canaanites that were driven out by Israel in the time of Joshua son of Nun. He rebuilt the high places his father took down. He worshiped the host of heaven, i.e. the stars of the sky as deities. He made altars to the Baals and poles for Asherah. He desecrated the temple of the Lord by setting up altars and idols there, within the courts and within the sanctuary. He sought omens and sorcery from mediums and necromancers. He offered his sons as a burnt offering to his gods. All these things he did personally, and led the people of Judah to do as well.
Manasseh’s life is a warning because it shows that being in a believing family does not save you. Just because you were raised right, that doesn’t make you righteous. (Though to be fair, we can’t actually know how Manasseh was raised.) Even if you trust the Lord with all your heart, that doesn’t mean your children will. Just as you must trust fully in the Lord to save you, you must also trust Him to save the people you love, because you can’t do it for Him.

You alone make us righteous before Your throne.

2 Chronicles 32:20–33

2025-07-03T00:00:00+00:00

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The Assyrians thought the Lord was just like any other regional god they had encountered before, but He displayed His power by wiping out the whole army that besieged Jerusalem. King Hezekiah and the prophet Isaiah led the people to rely upon the Lord for their protection, trusting in His promises. Without his main army to continue the campaign, Sennacherib returns home, where his own sons strike him down. In the ruins of Ninevah, the capital city of the Assyrian Empire, in modern-day Iraq, archaeologists have found Sennacherib’s palace. As was common practice, Sennacherib’s accomplishments were engraved in the walls and on monuments set up there. They include the names of several fortified cities of Judah, such as Lachish, but Jerusalem is conspicuously absent.
The news of this miraculous defeat spreads very quickly as the Assyrian Empire was a terrifying superpower up to this time. Other nations bring gifts in tribute to the Lord and to Hezekiah. We aren’t told specifically that this was the reason for Hezekiah’s pride, or that his deadly sickness was a consequence of some kind from the Lord. There is some evidence that the incident with the Babylonian envoys happened before the Assyrians attacked Judah. Regardless of the real order of events and the details therein, the point the Chronicler wishes his readers to take away is that Hezekiah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem were once proud, but they humbled themselves before the Lord. In response to this, the Lord bestowed blessings on the king and on the people. “Very great riches” (v. 27) were amassed, and many good deeds were done. Let us be humble before our God, and glorify Him through the blessings we receive.

Help us not to be proud, because all of our accomplishments come from Your hand too.

2 Chronicles 32:1–19

2025-06-27T00:00:00+00:00

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Hezekiah’s reign was not all sunshine and roses, of course. After Assyria conquered the northern kingdom of Israel, Sennacherib its king saw no reason to stop there. As the Assyrians start their campaign through northern Judah, Hezekiah has the people prepare for the siege that will eventually come to Jerusalem. Walls are repaired and built up, water sources outside the city are blocked, and weapons and shields are forged. Because Hezekiah has been faithful to the Lord, he encourages his people by reminding them of the promises the Lord had made to protect His people. The people’s faith in the Lord had been renewed by the reopening of the temple and the Passover celebrations in previous years, so they believed their king’s words.
While Sennacherib is still besieging Lachish in northern Judah, he sends envoys to Jerusalem for some psychological warfare. The envoy addresses the people defending the walls, saying that the Lord has abandoned them because of the policies of their king to remove all the altars and high places from the land, leaving only the one altar in the temple for sacrifice. In a pagan, polytheistic system, that kind of thinking makes sense. The gods of the people would want more and more honor and sacrifice from their worshippers, so it was normal to have shrines, altars, and idols all over the place dedicated to them. The envoy also presents the Assyrian gods’ credentials by reminding the people of Jerusalem of all the military victories they have provided by conquering the gods of other nations. Again, if limited, regional gods were a real thing, that would make sense. Verse 20 makes this explicit: “they spoke of the God of Jerusalem as they spoke of the gods of the peoples of the earth, which are the work of men’s hands.”
Because of the Assyrians’ worldview, they believed in Yahweh, but only as the “god” of Judah, not as the Almighty God of heaven and earth. It’s the same kind of respect afforded to heads of foreign nations, which won’t be very much when you’re at war with that nation. The lesson here is to remember if someone sees the world in a different way, they will say different things are true. Even when evidence goes against someone’s worldview, they are probably more apt to rationalize what they already believe rather than change their mind.

You are the ultimate source of all truth, and only You can reveal it to our sinful hearts.

2 Chronicles 31:1–21

2025-06-24T00:00:00+00:00

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Before the Passover, the people had cleansed Jerusalem of the altars and idols that people had set up in previous years. After the extended Passover feasts, the men of Israel and Judah who had attended went throughout the land to break apart the Asherah poles and altars. So great was their zeal for the Lord that they searched through every corner of the Promised Land until they destroyed them all. Considering that not all of the people from the northern kingdom came to worship the Lord at Passover, these iconoclasts probably met with some resistance. However it went down, the believers were successful in taking down the altars and idols, and they returned to their own towns, homes, and fields.
In the meantime, Hezekiah gets the priests organized and ready to offer service to the Lord on behalf of the people on a daily basis. They read from the Law of the Lord how the priestly duties are supposed to be divide up between the various families throughout the year so that no one gets burnt out and everyone gets a chance to serve. Additionally, the king commands the people to give the tithe so that the priests serving in the temple do not have to work any fields for their own food. The people respond so abundantly that the Levites and priests can’t actually use it all. The goods are piled up in heaps for several months, until Hezekiah orders them placed in the storage rooms of the temple. Azariah the chief priest correctly credits the Lord with blessing the people with the abundance.
The rest of the chapter is concerned with the details of the distribution of the tithe to the priestly cities throughout Judah, and the men in charge of this work. The families of the priests and Levites were counted so that none would be left out. Finally, we hear a good report of the priests, how they kept themselves holy and ready to offer service to the Lord, a far cry from what we had read of them previously.

You are the one who moves our hearts to generosity towards Your people, blessing us to be able to bless others.

2 Chronicles 30:13–27

2025-06-21T00:00:00+00:00

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Even though the hand of the Lord was on the people, not everything went smoothly at this Passover celebration. The people came from across the land and removed the altars to false gods (and possibly illegitimate altars to Yahweh) that were in Jerusalem. When it came time to slaughter the Passover lambs, we find that the priests and Levites “were ashamed, so that they consecrated themselves”. (v. 15) What had they been doing? They should have been consecrated the month prior when the temple was cleansed and rededicated. Now, a month is a long time, and if one reads Leviticus, there are a myriad of ways someone can become unclean and in need of consecration before worshipping the Lord. But why wouldn’t these priests and Levites take care of that as a matter of course, especially when they knew this great assembly was going to show up for the celebration? Daily sacrifices ought to have been made ever since the temple was reopened, so who was offering them if the priests and Levites weren’t fit for that duty? Clearly, there were great problems with Judah’s spiritual health at this time, and Hezekiah was attempting to address them.
Once the priests and Levites were consecrated, they were able to offer the sacrifices the people brought. Normally, the one who brought the offering would be the one to kill the animal after symbolically transferring their sins to it, but because many of the people were themselves unclean, the Levites stepped in to do it. The people still ate of the Passover meal, despite being unclean, because Hezekiah petitioned the Lord for a pardon. Many of them were from the northern kingdom, where worship of the Lord had not been practiced for quite a long time. They were unfamiliar with the details and minutiae of the ceremonial Law, but their hearts had been softened and they wished to worship the Lord regardless. This is our story too, even 2,500 years or so later. We are covered in iniquity, and have no right to approach the throne of the Almighty. But He grants to us a desire to be close to Him and He makes us clean through His grace. By His own will and actions, the Lord heals us just as he healed them. (v. 20)
The Passover marks the beginning of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, which goes on for seven days. The revival of the people continued unabated as they praised the Lord with song, sacrifices, and feasting. By the end of the seven days, the mood was so high that the people did not want it to end, so they extended the Feast for another week. Hezekiah brought in thousands of animals from his own flocks and herds to feed the people, and yet more priests consecrated themselves to keep up with all the sacrifices that were brought. Great joy filled Jerusalem because the people were right with their God once again.

It is good to worship You, O Lord, who grants us life, and breath, and godliness.

2 Chronicles 30:1–12

2025-06-16T00:00:00+00:00

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Normally, the Passover was to be celebrated in the first month of the Hebrew calendar. However, the temple was cleansed and restored in the first month of that year. When an Israelite was unclean or on a long journey and could not celebrate the Passover at the appointed time, he could instead take a lamb and eat the feast in the second month. Since the temple itself was unclean in the first month, they interpreted this exception to mean the whole nation could celebrate in the second month.
When Hezekiah sent out the proclamation to invite the people to attend the Passover, he sent it not only to Judah, but also to the now-conquered kingdom of Israel. The king admonishes all the people to turn back to following the God of their fathrers, to humble themselves before Him so that His “fierce anger may turn away”. (v. 8) The northern kingdom had been overrun by Assyria and most of the population had been carried off because of their generations of unfaithfulness to the Lord. Hezekiah recognized that Judah had been going the same way, if at a slower pace than their northern brethren. He hoped that that the repentance of the people would mean that the Lord would bless those who had been captured and allow them to be returned to their homeland.
Many of those who remained in the northern cities mocked and ridiculed the messengers who brought the king’s invitation, but a few “humbled themselves and came to Jerusalem”. (v. 11) In contrast, the whole of Judah was blessed by God to do what He had commanded, even though they had not been faithful to His covenant with them in previous years. It is because of the hand of the Lord upon us that we give up our pride to say that we wrong and that He is right, and to turn away from what we want to do so that we can follow His commands.

Grant to us repentance so that we may feast with You.

2 Chronicles 29:20–36

2025-06-15T00:00:00+00:00

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With the temple cleansed, Hezekiah and the people are ready to worship the Lord in His house again. The first thing they do is offer a sin offering on behalf of the entire kingdom. Seven bulls, seven rams, seven lambs, and seven goats are provided for this purpose. These animals were the atonement for the people’s sin, which was very great. They were given not only for Hezekiah and the people in attendance, but for the whole kingdom of Judah and all of Israel as well. Symbolically, the people’s sin was transferred to the kid goats by the laying of hands before they were slaughtered and their blood sprinkled on the altar. The animals’ lives were given so that the people could live.
Two thousand years after Jesus died on the cross, the sacrificial system seems strange and foreign to our culture and way of life. But our God is still the same God today as He was then, with the same character, holiness, and justice. Placing the hands on the head of the sacrificial animal to show that it takes on your sin, and then watching it take the punishment you deserve was a literally visceral reminder of how seriously God expects us to obey Him.
After the sin offering, the people gave the burnt offering, which involved many, many more sacrifices and also music and singing. The instruments that King David had appointed for use in temple worship were employed. Trumpets were blown, and the Levites sang praises to the Lord from the book of Psalms.
So many sacrifices for the burnt offering were provided that there weren’t enough consecrated priests available to process them. The Levites had to step in to provide the extra labor needed. What baffles me is the reason there weren’t enough priests: “for the Levites were more upright in heart than the priests in consecrating themselves.” (v. 34) This is, perhaps, a danger of making a job qualification out of membership in a certain family. However, these men are supposed to be the ones who are most in tune with God’s standards for conduct and ritual cleanliness. On the other hand, if they had been faithful to the Lord as they should have been, then maybe the rest of the people would not have followed after the Baals for so long.

Help those of us in positions of leadership to lead our charges towards You and not astray.

2 Chronicles 29:1–19

2025-06-05T00:00:00+00:00

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After the horrendous mess that was the reign of Ahaz, his son Hezekiah was like a breath of fresh air. He walked in the ways of King David, the man after God’s own heart, doing what is right in the eyes of the Lord. In his very first month as king, he opened up the temple of the Lord that his father had shut. He gathered together the priests and Levites to cleanse the temple, to carry out all the unclean things that had been placed in it, to repair and refurnish it for proper worship. These things were necessary to do because the previous generations had turned away from the Lord to chase after idols. This caused the curse of the Lord to be placed on Judah as it had been on the northern kingdom, for the same reasons. Now, the southern kingdom has a chance to repent and turn away the wrath of the Lord.
The leaders of the Levites involved in the restoration effort are listed by families. I find it interesting that only the Levites are named, but none of the priests are. Priests were certainly involved as they went into the Holy Place to carry out the “uncleanness” (v. 16) which the Levites were not allowed to enter. I suspect the reason for this difference is found later in the chapter.
The filthy items are disposed of in the Kidron Valley, between Jerusalem and the Mount of Olives. So much needed to be done that it took all the priests and Levites eight days to clear everything out. Then they spent another eight days consecrating and rededicating the temple and all the things in it to the Lord.

Help us remove the idols from our hearts so that we worship only You.

2 Chronicles 28:16–27

2025-05-24T00:00:00+00:00

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Even though Israel returned their captives, more of Judah’s neighbors invaded and captured people from its villages. Edom and Philistia again rose up and raided Judah, even going so far as to settle their own peple in the land. King Ahaz attempts to get help from Assyria, the dominant world power of the time, by sending tribute, but it did not help. Tiglath-pileser was not impressed with the gift and instead of helping, afflicted Judah still further.
Ahaz’s response to these problems is the exact opposite of what we should do. Instead of recognizing them as punishments from the Lord for leading the people of Judah into idolatry, he doubles down. He believes that the gods of Syria were mightier than the God of his fathers, and begins sacrificing to them in the hope of gaining their favor. Not only does he give his own allegience to them, but he actively inhibits the worship of Yahweh by destroying the vessels of the temple and blocking up the doors. Until this point, idolatry in Israel and Judah seems to have been fairly syncretic. People would worship the Lord in His temple, but also go to the high places and sacrifice there. For a lot of the time, they didn’t see a problem with these split allegiences.
I find it shocking, really, that the exile of Judah didn’t start at this point. However, the Lord in His faithfulness to His people, even in the midst of their faithlessness, knew that it was not the right time in history for it. Babylon when it conquered would keep the people as a cohesive community within its empire, but when Assyria conquered Israel it dispersed them so that they would integrate better. The kings and prophets that came after Ahaz would not have had the chance to do as they did, which have direct impacts on the Scriptures we have today. The Lord has an eternal perspective and knows all things that can and would happen, so He always makes perfect decisions.

Do not let us be discouraged, because we can trust You to do what is ultimately right.

2 Chronicles 28:1–15

2025-05-22T00:00:00+00:00

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An uncareful reading of the history of Israel and Judah is likely to confuse the kings Ahab and Ahaz. They were both wicked kings who had famous prophets speak against them in multiple books of the Old Testament. Ahab ruled over the northern kingdom of Israel, married the idolatrous Jezebel, and endured the castigation of Elijah. Ahaz ruled over Judah several generations later and was given the sign of Immanuel by the prophet Isaiah (Isaiah 7</a>)
As mentioned before, Ahaz did not follow in the faith of his father and grandfather, but was perhaps influenced by the idolatry of his subjects. Regardless of the reasons, he went deeper than any other king before him and performed child sacrifice like the Canaanites did from so long before. Because of this, the Lord raised up Syria and Israel against Judah. Each country defeated Judah and took many people captive.
But the Lord was faithful to His promises and did not let Judah be utterly defeated and wiped off the maps. He sent the prophet Oded to Samaria, the capital of Israel, and he instructed them to send back the captive Judahites they had fairly taken. The reasoning is that Judah was chastised for their sin as a nation, but Israel is not innocent before the Lord either. Furthermore, keeping these captives as slaves would violate the Law of Moses, which said captured Israelites must be allowed to return to their own inheritance. Certain chiefs of Israel obeyed the voice of the Lord and took the captives from the army. They fed them, clothed them, cared for their wounds, and escorted them back to Jericho.

You are faithful even when we are not.

2 Chronicles 27:1–9

2025-05-07T00:00:00+00:00

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The reign of Uzziah’s son Jotham can be considered a case study in generational faithfulness. Uzziah held the throne for longer than any other king of Judah. Except for the time he thought he could worship the Lord on his own terms, Uzziah was faithful to the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. In the same way, and without any sin recorded in history, Jotham “did what was right in the eyes of the Lord”. (v. 2) Some examples of his faithfulness are given, which include the building of the upper gate of the temple and the wall of Ophel. God’s approval of Jotham is shown in his military victory over the Ammonites, who paid tribute to him year after year.
The one negative thing that is mentioned about Jotham’s reign is that the people did not follow Uzziah’s or Jotham’s example. They “still followed corrupt practices”. (v. 2) This phrase indicates that they were mixing their worship of the Lord with pagan religious practices. Some historians have tried to cast doubt on the Bible by showing evidence that the ancient Israelites did not worship only one God. This falls apart if one reads the historical narratives of the Old Testament at all, because it clearly says over and over how Israel was unfaithful to the Lord. Syncretism is exactly what we would expect archaeology to show us.
I mentioned at the start “generational faithfulness” because Uzziah’s faith was passed down to his son, but we shall see that it was not passed down to his grandson Ahaz. The people did not follow the faith of their king (the value of which depends on whether it is the right faith, in the true God). Greater positions of authority have greater responsibility to teach the truth to those under them. Parents to children, rulers to constituents, kings to subjects. If truth is not taught, then the next generation will learn lies from someone else.

Teach us Your ways and do not let us stray from them.

2 Chronicles 26:1–23

2025-05-05T00:00:00+00:00

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With Amaziah deposed for being unfaithful to the Lord, his son Uzziah is set up as king in his place. Like his father and grandfather before him, Uzziah starts off very well. He is faithful to the Lord and “set himself to seek God” (v. 5).
For as long as he did seek God, the Lord made him, and through him the land, prosper. He made war against Judah’s enemies, knocking down the walls of their cities and building cities in their territory. The Ammonites paid tribute to him so that he would not conquer them. He built tower fortifications so that any who did try to attack would have a harder time defeating Judah. The herds and flocks increased so that there needed to be more cisterns to collect water for all of the animals. Fields and vineyards yielded much produce “for he loved the soil.” (v. 10) Because of all this, the army was able to grow strong in numbers, prowess, and equipment. Even technological advancements were made in the invention of siege engines to be placed on top of the towers. Judah was well on its way to becoming a major power in the Levant again.
Then, at the height of his power, like his father and grandfather before him, Uzziah does something kind of stupid. While Saul had the reason of being impatient and not waiting on Samuel to make the sacrifice, Uzziah appears to take the job of offering incense to the Lord completely on his own. The only reason we were given is that Uzziah was unfaithful to the Lord. Clearly there are many different ways that can happen, because it does not seem that Uzziah set up idols anywhere. On the other hand, it seems he thinks more highly of himself than he does the Lord God, because he flouts the Law of Moses in order to burn incense. Only the priests, of the line of Aaron, of the tribe of Levi, were to give offerings on any of the altars of the Lord.
Azariah and eighty other priests confronted Uzziah to tell him so. Instead of repenting and acknowledging his fault, Uzziah became angry, completely convinced of his own self-righteousness. At this point, the Lord struck him with leprosy so that the priests witnessed the skin of his forehead change. Whatever skin condition the word “leprosy” describes in the Bible, it always made a person ritually unclean and unable to participate in the worship of Yahweh. Sometimes this was only temporary, but others were permanent afflictions. For his pride, Uzziah was given a chronic disease that prevented him from ever coming back to the Lord’s house. He couldn’t even fulfill his role as king to govern the people, because no one could enter his house or they would become unclean too. In his place, Uzziah’s son Jotham reigned while his father was still alive.

Help us always remember that You are our strength and our success.

2 Chronicles 25:14–28

2025-04-26T00:00:00+00:00

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Though the Lord was with the men of Judah when they struck down the Edomites, Amaziah made a critical mistake in his victory. Along with the other goods that were carried off by his army, Amaziah brought the Edomite idols back and set them up to receive worship. Up to this point, he had been following the Lord faithfully, so this seems like a very strange thing to do.
The prophet that God sends to rebuke Amaziah makes this point to the king. “Why have you sought the gods of a people who did not deliver their own people from your hand?” (v. 15) The Lord granted Amaziah victory, even after dismissing the Israelite mercenaries, so the defeated Edomites’ idols get the worship? It’s incredibly stupid. Amaziah does not listen, though, and even threatens the prophet’s life for calling him out. The unnamed prophet does as the king commands and stops trying to get him to listen, but he gives a final warning that the Lord will strike him down for his idolatry.
This prophecy comes true some time later when Amaziah picks a fight with Joash, king of Israel. Joash responds dismissively, saying Amaziah is puffed up from his victory over Edom and now thinks he can take on whomever he wishes. He warns Amaziah that it will not go well with him or with Judah if he continues down this path. He is entirely correct, but Amaziah does not listen because this is what the Lord decreed would happen. Israel defeats Judah at Beth-shemesh, a Judean city. The army of Judah flees, and Israel captures Amaziah there. They bring Amaziah back home to Jerusalem, knock down a large chunk of its wall, and carry off the gold and silver that was in the house of God, Amaziah’s house, and carried off hostages from the city.
As a final insult, it seems Joash leaves Amaziah there in Jerusalem when he departs for Samaria. The king of Judah is so thoroughly defeated that leaving him in charge of his whole country is not a threat. In fact, Amaziah outlives Joash by fifteen years. As Amaziah ruled for twenty-nine years, that places this incident in the first half of his reign. However, all that we have of the latter half is that there was a conspiracy against him because of his idolatry. Amaziah fled to Lachish because of it, but they caught him there and killed him, just as they killed his father. We say “they” because we don’t know who is responsible, but it’s hard to tell if “they” refers to the same group each time. “They” had the same motivations for killing the king: his idolatry and forsaking the Lord.

Hold us fast and keep us in faithfulness to You, O God.

2 Chronicles 25:1–13

2025-04-08T00:00:00+00:00

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When Joash is assassinated, his son Amaziah takes the throne. As soon as he takes the throne, he executes the assassins, who were the king’s servants, which is just. He was also just in not killing the servants’ children, as the Lord had commanded in the Law. Often in ancient times, entire families would be punished for the crimes of one member, especially if it was the head of the house. (See Daniel 6:24</a>.)
At some point during his reign, Amaziaih mustered an army from the men of Judah. We aren’t told why he needs an army yet, but he raises up a sizable one. However, he must not have thought it would be large enough because he hires mercenaries from Israel as well. The mercenaries made up 25% of his army, and were hired for 100 talents of silver, a pretty hefty sum.
Before they can head out, an unnamed prophet comes and gives a warning to Amaziah. God is not with Israel the way He is with Judah, so Amaziah should not bring the men of Israel on their campaign. Amaziah agrees since he is given assurance that the Lord will help him, but he does wonder about the silver he has already spent on Israel’s army. The man of God reminds him that the Lord can provide much more than that. The men of Israel are dismissed with their pay, but they are still enraged that they do not get to participate. This sounds strange to our modern context, but it makes sense within theirs. One hundred talents of silver is a lot of money until you divide it 100,000 ways. At today’s price, that’s not even $37 per soldier. The price of silver may well have been higher back then, but the real incentive was all the spoil the army wouldcarry off when they attacked the Valley of Salt. The men of Seir (that is, Edomites) who inhabited the valley were struck down and their goods were carried away, but the men of Israel raided Judah in retaliation.

You fight for Your people, and nothing happens outside of Your sovereign permission.

2 Chronicles 24:17–37

2025-03-31T00:00:00+00:00

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With Jehoiada dead, King Joash began to listen to the advice and counsel of the princes of Judah. Together, they abandoned the worship of the Lord and began serving the gods of the Caananites of old. The Lord was displeased, and sent warnings and trials in order to turn the people back to Himself. Even Jehoiada’s son, Zechariah (not to be confused with the Zechariah, son of Berechiah, who wrote the book of prophecy centuries later) began preaching publicly against the cultural changes. In response, the princes and the king conspired together to have him stoned in the courtyard before the temple of the Lord. Zechariah calls on the Lord to see the injustice being done and to avenge his death.
The Lord does so by the end of the year. He raises up a relatively small band of Syrians to raid Judah, and He gives them extraordinary success. They defeat the much larger army of Judah that is sent against them. They kill all of the idolatrous princes, but they only wound King Joash. While the king is bed-ridden from his wounds, his servants take the reveng on Zechariah that he asked from the Lord. They remembered the goodness of Jehoiada and how his son had followed in his footsteps in seeking the Lord. To further emphasize their disapproval, they do not bury Joash with the other kings of Judah, though he is still buried in Jerusalem.

May You be our only source of righteousness, and not merely follow along with what the people around us say is right.

2 Chronicles 24:1–16

2025-03-26T00:00:00+00:00

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At the tender age of seven years old, Joash became king of Judah. Under the influence of Jehoiada the priest, he followed the Lord’s commands and rules well. One particularly important accomplishment for the returning exiles was his zeal for restoring and repairing the temple. In order to accomplish this, there needed to be funds for the project. Joash reinstated the half-shekel tax that Moses first used for the upkeep of the tabernacle, but the Levites in charge of collecting the tax seemed reluctant to do it. Their reticence, sloth, or whatever the problem was seems to be unwarranted, because Joash set up a collection box outside the temple for all the people to put their tax into. When they did, they rejoiced! Most people don’t like being told they have to pay extra, but the people of Judah in this time loved the Lord and gladly pitched in to help restore His house. Eventually, work on the temple was completed, and enough money had been collected that there was plenty left over for the furnishings and utensils employed in the service of the Lord.
Jehoiada’s influence did not last forever, though. Verse 15 tells us he was 130 when he died, which was an extraodinarily old age. He was so beloved by the people that, despite being a priest, he was buried in the kings’ tomb in Jerusalem. They honored him for the good he had done for the people, for the king, and for God.

Grant to us purpose and duties throughout our lives, for the sake of Your kingdom.

2 Chronicles 23:1–21

2025-03-20T00:00:00+00:00

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In the seventh year of Athaliah’s reign, Jehoida decided that the time was right to crown young Joash as king and depose the wicked queen. He gathered the support of the military commanders and the Levites who ministered in the temple, both to protect the new king and to make sure their revolt would not be crushed as soon as it began. He brought all of the heads of houses in Judah to come to Jerusalem to make a covenant with Joash as their king.
It appears there was plenty of subterfuge going on to do this without Athaliah noticing. The Levites were organized into divisions such that each man would be on-shift for part of the year, and then go home to their house and land for the rest of the time. But this time, Jehoida kept as many Levites as he could in Jerusalem so that there would be enough loyal bodyguards for Joash. (v. 8) Remember that he was hidden in the house of the Lord, so all of the Levites would have had an opportunity to see him grow older as they came to serve.
As the coronation was underway, Athaliah noticed that there was a lot of commotion going on inside the Lord’s temple, which was unusual when it wasn’t a feast day. Once she gets there, her confusion and curiosity turned into shock and dismay as she sees the young boy with the crown on his head. She understands that even if they had gotten a pretender to the lineage of David (though he was truly in the royal line), it wouldn’t affect the length of her life any differently. Jehoida, acting as regent now, orders Athaliah to be arrested and executed outside the temple, along with anyone who tried to stop it. Curiously, we are not given any indication that there was anyone loyal enough to the queen to try to rescue her.
After this, the covenant between the Lord and the king and his people is renewed. The people swear to follow the Lord faithfully, and as their first act of repentance, they kill the priest of Baal and tear down his temple. Proper worship for the One True God is put into practice at a larger scale than it had been done in recent times. Joash is transported to the royal palace to reside and reign there. The mood of the city utterly changes because of Athaliah’s death and Joash’s ascendance to the throne. They rejoice and the city is quiet, implying that things were not peaceful or joyful under the wicked queen.

True peace comes through true worship of You, the True, Living God.

2 Chronicles 22:1–12

2025-03-19T00:00:00+00:00

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After Jehoram died, he had only one son remaining to become king, his youngest son Ahaziah. Just as Athaliah counseled her husband in the ways of her father Ahab, so did she counsel her son as well. Besides the further encouragement of idolatry, Ahaziah’s counselors also let him join the king of Israel in a war with Syria, and this turned out to be his undoing.
At the battle of Ramoth-gilead (again) king Joram is injured. Being his nephew and ally, Ahaziah goes to visit him where he is recuperating in Jezreel. However, the Elisha had prophesied that Jehu would bring about the destruction of the house of Ahab, the father of Joram and the grandfather of Ahaziah. Jehu met the kings at Jezreel and killed them, though Ahaziah escaped for a short time. Unlike his father, Ahaziah was given an honorable burial on account of his other grandfather, Jehoshaphat.
Athaliah, the queen mother, took this opportunity to grab the throne and rule Judah herself. She began a purge of the entire royal family so that none would be able to challenge her. However, God’s promises to David that his throne would never lack a son would not be defeated so easily. Jehoram’s daughter Jehoshabeath hid away Ahaziah’s son Joash in the temple of the Lord, because she was married to the priest Jehoiada. There he remained hidden for six years.

You are the Wonderful Counselor, and You instruct us in the proper ways.

2 Chronicles 21:8–20

2025-03-12T00:00:00+00:00

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Because of the evil deeds of King Jehoram, God brings about judgement on the land of Judah. His father Jehoshaphat had relied on the Lord when Edom attacked alongside Ammon and Moab. After the whole coalition army was destroyed, it appears that Judah made Edom a vassal state. During Jehoram’s reign, Edom rebels and revolts, setting up their own king. Jehoram attempts to put a stop to it with his army, but is not successful. Verse 10 gives the reason explicitly that it is because he had forsaken the Lord.
In large part, this forsaking took the form of idol worship, which he promoted among the people by setting up high places. His father and grandfather had worked to remove these religious sites so that the Lord would be worshiped in the way He had prescribed, and not any other god. Jehoram undid that work and led Judah astray into the idolatry that Israel had been committing for generations.
Most of the time when the Lord pronounces judgement on someone, He sends a prophet to confront the people in person, but this time Elijah sends a letter. Elijah’s ministry was in the northern kingdom of Israel, mostly during Ahab’s reign. The timing is hard to judge, but it may be possible that this letter was delivered after Elijah was taken up in to heaven. The judgement Elijah’s letter pronounces is very severe. It calls out Jehoram for leading Judah into idolatry and also for the murder of his brothers “who were better” than himself. (v. 13) Because of these evil acts, a great plague will come on the people, including his own house and family, and furthermore his own body will be stricken with a terrible disease.
And so it came to pass: the plague on the people came in the form of the Philistines and Arabians raiding and pillaging the country. They encroached even into Jerusalem to the king’s house, taking captive his wives and all of his children except for the youngest. “After this” (v. 18), Jehoram is stricken with a disease in his bowels, suffering in agony for two years before he dies. And no one is sad to see him go. He is not given the same honorable burial that his forefathers were given. He isn’t even buried in the tombs of the kings of Judah. The people of Judah are just relieved to have that chapter of their history behind them.

Even when our own ways seem so right to us, grant us the grace to follow You instead.

2 Chronicles 21:1–7

2025-03-05T00:00:00+00:00

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After twenty-five years of rule, Jehoshaphat dies, and his firstborn son Jehoram reigns in his place. In this, Jehoshaphat made a poor choice, because he did not have to give the kingdom to his oldest son. Solomon was not the oldest son of David, so there was precedent. (However, Solomon’s older brothers disqualified themselves in various ways as well.) Jehoram had six younger brothers, who were all treated fairly by their father the king. They all received gold and other precious gifts, as well as fortified cities over which to rule.
Jehoram killed them all, plus a few princes of Israel for good measure. We aren’t told if there really was a plot to depose him, if he was paranoid about a plot, or if this was pure cynicism and consolidation of power. In any case, we can reasonably point to the influence of his wife, the daughter of Ahab, as the cause. From 1 Kings, we learn that Israel had revolving door “dynasties”, particularly when Asa ruled Judah. It reads like a tradition, almost, that the king of Israel would be killed by a challenger, along with his whole family. The new king would reign for a time, and then the cycle would repeat.
Besides the murder of his brothers, Jehoram also walked in the idolatry of his wife’s family. We aren’t told explicitly, but it is nearly certain that the people of Judah followed him in it because the attitudes and practices of leaders have such great influence over their people. Despite this wickedness, the Lord remembered his promise to David that his house would be established forever. But things get worse for the kingdom of Judah before they get better.

Be our Guide and our King over and above all human authority.

2 Chronicles 20:24–37

2025-02-26T00:00:00+00:00

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By the time the invaders had slaughtered themselves, the men of Judah arrived to look upon the destruction. From the watchtower of that spot in the wilderness, they were able to see their dead enemies. Now, armies carry lots of useful things with them on campaign, so Jehoshaphat and his army goes down to take what they can get.
And what they can get is a ridiculous amount. It takes them three days to take away all of the spoil, which is a testament to God’s blessing on his people. The invading coalition was set on conquering Judah, and armies have to carry in what they plan to use. So they may have been three times bigger than Judah’s army, which would be a sure victory under most circumstances. However, the list of what Judah took is a bit odd. “Goods, clothing, and precious things,” it says. (v. 25) Goods probably includes food and materials you’d expect in army supplies. Arrows, whetstones, leather and such for making repairs. Everyone needs clothing, and they wouldn’t be uniforms like we think of in a modern context. But “precious things” sounds like gold, silver, and jewelry. Maybe it’s not, because it could be precious goods like oil and salt, but the King James Version does translate these words as “precious jewels”. Furthermore, the Christian Standard Bible makes it clear that these things aren’t just in the supply lines, but on the bodies of the fallen directly.
In any case, what is clear is that the Lord not only saved His people from destruction, but also enriched them at the same time. The people’s response of joy and praise with music is entirely appropriate. Word of this incident also got out to the surrounding nations, and no one dared try anything like that against Judah for the rest of Jehoshaphat’s reign.
The reign of Jehoshaphat is summarized in the end of the chapter. He is given a good grade by the Chronicler for following the Lord faithfully in his policies and personal walk. But he didn’t do everything right, because the high places of idolatrous or syncretic worship remained, and he also kept making alliances with the wicked kings of northern Israel. Ahab’s son Ahaziah helped Jehoshaphat build ships to sail to Tarshish, but the Lord caused them to be wrecked before they could reach their destination.

Even when we see no way out of a situation, You are there to turn calamity into blessing.

2 Chronicles 20:1–23

2025-02-18T00:00:00+00:00

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When the Moabites and Ammonites rose up against Judah, Jehoshaphat again turned to the Lord for aid, as his father Asa had done during his reign. These groups were often at war with Israel and Judah, but instead of just making border raids, they were on a path of conquest. When messengers bring the news to Jehoshaphat, he immediately realizes that only the Lord will be able to deliver them. He doesn’t rely on the strength of his armies or the cleverness of his generals, but calls all of Judah to fast and diligently seek the Lord’s help.
In his prayer before the people, Jehoshapaht recounts how the Lord had promised to deliver His people from sword, famine, and disaster if they turned to Him in faith. This draws directly from Solomon’s prayer of the temple when it was dedicated. Additionally, he reminds his listeners how the Lord drove out the peoples of the land before the Israelites, but spared the Edomites and Moabites on their way into the land of Caanan because of their close relation to the patriarchs. (Edom came from Esau, Jacob’s twin brother, and Moab came from Lot, Abraham’s nephew.)
The Lord gives an answer through the Levite Jahaziel, and His Spirit moves him to say that the people will not need to fight in this battle, but the Lord will do it for them. Judah is still to muster and go forth, but to witness what the Lord will do, not to exert force against their foes. He gives them a time and place to be so that they will see the salvation that is delivered unto them.
On hearing the word of the Lord, the king and all his people fall down in worship before the Lord and the Levites lead them to sing praises to Yahweh for His goodness to them. The next day, they follow the Lord’s instructions and go out to meet the men of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir (that is, the mountain of Edom). Though we aren’t told if this was part of the directions the Lord gave them, Jehoshaphat encourages the men to sing praises to the Lord again. When they do, the Lord fights for His people, causing the invading armies to betray each other, so that they wiped each other out. This betrayal was clearly from the Lord because once the men of Mount Seir were killed, the Moabites and Ammonites just kept on fighting until they were all dead too. It’s possible that some escaped the melee, but it wasn’t enough to make an assault on Judah as they had originally planned.

Your outstretched arm is mighty to save. There is none who can withstand Your might.

2 Chronicles 19:1–11

2025-02-12T00:00:00+00:00

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Now we are told that Jehoshaphat made it out of the battle safely, despite the disaster that befell Ahab and Israel’s armies. Even though the Lord protected him in the battle when he cried out to Him, the Lord had more to say to Jehoshaphat about the incident. Jehu the seer tells the king that it was wrong for him to go up and help Ahab at all. Indeed, even the marriage alliance will turn out poorly for the House of David. Jehu does not explain what form God’s wrath will take when it goes out against Jehoshaphat, but we can infer that any bad thing that happens to him and his family is a good candidate.
However, the Lord acknowledges that Jehoshaphat has loved his God and sought Him both personally and as the king over his people. He had cut down the Asherah poles, he had sent out priests and Levites throughout the land to teach the people the Law of the Lord. Now we are told he goes on some kind of revival tour of the kingdom (v. 4) and leads the people back to the Lord. There are a lot of “whitespaces” regarding this, so we can’t say a lot about it, but I believe this trip around the country did more to bring people to saving faith in the Lord than anything else in this chapter. It’s the same reason why politicians go campaigning, and why there are still live concerts, even when an engineered recording will be a technically superior performance in many ways. Human interaction is effective at impacting hearts and minds. Knowing that the king himself traveled to your village lets you know just how important it is for him to be telling you to follow Yahweh, and you are more likely to follow him in it than if there was just a decree from Jerusalem.
In each place, Jehoshaphat appointed judges over the people to decide cases and to uphold the Law of Moses and the commandments he made as well. He gives the instructions to judge fairly and rightly, because the Lord is the ultimate judge, and they are to emulate Him in this role. Additionally, he sets up a higher court in Jerusalem to handle appeals from the lower courts. Again, these judges—drawn from the priests, Levites, and prominent families’ elders—were to pass judgement as deputies of the Lord. Moses had set up a similar system for the Israelites after they had come out of Egypt, but it makes me wonder how it didn’t continue from then until the time of the kings.

Without Your laws, we descend into chaos. Your commands are right and true.

2 Chronicles 18:28–34

2025-02-10T00:00:00+00:00

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Despite the warning from Micaiah, Ahab and Jehoshaphat continue the plan to go take Ramoth-gilead back from the Syrians. On the face of it, it seems like they should have known better, but remember that the Lord had decreed that Ahab would be defeated, so it must happen this way. What I really don’t understand is how Jehoshapaht agrees to Ahab’s battle plan. “I’m going incognito; you make yourself a great big target.” This obviously sounds good from Ahab’s perspective, but it doesn’t seem to make sense for Jehoshaphat in particular or for the battle as a whole. It does indicate that Ahab is concerned about the prophecy he received, and he’s trying to do something to prevent it from happening.
Nevertheless, that is how the battle goes, and Ahab’s plan “works”: the Syrian chariots have orders to fight only the king of Israel, and because they only see one man in kingly robes, they target him. With the pressure on, Jehoshaphat realizes that he is in trouble, and he cries out to God to save him. The Lord is gracious to the king of Judah, because the Syrians realize he is not Ahab and turn away to look for him. Before they can find him, a Syrian archer happens to hit Ahab with an arrow, giving him a fatal wound.
It takes what is probably several hours for Ahab to die. While he lives, he is propped up in his chariot so that his army can see that their king lives. In 1 Kings 22</a> we are told that the armies of Israel and Judah break and flee at sunset when Ahab dies, fulfilling the prophecy that Micaiah had made.
Many applications can be drawn from this historical event. Be wary of allying with those who do not love the Lord, your God. Seek counsel from the Lord before you make your plans. The Lord protects and rescues those who trust in Him. What He has said will happen, He will see accomplished. Jehoshaphat seems to have made some foolish choices here, but the Lord was merciful and preserved his life through them and their consequences.

Give us wisdom and strength to follow Your ways.

2 Chronicles 18:9–27

2025-02-08T00:00:00+00:00

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While the kings wait for Micaiah to arrive, one of the other prophets gives a word allegedly from the Lord. He makes a visual aid of a set of horns made of iron, a symbol of strength in the ancient Near East. He prophesies that the Syrians will be pushed back and that the Lord will give Ramoth-gilead into the hands of the king.
In the meantime, the messenger sent to retrieve Micaiah tries to influence the outcome by telling him to speak favorably for the king. Micaiah responds correctly by saying he will only relay what the Lord tells him to say. But then, once he is in the presence of the king he doesn’t do that. He says, “Go up and triumph.” More interestingly than that, Ahab doesn’t believe him. I don’t know what gave it way, whether it was just that Micaiah never had anything good to say about Ahab, or if there was something in his delivery. I like to imagine Micaiah spoke with the same kind of enthusiasm and sarcasm as Gene Wilder in his role as Willy Wonka when one of the children got into a sticky situation: “Stop. Help. Police.”
This situation must have come up between Ahab and Micaiah a lot, because Ahab responds with, “How many times shall I make you swear that you speak nothing but the truth in the name of the Lord?” In response, Micaiah gives a true prophecy, saying the armies of Israel will be scattered without a leader, returning to their homes. So Ahab says, “I told you so!” to Jehoshapaht, as it predicts Ahab’s death in the coming campaign. Then Micaiah explains that the Lord has decreed that Ahab should go up to Ramoth-gilead, to his destruction. To that end, He asks the divine council to come up with a plan to make it happen. Various things are proposed, but the one that gets implemented is that a lying spirit goes to deceive the 400 prophets of Ahab into giving a false prophecy.
Unbelievers may look at this story and accuse God of being wicked in His dealings with Ahab because He used deception and lies to accomplish His aims, particularly to end Ahab’s life. To that, I say it is important to remember the context and receive the whole counsel of Scripture. Ahab, particularly under the influence of his wife Jezebel, allowed and promoted more idolatry and immorality in Israel than any other king before him. Prophets and followers of Yahweh were hunted down and killed because they spoke against these practices. Because of this, the land had a three-year drought, and eventually the Lord decreed that Ahab’s house and lineage would be utterly destroyed. The Lord has the authority to do these things to any of His creatures. He gives life and He takes it away. He is also sovereign over all the heavenly hosts, both the holy angels and the wicked spirits. He may send them to do as He wishes, or allow them the latitude to act as they wish within the bounds of His decrees. Just as we have the latitude to act as we wish, often to our detriment. The Babylonians were the Lord’s instrument in chastising His people when they took them in exile, but they too were punished for the evil they committed in doing so.
Zedekiah, the guy who made the horns, strikes and mocks Micaiah. Micaiah responds by implying Zedekiah will some day seek to hide himself, probably for his life. Ahab sentences Micaiah to imprisonment until he returns, but Micaiah makes it clear that he will not return if the Lord has truly spoken through him.

