THE LORD SPOKE (November 10)

Daily Reflections from Scripture:

Ezekiel 14-15

Noah, Daniel, and Job. Three righteous men. They, like all others were sinners but they are singled out for their examples of righteous living in dark times (Ezek. 14:14,20).

NOAH was a preacher of righteousness (II Pet. 2:5) in a generation of unbelief. For 100 years he faithfully proclaimed his faith in God and built an ark in