You have declared the end from the beginning, and all Your ways bring justice and peace.

2 Chronicles 18:1–8

2025-02-07T00:00:00+00:00

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While Jehoshaphat had been doing well, this chapter marks the beginning of his decline. Verse 1 tells us he made a marriage alliance with Ahab the king of Israel. That is, Jeshophat’s son Jehoram married Ahab’s daughter Athaliah (whose mother was Jezebel). These names aren’t important now, but time marches on and they will be later.
As part of the alliance, Jehoshaphat makes a state visit to Samaria, Israel’s capital. Ahab asks him to help take back the city of Ramoth-gilead, which Syria had taken over previously. Jehoshaphat agrees, but then asks if they can inquire of the Lord what they should do and how they should go. He really should have done that first, before any dealings with Ahab at all.
Ahab calls together four hundred prophets who all give the same prediction: go and be successful. Now, if these were indeed prophets of God, we should expect them to have the same message; the Lord is consistent and truthful. However, Jehoshaphat is suspicious and asks if there is anyone else who can ask of the Lord. I am suspicious too. These prophets are not the same as the 450 priests of Baal defeated and killed at Mt. Carmel, but maybe they are the “400 prophets of Asherah who ate at Jezebel’s table”. (1 Kings 18:16</a>) The Mt. Carmel incident should have happened before this (1 Kings 22 is our parallel passage, which comes after 1 Kings 18), but while Elijah invited both groups of prophets to the god contest, the text only mentions the prophets of Baal showing up. Whatever reason Jehoshaphat had for not trusting the 400 prophets, Ahab admits there is a prophet of Yahweh, but says Micaiah only ever says bad things about him. Even still, Micaiah is summoned to give the kings their answer from the Lord.

Let us be wise in who we yoke ourselves to, so that we do not follow fools into their destruction.

2 Chronicles 17:1–19

2025-02-01T00:00:00+00:00

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Asa’s son Jehoshaphat is given many more words from the Chronicler than the previous kings of Judah. Jehoshaphat’s faithfulness to the Lord is linked to the military success of Judah. He did not follow the Baals, he did remove the high places and Asherim, and he followed the Lord’s commandments. Jehoshaphat sent out officials and priests throughout the land to teach the people from the Law of Moses.
Judah’s army also increased, and this military might was the visible evidence of the Lord’s favor on His people so that the fear of the Lord came upon the surrounding nations. Therefore the Lord caused Judah and the its neighbors to show favor to Jehoshaphat, bringing gifts of silver, goats, and rams. These were used to fund the fortification projects and increase the army further.
Jehoshaphat was given peace on all sides as his father Asa had in the early part of his reign. Seek the Lord faithfully, and He will bless your life.

Give us Your peace, as we seek Your face.

2 Chronicles 16:1–14

2025-01-31T00:00:00+00:00

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Together with 2 Chronicles 15:19</a>, v. 1 presents a problem. They say Asa had peace up through the thirty-fifth year of his reign, until Baasha of Israel came against him. However, 1 Kings 15 and 16</a> tell us Baasha’s son Elah became king during Asa’s twenty-sixth year. Oops.
When skeptics say, “There are so many contradictions in the Bible! How can you trust it?” the correct response is not “Nuh-uh! There aren’t any contradictions!” Instead, we can say, “A few minor ones, that are clearly copyist mistakes of some kind. We can trust the Bible despite this because the main message from God to Man has been preserved. None of the variants and contradictions you can point to affect the truth of the doctrines the Bible teaches us.” That is the case here, too. Did Baasha start building Ramah to lay siege to Judah in Asa’s twenty-sixth year or his thirty-sixth year? Even for an archaeologist, the difference of a decade becomes much less significant when dealing with events almost three thousand years old. For the exiles returning from Babylon, these events were three to four hundred years ago. Even for the original audience, the exact date was not the important part.
Despite never falling to idolatry, Asa did not rely on the Lord to give victory over Baasha the way he did when the Ethiopian army invaded earlier in his reign. Instead, he bribed the king of Syria to turn against his ally Israel so that Judah could take over the fortress of Ramah while Baasha dealt with the new threat. In response, the Lord sends Hanani the seer to proclaim judgement on Asa, who does not respond well. Instead of repenting and confessing his sin, he gets angry, throws Hanani in prison, and also treats some of his own people poorly. The end of Asa’s reign is marked by wars and disease, and he does not appear to learn from his mistakes. However, he still maintained a good reputation among the people because they honored him greatly in his death.
There are some groups who use the story of Asa to say that people shouldn’t go to doctors or receive medical treatment because we should rely on the Lord for healing. This is a distortion of what the text is actually saying, especially in the context of the whole Bible. There are several places in both the Old and New Testament that speak positively of medicine, usually with language like “anointing with oil” or “applying balms”. The difference is that believers need to recognize God’s role in sovereignly appointing the physicians to do their healing work and providing access to medicine. The problem comes when we try to ignore His role in ordering our lives, not just in our health but in all areas, trying to accomplish our own will by our own strength. The opposite problem comes when we try to put God in a box, trying to accomplish our own will through His strength: “if you just have enough faith, He will give you X, Y, or Z!” The Lord is sovereign over everything, but He also gives us initiative and wisdom to know what to do and how to do it.

We look forward to the Day, O Great Physician, when You will heal sickness and disease forever.

2 Chronicles 15:1–19

2025-01-29T00:00:00+00:00

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In the fifteenth year of his reign, Asa received a word of encouragement from the Lord through the prophet Azariah. This message was not only for the king, but for all of Judah and Benjamin as well. As it happens, the message is useful for us today as well. “Seek the Lord, and He will be with you.” Azariah gives an overview of the history of Israel during the time of the judges, and possibly from before the exodus from Egypt. During those times the people of Israel did not seek the Lord, and they did not have peace and prosperity. When things got bad enough, they would remember Him again and ask Him for help, so He would return and make things right again. If we are diligent to seek after the Lord, then He shall reward us and shield us from disaster.
Asa took this as a call to action to seek the Lord even more diligently, and did away with all of the idolatrous distractions that his father and grandfather had allowed to spread in the country. He also repaired the altar in the front of the temple, which I find shocking that it was necessary. On the one hand, things break down and need maintenance, even stones. But on the other hand, this was Solomon’s temple, in which God’s very presence was seen during its dedication. I suppose that had happened outside of living memory, being about 60 to 80 years ago. It just seems so hard to believe just how quickly the people forgot the miracles performed in their midst, and how quickly they fell away into idolatry.
Whatever the sentiment of the people, Asa’s heart was committed to the Lord. He brought together all the people in his kingdom to swear an oath that they would follow the Lord alone, and anyone who did not would be executed. He even went as far as to depose his own mother, who held an influential position as the queen mother. However, he didn’t go so far as to remove the “high places”, which were basically pagan worship sites that the people would also use to worship Yahweh, even though they weren’t supposed to. Despite this failure to completely purify the land, we are told Asa’s heart remained true, and he was blessed with many years of peace.

Purify our hearts so that we may see You clearly and desire to be close to You.

2 Chronicles 14:1–15

2025-01-25T00:00:00+00:00

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Abijah’s son Asa succeeds him as king of Judah. The theme verse of his reign would be v. 2: “And Asa did what was good and right in the eyes of the Lord his God.” In particular, he removed the places of idol worship and encouraged the people to seek after the Lord. Because of this, the Lord blessed Judah and gave it peace for the first ten years of Asa’s reign. During that time, he built fortified cities and built up the army to be ready when they were needed.
As in Abijah’s reign, when Judah was outnumbered 2 to 1 by Israel, Zerah the Ethiopian invades Judah with an army almost twice its size. In the face of this threat, Asa realizes that his only recourse is to seek help from the Lord. The Lord graciously gave help and fought the Ethiopian army for Judah, and they pursued them and completely routed them, all the way to Gerar. Judah was able to take the Ethiopian army supplies and also plundered the cities surrounding Gerar because “the fear of the Lord was upon them.” (v. 14)

You help the poor and needy in the time of trouble, and You provide strength to the humble.

2 Chronicles 13:1–22

2025-01-21T00:00:00+00:00

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While the Lord prevented Rehoboam from subduing the rebellious northern tribes because it was His will that they be split, He does not prevent the two kingdoms from fighting each other afterwards. We are given a snapshot of the conflict through the description of one of the major battles. Judah had pushed into the hill country of Eprhaim and was facing an army twice its size. King Abijah addresses Jeroboam and his army before the battle, pointing out that the Lord’s promises to his family are still in effect, and Judah is still faithful to Yahweh while Jeroboam has lead Israel astray with the golden calf idols he set up. Because of these facts, Abijah was confident that the Lord would bless his efforts over Jeroboam’s that day.
Indeed, he was correct. With his larger army, Jeroboam was able to surround the army of Judah. When he triggered his ambush, though, the southern army cried out to the Lord and He fought the army of Israel for them, reversing the ambush and turning it into a rout. The Chronicler explicitly gives the reason for the victory in verse 18: “…because they relied on the Lord, the God of their fathers.” Through the victory at Mount Zemaraim, Judah was able to take control of several villages from Israel.
Jeroboam’s influence and power did not recover since that time, but Abijah grew mighty. He took many wives and had many sons and daughters, however Abijah only reigned as king for three years before he died. This text doesn’t go into any details of why he died so soon. (1 Kings 15</a> only says he walked in the sins of his father.) We can only assume that it was the will of the Lord, working in history for His good purposes.

Our victory is assured when we trust in You, even when all the odds seem against us. Keep us on the right path.

2 Chronicles 12:1–16

2025-01-04T00:00:00+00:00

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Though Rehoboam did well to fortify Judah’s cities, he also allowed idolatry and immorality to spread in his kingdom. After only a few years, the people had turned away from the Lord their God so much that He raised up Shishak of Egypt to chastise them. Shishak, or Shoshenq I as he is known in other sources, founded the twenty-second dynasty of Egypt around 945 b.c., and his military campaigns extended up into the lands of Israel as well as Judah. As his campaign threatened the capital Jerusalem, so Shemaiah the prophet again came before Rehoboam to give him a word from the Lord.
When the king and princes of Judah hear that Shishak’s military action is due to their unfaithfulness, they humble themselves before the Lord. (v. 6) It is unclear just how far their repentance goes, in their own lives or in the country at large, but they are sincere enough that the Lord averts complete disaster. Jerusalem is not sacked, but Judah pays tribute to Egypt. Much of the wealth Solomon had accumulated is carted off, including the gold shields that adorn his house. These shields are replaced with bronze replicas, which are not displayed all the time, but moved in and out of the secure guardroom as the king entered and exited the temple.
Despite these trials, the Lord blesses Judah and the people prosper. (v. 12) Rehoboam reigns as king for seventeen years before he dies. He is reported as doing evil before the Lord, which surely includes the period before Shishak’s invasion, but could indicate a less overt idolatry later in life as well. Because “he did not set his heart to seek the Lord” (v. 14), he is not declared righteous. We are not given details, but it is easy to imagine that he is just going through the motions of worship, especially later in life. The conviction he felt to declare “The Lord is righteous” in the face of Egypt’s threat wanes, and he no longer believes the Lord is watching or cares what he does. Remember that the book of Proverbs, for the most part, are written by Solomon to his son: Rehoboam. They are a call to seek after wisdom, fear the Lord, and remember to follow his ways. If we do, there are blessings without number, but if we ignore the warnings, calamity will follow. Rehoboam failed to heed the warnings.

Remind us that You are worthy of all praise. Your ways are right, and You give mercy to the humble.

2 Chronicles 11:1–23

2024-12-31T00:00:00+00:00

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In the face of Jeroboam’s rebellion, Rehoboam does what we would expect a king to do: gather an army to take back what he sees as rightfully his. After all, he did make claims that he would be able to rule more harshly than his father, so he intends to make good on his words. However, the Lord sends the prophet Shemaiah to stop the civil war before it begins. The message is in two parts: 1. you are not to go attack your relatives, and 2. this situation is caused by Me (that is, the Lord). Those loyal to David’s throne are reminded that they are related to all of the other tribes. Furthermore, God has brought about this situation through the actions of Jeroboam and Rehoboam, and they can not change it. Oftentimes when trials come upon us, we get worked up in trying to deal with it and fix the issue, but God has a different plan for us, and all of our efforts to end the trial are frustrated. This isn’t always the case, so we will need discernment. Be in the Word and walk closely with the Lord so that you will know what He wants you to do.
While the kingdom of Judah did not go to war with Israel immediately, there was still the chance that it could happen, so Rehoboam set up fortified cities throughout the land. The cities listed are not only on the northern border, but throughout Judah. While Solomon had peace on all sides, a new king with a divided kingdom may invite incursions from its neighbors.
While the Chronicler doesn’t focus on the details of what happens in the northern kingdom, we do get told about events there that affect the southern kingdom. Because of Jeroboam’s religious revolution of setting up idols for his subjects to worship at instead of the temple in Jerusalem, the priests and the lay Israelites who do not compromise their faith immigrate to Judah. As the relations between the kingdoms deteriorate, travel between them would be restricted, especially for the pilgrimages to Jerusalem. So, the returned exiles are reminded that civil prosperity is linked to devotion to Yahweh.
Rehoboam follows in his father’s footsteps by taking multiple wives and concubines. However, he avoids the problems his grandfather David had with his sons by appointing Abijah to be his heir, but giving his other sons positions of authority and responsibility throughout the kingdom. He does not leave them idle, nor does he give them a reason to revolt or be discontent with their lot. Though he started off poorly, Rehoboam did not do everything completely wrong as king. As we will see, faithfulness to the Lord brings blessings to His people and their land. But the opposite is true as well.

Teach us to follow You, and make us more teachable.

2 Chronicles 10:1–19

2024-12-14T00:00:00+00:00

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Solomon’s son Rehoboam reigns as king of Israel in Jerusalem after his father’s death. Jereboam the son of Nebat hears about this from his exile in Egypt, and returns to Israel. (v. 2) 1 Kings 11</a> gives us the necessary background that explains why Jereboam was afraid of King Solomon. The Chronicler doesn’t mention Solomon’s idolatry, but it is because of this unfaithfulness to Yahweh that the majority of the kingdom will be stripped from David’s line. Jereboam was the man prophesied to be the king over ten of the tribes of Israel by Ahijah the Shilonite. (v. 15) When Solomon heard of this, he tried to kill Jereboam, but man cannot invalidate what the Lord has said.
When Jereboam returns to Israel, he doesn’t do anything unreasonable like start a rebellion without cause. Instead, because he used to be the overseer of the forced labor from the tribes of Joseph, he seeks to negotiate better working conditions for the common Israelite. Rehoboam’s older advisors, who had served his father Solomon, thought this was a good idea. The advisors who were closer to Rehoboam’s age believed Rehoboam needed to show them who was boss, and that he would make things harder instead.
Most applications of this story revolve around listening to the wisdom of elders, political compromise, and other practical things. These things may be true and useful, but they aren’t the main point. No, the point is that Rehoboam made a poor decision because these events were appointed by God to happen so that His word would be fulfilled. (v. 15) This passage doesn’t explain what the Lord’s word was or why He said it, but we already know it is the turning away of Solomon’s heart to the gods of his foreign wives. Kingdoms and nations can fall because of a single bad decision, and if that is what the Lord has decreed will happen, there’s not a thing to be done except trust in Him and endure the trials that come.

You alone are a perfect ruler, and You will always accomplish Your good purposes.

2 Chronicles 9:13–31

2024-12-09T00:00:00+00:00

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Just as the problems in David’s reign were glossed over, such as his affair with Bathsheba and Absalom’s revolt, the difficulties that Solomon’s wives made for him are not recorded here in the Chronicles. Again, the purpose of these writings are to encourage the returned exiles and show them the way they should live and worship the Lord, connecting them back to their ancestral homeland and culture. Instead, we are given a list of the things Solomon acquired during his reign, which the Lord gave to him, and it makes Elon Musk look like a pauper.
We are told that over 666 talents of gold were given to Solomon in one year, plus whatever the explorers and merchants brought in to the kingdom. (Don’t get hung up on the famous number; it’s not important here.) A talent is a large weight of something: about 75 pounds, or 34 kilograms. In today’s money, that’s worth really close to 2 billion USD. Solomon had so much gold available that he used about 2,000kg of it to decorate his second home with the gold shields. (vv. 15–16) This was possibly the house he built for his Egyptian wife away from Jerusalem.
In addition to gold, allied Tyran ships imported many other valuable goods. Kings of other nations came to learn from Solomon’s wisdom, and they all brought gifts to show their appreciation. Some of them may even have become vassals to Solomon, recognizing his superiority in wise leadership, perhaps. (v. 26)
For forty years Solomon ruled Israel in wisdom, and then he died and was buried in Jerusalem. His son Rehoboam becomes the next king, and the promises that God had made to David and Solomon begin to come to pass, because Solomon did not stay wholly committed to the Lord.

Let us not be amazed and distracted by shiny materials, but value what is noble, true, and good. You alone are the source of these better things.

2 Chronicles 9:1–12

2024-11-29T00:00:00+00:00

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Solomon’s fame spread to neighboring countries and beyond. The queen of Sheba made a state visit, bringing an appropriately large retinue in caravan. Unfortunately, we don’t know exactly where Sheba was, because there are conflicting reports in history. Some scholars think Sheba (or Seba as it is sometimes called) is related to the Sabeans of the southern coast of Arabia. Others place it across the sea in the horn of Africa, as there is a medieval Ethiopian source that claims that land to be Sheba. Wherever she came from, the queen had heard fantastic tales about Solomon, and came to see for herself whether they were true.
Her response is that they didn’t tell her the half of it. She had heard he was fabulously wealthy and great in wisdom, but his God-given wisdom surpassed everything she had heard previously. Furthermore, she could tell that he employed his wisdom for the good of his people. It is said one can know a man’s true character by how he treats those who serve him, and she observes that not only are Solomon’s wives happy, but his servants are too. Solomon didn’t become rich by oppressing his people and extracting wealth from them. Instead, they benefitted from his wise rule, and had it better than we would otherwise expect for their position.
The queen of Sheba displays her own wisdom by attributing Solomon’s success to Yahweh, the God of Israel. She realizes that he did not reach his current position on his own strength, and did not cultivate his own wisdom all by himself. Instead, it is the Lord who has blessed Israel through Solomon’s wisdom and benevolent reign.

We long for Your perfect reign that will last forever, as we compare and contrast our good and bad human rulers You have appointed over us for a time.

2 Chronicles 8:1–18

2024-11-20T00:00:00+00:00

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Because Solomon was not a warrior king like his father David, there is no list of military victories or conquests to put on his list of accomplishements. Instead, we get a list of the cities he built and the good relationships he had with the neighboring (and more distant) nations. The cities that Hiram, king of Tyre, gave to Solomon had actually been given to Hiram first. (1 Kings 9:10–14</a>) In addition to these, whole cities were made to store all of Solomon’s chariots, horses, and warehouses for all the wealth he had amassed. To build all of these cities, Solomon used slave labor, but not his own people. The remnants of the Canaanites still lived in the land after Israel conquered it, but they were allowed to stay as servants and slaves.
Solomon also made an entire house for his wife, the daughter of Pharaoh. This was done to remove her from Jerusalem, where the ark of the covenant was placed in the temple, making it holy. Many consider Solomon’s major failing to be his marriage to so many foreign, and more importantly pagan, women. They pulled Solomon’s heart away from the worship of the true God with their idols and practices. Yet, at this point, Solomon was careful not to let his wife’s religion mix with his own.
The Chronicler goes on to say how Solomon was faithful to keep all of the sacrifices and feasts that the Lord had appointed for Israel. He continued the schedule of the priestly divisions that David had set up for service in the temple when it was built. More detail is given here than in the parallel passage in 1 Kings so that the returning exiles would be reminded of how important it is to worship the Lord in the way He wants.

In You alone are life and truth.

2 Chronicles 7:11–22

2024-11-14T00:00:00+00:00

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After the temple and the royal palace are built, the Lord comes to Solomon to give him a warning and an encouragement. Though the Lord has made a permanent decision to dwell among His people in the house Solomon built for Him, it will not necessarily endure forever. (Of course, the returning exiles know exactly how true this is.) But when hardship comes because the people are unfaithful to their God, He is compassionate and merciful, and He will hear them when they ask for forgiveness. When they “humble themselves, and pray and seek [His] face and turn from their wicked ways” (v. 14) then the Lord will “forgive their sin and heal their land”.
The covenant God made with David is reiterated with Solomon as well. If he walks in the Lord’s commandments the way his father David did, then the Lord will bless his dynasty and keep his sons on the throne of Israel. However, if he turns aside and worships other gods, then he and his house will be removed from the land. Even though the Lord said He would keep His name in the temple forever (v. 16), if this should come about, the temple too will be plucked up and cast out. (v. 20) That will be a sign to those who see it that the people of Israel had been unfaithful to Yahweh, abandoning Him who had done such great things for them for idols that can do nothing.

We are a stubborn, obstinate people who only want to go our own way. Your love for us is completely undeserved.

2 Chronicles 7:1–10

2024-11-12T00:00:00+00:00

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Now, at last, the Lord gives His clear approval of Solomon’s and the people’s efforts to provide a dwelling place for Him on earth. Fire comes down from heaven and consumed the burnt offering just as it had when David purchased the site for the temple (1 Chronicles 21:26</a> Additionally, the temple is filled with His glory, and the priests can not enter it. The people respond in worship and thanksgiving, not terror. These wonders were not everyday occurrences, so their reaction shows how they have been spiritually primed for worship, to give the Lord the thanks and praise He deserves from them.
With the dedication of the temple completed, Solomon and the people offer the rest of the sacrifices while the Levites play on their instruments. They consecrate the middle of the courtyard because the bronze altar used for the daily sacrifices was not big enough for the great multitude of animals that were brought at that time. All of Israel had gathered together for the occasion, and they feasted for seven days on the meat of the sacrifices.
After the seven days, they had another solemn assembly. Then Solomon sent the people home, and they were happy and thankful for all the Lord had provided through David and Solomon.

You are good and You do good, for Your steadfast love endures forever.

2 Chronicles 6:18–42

2024-10-12T00:00:00+00:00

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Solomon prayer continues by acknowledging God’s transcendance. God condescends to make this temple His dwelling place, even though all of heaven and earth cannot contain Him. The cloud of the Lord’s glory fills the temple, but He is also outside of it everywhere at once. Because the Lord has shown His people such favor, Solomon asks that He maintain that favor by listening to the prayers of the people as they pray towards the Lord in His temple.
Solomon gives several examples of situations where people would pray and ask for the Lord to help or forgive them. In all of them, the Israelites would be praying towards the temple, but the Lord would hear the prayer in heaven. Even though the temple would be the physical focus, it is known that the Lord would be the one to hear the prayer and act on it, even from as far away as heaven.
I think it is telling that the first thing Solomon asks the Lord to do when He hears the prayers is to forgive. (v. 21) Solomon asks for the Lord to judge when neighbors bring one another before the altar in a court case. The one who has sinned against his neighbor should be judged and punished by the Lord. Next, Israel might be defeated in battle specifically because of their sin, so if they repent and ask to the Lord, Solomon asks Him to forgive them. Again, if no rain falls because Israel sinned, the Lord is asked to relent when they repent, so that they may follow the good way.
In verse 28, the context shifts. Disaster may strike, and no reason is given, but the Lord is still asked to grant relief to His people when they plea for it. Many different trials and afflictions are listed, so Solomon is speaking in broad and generic terms here. Even the prayers the people may ask for aren’t listed out, though we can assume they want the bad times to end. However, Solomon still asks the Lord to forgive His people (v. 30), because He knows what is in their hearts and minds.
Interestingly, non-Israelites are given attention in Solomon’s dedication. Today, we often think of the Pharisaical racism against the Gentiles during the first century, but the mission of God’s people has always been to be a blessing to the whole world by showing to them the revelation of the Living God. Many verses in the Law of Moses talk favorably about the treatment of foreigners in the land of Israel. Likewise, Solomon assumes there will be people from far countries coming to worship Yahweh, and their supplications should be heard just as much as the Lord’s chosen people’s.
Finally, Solomon makes the bold statement that “there is no one who does not sin.” (v. 36) He describes the ultimate punishement of exile for God’s people and their repentance and return, which would be very poignant for the people who just went through it. He ends with a supplication that the Lord’s goodness would be manifest among His people and His promises would be remembered.

We rejoice in Your goodness, and You have forgiven all of our unrighteousness.

2 Chronicles 6:1–17

2024-10-03T00:00:00+00:00

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Upon seeing the glory of the Lord fill the temple, Solomon gives a benediction to his people. He recounts the history of the plans to build the temple by his father David, and how the Lord gave the job to himself instead. The Lord could have chosen to make His home address anywhere on earth, but chose the Israelites to be His people, and Jerusalem as the site for His house.
Solomon’s prayer reminds the people of the promises that the Lord has made, both to the royal line and to all the people. The Lord made promises, and so He has kept them, showing steadfast kindness to those who seek Him out and follow Him. Therefore, Solomon beseeches the Lord to keep the promise made to his father David that the throne of Israel would not pass from his house, knowing that there is the condition that the sons of the king should walk with the Lord as their father David did.

You are righteous and powerful, able and delighting to do good for Your people forever.

2 Chronicles 5:1–14

2024-09-27T00:00:00+00:00

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Once the temple was completed, Solomon convened the leaders of Israel for a special worship service in Jerusalem. They gathered to commemorate the transfer of the ark of the covenant from the tabernacle to the temple. Not only the ark was moved, but the whole tabernacle as well, and all the things it contained.
The ark was placed inside the Most Holy Place, the innermost part of the temple, underneath the wings of the large cherubim. I am a little surprised that they left the carrying poles in place after the ark was set down. If they were so long that they could be seen from the inner sanctuary where the priests did most of their work, perhaps there wasn’t a better place for them. Or it may be that even the poles were considered too holy to put in a storage closet.
There is also a mystery concerning the contents of the ark. Verse 10 says only the tablets of the Law given to Moses were within the ark, but when the tabernacle was constructed, it also contained the budded staff of Aaron and the golden jar of manna. What happened to those things?
Once the ark was in place, all of the priests come out of the temple to the rest of the assembly and the musicians sing and play their instruments in praise to the Lord. In response, the Lord blesses the efforts of His people and consecrates the temple with His own presence, just as He had with the tabernacle in the days of Moses. He accepts the temple as His dwelling place on earth by filling it with a cloud to hide His glory from view.

We are grateful that we may look on You and live, because You have washed away our sins.

2 Chronicles 4:1–22

2024-09-19T00:00:00+00:00

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The temple did not contain mere empty space, but was furnished with everything the priests needed to serve the Lord. Lampstands provided light because there would not have been room for windows when the storerooms surrounded the Holy Place. Tables to prepare the burnt offerings. The large bronze altar on which the sacrifices were offered. A very large “sea” to hold water for purification rituals. Smaller basins for washing the pieces of the burnt offerings after they were butchered.
Verse 11 is a little confusing when it talks about Hiram making the tools and implements for the temple. We were told in chapter 2 that the name of the master craftsman sent from Tyre was Huram-abi, however his name in Hebrew was apparently Hiram, the same name as the king of Tyre. Though they were both named Hiram, they are not the same person. The parallel passage in 1 Kings 7 doesn’t even mention the alternate form “Huram-abi”.
I think it’s funny that we have so many meticulous details about the design and construction of all these furnishings, from measurements to the number of rows of gourds on the bronze sea, and the number of pomegranates on the caps of the two pillars, even the place where the bronze was cast, yet no one can tell us how much bronze was actually used. It was so much that no one bothered weighing it out and adding it up. It’s like the author wanted to be able to tell us that, but was frustrated that the information was just not there.

You have always equipped us for every good work that You set before us.

2 Chronicles 3:1–17

2024-09-09T00:00:00+00:00

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The Chronicler gives the final results of Solomon’s building project. Solomon followed the building plan that was given to his father David who received it from God when he was told his son would be the one to build the temple. Just as Moses received the design of the tabernacle from God, the plan for the temple also came from heaven and we can presume that it reflects the layout of the temple there. Compared to the parallel account in 1 Kings, we are given more details on the ornamentation that decorated the temple. The returning exiles would not be able to reconstruct the full majesty of Solomon’s temple because they did not have the resources, so I have a bit of a hard time understanding why there is so much emphasis on them. On one hand, it gives the people a goal to reach towards, but on the other, it was also discouraging that they could not attain it.
By modern standards, the temple wasn’t a terribly large building: 120 feet long, 30 feet wide, and 45 feet tall. (Verse 4 says the vestibule, the front part of the temple was 120 cubits, or 180 feet, high, but that seems like a copy error or a misunderstanding of what is being measured, somehow.) However, it was covered with gold inside, the walls, the floor, the beams, and the doors. The Most Holy Place alone, the smallest section of the temple, was covered in 45,000 lbs of gold. (v. 8) Using today’s price for gold, that amount is worth over $1.8 billion. The rest of the temple had even more gold than that.
In complement to the two cherubim on the top of the ark of the covenant, the Most Holy Place also had two large cherubim made of wood. Their wings were stretched out so that each touched one of the walls with one wing and met in the middle with their other wing. They stood guard over the ark and represented the beings that attend the Lord in His heavenly court and worship Him continually.

May we remember Your glory and majesty through physical reminders of the true spiritual reality.

2 Chronicles 2:1–18

2024-09-07T00:00:00+00:00

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While Solomon built the temple to the Lord and his own palace at the same time, the emphasis here is squarely on the temple. The building project was so grand and expansive that many thousands of workers had a hand in the construction. Most, if not all, of these would be non-Israelites living in the land. These would be the descendants of the Gibeonites, who decieved Joshua into a peace treaty, or remnants of other Canaanites, or possibly other folks from farther off who migrated to Israel at some point.
The bulk of the chapter details the agreement made between Solomon and King Hiram of Tyre. Solomon’s father David had a previous agreement with Hiram where Tyre would provide building materials for the future temple. Now, Solomon is setting up his own agreement with Hiram that follows the same lines as the previous one. Tyre provides a master builder or architect and timber of various kinds. In return, Israel provides foodstuffs for the men who harvest and deliver the timber: wheat, barley, wine, and oil. Hiram agrees to the arrangement and appoints a skilled man who is part Tyran and part Israelite. He even includes shipping details that indicate where the timber will be delivered.
Those are the straight facts, but what is more interesting is the way Hiram and Solomon word their communications. In v. 5, Solomon declares that the Lord is greater than all gods. While that’s true and all, it’s kind of undiplomatic when dealing with a foreign country, isn’t it? But then Hiram says in v. 12, “Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, who made heaven and earth…” Hiram acknowledges the supremacy of Yahweh and believes that He granted Solomon his wisdom and the desire to build the temple. In light of that, Solomon’s use of “our God” in vv. 4–5 take on a new meaning. He wasn’t just talking about “us Israelites”, but “you and me”, that is, Hiram and Solomon. Hiram, king of Tyre, was a believer in Yahweh.
As Church-era Christians, we often get stuck thinking that only the Israelites knew about the Lord during the Old Testament times. But our God has been God of the whole earth for all of history. Several Gentiles came to know the Lord before Jesus was born: Melchizedek, Rahab, Ruth, Naaman, Nebuchadnezzar, Darius, a whole generation of Ninevites… God’s promise to Abraham that his descendants would be a blessing to the whole world was certainly fulfilled in Jesus, but blessings had been given before then, too.

Let us recognize Your goodness throughout all of history.

2 Chronicles 1:1–17

2024-08-31T00:00:00+00:00

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In the Hebrew Bible, the Tanakh, 1 & 2 Chronicles are combined into one book, and it comes last in the order. Where in English we would say “Genesis to Malachi” to refer to the entire Old Testament in Hebrew they say “Genesis to Chronicles”. As it is a single work, 2 Chronicles naturally begins where 1 Chronicles ends. David has died, so his son Solomon begins his reign as king over Israel. Solomon begins with a speech to the military and civil leaders who work under him. The contents of the speech aren’t recorded for us, but after addressing the assembly, Solomon leads them from Jerusalem to Gibeon for a worship service. The ark of the covenant isn’t in Gibeon because David moved it, but the tabernacle and the bronze altar are still there. Upon the altar, Solomon offers a thousand burnt offerings to the Lord
What follows is a famous Sunday School story, where the Lord asks Solomon to ask for anything at all, and Solomon humbly asks for wisdom in order to lead the people of God. The Lord grants his request, and also many of the requests Solomon could have made but didn’t, namely great wealth, long life, and honor. It is unfortunate that a lot of Sunday School materials distort the event in their depictions, making Solomon into a young boy who is in over his head. As we see in 1 Kings 2</a>, Solomon has already stopped his brother’s attempted coup, and ordered the execution of several of David’s advisors who went against him in his final years. He even made a marriage alliance with Egypt. Therefore, knowing Solomon has already made weighty decisions as king, it might be more impressive to see him ask for wisdom and knowledge for the good of his people over anything else, than if he were a child overwhelmed by responsibility he isn’t prepared for. It is still a good idea to teach children not to be materialistic, to ask God for help to do the right thing no matter what circumstances they are in.
As evidence that the Lord did grant great wealth to Solomon, the Chronicler gives us details about the horse trade in Israel. Chariots were still cutting-edge technology in the Iron Age, so gathering many of them indicated a powerful military. The great number of horses were most likely a product of several years of trade and breeding programs under Solomon’s oversight. They were imported from Egypt (a gift for the Pharoah’s daughter, maybe?) and Kue, and the prices for the horses and chariots are given. But the horses and chariots didn’t all stay in Israel, but some were exported further north to the Hittites and Syria. By becoming a trade route for such an important good, it is easy to see how the Lord blessed Solomon with such wealth that silver and gold became as common as stone in Israel.

Teach us to value what is good and forever durable over what will pass away with time.

1 John 5:13–21

2024-08-24T00:00:00+00:00

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John’s letter is an encouragement to believers. It is to help them be assured of their salvation and the eternal life they have in Jesus. Because this means we have been adopted into the family of God, He will grant our requests as a father grants the requests of his children. As fathers know, that doesn’t mean the children get everything they ask for. Notice the very important phrase in v. 14, “according to His will”. The prosperity “gospel” charlatans tell people that God wants to give them whatever they ask for if they just have enough faith to donate their savings to the ministry. As if God was a vending machine, or someone who brought you room service for a tip. But God does wish to shower us with blessings, at the right time, in the right amount, according to His sovereign will. If we truly love Him as His children, we should want what He wants, so it is therefore natural that He should grant those requests.
What kinds of things does God want us to ask for? John tells us. When we see our brothers and sisters slipping up, sliding back, and doing what they ought not to do, we should cry out to the Lord to help them repent and turn back to the One who granted them life. The Lord is pleased to save people from their sin, so we should ask fervently that He would.
Now, some might be wondering what the “sin that leads to death” is. (v. 16) Jesus talked about the unforgivable sin of blasphemy of the Holy Spirit, but not in John’s gospel, so that is possible but not very likely. Paul tells us the “wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23</a>) so it does make sense to say that all sins lead to death. What, then, does John mean? There’s a princible of interpreting the Bible that goes “if the plain sense makes sense, use that”. I believe John is speaking plainly and literally here. If we see someone sinning, we can pray for them to repent until they no longer can. If their sin has caused them to die, then there is no use in praying for their repentance. But if someone does come to saving faith, they do not keep on as they were. The trajectory of their life changes, and they do not remain ensnared in the sins that bound them before. They may slip and fall, but the grace of God will pick them back up and set them on their way again.

You are the truth, and You have set us free.

1 John 5:1–12

2024-08-23T00:00:00+00:00

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As our love for our Lord and Savior grows, we seek to obey His commandments, which includes loving our fellow believers. This love, and our obedience to His other commands, stands as evidence of our regeneration. By His power we can resist our sinful nature and fight back against the temptations of the world through our faith in Him who called us to Himself. Our faith in Jesus Christ, the Son sent from the Father to save the sins of mankind.
I wish I knew what John meant by “came by water and blood” in verse 6. Since he makes the distinction that Jesus didn’t come by water only, and we know he was arguing against docetism, it would make sense that “blood” refers to the physical nature of Jesus’s life, death, and resurrection. But what does “water” mean then? His teachings? His spirit? There are apparently some who view “water” as a reference to baptism, either Jesus’s specifically or the sacrament for believers in general. However, John never discussed those in his gospel, so it seems unlikely. John does mention the blood and water that came out of Jesus’s side when He was stabbed with a spear after His death. However, docetism denied the crucifixion by claiming Jesus wasn’t physically there to nail to a cross, so making the distinction of “not by water only” (v. 6) doesn’t fit that idea either.
In spite of this difficulty, the rest of John’s argument is easy to follow: the Holy Spirit, the water, and the blood&emdash;all three&emdash;testify that Jesus was sent by the Father to ransom humanity from their bondage to sin and grant them eternal life. We may hear and accept the testimony of men, but this is the far greater testimony of God Himself. If anyone claims that there is no eternal life, or that it can be achieved without following Jesus, then that is to claim that God is liar. No one can do that and love God at the same time, but even more problematic is that God simply cannot lie. He spoke the entire universe into existence. Whatever He says is the truth because it cannot be contrary to His will. Nothing is outside the domain of His sovereignty. So then, God says eternal life is found in the Son, and anyone who is not in the Son does not have life.

Your dominion is for all eternity, and the truth is Your Word.

1 John 4:13–21

2024-08-20T00:00:00+00:00

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When we are regenerated, the Holy Spirit begins to live within us, and He illumines our minds so that we know the truth of the Father and the Son. Therefore we can know that the Father sent the Son into the world, and why, on a personal level. This is how we experience the love of God, and this love works on us through sanctification. We become perfected, or completed, so that we may stand blameless on the day of judgement when Christ returns to the earth. We were guilty, but we were pardoned because Jesus paid the penalty incurred by our misdeeds. Each new day we find that there are more sins that ensnare us, but also ever-sufficient grace that keeps right with God. We will not fear when the Judge of the Earth returns to balance every account, because His perfect love will have made us perfect, just like Him. There will be no punishment for us, so we do not need to fear it.
This is the same situation for everyone who belongs to Jesus. If He loves them and us with such a great love, how can we fail to love them as well? Could we direct hatred at anyone, say that they do not deserve Jesus’s love, and not have the same accusations leveled against us? Of course, we do not deserve Jesus’s love, whether we hate the bretheren or not, but to refuse to wish the best for another who has received His love shows that we have not received it ourselves. As Jesus said, if we love Him, we will obey His commands, and one of them most certainly was “Love one another.”

Make us perfect as You are perfect. Increase our love for You and Your people every day.

1 John 4:7–12

2024-08-16T00:00:00+00:00

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These few verses explain a lot of what is wrong in the world today. Knowledge of God in a saving way is linked to loving the brethren. “Love is love,” the world says, but what they are talking about is gratification. Instead, “God is love” (v. 8) and His love for us teaches us what love truly is. The Father sent the Son into the world to live a perfect life, die the death we deserve, and rise again to prove His authenticity. All this He did while we were His enemies and hostile to His message and purposes. Most of us would be willing to die for our family. Some of us might even die for our friends or allies. None of us would die for our enemies.
So then, when we have experienced the love of God in such a deep way, it fills up our lives and flows out to those around us. We begin to love as God loves, and we love those God loves.

Increase our love for You and for those around us.

1 John 4:1–6

2024-08-13T00:00:00+00:00

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In the context of loving fellow believers and abiding in Christ Jesus, John takes a hard left turn and gives instructions about discernment. These topics seem unrelated, but remember that John had already established that our love for each other is evidence that the truth is within us. We can use that truth to compare all of the claims we hear in the world to see if they stand up to the light. (“Spirits” in this context are not necessarily external beings like angels are demons, but describe the attitudes and motivations that people have when they speak. Think of the phrases “having a spirit of fear” or “spirit of conviction” and how they correlate to “spirit of the antichrist”. (v. 3)) The best way to spot a counterfeit is to have studied the real thing so well that you can tell when there’s any deviation from it.
The truth that the Bible teaches is that Jesus was fully God and fully man at the same time. (For a fancy theological term, this is called the “hypostatic union”.) In John’s time, there was a movement that taught that Jesus wasn’t really human, for how could God lower Himself to our level? But the gospels report that Jesus got hungry, thirsty, and tired. He felt pain, He bled, and He died.
In our day, it is more common to hear that Jesus wasn’t really God, but merely a man who taught good things. Or maybe he was a spiritual being subordinate to the Creator. But Jesus claimed the covenant name of Yahweh as His own, accepted the worship of the apostles after His resurrection, and was seen by John on the heavenly throne in the very epicenter of worship. No false claim about Jesus can withstand His authority and power, and with the guidance of the Holy Spirit&emdash;who is God, too; don’t forget&emdash;we can know the truth.

You have revealed mysteries to Your people because to know You is to love and worship You.

1 John 3:19–24

2024-08-12T00:00:00+00:00

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So then, if we truly love our brother, seeking his good with our deeds and not just saying that we do, we can have assurance that we are in the truth. Whenever our hearts question our justification, we can use this as evidence that we know Christ and that He dwells within us. I would say it is good to have doubts and questions periodically, because that helps keep us humble. It is better to doubt ourselves and persevere through Him who called us than be overconfident and perish. Remember that the antidote for doubt is the same as your initial unbelief: call on the name of the Lord Jesus and trust Him to save you. You couldn’t save yourself before and you still can’t.
Knowing this, we can choose to do what is good and right because His Spirit is in us empowering us to do His will. As we do these things, God is happy to grant us what we ask Him for, as they are the very things we should want to ask for, as He directs our lives. John reiterates that the Law and the Prophets are summed up in the two great commandments: believe in God and love each other.

Increase our love for You and for Your people.

1 John 3:11–18

2024-08-10T00:00:00+00:00

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One of the greatest ways we make our God-given righteousness evident is the love we have for fellow believers. As it is a command Jesus gave while He was on earth, it makes sense for those who follow Him to carry it out. However, the inverse situation is also true: if we hate believers because of their righteous deeds, then righteousness is not in us. Cain’s murder of Abel is given as the prime example. This example holds true for all of history, as those opposed to God have always opposed His people too. The Pharaoh of the Exodus, Ahab and Jezebel, and also Saul of Tarsus before his conversion.
The love believers have for each other is so strong that it crowds out their love of self and the world. Seeing a brother in need should spur us to sacrifice our own wealth, comfort, or pleasure in order to meet that need because that needy brother is given higher priority than ourselves. Jesus’s sacrifce on the cross is our ultimate example, and while we probably won’t need to go to that extreme, the love we have for each other should be a pointer towards that event. Talk is cheap, but love lasts forever.

Let us grow in love so that the world may know that Your ways are right and good.

1 John 3:1–10

2024-08-07T00:00:00+00:00

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The effect of our abiding in the Lord, and His abiding in us is a radical transformation, affecting the deepest parts of our being. God adopts us as His children, and we become as His begotten Son: holy, righteous, and glorified&emdash;eventually, when He returns. The end result has been fixed, and we are on the proper trajectory to reach it. This trajectory includes the practicing of righteousness and the avoidance of lawlessness. Those who do the opposite are going in the opposite direction. There is no in-between. There is no stasis. You are going to head in one direction or the other, and you will eventually reach eternal life or eternal death.
Verse 6 has caused a lot of fear and doubt in many believers, because of course they still sin. While it is good to “examine yourself” (2 Corinthians 13:5</a> to make certain your life reflects the reality of God’s salvation for you, they miss the context which describes the progressive nature of sanctification. “Practice of sin”, “practices lawlessness” (v. 4), “practices righteousness” (v. 7), “practice of sinning” (vv. 8&endash;9), “keep on sinning” (vv. 6,9). To practice something is to do intentionally do it as often as you can so you can get better at it. “Keep on” is used as a synonym for “practice” here. As 1 John 1:8</a> said, we all have sin in ourselves and must confess it. But as believers who abide in the Lord, we do not practice the things He hates so as to become better at them. We hate what we do in our flesh and seek to do it less and less, by His grace. And we love our Father and seek to do His will more and more, better and better.

Make us holy as You are holy.

1 John 2:26–29

2024-08-06T00:00:00+00:00

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The idea of abiding is the theme of these few verses. It is the idea of living in a single place, dwelling securely so that you are not moved, and staying for an extended time. There are multiple abiders mentioned here, and there is a consequential chain reaction of abiding that relates them together. Back in v. 24, John said the instruction the believers heard abides in them, and because it did they would abide in the Son and the Father. Now in v. 27 he says the anointing they received from the Holy Spirit also abides in them, which allows them to understand the truth of the Gospel. It also instructs them to abide in God, as they do, which in this sense means to remain there, as we’ve already learned that they do abide in Him.
What is the purpose of abiding in Him? It is so that we will be ready when Jesus returns in glory, and cowering in fear and shame because of our sin that cannot withstand His holiness. As we abide in Him, we will eagerly follow His instructions, put off detestable things from our lives, and put on righteousness.

You alone are good, and Your righteousness is unsearcable.

1 John 2:18–25

2024-08-02T00:00:00+00:00

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The spirit of antichrist is what causes apostasy. Though John had much to say about the “capital A” Antichrist, described as the “beast from the sea” in Revelation 13, that doesn’t seem to be what he’s referring to here. Instead, he is talking about those who are literally anti-Christ, who deny that Jesus is who He said He was. They oppose His message, His work, and His authority. They had at one time been sitting under the teaching of the apostles, but then had rejected the truth to go their own way.
In contrast, the believers who have not fallen away have been “anointed by the Holy One”. (v. 20) This is very interesting because “anointed” is the same word as Christ in Greek and Messiah in Hebrew. By being marked as God’s people, believers are imbued with the knowledge of the truth, and it flows out of them in their confessions of who God is. Namely, the Father and the Son are both God, but not the same person. This knowledge allows us to live with Him, and He has promised we will live with Him forever.

Reveal the truth to us so that we may live with You and worship You forever.

1 John 2:15–17

2024-08-01T00:00:00+00:00

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Maybe it’s just where I am in my Christian walk, but these verses are very convicting. While I have long ago given up things that were obviously sinful, my thoughts are still often occupied with video games, delicious food, fantasy novels, and YouTube. There’s nothing wrong with a little of those things per se, but when they start to crowd out my prayers, meditations on the Scripture, and edifying conversations with fellow believers, that is a big problem.
One hundred years from now, no one will care how many games I completed, or what fun books I read. Maybe my potential grandchildren will talk about what my favorite meals were, but the particulars don’t matter. Even this website will be turned off eventually, but it is my hope that each page I write as I study the Bible will earn for me an eternal treasure that can never be taken away.

Make me Your good and faithful servant.

1 John 2:12–14

2024-07-31T00:00:00+00:00

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The Reformation Study Bible notes say that the poem in vv. 12&endash;14 are not addressed to three distinct groups (“children”, “fathers”, and “young men”), but is referring to the same audience in three different ways. This wasn’t something I’d ever considered before, but after looking at the words more closely, I tend to agree. All of the reasons John gives for writing to them in each stanza don’t make sense as separate, distinct reasons because they overlap so much. The children know the Father, but the fathers know the Eternal One. Of course, both lines are referring to the same God. The young men have overcome evil, but they wouldn’t have done that if their sins weren’t forgiven like the children’s. And, of course, we do not have our sins forgiven unless we know the Father, too. However, each reason given for writing also correlates to the description of the audience. Children have to be forgiven by their parents, and they know the Father like they know their fathers. Fathers share in fatherhood with God the Father and with being older than the younger generations, who view them as having lived “basically forever”. Young men are the strongest and are the ones who overcome enemies in battle.

Forgive us our sins, let Your word abide in us, and help us to overcome evil.

1 John 2:7–11

2024-07-30T00:00:00+00:00

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We are now given a paradox, because John states that he is giving his readers a commandment that is both old and new at the same time. Calling the commandment “old” is easy to understand: it is the same teaching that Jesus gave when He was on earth, namely “Sin no more.” (John 5:14</a>) And that is hardly unique to Jesus’s ministry because similar instructions are found all throughout the Old Testament as well. (2 Chronicles 7:14</a>, Psalm 4:4</a>, Ezekiel 3:19</a>)
But what makes this “a new commandment”? (v. 8) It is new in the sense that we now have the perfect example of Jesus to follow, when previously there was none. This is what is “true in him [i.e. Jesus] and in you”. And we can know it is true by the progressive nature of sanctification in the believer’s life as they walk in the light. The darkness passes away in the believer’s heart and they love their brother the way Jesus loved them, not to the same degree, but closer and closer.

Expose our faults in the light of Your glory, and mold us into Your image more completely.

1 John 2:1–6

2024-07-29T00:00:00+00:00

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Wonderfully, John tells us why he is writing this letter. Some people may have read the last few verses about the promised forgiveness of sins as an excuse to sin however much they want. But that is a perversion and an abuse of God’s goodwill toward us. John tells us these words so that we might sin less, not more, and to have the goal of not sinning at all. Think about it: human relationships point to our relationship with God because they are patterned after it. If you know someone loves you and gives you a metaphorical blank check for something, like crashing on the couch, raiding the fridge, or whatever, then you are careful not to draw too much on that social credit when you love them in return.
However, John recognizes that we are not completely free from temptation, and we will still sin from time to time. The solution is still the same as it has always been: confess the sin to the Lord, repent of it, and accept the forgiveness He has given to you because the penalty for it has been paid for by Jesus on the cross. This is what he means by “propitiation”. (v. 2) The just punishment for the sins has been dealt out, not to you, but to Christ. And not only to your sins, but for everyone. If that doesn’t move you to love the Risen Lord, then you do not know how terrible your sins are, and how gracious He is to have dealt with them.
That is why Jesus said, “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.” (John 14:15</a>) This is how we recognize fellow believers&emdash;they are doing the Lord’s work as well. This is why it is important to examine people’s lives and not just their professions of faith. Many have gone out saying, “Lord, Lord”, but they do not act like He is their Lord because they do not do what he says. They have deceived themselves. But when the love for God is truly in us, He uses that to perfect us and sanctify us which brings us into ever closer fellowship with Himself. We become more and more like Jesus when He walked on the earth, doing everything the Father commanded.

Grant to us clean hearts, holy hands, and feet that are swift to bring the Good News.

1 John 1:5–10

2024-07-27T00:00:00+00:00

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John introduces a metaphor that is the main theme of his writing, which he received from Jesus: God is light, and by that light we walk in truth and holiness. Those who do evil deeds walk in darkness instead, even if they say they know the truth and have fellowship with Jesus. Light allows us to see the truth, both within us and out around us. Those who do not walk in the light do not see the truth and therefore cannot understand their true condition.
As the light only comes from one source, the Eternal One, everyone who walks in His light are supernaturally going to walk together, spiritually. That is why we have easy fellowship with other believers, even if we haven’t met them before. We all have the shared experience of being forgiven of our sins by the blood of Jesus, because that is what brings us out of darkness and into the light. John makes it very clear that there is no one in the light who hasn’t been forgiven of their sins. He agrees with Paul that “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” (Romans 3:23</a>) Those who say they’ve done nothing wrong before God deceive themselves, do not have the truth, and are still in the darkness. We who confess our sins, expressing to the Lord that we need His mercy and grace to be made righteous, are forgiven, and our sins are cleansed by the Jesus’s atonement on the cross.

We do not deserve the consideration You have given to us, but we shall be forever grateful that You have lifted us up out of our deaths.

1 John 1:1–4

2024-07-25T00:00:00+00:00

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The First Epistle of John is largely a refutation of the heresy of docetism. This was a belief that Jesus did not come to earth in the flesh, but was some kind of spiritual illusion that only seemed to live among men and die on the cross. Of course, this would have implications on all of Christian theology, and contradicts the eyewitness testimony found in the Gospels.
Indeed, John starts off swinging by emphasizing his and the other disciples’ physical senses. He emphasizes this physical experience so much that it is a little difficult to tease out just what he heard, saw, and touched. But the clues are here: (v. 1) “from the beginning”, “concerning the word of life”, (v. 2) “the eternal life…with the Father”, and (v. 3) “our fellowship…with his Son Jesus Christ”. Altogether, these phrases show that John is proclaiming the way Jesus Christ brought fallen humanity back into fellowship with the eternal God, forever. The way He did that involved real events in real history that John was able to perceive just like any other events he was a witness to. And the reason he proclaims these things is to bring his joy to completion, as full as it can be, which happens when those who hear and respond join in fellowship with him and also with the Father and the Son.

Fellowship with You brings pure, complete joy. Let us long to be closer to You.

1 Chronicles 29:1–30

2024-07-24T00:00:00+00:00

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As Moses asked the Israelites for contributions to the construction of the tabernacle, so David does the same in preparing for the construction of the temple. In addition, however, he models for the people the generosity he asks of them by contributing a vast amount of his own wealth to the building fund. A talent was about 75 pounds or 34 kilograms, so even 1 talent of something was a large amount. David gave thousands of talents of gold and silver towards the construction and decoration of the temple. The rest of the leaders of Israel, even together, were able to give more than David, but not twice as much as he did.
Notice that everyone gave freely what they decided they ought to give. The people loved the Lord and gave abundantly so that He would have a house in their midst to dwell in. There was much rejoicing as they gave their offerings and sacrifices that day.
David leads the people to worship God with his prayer. He acknowledges that everything the people have given has come from the Lord in the first place. He asks that such spirits of generosity and holiness would be found in himself and his people for all their days, short though they are compared to the Lord.
There is an odd phrase here, saying they made Solomon the king “the second time”. (v. 22) It seems that some manuscripts don’t have these words, and it’s difficult to figure out what they refer to. One possibility is that Solomon was anointed as king in private, and this was the public coronation. Another is that Solomon was declared king by David before the people, and then this refers to another ceremony after David died. Yet another is that there are things left out of this history, especially concerning the usurpation of David’s son Adonijah, and there were actually two coronations. Or it was a mistake on some scribe’s part. It’s very hard to tell. While God’s Word is preserved for us, some of the details like this are a bit fuzzy around the edges. But God is faithful to keep His message to us clear, and this difficulty does not really matter to us, if it ever did.
Finally, the Chronicler reports the death of King David and cites his sources for this book. The Chronicles he mentions are what we refer to as 1 & 2 Samuel and 1 & 2 Kings, and possibly other works that are harder to identify as they may not be preserved.

Your Word shall endure forever and ever.

1 Chronicles 28:1–21

2024-07-19T00:00:00+00:00

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David assembles all of the people who were just listed in order to explain to them all of the plans that were listed previously. He gives a public proclamation of his intention to build a temple for the Lord, and how he was barred from carrying out that intention. Solomon is declared the Lord’s choice as David’s heir to the throne, over all of his brothers that may have thought they had a better claim. Remember that the Lord has always chosen differently than the human tradition of firstborn as primary heir. Jacob over Esau, Judah the fourth born over his brothers, Ephraim over Manasseh. David also reiterates the conditions set forth in the covenant the Lord made with him, namely that adherence to the Lord’s commands will keep the kingdom strong and the king’s rule secure. Failure to do this does not negate the Lord’s promise that David’s throne will have one of his descendants forever, but individual kings who fail to uphold the Law of God can and were removed from their position, usually after leading the kingdom into troubled times first.
In the sight of all the gathered people, David gives Solomon the plans he has drawn up for the temple, along with a bill of materials that he has gathered for its construction. Verse 19 shows that these plans were not merely David’s architectural work, but also inspired by the Holy Spirit. Remember that 1 & 2 Chronicles are written for the returning exiles from Babylon, and they will need the reminder that they are rebuilding the second temple to a specification.
David echoes Joshua’s exhortation to “be strong and courageous”. (v. 20) Because the Lord has commanded these things to be done, He will provide everything necessary to accomplish it, despite the size and difficulty of the task.

Your promises are firm and true. Your strength bears up our obedience.

1 Chronicles 27:1–34

2024-07-16T00:00:00+00:00

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Just as the priests and gatekeepers are divided into monthly divisions of service, so are the military officers and the men they command. I’m not sure if this reflects a lack of specialization, where all of these soldiers were expected to work their land when they weren’t serving during their month, or if it is something else. Of special note is Benaiah, the commander of the third division, because he was the son of Jehoiada the chief priest. Priests were not expected or required to do military service, and only sons of priests could serve as priests when they came of age. Benaiah must have been a special case because he is identified as a “mighty man of the thirty”. (v. 6) The thirty attained legendary status by overcoming overwhelming odds in battle, blessed by God to accomplish things most would consider impossible for normal people to do.
After the military divisions, the tribal elders are listed. Each tribe of Israel lived in particular regions, so they also functioned as governors over all the people living in those regions. No population statistics are given in this section because the census that David ordered was ill-conceived, bringing about a plague from the Lord.
Next are those who have charge over David’s treasure, which were organized by material. Money, land, vinyards, wine, trees, oil, cattle, camels, donkeys, and sheep. Each of these had a steward who oversaw their production, storage, and use.
Finally, the lists of people end with David’s counselors and cabinet. His uncle, Jonathan, not to be confused with his friend, Saul’s son. Ahitophel and Hushai both were mentioned in the account of Absalom’s rebellion. Joab also figured prominently in the accounts of King David’s reign.

1 Chronicles 26:1–32

2024-07-15T00:00:00+00:00

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The Levites in charge of the gates to the temple mostly came from the clan of Merari. Again the name of Obed-Edom is mentioned (v. 4) along with his eight sons. This was the man that sold the land of the site of the temple to King David when the angel of the Lord was bringing a plague on Israel. As is often the case, the number of children is connected to God’s blessing. However, the blessing did not seem to stop at mere quantity, but Obed-Edom’s grandsons are said to be leaders of great ability. (_v. 6.)
As the priests and musicians were given assignments by lot, so were the gatekeepers. Their duties, however, were divided into multiple places because there were multiple gates into the temple. North, south, east, and west gates, though not used equally as the temple faced east, so that would be considered the “front’ door and thus used the most.
The accountants and treasurers of the temple came from the clan of Gershon. Technically, the priests were also Gershonites, but since the Lord set them apart even within the clan set apart from the rest of Israel, they weren’t counted that way. Because of the Scriptures’ focus on the priestly line, it is easy to forget that Moses had sons too, and his line continued on through at least David’s time as we see here. The treasurers were in charge of the spoil that was won in battle and dedicated to the Lord, from Samuel’s and Saul’s time to Abner’s and Joab’s, David’s generals.
Lastly, we have judges and overseers appointed over the various towns and villages of Israel. They handled “everything pertaining to God and for the affairs of the king”. (v. 32)

1 Chronicles 25:1–30

2024-06-24T00:00:00+00:00

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The temple musicians are from the families of Asaph, Heman, and Jeduthun. As with the priests, they are divided into twenty-four divisions for the rotation of service in the temple throughout the years. The divisions were assigned by lot, without regard to skill, experience, or prestige of the musicians. While this is objectively fair, it does introduce the possibility for the divisions to be imbalanced in some ways. However, the Lord is sovereign, and the intention behind casting lots is not for “random chance” to decide outcomes, but to explicitly say the Lord is the one who chooses. We can be sure that the results of these divisions are exactly the way the Lord wanted them.
It is interesting to note that the musicians are said to have prophecied with their harps, lyres, and cymbals. Most of the time we think of “prophecy” as foretelling the future, and there is a large part of that, but really prophesying is about relating God’s words to the people. The singers would be singing psalms, giving praise and thanksgiving to God while the people came to offer worship and sacrifices. These songs would contain the Lord’s inspired words and teach the people the truths they needed to know in order to live holy lives.

You have given us everything needed for life and godliness.

1 Chronicles 24:1–31

2024-06-17T00:00:00+00:00

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Having numbered the Levites, the Chronicler tells us of the organization of the priests. Only the descendants of Aaron were appointed to be priests, and only two of his four sons survived to have children: Eleazar and Ithamar. Nadab and Abihu were consumed by fire from the Lord because they were not careful to do as He commanded and to treat Him and his service as holy. By David’s time, there were apparently twice as many priests able to serve in the tabernacle from Eleazar’s line than Ithamar’s. Therefore, they were scheduled twice as much time to serve. It makes me wonder if this arrangement was ever rebalanced as the priestly demographics changed over the centuries.
The twenty-four divisions of the priests are listed. Probably, the only one that would be familiar is the eighth division, Abijah. This is the division that Zechariah, father of John the Baptist, belonged to. It is not recorded here how often the divisions rotated through there temple service, though we know from Luke 1 that the individual priest’s duties within each division were chosen by lot.
From verse 20 we are givien a list of the descendants of Levi again. This time the emphasis is that the Levites were sorted into divisions just as the priests were. The labor of caring for the tabernacle and temple and supporting the service offered to the Lord is organized along family lines. The details of this division follow in later chapters.

You care for us by establishing order and giving us both work and rest in their due time.

1 Chronicles 23:1–32

2024-06-05T00:00:00+00:00

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Did you think we were done with genealogies? If so, surprise! We get the descendants of Levi again, but this time in less detail than we had in chapter six.
The reason for it is to remind the readers that David organized the Levites along family lines. As part of the transition of power to Solomon (which was not as smooth as v. 1 suggests), David makes sure the Levites will know what their duties will be once the temple is built. Back when the Israelites were travelling to the Promised Land, most of the Levites were in charge of setting up and tearing down the tabernacle. They also carried the pieces of it, the altar, the ark of the covenant, and all of the other articles that were used in the worship of Yahweh. Once the land of Canaan was conquered, the tabernacle was set up more or less permanently, so fewer hands were needed to maintain proper order. With the new temple, however, more and different jobs would be needed to keep it up because it was larger and made of different materials.
After the divisions of the Levites are listed, their duties are listed again. It is a useful reminder for the returned exiles, and a good reminder for us that religious life in ancient Israel was a constantly occurring thing. Sacrifices and songs of praise were offered up at the tabernacle and temple every single day, morning and evening. Thirty-eight thousand men sound like a lot of people for a single temple, but they did not all serve at the same time. They went through rotations so they could tend to their families and homes, some of which were in distant cities. However, this still meant the other tribes of Israel needed to provide for the Levites through their sacrifices because they were working so hard in the temple, unable to work the land or keep flocks and herds of their own. It’s a far cry from the way most churches operate today meeting a few times a week at most, so we do well to keep these differences in mind.

You provide all good and necessary things to all who serve You.

1 Chronicles 22:11–19

2024-05-20T00:00:00+00:00

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David’s charge to Solomon to build the temple continues here, but his focus shifts a little. He asks for the Lord’s blessing on Solomon to be a discerning and understanding ruler (v. 12), which will cause him to obey the law of the Lord. This, in turn, will bring prosperity to both Solomon and the land, as the Lord had promised the people when He gave them the law. Political theories have their place, but a leader’s guiding principle should be to obey the commands of God above all, just like it should be the guiding principle of everyone.
Side note: while health and wealth are valid ways for God to bless us for obedience, they are not the only or even the primary way. Joy, peace, and contentment can be a lot more valuable than a full bank account when your boss or children hate you. The “prosperity gospel” lies when it makes God out to be a blessing vending machine. He is so much better than that, and He will be pleased to give you what you need over and above what you want.
David lists for Solomon all of the things he has gotten ready in the temple preparations. Then he says to add to it. Even “bronze and iron beyond weighing” might not be enough for the grand plans David has for the temple. The Eternal One cannot be contained in a merely physical house, but that doesn’t stop David from trying to match His majesty.
When David exhorts Solomon’s cabinet, as it were, to assist him in the building project, he reminds them that it is for the same Yahweh that brought peace to their nation and blessed the land. He wants them to match his own efforts out of gratitude and love for the God who has done great things for them already.

You are worthy of all praise, honor, and glory.

1 Chronicles 22:1–10

2024-05-19T00:00:00+00:00

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This is your periodic reminder that the chapter and verse divisions in the Bible are a later addition and actually arbitrary. In the ESV, 1 Chronicles 22:1 is under the previous heading, and verse 2 starts a new one about the preparations for building the temple.
We learn that David bought the threshing floor from Ornan, near where the angel had stopped when the judgement against Israel ceased, because he intended for the temple of the Lord to be built there. He had already received the instruction that he would not be the one to build it, but he decided to do as much as he was allowed to help the project along. He conscripted labor from the non-Israelites living within his borders, he drafted plans for the construction, and he gathered materials of every necessary kind. Part of his reason was certainly his love for the Lord, which inspired him to want to build the temple in the first place, but he also saw that Solomon was young and inexperienced, and might not do as good of a job as his father could.
Also as part of the preparations, David charges his son Solomon to finish the project, as the Lord had decreed he would do. While David was a man of war with a life full of bloodshed, Solomon would be a man of peace with a restful reign over Israel. As Solomon builds the house for the Lord, so will the Lord build his house and establish it forever. This is a reiteration of the covenant Yahweh had made with David, which is fulfilled in Jesus Christ. Noah had three sons, but the line of promise continued through Shem. Abraham had several sons, but the line of promise continued through Isaac. David had many sons, but the line of promise continued through Solomon. Jesus had no sons, but the promise is fulfilled in Him and He will reign forever and ever.

Your word never returns void, and all Your sayings are trustworthy.

1 Chronicles 21:14–30

2024-05-11T00:00:00+00:00

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As David had requested, the Lord judged Israel through His own actions, and not through the actions of other humans. We aren’t given the details of the pestilence that afflicted Israel, but it was severe. Seventy thousand men died, which is not a great percentage of the fighting force they just counted, but for so many to die in a short time is very disruptive to the life of a nation. Many of them probably had crucial jobs that helped keep things running smoothly, mostly farming-related I’m sure, not to mention the effect this event had on morale.
The destroying angel that brings the pestilence is an interesting figure. This is possibly the same angel that brought the plagues on Egypt, though we can’t know for sure. He also appears to David and the elders of Israel as he approaches Jerusalem, sword stretched out over the city, though the Lord had commanded him to stop by this point. The notes on v. 16 say that it does not appear in the Masoretic Text of 2 Samuel 24</a>, the traditional text of the Hebrew Bible, however it does appear in texts found among the Dead Sea Scrolls which are older than any copies of the Masoretic Text we have.
The angel stops next to the threshing floor of Ornan (spelled “Araunah” in 2 Samuel 24) the Jebusite. The Lord instructs Gad the seer to tell David he should construct an altar there, so he goes to purchase the land from Ornan. The exchange between David and Ornan is very similar to the exchange between Abraham and Ephron the Hittite for the site of Sarah’s grave. Both pay full price for the land to men who weren’t from their tribe even though they were willing to give it for free. (The Jebusites were the inhabitants of Jerusalem before David conquered it.) Ornan is also willing to give the oxen that were threshing his grain to the king, probably because of the angel standing over his property. David, however, knows this would devalue the sacrifice he has been commanded to make and so he pays the full price for them as well.
The altar is constructed, burnt offerings and peace offerings are given, and the Lord responds with approval by sending fire down to the altar from heaven. I take this to mean David (or a priest on his behalf) lit the fire initially, but the Lord sent down fire to consume the whole offering instantly, or nearly so. This makes it like the time when He did so when Aaron first made atonement for the people as high priest in Leviticus 9</a>, but different from the god contest on Mt. Carmel in 1 Kings 18</a>.
The angel puts his sword away, and presumably leaves, showing David that the pestilence has run its course and the judgement is over. David responds by offering more sacrifices in thanksgiving on that altar. However he does not go back to the tabernacle at Gibeon, because he is afraid of the sword of the angel of the Lord. I don’t understand why he feels this way, having seen proof of the Lord’s forgiveness and mercy in a way that very, very few people experienced. Perhaps it is just that David didn’t have the full revelation that we have, which tells us how completely the sacrifice of Jesus washes away the stain of our sin.

Help us to forgive as You have forgiven.

1 Chronicles 21:1–13

2024-05-06T00:00:00+00:00

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On the surface, the fact that David’s census angered the Lord is a bit strange. In Exodus 30</a>, the Lord gives instructions on how to conduct a census, and in Numbers 1</a> and 26</a> He commands Moses to count the people. The purpose of all of these censuses was to see how large a fighting force Israel had. Perhaps David did not levy the half-shekel tax to atone for the people, or maybe he did and should not have because this generation had already been redeemed from God’s wrath. Despite his track record of military victories, perhaps David was trusting more in the strength of his army than in the Lord for future campaigns. We can only speculate.
At any rate, the top general Joab tries to dissuade David, but fails to do so. The fighting men of Israel are counted, except for the Levites as was according to the Lord’s instructions for a census, and except for the Benjaminites, which was not. The Lord’s anger comes against David, and he recognizes that he has acted sinfully. He cries out to the Lord for forgiveness. While it is clear that he is forgiven, the Lord also decrees that there will be consequences for Israel because of the sin of their king.
Interestingly, David gets to choose what the consequences will be. This appears to be a unique situation. I don’t recall anyone getting a similar choice in the form of their judgement. The closest thing is actually the inverse, where Solomon is granted his choice of blessing from the Lord.
The choices David is given are three years of famine in the land, three months of devastating invasion and pursuit before a violent death, or three days of pestilence. These are interesting choices, because David had already experienced two of them, except for actually being killed. Israel had already gone through a three-year famine recently (2 Samuel 21:1</a>), and David had been fighting off invasions for his whole career. Not only that, but he had previously been on the run for his life from both King Saul</a> and his own son Absalom</a>.
David’s choice is to rely on the Lord’s mercy. He asks not to fall into the hands of men, which would be his certain death, but he lets the Lord choose either of the other two options. This may sound self-serving, because now the people will suffer David’s judgement, but they would have suffered the “devastation by your foes” as well. By asking for the Lord’s mercy, David is also seeking to save as many of his people as possible from these judgements.

You appoint our leaders; let them show us Your righteous ways.

1 Chronicles 20:1–8

2024-05-05T00:00:00+00:00

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Chapter 20 starts with the same words as 2 Samuel 11</a>, but does not give any more information about what David did in Jerusalem while his men were at war. No mention is given of his affair with Bathsheba, the murder of her husband Uriah, or the death of David and Bathsheba’s first child. No mention is given either of David’s contrition nor of the forgiveness he received from the Lord. While these things are good for us to know and remember 3,000 years after the fact, they did not fit the purposes of the Chronicles, to encourage the returning exiles in the legitimacy of their status as a nation and as God’s people.
Though David was in Jerusalem for the majority of the fighting at Rabbah, it seems he went there for the final battle to preside over his army’s victory over the Ammonites. The crown of Rabbah’s king is placed on David’s head to show that he is the new ruler of the city and therefore the Ammonites are now subject to the Israelites. This was a very impressive crown, since a talent is equivalent to about 75 pounds (34kg). In contrast, St. Edward’s Crown of the United Kingdom is only 4.9 pounds (2.23kg). In a time when kings were expected to lead warriors in battle, it is conceivable that a man could hold his head up under such a weight, but probably not for very long. Another option is that the crown normally rested on an idol of Molech, whose name sounds similar to the Hebrew word for king, melech. This would make placing the crown on David’s head, even for the briefest of instants, an even more significant event to the conquered Ammonites.
Some time later Israel again goes to war with the Philistines. Few details are recorded here except the names of the Philistines who were descended from the giants, and the names of the men who killed them in battle.

Throughout history we see Your promsises are kept, and Your mercy toward Your people springs forth continually.

1 Chronicles 19:1–19

2024-04-15T00:00:00+00:00

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Sometimes, diplomacy fails, but in this instance it does not appear to be David’s fault. King David had a good relationship with King Nahash of the Ammonites, so he decided to send a delegation to the new King Hanun after Nahash died as a display of friendship. Hanun, however, does not take it kindly. Much like David’s grandson Rehoboam will be given bad advice in his time, Hanun’s advisors convince him the Israelites are spies.
Hanun orders them captured, half their beards shaved off, and their robes cut off at the hips. The delegation is then sent home in disgrace, looking ridiculous, showing off their underwear. (If they even had any; I don’t know what the fashion was then.) Their shame is so deep that they don’t even want to show their faces to their king, and they send messenger ahead to tell David what happened. He understands their position and has them remain in Jericho until they look respectable again. In the meantime, Hanun’s insult does not go unchallenged.
Somehow, anyway. We aren’t told what happens between verses 5 and 6, but Ammon gathers together an army to attack Israel, hiring chariots and horsemen from their neighbors to bolster their numbers. Joab puts his brother Abishai in charge of half of the army so that they fight on two fronts. Abishai will fight the Ammonites and Joab will fight the Syrian mercenaries. They make plans to help each other as needed, but the Lord gives them victory over both groups of forces.
The retreating Syrians call up reinforcements from Zobah, also ethnically Syrians, who had been defeated by David previously. King Hadadezer again joins in battle with King David and is again defeated, this time for good. Zobah then becomes a subject of Israel and no longer an ally willing to help Ammon.

Rivers of water and flows of battle are equally directed by Your hand.

1 Chronicles 18:1–17

2024-04-07T00:00:00+00:00

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Writing from the perspective of hindsight, the Chronicler understands that Solomon was able to build the temple because of the geopolitical environment that his father David was able to leave as a legacy. Many of Israel’s enemies, who have caused trouble for the nation throughout the time of the judges and even since before Canaan was conquered, are defeated under David’s leadership. The Philistines lose territory, the Moabites send tribute, Syria as well when it is drawn into war to help its ally Zobah, and Edom becomes an occupied territory.
But David does not go to war with all of Israel’s neighbors. Hamath opens up diplomatic relations with Israel because they were often at war with Zobah. I suspect Hamath had actually been occupied by Zobah since Hadadezer was called the king of Zobah-Hamath in verse 3. If not outright occupation, Tou was under the foot of Hadadezer as a vassal king, but after David defeated Hadadezer at the Euphrates River, he regained his independence and gifted David with many treasures to show his gratitude. This gifts are dedicated to the Lord and are eventually used to furnish the temple, which again shows David’s humility. He understands that it is the Lord who gave him the victories and not his own might.
The chapter closes with a list of the top officials in David’s kingdom. King David’s example of ruling with “justice and equity” (v. 14) would have to be emulated by these men in order for the kingdom as a whole to experience these virtues. Though Chronicles don’t tell us of any of the mistakes and missteps that surely happened, we, like the returning exiles who first read these words, can look to these standards and hold our own leaders to them as well.

Your perfect justice is a delight to the righteous.

1 Chronicles 17:16–27

2024-04-04T00:00:00+00:00

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David’s response to the Lord’s great promise to him is a lesson in humility and gratitude. The phrases “Who am I” and “what is my house” are David’s confession that he is undeserving of the blessing that God has bestowed on him and his legacy. David compares the magnitude of this blessing, which is great in his eyes (v. 19), with the awesome might of the Lord and realizes that God sees it as something small and easy to do. (v. 17)
David’s prayer continues by recounting other great things that Yahweh has done for David’s people. In particular, he brings up the covenant the Lord made with Israel through Moses, redeeming them for Himself on Mt. Sinai. At that time, God promised to make the Israelites His treasured possession which He would not give up. As the Lord glorified His name then, He will glorify Himself through the establishment of David’s throne and house through all generations.

Your eternal majesty is recognized by all generations.

1 Chronicles 17:1–15

2024-03-17T00:00:00+00:00

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Now that the ark of the covanent has been installed in Jerusalem, King David rests in his house. He looks on what he has accomplished and realizes that something isn’t right. Previously, he had commissioned a palace for him and his family to live in, which is right and proper for a king to do. But now he realizes that the place where he dwells is more magnificent than the one God resides in, which is not how things ought to be. He consults his spiritual advisor, the prophet Nathan, on the matter, and he immediately realizes that David is correct, and gives him the green light to do what he wants to rectify the situation.
That night the Lord tells Nathan, “Well, yes, but actually no.” In all of the years since the Lord made the people of Israel into a nation, He never once mentioned to them that He would live in anything but a tent. The tabernacle was a very big tent, full of splendor, and it was necessary for it to be portable while the Israelites left Egypt for the promised land. Now that David has raised the question, though, the Lord tells him that it is David’s son, the next king, who will build a permanent house for the Lord to dwell in.
That’s not even the important part of God’s message to David, though. Just as the Lord brought David out of the sheep pastures and installed him on the throne of the whole nation, so the Lord has also brought Israel out of the obscurity of being an enslaved people to plant them in the Fertile Crescent as a world power. The Lord promises David that Israel will become established so that they will not be disturbed by violent men trying to lay waste to them. Furthermore, in an ironic reversal that the Lord uses so often, instead of David building a permanent house (temple) for the Lord, the Lord will make David’s house (dynasty) permanent. The throne of David will be established forever, and the Lord will not remove His favor as He did with King Saul.
One may read these promises, look at history since then, and say, “That didn’t work out the way God said it would.” The Babylonians exiled Judah and deposed its king, which is very much on the mind of the Chronicler and his audience. The Greek empire and the Roman empire both did violence to the people of Israel during their occupations. The Holocaust had an explicit goal of laying waste to all the people descended from Israel. But the eternal God plays a long game. It is no trouble to Him to say something will happen and then wait thousands of years before completing it. There may be some conspiracy of nationalists who have kept geneological records and have an heir to David’s throne waiting in the wings for the right time to coronate him. It’s possible, but both unlikely and unnecessary. The Lion of Judah, the Root of David, the Son of God and Son of Man, lived and died on the earth, and lived again before ascending to Heaven. He will again descend to the Earth as its conquering King where He will reign with righteousness and justice forever and ever.

Come, Lord Jesus.

1 Chronicles 16:37–43

2024-03-06T00:00:00+00:00

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With the ark of God set up in David’s city, David proceeds to make provisions for the day-to-day religious life of the Israelites. Priests and Levites were given their standing orders to follow the prescriptions that Moses gave concerning the ark and the tabernacle. The gatekeepers, the musicians, and the priests all were faithful to do their given duty. The Chronicler is emphasizing how important proper worship was to the community at that time, and therefore the returning exiles can be confident that they have what they need to worship properly too.
At this time, the great gathering of people disperses; each person goes to their own home. David returns to his house and blesses those who live there with him. He shares with them the joy and blessing he received from worshipping the Lord.

The fullness of joy is found in Your house, and it will be perfected upon Your return.

1 Chronicles 16:14–36

2024-02-20T00:00:00+00:00

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David’s song continues with a reminder of God’s universality. The religions of the Fertile Crescent mostly featured gods over particular localities. Gods of this hill or that river, the people living in this land, but they would have no power outside of their jurisdiction. Not the God of Israel. He instead is the Judge over the whole earth, and there is nowhere one can go to escape His verdicts.
Yahweh is also a everpresent throughout time as well as space. David, and also the Chronicler, reminds the people that the Lord made a covenant with Abraham to bless the whole world through his descendants forever. Of particular concern during Ezra’s day, the Israelites were promised the land that the Lord had given to them to be an inheritance forever. Part of fulfilling that promise involved protecting the sons of Israel as they fled Egypt and preventing the various groups they encountered from raiding and harassing them.
The song’s focus switches to an evangelistic message, which I had not expected from Old Testament poetry. The Lord is a glorious Savior! The whole world needs to know this fact. They worship dead statues and do not recognize God’s sovereignty over them. But because He loves them, He will accept their sacfrice that they bring willingly to Him. Even creation will bear witness to God’s greatness by joining in the song that His people sing to Him. For the Lord is good and brings salvation, saving His people from the nations that surround them.

Your steadfast love endures forever. Save us with Your mighty hand!

1 Chronicles 16:1–13

2024-02-15T00:00:00+00:00

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At last the ark of the covanent arrives and Yahweh is enthroned in a new tabernacle that David commissioned. Burnt offerings and peace offerings are sacrificed to the Lord according to the Law of Moses. Once all this is done, David distributes a blessing and a celebratory feast to those who attended. The lesson here is that the presence of the Lord is a wonderful thing, and making merry in order to celebrate His goodness and the things He has done for us is itself an act of worship.
David also appointed song leaders from the Levites to make music before the Lord using the psalms that had been written. As before, harps, lyres, cymbals, and trumpets were the instruments they used in their service. While songs had certainly been sung before, David is a font of creativity and gives Asaph and the other Levites a new song of thanksgiving for this most special day.
The song addresses the hearers and calls them to remember the great and mighty deeds of the Lord. They are to bring them to mind so that the nations around them can be told how great their God is. By doing this, their own hearts will be made glad because He has done amazing miracles and wonderful works on behalf of His people. As they remember what the Lord has done, they can be encouraged that He is still as mighty and awesome, and is entirely capable of doing so again to fulfill their needs.

We worship You in gratitude. You deserve all of our praise.

1 Chronicles 15:16–29

2024-02-06T00:00:00+00:00

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Because bringing the ark of the Lord into Jerusalem is such an important event, David instructs the Levites to go all-out with their music making to worship the Lord. They should play “loudly” on their instruments and “raise sounds of joy”. (v. 16) For those who love Him, to worship the Creator is a pleasure, and we should make known how great and awesome He is. There is also the practical consideration that there will be a great many people on the move while the ark is being transported. Without digital amplifiers or anything, the only thing they can do to try to help everyone hear is to just be louder. More instruments, more singers, more music!
The musicians are divided up by their instrument, and the names of the leaders of each section are given. Harps, lyres, cymbals, and the trumpets played by the priests are all mentioned in this chapter. Special mention is also made about Obed-edom (who had been taking care of the ark since the Lord broke out against Uzzah) and Jeiel (and/or Jehiah?) were the gatekeepers for the ark. I take this to mean they were in charge of the Levites who would actually carry the ark on the poles as they walked, and also keep anyone else from coming near and bringing down the wrath of God upon them. They probably didn’t carry the ark themselves, because they were given lyres to lead with, and you can’t play a lyre and carry poles at the same time.
David, the elders of Israel, and the leaders of the armies all went along with the Levites and priests to escort the ark to Jerusalem. Seven bulls and seven rams were sacrificed on the altar to thank the Lord for giving the Levites safe passage while they carried the ark. All the people were worshipping God with joy, and David was dancing among them, but his wife Michal, Saul’s daughter, despised him for acting the fool, as she thought it. The Chronicler doesn’t go into the details, but merely emphasizes that Saul’s bloodline did not follow the Lord as closely as David did.

You deserve our most emphatic, enthusiastic worship. Your glory cannot be contained.

1 Chronicles 15:1–15

2024-02-03T00:00:00+00:00

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Having settled himself in Jerusalem, David decided it was time to bring the ark of the Lord to his capital. This time, we see that he learned his lesson. He has a new tabernacle built, as the old one was still being used at Gibeon where the ark was. He also gathers together the Levites to transport the ark, specifically because the Lord had broken out against Uzzah and the cart. Each of the clans of Levi are represented in the gathering people who will accompany the ark on its journey. The high priests who serve before the Lord are also present, and they lead the people in consecrating themselves so that they may approach God’s holy presence as represented by the ark.

Our sin prevents us from approaching the light of Your glory and holiness, but You have cleansed us and made us whole.

1 Chronicles 14:1–17

2024-01-23T00:00:00+00:00

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Even though David mishandled the ark of the Lord, God still blessed him in other ways. He was shown favor by the king of Tyre, who sent him building materials for his palace and also the temple of the Lord that Solomon would build. David was also blessed with more children while he lived in Jerusalem, and while it is true that not all of David’s children were a blessing to him, those listed here were not as troublesome as their older brothers.
In spite of all the success in warfare David had enjoyed in his career, he remembered that it was not his own strength or leadership that brough it about. He recognized the Lord as sovereign over victories and defeats, so when the Philistines come to overthrow him, he asks humbly of the Lord if it is right to fight against them. Indeed, it is right, and the Lord gives him a great victory. The Philistines had brought their idols to preside over their battle, but abandoned them in defeat, so David gathered them up and burned them to show the Lord’s superiority over their false gods.
Even with this setback, the Philistines go up against Israel again. Some other king might have gone straight out to fight them, riding the high of his last victory, but not David. Instead, he is consistent and asks the Lord if he should fight them again the same way. This time the Lord gives him a different battle order, and the Philistines are defeated again. Through this and othre such events, David’s fame spreads throughout the nations and they tremble for they know that he has a powerful ally in the Lord.
When things are going well, it can be easy to think that your success is all your own doing. But all good things come to us as gifts from God, so we would do well to continually ask Him to guide us.

We are so prone to wandering away from Your good plans. Keep us on the straight and narrow.

1 Chronicles 13:1–14

2024-01-15T00:00:00+00:00

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Having gained the support of the people, the next major thing we are told David does as king is to bring the ark of the covanent to Jerusalem. He doesn’t make the decision as an autocrat or dictator, but asks the opinion of the leaders of the soldiers and civilians. Crucially, it is not merely a popular opinion that he is after, but also whether they agree with him that the plan has come from the Lord. David understood that men may make whatever plans they wish, but if the Lord does not ordain success then it will not happen. That makes it strange, then, that they don’t handle the ark with the reverence that God and prescribed for it when they do move it.
All of Israel is gathered together for the celebration of bringing the ark of Yahweh to be amidst the people. To clarify some history, the ark had previously been taken into battle so that the Lord would bless the Israelites and give them victory. However, they weren’t faithful to the Lord and only saw the ark as a magical talisman, so it was captured by the Philistines. The Philistines took the ark to the temple of Dagon as a trophy, but the Lord kept toppling the idol and breaking it, eventually causing a plague of tumors to break out before the Philistines realized they needed to return the ark to the Israelites. That is how it ended up in Kiriath-jearim in Judah. This happened while Samuel was still a boy, so Saul hadn’t become king of Israel yet, but King Saul and the rest of Israel never tried to recover the ark and treat it properly.
David makes an attempt, though, and all of Israel joins the procession that brings the ark from the house of Abinidab. There is singing, dancing, and much rejoicing along the way, which is entirely appropriate because this is a good thing that they are doing for the Lord. They transport it on a cart drawn by oxen, and Uzzah and Ahio are in charge of keeping them on the right path. At the threshing floor of Chidon, though, one of the oxen stumbles and the cart tips, threatening to dump the ark to the ground. Uzzah, probably without even thinking about it, puts his hand out to steady the ark to keep it from falling, and the Lord strikes him dead.
That seems rather harsh, doesn’t it? It only seems that way because we do not have a correct view of how very, very holy God is. Should the ark have touched the ground? No. But the ark is not supposed to be put on a cart, whether oxen pull it or not. Instead, it should be put on poles and carried by four Levites, as described in the Law of Moses. The ark is not just a fancy box that holds Aaron’s budded staff, the golden urn of manna, and the tablets of the Law. The ark is the earthly throne of Almighty God who sits beneath the shelter of the wings of the cherubim. The Most Holy Place was God’s throne room. The ark wasn’t precious cargo to be carted around. It was a royal palanquin.
Uzzah died because God’s throne was not given the proper reverence, as a warning to all the people that the Lord does not mess around. David was angry, and it’s natural to think he was angry at the Lord, but the text doesn’t say who he was angry at. The text does say hewas afraid of the Lord, which makes sense. Sinners in danger of judgement should be in fear of the Righteous Judge. We can speculate about the rest of his thoughts and motivations, but we can hope he heeded the warning of the Lord and gave the ark to the care of Obed-edom who did show the ark of the Lord the proper reverence.

We are all wretched sinners who cannot stand in the light of Your holiness. Your mercy is unwarranted.

1 Chronicles 12:23–40

2024-01-11T00:00:00+00:00

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In addition to the mighty men, many of the regular troops went over to David’s side to fight under his banner. Chapter 12 shows us that every tribe of Israel sent men to acclaim David as king of Israel, even the Benjaminites who had supported their kinsman Saul. To a modern eye, the numbers given don’t really mean much, but they are actually enormous considering what we know of the population at the time. There are a few possibilities that allow us to reconcile what looks like a contradiction.
It is possible that the word “thousand” is military jargon for a group of fighters somewhat less than a literal thousand. It is also possible the Hebrew consonants could be read as “chiefs” if different vowels are used. This would make the verses read something like “six chiefs with 800 armed troops” for verse 24. Finally, our knowledge of the time period could be woefully incomplete, and our population estimates are way off. After all, it was only recently that extra-Biblical evidence was discovered for King David. Skeptics have thought he was a mythological figure, like Romulus and Remus, for a long time. Just because the Bible doesn’t agree with your understanding of the world doesn’t make it wrong.
The last verses emphasize how unified and overjoyed the people of Israel were about making David their king. All twelve tribes were in agreement, and the coronation festivities lasted for three days. Not only did the soldiers throw a big party at Hebron when David became king, but their relatives brought even more food and drink after them.

We can trust Your Word to be reliable and true for all time.

1 Chronicles 12:1–22

2024-01-07T00:00:00+00:00

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Throughout David’s career, great warriors came to support him from all over Israel. Even while Saul was trying to kill him without cause, men from Saul’s tribe went over to support David at Ziklag. They were skilled with various weapons, and some of them became members of the thirty. Many names are listed, which points to them being real people in history, well-known in their time though they are more obscure by this point.
In addition to the Benjaminites, Gadites joined David at his stronghold in the wilderness. They were fierce and strong like wild beasts. These men were so courageous that they crossed the Jordan River, during the flood season, in order to put Israel’s enemies to flight. To put it in perspective, flooded rivers are fast and strong and not easy to swim in. They also had to carry their weapons and armor which would try to pull them under. After swimming across, they still had the strength to fight and win. It is no wonder that these guys were renowned figures.
When men from Benjamin and Judah came to David, he accepts their loyalty, but he also calls upon the Lord to rebuke them if they betray him for no reason. In response, the Holy Spirit moves Amasai to pledge allegiance to David because the Lord is helping him. From this, we know that these defections to David’s camp are caused by the Lord for His purposes.
Later on, David marches against Israel with the Philistines, and some men from Manasseh desert Saul to follow David. This is an especially interesting period of David’s life, because most of his military career has been about fighting against the Philistines and their influence over Israel. However, when Saul was chasing David, he appeared to join forces with his traditional enemy, though he had to pretend to be insane in order to be believed. The Philistines still didn’t trust David, so they kept him out of the fighting, which was also part of God’s sovereign plan to keep David from needing to betray his countrymen. All of these men were leaders and chiefs, so their support meant a large number of soldiers were enlisted into David’s army, making him quite the force to be reckoned with. And despite the hardships unjustly put on him, David still did not retaliate against Saul.

You always provide a way for us to resist temptation and to follow Your precepts, no matter what cirucumstance we are in.

1 Chronicles 11:10–46

2024-01-03T00:00:00+00:00

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The mighty men were soldiers of heroic proportions. They were strong, skilled, and courageous enough to accomplish things that seem nearly fantastical. These men were the strongest supporters of David, both politically and militarily.
The parallel passage to this one is 2 Samuel 23:8–39, with some alterations. The list of mighty men is divided into “the three” and “the thirty”, though two of the “three” have been condensed into one account here, and the “thirty” is closer to forty-five. The “three” were considered the mightiest among the mighty. Their deeds were the most renowned, the most decisive victories against the longest of odds. And it is clear that the Lord is the one who caused them to have those victories.
The story about the three getting the water from a well in Bethlehem (David’s home town, remember) is very strange to me. I don’t know quite what to make of it. On one hand, it’s a really stupid flex to go past enemy lines to get something very unimportant, just because your king says he wishes someone would get it for him. On the other hand, it’s an extremely impressive flex that they managed to pull it off. I suppose that’s why David decided to sacrifice the water as a drink offering to the Lord. He realized he wasn’t actually worthy of the devotion these three muscle-brains had for him, but the One who helped fulfill their mission was worthy of it. And maybe he watched what he said around them more often after that.
(Really off topic, but this episode reads almost like a video game side quest, or a slapstick comedy. I’m sure they used a water skin, but I can’t help but imagine these three guys running with a bucket, trying not to spill while being chased by Philistines. Hijinks ensue and the bucket is dropped or broken, but they manage to keep the dipper full of water to present it to David.)
We are also told about a couple of men who sound basically as impressive as the three, but who didn’t make the cut to be counted with them. It seems like we get their stories in order to make us more impressed with the three, because our imaginations will fill in the details since the three must be more impressive than these.
After these two, the rest of the mighty men are named. Many are from various parts of Judah, which makes sense as David’s tribe. But there are some from Benjamin, Saul’s tribe, and also some non Israelites as well. The most famous of these is Uriah the Hittite. He was Bathsheba’s husband when David saw her bathing on the roof. The passage in 2 Samuel ends with Uriah’s name as an emphasis that David had many mighty men and did mighty deeds himself, but he was still a sinner. In fact, 2 Samuel continues with another of David’s major sins, so that record is definitely making sure the reader understands how flawed David was. The Chronicler adds some more of David’s supporters after Uriah, and doesn’t address David’s adultery anywhere. He is trying to get the people to trust in the Davidic line as the valid ruler of their nation, which would be hard if he reminded them of the sins he committed.

With Your strength we can defeat lions, strong enemies, and also the sins that entangle us.

1 Chronicles 11:1–9

2024-01-02T00:00:00+00:00

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The Chronicler emphasizes the united nature of the Kingdom of Israel under David’s rule. After Saul’s death, the tribe of Judah raised up David as their king, and it took two years and the death of Saul’s son Ish-bosheth for the other tribes (especially Saul’s tribe Benjamin) to follow him. Here though, we only see the elders of Israel coming together to make David the king of all of the tribes of Israel. They did this because of David’s proven record as a leader during Saul’s reign as a commander in the army. Even while David was being hunted by Saul, he did what was right before the Lord and did not foment rebellion or treason against the rightful king. They also recognized that the Lord had chosen David to be the new king over Israel, having spoken through Samuel years before.
With as important as Jerusalem has been to Israel for so long, it can be hard to remember sometimes that it hasn’t always been the seat of political and religious life of the nation. David ruled from Hebron for seven years before he raised up an army to conquer the city of the Jebusites. He moved into the stronghold of Zion and built up the city surrounding it. Though he had strong men to fight for him, David’s success is credited to the Lord of hosts, as is proper. David’s hosts were as the hosts of the Lord, making His people safe from their enemies on all sides.

Even the will of the people and popular sentiment is under Your control. You are absolutely, eternally sovereign.

1 Chronicles 10:1–14

2024-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

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At last the Chronicler turns to the history of the kingdom of Israel. The first event given is the death of King Saul and his sons at the battle with the Philistines at Mount Gilboa. Saul died by his own hand in defeat and shame, and his body was desecrated by his enemies. Three of Saul’s sons died in the battle as well, though one other survived for a little while to inherit the throne. (2 Samuel 2:8–11</a>) Though Saul’s head was displayed as a war trophy at the temple of Dagon, a strike force from Jabesh-gilead went out and successfully recovered the bodies of Saul and his sons to give them a proper burial.
None of the reasons or prior history with the Philistines are given, but they aren’t really important to the point being made. Saul’s defeat was a judgement from God because of his breach of faith. The utter defeat of Saul’s house at Mount Gilboa showed that the Lord had withdrawn any favor He had once extended to Saul, and the rise of David’s house confirmed who He had chosen to lead His people. Not all of Saul’s sins and misdeeds are listed, but the pinnacle of them is given: the raising of Samuel’s shade by a medium. Instead of asking the all-knowing God for guidance, he sought out an illegal witch in En-dor to speak with the dead prophet, who told him that he should have known better.
Most of this text is very similar to the end of 1 Samuel, with the addition of verses 13 and 14. This chapter is all about teeing up the best years of Israel’s history, the reign of King David. Saul was not allowed to establish a dynasty, and instead of his son or grandson taking his place, his son’s friend received the throne. The hope for the returned exiles is to emulate the faithfulness to the Lord that David displayed so that they may prosper in the land just as their fathers had at that time.

Kings and nations are just pieces on a board to You, subject to Your sovereign rule.

1 Chronicles 9:1–44

2023-12-10T00:00:00+00:00

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Having established the forefathers of the whole nation of Israel before the exile, the Chronicler now tells of those who returned to take possession of the land. Specifically, he talks of those who were first to be permitted to come back by Cyrus in order to rebuild the temple. Not only the tribes of Judah and Benjamin, representing the southern kingdom, but also Ephraim and Manasseh representing the northern kingdom of Israel which was exiled by Assyria earlier. In addition, the priests, the Levites, and the temple servants returned.
Again, we see the focus on establishing the legitimacy of the recombined kingdom of Israel and proper temple worship. Both the clergy and the laity are linked to the norms established by David and the prophet Samuel before him. Even the relatively mundane positions of the doorkeepers and the bakers of the showbread are listed, to show that no aspect of temple life has been neglected.
Now that the geographical and genealogical details of the returned exiles have been established, the Chronicle turns to historical matters, beginning with the united monarchy. However, the purpose of this writing is to encourage the people with good examples of faithfulness to the Lord because He had been faithful to bring them back to the Land of Promise. Because of that, there’s not much that can be said from Saul’s life and reign that fits with that purpose. So, he only gets his genealogy listed again, to establish a point in time for the beginning of the monarchy.

Proper worship in spirit and truth is what You deserve, both for who You are and for what You have done.

1 Chronicles 8:1–40

2023-11-24T00:00:00+00:00

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Much like David’s line was given in great detail, Saul’s lineage is expanded upon from his forefather Benjamin. Unfortunately, we run into the same problems we encountered in the lists of Judah’s sons, which is that the names are not all the same everywhere they are listed. It is not unusual for a person to have different names in the Bible, beyond even variant names. (Gideon was called Jerub-baal, Daniel was called Belteshazzar, etc.) It could also be that Benjamin had a whole bunch of children and they weren’t all listed at one time for some reason.
Verses 6 through 8 speak of exile and children born in Moab. These probably don’t refer to the country-wide exile of Judah when Babylon conquered the land. Instead it would be a more localized exile, perhaps of this particular family, much earlier in the history of the Benjaminites. It could possibly be the same time period as the famine that sent Naomi’s family to Moab in the time of the judges.
After a long list of names and a few of their exploits, we are introduced to the line of King Saul, starting with Gibeon. (Jeiel might be named as the father of Gibeon, but in italics, so we know his name doesn’t appear in the original text. However, his name does appear in 1 Chronicles 9:35</a>, so the translators help us out by adding it back here.) Saul’s son Jonathan is famous from his friendship with David, and Jonathan’s son Merib-baal is more commonly known as Mephibosheth from the kindness David showed him in 2 Samuel 9</a>, but many of Mephibosheth’s descendants are listed afterwards. After 2 Samuel 9, I don’t think Saul’s line is ever mentioned again, but here we see that they continued to do well in the kingdom of Judah.

You have promised to preserve Your people throughout the ages. Your word never returns void.

1 Chronicles 7:1–40

2023-10-24T00:00:00+00:00

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So far, the Chronicler has shown us the lineage of five-and-a-half tribes: Judah, Simeon, Reuben, Gad, half of Manasseh, and Levi. The other five-and-a-half are shown in chapter seven: Issachar, Benjamin, Naphtali, Ephraim, Asher, and the other half of Manasseh.. Unique among the genealogies, some of these tribes have an assessment of their military might, in terms of the number of fighting men they could field. Issachar in particular had a large army, though it is hard to say if these numbers are a total over the whole time period covered by the source records or just from the height of power, or some other significance.
Benjamin is given just an overview, but in chapter 8 we will see a more detailed genealogy through King Saul who was from that tribe. This is similar to the general genealogy of Judah followed by the detailed descendants of King David we saw earlier.
The tribe of Naphtali is recorded to only one generation here, without explanation or excuse. They did not die out that early, because Numbers 26:50 lists 45,400 as the number of the tribe of Naphtali, which was neither the largest nor smallest at the time of the conquest of Canaan. I can only suppose that the historical records were lost or unavailable to the Chronicler when he wrote these things down.
Manasseh’s genealogy includes more names of women than the others. One reason might be that the daughters of Zelophehad inherited directly from their father because he had no sons.
Ephraim’s history tells how a number of his sons, or possibly descendants were killed by cattle raiders, but he had another son who was able to continue the line. It is also interesting that Ephraim’s granddaughter Sheerah is credited with building not just one settlement, but three of them. We are also reminded that Joshua, son of Nun, who led the Israelites after Moses’s death was also from the tribe of Ephraim.
Finally, the descendants of Asher are listed. The Reformation Study Bible has a note saying that the numbers of fighting men here and in chapter 12 seem too high for what we know of the time period. One option is that “thousand” could be read as “chief”, but that doesn’t fit the round numbers very well. Another option is that “thousand” is military jargon for a certain size of unit, like “platoon” or “legion”. Such a term can mean a group of soldiers of an expected, but inexact, size. This could work, but it is also important to remember that archaeology, like all science, is never finished. We may make new discoveries that lead us to believe that populations of that time and place were higher than we previously thought, and able to support larger armies.

Every word that You give us is true, even when we are fuzzy in our understanding of some of the details.

1 Chronicles 6:54–81

2023-10-13T00:00:00+00:00

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For a number of reasons, which are laid out in the book of Exodus, mostly, the tribe of Levi is treated differently than the others. Instead of getting an allotment of land, they are given particular cities throughout the whole country, along with enough pastureland to sustain some herds and crops. These cities were in several places throughout the land of Israel, but they would not be too far away from the tabernacle and then later the temple. The Levites would serve there on a schedule, and when it was their turn, they would not be able to tend their herds or cultivate the land around their city.
The priests, though didn’t even get the land around their city, which was chosen by lot as Hebron. Before David conquered Jerusalem, Hebron was the capital of the nation and the location of the tabernacle. But the fields around Hebron were given to Caleb the son of Jephunneh. By design, the priests and their families were dependent on the sacrifices the people would bring in. If you read through all the different sacrifices in Leviticus that the priests were allowed to eat, and how often they were offered, no one was going to be left to starve.
Verse 60 says the sons of Aaron were given thirteen cities among the lands of Judah and Benjamin, but I only count eleven named. Originally, there were only six cities of refuge, so maybe they added five more, and the other two weren’t cities of refuge? Maybe the other two names were written in the original, but they have been lost to us over the centuries. If that thought bothers you, let me remind you that our Lord is completely in control of His entire world, and if He saw fit to let the names of two of those cities slide away, then He would have a good reason to. He wouldn’t allow that to happen for something important, like what is necessary to be made right with Him. He’s too good and too powerful for something like that to be lost. But the names of two cities? That’s far less important in the grand scheme of things.
Another oddity is what I don’t find among the list of cities. Every tribe on each side of the Jordan River gives cities for the Levites to live in. Except for the tribe of Dan. Dan doesn’t get a genealogy in 1 Chronicles either. The tribe of Dan did not fully settle their original land allotment, and instead moved north of Asher and Naphtali as told in Judges 18. This seems like sufficient reason why their cities were not given to the Levites. They were either in Phillistine hands by the time the cities were assigned, or they were too far away from the tabernacle for the necessary travel. As for the lack of genealogy, I suspect the tribe lost its distinctiveness or died out by the time of the Exile, and there were no records available to tell the Chronicler who the sons of Dan were.

You have preserved Your Word through each era so that we may know everything pertaining to life and godliness.

1 Chronicles 6:1–53

2023-10-10T00:00:00+00:00

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Here is your periodic reminder that chapter and verse numbers are not original, inspired, or anything at all but a tool to help scholars know what text goes where. The first part of chapter 6 is apparently the end of chapter 5 in Hebrew Bibles. I don’t know exactly when they started to get added, but it was apparently after the first century because the writer of Hebrews cites Scripture with “it is written somewhere”.
The Chronicler spends a long time on the sons of Levi, nearly as long as he spends on the genealogy of Judah. As the people from the kingdom of Judah are coming back from exile, they need to be reminded of the legitimacy of their political leaders, represented in Zerubbabel of the line of David, and their religious leaders, represented by Joshua of the line of Aaron.
An astute Bible reader might notice some unexpectedly familiar names in these lists. However, even as today, names get reused, so just because someone has the same name doesn’t mean they are the same person. Seeing “Samuel, the son of Elkanah” made me think of the last judge of Israel, who anointed Saul and David as kings. However, that Samuel, whose father was indeed named Elkanah, was an Ephraimite, not a Levite.
In addition to the names and their families, the Chronicler reminds the reader of the responsibilities and duties the Levite families had in service to the Lord. Before the temple was built, each clan within the tribe of Levi had different tasks to prepare the tabernacle for travel or to get it set up when the camp was laid out. Once the temple was built, some of these duties carried over, but the distinctions between the three clans became less and less. However, the priesthood always stayed within the house of Aaron.

Your faithfulness to Your people is a mercy we could not merit.

1 Chronicles 5:23–26

2023-10-06T00:00:00+00:00

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The third of the Trans-Jordan tribes was actually only half of the tribe of Manasseh. The other half settled in the Promised Land with the majority of the Israelites. I haven’t looked ahead, but I presume that half will get a genealogy in upcoming chapters.
We are told that the half-tribe of Manasseh grew quite numerous and successful. They lived in mountains and hill country, and their leaders are described as “mighty men of valor” (v. 24). They were famous warriors, kind of like a cross between Olympic athletes and war heroes. And yet they did not lead their houses in the way of the Lord. Despite their worldly success, they failed where it mattered most, and the Lord removed them, along with Reuben and Gad, from the land they had worked so had to obtain.

Let us run the race of life so as to win a victor’s crown that only You can give.

1 Chronicles 5:11–22

2023-09-18T00:00:00+00:00

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Gad’s descendants were the second tribe to settle east of the Jordan River, specifically in the land of Bashan. I don’t know of anything in particular about Gad himself to share, so this entry will probably be especially short. The names that are given here are sourced from genealogies that were collected by the time of Jotham king of Judah, and Jeroboam king of Israel. Since Jotham reigned fairly late in Judah’s history (he was the 11th king), this probably refers to the second Jeroboam to be Israel’s king (the 14th king), the son of Jehoash. The more famous Jeroboam was the son of Nebat, the first king of Israel when the northern tribes split off from Judah.
After the genealogy, we are given a story about the triumph of the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and half of Manasseh over the Hagrites. An army of 44,760 men from those tribes went out to war against the peoples across the Jordan River, and because they called upon the Lord to help them, He gave them victory. The Israelites were then able to capture the land, animals, and people of their enemies and lived there until their country was conquered in turn.

You are a great help in time of need, mighty to save.

1 Chronicles 5:1–10

2023-09-14T00:00:00+00:00

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Reuben was an interesting character. He was the eldest of Israel’s sons, and the main thing I remember about him was that he convinced his brothers not to kill Joseph and planned to rescue him from the pit, but the others sold Joseph to the slavers before he could. What doesn’t get mentioned much, because exactly two verses (widely separated) in Genesis talk about it, is that Reuben had relations with his father’s concubine at some point after Rachel died. For this dishonor, the double-portion of the inheritance that is the birthright of the firstborn was removed from Reuben and given to Joseph, Rachel’s firstborn, instead. This is why there is not a single “tribe of Joseph”, but tribes named after his two sons Ephraim and Manasseh.
As short genealogy of the tribe of Reuben is given, probably mentioning only the more famous members or leaders from the tribe. Beerah was captured and taken into exile, but this was before the time the whole northen kingdom was conquered. Tiglath-pileser III of Assyria invaded Syria and Israel and captured a large chunk of their land (including Syria’s capital Damascus), but the kingdom of Israel didn’t fall completely for another couple of generations.
The tribe of Reuben was one of the two-and-a-half tribes that settled east of the Jordan River, along with Gad and half of the tribe of Manasseh. The Chronicles list a few of the places that the Reubenites dwelled as they expanded their territory, and lists a significant victory they had during the time of King Saul.

We are none of us righteous; only You are holy.

1 Chronicles 4:24–43

2023-09-10T00:00:00+00:00

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Ed.: I’m chronically running short on sleep, so length and frequency of posts are probably going to go down. My wife is also going to have a baby any day now, so I don’t see a lot of sleep in my forseeable future.

The genealogy finally turns away from the tribe of Judah and begins listing the other tribes. This is interesting because the exiles were mostly from the tribes of Judah and Benjamin, being from the southern kingdom of Judah. The ten northern tribes were exiled earlier by the Assyrians and dispersed throughout that empire, and did not maintain their cultural identity the way the Jews did in Babylon.
The tribe of Simeon was often associated with Judah, however, and many of the cities listed here were given to the tribe of Judah in the time of King David, so it makes sense for the Chronicler to remind the people of what their territory would be as they returned to the land. When the land allotments were first given, Simeon settled in an enclave within Judah’s territory. We are told here that they did not multiply very much like Judah did, despite Shimei’s twenty-two children. Over time, they probably mixed with the surrounding Judahites and ceased being a separate tribe.
Even though they had few numbers, the Simeonites expanded their borders and grew rich. Their herds and flocks increased on the good pasture land. Some historical markers are given for the timeframe of this expansion, as it is linked with the reign of King Hezekiah.

You have glorified Yourself and will continue to do so throughout history.

1 Chronicles 4:1–23

2023-09-06T00:00:00+00:00

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I suppose chapter 4 begins with the end of the genealogy of Judah. Many more names are given that we haven’t seen before. More families are filled out and we find out where various clans come from.
In the middle of the genealogy, we are given a little vignette from the life of a man named Jabez. It’s been about twenty years, but I remember all the hype caused by the book The Prayer of Jabez. It’s a theological disaster, encouraging people to treat the Lord of the Universe as a prosperity-dispensing genie. So of course the religious unbelievers jumped all over it and the spiritually immature were swept up in the fervor. But that doesn’t mean we can’t learn from Jabez’s life and example.
We are told, rather suddenly, that Jabez was more honorable than his brothers. I don’t see any of his other family members mentioned anywhere, so it’s doubly strange that we are told about him here. However, he did have a city named after him, which showed up back in 1 Chronicles 2:55, where the clans of scribes lived. We are also told that the name Jabez was a reminder of the extraordinary pain his mother experienced while delivering him, which I can imagine was not a fun thing to grow up with.
Jabez’s prayer is actually a fine thing to pray. The Lord delights in blessing His people. We need His hand to be upon us to guide us through our lives. “Harm” could also be translated “evil”, which is certainly something we want to avoid. The expanding borders are a little trickier. According to an article</a> by Steven Lawson, Jabez was part of the army that conquered Canaan in Joshua’s time. In order for Jabez’s borders to be enlarged, Israel’s enemies would have to be defeated, which is something the Lord had made clear He would help them do. Altogether, God answered Jabez’s prayer not because it was a magic formula, or Jabez’s faith was so amazing, but because He chose to glorify Himself to do so. Prayer is more about changing us to get lined up with what God wants us to have and be, rather than changing God to get what we want.
After this we get more names, some of which are famous. Othniel was the first judge of Israel, after Joshua. And we finally see Caleb the son of Jephunneh. Other names are linked with cities, clans, and trade-guilds.

Bless us, O Lord, according to Your good pleasure, for we are undeserving sinners.

1 Chronicles 3:1–24

2023-09-04T00:00:00+00:00

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The descendants of Judah have been listed, up to the generation of David, more or less. Now the focus zooms in on the line of the kings. First, David’s sons are listed, arranged by their birthplace and their mothers. Bath-shua’s (that is, Bathsheba) sons are not listed in birth order, as Solomon is the second of her son’s mentioned in 2 Samuel (and the only one named). Her first died due to the judgement on David’s sin concerning her husband Uriah. Most of David’s children are not mentioned elsewhere, but the ones that are don’t have well-known stories for good reasons.
From here, brothers and sisters are not mentioned as the genealogy follows direct descent from Solomon to Josiah. After Josiah, the kingdom of Judah does not pass cleanly from father to son because of foreign influence, from both Egypt and Babylon. A king would be deposed and his brother set up in his place, or his uncle in some cases. Eventually Judah is fully conquered and the royal family is taken captive while Jeconiah (a.k.a. Jehoiachin in 2 Kings) was king. This genealogy establishes that Zerubbabel is in the line of David. This Zerubbabel was the leader of the exiles who returned to rebuild Jerusalem.
There seems to be some debate about whether the families listed in verses 21 to 24 are desendend from each other or are other Davidic families contemporary with Zerubbabel. The impetus for this view is an early date for the text, close to the time of Zerubbabel’s life. This seems too much like eisegesis to me, imposing a meaning onto the text, when what we want to be doing is exegesis, extracting meaning out of the text. This text lists the sons of a father, picks one of those sons and names his sons, over and over. I believe there is still enough time between the return of the exiles and the reconstruction of the temple and the proposed date of the compilation of Ezra-Nehemiah (they were originally one book) for the author of 1 Chronicles to know about 6 generations after Zerubbabel and also be Ezra himself. The Chronicler wasn’t necessarily Ezra either, but that is the tradition.

Your words are true forever.

1 Chronicles 2:42–55

2023-09-01T00:00:00+00:00

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After detailing the line of Jerahmeel, we go back to the line of Caleb and get even more descendants. None of the names listed in these verses match up to the ones given in verses 18 to 20. They aren’t even close. Sometimes names will be altered like “Chelubai” becoming “Caleb” later on, but those are fairly close if you aren’t strict with the vowel sounds. It’s possible that the “Eprath” (or “Eprhathah”?) from v. 19 got her name shortened to “Ephah” in v. 46. Then again, it might be a copy error, because “Ephah” is the name of a son of Jahdai in v. 47. Who is Jahdai, though, and why doesn’t this genealogy say who begat him or her? Unfortunately, I have not been able to find an answer.
Finally in the middle of verse 50 we see a familiar name: Hur the son of Caleb. However his list of sons doesn’t include Uri from v. 20. It’s very strange to me that all of these family lines are so disconnected in the text, without markers of some kind to show you where the line had left off when there is a reason to take a break. The genealogies in Genesis, Matthew, and Luke are much neater.
The Reformation Study Bible has a note explaining that to say someone is the father of a town probably means that they founded it, or were the leader of that place. It’s hard to know when the Israelites conquered Canaan which towns were sacked and taken over versus which might be built fresh later on as the people expanded.
In addition to the Judahites living in these towns, we are also given a list of clans of scribes. These are descended from the Kenites, which were not children of Israel directly, but had been adopted into God’s people long ago. Moses’s wife was a Kenite, and her father’s family traveled with them into the land of Canaan and dwelt there as part of the tribe of Judah. (Judges 1:16</a>)

Even when we don’t understand perfectly, we trust You to be in control, perfect in Your knowledge and power.

1 Chronicles 2:18–41

2023-08-31T00:00:00+00:00

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The astute reader will notice that “Caleb” in v. 18 doesn’t appear in the list of Hezron’s sons from v. 9. But that’s because “Chelubai” is a variant of “Caleb”, and they are in fact the same person. This Caleb is also not to be confused with “Caleb the son of Jephunneh” from Numbers 13, who was one of the twelve spies sent to spy out the land, who alone with Joshua gave a good report to the people. Even though that Caleb was from the tribe of Judah, I don’t see any mention of Jephunneh in this genealogy.
Hezron’s family, particularly Caleb’s branch, is kind of a mess. Multiple wives, some of them passed from father to son. Hezron himself married again after he was sixty years old, which is fine except that his wife then had children which means she was much younger than him.
Jerahmeel’s branch fares better, though it’s the only one where we are told certain sons died childless. This is also the only place where the names of Jerahmeel’s descendants are recorded. These families lived in the southern part of Judah’s territory. The story of Sheshan’s daughter married to his Egyptian slave is a bit curious, as most Israelites would want their daughters to marry within the same tribe, to keep the inherited land within the tribe. However, David himself had a Moabite for an ancestor in Ruth. This is especially curious considering how much Ezra and Nehemiah were fighting the ungodly cultural influence of foreign husbands and wives among the Jews of their day, returning to the land after the Exile.

All of Your words are given with purpose. Illumine our hearts with Your truth.

1 Chronicles 2:1–17

2023-08-30T00:00:00+00:00

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The genealogy continues with the sons of Israel. However the Chronicler’s focus is the line of David, so only Judah’s sons are listed afterwards. Let me just say, the Bible doesn’t pull any punches when it talks about how bad people are, and the patriarchs aren’t very good role models. Judah’s most important sons in this record are actually by his daughter-in-law Tamar. She tricked him into it, but it worked because he thought she was a prostitute, which doesn’t make him sound any better.
Of the two sons of Tamar, Perez and his son Hezron are part of David’s line, so Zerah and his descendants are detailed first. The most famous of the Zerahites was Achan, who took things from Jericho that were supposed to be devoted to the Lord.
The sons of Hezron are given next, and this time David’s ancestors come first. From here, we aren’t given any names besides direct decendants from Ram all the way down to Jesse, the father of David. We also learn the names of David’s brothers, when we only get three of them in 1 Samuel. But there’s a problem. David is listed as the seventh son born to Jesse, but 1 Samuel mentions a few times that David was the youngest of eight sons. This is especially strange because 1 Chronicles 27 mentions Elihu, David’s brother, who isn’t in this list. How do we reconcile this while maintaining the truthfulness and inerrancy of the inspired word of God? By splitting hairs and saying Elihu was Jesse’s son but not begotten by him. In other words, Elihu was adopted. He was would have older than David, but maybe joined the family after David was born. When Samuel journeyed to Bethlehem to anoint a new king, Jesse brought out seven sons, including Elihu, but not David who was out tending the sheep.
No one ever talks about David’s sisters, but apparently he had two. I learned today that the commander of David’s armies, Joab the son of Zeruiah, was thus David’s nephew. That puts a new color on all of their interactions in 2 Samuel, particularly the incidents with Uriah and Absalom.
And you thought genealogies were boring.

Your goodness is so amazing that it can take our colossal screw-ups and make them work into Your plan.

1 Chronicles 1:1–54

2023-08-27T00:00:00+00:00

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When I decided to study through 1 and 2 Chronicles, I didn’t realize there was an enormous genealogy in the first several chapters. But the die has been cast, and now I give you a crash course in redemptive history. The first four verses cover about 1,500 years of history from the beginning of Creation to the Great Flood. The names given are from the line of promise, from which the long-awaited Messiah would one day arise to defeat sin and death forever.
Now might be a good time to talk about why this book exists. First and Second Chronicles cover a lot of the same material as 1 & 2 Samuel and 1 & 2 Kings. While it strives to be historically accurate in its account, the author is choosy about what events are related to the reader. It was written around the time the Jewish exiles in Babylon were allowed to return to their homeland after 70 years, and the author, probably Ezra the scribe, wanted to remind the people of how good God was to their forefathers in the land. He whitewashes Israel’s history a bit and leaves out or glosses over the disastrous reigns of the wicked kings.
From the three sons of Noah we get all of the different people groups we have today. Japeth and his sons are listed, then Ham and his sons, and finally the line of promise again in Shem. This is the usual pattern in this genealogy; siblings are listed with their children, but they are only there to show how God’s elect fit into history at that time. Verse 24 lists the path from Shem to Abram (Abraham).
Pop quiz: how many sons did Father Abraham have? “Two” is a good guess, but that’s actually the number of times Abraham was married. After Sarah, the mother of Isaac, died, he married again to a woman named Keturah who bore him six sons. So the total number of sons is eight.
The rest of the chapter traces the family tree of Esau, Israel’s brother. His descendants are called Edomites, and they had a rocky history with the Israelites. That belligerent closeness is probably why these verses were left in. Most of the exiles would have known how much the Edomites, so all the details were probably for their benefite more than ours.

Your promises will always be fulfilled, in Your perfect timing.

Galatians 6:11–18

2023-08-24T00:00:00+00:00

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In a at least one of Paul’s letters, the secretary who took Paul’s dictation inserted himself into the letter to send his own greetings to the church. More often, though, we see evidence that Paul pens his own conclusions to the letters. To the Galatians, he tells us that we could see the large letters that he wrote, if we had his original manuscript. (Now I wonder if any scribe tried to capture this style when they copied the manuscript.) I can think of a couple of good reasons why he would do this. In chapter 4, he mentioned that the Galatians would have given him their eyes if they could, which implies that there was something wrong with his own eyes. Perhaps his eyesight was poor or became so, and the Galatians could see these large letters and know for sure he wrote them.
Another possibility is that Paul really wants to draw attention to what he’s about to say. In the very next sentence he exposes the true motivations of the ones trying to force the Galatians to become Jews. During the middle of the first century, there was a movement of extreme Jewish nationalism. It’s adherents chafed mightily under Roman rule and were concerned about the Hellenization encroaching on their way of life. They rebelled and agitated enough that Rome eventually sent an army that sacked Jerusalem and completely destroyed the temple in a.d. 70. Before then, these nationalists would be opposed to the church welcoming Gentiles into its number, so Paul says the Judaizer party is trying to make the Gentile believers into Jews in order to appease the nationalists.
Paul reiterates that circumcision in itself does not affect one’s status. Even those who trust in it can not keep the whole law. Instead, what counts is what Christ has done on the cross and what He works through us because of that. Nothing else matters in this world or the next, so let us make much of Him.

Your grace is more amazing than we can comprehend, and we are able to worship You because of it.

Galatians 6:1–10

2023-08-22T00:00:00+00:00

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Though we are saved by grace, we are still sinners and fall for the temptations that come our way from time to time. When this happens we are to turn away, that is, repent of it, but sometimes we need a bit of help to do so. This is the essence of Paul’s instructions for “you who are spiritual”. (v. 1) When we confront someone over their sin, the goal is for them to repent and be restored to fellowship with the rest of the believers, not to punish them or hold their actions over them or to boast that we have never and would never do such things. Any of these would sinful for us in one way or another.
Verses 2 and 5 kind of sound like they contradict each other. One tells us that we should carry each others’ burdens, but the other says we don’t. I think they key is that two different words are used. I don’t know what the original Greek had, but 5 out of 7 translations I checked used “burdens” and “load”, though one was the Esperanto translation, using ŝarĝojn (“loads”, or “burdens”) and portaĵon (“thing to carry”). Even though all of these translations use either synonyms or the same word, verses 3 and 4 change the subject a bit in between these two words so that they aren’t referring to the same concept. When we bear each other’s burdens, we are helping people work through the hard times when they are dealing with their struggles with sin. When we bear our own load, we are dealing with the effort of doing the Lord’s will and walking in righteousness. We aren’t to try to steal anyone else’s work or try to compare our load with someone else’s. We will get our reward for what we do and no more. God doesn’t grade on a curve.
Verse 6 is could be used to justify pastors getting a good paycheck, and I think that is appropriate. If your pastor is faithfully bringing you God’s Word week after week, explaining it so that it works in your life, then compensate him for the time he spent studying! He doesn’t need to be the richest person at the church, but he doesn’t need to be the poorest either. For what better investment can you make than one that will enrich your eternal life? Just be sure that he is faithfully and accurately handling the word of God, because not all pastors and preachers do that, and a number of them aren’t even saved!
Not only your pastors, but do good to everyone, for the rewards you get will be greater than what you sacrifice. A farmer doesn’t plant seeds hoping he’ll get as many seeds back at the harvest, but to make a profit and have more seeds than that to plant next year. It might sound like a selfish motivation for altruism, but the Lord wants to reward us for doing good.

You are gracious to us in both our faults and our virtues.

Galatians 5:16–26

2023-08-20T00:00:00+00:00

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In most of Paul’s letters, he teaches theology in the first section and then instructs the readers in the practical application of that theology in their lives. The letter to the Galatians is no exception, and this is the turning point. “Because of all that I have just told you,” Paul could say, “always and continuously be doing these things.”
The first command he gives is to “walk by the Spirit”. The meaning of “walk” indicates a pattern of behavior or a lifestyle. “Spirit” is contrasted with “flesh” not because our phyiscal bodies are evil, as some Gnostics claimed, but because God is holy and we are not. Paul often uses “flesh” and “physical man” as a metaphor for our sin-cursed natures, but in other letters he affirms that we will get new, glorified, and still physical bodies when we are resurrected in Christ, just as He was. So then, if we pattern our lives according to the Holy Spirit, we won’t satisfy the evil urges of our old nature. Holiness and sin are opposed to each other, and they cannot dwell in the same place.
The list of sinful behaviors in verses 19–22 are, of course, not exhaustive. If the Judaizers heard them, they would be nodding along because they never would do such things. But then the middle of the list rolls up: “enmity, strife, jealosy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy…” and we can tell that they are condemned. Examine yourselves, beloved, and be certain you have nothing to do with these practices either. But if you do (spoiler alert: you certainly do), then repent of them and ask the Lord Jesus for forgiveness and His grace. And if you stubbornly think, “I can check off all of those; I’ve never done any of them,” then I point out the catch-all Paul puts at the end. Only God is good and sinlessly perfect; He is the standard we are measured against, not anyone else around you. Pay particular attention to verse 26.
The fruit of the Spirit list is well-known, and for good reason. I would like to say it is not an exhaustive list either, but I can’t come up with anything that wouldn’t fall under one of the existing items. Notice that unlike the works of the flesh list, none of the fruit of the Spirit are things you do. Instead, they are attitudes that you have while you are walking in the Spirit. This is because even “good deeds” can be done in the flesh, even such things as preaching (Phil. 1:15–17</a>) and praying (Luke 18:9-14</a>). Remember, we are to walk in the Spirit, which drives out the selfish desires and motivations of the flesh.

There is no one like You, holy and perfect.

Galatians 5:1–15

2023-08-18T00:00:00+00:00

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On the heels of the allegory of the slave woman and the free woman, Paul declares that Christ has set us free for the purpose of freedom and that we should not, therefore, put the slave collar back on. The rite of circumcision has been used by both Paul and the Judaizers as a shorthand for the whole law of Moses. Now, though, Paul is saying that it’s more than a representation, but inseperable from the rest of the law. One can’t just become a Jew only in the body, but in one’s whole life. And if one thinks becoming a Jew is what counts as righteousness, then it is not the one obvious distinctive that makes it count, but a whole lifestyle. But again, it isn’t keeping the law that saves anyone, and anyone who thinks it does is saying to Christ, “No, thanks. I’ll handle this justification thing on my own.” Of course, doing the works of the law out of love for the Lord is not a bad thing, either.
Paul encourages the Galatians to say they had been living out the Christian life well. They just needed to not listen to the agitators who were causing divisions. It sounds as if Paul believes that it is the work of only a very small group. Leaven, or yeasted flour, is often a metaphor for sin in Scriptures, and just as yeast makes bubbles throughout the dough, a little bit of sin gets into everything it touches.
Again Paul refutes the accusation that he has been changing up his message for different audiences, and this time pointing out that it contradicts some of the other things he had been accused of. Either he’s a rogue apostle who’s going against the leaders in Jerusalem, or he’s trying to please them by preaching the need for circumcision to Jewish audiences and preaching something else to Gentile audiences in order to please them, but he can’t really be both. Of course, neither one is true, and Paul is just so fed up with these people leading Christians astray. If circumcision makes someone holy, maybe they shouldn’t settle for just the tip, he says.
As believers we have been freed from the laws demands, but the freedom we have is not a freedom to please our sin-loving flesh. Instead it is a freedom to serve God and His church. The divisions that have sprung up in the churches of Galatia are nearly as important as the division between God and His people. There is a danger that the churches could collapse under the strain.

You empower us to do Your will so that Your church may be built up and Your kingdom is advanced.

Galatians 4:21–31

2023-08-15T00:00:00+00:00

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This allegory between Hagar and Sarah is a little weird, because the law came through Moses who was a descendent of Isaac. But that’s how allegories work; you can’t take them too literally. So then, the slave woman has a son naturally who is born into slavery and the free woman has a son because of God’s promise who grows up free. In the same way, Paul says, Mount Sinai where the law was given and the earthly Jerusalem where the temple was built represent those who are in bondage to sin which the law makes known to them.
Those who are in Christ, however, are represented by Sarah the free woman and the heavenly Jerusalem where God dwells. He cites Isaiah 54:1</a> to emphasize the better position of the children of the promise over the children of slavery. He continues to draw parallels from the story of Hagar and Sarah by showing how the children in bondage persecute the children of promise, just as Hagar did to Sarah after Ishmael was born. But just as Ishmael did not inherit his father’s wealth, so too will those enslaved to sin not inherit the eternal life given to the the children of promise.
Again, we can’t take the allegory too literally, or we would wonder how the Lord’s blessing of Ishmael after he and his mother were cast out comes into play. It doesn’t, and it shouldn’t, because Paul ends the allegory before this event. Instead, he is making the point that those who believe in Christ and the free grace He has shown to us is in every way better than a slavish devotion to rituals and rules that do not have power to save.

You have skillfully orchestrated history for many purposes, in near and far contexts.

Galatians 4:12–20

2023-08-13T00:00:00+00:00

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In his other letters, Paul talks about his evangelism strategy, where he meets his audience in their context. When he first taught to the pagan Galatians, he did not seek to keep himself separate through the ceremonial laws of his upbringing, but showed them that he was a man just like them, a sinner in need of grace. Now he wants them to return the favor by remaining free of the law’s demands because they are free in Christ.
We learn here that Paul was ill in some way when he was with the Galatians, though we don’t know exactly what it was. It might have had to do with his eyes, though some have suggested malaria or epilepsy. Whatever it was isn’t important, but the way the Galatians reacted to it is important. They received him and took care of him in his ailment in spite of the hardship it caused them to do so. But because he was sick and because they took him in, he was able to preach the gospel to them and planted the churches in the region.
The point of bringing this up in the letter is that Paul wants the Galatians to remember the blessing God gave them when they heard his message, and to remember the tender-hearted feelings they had for Paul at that time. He contrasts this with the hard-heartedness that comes from following the legalistic practices of Paul’s opponents. The Galatians know Paul and loved him, and there is no reason for that to change because Paul has not changed nor has his message from God changed. But the attitudes of the Galatians towards Paul have changed, and this causes him anguish and perplexity, which is why he has been using such strong language in this letter. But loves the Galatians still and wishes this were not so.

The pain of discipline and correction comes because You love us too much to leave us in our error.

Galatians 4:1–11

2023-08-12T00:00:00+00:00

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The word picture painting the law of Moses as a guardian is now expanded. While an heir is a minor, he has about as many rights as a slave even though he will be the one in charge eventually. He is told where to go and what to do for most of his day. Paul says the pagan superstition the Galatians lived under before Christ had enslaved them, making them act in the ways it dictated. But then Christ came, allowing them to be set free from their enslavement and to be adopted, becoming heirs in God’s family. “Abba” means “father” in Aramaic, but the connotation is more like “daddy”. It can easily be a child’s first word, at a time when he is completely dependent on his parents. Paul says the Spirit of the Son is saying this in our hearts toward God.
Note the conditions for an heir to be considered a full member of the household in verse 2: “the date set by his father”. In the modern day, children become adults automatically on their eighteenth birthday (more or less, depending on your local laws, I suppose). In the ancient Greco-Roman world, that doesn’t appear to be the case. Instead, a son was dependent on his father to recognize his adulthood. In the same way, we are not justified by living under any teaching for a certain amount of time. It’s wholly on the decision of the Lord.
Paul’s next point is extraordinary. He equates the pagan superstitions of their former lives with the legalistic devotion the Judaizers are trying to put on them. Observing holy days, ritual cleanliness, etc. all have the same power to produce righteousness as the things they were doing before. None. Why then would they try to go back to a system that enslaves them and puts them under a heavy burden of obligation, especially when it doesn’t actually benefit them at all?

You are the source of all righteousness, and we are powerless without You.

Galatians 3:15–29

2023-08-09T00:00:00+00:00

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Because there has been so much confusion about the law, Paul goes on to explain its purpose and its relationship to the grace we receive through faith in Christ. He points out that God made a covenant with Abraham that he would be a blessing to all nations through his offspring. While even in Greek (and I guess Hebrew too?) “offspring” can be used as a collective noun, so that its singular form can refer to a group of offspring, Paul emphasizes that the blessing God promised came through only one of Abraham’s offspring, the Messiah, Jesus. Because the covenant and the promise were established before the law was given, then the fulfillment of the promise is not dependent on the law either. This is what the Pharisees and the Judaizers had gotten wrong. They were trying to attain God’s blessing by keeping the law as well as they could. But if that were possible, then the blessing wouldn’t come through the promise, and that means God would break His word.
That doesn’t mean the law is useless, however. Nor is it opposed to the covenant promise. Instead, they are complimentary because the law points out the need for the promise by exposing sin and revealing to us how big a deal it is to God. It also functioned as a guardian until the fullness of the promise was revealed. A guardian was a household slave who took care of the master’s children. Their job was to teach and correct, even doling out punishments for misbehavior. Additionally, they would act as chaperones and seek to guard against bad influences. Just as an heir is no longer under the guardian’s authority when he reaches majority, we are no longer under the ceremonial law which caused Israel to be distinct and separate from its neighbors. Now, our common faith in Christ allows us all to be unified with Him, regardless of any physical or social status we happen to have.

It is wondrous that You would adopt us as co-heirs with Christ, after all we have done before You rescued us.

Galatians 3:1–14

2023-08-08T00:00:00+00:00

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Paul now shows that the Galatians themselves experienced the indwelling of the Holy Spirit without first becoming Jewish. It wasn’t by circumcision, offering sacrifices at the temple, or keeping the dietary laws that brought the Spirit upon them but His own gracious decision. Miracles were performed in their midst, and they experienced at least some trials because of their faith. If all of these signs that they are truly believers happened to them, why should they now put in some kind of effort to make it happen? Instead, they are righteous in the same way as Abraham, by faith and not by fulfilling a law he did not have. Indeed, through Abraham’s family, particularly Jesus, all the nations of the world are blessed by participating in the same faith.
When Paul cites Deuteronomy 27:26</a>, that verse comes after a list of what might be considered particularly heinous sins: murder, incest, and cruel deception to name a few. But lest anyone see that list and think they are in the clear because they didn’t do those things, verse 26 rolls up and applies the same curse to anyone who fails to uphold any of the things God commanded. Didn’t tell the priest about the mildew on your walls? Cursed. Wore some clothes made of blended fibers? Cursed. Nowhere in the Torah does it say “do this and you shall be righteous”. Fulfilling the laws brings blessing and avoids the curses, yes, but that’s not the same thing at all. Instead the sacrifices were set up to atone for the people’s inevitable unrighteousness.
By taking on the curse of the law by being hung on a tree, Christ purchased us from the curse we put on ourselves by our iniquity. His perfect keeping of the law was exchanged with our imperfection so that He could pay the price we deserved, and thus we receive the blessing that He earned.

We marvel at the price You would pay to purchase us out of our doom.

Galatians 2:11–21

2023-08-06T00:00:00+00:00

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Now that Paul has established his apostolic authority, he addresses the attack saying he was modifying his message to suit his audience. Remember that Peter (called Cephas in Aramaic) was the one to receive the vision of the sheet full of unclean animals before meeting Cornelius the Roman centurion and baptizing him and his household. Peter was also at the Jerusalem council that Paul and Barnabas attended wherein the church officially welcomed Gentile believers and laid out the relatively few expectations of conduct. So then, it is not unusual for him to fellowship with Gentile believers when he visits Antioch. When the circumcision party arrives and Peter starts pulling away and others follow after him in this hypocrisy, Paul has to remind him of the truth of the gospel.
Paul has used “the truth of the gospel” twice now, which is his shorthand for the fact that Christ’s sacrifice is completely sufficient to save sinners. Even the faith in His work on the cross is a gift of grace from the Lord, and to impose any other conditions or requirements is to deny His sufficiency. Paul shows that both the Jews who kept God’s law and the Gentiles who didn’t are not justified before Him in either case. Instead, both groups of people must have faith in Jesus Christ in order to be justified.
The next part of Paul’s argument is a little hard to follow, but I will endeavor to explain it clearly. The agitators were calling Paul a sinner in the same sense he himself used it in verse 15 to describe the Gentiles: one who doesn’t follow the Law of Moses. However Paul responds by saying that if he is a sinner because of his justification through Christ, then wouldn’t that make Christ a promoter of sin? But that cannot be. Instead, Paul claims unity with Christ in His death and resurrection which allows him to be justified before the law. If this were not the case, then God’s grace wouldn’t mean anything; if it were possible to be justified by doing the works of the law, then Christ’s death would also be meaningless.

We are sinners who do not deserve Your love for us that allows us to be justified in Your sight.

Galatians 2:1–10

2023-08-03T00:00:00+00:00

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Paul continues to establish his credentials as an apostle. Fourteen years after his first visit to Jerusalem since his conversion, he returns along with Barnabas and Titus. While Barnabas was a Jew, Titus was a Gentile. While Titus is not mentioned in the book of Acts, I believe this trip is described in Acts 15, when the church in Jerusalem is dealing with the same issues as the churches in Galatia. From Acts 15, we know that Paul has made up his mind and is going to Jerusalem to make sure that he hasn’t been preaching the Gospel to the Gentiles just for them to have to throw it away later.
The Jerusalem council decides correctly, and Gentile believers are not required to follow the ceremonial laws in order to be considered part of the church. Titus did not have to be circumcised, and Paul declares that those who think he needed to be are actually the ones who are not part of the church. “False brothers” he calls them.
As for the other apostles, they didn’t have any additions or corrections to say to Paul’s ministry. Paul and Barnabas had given testimony at the council about all of the preaching they had done throughout Asia, mostly to the Gentiles as not many Jews would believe their message. They perceived that Paul had been given a special calling by God to preach the good news to the Gentile world, just as Peter reached the Jews in and around Jerusalem.

Your perfect will orchestrates us all to accomplish all of Your good purposes.

Galatians 1:10–24

2023-08-02T00:00:00+00:00

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In order to back up his claims that the gospel he preached to the Galatians, Paul relates to them how he received the gospel, his conversion, and his early history with the Church. His opponents had been accusing him of changing his message to suit his audience and that he was a renegade preaching something different from the “true apostles” in Jerusalem.
Paul begins his argument by saying he wouldn’t be a servant of Christ. Most of the time when you see “servant” in the New Testament, the Greek word is more literally “bondservant” which would be better translated as “slave”, with all the connotations that implies. Slavery was very common in the Roman Empire, but it was usually entered into voluntarily and there was more opportunity to buy one’s freedom back than there was in the Atlantic slave trade system. Paul considers his service to Christ as bought and paid for. What he preaches, then, comes directly from his Master and not from some chain of apostolic authority. (Which is how the Jewish rabbis taught: “As was said by my teacher Gamaliel, who was taught by…”; a practice Paul was very familiar with.)
After his conversion, Paul takes great pains to say where he went and whom he spoke with during that time. Shortly after meeting Jesus on the road to Damascus, he escaped to Arabia to avoid those who wanted to kill him. (See Acts 9:23–25</a>.) He returned to Damascus at some point, but only after three years did he go to Jerusalem to meet the other apostles. Yet, when he went, he only saw Peter and James (Jesus’s brother, not John’s) and only for fifteen days. He had already been preaching in the synogogues before this visit that Jesus was the Messiah, and he didn’t need any training or approval from the apostles to do so.
Note how Paul says in verse 15 that his conversion was planned out by God before he was even born, and that it was the grace of God that brought it about. Throughout his letters he brings up both of these concepts. God’s will and His purposes bring about salvation to all who believe, and there’s nothing anyone can do or not do to deter it.

You are mighty to save and only You can bring it about.

Galatians 1:1–9

2023-07-31T00:00:00+00:00

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The book of Galatians was written by Paul the apostle. It says so in the first three words, unlike Hebrews, which we don’t know the author of nor does it really matter who wrote it. For this book, however, Paul is responding to a group of false teachers who are discrediting him to the churches of Galatia. This makes it vitally important to understand who is writing. Thankfully, Paul is very good at putting his name on his own writings, so there is no need to wonder.
Paul identifies himself as an apostle, which is a common Greek word but becomes a kind of technical term in the New Testament writings. The word means “messenger” and it carries a connotation of one who is sent with authority. Thus, the apostles’ authority is not inherent but is derived from the One who sent them. Biblical apostles were personally commissioned by Jesus to lay the foundation for His church. Paul affirms this by saying he is not sent by men but by Jesus Christ and God the Father.
Paul’s greeting to the churches of Galatia invokes grace and peace from the Lord as he does in all of his letters. He reminds them of the good news that he had preached to them when he journeyed through Galatia, specifically that Christ gave up His life in order to deliver us from our sins and the evil that surrounds us.
And then he comes out swinging. Paul is really riled up that the Galatian Christians are listening to teachers that have distorted the truth. He uses very strong language to convey the depths of his emotions about the situation. The Galatians may not have realized it, but they are on the precipice of rejecting the true gospel for something else. Paul is clear that the good news of Christ is the only true way to salvation, and if anyone says differently, even if it’s an angel from heaven or Paul himself, that person should go straight to hell. And then he says it again, he feels so strongly about it.
Beloved, let us not mince words. Damnation awaits those who teach or follow any path other than the Lord’s. Salvation is found in no other name under heaven than Jesus Christ our Lord. If you have followed along with my study of Ezekiel, then you know we have seen how God views sin, and what He does to those who persist and cling to it. Cling instead to the cross of Christ where His death paid the penalty you deserve so that you may live the life His righteousness earned for you that you never could. It’s the only way He will accept you into His kingdom.

Great is Your mercy on us, wretched sinners.

Ezekiel 48:1–35

2023-07-28T00:00:00+00:00

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The final chapter of Ezekiel details the inheritance of each tribe’s land allotment and the placements of the gates of the city. Thirty-five verses sounds like a lot to go through, but they are fairly repetitive and can be summarized in a few words.
Unlike the original tribe allotments described in Joshua, the ones described here are horizontal stripes across the entire country. Additionally, the placements of the tribes differ from their historical regions. In equal measures from north to south, the land is given to the tribes of Dan, Asher, Naphtali, Manasseh, Ephraim, Reuben, and Judah. South of Judah is the holy portion given to the temple, the Levites, the priests, the city and its supporting farmland. This portion is a square in total, and different pieces of that square are devoted to the different purposes. To the east and west of this square is the portion of the land given to the prince, which extends to the east and west just like the tribal portions. South of the holy district and the prince’s portion are the tribes of Benjamin, Simeon, Issachar, Zebulun, and Gad.
The arrangement of the tribes appears to follow a preferential order based on who is closest to the holy district, and thus to the Lord. The notes in the Reformation Study Bible mention that the outermost tribes were born to the servants of Jacob’s wives, Zilpah and Bilhah, while the sons born to Rachel and Leah themselves are closer. While interesting, I think it breaks down when you see that the two groups are jumbled within themselves without regard to who was whose mother. Instead, I think it has more to do with the fact that Judah and Benjamin were the two tribes that remained in the kingdom of Judah after the ten tribes split off, and they were the only tribes to produce kings that God Himself chose (Saul of Benjamin, and David and Solomon of Judah). It’s still all speculation, though.
The gates of the city in the holy district are to number twelve, three on each of the four sides. I had thought the names given to them might reflect the marching order of the tribes as they traveled through the wilderness from Egypt, but they don’t match at all. This time, Levi is given a gate, and Manasseh and Ephraim are combined in their father Joseph.
Last of all, the name of the city is revealed not to be Jerusalem any more, but changed to “Yahweh Is There”. The Lord of Hosts, Creator of heaven and earth, the Almigthy, the Great I AM is in this city. Now and forever, God’s dwelling place is with His people, never again to be separated.

We long for that day, when we can live with You, forever at peace.

Ezekiel 47:21–23

2023-07-26T00:00:00+00:00

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I know I’m going over verses that were supposed to be covered by the last post, but I realized I left out the most amazing part, and I think it’s worth digging into.
This time, when the land is alotted, those who have immigrated to the land of Israel, settled there, and had children there will be given a share of the land. They are to be treated the same as the native-born, blood-descendants of Abraham. At this point in redemptive history, when Ezekiel is telling all of these things to the people, this is unprecedented. There had always been provisions in the Law to treat aliens and sojourners well, but they were usually grouped with the orphans and widows. That is, they were in need of special care because they had less financial and social support than those around them because they did not have any land inheritance. In an agrarian society like those of the time, land was basically equal to wealth, because that’s how you made food to survive.
When the land of Israel is divided up among the twelve tribes again, those seeking to live near the Lord will be allowed to, and they will be given a portion of the inheritance to be established in the land. I’m not sure I can express how big a deal this is. Over and over again in the Law of Moses, God expresses how important it was to the Israelites that the land must be kept within the family. To the extent that if a man dies without any heirs, his brother is to marry the widow and beget children with her who will inherit the dead man’s land. It was allowed to sell land if cash was needed in dire straits, but only to a fellow Israelite, not a foreigner. Furthermore, it should be sold back at the same price at any time, or even just given back for free in the Year of Jubilee.
Now that we have the story of Peter and Cornelius and understand how God is grafting the Jews and Gentiles together into one people in His kingdom, these verses make a lot of sense. But I expect there was a lot of confusion over these verses with anyone who paid attention to them before Jesus came.

You never change and Your plans have been perfect from the beginning.

Ezekiel 47:13–23

2023-07-23T00:00:00+00:00

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The perspective of the vision zooms out even further now. (Well, we don’t know what Ezekiel was seeing here, just what was described to him.) The borders of the whole land promised to the house of Israel are listed. Within these borders, the twelve tribes will be allotted equal portions of it. However, Levi gets a separate portion in the holy precinct, and therefore Joseph ends up with two portions given to his line through Ephraim and Manasseh.
The borders as given are not easy to identify with modern places, but I can still imagine the consternation they would cause to modern Israel’s neighbors. God promises to give everything between the Mediterranean Sea to the Jordan River and Dead Sea, which would include the disputed West Bank and Gaza Strip, but in the north may extend up as far as the area west of Damascus. For the south, I don’t really have a clue. The Reformation Study Bible notes for this section mention the Wadi el-Arish as a landmark, which is apparently in the middle of the Sinai Peninsula.
As the borders of Israel have been a contentious subject for about a hundred years at this point, I will say that I don’t think the commands given in this chapter or the next are meant for anyone in our time. Since these boundaries are given after the vision of the river flowing out of the temple, I think it’s fair to assume that those things need to happen first. While is possible for people to build a temple to the Lord according to the specifications given in previous chapters, the life-giving water is clearly the Lord’s doing. Most likely He won’t do that until Jesus Christ returns to the earth to establish His kingdom, and by then old political boundaries are not going to matter at all.

Your sovereignty extends throughout the ages unto eternity.

Ezekiel 47:1–12

2023-07-19T00:00:00+00:00

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With new law for the temple prescribed and written down, Ezekiel is shown something new. A fountain of water springs up inside the temple, trickling out of the southern half of the east threshold, which is the front entrance. It goes south of the altar, presumably through the courts, and out the eastern wall that has the gate sealed shut. Several other passages of Scripture mention a river flowing from Jerusalem, and this isn’t even the first one. Psalm 46</a> speaks of a river that makes the city where God dwells glad. Jerusalem has never had a river, even in ancient times, but that psalm goes on to describe the end of war because God takes His throne on the earth. Zechariah 14</a> and Revelation 22</a> also describe a river (or two) flowing from the city of God in the end times.
The angelic surveyor guides Ezekiel out of the city and every 500 yards they go, they see how deep the water is.It gets deeper the further east they go: first it is ankle-deep, then knee-deep, and then waist-deep, and finally it is too deep to cross, possibly because Ezekiel can’t swim or it is just too dangerous for anyone to cross. As strange as it is for a trickle of water to become a torrent further from its source, it is not the most remarkable thing about this river. It flows into the Dead Sea, but its water will become fresh because of the river flowing from the temple. Fish will inhabit the no-longer-dead sea, as many as can be found in the Mediterranean Sea, and trees will grow on both banks of the river providing food all year round.
The Dead Sea is so salty because it has no outlet streams, so all the water that comes into it from the Jordan River and other sources simply evaporates. The surrounding land contains salt deposits which are dissolved in the river water and flow into the sea where they are deposited. It is feasible that simply pouring a bunch of water from Jerusalem into the sea bed so that it overflows could actually wash out the salty water and make it suitable for marine life. I don’t know if that would take a supernatural amount of water to do that, but considering how it starts, this is not an ordinary river.

You will heal Your broken world when You establish Your kingdom.

Ezekiel 46:16–24

2023-07-18T00:00:00+00:00

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In between these sections about offerings and how they are prepared, we are told how the prince is to treat his inheritance, that is, the land that is set aside for him. Specifically, he must keep it within his family, just as the land allotted to other families must stay with them. If any land is ever signed over to another person, it can only be kept until the year of liberty, when all debts are erased, slaves are freed, and collateral is returned. This had actually been the law since the time of Moses, but there had never been any evidence that Israel ever observed it.
There also are admonitions that the prince must not evict anyone off the property they own and take it for himself. This was apparently a large problem throughout Israel’s history, and the Lord wants to reiterate how inappropriate it was for the leader of the people to use his power for his own gain at the expense of his people.
The final descriptions and measurements of the temple are given at the end of the chapter. Ezekiel is shown the kitchens of the temple where the grain offerings are baked and the sin and guilt offerings are boiled for the priests to eat. These are at the far western end of the inner court, as far from the outer court as possible. The outer court has four corners where the sacrificial meat for the rest of the people were to be prepared. Worship in Old Testament times involved communal meals as well as sacrifice and prayer.

Your laws and precepts declare Your holiness and benefit all Your people.

Ezekiel 46:1–15

2023-07-17T00:00:00+00:00

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Previously the Lord had given instructions for worship on the great feast days, and now He continues with instructions for the rest of the calendar year, the Sabbaths, and the new moons. In the Hebrew calendar, the new moon marks the first day of the month, and is marked with sacrifices even when it does not fall on a Sabbath. The prince in particular is given instructions on how many animals he is to bring for sacrifice, which is a greater number than what Moses had instructed Israel to bring. Along with the six lambs and a ram for the burnt offering on the new moons and the Sabbaths, the prince is also to bring a grain offering to go with them. An ephah for the ram, a bit more than a 5-gallon bucket (close to 22 liters), but for the lambs, just “as much as he is able”. I’m not sure how one even figures out how much that would be. You have to plan for the fact that you will be doing this at least 5 times a month, and grain harvests only happen in certain times of the year.
Because the eastern gate to the outer court has been sealed, the worshippers must enter from the north or south gates. Here they are given the restriction to not exit the outer court by the same gate they entered in. This is speculation, but I can see a couple of reasons for this. First, we are told that the east gate to the inner court is opened during Sabbaths and new moons, which allows the congregation to observe the sacrifices being offered on the altar. By being required to go in the north gate and out the south or vice versa, everyone will have a chance to look towards the temple and see the place God dwells. This also calls for more commitment. No one can just pop in and out of the temple really quickly just to merely say they were there. They will have to go all the way through and then around again to get back to where they were.
There is also a daily burnt offering, but the amounts offered are again different than what was prescribed by Moses. One lamb in the morning instead of two each day, but more grain and oil to go with it. Because these verses address “you”, I had at first taken this to mean everyone in Israel was to do this. That would have been excessive even in Moses’s day, and really that “you” is a collective “you”, referring to the whole house of Israel.

Even when we don’t understand, we can trust You to have good reasons for all You have done and told us to do.

Ezekiel 45:1–25

2023-07-14T00:00:00+00:00

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With the entire temple area measured, described, and instructions for its use given, the Lord gives instructions for the surrounding land and city. The holy district, set apart for the Lord, is a plot of land some seven miles long (11.2km) and (if we take the Hebrew value of 10,000 instead of the Septuagint’s 20,000) nearly three miles wide (4.5km). I take the value from the Hebrew text because verse 3 states the district with the sanctuary is 10,000 cubits broad, and I believe the extra 10,000 found in the Greek text is because of the plot of land next to it for the Levites. In total, there is a large squareof land with three sections: one for the priests and the temple, one for the Levites, and a half-sized section for the rest of the house of Israel. They get a smaller piece of the city because they will be getting the rest of the country as their inheritance.
That is, besides the large strip of land allotted to the prince. Extending east and west from the city all the way to the borders of Israel are the lands of the crown. Somehow, this allotment of land is connected to an admonishment to the prince not to oppress the people as the princes of old did. The prince will be given his land and must not be greedy and try to take any more from the rest of the children of Israel. Weights and measures must be fair, having proper definitions that aren’t changed from person to person.
The rest of the chapter concerns the various sacrifices and offerings that the prince of Israel is expected to make on behalf of the people. That’s something new and interesting. The details of the offerings could be analyzed, but I want to take a step back and notice that Scriptures don’t talk about sacrifices and offerings on others’ behalf very much. Job sacrificed animals for his children, in case they sinned during their constant parties. The high priesst offered a sacrifice on the Day of Atomenment and put the sins of the whole camp on the scapegoat before sending it out into the wilderness. There may be more examples, but I dont’ think there would be many more.
Now might also be a good time to clarify that these prophecies are not about the Messiah. Jesus is the ultimate fulfillment of the Lord’s promise to David that the throne would never leave his house, but I think there are a couple of big reasons to believe He is not the prince desribed in these last few chapters of Ezekiel. In the first place, there is no need to tell Jesus to put away violence and oppresion and execute justice and righteousness. He’s perfectly good and will do those things because of who He is. Secondly, when He returns in glory to rule on earth again for a thousand years, there will be no need for sacrifices then. He already offered up Himself as the once-for-all atonement for sins; He wouldn’t offer up mere animals for the sins of His people now or ever.

The lengths to which You have gone to save sinners defy comprehension.

Ezekiel 44:15–31

2023-07-12T00:00:00+00:00

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It suddenly strikes me that the Lord is emphasizing to Ezekiel that the priests that serve in the temple are Levitical priests. Israel wasn’t supposed to have any other kind of priest, and it is very rare for the Bible to describe any other kind. (Melchizedek in Genesis 14 is a very interesting exception; all other priests either server false gods or falsely serve the Lord in disobedient ways like the Levites in Judges 17–19.) Let’s not forget all the reasons the Lord has given for Israel’s punishment and exile. The priests that had been serving were letting the people go astray into idolatry and immorality. If foreigners had been serving in the temple, maybe they were serving as priests, too, which would be against the laws for the priesthood that Moses had been given.
We are told that Zadok’s line is the one family of priests that will be allowed to continue serving as priests in the new temple, for they were faithful to the Lord. Zadok served as high priest during David’s and Solomon’s reign. Abiathar was also high priest during David’s reign, but was dismissed from service when he supported Adonijah to be the next king instead of Solomon whom the Lord had chosen.
What follows is mostly a summary of the regulations regarding the priesthood: how they should dress, whom they may marry, and what duties they have to the community outside of worship services. These appear to be a reiteration of what is found in the book of Leviticus, though I don’t remember if there used to be restrictions on the priests’ hair styles before.
Finally, there are instructions for the duties of the people towards the priests. They are to support them financially through the sacrifices offered because the priesthood is not given an inheritance of land among the other tribes. The Lord Himself is their portion, and He provides for them out of the offerings of the rest of the people.

Because of Your holiness, we cannot approach You on our own terms, but must submit to Your decrees.

Ezekiel 44:1–14

2023-07-11T00:00:00+00:00

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The Lord takes Ezekiel back to the eastern gate of the outer court, and he sees that it is now shut. The Lord explains that it will remain that way because He Himself used that gate to enter the temple, and no one else may use it any more, because it is set apart for Him. Instead, the prince of the city will use the gateway as a room to eat bread before the Lord. He will have to enter from the court and sit underneath the wall (which is thick enough to make a whole room when the outer gate is shut).
Finally we are told the reasons for the priesthood to be restricted to the family of Zadok out of all the descendents of Aaron. During the long history of Israel, they were faithful to keep charge of the sanctuary while everyone else was following after foreign gods. At least part of reason for this going astray is attributed to foreigners being allowed in the temple. But before anyone gets riled up thinking the Lord is being racist, these foreigners are said to be “uncircumcised in heart and flesh” (vv. 7 and 9). This means they were not even approaching following the commandments of the Lord, they had not joined His covenant community, and thus had no business being inside the Lord’s sanctuary, where not even the devout lay Israelites were supposed to go. Contrast these with the stories of Ruth, Rahab, and the wives of Joseph and Moses.
Though the Levites and most of the priests led the people astray, they may still serve in the sanctuary, though the priests have been “demoted” to doing the same menial jobs as the Levites. They will slaughter the sacrifices, guard the gates, and minister to the people. But they will not go in to the Holy Place to minister before the Lord.

You are faithful to keep Your covenant and Your promises, even when we fail to uphold ours.

Ezekiel 43:13–27

2023-07-09T00:00:00+00:00

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The laws of the temple that Ezekiel is to give to the people include not only the holy precinct of the temple, but also the instructions of the altar and how it is to be consecrated for use in worship. Because the measurements for the altar specify that they are the long cubit, roughly equivalent to 21 inches or a bit more than half a meter, the whole construction is really large. It is set up as a series of ledges like a ziggurat with the base being 14 long cubits on a side. Since the ledges are two and four cubits tall, there are steps on the eastern side of the altar for the priests to climb.
But the priests aren’t supposed to climb steps to any altar for the Lord, according to Exodus 20:26</a>. That said, the reason given for this prohibition never really applied, because the priests were given undergarments as part of their vestements anyway, specifically to prevent their nakedness from being exposed during worship. In addition to the theological implications of nudity and clothing present throughout the Bible, this was a cultural distinctive for the Israelites in the ancient Near East. This is only speculation, but perhaps when this altar is constructed the steps will serve a new purpose because religious nudity is and will be far less prevalent than it was in the time of Moses.
The Lord gives instructions for the dedication and consecration of the altar. Again the family of Zadok is singled out for the purpose of offering the sacrifices on it. I promise the reason for this is coming soon. The first sacrifice is a bull, it’s blood put on the horns, ledge, and rim of the altar, but the rest of it are burned outside the sacred area. This was the common practice for the sin offering, which was for atoning for unintentional sins. The author of Hebrews compares the Crucifixion to a sin offering because Christ died outside of the city as well. After this initial sin offering, a goat is offered as a sin offering, and a bull and a ram are offered each day as a burnt offering with salt for a whole week. Once these are completed, the altar is consecrated and the people may again offer sacrifices to the Lord as they once had.

The cost of our sin is greater by far than all the animals we could ever sacrifice. Your mercy to us is greater than we can recognize.

Ezekiel 43:1–12

2023-07-08T00:00:00+00:00

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Something new happens in Ezekiel’s vision. The Lord in His glory again appears before Ezekiel’s eyes, just as He had at the Chebar canal, when He commissioned Ezekiel to be His prophet, and when He showed Ezekiel the abominations happening in the temple and the city before He left it to its destruction. This time, the Lord returns from the east to fill the temple with His glory again. The God of Israel passes through the eastern gate, which is something of significance that will be explained in a little while. Ezekiel either hides his face in the ground so that he will not see the Lord with his unworthy eyes, or he faints from the sheer awesomeness. When he says, “the Spirit lifted me up” (v. 5), he is saying that he is made to stand on his feet again, not that he was picked up and moved around.
Then the Lord speaks from within the temple to Ezekiel, declaring that this house is His dwelling place on the earth. Though the Lord is present everywhere, all the time, this place gets the special designation of being where God is said to live. Though He created every family on earth, He has chosen Israel’s family to be His special people to dwell in their midst. This was not a choice made based on any merit they had, or any distinguishing characteristic, but simply because He chose them. We who follow Christ do well to remember that we were chosen in the same way for the same reasons: simply because God decided to show His mercy and grace to us in this way. We wouldn’t even be considering what God would want us to do without that.
Because God is holy, His neighbors, as it were, will be holy too. In the past Israel sinned grievously, just as we all have, but in the future, when God’s glory fills the temple, there will be no more abominations or defiling practices. It looks like there is some ambiguity around what was meant by the “dead bodies of their kings” as that may refer to monuments set up for them. Whatever had happened, it won’t happen any more because only the Lord will be worshipped when all is said and done.
Ezekiel is given instructions to make known to Israel the plans and laws for this new temple. In all of Scripture, this is the only place where anyone besides Moses was given ritual laws for Israel to uphold, The purpose of the temple’s blueprints and operations manual were to bring shame on the readers for the things they have committed against the Lord. If their hearts are pricked with shame, they will be moved to construct a proper dwelling for the Lord.

Your holiness is infinite, and we can only approach it because of Your power and goodness to us.

Ezekiel 42:1–20

2023-07-05T00:00:00+00:00

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Having measured the temple and its contents, Ezekiel is guided back to the outer court, this time on the north side. There, he and his guide inspect the chambers in the wall separating the two courts. Unlike the rooms against the temple, these chambers get narrower as you go higher, because the gallery connecting them gets wider. They don’t have pillars supporting the upper stories, and thus look more like a stepped pyramid. I believe verse 8 is saying that these chambers only take about half as much room as those against the temple. The temple chambers ran the whole length of the building, but these don’t go around the entire court’s wall. Additionally, they were only on the north and south sides of the court. As might be expected, the southern chambers are identical to the northern ones.
In verses 13 and 14, the angel explains for us the purpose of these chambers. After the various sacrifices were offered to the Lord, the priests would be able to eat portions of them in these chambers. Additionally, they would use these chambers to change into and out of the holy vestements, a practice dating back to when the priesthood was established for Aaron and his sons. When ministering before the Lord they were to wear the holy garments made to an exact standard and for this purpose, and when they left, they would wear different clothes so as not to defile the ones for religious work.
After this the angel takes Ezekiel outside the temple complex through the east gate and starts to measure the outer walls. And now I have a problem. I happened to look at a different translation than I usually do, and it didn’t say “500 cubits” the way the ESV does. So I started comparing multiple translations together, and of the ones I checked, most of them don’t say “500 cubits”. Instead, they say “500 reeds by the measuring reed”, or something to that effect. So which is it? According to chapter 40, the reed the angel is using measures 6 long cubits, which is pretty close to 10 feet long. The standard cubit was about 18 inches long. Helpfully, the CSB actually puts the translated measurement of 875 feet into the text, instead of something like 5,000 feet. Considering there are only 100 cubits between the gates of the inner and outer courts, on each of the three sides that have gates, it seems fair to conclude that the real measurement is 500 cubits and not 500 lengths of the reed doing the measuring. Looking up “Temple Mount” on Open Street Map</a> also fits this measument better. Maybe there was some other meaning for “reed”, but it’s not obvious from an English translation.

You provide for Your people and care for them with eternal love.

Ezekiel 41:1–26

2023-07-04T00:00:00+00:00

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The tour moves into the temple itself. Ezekiel’s angelic guide provides measurements for the nave, the doorways, and the temple’s heart, the Most Holy Place. In Solomon’s day, this was where the Ark of the Covenant, the representation of God’s throne on earth, was kept. As before, it is a cube, perfect in its symmetry. However, there is no mention of the Ark here, so it will probably still be lost when the temple is built again.
The rooms around the main sanctuary are arranged in an inverted staircase pattern, such that the third story is wider than the second, which is wider than the first. As best I can tell, there are columns to support the upper stories, separate from the wall between the inner court and the temple. What I cannot tell is whether there is space between the temple and the side chambers, nor why there are two measurements for the “breadth of the free space”. What is certain is that the temple was on a raised platform above the inner court, and there was an outbuilding of some kind towards the west.
The temple building measured 150 feet to a side, and it was square. Wood panels showed decorations of palm trees and cherubim, showing God’s sovereignty over heaven and earth. Inside was the table of show-bread, called an “altar” by Ezekiel, though it wasn’t the golden altar of incense or the altar for burnt offerings which was outside the temple. Other missing implements are the sea of brass used for ritual washing and the golden, seven-branched lampstand. I can’t imagine future Jews neglecting to furnish the temple with a menorah, but I suppose neither Ezekiel nor the angel felt the need to be completely exhaustive in their descriptions.

As Your creation reflects Your character, so does Your house point to Your holiness.

Ezekiel 40:28–49

2023-07-03T00:00:00+00:00

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With the outer court measured and mapped out, the survey vision moves to the inner court of the temple. Like the outer court, the inner court has three gateways with steps to a higher level on the north, east, and south sides. Since the measurements of these gates are not explicitly given, I take it to mean “the same size as the others” refer to the outer gateways. One difference from the outer court is mentioned: eight steps up to the temple instead of seven.
Just inside the inner court’s northern vestibule is a room for the preparation of animal sacrifices. The animals would be handed off to the priests in the outer court, which was as far as the lay people were allowed to go. After being led up the eight steps, the animals would be laid on the stone tables, slaughtered, skinned, and butchered according to the manner of sacrifice being made. The hooks were for draining the blood, which was collected to sprinkle on the altar and to make the meat suitable for eating.
On the either side of the inner court are chambers for the priests to provide service for the temple and the altar. The Lord gives an injunction that only the descendants of Zadok, who was high priest during Solomon’s reign, may serve here. More on this in chapter 44 when reasons for this restriction are given.
The altar for burnt offerings sits in front of the temple in the inner court, and two pillars sit beside the door jambs of the building. These pillars are likely to be recreations of Jachin and Boaz, the bronze pillars set up in front of Solomon’s temple. (1 Kings 7) The temple was even higher than the inner court, with a vestibule containing ten steps.

You create an orderly universe, and You provide security and stability through structrue.

Ezekiel 40:1–27

2023-07-02T00:00:00+00:00

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Long after Jerusalem was destroyed, Ezekiel receives a vision of a restored city with the temple built on Mount Zion as it was before. In the vision, he is taken on a grand tour by an angelic guide. This guide has a cord and a reed, surveyor’s tools to measure the temple. The angel instructs Ezekiel to pay attention to all he sees and hears during this vision, to meditate on them, and to tell them to the house of Israel.
Why would Israel need to hear about this? If they wanted to recreate Solomon’s temple, they have the bill of materials and something like blueprints in 1 Kings. But at this time they were still exiled in Babylon, and it would be another 50-ish years before Cyrus would let them return and rebuild the city. Hearing how large and well-appointed the temple would some day be would give them hope for the future and a trust in the Lord to see it through.
At six long cubits long, the angel’s measuring reed is very close to ten modern feet long. He measures the platform on which the temple complex sits, containing the outer court, the inner court, and the temple proper. The stairways up the platform and the vestibule of the gateway are measured, along with three guard rooms on either side of the vestibule. The court and its decorations are described, and the north and south gates identical to the east gate. Palm tree decorations, like the pomegranates on Solomon’s temple before, evoke images of natural beauty. They remind the worshippers of the Garden of Eden where God first lived with Man.

Your love of beauty brings us delight, and we are grateful you share it with us.

Ezekiel 39:17–29

2023-06-30T00:00:00+00:00

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When the Lord wipes out Gog’s army, we have learned that it will take Israel seven months to bury them all. In the meantime, the Lord will send all of the birds and animals of the field to the site to feast upon the fallen warriors. While this is gruesome to think about, it is actually a mercy because it will prevent disease from spreading and the land from being corrupted with toxins from decomposition. The Lord calls this a sacrificial feast, an upending of the normal order of things. Normally, humans slaughter animals to burn their blood and fat as an offering to the Lord, and eat the roasted meat with the priests.
Because of what happened to Gog and his army, the Lord’s glory will be displayed to all the nations of the earth. Though Israel had sinned in the past, causing the Lord to send them into exile, He will have mercy on them again and restore their fortunes. They dwell in the land securely, and none will be left behind among the other nations any more.
It is because of verse 29 that I don’t believe the modern State of Israel is the fulfillment of this prophecy or any others talking about the restoration of the house of Israel. It may be a precursor to such a fulfillment, or a symbol of it, but it’s not the final fulfillment. Unless I’m completely out of the loop, I don’t see a great pouring out of the Lord’s Spirit upon the Jewish people. Yet. I am sure it will happen some day, though. I know some have tried to connect the Arab-Israeli War and the Six Day War with events in Biblical prophecy, but you shouldn’t have to squint and twist events to make them fit the text. Biblical prophecies are obvious after the fact, and completely accurate.

Gracious and merciful are all Your ways, O Lord.

Ezekiel 39:1–16

2023-06-27T00:00:00+00:00

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To this point the prophecies against Gog have been general and corporate, referring to the judgements delivered to his armies. Now, they become specific and personal. The Lord addresses Gog by name and title ^{1</a>, speaking in the second person now instead of
the third (i.e., speaking to Gog instead of about Gog). He will be lead out
into the mountains of Israel, and there he will fall without his weapons in
hand. He and his army will die in the open, and become food for the birds of
the air and beasts of the field.}
Through this judgement, then Lord displays His holiness and defends His name. This event will be known across the world when it happens. So great will Gog’s army be that it will take seven years to burn their weapons and shields for fuel. The army that came to plunder Israel is instead the one plundered. After they have been defeated, it will take seven months to bury them all. Though there are dedicated workers going through the land to find all of the slain, they will still be finding human bones. But eventually the land will be cleansed of the corruption caused by death.

No one can stand against Your might and Your wrath.
[1]</a>: Some people take the Hebrew word used in “chief prince”, ro’sh, to mean Rosh, a variant on the root name in Russia. This is then used to connect these prophecies with the modern-day Russia. However, the name for Russia or its people wouldn’t be known to the Levant region for at least a thousand years after Ezekiel’s day. Furthermore, it is very rare for the Lord to name names in prophecies of the future. Contrast Isaiah 44:28 with Daniel 7–12. Cyrus was told about his appearance in prophecy, but Alexander the Great and Antiochus IV were not (I presume).

Ezekiel 38:17–23

2023-06-26T00:00:00+00:00

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Ezekiel spends a lot of time talking about Gog and the things that will happen to him, so when the Lord asks the question in verse 17, it is a bit confusing. Nowhere else in the Old Testament is Gog mentioned, though there are some other prophecies of enemies coming from the north. So then, is Gog the one the Lord spoke of through His prophets for years? Apparently not! There are not many instances of the Lord being sarcastic, but I believe this is one of them. Gog amasses a great army and thinks he’s going to be this famous conquering invader whose coming is foretold for a long time.
Instead he’s treated as a footnote. Ezekiel recorded more words for the destruction of Tyre than Gog gets in the entire Bible. Furthermore, Gog’s accomplishments amount to only assembling an army and provoking the wrath of the Lord. As this army marches against Israel, they are opposed and stopped by only one Warrior. The Lord Himself rises to defend the land of His people, and His presence is felt across the whole world. An earthquake sends mountains, cliffs, and walls tumbling down; Gog’s army begins fighting itself; rain, hailstones, fire, and sulfur comed down in torrents upon them. The combined might of the world are pitted against the holiness of Yahweh, and they are outmatched.

There is no one like You in might, righteousness, and holiness.

Ezekiel 38:1–16

2023-06-24T00:00:00+00:00

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Things are going to start getting weird now, as if they haven’t been weird in Ezekiel already. The word of the Lord to Ezekiel concerns a prophecy against Gog, the prince of Magog, Meshech, and Tubal. Unfortunately, no one can really figure out who Gog is or where Magog is. Meshech and Tubal are tribes of Anatolia, located in modern-day Turkey, but that doesn’t help much either.
What we can tell from this prophecy about Gog is that he is an enemy of the Lord. He leads a tremendously large army; a coalition of several nations: Persia, Cush, Put, Gomer, and Beth-togarmah. Why has the Lord said He is against Gog and his army? Because they are marching against Israel, after the Lord had restored the people to their land. They come as an innumerable horde, overshadowing the land with their multitude.
When does this happen? The clue we are given is in verse 8: “after many days” and “in the latter years”. There are also similarities in chapter 39 to events John describes in Revelation, not just the names Gog and Magog, but we’ll discuss those when we get there. Based on this, we can expect these events to happen in the end times, even after the millenial reign of Christ and His saints. I think this might explain, from our modern perspective, why this great army is equipped with primitive weapons like swords and shields, riding horses instead of automobiles. Not only would Ezekiel not have words to describe a modern soldier, but after 1,000 years of world-wide peace, all of the infrastructure to produce modern weapons would have been repurposed or just never rebuilt after the judgements inflicted on the earth through most of Revelation.
The Lord tells us that there will come a day when Gog will devise an evil scheme to go against the peaceful land of Israel to carry off plunder because they do not have defensive walls. Sheba, Dedan, and Tarshish were famous merchants and traders of Ezekiel’s day, and they are used to show that the nations that aren’t part of the evil coalition directly are hoping to profit from the ill-gotten gains that Gog hopes to acquire.
However, Gog’s plan is also part of the Lord’s plan to vindicate His holy name, and Gog will not accomplish anything but his own destruction.

You know all the thoughts of man and are sovereign over them.

Ezekiel 37:15–28

2023-06-22T00:00:00+00:00

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Now that the vision of the dry bones has been completed, Ezekiel brings another message of peace and restoration to the exiles. To make a visual aid for the Lord’s message, he takes two sticks and writes on them the names “Judah” and “Ephraim”. These were the names of the two main tribes of the southern and northern kingdoms of Israel, respectively. Though these were the main tribes, the sticks each represent all of the tribes of their kingdom.
Ezekiel then joins the sticks together into one stick in his hand. The people see this and they ask what he means by doing that. Now, they aren’t stupid; it’s obvious what that signifies, so I’m sure they have an idea. What they want him to do is to explain the details. He has their attention, and now they want him to speak clearly.
He tells them that the Lord has plans to bring together all of His chosen people from the nations back to the land that He had promised their forefathers. No longer will they be two nations and kingdoms, but one people as they were before. When He does, He will set up His servant David to be their king forever. Their children will multiply and inhabit the land forever. But not only that, God Himself will set up His sanctuary on earth and permanently dwell with His people forever.
Two sticks being brought together in a hand certainly mean something significant when the prophet of the Lord does it, but I doubt they expected all this. They had had the Messianic prophecies of Isaiah and Micah for about a hundred years by this point, but I don’t think there was much understanding about what His appearance would mean for them yet.

Your lovingkindness is bountiful and comforts Your people through all ages.

Ezekiel 37:1–14

2023-06-19T00:00:00+00:00

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Ezekiel’s vision of dry bones is one of the major texts in the Old Testament to deal with the topic of resurrection. However, like the other texts, it doesn’t explain very much about it besides stating it will happen. Even still, there are some things we can learn from it.
In the same way the Lord showed him a vision of Jerusalem, Ezekiel is shown a vision of a valley, or plain. All over this valley are many human bones, and Ezekiel emphasizes how dry they are. Bones are not particularly dry, normally. They are full of marrow and blood vessels, and while the outsides are hard, the insides are soft and spongy. Thus, we know these bones have been out in the open for a long time. How did they get there? Why weren’t they buried? Does this vision represent a real future event, or is it a set-piece merely to convey God’s message? Each of the possible answers have implications, but there seems to be no way to know for sure.
More important in any case is what the Lord intends for us to know and learn from this vision. He tells Ezekiel to tell the dry bones to live again, and be covered in sinew and flesh once more. In Hebrew, there is only one word to mean “breath”, “spirit”, and “wind”. Our English translations use context to decide which meaning to use, but I think it is useful to mentally overlay all three words in the verse whenever you see one of them.
In the same way that God breathed life into Adam when he was created, the Lord breathes life into these previously dry bones. We are then told these people represent the house of Israel, and this vision is given to provide hope to those who think the Lord has punished them so severely that they can never recover. These bones were not buried, but the Lord will open up the graves of His people to bring out their dry bones and fill them up with His Spirit (breath/wind) so that they will live again. And because they live, He will put them back in the land He promised to them, where they shall be a memorial to His mighty and glorious Name.

Only You can create life and only You can defeat death.

Ezekiel 36:16–38

2023-06-18T00:00:00+00:00

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Here the Lord reiterates His reasons for punishing Israel with exile, but then continues to explain why He will also restore them to the land He had promised to give them. They had rejected His covanent and followed after false gods, so He scattered them to many different nations. But then these nations began to question the power of the Lord, whose people these were, living in a foreign land instead of their own. Therefore the Lord acted in ways only He could, to restore Israel to the place they belonged.
Not only does He bring them back to the land, but He purifies them, removing the sin from them, and giving them hearts that will pursue righteousness instead of corruption. As they follow in the ways He has laid out for them, the Lord will also bless the land and cause the crops to give abundance. Note the remorse the people will feel for the wicked ways they once did once they have been cleansed. The divine heart transplant the Lord performs in His regenerated people affects not only the outward behavior but also the inward attitudes, causing a complete spiritual transformation. All for the declaration that the name of the Lord is holy.
The Lord will be praised for what He does to restore Israel to the former glory He had provided for it. He will increase the population of His people the way the flocks were multiplied in preparation for the sacrifices on the feast days.

You deserve all honor, glory, and fame. Worthy are You of all our worship.

Ezekiel 36:1–15

2023-06-15T00:00:00+00:00

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The prophecy against Mount Seir is followed by a prophecy to the land of Israel. The Lord summarizes the situation that has unfolded, specifically that Edom has rejoiced over the downfall of their neighbor and has made attempts to take over the land that was promised to God’s people Israel. While the Israelites brought judgement upon themselves through their wicked ways, Edom and the other nations are overstepping in their response to God’s judgement on Israel. The Lord is still jealous for His people and will not let them be utterly destroyed, nor will His promises go unfulfilled.
Indeed, the Lord gives hope to the land because it will again be worked by His people Israel so that it brings forth the abundance that it once had. It will not remain empty and desolate forever, but “soon” the people of the land will return. (v. 8) The population will multiply, both man and beast, and the cities will be rebuilt. The land will do more good for its people than it had in the previously good times.
All of this the Lord says He will do so that the land’s reputation will not be as one that is cursed. The nations were starting to think that the land was evil, causing misfortune on those that inhabit it. But the Lord makes it obvious that this is not the case. This brings the focus back on Him, because He is the One who judged Israel in the first place, and He is the One who restores them.

You are merciful and care for Your children.

Ezekiel 35:1–15

2023-06-11T00:00:00+00:00

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Mount Seir was in the most prominent mountain range of the country of Edom, and used as a synonym for the whole nation. It was situated southeast of the Dead Sea and contained generally poorer land than the areas the Caananites and then the Israelites occupied. History between Edom and Israel had generally not been pleasant, going all the way back to their founding fathers, Esau and Jacob.
This prophecy comes against Edom because of the enmity they maintained against Israel. The Lord mentions the time of Israel’s calamity and final punishment, and I can’t tell if that’s relative to Ezekiel’s time period or to the end of days like the last chapter, referring to the Tribulation or Daniel’s Seventieth Week. In either case, Israel is made desolate, and Edom rejoiced over this, therefore the Lord will bring a sword against Edom and make it desolate in return.
Beyond just gloating over Israel’s downfall, Edom desired to take possession of the land that was not promised to them. The Lord’s promises remained in effect even while He was chastising His people for the sins they had been committing. As we have seen, He always planned to restore the righteous remnant to the land He gave their fathers after purifying them through the trials they faced. In contrast to Edom’s envy, the Lord protected Edom from Israel when they marched to conquer Canaan. The most direct route was through Edom’s territory, and Israel asked Edom to be granted safe passage through, purchasing food and provisions along the way instead of just raiding for them. Edom refused, so the Lord led Israel the long way around instead of sending retribution against Edom.

You are patient, but Your mercy is not extended forever. Just because things have gone on for a long time doesn’t mean they last forever.

Ezekiel 34:11–31

2023-06-10T00:00:00+00:00

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Now that I’ve read a little further ahead, I find my self disagreeing with the section breaks in the ESV. It seems to me that verses 11–16 go more with the first section of the chapter than with the following verses. These tell us how the Lord responds to the unfaithfulness of the shepherds who were to watch over Israel. The Lord declares that He will go out to the scattered flock and find them to rescue them. Though they were scattered abroad among many people, He will lead them back to the land He had given to them, and they will be fed abundance and rest in peace on the sides of the mountains.
Starting in verse 17, though, the Lord’s attention shifts to individuals within the flock, no longer addressing the shepherds who failed in their duty. Some of the stronger sheep had been oppressing the weaker sheep, pushing them away from the good parts of the pasture and ramming them with their horns to drive them away. Not only this, but after eating their fill, these strong rams go to the rest of the pasture and trample it down so it can’t be eaten. They drink what they want from the clear streams, and then stir up the mud so it can’t be drunk by anyone else.
Because of this, the Lord will also bring judgement on these cruel sheep. The flock will be rescued from predation and will have peace under the Good Shepherd, the Messiah, when He comes to guide them. All the wild beasts will be banished, and the land will produce abundantly. No more will idolatrous temptations stalk God’s people to lead them away to destruction. No longer will other nations seek to oppress, enslave, or kill God’s people, because they all will love the Lord and follow His ways.

Your victory is assured; all will acknowledge You as the supreme ruler of everything.

Ezekiel 34:1–10

2023-06-09T00:00:00+00:00

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The Lord gives Ezekiel an analogy to preach to the people. The Israelites are identified as a flock of sheep and the kings and leaders over them were their shepherds. These shepherds are condemned for being sefish and greedy, caring only for their own comfort and benefit while neglecting health and safety of the sheep that provided them with such good things.
While it is expected that real shepherds would kill and eat a sheep from their flock periodically, these shepherds would do so without providing food for their sheep in the first place. The sick sheep were not cared for, others would wander away and not be sought out, and the ones that stayed behind were mistreated with “force and harshness”.
It is no wonder, then, that the sheep scattered through the wilderness and became prey for wild beasts. I expect the analogy refers to the way Israel turned to idolatry under the rule of evil kings. They wandered away from the Lord and His goodness and were consumed by their sin, sacrificing to paga deities on “every high hill”.
Because of this, the judgement on the unfaithful shepherds is that they do not get to enjoy the goods produced by their flock any more. They are removed from their position of power and the sheep are rescued from their harsh rule.

You are a kind and good shepherd to Your people, caring for them in all their troubles.

Ezekiel 33:21–33

2023-06-06T00:00:00+00:00

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Finally word reaches the exiles that Jerusalem has fallen. A fugitive brings the news and Ezekiel’s mouth is opened so that he can speak normally again. However, the Lord still has more things for him to tell the people.
In this passage, the prophet addresses two groups of people. The first group are those who remain in Judah hiding in the wilderness from the Babylonians. They continue to believe they are the inheritors of the land promised to Abraham’s descendants, but they are not following in the ways of the God of their fathers. They continue to commit abominable practices that have been forbidden to the people of Israel, so the Lord is going to scrub them away and cleanse the land of their sin.
The second group that is addressed are the exiles living in Babylon. If you’re reading it for the first time, it sounds like it’s going to be good things that they hear. They encourage each other to sit under the prophet’s teachings and listen to him. That’s good, right? But no, they hear but they do not obey. Instead, they consider him to be nothing more than evening entertainment. They have their hearts set on what they will do and they are not interested in being dissuaded from it. We are told that some judgement will come on them, which will remind them of who the Lord is, but not what that judgement will be. Likely, we will find out if we keep reading.

Your words are always true and You bring about everything You have said You will do.

Ezekiel 33:1–20

2023-06-05T00:00:00+00:00

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Chapter 33 begins the second major section of the book of Ezekiel. Previously, the focus was on Jerusalem’s past and the judgement that was occuring because of it in the present and near future (from the exiles’ perspective). Now the focus is on the future Jerusalem, which God will restore for His people.
The charge that Ezekiel received in chapter 3 to be a watchman who warns the people of coming danger is repeated nearly verbatim here. Ezekiel’s responsibility is still to warn the people of judgement coming upon their iniquity, but if they do not repent, he has done all that he can. But if he doesn’t warn them then they will still be judged, but Ezekiel would also be responsible for their consequences too. While I believe this is specifically Ezekiel’s charge, and not something individual believers should be afraid will be applied to them, collectively, we, the Church, ought to be more mindful of our responsibility to preach the Gospel to a dying world. Romans 10:14</a> is as true now as it was when Paul wrote it.
Verses 10–20 are likewise a restatement of chapter 18, wherein the Lord offers forgiveness to contrite hearts that have done wicked things but now seek to do righteousness. Additionally, a good person who turns from those ways to do evil will not be saved by his previous actions. The Israelites had accused the Lord of being unjust for treating people this way, but the Lord isn’t talking about someone who constantly flip-flops back and forth between righteousness and wickedness. No, the Lord is looking at those whose lives are transformed. Sinners can be kind and loving, and saints still sin on the regular, but true heart transformation, we know, comes from the blood of Jesus.

Your justice is pure and altogether righteous.

Ezekiel 32:17–32

2023-06-03T00:00:00+00:00

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Two weeks after he was given the lament to sing over Pharaoh, Ezekiel receives another prophecy concerning the people of Egypt. In short, the message is that the multitudes of Egypt will be sent to the realm of the dead by way of the sword. Usually, that would be the end of the message, but this time the narrative follows the slain multitudes into Sheol (also called the pit or the underworld) and describes those who are already present.
Egypt joins the likes of Assyria, Elam, Meshech-Tubal, Edom, and Sidon. Each of these nations’ multitudes lie in their graves, consigned to this place because of their iniquities and the terror they brought about to their neighbors while they lived. This pit they reside in is not a place of honor like the one the mighty men of old are presumed to dwell, but one of shame and misery.
Over and over again in this passage, the people are said to lie in the place of the uncircumcised. This is a shorthand to say they were not God’s covenant people. They were not living in the ways of their father Noah and as revealed through Moses. They could have. Both Ruth and Rahab were foreigners who chose to follow the Lord and these two women in particular became part of the Messianic line of promise.
It also seems good to point out that the Bible always describes a real, experienced afterlife, whether it is a reward or punishment. Death isn’t the end of anyone; it is not oblivion that awaits us all. While there is still time before we reach our final destinations, your trajectory is fixed once you die. Do not delay in responding to the Lord’s call for your soul.

All mankind passes before Your throne, and You judge every one of us.

Ezekiel 32:1–16

2023-06-02T00:00:00+00:00

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The Pharaoh of Egypt considered himself a lion among men, but the Lord considers him a monster, like one that inhabits the seas. With a force of many people, the Lord will pull him out of the Nile River and throw him out onto the land where he perishes. So great is his fall that the carrion birds and beasts from all over the world can eat their fill. Even still the valleys are filled up with his flesh and the ravines flow with the spilled blood. Apocalyptic signs are shown in the sky to mark the passing of such a great beast.
So great was Egypt’s influence, that even nations that Egypt hadn’t heard of will tremble at their downfall. They know that if Egypt could be brought low, no nation is safe from the judgement of the Lord.
When Babylon brings a sword against Egypt, the Lord declares that there will be a complete desolation. Nothing will step in the water to churn up the mud in the rivers. But Egypt will be remembered in song through this lamentation the Lord has given.

You rule over all nations and bring Your judgements to bear.

Ezekiel 31:1–18

2023-06-01T00:00:00+00:00

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Chapter 31 is a prophecy against Pharaoh, but it is a little strange in that it is mostly not about him. Instead, Egypt is compared to Assyria, a great empire that had fallen in the previous century to Babylon. There are apparently some scholars who think “Assyria” was a one-letter copy error, and it should be translated as “cypress” to make the whole passage about Egypt directly. I’m not conviced by that. The wording of the question in verse 2 still makes sense when “Assyria” is the answer.
Assyria stood tall and proud like a cedar of Lebanon. Such trese grew hundreds of feet tall and were prized for their lumber. Their boughs provided homes for birds and shade for the beasts of the field, which are compared to the smaller nations surrounding it. Not even the trees in the Garden of Eden were as beautiful and great as this tree.
But that made Assyria the tree proud. Its top rose higher than the clouds and its pride caused God to bring it low. A foreign nation cuts down the tree, and the birds and beasts dwell on the fallen trunk . No longer will a tree grow that tall, and all the other trees take notice and quake at the disaster that has befallen Assyria.
So then, the question is asked of Egypt again: “Whom are you like in glory and greatness?” And the answer is still “Assyria”, for the same fate will befall them.

Human pride always seeks to supplant Your deserved greatness. Show us the error of our ways.

Ezekiel 30:20–26

2023-05-30T00:00:00+00:00

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This oracle uses the “arm” metaphor to represent military might. It describes how one of Egypt’s arms had been broken before, but now Babylon will come and break both of Egypt’s arms again. Egypt’s arm was first broken at the battle of Carchemish, an Assyrian city north of Israel and west of Babylon.
This arm was broken again at the siege of Jerusalem when Pharaoh sent an army to assist Judah, but turned back before there was a major confrontation with the Babylonians. Egypt’s status as a major power thus began to wane and Babylon took its place as the most powerful nation in the Near East. The final defeat of Egypt would come later from the Persian empire, but it was as inevitable as the Lord had said.

It is not by their own strength and weakness that empires rise and fall, but by Your will.

Ezekiel 30:1–19

2023-05-26T00:00:00+00:00

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This lament is a parallel to the one give over Tyre in chapter 27. The Lord gives warning that Egypt’s doom is close at hand, and its neighbors are going to fall with it. A sword and fire will come upon northern Africa from Arabia to Libya, from Egypt down to Ethiopia (known as Cush then).
The wealth and security that being Egypt’s neighbor will no longer be available for Nebuchadnezzar will sieze and shatter it. In addition, the Lord will dry up the Nile River, the lifeblood of the region. The famous and varied idols and images of Egypt’s religion will be broken.
Several prominent cities in Egypt are given more specific descriptions of the doom that is coming for the nation as a whole. There may be subtle word play or references to attributes of those cities, but I’m not enough of a scholar to go looking for them. Instead, we can be sure that it is the Lord who brought these things about to the Egyptians for the purpose of declaring His holiness to the nations.

All rebellion against Your rule will fail, even if it takes thousands of years.

Ezekiel 29:1–21

2023-05-25T00:00:00+00:00

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The prophecies against Egypt were given to Ezekiel in 587 b.c., roughly a year after the siege of Jerusalem (and a few months before he prophesied against Tyre, in fact). Egypt had long been one of the superpowers of the ancient world, exerting great influence over its neighbors for a long time. But the Lord decrees that the time for that has ended.
The Pharaohs of Egypt had long likened themselves as gods to their people, blessing the Nile River in order for it to bring abundance to the land. The Lord compares Pharaoh to a great dragon that has its domain in the river but one that also boasts that it created it. For this arrogance, the Lord will pull him up out of the river like a fish on a hook and then toss him to the land. There he will perish and become food for the carrion birds and beasts.
In addition to Pharaoh trying to put himself in God’s place, the Egyptians in general are also punished for betraying God’s people. Israel had gone to Egypt (instead of the Lord) for aid against Babylon, but Egypt was not able to give the support they needed. Because of this harm that was done against His people, the Lord brings desolation upon Egypt. From north to south, Egypt will be made desolate, emptied of its people. Man and beast of Egypt will be scattered abroad, the superpower broken. However eventually the Lord gathers the Egyptians together again to form a nation, but not as great as it once was. Never again will any other nation be subject to them, nor will Israel be tempted to rely upon them.
Sixteen years later, Ezekiel is granted the knowledge of who will carry out this prophecy against Egypt. Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon had spent that whole time besieging Tyre, but any plunder he had gotten from it was not worth the cost of fielding his army for that long. Therefore the Lord will give him success against Egypt as he turns his attention further south. The loot and plunder he gets from Egypt will be enough to pay for his campaign against Tyre.
Finally, Israel is offered hope. On the day Nebuchadnezzar conquers Egypt, Israel’s power will begin to rise and Ezekiel will prophesy to them again.

The greatest of superpowers is as nothing before You. Nations rise and fall at Your command.

Ezekiel 28:20–26

2023-05-22T00:00:00+00:00

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Sidon is a city often mentioned alongside Tyre. It was a trading partner some 25 miles south on the coast from there. This short prophecy warns the Sidonians that the fate of Tyre is also coming to them soon. Pestilence and violence will overwhelm them and they shall know that Yahweh is the Lord. Why does He do this? No specifics are given, but they have treated Israel with contempt in some way, hurting them as a thorn or briar.
At long last, some comfort and hope is given to the house of Israel. The Lord declares He will gather His chosen people back into the land He had promised to them, and His holiness will be manifested there. All of Israel’s adversaries will be eliminated so they will be able to dwell in peace and security.

Establish Your kingdom so that all the righteous may dwell in peace.

Ezekiel 28:11–19

2023-05-20T00:00:00+00:00

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The Lord, through Ezekiel, continues the pattern of giving a prophecy of judgement and then raising a lament over the judged. And like the previous lament over Tyre the city, this one extols the virtues of the king of Tyre before deconstructing them. The king of Tyre is compared to a guardian cherub, placed in a perfect environment and adorned with beautiful wealth.
I admit to being thrown off by the comparison to a cherub instead of Adam, considering the explicit reference to Eden in verse 13. But the mentions of “stones of fire” (vv. 14, 16) that the cherub walks among are more appropriate for an angelic being than a man. The notes in the Reformation Study Bible mention that some consider this lament a comparison to the fall of Satan, which is plausible to me, at the least. If that’s the case, there are some implications in calling Satan a “guardian cherub”, and it makes the latter half of this lament eschatological in nature.
In verse 15, unrighteousness is found in the cherub. Violence abounds and beauty engenders pride. This corrupted the cherub’s wisdom, and because of all this the Lord casts him down. The kings of the earth see the downfall and the consuming fire that destroys him, and they are apalled.

All Your actions are perfectly just, O Lord. None of Your adversaries escape unpunished.

Ezekiel 28:1–10

2023-05-19T00:00:00+00:00

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The prince of Tyre at this time was a man named Ethbaal. The prophecy Ezekiel gives us reveals to us the great pride he had in himself. He fancied himself the god over the seas, which many cultures considered a symbol of chaos and death in their cosmologies. The Lord actually affirms the prince’s great wisdom, greater than that of Danel (an Ugaritic king of legend, not the prophet Daniel), and by this wisdom he has amassed wealth through trade. The Lord affirms this because they are the source of his pride, and his pride is the reason for his downfall.
Instead of praising the God who made him, Ethbaal considers the things he has accomplished as something he has done all on his own. For not giving the Lord the glory He is due, the sentence is death and all the things that he took pride in will be plundered and destroyed. Neither did Ethbaal build them up, nor can he keep them safe.
The prince of Tyre is mocked in verse 9, asked if he will continue to claim divinity even as he is slain. It’s a familiar-sounding scene, as if from a movie. An evil tyrant is overthrown, all while shouting, “No, you can’t do this! I am a god!” Whether Ethbaal actually said or thought such a thing at the time is unknown, but the end result is the same, and Tyre fell to the Babylonians.

You are jealous of Your glory and You deserve all praise and honor.

Ezekiel 27:26–36

2023-05-16T00:00:00+00:00

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Having described how great and profitable Tyre was, Ezekiel’s lament turns to its downfall. The metaphorical ship has gone out into the high seas, but a storm has come up out of the east against it. All of the goods it was transporting, the payments it had received, and all of its stores are lost as it sinks. The crew that manned the ship, the officers that commanded them, the pilots who drove it, and the mariners that defended it are also lost.
Every hand that drowns cries out as he sinks, and their combined sound causes the far-off countryside to shake. Those who follow the way of the sea hear the noise of their sinking, and they cry out in dismay. They mourn because the paragons of their profession could not withstand the trouble that came upon them. If Tyre could not survive the tumult, what chance would they have?
Tyre mercantile fleet garnered much wealth for itself, but also enriched its trading partners too. Now there is a void and everyone who benefitted from Tyre’s industry feels the lack.

You know the consequences of all Your actions, and You have orchestrated all things together for Your purposes.

Ezekiel 27:1–25

2023-05-15T00:00:00+00:00

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Chapter 27 is a lament that Ezekiel is instructed to raise over Tyre. It is the kind of lament that shows how far the mighty have fallen by first detailing the great heights they no longer occupy. I suspect the Lord has Ezekiel include this section for our benefit because his contemporaries would have already known how great Tyre’s power was. Ever since it fell, the memories of its greatness would fade quickly.
The lament begins by comparing Tyre to a beautiful ship constructed of expensive materials: fir from Senir for planks, cedar from Lebanon for a mast, oaks from Bashan for oars, pine from Cyprus for the deck, and inlaid with ivory. The sail was embroidered linen from Egypt, and the awnings were dyed blue and purple from Elishah (probably Cyprus), the most expensive colors. The ship’s rowers were from Sidon and Arvad while the skilled men, the officers and pilots were from Tyre itself. All these places were near the city of Tyre on the Mediterranean coast.
What does this beautiful ship do? It goes out to all the other lands and trades with them: Persia, Put, Lud, Arvad, Helech, and Gamad provided soldiers and weapons of war; Tarshish traded silver, iron, tin, and lead; Javan, Tubal, and Meshech sold slaves and bronze; Beth-togarmah traded horses and mules; and the list goes on and on. Now the locations range from as far as Spain to Ethiopia to Iran. A great variety of wares are traded with Tyre: precious stones, food of many kinds including expensive spices and wine, textiles, and rare woods.
All of these connections made Tyre an economic superpower in its day, and it was no slouch militarily, either. (Remember it fought back against Babylon, a great empire, for thirteen years before being defeated.) Its future seemed secure because its might was so great. Who could defeat it?

You are ever-victorious, and no power at all can stand against Your strength.

Ezekiel 26:15–21

2023-05-13T00:00:00+00:00

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Tyre was a famous and rich city. When Solomon built the temple of the Lord, the cedar and cypress wood that was used in its construction was purchased from Tyre. These came from the famous cedars of Lebanon, which are mentioned many times in the Psalms. Now, though, the riches of that city are being laid to waste, and the princes who enjoyed it mourn for their losses in the great desolation.
The lament these princes raise over Tyre tells us that the city employed a powerful navy and certainly extended influence over the waters of the eastern Mediterranean Sea. The political fallout from their destruction would spread from port to port, while piracy almost certainly made the sea more dangerous in the years following the siege.
The Lord declares to Tyre that He will bring the waters of death over their heads, a metaphor that is particularly frightening to seafarers. Great waters and “the pit” are common symbols for death and the realm of the dead in the Bible. The city’s inhabitants will be completely removed from the land of the living, and they will not be found again. Since the island itself did not sink into the sea, we can conclude that wasn’t what was meant. Cities are made of people, and it is the people in it that are discussed here.

You orchestrate every world event to Your purposes. There is no power that can withstand You.

Ezekiel 26:1–14

2023-05-11T00:00:00+00:00

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The next nation to be given judgement is Tyre. The judgement on Tyre is more detailed than the previous ones, with three whole chapters devoted to it. Tyre was a Phoenician city on an island off the coast of modern-day Lebanon. While there were some military conflicts between Tyre and Israel over the centuries, mostly there were economic and cultural exchanges. However, when some of the cultural exchanges involved the cults of the Baals, particularly promoted by Queen Jezebel, we can see why several of God’s prophets have spoken out against Tyre.
However, Ezekiel’s judgement has nothing to do with religious differences, but with the way Tyre decided to take advantage over Jerusalem’s fallen state. Instead of mourning, they saw an exciting opportunity to make themselves rich by using trade routes that had been under the control of Israel and Judah. Instead of being concerned with why Jerusalem had been laid waste, they were gloating over the advantage Israel’s straits provided for them.
Because of this, declared the Lord, many nations would come against Tyre, including the armies of Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon. He would bring many horses, chariots, horsemen, and soldiers to lay siege to Tyre, wiping out the part of the city on the mainland. While historical records show that the fortress of the island withstood the siege for thirteen years, Nebuchadnezzar would eventually be victorious, just as the Lord had said.

Nothing can thwart Your purposes, and kings and nations are carried along by Your will.

Ezekiel 25:8–17

2023-05-09T00:00:00+00:00

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Moab was descended from Lot, the nephew of Abraham. As nations, Moab and Israel were often in conflict, though Ruth famously immigrated from Moab to Israel in the time of the judges. In this oracle, Moab shares Ammon’s fate, though the cause appears to be not so much malice as unbelief. The Moabites declared Judah to be like all the other nations, that is, not being the Lord’s chosen people. They thought Judah’s troubles were a sign that their God was not powerful enough to save them, just like other nations’ gods were not powerful enough to save them from conquering armies. They had surely heard stories of Assyria’s miraculous defeat at Jerusalem in Hezekiah’s day, but since that was about two generations ago, they probably sounded embellished by this point. Whatever the case, the Lord defends His fame and honor among the nations and brings an end to the ones who have blasphemed against Him.
Edom was descended from Esau, the brother of Jacob who was named Israel. Again there was animosity between these two nations for much of their history, but in this case Edom is condemned for taking vengeance while Israel was vulnerable. While the judgement is the same as what befell Ammon and Moab, it is interesting that the Lord specifies Israel as the one to carry out the sentence. Israel and Judah have been totally defeated at this point; they have all been scattered abroad and there is no one to tend to the land, much less form an army. Therefore there is hope already, even amidst these judgements, that Israel will be restored and the Lord’s promises will be made complete.
The Philistines were a thorn in Israel’s side during the time of the judges and through David’s reign. Their lineage can probably be traced back to the island of Crete, and scholarship currently identifies them as the “Sea Peoples” whose migration into the region disrupted all of the centers of civilization during the Bronze Age. The Lord’s charge against them is their “never-ending enmity” (v. 15) against His people. Many other prophets spoke oracles against them as well.

Your name is holy and You defend it against all slander.

Ezekiel 25:1–7

2023-05-08T00:00:00+00:00

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The book of Ezekiel can be divided into three main sections. The first as we have seen are judgements against Israel and Judah. We now come to the second in which the nations surrounding Israel are judged. The final section concerns the hope for blessing of God’s people and the restoration of His temple.
The first of the nations to be judged is Ammon. Ezekiel had already prophesied against them in chapter 21, in which the king of Babylon cast divinations to decide to which city to send his armies first. While Babylon had its own reasons for destroying Ammon, the Lord spells out His reasons for sending this judgement upon them.
Ammon had often been in conflict with Israel, so even though they had allied against Babylon in these last few years, there was much rejoicing among the Ammonites when they heard that Jerusalem had fallen. Yahweh’s temple was destroyed and the land of Israel was emptied of inhabitants, so Ammon clapped their hands and stamped their feet in gleeful malice. Because of this attitude, the Lord sends Babylon to do the same thing to Ammon and its cities. The people of Ammon shall be removed, its capital city will be a camel pasture, and the fruit of the land will go to the besieging Babylonians.
Shadenfreude is not an emotion that God’s people should allow themselves. To see judgement fall on an individual or a group should give us satisfaction that justice is served and evil is punished, but it should also sober us because it is only by God’s mercy that such a fate has not fallen on us as well.

You search the hearts of men and know all their intentions.

Ezekiel 24:15–27

2023-05-07T00:00:00+00:00

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Of all the things the Lord has told Ezekiel to do, this one might have been the hardest to endure. He is told that his wife would die, but he isn’t allowed to publicly mourn for her. Being a famous prophet by this point, the community will notice his behavior and ask about it. The answer he gives is a final condemnation upon the house of Israel.
The temple of Yahweh, His sanctuary on earth, the pride of His people will be profaned and destroyed. However, they will not mourn for it. The sons and daughters they left behind will be cut down by swords, and they will not mourn for them. Instead, they will behave as Ezekiel has demonstrated for them being dressed for a normal day instead of pouring dust and ashes on his head and face. They make an outward show of normalcy, but inside, they will “rot away in [their] iniquities”. (v. 23)
Finally, Ezekiel is told how his message to the people will be validated: a fugitive from Jerusalem will arrive to tell the exiles the news of its fall. On that day, Ezekiel’s silence will be lifted (see 3:26</a>) and he will be able to speak normally to this fugitive. The people will see this and remember how Ezekiel had only spoken the words of the Lord to them for so long, and know that what they were told is true.

All of Your promises will come true, more surely than the sun’s rising and setting or the seasons’ turning.

Ezekiel 24:1–14

2023-05-04T00:00:00+00:00

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“This very day” (v. 2), on which the Lord tells Jeremiah the siege of Jerusalem has begun, is generally thought to be January 15, 588 b.c. On this day, Ezekiel tells a parable to the exiles that speaks of a cooking pot. A festive meal is prepared: good pieces of meat boiled in water, the choicest member of the flock. Wood is piled up in a fire beneath the pot, and everything is set to boil.
But, woe! The pot is rusty and contaminates the food. Piece after piece is taken out, but the rust remains. This corrosion is identified as the blood shed by the violence in Jerusalem. Like the blood of Abel, it lies on bare rock and cries out for justice. It wasn’t even covered up, but just left open to the air.
Because of this the Lord is going to empty out the pot and heat it hotter and hotter. While the uncleanness melts, the corrosion is not burned away. So the Lord continues to pour wrath ever hotter into the fire, until His fury is satisifed.

You punish sin as it deserves and bring justice to the oppressed.

Ezekiel 23:22–49

2023-05-01T00:00:00+00:00

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After the case has been made against Oholibah, the judgements are pronounced. The same fate that befell her sister is given to her, namely that her lovers turn against her and destroy her beauty. In this way the Lord will put an end to the detestable deeds she had done with them. The same cup of judgement that Samaria drank will be given to Jerusalem in full measure, so that even the dregs and drops left on the shards of the cup will be drunk. She has forgotten the Lord and His holiness, and now must endure the consequences.
Again, the Lord reiterates the sins of Israel, and has Ezekiel declare them to the people. Idolatry, including child sacrifice. Adultery with foreign officials, and feasts celebrating their iniquity. Righteous men will pass judgement on her like an adulteress or murderess. The terror that will befall is to become a watchword and a warning, so that everyone knows not to do these things.

Make us holy as You are holy.

Ezekiel 23:1–21

2023-04-30T00:00:00+00:00

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I have heard that in Rabbinical traditions, students of the Torah were not allowed to study Ezekiel until they were eighteen years old, or possibly even thirty. It would not surprise me if this chapter is part of the reason. There is even more sexual imagery than we have yet seen in this book, and it is meant to evoke disgust and horror.
The allegory describing Israel as an unfaithful woman chapter 16 is expanded to call Samaria and Jerusalem two sisters, Oholah and Oholibah. Each city was the capital of its kingdom and thus stands in for its nation as a whole. The infidelity, immorality, and prostitution of these two sisters should be understood as idolatry and trusting in the security of foreign alliances instead of trusting in the provision and protection of the Lord their God. But also literal prostitution as well, on an individual level. Cult prostitution, or religious sexual ceremonies, were also prevalent throughout the ancient world. One could then call this whole chapter a double entendre, though it’s the sexual meaning that is obvious here and the political one that is “hidden”.
Oholah and Oholibah learned their immoral ways in Egypt, where the Israelites certainly participated in the religious rites of the land they lived in, before the Lord brought them out. Oholah did not give up these ways when she split from her sister, and gave herself to the Assyrians, a powerful, attractive neighbor. She thought her attentions and her bed would garner respect and protection, but the opposite occurred. The Lord stirred up the Assyrians and they captured her children and killed her. Thus the northern kingdom of Israel fell and was no more.
Oholibah saw all this happen, and knew the reaons for it, and leaned in harder anyway. She lusted after the Assyrians too, and also the Babylonians, and when she grew tired of them, turned her attention back to the Egyptians she had once been enslaved to. Everything Oholah had done, Oholibah did worse. The Lord turned away in disgust, and still the spiral downward in depravity continued.

Forgive us our unfaithfulness, when we seek our own pleasure over and against Your commands, the commands that bring us life and happiness.

Ezekiel 22:17–31

2023-04-28T00:00:00+00:00

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I have learned from Wikipedia that the smelting of ore is not merely heating up an ore rock until the metal melts out of it. There also needs to be a reducing agent such as coke or charcoal to extract the oxygen from the mineral and leave the base metal behind. Providentially, carbon-heavy agents like that are also really good fuel and can get the smelting furnace up to the required temperatures at the same time. Ores are generally not very pure, though, so even after smelting one will have a mixture of different metals at the bottom of the crucible. Unless they have alloyed together, which only happens in certain combinations and certain ratios, one has to separate the dross from the majority metal.
The Lord tells Israel that they are no longer silver, but the dross, the useless mixture of tin, bronze, lead, and other compounds that have to be removed. (For the curious, the analogy is to silver and not gold because most of the gold found is already metallic and not bound up in a different chemical compound. No smelting needed.) This refining process, wherein the Lord pours judgement out on His people to purify them and extract out the righteous remnant, has been used several times in Israel’s history.
However, the land is not cleansed yet. The false prophets’ visions encourage iniquity, violence, and greed. The priests do not do their duty to teach the people how the Lord wants them to live because they do not follow His ways either. The aristocracy pursue profit through the killing of their fellow countrymen while the prophets wink and nod, excusing their behavior with false visions. Injustice is rampant among those who have no power.
Again the image of a man to stand in the breach of the wall against God’s wrath is invoked, but this time the Lord can not find anyone to fill the gap. Therefore His indignation will be brought against the people who have done all these things.

All Your deeds are purposeful; You have saved a righteous remnant for Yourself; the same fires that burn up the dross also purifies the silver.

Ezekiel 22:1–16

2023-04-25T00:00:00+00:00

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Many times the sins of Israel have been declared, but the Lord gives even more detail in this chapter. Violence, immorality, and idolatry top the list, but they aren’t the whole list. Her inhabitants were graciously offered many years to turn back from their wicked ways and trust in the Lord’s goodness, but the time for that is now over. Indeed, the reputation of Israel among the nations is at its lowest point, and there is no peace in the land.
Those in power feel no compunction against shedding blood. Parents are not given the honor they are due for their God-given position. The poor are oppressed. People do not rest on the Sabbath, but keep on working. People are killed for the slander told about them. False gods are given sacrifices on the high places. Incest of various forms is rampant. Murders are bought and paid for. Predatory loans are given. Each and every one of these things the Lord has spoken against and made a commandment that His people should not do them. Most of them carried the death penalty, but no one in Israel remembered what the Law said.
I see many similar things in the world today. We are not under the Law of Moses, but God still expects us to act in righteousness. Two thousand six hundred years ago He purged Israel of its abominations because He is holy. No one could withstand His judgements unless he had been made clean and found refuge in the Lord. There will come a day when He will do the same thing again, and there will be no nation on earth that will be safe from His wrath.

Come quickly, Lord Jesus.

Ezekiel 21:8–32

2023-04-24T00:00:00+00:00

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The sword that will come upon the land of Israel is being given into the hands of a slayer. The rod or scepter of Judah’s kingship cannot stand against it. It will come upon the gates of the city and a great many people will be cut down by it. The sun will glint off the edges of the swords of the surrounding army, and the sight of them will terrorize the people within it because they will know their judgement has come.
The king of Bablyon will have to make a choice where he will march: to Rabbah of the Ammonites or Jerusalem in Judah. Ammon was allied with Judah and Egypt against Babylon, so it makes sense for Babylon to come against them too. At the fork in the road (metaphorically, perhaps) the king of Babylon will perform divinations of various kinds to decide which way to send his armies. Ezekiel prophecies that the lot will come up for Jerusalem, and that is where he will go.
The Lord reiterates that these terrible things are happening because of the wickedness and guilt of the people of Judah. The prince of Israel, Zedekiah, bears the responsibility as their leader, and he is removed from the kingship.
And if you thought Ammon would be spared because the divinations pointed to Jerusalem, the Lord has a prophecy against them too. The sword of slaughter will come upon them too. Their wickedness will be heaped upon their heads too and they will be destroyed in their land.

All You have spoken will come to pass, just as You have said.

Ezekiel 20:45–21:7

2023-04-23T00:00:00+00:00

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I found an interesting note in my study Bible that the Hebrew Bible puts the chapter divisions in a different place than our English translations. There, Ezekiel 21 starts where we have chapter 20, verse 45. I don’t see any more footnotes, so I will assume that chapter 22 starts in the same place in both languages. This is a good reminder that the chapter and verse numbers were not original to the the texts, but added later by scribes to help everyone communicate about the Bible. This is why the writer of Hebrews only says “it is written somewhere” when quoting the Old Testament. He didn’t have a chapter or verse to refer to at all. So, don’t take the numbering system too seriously; it’s not inspired by the Holy Spirit the same way the text is. (Though the Psalm titles might be. They were probably original to when they were written down, at least.)
All that to say, I agree that thematically these verses go together better. It seems like there should be a separation of some kind between God describing how He will restore Israel to the Promised Land and then talking about a devouring fire across the Negeb. The Negeb was a region south of Judah, the area where Abraham did most of his travels. The fire kindled there by the Lord would scorch all the people. However, Ezekiel is not believed, and the people ridicule him for making things up.
The Lord gives a further message, clarifying this prophecy. The Lord draws His sword from its sheath, the sword usually used against Israel’s enemies, but this time it is set against Jerusalem. All flesh, both righteous and wicked, will be cut off from the land “from south to north”. Babylon’s armies march from the north, but they will surround the city and send the exiles marching back to the north. Ezekiel is then to publicly mourn for Jerusalem, so that they will know how great and terrible the fate of city will be. The Lord has spoken, and what He says will come to pass.

Your words are righteous and true.

Ezekiel 20:33–44

2023-04-21T00:00:00+00:00

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In a way, the Lord has decided to repeat history with Israel. Just as the Israelites wandered in the wilderness for 40 years for their disobedience and disbelief when it was time to enter Canaan, so the current generation will be in the “wilderness of the peoples” (v. 35) for God to judge. Again the rebellious members of the nation will be left behind and not enter the land just as only Joshua and Caleb were the only ones of their generation to see the Promised Land.
Again God will be the king over His people and rule over them, once He has winnowed out the ones unwilling to bend the knee and serve Him. He will restore to the holy mountain the worship that the house of Israel had once offered to Him. God’s holiness will be manifested, and the people will shudder with shame at the wicked deeds they had done in the light of that holiness. But God will not treat them as they deserve, because of His name’s sake. His mercy redirects His justice and wrath so that His character is not marred, and the people will know who the Lord is.

You have blessed us with the full counsel of Your word so we no longer have to wonder why or how You have done some of the things You have done.

Ezekiel 20:1–32

2023-04-20T00:00:00+00:00

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It has now been almost a year since Ezekiel was taken to Jerusalem in a vision to see the abominations the people were doing there, and the desctruction the Lord caused there. (ch. 8) The date given in chapter 20 means the tenth of Ab, which corresponds to August, 591 b.c. Interestingly, this is precisely five years before Ezekiel’s vision is fulfilled, and the Babylonians sack Jerusalem for real. I don’t think this is more significant than a coincidence, but it is nice to know that we can date things this accurately even so long ago.
On this date, the elders of Israel again come to Ezekiel to inquire something from the Lord. However, because of the sins Israel has committed, the Lord refuses to answer their question. Instead, He reviews Israel’s history of idolatry, which persisted throughout their entire time as a nation. While they lived in Egypt they worshipped the Egyptian idols, so the Lord told them to cast them away when He brought them out. He gave them His Law and statutes, representend in this text as the Sabbath, which should have brought them life, but they profaned and disobeyed them.
After an entire generation of Israelites died in the wilderness outside the Promised Land, the Lord charged their children not to walk in the ways of their fathers. But they failed and continued in the same sins. Every time the Lord describes the failure of the people, He threatens to wipe them out completely in judgement, but then He relents because His name would be profaned among the nations. Instead He judges them with exile and scattering them away from the land, as Moses predicted before they ever entered the Promised Land.
Israel had even gone so far as to pervert the statutes the Lord had given them. Back when He made the covenant with Israel, He told them to devote their firstborn children as holy to the Lord, but they should use an animal as a substitute sacrifice, because God has never actually wanted us to sacrifice our children to Him. Somehow Israel forgot that last part, and offered their children up as burnt offerings, possibly to Yahweh, but definitely to the Caananite god Molech.
The Lord lists all these things and presents His case against the elders of Israel. They, representing the whole nation, persist in idolatry still, so they have no grounds to inquire what the Lord wants them to do. They have already been told and don’t do it now, so why should they hear more?

How great is your patience and long-suffering, O God, to deal with sinners like us.

Ezekiel 19:1–14

2023-04-19T00:00:00+00:00

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The Lord gives Ezekiel a lamentation to say before the people. I am thankful for the notes in my study Bible that give me cultural context that is lost from mere translation of the words. These verses are a form of Hebrew poetry usually used in funeral dirges, and Ezekiel and his listeners would have immediately recognized the meter.
The lament itself concerns the princes of Israel, comparing them to the cubs of a lioness. The first one described grew up to be a man-eater, so the nations captured him and took him off to Egypt. When he did not return, the lioness raised up another cub who also grew up to be a man-eater worse than the one before. He “seized their widows” and “laid waste their cities”. (v. 7) Therefore the nations rose against this young lion as well, trapped him in a pit, caged him, and sent him off to Babylon.
Lions often symbolize the kingship of the tribe of Judah, and this is no exception. The lioness herself represents Israel as a whole, or possibly Jerusalem. The first young lion was Jehoahaz who reigned as king for three months before being captured and taken to Egypt by Pharaoh Neco. The second young lion is either Jehoiakim or his son Jehoiachin. It’s confusing because 2 Kings does not mention an exile for Jehoiakim, but 2 Chronicles (which was written later) said he was put into custody. Perhaps he died before he could be taken to Babylon, and Jehoiachin was given three months to pay tribute to Babylon as he should, and failed. In any case, Jehoiachin was definitely exiled to Babylon and there were no more kings of David’s line after him.
The second half of the lament symbolizes this state of affairs. The princes’ mother is now described as a vine planted and watered, growing to great heights. But she is then “plucked up in fury” (v. 12) and the hot desert wind dries out the branch and fruit on the vine. The stem left in the ground was consumed by fire so that there isn’t even enough left to make a scepter from it. Like a lion, a branch was often used as a symbol for Judah’s kingship, especially for the promised messiah. If this was the end of the story, we would not have any hope left for a king on the throne of David ever again.

You keep Your promises even when it seems all hope is lost, because You can never go back on Your word.

Ezekiel 18:1–32

2023-04-17T00:00:00+00:00

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This message from the Lord concerns His justice as it applies to individuals. There was apparently a proverb in Israel that taught that the actions of a father affected his sons’ lives. While that is true to an extent, the Israelites must have been using it in a way that made it seem that God was not just in His dealings with people. Just as a man eating sour grapes doesn’t transfer the sour taste to his sons’ mouths, neither does his iniquity get passed down from generation to generation.
It is important to note the distinction between punishment and consequences. Many improper actions have natural consequences that occur simply because they have been done. Liars and traitors become mistrusted, heavy drinking causes health problems, the spendthrift doesn’t have enough money. All of these are mere consequences. Punishments are consequences that are imposed by an external authority in order to get recompense for the crime committed and as a further discouragement from further infractions.
The Lord presents three case studies to help us understand, and they are all related to each other. The first man is righteous as we can see from the list of things he does and does not do, and the Lord says he will live. These are all things listed in the Law of Moses that God’s people were to do or not do. The second man is the first’s son, and he does the opposite of his father in every way. He is thoroughly worthless and wicked, and so the Lord says he shall die. The third man is the second’s son, and after seeing all that his father did, he follows instead in the ways of his grandfather. Unlike his father who brought judgement upon himself through his wicked deeds, the third man lives.
Amazingly, the people of Israel did not think this was right. I can only think that they must have wanted to be pardoned because their fathers and grandfathers were rigtheous. Surely they wouldn’t want their children to be punished for what they have done. It may be that they considered the whole community to be a moral unit, and everyone shared in blessings or curses together. Whatever the case, the Lord refutes their assertion and says He punishes individuals for their own sin. It doesn’t matter who you are related to in terms of morality.
The Lord then drops a bomb into the dialogue by saying that a wicked man can become righteous and a righteous man can become wicked. It is the last state that they persist in that the Lord considers, not the former way that he walked. The hypothetical Israelites also say that this is not just, but the Lord corrects this attitude as well. Since we have the whole, complete inspired Word of God, we can understand that everyone actually starts out wicked, under the curse of sin, but through the work of Jesus Christ we can repent and believe that He will work righteousness through us. The Lord has made a way, so repent.

You do not take pleasure in the death of the wicked, but want all to come to repentence.

Ezekiel 17:16–24

2023-04-16T00:00:00+00:00

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Now that we understand that the vine in this chapter refers to the treacherous puppet king of Judah, the Lord tells us what shall happen to him. Because he betrayed Babylon, they will come and take him away to Babylon, and he will die there. Even though he made an appeal to Egypt, they will not help him.
What is more interesting is the Lord’s assertion that King Zedekiah broke his covenant with the Lord, and that is why disaster is falling upon him. The Lord’s net will surround him, as we have read before, and therefore the Babylonians will be able to capture him. I don’t know what specific oath or covenant Zedekiah broke with the Lord, but it might have something to do with allowing himself to be installed as king of Judah even though his nephew Jehoiachin still lived in exile. Or it might be that Zedekiah was trying to reverse the judgement of exile that God had already enacted against Judah through political and military means instead of following the statutes and proper worship of the Lord.
The Lord informs us through Ezekiel that He remembers the cedar, and the promise that He made to David. One day, the Lord will re-establish the throne of the king of Israel by taking the very topmost twig of the cedar and planting it on a very high mountain. From there, it will grow into a “noble cedar” (v. 23) and all nations will find shelter in its branches. Jehoiachin was exiled into Babylon, but he was eventually released from prison by Nebuchadnezzar’s son (2 Kings 25:27–30) and continued the kingly line all the way to Jesus Christ. (Matthew 1:12–16) This assurance that the Lord remembers His promises to His people would have been very important for the exiles to hear, especially in the midst of hearing of such destruction and woe.

All things happen for Your purposes, from the acts of kings to the times and places children are born.

Ezekiel 17:1–15

2023-04-15T00:00:00+00:00

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The nice thing about confusing metaphors in the Bible is that usually if you just keep reading it will explain its own imagery for you. The Lord describes a great eagle with splendorous, colorful plumage. It comes to a cedar of Lebanon and removes the top-most branches and takes them to a trade city. Then it plants a seed in the land, cares for it and waters it, and it sprouts into a spreading vine. However, in spite of the good soil and water it received from the eagle, the vine started reaching out toward a different eagle to get. Because of this disloyalty, the vine will be rooted up and wither away.
What does this mean? The Lord explains: the first great eagle is Babylon and the top of the cedar is the king and the upper crust of Jerusalem that were deported earlier. The vine is the king of Judah that Nebuchadnezzar set up in their place to be a vassal to Babylon. However, the new king sought aid from Egypt, the other eagle, and now he and his rule will be destroyed.

By Your grace we received wisdom and understanding.

Ezekiel 16:44–63

2023-04-13T00:00:00+00:00

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Of course, Jerusalem was not alone in her misdeeds. All the cities of the Levant would have had idolators in them. Smaria was the northern kingdom’s capital and was sacked by the Assyrians when they conquered it about 150 years before Ezekiel’s time. The Lord had sent several prophets to Israel to warn them of the coming judgements the Assyrians would bring upon them for abandoning the worship of the Lord and following after idols.
The city of Sodom is mentioned as the younger sister of Jerusalem, which I find difficult to understand. The Sodom that Lot lived in was destroyed nearly 1,000 years before Ezekiel’s time, so calling it younger than Jerusalem seems odd. However, that doesnt mean there wasn’t a city of Jerusalem even then, so maybe it really was older than Sodom.
In any case, the point of bringing up these famously wicked cities is that Jerusalem did more evil than they did. Not only were the people of Jerusalem following false gods and sacrificing their children to them, they were not generous with their food and wealth, causing burdens on the poor and needy because of their prideful attitudes. They were so terrible they could make Sodom and Samaria appear righteous in comparison!
And yet, despite the destruction and the furious anger He has displayed against all of these, the Lord says He will restore the fortunes of these cities and bring them back the way they were. The purpose of this is to ensure that they are ashamed of the evil things they have done, but also to console them because God loves His people even still. He remembers the covenant that they have broken, but will still hold up His end. Sodom and Samaria will be given to Jerusalem as daughters in their restoration, and the Lord will establish His covenant with them again. And they will be dumbfounded at the great mercy the Lord has shown them, in spite of all they have done against Him.
Do not look down upon these cities. You and I are just as sinful and rebellious as they were. We may not have done all the same things, but we still deserve the death they deserved. Praise God that He can give us new life with Him and “atone for all that you have done”. (v. 63)

That You would be so gracious to sinners such as us is beyond any words we could say.

Ezekiel 16:30–43

2023-04-12T00:00:00+00:00

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“How sick is your heart” (v. 30) is a fitting beginning to this passage. There is no rational explanation for why someone would behave the way this queen did. But sin never does make sense in God’s economy. The momentary pleasure it gives is never worth the cost we have to pay eventually. Jerusalem, however, takes it even further. She has been doing the deeds of a prostitute, but instead of being paid for them, she is the one giving gifts to her lovers.
One might expect that there would be gratitude for these gifts, but God has something else in mind. He will gather together all of those who have defiled the marriage bed of Jerusalem, and they will enact the punishment upon her. The public stripping and stoning were common punishments for prostitutes and adultresses in Israel, though the Lord is certain to make sure that everything about her abominable deeds will torn down and destroyed so that it can never happen again.

Your wrath against sin cannot be denied.

Ezekiel 16:15–29

2023-04-10T00:00:00+00:00

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The queen that represents Jerusalem has been pampered and riches have been lavished upon her. But instead of being grateful to the One who put her in such a privileged position, she indulges in her base wants with anyone and everyone she can find. What should have been reserved for God alone (that is, worship) has instead been given away wantonly. Everything the Lord has given her is turned to this pursuit. The elegant clothes are made into bedsheets. The gold and silver become idols. Even the choice food she ate became offerings. And not only the flour, oil, and honey, but even the children that God caused her to have were sacrificed as a burnt offering. The metaphor wears thin here because all of these things literally happened in Israel and Jerusalem.
As if this weren’t already bad enough, the queen Jerusalem makes something like billboard advertisements for her beauty, offering herself even further afield than before. Partnering with the Egyptians provoked God’s jealousy and He caused some of the land to be taken by enemies. These foreign alliances were an indication that the people failed to trust in the Lord for national security, something He had promised to them if they had been faithful to Him.
He had in fact promised great blessings, on the condition that Israel would be faithful to keep the laws and commands He had set out for them. As Paul explains in Romans, this was an impossible task for them, and they needed to rely on God to hold up both His end of the covenant and theirs at the same time. But for the most part, they didn’t even try.

You treat kindly with sinners who have been unfaithful to their Creator when they repent of their sins against You.

Ezekiel 16:1–14

2023-04-09T00:00:00+00:00

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This whole chapter has the tone of a judicial hearing, but is an analogy of God’s covenant relationship with Israel. He presents His case by describing the origins of Jerusalem, their relationship, and her betrayal. The analogy used is that of an abandoned child that the Lord finds and provides for and eventually marrying when she is of age.
Before Israel invaded the land of Canaan, Jerusalem was a pagan city of the Amorites, Hittites, and other groups. Similarly, Abraham and his family were pagans worshipping false gods before he was called by the Lord to journey to the land promised to him and his descendants. The Lord describes an infant abandoned in the field, not even washed off or cared for in any way. He takes pity on her and causes her to live and flourish. I’ve had trouble interpreting this bit, but I think I’ve come up with something that makes sense. The girl represents the people of Israel, but the very beginning of their history, where they cannot survive on their own may just be Abraham and Sarah, who could not have children on their own. The Lord takes this family and causes it to grow with Isaac and then Jacob and his sons. Twice the Lord says, “Live!” which could be a number of specific events, but may be Isaac’s birth and the flourishing of the people when they lived in Egypt in spite of Pharaoh’s intent.
The girl grows up into a woman, and the Lord sees her again and makes a marriage vow and covenant with her. He washes and clothes her, giving her very fine raiment and feeding her delicacies. She becomes a queen, famed for her beauty. This is absolutely referring to the time of Moses when the covenant is made with Israel, through the time of Solomon’s reign, in which he amasses great wealth through the Lord’s blessing. The queen of Sheba remarked on how well his servants looked when she visited to hear his wisdom. (2 Kings 10:8)
Next time, we will see what comes after the “but” that starts verse 15.

Your compassion is great for those who have done nothing to deserve it.

Ezekiel 15:1–8

2023-04-06T00:00:00+00:00

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The Lord now compares Jerusalem to a woody vine. In viticulture, grapes are usually only produced by vines that grew the previous year, so the old wood is pruned away to maximize yield. It’d be nice to be able to use that wood for something, but it’s kind of thin and twisty so you can’t really make anything out of it. Not even a peg to hang something on a wall. Instead it is just thrown into a fire for fuel.
The Lord intensifies the comparison by noting how the charred middle of the vine is even more useless after the ends have been burned away. One might normally expect the whole vine to be consumed by the fire, but it might make sense that the fire represents the earlier deportation of the upper classes, but the rest of the city’s inhabitants also have their judgement to go through.

You can make even the most useless things useful in Your plan.

Ezekiel 14:12–23

2023-04-05T00:00:00+00:00

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The message from the Lord turns back to the fate of Jerusalem, and the surety of its destruction. He declares that if the three righteous men Noah, Daniel, and Job had been living in it, their presence would not have kept the Lord from wiping out the city, though their own lives would have been spared. Not even their sons or daughters would be saved, presumably because they would not have been righteous in Jerusalem like their fathers.
These three names should be instantly recognizable to anyone familiar with the Bible, and each of them was famously righteous in the midst of God’s judgement. However, the one who studies the history of the Bible will see a problem. Daniel the prophet is one of the few individuals in a Biblical narrative with no sins or shortcomings recorded in it, so he qualifies for this list in that respect. But he wasn’t famous yet. He was exiled in the first deportation like Ezekiel was, but after six years Nebuchadnezzar may or may not have had the dream recorded in Daniel 2, and Daniel may or may not have been second in the kingdom. Even if he had, most of the empire would only have known him as Belteshazzar, and he would not have been famous for being righteous, per se. Also, the spelling is different in Hebrew. A better transliteration might be Danel.
So who is this Danel mentioned by the Lord? He is mentioned again in Ezekiel 28 when the prince of Tyre is compared to him because of his wisdom. Modern scholarship believes Danel to be an Ugaritic king famed for his wisdom and righteousness, though the tablet fragments mention him in connection with Caananite gods. It’s not conclusive, but it is the best lead we have. If this is the same person, all three righteous men in our passage are non-Israelites who were righteous in the midst of destruction.
The point God is making is the same one He made with Sodom and Gomorrah: a few righteous people are not enough to spare the entire wicked community. Sword, famine, wild beasts, and pestilence are all coming to ravage the city of Jerusalem. However, a few people will be saved from these disasters, and these few will become a consolation to the exiles, because they will be the righteous remnant who did not follow in the ways of their peers. Thus will everyone know that God has dealt righteously with Jerusalem.

Again and again You have shown Yourself to be just and righteous.

Ezekiel 14:1–11

2023-04-04T00:00:00+00:00

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Now we have a small interlude where the message of the Lord given through Ezekiel does not concern the inhabitants of Jerusalem, but the exiles who are there near him. In particular we have “certain of the elders of Israel” (v. 1) who have come to the prophet for a word from the Lord, and yet they have taken idols into their hearts. This could mean that they actively worship the Caananite gods like their compatriots back in Jerusalem, or have begun to follow the Babylonian gods of their conquerors, or have forsaken the Lord in a more subtle way by turning to wealth and power or putting their ethnicity and holy city before God in their hearts. Whatever the case, the Lord knows it and they stand condemned.
The Lord does not play second fiddle to anyone or anything. Just as you don’t ask your spouse what clothes to wear on a date with someone else, you don’t ask the Lord what the future holds for you when you have asked a funny looking rock to bless you as well. It’s just asking for trouble. And indeed, that is what He says He will bring to these elders: trouble enough to make everyone around them to notice and learn from their bad example until they are not around any more.
But it is not just the idolaters who are in danger here. If the prophet agrees to give them a prophetic word, the Lord will deceive him and the word he gives to the idolaters will be false. And thus he will incur the same punishment as the idolater who asked for the word in the first place. Now there’s an uncomfortable verse. The idea of God being deceptive is not a fun one, especially when remembering other verses that tell us that God loves truth and hates lies. But other translations use different words like “enticed” or “prevailed upon” instead of “deceived”. I’ll have to do a word study and figure out just what the Hebrew word really means here. But for now, we can be sure that God is against idolatry, and anyone who enables idolatry in the name of the Lord can expect judgement just as severe.

You are sovereign, and yet we are responsible for our actions, thoughts, and feelings. However, we can trust in You and Your goodness even when we don’t understand.

Ezekiel 13:17–23

2023-04-03T00:00:00+00:00

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Most of the time when we think about prophets, whether true or false ones, we probably think of men. However, some of the false teachers in Ezekiel’s day were women, and they are called out specifically for their forbidden practices. To be clear, being a prophetess wasn’t forbidden, but practicing magic and selling amulets and veils as some kind of spiritual protection certainly was.
Ever since they were given the Law by Moses, Israel has been forbidden from doing any kind of magic, sorcery, or divination other than explicitly asking the Lord what they should do. The ideas behind these restrictions convey a requirement to rely upon God alone for protection and blessing, not any other powers that may or may not be around. We understand now that any power that appears to be leveraged by such things are actually demonic forces deceiving people into thinking they have control over matters they do not understand. Satan will gladly give someone an experience if it will keep them from the truth, whether it is a magic spell, a vision of light, or a false exercism. In contrast, only the Lord YHWH is sovereign and in full authority and control over everything that is.
These women had been making magic wristbands and veils in order to “hunt for souls”. (v. 18) I admit that I don’t really know what that might mean, though in some way it appears they were trying to cause some people to die and others to live, but everything they were doing was a lie and a sham. In this way they were encouraging the wicked and discouraging the righteous, so the Lord declares that He will come through and tear down all their lies and reverse their decisions. Then the people will be free of their predation because they will not have false visions any longer nor will these women be able to practice any of their magic arts. They will know that the sovereign, mighty Lord has said this when it happens.

You are mighty to save, have promised to protect and shield us from anyone who would try to take us from You, so we do not need to fear any spiritual power.

Ezekiel 13:1–16

2023-04-01T00:00:00+00:00

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Now that the Lord has established that He will be fulfilling the visions He sends to His true prophets, like Ezekiel, He proceeds to condemn the false prophets who have led Israel astray. The charges are ascribing their own made-up prophecies to the Lord to give them an air of authenticity. He describes them as jackals in the ruins and faithless soldiers who do not defend the city’s walls or try to repair the holes made in it by invading forces. This phrase about going up to the breaches is interesting because Moses is described this way when he interceded on Israel’s behalf when they made the golden image while he received the Law from God. (Psalm 106:23) Naturally, this image of a man standing in the gap in order to turn away God’s wrath points us to its ultimate fulfillment in Jesus.
Rather than protecting the people from the tides of judgement, these false prophets have been smearing whitewash, or plaster, over the walls that the people have built. While it may look good, it is a surface-level treatment that only papers over the unsoundness of their lives. Because of their lives, the false prophets will not be returning to the land, nor will they be counted among the census of Israel. The Lord is bringing about a deluge of rain and hail to batter down the walls they have built. Even though the whitewash is clearly a metaphor for the “word from the Lord” that these charlatans gave to the people, there is an ironic literalness going on too. The walls of Jerusalem did indeed get torn down when the Babylonians invaded, and they did so because the false prophets were not warning the people to repent of their sins before judgement came.

We are humbled, Jesus, that You would bear the wrath of God for our sin so that we might live within Your city.

Ezekiel 12:17–28

2023-03-31T00:00:00+00:00

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Ezekiel is given another symbolic action to perform, another layer on top of the ones he is already performing, most likely. He is to eat the siege rations that have been assigned to him with “trembling and anxiety”. (v. 18) This represents the fear and dismay with which the inhabitants of Jerusalem will eat their bread and drink their water because of the terrible things that are happening all around them. The Lord reiterates that the desolation has come as a judgement upon the people who have filled the land with violence.
The next time He speaks to Ezekiel, the Lord changes the subject and addresses the attitude of the people towards their God. They have been plagued with false prophets to such an extent that it has become a proverb to remark that the things that were prophesied have not come about. Remember that the people have decided that God must have forsaken the land or is otherwise indifferent to the things going on in it. I suspect the preponderance of false visions contributed to that attitude significantly.
The Lord declares that He will make it so that this proverb will no longer be said. He will give visions, and they will come true. No longer will false prophets give flattering predictions because people want to hear what they want to hear (as is still true today). Instead, the true visions from the Lord will also come true within the sight of those who first hear of it, not just “eventually” or “some day”.
This declaration should be understood in the context of Ezekiel’s ministry, and not applied to prophecy in general. There are plenty of predictions and prophecies that have not yet come to pass, even after 2,000 years or more. Some of Ezekiel’s prophetic messages may still be fulfilled in the end times (he says, looking at the end of the book), but the vast majority of them are for the near future.

Your word never returns void, and You accomplish all You have decided to do.

Ezekiel 12:1–16

2023-03-30T00:00:00+00:00

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The Lord gives Ezekiel another symbolic action to perform before the people which demonstrates for them actions happening in far-off Jerusalem. He is to pack a bag as if he is going into exile, dig a hole in his wall in the evening, and escape through it into the country. As he goes out he is to cover his face so that he cannot see the land he is leaving.
As He gives Ezekiel these instructions, the Lord emphasizes again the rebellious nature of the house of Israel. He indicates that their stubborn rebellion is what keeps them from seeing and hearing the message that Ezekiel has been telling them, but maybe if Ezekiel remains faithful to the Lord they will eventually realize what’s going on. This strategy seems to work, because the Lord implies that they have asked Ezekiel what he is doing.
Having gone out for the night, Ezekiel returns to the exiles in the morning to explain what he was showing them. The prince in Jerusalem (that is, the puppet king Zedekiah who tried to use Egypt to get out from under Babylon’s thumb) and the rest of the people left in the city are going to be exiled as well. The prince will try to escape by night, digging a hole in the wall and covering his face so that he cannot see the land. However, Ezekiel explains that he will be unsuccessful in his flight, and the Lord will capture him using the Chaldeans. It turns out he will be unable to see the land because they will blind him. (2 Kings 25:7) They will take him to Babylon and he wll die there. Everyone around him will be scattered or slain, though a few will escape to spread the news of what the Lord has done to them.

Your patience is astonishing, that You continue to reach out to those with hardened hearts.

Ezekiel 11:13–25

2023-03-27T00:00:00+00:00

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While Ezekiel was prophesying against the wicked princes of the people, one of them fell down dead. This is dramatic and causes Ezekiel to plead again for the remnant of Israel. It also raises some questions. For the most part, we have assumed these prophetic visions are like dreams while the prophet is awake. Everything happens in their mind’s eye, and the Lord shows him things that are yet to happen, or symbolic imagery as a metaphor for the message He wishes to convey to the people. So then, is the death of Pelatiah also a vision, or did these twenty-five men really get a visitation from the prophet Ezekiel at the gate to the temple and one of them died while he was speaking? The name Pelatiah means “Yahweh provides escape”, so it is a terrible omen that he dies while the prophet speaks of the judgements that are going to happen to his compatriots. Ultimately, while the question of the mechanics of this vision are interesting, they are not actually important. God did what He said He would do to the wicked people of Jerusalem, and His message was delivered to its intended recipients: the exiles in Chaldea.
This time, when Ezekiel asks about the remnant, the Lord answers with hope and assurance. The people left in Jerusalem had boasted to the exiles that they were the possessors of the Promised Land, but the Lord would restore the exiles to the land in due time. Though they were scattered among many nations, He has protected them there and He will bring them back together again. Their hearts will be renewed with a softness for the Lord, energizing them to follow His commands and remove the “detestable things” and “abominations” (v. 18) that are in the land.
With the message complete, the Lord on His throne departs from the city and travels to the mountain east of the city. (The Mount of Olives, maybe?) Ezekiel in his turn is transported back to where he had been when the vision started. He then tells the exiles all the things he had seen and heard from the Lord.

You punish the wicked and spare the righteous, according to Your justice and mercy.

Ezekiel 11:1–12

2023-03-26T00:00:00+00:00

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Now Ezekiel is taken to the east gate of the temple, where another twenty-five men have gathered outside it. Don’t confuse these twenty-five with the twenty-five priests worshipping the sun inside the temple court (who were supposed to be killed by the six destroying angels in chapter 9). Also don’t confuse Jaazaniah the son of Azzur here with Jaazaniah the son of Shaphan from chapter 8. These men are described as “princes of the people” (v. 1) so they are the political leaders who rose up in Jerusalem after the first deportation. (This was the exile that Ezekiel himself and Daniel were part of.)
The Spirit of the Lord describes these men to Ezekiel as wicked counselors and arrogant in their position. They described Jerusalem as a cauldron and themselves as the meat in it. That is, the city has walls of irons and they are the best parts of what is in it. Since Nebuchadnezzar had deported most of the royal family, the military leaders, and the craftsmen, maybe these men considered those groups to be the offal and bones of a butchered animal while they were the parts that were valuable.
As an aside, the Lord declares He knows their thoughts, which is not a fact that should be missed. When theologians talk about God’s omniscience, they really do mean He knows everything. Repent of even your wicked thoughts that you never tell anyone.
The Lord indicts these wicked counselors by pointing out the people who have been slain in the streets of the city because of their leadership. He says that those are the real meat of the cauldron, and because of them He will bring these puffed-up leaders out of the cauldron to be judged at the border of Israel with the sword that they have feared. They had not followed in the statuse of the Lord but instead did wickedness according to the ways of the nations around them.

No one can escape Your justice except through the gracious work of Jesus paying the penalty for our unrighteousness.

Ezekiel 10:1–22

2023-03-24T00:00:00+00:00

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As the slaughter commences, the Lord’s palanquin arrives. Ezekiel learns that the living creatures that are underneath the crystal-blue throne are called cherubim. The Ark of the Covenant that sits in the middle of the temple is a representation of God’s throne on earth. The bottom is a golden chest that contains the two tablets of the Law given to Moses at Mt. Sinai, the budded staff of Aaron, and a golden jar of manna. The top surface of the ark is called the “mercy seat” and in front of it the high priest would sprinkle the blood of a bull and a goat with his finger. Above the mercy seat were golden images of cherubim, beings that looked like a man with wings. Their wings were spread over the top of the mercy seat so that they overshadowed it. The bizarre creatures he saw in his first vision with their four different faces and four wings are thus associated with God’s throne both in heaven and on earth.
God commands the angelic scribe to take burning coals that are in between the four cherubim of His throne and scatter some over the city. While the Babylonians certainly set fires to destroy Jerusalem when they conquered the city, these verses so that God was superintending the destruction at the same time.
The cloud that fills the temple shields Ezekiel from seeing the full glory of the Lord as He moves from the Holy Place to palanquin. Once He takes His place on this mobile throne, the cherubim and the whirling wheels convey the Lord away from the temple and the city. Of course, this being a vision, it is more of a symbolic act than a literal one, especially since God is present everywhere and therefore cannot “leave” a place.

Though You are infinite and overflow our minds, You condescend to us and give us the glimpses of Yourself that we are able to understand because it is good that we know You and love You.

Ezekiel 9:1–11

2023-03-21T00:00:00+00:00

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Having shown Ezekiel the idolatrous acts the people of Jerusalem are committing in His temple, the Lord summons angelic warriors to begin executing the people of the city. Six of them arrive, plus a scribe in charge of the heavenly record. Normally God’s glory rested above the Ark of the Covenant in the Most Holy Place, seated on His earthly throne as it were, but now He has moved to the threshold of the temple because He is about to remove His Presence from Jerusalem.
Before He goes, the Lord gives the angels instructions. The scribe is to go ahead into the city and put a mark on the foreheads of those who do not approve of the abominations that have taken place. The six warriors are to go after and slaughter everyone else, beginning with the twenty-five priests who are before them.
Greatly disturbed by all he has seen, Ezekiel falls on his face in despair. He fully expects no one will survive this disaster, and the remnant of Israel will not survive. In effect, this is an appeal to God’s promises that He made with the Israelites, to be their God and to preserve David’s kingly line. Ezekiel is worried that the exiles will never again be able to possess the Promised Land. Our God does indeed keep His promises, but He doesn’t reassure Ezekiel of that. Instead, He emphasizes just how wicked the people of Israel and Judah have been to each other, corrupting the land with bloodshed and injustice until it is saturated with it. There are no more chances for them, no more mercy; only wrath.
And in the time it took for that conversation to be finished, the angelic scribe returns to announce that he has completed his task. I’m sure an angel can move much faster than we can, and he wouldn’t be hindered by such small things as walls and doors, but angels are not omnipresent, so he would have to go to each person in the city who loved the Lord individually to apply the mark. That makes it seem like there really were not many people he had to mark. But it also shows the kindness and mercy of the Lord not allowing the righteous to be punished along with the wicked. Time and again we see Him do this: 2 Peter lists several examples such as Noah and Lot. Which is not to say bad things never happen to good people (ask Job and Jesus), but disasters that come upon many people specifically to judge the wicked are also not visited upon the righteous among them.

You keep all of Your promises and You shelter the righteous under Your wings in the day of trouble.

Ezekiel 8:14–18

2023-03-20T00:00:00+00:00

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The Lord shows Ezekiel two more abominations that are occuring in His temple. The first is a group of women weeping for Tammuz at the north gate of the temple court. This one needs a bit more context than we are given. Tammuz was a pagan deity associated with the fields and the underworld. His myths are similar to the story of Persephone and Hades, except he plays both roles: Tammuz makes the vegetation grow until he dies in the summer heat and goes to the land of the dead. His adherents ritually mourn his passing until he returns to the land of the living to bring the greenery back with the wet season. Time and again the Lord has shown He brings the rain and makes it stop, and He has the power over life and death as well. How quickly the people forget the truth.
The final abomination was surely the worst for Ezekiel, because it involved not the laity, but priests consecrated to the Lord like himself. At least, that’s what they should be, in the inner court of the temple. Instead of offering sacrifices to the Lord, or facing the temple in prayer, they have turned their backs upon the Holy Place and are bowing down to worship the rising sun. Think of it! It’d be like finding out the pastor of your church was actually a Buddhist.
With all this happening in and around His own house, the very place He makes His dwelling on earth, is it any wonder that God is angry with His people? But it wasn’t only this, but also that the land was filled with violence and bloodshed. Injustice abounded, as the Lord had prohibited, and so He will punish the wicked and He will not spare them.

Grant us a righteous indignation against our sin, that we may repent of it.

Ezekiel 8:1-13

2023-03-19T00:00:00+00:00

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About thirteen months after the last prophecy, Ezekiel is again visited by the Lord. This one happens while he has visitors, the elders of Judah. Ezekiel again sees the shining glory of the Lord, who takes him by the hair and lifts him up into the sky to take him to Jerusalem. This is very likely not a physical transportation, as he says the Spirit is the One who lifted him up.
At Jerusalem, Ezekiel is set down in the temple, at the entrance to the inner court. He is shown an “image of jealousy” (vv. 3,5), that is, an idol that provokes the Lord’s jealousy. We aren’t told exactly what it is, but it seems likely to be an Asherah like King Manessah set up. Asherah poles were symbols for a Caananite fertility goddess. The Lord says to Ezekiel that the house of Israel is doing abominations to drive Him out of His sanctuary. What I can’t determine is whether the people intend for this, or if it is only what the Lord decided the consequences of their idolatry would be. But as bad as this is, there are worse things for Ezekiel to see.
At the entrance to the court, there was a hole in the wall, and Ezekiel is commanded to dig into it. He finds an entrance into a room, and is told so see what is inside. There is a room filled with reliefs depicting all of the various idols that Israel worshipped at that time. Additionally he sees 70 elders of Israel burning incense in there, including Jaazaniah the son of Shaphan leading them. This man is tragically significant because his father Shaphan helped King Josiah reform the worship of Judah to the true God. Shaphan was the one to read the Book of the Law to the king that Hilkiah the priest found.
Apparently these men think their hidden room is unseen by God, or maybe that He is no longer paying attention to Israel. They don’t realize that the very acts they are committing are what bring the Lord’s wrath upon the land, the very disasters they fear are coming and are trying to prevent with their prayers to idols. They had forgotten the Lord’s promises and commandments, and have twisted things around so much that they blame God for their own problems. As bad as this is, Ezekiel will see still worse things.

Help us see our sin for what it is, and give us the remedy that will heal us from it.

Ezekiel 7:14–27

2023-03-17T00:00:00+00:00

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Though the trumpets of battle are blown, no soldiers are ready and able to answer the call. Though sword, famine, and pestilence kills a great multitude, a few survivors may escape to the mountains. There they will mourn over their lot, throwing away their gold and silver because they cannot use it to sate their hunger. This section probably refers to the silver and gold used to make idols or self-aggrandizing decorations. The Lord is making them detest the things He detests because of the wicked things they have done with such things. Instead of just being left on the side of the road, robbers and invaders will take away these religious items and profane them, making them doubly worthless in the eyes of the Israelites.
Not only will the idolatrous items be profaned, but also the Lord’s own temple. He will let even His earthly dwelling place be handed over to those who do not fear Him as a judgement on the people who should have revered Him. Because of God’s blessing on Israel with His covenant, His presence, and His help in battle on numerous occasions, Israel and Judah had come to take their safety for granted. In particular, it was common for people to think Jerusalem could never fall because God’s temple was there. However, more powerful than that idea are the curses God promised to His people if they did not follow the commands and statutes He had given to them.
Both the city and the country was full of violence. The people sought prophetic visions while the priests didn’t teach the law. Therefore everyone will be full of despair and terror because of what the Lord does to them. And then they will know who the Lord is.

Help us to learn these lessons through studying history and not having to experience them for ourselves.

Ezekiel 7:1–13

2023-03-15T00:00:00+00:00

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In case you haven’t gotten the message by now (and I’m sure there were some Ezekiel spoke to who needed these reminders), God punishes sin. He doesn’t play around; when it’s time for judgement to be brought to bear, it is done fully and completely. There are some who say they follow a “God of love” who doesn’t want to punish anyone. They aren’t following the God of the Bible. No one actually wants to live in total anarchy where everybody does whatever they like with no rules to stop them. Read the last couple chapters of Judges for a glimpse of what that is like. Perhaps they think that wicked people should be “corrected” instead of “punished”, but the fact remains that evil deeds incur consequences.
There are also those who say that prophecy is confusing and not worth reading. I would argue that anyone could read this chapter and figure out what God is saying, even if they didn’t know any of Israel’s history. They would probably need to study more of the Bible to learn why God is saying all this, but what He says is pretty clear. Fictional prophecies are always vague and easy to misinterpret for narrative purposes. Biblical prophecy will either have straightforward meanings, or the symbolism used is explained in the text itself. God’s purpose for giving prophecies is never to be a “Gotcha!” or a puzzle to figure out. Instead they are clear warnings, calls to repentence, or sources of comfort to believers because they show that God has had everything planned out from the very beginning and nothing can thwart Him.

Change our hearts to want what You want, and not our own evil desires.

Ezekiel 6:11-14

2023-03-14T00:00:00+00:00

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Again, the Lord declares how He will pour out His wrath upon the people of Israel, and why. Their abominations that they did by sacrificing to idols has lead them to be killed by sword, pestilence, and famine. Every single altar, high place, and oak tree where sacrifices were made will be defiled by human blood.
So great will be the slaughter that the entire Promised Land, from the wilderness of Arabia in the south to Riblah in what is now northern Lebanon will be made desolate and a waste land. So complete will be the destruction that those who witness it will know that only the Lord could accomplish it.

Only Your goodness can judge sin without equivocation. Wash us clean so that we may see Your holiness. Break our hearts of stone and renew them as hearts of flesh. We are as sinful as Israel was, yet You loved them and You love us; be our salvation in our time of need and we will live in the day of Your wrath.

Ezekiel 6:1–10

2023-03-13T00:00:00+00:00

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Now the Lord gives Ezekiel a condemnation against the mountains of Israel. The mountains, or “high places” were often the sites of altars and shrines, sometimes to the Lord, in spite of His prohibition against them, but oftentimes to the gods of Canaan or the surrounding nations. The idea is that if you are higher up on the mountain, you are closer to heaven, and your sacrifices are quicker to be noticed. After suffering them for Israel’s entire history, the Lord declares that He is going to destroy all of these idolatrous sites. The people who prayed there and sacrificed to the idols will be killed and left there at the altars. The rocks and statues will be shown to have no power before the Lord God. The gods the people relied upon have no power to protect themselves, much less their worshippers.
Despite this desolation, a few people will survive and be scattered abroad into other nations. They will escape the sword and plagues that fall on Judah and will tell of the calamity that God has visited upon them. They will tell how their “whoring” (v. 9) after other gods has broken the Lord’s heart. It is no coincidence that idolatry and adultery are such similar words. God’s covenant with Israel is very much like the covenant of marriage. God faithfully loves and protects His chosen people for centuries, but they continually spurn Him by following after idols that cannot save, even literally whoring themselves by employing temple prostitutes to curry the favor of the gods of rain and harvest. As they become refugees, the Lord says the Israelites will realize how vile they have been and that the curses that God has pronounced on them is completely justified.

Help us understand the depths of our sin, so that we can appreciate the immensity of Your love for us that lets You forgive us before we were even born.

Ezekiel 5:1–17

2023-03-12T00:00:00+00:00

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Ezekiel has one last thing to do to prepare for his acting out the siege of Jerusalem. He must shave off his hair and beard, which would be a mark of great shame or mourning for Ezekiel. There is a law in Leviticus that Israelite men, and especially priests, are not to “mar the edges of the beard”, but the Lord commands Ezekiel to do this anyway. I take that law to mean that they weren’t to cut shapes into their beard, presumably like the neighboring nations did for their religions. Being fully clean-shaven might not have been prohibited, much like having hair go completely white was not a cause of ritual uncleanness, but culturally it would still be a mark of shame for him.
With his shorn hair, Ezekiel was to divide it into three equal parts and perform more symbolic actinos with it, once he was done portraying the siege. With one third he is to burn it in the middle of the city, with another third go around the city and strike it with a sword, and with the last thrid to scatter it on the wind. But a few pieces of hair he is to tie up in his robe, though a few of those are to be burned up too.
Naturally you might be asking, “What is this all about?” Wonderfully, the Bible often answers this question if we just keep reading. The Lord gives Ezekiel the interpretation by saying that the hair is the people of Jerusalem. A third will die from plague during the siege (burned), a third will killed by the invading soldiers, and a third will be scattered and flee in all directions. It is very interesting that there is no more mention of the remnant represented by the hair kept in Ezekiel’s robe. However, we know from Jeremiah 40 that there were some survivors in Jerusalem, a remnant kept alive by the Lord.
In addition to describing what will happen to the people of Jerusalem, the Lord explains why He is bringing such severe judgment upon them. Despite having the Law of Moses and the prophets to explain what God requires of them, they have been even more wicked than the nations that surround them who did not have those words. They were so rebellious, they didn’t even behave according to the laws of the neighboring nations. Because of their abominable and detestable practices, they are driven to do worse things as a punsihment, like cannibalism.
God in His mercy uses this judgement as a warning to the whole world that He takes holiness seriously. Everyone who hears how Jerusalem has fallen will know that it is because the Lord has executed judgement on them for their wicked deeds, and the wise will take that warning to heart. The wicked may seem to prosper for a time, but the Lord’s patience is long-suffering, not ever-suffering.

Teach us Your ways so that we may do them and live.

Ezekiel 4:1–17

2023-03-10T00:00:00+00:00

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At last, Ezekiel gets the first word that he is to speak to the people on the Lord’s behalf. Like many prophets before him, he is to perform some symbolic actions that represent what will happen in the future. This one is pretty elaborate, though. He is to build a model for the siege of Jerusalem, complete with camps, a wall, and battering rams arranged around it. In addition, he was to take an iron griddle and place it on edge between himself and the city. This iron wall is meant to represent the barrier God will erect between Himself and His people. Sieges are terrible events, so there will normally be lots of people in Jerusalem praying for deliverance. But this wall will prevent God from hearing those prayers—because He put it there—so that the destruction of the city will be complete.
After these preparations are complete, Ezekiel is given the task of lying down next to this diorama to bear the punishment of the houses of Israel and Judah. Israel will be punished for 390 years, so Ezekiel will lie on his left side 390 days. Judah will be punisheed for 40 years, so he will lie on his right side for 40 days. “Days” here cannot mean the whole 24-hour period, continuously, because Ezekiel is also commanded to make bread and eat it in the following verses. Instead, each day there was a period of time where he would be lying down on his side, and the Lord would make it so that he couldn’t turn from side to side while he lay there.
If that wasn’t hard enough, Ezekiel is put on siege rations for the duration of this mock siege. There’s a product called Ezekiel Bread that purports to be healthier than normal bread because it follows a “Biblical recipe”, but any benefits it does or doesn’t have are completely unrelated to this passage. That’s the danger of taking things out of context. Just because something is in the Bible doesn’t mean it’s something we’re supposed to do. Just think of all the passages that describe how people sinned and failed to follow the Lord’s instruction! I also doubt they use manure as the oven fuel at the Ezekiel Bread factory.
The Mosaic Law was meant to emphasized purity and making a distinction between God’s people and the rest of the nations. Clothing was not made of blended threads, fields were sown with one kind of crop, and so on. When God commands Ezekiel to make bread out of 6 different grains and legumes, He isn’t giving a general recommendation. I don’t believe this is specifically prohibited in the Law, but the idea of it runs counter to its general themes. Instead, it is to represent the desperation of the people under siege. Sieges work by inducing starvation in a populace. As supplies dwindle, you start getting creative with meals, and so a loaf of bread might be made with the last of all your types of flour at once.
The amount that Ezekiel would eat of this bread was tiny: twenty shekels works out to 220 grams or 8 ounces. His water was also constrained: a hin was about a gallon (3.5 liters) so a sixth of that is a bit over 2 cups or 0.6 liters. A man may be able to survive on that for over a year, maybe if each meal was that amount. But again, the point of this deprivation is to show how the people of Jerusalem are going to be judged. It is severe and sobering.

You are a just judge, bringing punishment upon the heads of the wicked.

Ezekiel 3:16–27

2023-03-09T00:00:00+00:00

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After a week of being overwhelmed by the vision he had seen, the Lord speaks to Ezekiel again to give him a warning and a charge. Whenever the word of the Lord comes to Ezekiel, he is to speak it to the people so that they are warned of the judgement that will come because of their sinful ways. The warning to Ezekiel is that he is like a watchman over a city, and if he does not warn the people of the danger he sees, he is culpable for the destruction that occurs. If, after he warns them, the people do not listen and they perish, Ezekiel is not guilty, because he did what he was supposed to do. Two scenarios are given, showcasing a wicked person and a righteous person hearing Ezekiel’s message. In both cases Ezekiel’s duty is clear and the person who sins is the one who is judged.
The Lord then commands Ezekiel to have a face-to-face conversation in the valley nearby. Ezekiel again sees the glory of the Lord that he had seen previously, and again falls on his face. But the Lord lifts him up in order to tell him how his prophetic ministry shall go. Ezekiel will become a mute hermit, shut up in his house, only able to speak the words the Lord gives him. He will be unable to reprove the people beyond telling them the prophecies that God has declared against them. Apparently, he can’t even go out among the people to tell them the message he has been given.
Let this be a reminder that God’s ways are higher than our ways. Most of us would think God would want Ezekiel to tell as many people as possible the things He has to say to them. Indeed, that is the strategy employed at other times and places, such as when Jesus sent out the twelve and seventy-two to proclaim the kingdom of God. This time, it seems, God’s purpose is not to change anyone’s mind with the message, but to be a proof of His holiness and sovereignty to future generations. The people eventually notice that Ezekiel doesn’t come of out of his house, and he only speaks when he has a word from the Lord to tell them. Eventually, everyone realizes that he is a true prophet of God when the things he predicts come true. But of course, that means the judgements have fallen already.

Let us be faithful to the calling You have given us, and may Your Name be glorified.

Ezekiel 3:1–15

2023-03-07T00:00:00+00:00

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As we learned last time, the Lord expects Ezekiel to eat this scroll of judgement. Since this is in a vision, he probably didn’t physically eat anything, especially as doing so allowed him to speak the words on the scroll to the people. However, I am a little curious what it looked and felt like to him. Did it shrink so he could fit it all in one bite, or did he have to chew it? Once he does eat it, he tells us that it tasted as sweet as honey. This is clearly a similar passage to Revelation 10, where John also receives a scroll to eat, which gives him the authority to speak prophecy to the world. John’s scroll is also sweet in his mouth, but is bitter in his stomach. I believe the sweetness represents the ease with which he can speak the words. It feels good to obey the Lord, and though the words are of lamentation and woe, Ezekiel is rewarded for saying them.
Again the Lord reiterates that Ezekiel is to speak the words to Israel, his own people. He already knows the language and the culture, but if he was sent to a different people, they would listen more easily than the stubborn Israelites. He then makes a play on Ezekiel’s name by saying that Ezekiel’s face and forehead will be stronger and harder than Israel’s. In Hebrew, Ezekiel means “God makes strong, hardens”. Therefore, he is to be more stubborn than they in preaching God’s word to them, whether they listen or not.
With this, Ezekiel is dismissed, but before the vision ends, he hears the mighty voice of God’s throne and the beings that make it up blessing God’s glory. Get this: the sound of the wings of the living creatures brushing against each other formed the words, as did the sound of the wheels. God’s glory is so majestic that incidental sounds praise Him.
Ezekiel is carried away by the Spirit back to the Chebar canal, in “bitterness in the heat of my spirit”. That’s probably the same bittereness John felt after he ate his scroll. He is so overwhelmed by his experience that he sits and processes it for seven days.

Worthy are You to be praised by all that You have created, in heaven, on earth, and under the earth.

Ezekiel 2:1–10

2023-03-05T00:00:00+00:00

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When Ezekiel sees the enthroned Lord God Almighty, he falls on his face in fear and worship, because the holiness of the Lord can not abide sin. But the Lord tells him to stand on his feet because He has a mission for him. He addresses Ezekiel as “Son of man”, which means he is a human, that is, a descendant of Adam. It sounds the same as Jesus’s favorite way to refer to Himself in Scripture, but the (specific, prophesied) Son of Man that He refers to is from Daniel’s vision where He receives the authority to rule the world from the Father at the end of the age. Cheekily, Jesus can also use the meaning we see here as well, since He is also fully human.
Ezekiel’s mission, like the prophets before him, is to speak the words of the Lord to Israel. Because they are a rebellious nation, impudent and stubborn (vv. 3–4), he is not to expect responses like Jonah got from the Ninevites. However he isn’t necessarily to expect the response Jeremiah got, where no one at all listened to God’s warnings. He should be prepared for opposition, in the form of words, but he also shouldn’t be afraid of what they say.
Ezekiel is also given instructions to not be rebellious like his people, but to eat what the Lord gives him. And the Lord gives him a scroll to eat. It is written on both the front and back, which is very strange, for human scrolls at least. In prophetic visions, scrolls of judgement from God tend to have writing on front and back. (Zech. 5:3 and Rev. 5:1) Indeed, this scroll has words of lamentation, mourning, and woe. Ezekiel’s message will not be a happy one.

Let us always be concerned with pleasing You our Lord and Savior, than with pleasing anyone else.

Ezekiel 1:15–28

2023-03-03T00:00:00+00:00

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I must have been really tired when I wrote the last entry because I didn’t discuss the wheels from the latter part of the passage at all. So we’re overlappingo on the passage a bit today. Ezekiel goes into some detail about these wheels that accompany the four living creatures, but it seems like he doesn’t answer any of the questions we could have about them. Are they alive? How does “a wheel within a wheel” actually work? It sounds to me like Ezekiel is trying the best he can to describe what he sees, but he doesn’t have the vocabulary or even the categories for it. In all likelihood, we wouldn’t either.
We start to get clues as to what purpose the living creatures and their wheels serve in the following verses. Above the heads of the creatures is an expanse of crystal, or something very like it. The living creatures appear to be holding up this expanse with their wings, and a very loud and awesome voice from above the expanse commands the creatures to start and stop. “Like the sound of the Almighty” (v. 24) is a very big hint.
Finally in verse 26 Ezekiel tells us there is a throne on the expanse, made entirely out of precious jewels. So then, the living creatures are holding up the platform of the divine throne and the wheels are the literal wheels of God’s carriage. Which is a strange thing for God to have when He is present everywhere at all times; He doesn’t need to travel anywhere. Yet it is a way for Him to show His majesty to us and to make statements, as we shall see in chapter 10.
Seated on the throne is Someone who looks like a human, but glowing and polished like metal and blazing with glory. Ezekiel calls this the “appearance of the likeness of the glory of Yahweh”. Within a vision, that’s three steps of indirection from saying what God looks like, which is entirely appropriate for sinners such as us. Moses asked to see God but was allowed only to see the afterglow of His passing, because anything more would destroy him. In response to catching a glimpse of the Lord, Ezekiel falls on his face, which is the only thing any of us can do when confronted with God’s infinite holiness.

You are majestic and have total supremacy over everything.

Ezekiel 1:5–25

2023-02-28T00:00:00+00:00

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From the great, bright storm cloud that Ezekiel sees, the first thing to appear are four heavenly beings known as the “four living creatures”. Both Isaiah and John saw these beings, or something very like them, though the details differ a bit. Ezekiel tells us they have a generally humanoid appearance, but with four faces: one on each side of the head. They also have a multitude of wings of which two are used to cover themselves and two stretch out to touch the wings of their neighbor.
The four living creatures sparkle and shine with fire and lightning, and each of their four faces was of a different kind of earthly creature. It could be that they each symbolize a different kind of creature: humans, wild animals, domesticated animals, and birds. But there doesn’t seem to be any other connection between these creatures and the things that dwell on earth, so I would call that interpretation tenous, at best. Instead, we can say that they are able to see in all directions at once, which explain why they don’t have a need to turn in the direction they are moving: they are already facing that direction to begin with.

Your glory is so great it cannot be contained, and even Your entourage reflects it in their bodies.

Ezekiel 1:1–4

2023-02-27T00:00:00+00:00

Introduction</h3>
Now that the study of Luke has concluded, I want to switch to an Old Testament book. The pastor at my church has been going through Revelation recently, and that book uses a lot of the same imagery and themes as Ezekiel, so it seems good to me to study it in parallel.
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The prophet Ezekiel served during the Babylonian Exile, when the kingdom of Judah had been conquered and deported because they had failed to uphold the covenant God had made with them through Moses. Again and again God sent prophets to warn the people that this would happen and to call for repentance. Sometimes the people would respond, but never fully or wholeheartedly, and so the time finally came for God’s judgement to be fulfilled upon His people.
The book of Ezekiel starts with a time reference. It has more than any of the other prophetic writings, which scholars have determined to fall between 593 and 573 B.C. Generally, Ezekiel uses the date of the exile of King Jehoiachin, the last of the Davidic line to rule in Judah. (Technically Jehoichin’s uncle Zedekiah ruled after him, but he isn’t considered a legitimate heir as he was installed by the Babylonian conquerors.)
Ezekiel was a priest, hundreds of miles away from the temple in which he should serve. Normally, priests would begin to serve in the temple when they reached thirty years of age. Ezekiel, however, gets a different call from Yahweh, and sees a vision of His glory. He sees a stormy wind, a great cloud brimming with light and lightning as if it were made of metal. All of these things are very common descriptions of God manifesting His glory before human beings. All of Moses, Isaiah, and Jeremiah were brought into the presence of God to receive their prophetic calls, and because Ezekiel experienced this too, we can know that he has been delegated the authority to speak on God’s behalf.

When our lives have not gone the way we expected, You are still in control, ready to use us as You see fit.

Luke 24:36–53

2023-02-26T00:00:00+00:00

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While they were talking about Jesus visiting with Simon and with Cleopas and the other disciple, Jesus shows up again! It seems like He just suddenly appears in the locked room with them all, without warning. This time He proves to them that He is physically there, showing them the wounds His body still bears, and eating some fish. I really like the phrase Luke used, “they still disbelieved for joy” (v. 41) A lot of them had seen Jesus raise other people from the dead, but this is the only time anyone has ever raised themselves, so their disbelief is understandable. But even when they can see Him there, they are so happy they can’t really believe it.
Next, Jesus lifts the veil on their minds that kept them from fully understanding the words He spoke about Himself concerning His death and resurrection. He explains to them as He did on the road to Emmaus how so many things in the Law of Moses, the Prophets, and even the Psalms are about Himself. Not only passages like Genesis 3 and Isaiah 9, but like Psalm 22 and 2 as well.
Jesus commissions His disciples to be His witnesses of these things, that Christ has suffered and died, but rose again. Therefore, they are to call the people to repent and gain forgiveness of their sins in the name of Jesus. They are witnesses of a factual account, not a made-up story for the accolades of man. God has done wonderful things in their lives, and now they should tell everyone about them. The first place they should start is Jerusalem. Jesus tells them to stay there in the city until power from Heaven comes down on them.
“Then”, that is forty days later (as Luke tells us in the sequel), Jesus takes them a couple of miles from Jerusalem, prays over them, and ascends into Heaven. The disciples respond with worship and great joy.

Stir up our hearts and move us to respond to Your great message to the world.

Luke 24:13–35

2023-02-25T00:00:00+00:00

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At some point during that first Resurrection Sunday, two of the disciples, a Cleopas and one other, leave Jerusalem for the village of Emmaus. Jesus follows them and overtakes them on the road and overhears them talking about the things that had happened to Him over the last few days. He stops them and asks what they are talking about, and they can’t believe there’s anyone who has been in Jerusalem (as they presume Jesus has come from) who hasn’t heard about the death of Jesus. Jesus pretends not to know, so Cleopas tells how He had been condemned by the chief priests and rulers to be crucified, how His disciples had hoped that He was the promised Messiah who would redeem Israel, and how the women told the story of seeing angels at the tomb but no body.
Jesus responds by saying they don’t understand the Scriptures very well, or they would see that the Messiah would have to suffer before being glorified. He then proceeds to explain how that is so from all the Scriptures that had been written to that point. This is important, because it shows that God’s plan from the beginning was for Jesus to die on the cross to atone for the sins of all who trust in Him for salvation. It wasn’t a Plan B or a mid-flight adjustment to try to fix a mistake. God is sovereign and cannot make mistakes because He is all powerful and knows all things.
When they get to Emmaus, Jesus appears to be heading past it, but Cleopas and his companion ask Him to stay with them because the day is nearly done, and they want to share a meal with Him. He agrees, and after He blesses the food and starts to hand it to them, their eyes are opened to who He is. And then He vanishes. It has been suggested that the reason they recognize Him at that moment is because they could see the nail wounds in His wrist as He hands them the food. You can imagine the sleeve of His robe pulling up as He stretches His hand out.
Why does Jesus suddenly disappear as soon as the disciples are allowed to recognize Him? I think it has a lot to do with why He appeared to these two in the first place. Certainly, they needed to be told how to read the Scriptures more accurately, but I also think Jesus was going around and finding all the disciples who were trying to leave Jerusalem and getting them to turn around and head back. He eventually tells them to wait in Jerusalem for the Holy Spirit to come upon them, which is hard to do when everyone has started going in different directions.
These disciples understand the implications of Jesus appearing to them and head back to Jerusalem, probably after finishing their meal. They get back to tell all of the other disciples what they had seen and heard, only to find out Jesus had already appeared to Simon.

Let us always be quick to share the good news that You are alive today, and that this fact has ultimate, eternal significance.

Luke 24:1–12

2023-02-23T00:00:00+00:00

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It’s kind of funny how each of the Gospels includes different details, when they share an event in common. I would have liked to discuss the soldiers guarding the tomb of Jesus, and the seal that had been placed on the stone that closed off the tomb. But it’s not in our text today, so I shall refrain. Instead we will focus as Luke does on the women who have come to finish the hasty burial preparations for Jesus now that the Sabbath is over. Since Sabbath ended at sundown, they may have worked through the night in order to get things ready as early as they did. Their love for Jesus was so strong that they wanted to honor Him in death as well as they could as soon as they could.
Having a stone to close the tomb was a common practice, and Mark’s account tells us they saw it put in place and also that they wondered who would roll it out of the way for them. When they reached the tomb, however, they find the stone in front of it has been rolled away, and Jesus’s body is not there. Instead, two men in dazzling clothes appear before them and remind them of the things Jesus said about rising again after He would be crucified.
Note how the women react to seeing these two angels (as John and Matthew call them). They bow their faces to the ground in fear. Angels can be incognito and appear as normal men, but when they reveal themselves for what they are, this is how everyone reacts when they see them, if they don’t faint outright. If anyone tells you they met an angel, and it wasn’t the scariest thing they’ve ever seen, then they are lying or deceived.
The veil of forgetfulness has now been lifted from the women, and they remember that Jesus did say He would rise again, so they do as the angels instruct them and go tell the other disciples about it. For first-century Jews, this is radical that women are the ones who get to tell everyone else what’s been going on. The disciples didn’t believe them at first not because these women are prone to telling tales, but because they were from a culture that didn’t value anything women had to say. Court cases required two witnesses to provide ample evidence of an accusation, but only if they were men.
Peter may not have believed everything they said, but it was enough to get him to go to the tomb to see for himself. He runs to the tomb, anxious to know what he will find. And it’s just as the women said: Jesus isn’t there, but the burial clothes are. He still doesn’t know what to make of it as he heads home.

Keep Your words ever in our minds, so that we may live according to them, and give You the honor and praise You deserve.

Luke 23:50-56

2023-02-21T00:00:00+00:00

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For the very first time, we learn that the Sanhedrin was not unanimous in its treatment of Jesus. Here we meet Joseph of Arimathea, a righteous man and a member of the council. Mark’s account tells us all of the council members condemned Jesus to death, which probably means Joseph didn’t attend the kangaroo trial and only found out about it later.
Joseph goes to Pilate to ask for the body of Jesus so that he can bury Him. He would have had the backing of other Pharisees to tak the bodies off the crosses because while a man’s body on a tree show’s divine judgement upon him, leaving him there overnight would bring a curse on the whole land. Beyond this, Joseph was a secret follower of Jesus (“he was looking or the kingdom of God” v. 51), and so he wanted to show honor to Him.
Often in those days, tombs that were carved from rock would hold many bodies. It was just more economical that way, considering the labor involved in cutting through stone. Joseph either already owned, or was able to find, a tomb that no one had yet been laid in to be the resting place for Jesus’s body.
There were only a few hours left until the Sabbath began, so there was not enough time to do all of the burial preparations that they would have liked to do. Some of the women who had travelled with Jesus from Galilee saw where Joseph had laid Jesus to rest and decided to finish the burial preparations Sunday morning, once the Sabbath was over.

You can soften even the hardest hearts, and give sight to those who are blinded by their pride.

Luke 23:44–49

2023-02-20T00:00:00+00:00

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The death of Jesus is accompanied by several supernatural signs, and Luke doesn’t tell us all of them that happened. The first is darkness from noon to about 3 P.M. (Before you think “Eclipse!” like I did, know that Passover happens during the full moon, and solar eclipses during the new moon.) The second is the tearing of th e curtain in the temple. This curtain separated the Holy Place in the temple from the Holy of Holies and would have been anywhere from 10 to 30 feet tall. It was also thick enough that no one could see through it. And yet, when Jesus died, it was torn completely in two from top to bottom. Luke doesn’t tell us about the earthquake or the saints rising from the dead on Sunday, but they also heralded the death (and soon-to-be resurrection) of Jesus.
The fact that Jesus is able to call out with a loud voice right before He dies is also something outside the natural order of things. Crucifixion is a death by asphyxiation wherein the victim becomes too exhausted to take a breath. With the arms stretched out, the diaphram can’t pull in enough air unless the legs are standing on the nail driven through the feet. But this a very painful position, so one is constantly struggling between needing to breathe and relieving what pain you can. The other two criminals had their legs broken so their deaths would be hurried along before the Sabbath started. They wouldn’t have been able to support their chests in order to breathe after that. But after three hours of torture, after being too weak to carry His cross up the hill, Jesus is able to speak loudly, and then chooses to stop breathing entirely.
The centurion in charge of these executions was very experienced with executing criminals this way, and he noticed that Jesus’s death was not how it went, ever. He recognized God’s hand in the supernatural events going on around him. The people who had come to see the specatacle of a public execution were also disturbed and grieved by what they saw. Interesting, then, that we don’t get any reactions from Jesus’s followers when they see their Teacher perish. They merely bear witness.

Even in death, You are glorified. And Your victory over the grave proves Your majesty.

Luke 23:32–43

2023-02-18T00:00:00+00:00

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Because Jesus had taken the place of Barabbas, the two criminals who were crucified alongside Him were likely collaborators with Barabbas in his insurrection. Some translations call them “robbers” or “thieves” because that is the most common meaning of the Greek word, but it can also mean any kind of criminal or specifically an insurrectionist. Nowadays the word used might be “terrorist”. These two men are important because they help fulfill the prophecy of Isaiah 53:12</a>.
Another prophecy (Psalm 22:18</a>) is fulfilled by the soldiers casting lots for Jesus’s clothing. This was standard practice at the time for the Roman executioners to receive the clothing of the condemned. The rulers and the soldiers mock and abuse Him still while he hangs from the nails, and yet Jesus asks His Father to forgive them. The reason He gives, that they don’t know what they are doing, sounds absurd at first. How could they not know they are killing Him? What He means is that they don’t know who He really is and how significant it is that He, the Son of God, is dying.
One of the criminals beside Jesus gets a dig in as well. He thinks the Messiah should have some way of fixing the whole situation and is angry when He doesn’t. The other man, though, recognizes his guilt and the justice of his punishment, but asks for something far greater than a mere reprieve. Just as Abraham believed that God could keep His promises even if he sacrificed Isaac on an altar, this man expected Jesus to have a kingdom even if He died on a cross. Don’t forget the curse that is handed down when a body is hung on a tree. (Deut. 22:23</a>) Despite knowing that, he believed that Jesus would rule and reign in a heavenly kingdom and be able to remember him favorably there. That faith is what Jesus rewards with those beautiful words, “today you will be with me in Paradise.”

We long to see Your kingdom, to be remembered by You there.

Luke 23:26-31

2023-02-17T00:00:00+00:00

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Luke doesn’t mention it, but condemned prisoners were scourged with a cat o’nine tails before being crucified. They also were expected to carry the cross beam from the city out to the place of execution. We know from John’s account that Jesus started out from the city carrying His cross, but the blood loss from the scourging probably made Him too weak to complete the journey. The Roman soldiers press a Simon of Cyrene into service to carry Jesus’s cross instead.
I have often heard it said that the people of Jerusalem were fickle. One day they are shouting “Hosanna!” and welcoming their Messiah into the city and not even a week later they are shouting “Crucify Him!” It is apparently easy to forget (as I have done before) that Jerusalem is a big city. It’s entirely likely that these two groups of people are entirely distinct. Even the few who might have been at both events, like some Pharisees, would hardly be changing their tune so quickly. Matthew and Mark describe a “crowd” calling for Jesus’s blood, with the help of the chief priests and scribes to rile them up, but here Luke says a “great multitude” is lamenting and mourning for Jesus’s impending death. Jesus had no friends present at His trial, but that doesn’t mean no one cared about Him.
On seeing the women weeping for Him, Jesus tells them to save it for themselves, because worse things are coming. I can’t tell if He’s referring to the siege of Jerusalem in A.D. 70, or to the Great Tribulation that is still to come. It doesn’t help that the other times Jesus talked about these events, they were described together then too.

We trust in Your mercy and Your goodness, which promises to keep us safe in Your hands through to the end.

Luke 23:13–25

2023-02-16T00:00:00+00:00

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Seeing that Herod had not punished Jesus, Pilate again asserts His innocence and his intention to let Him go.Clearly Jesus has done something to upset the Sanhedrin, but it hasn’t been misleading the people or trying to set Himself up as their king. In an attempt to appease the Jewish leaders, he says he will punish Jesus, which probably means flogging Him.
The Council members will have none of it. They want Jesus dead and they want it done today. It was Pilate’s custom to release a prisoner for the Passover feast, and they demand Pilate release Barabbas. This might be the greatest irony of the whole story, for Luke tells us that Barabbas was actually guilty of the things they accuesd Jesus of: insurrection. On top of that, he was a murderer as well. It’s the perfect example of what Jesus’s crucifixion is all about. A guilty man goes free and the innocent man takes his place and his punishment. Justice is served because Jesus chose to do this, and by His perfectly righteous life, He is qualified to take the punishment as a substitute for all of us and atone for the sins of everyone.
Eventually, Pilate gives in to the mob’s demands. As might be expected, he was not a popular ruler, and the Jews were fractious under his harsh rule. He likely felt that he couldn’t afford a riot or any other fallout caused by the Sanhedrin whipping up the people if they didn’t get the blood they were clamoring for. A man makes his decision, and God’s plan is fulfilled through it as was promised long ago.

Only You, O Lord, can take what was meant for evil and use it for good.

Luke 23:1–12

2023-02-15T00:00:00+00:00

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Confident that they have ample justification to kill Jesus, the entire Council takes Jesus to Pilate, the Roman governor of Judea, to demand His execution. Now, Pilate doesn’t care at all about a blasphemy charge, so they have to get Jesus on the hook for something that will bring a capital punishment under the Roman code. They choose insurrection and “misleading the nation” (v. 2), whatever that means. They even claim that Jesus was encouraing the people not to pay the tributes, collected as tax by the Romans. They say He claimed to be the Christ, which they explain as a king to Pilate. But none of these charges are true. Jesus didn’t claim for Himself the title of Christ, but He did affirm Peter’s answer, speaking for the rest of the disciples, when He asked, “Who do you say that I am?” That was a private conversation; hardly a movement meant to throw off Roman rule.
I think even at this point Pilate knows that the Jewish leaders are trying to pull one over on him. He asks Jesus if He is the King of the Jews, and Jesus again replies with “If you say so.” With just that “interrogation” Pilate determines that Jesus isn’t guilty of the charges. It would be comedic if this were any other situation, and the fate of the whole world didn’t hang in the balance. “Are you guilty?” “No.” “You see? He says he’s not guilty. Case closed.”
Pilate then finds out that Jesus is from Galilee, so he says he doesn’t have jurisdiction over Jesus, and tries to pass the whole situation off onto Herod so he can have the headache from dealing with the Sanhedrin. Herod has actually wanted to see Jesus for a long time, so he’s glad to have the chance. Jesus doesn’t provide any entertainment or inspiration, so Herod and his soldiers mock and mistreat Him instead and send Him back to Pilate in fancy clothing. Somehow, this makes Herod and Pilate become friends, but I can’t figure out how that works really.
Throughout this whole drama, the Council members are lobbing accusation after accusation against Jesus to everyone who will listen. They probably see their chance to be rid of Jesus slipping away as Pilate and Herod drag their feet.

We remember the prophecies of the silent lamb being led to the slaughter. All of these things were foreordained from the beginning to bring about salvation.

Luke 22:63–71

2023-02-14T00:00:00+00:00

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Now we see the evil of Jesus’s captors start to show through. The soldiers guarding Jesus mock and beat Him, making fun of the things the people have called Him, such as prophet, maybe the Messiah. I do want to point out one of the words Luke uses, though: “blaspheming”. (v. 65) I suppose the argument can be made that this word doesn’t have to mean speaking terrible lies about God, specifically, but could also cover abuse and slander against anyone. But that’s our modern word and its connotations, and I don’t know if the Greek word used carries the same connotations all the time. And if there are more, which way did Luke actually mean it?
Since Jesus is the incarnate Son of God, the second Person of the Trinity, Maker of Heaven and Earth, the question hardly matters. But I bring it up because Luke is showing us an ironic reflection in these verses. The guards blaspheme Jesus, and then dawn breaks and the chief priests, scribes, and elders accuse Him of blasphemy so that they can get a capital punishment. They ask if He is the Christ, and He remarks that they aren’t going to believe His answer anyway. And if He asks them if they think He is the Christ, then they won’t answer either.
Then, Jesus tells them that the Son of Man will be “seated at the right hand of the power of God.” (v. 69) Clearly this refers to His imminent death, resurrection, and ascension, but also points out how Jesus will have the place of highest honor in heaven. When asked if that makes Him the Son of God, His response is equivalent to “if you say so.” Or it might be a reference to the Name of God if read as “You say that I AM”. (v. 70) The Sanhedrin council would prefer to take it as Jesus claiming to be God Almighty, so then they condemn Him for blaspheming and set about getting the Romans to execute Him.

You are worthy of all honor, and Your Name is above every other name.

Luke 22:54–62

2023-02-13T00:00:00+00:00

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Luke doesn’t tell us what happened to the rest of the disciples when Jesus was arrested, but focuses on Peter’s story. Peter follows them at a distance because he wants to know what’s going to happen, but also not get caught up in it himself. They take Jesus to the house of the high priest, who had ordered His arrest. Jewish trials were required to be in the daytime, but several members of the Sanhedrin Council and other personages were there for a hearing, trying to find the evidence they needed to condemn Jesus.
When he gets there, Peter stays in the courtyard with several other people. The high priest’s servants were awake to take care of all the guests, who had probably brought their own servants, not to mention the guards. Peter would have easily been able to mingle among these strangers. In theory, anyway. However, one of the servant girls seems to recognize him as a follower of Jesus.
Peter denies even knowing who Jesus is, which is kind of a bold claim. How has he not heard of this famous teacher? Why is he here at the high priest’s house in the middle of the night, then? Before too long, more people question Peter, saying they think he was in Jesus’s group. Again and again he denies it.
The third time he says he doesn’t know Jesus, a rooster crows, fulfilling what Jesus had told him earlier that night. Jesus, in fact, is there in the same place Peter was at this point and looks at him, knowing exactly what has happened. Peter is devastated and flees.

Let our convictions for You be more than empty words, so that we may stand firm against all temptations.

Luke 22:47–53

2023-02-12T00:00:00+00:00

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Since Judas knows where Jesus usually spends time on the Mount of Olives, he is able to easily lead a group to capture Him. He identifies Jesus to the others by greeting Him with a kiss, a common greeting at the time. It seems Jesus stops him, but I read the situation as very confused and fast-paced.
Jesus’s disciples figure out what all these armed men are here to do and ask Jesus if they should try to fight back. They’ve got these swords after all. Without waiting for the answer, Peter (as we know from other accounts), the brash, impulsive one, goes ahead and swings at a bondslave of the high priest. This man may have been in charge of the group of guards following Judas, and Peter may have recognized him as the leader and so target him first. Or maybe he was just the closest person.
In any case the high priest’s slave loses his ear from Peter’s strike, so I presume Peter was going for the kill. In light of that, I’m really surprised things didn’t devolve into a mêlée. On the other hand, Jesus doesn’t want that to happen, therefore it doesn’t. Instead, Jesus heals the man’s ear and talks the crowd that has come to arrest Him. He points out that they aren’t not acting in righteousness, and they know it, because they are operating in secret, away from public view.

Let us not react in anger and selfishness, but to listen to Your voice in all circumstances.

Luke 22:39–46

2023-02-10T00:00:00+00:00

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The Passover is finished, the hymns are sung, and the big day is tomorrow. Jesus goes to the Mount of Olives as He had the last several days, but not to sleep. I probably couldn’t either if I knew I would give up my life the next day. No, instead, Jesus goes to pray. He also instructs the disciples with Him to pray so that they do not enter temptation. I have to wonder what kind of tempation He is warning them against. Jesus knows Judas will be bringing soldiers to arrest Him, but they don’t.
With those words, Jesus goes off a little way to pray by Himself. Usually, first century Jews would pray while standing, but here Jesus kneels. While we have seen Jesus wield divine power, here we see His humanity, as He is weighed down by the difficult things He will have to do tomorrow. He even goes so far as to ask for a reprieve, a change of plan like Abraham got when he was told to sacrifice Isaac. But even at this time He submits in obedience to the Father’s will.
In my Bible, and probably in yours too, there’s a little note on verses 43 and 44. It says that some early manuscripts didn’t include them. That tells me that there’s evidence to say they probably should be in the Bible, but not with 100% confidence. It happens that way, sometimes, when you have really old writings, but not the originals. Thankfully, God is faithful to preserve His Word through the centuries, and there isn’t any questionable passage that we base any important doctrines upon.
Once He has finished praying, Jesus returns to the disciples and wakes them up. I’m not sure how many times I’ve read this verse, but I have never noticed before that it says they were “sleeping for sorrow”. (v. 45) Now, the disciples catch a lot of flak from people for how they act in the Gospels, and a lot of it they deserve. But I think this time, we need to cut them a break. They weren’t being lazy, disloyal, or uncommitted; they were overcome with grief. It seems they’d finally figured out what Jesus meant about being handed over to the authorities, and that it was going to happen very, very soon. I don’t know about you, but emotional stress wears me out, and I don’t keep the energy and motivation to do anything beyond the essential when I’m going through a hard time of some kind. This, then, might be the clue to answering what temptation they are to prray against, especially since Jesus repeats His instruction. It’s not exactly the tempation to fall asleep, but the tempation to worry about what is about to happen. While it’s true that you can’t pray while you’re asleep, I now expect the disciples were praying pretty hard that night, too.

Keep us from the tempation of worry, because You are entirely in control, and we trust You to do what is righteous.

Luke 22:31–38

2023-02-07T00:00:00+00:00

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In contrast to His assurance that they will one day sit on thrones, ruling over the tribes of Israel, Jesus warns Peter that Satan plans to trouble them severely. We lose a bit of subtlety in our English translation, because “sift you like wheat” is plural, but all of the “you” and “your“s in verse 32 are all singular. Jesus is telling him that while Satan will disturb them (and had to demand permission from God to do so), Peter will recover and give strength and encouragement to the rest of the disciples. Peter boasts that he will follow Jesus to prison and death, but Jesus responds that he will deny Him three times before dawn.
Next, Jesus contrasts the coming days with the times He sent them out to preach the Good News. Before, they took no provisions, tools, or extra clothes for the journey, but relied on the hospitality of strangers. Now they are to make preparations: get your moneybag, a bag to carry things, and even a sword to protect themselves. I emphasize self-defence because Jesus never calls on His followers to attack anyone. All of these items together indicate the hardships the disciples are going to face once Jesus is handed over to the authorities. The disciples show Jesus that they have two swords already, which feels a bit like finding out that the super-nice, extra-humble guy at work goes to the gun range on the regular.

You are sovereign over all the evil forces that oppose You, and we can trust in Your provision both now and forever.

Luke 22:23–30

2023-02-06T00:00:00+00:00

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No, that’s not a mistake: I’ve included verse 23 in today’s entry again. I think it gives a big clue into how this argument came about. Imagine with me: Jesus has just said one of them will betray Him, so now they’re in a real life Among Us situation. All of the disciples are looking at each other, wondering which one of them is the Betrayer. Some go so far as to ask Jesus if it’s themselves, including Judas, funnily enough. Jesus even lets Judas know He knows it’s him (Matt. 26:25), and tells him to be about it. Judas slips away into the night, and none of the others notice this exchange at all. (John 13:26–28)
Instead, they’re all trying to prove they would never betray Jesus to their fellows. “I love Jesus more.” “Well, I’ve been with him the longest!” “No, He called me first!” It’s so funny how these guys have been with Jesus for years and still don’t really get what He’s about. Supposedly, they’ve even had this conversation before, when James and John’s mother tried to get them special positions in God’s kingdom. It’s easy to feel superior, but whenever you see someone acting the fool in the Bible, watch yourself. You’re just as sinful as they were, and just as prone to wandering from perfect righteousness.
Jesus lets them know again that servants are leaders and leaders are servants in God’s kingdom. Earthly kings might call themselves “Benefactor”, but that doesn’t mean they really do good to those under them. In contrast, Jesus has come as a servant, and He says He will give kingdoms to those there who have stayed with Him.

You alone are the greatest, and everything we are and have has only come from You.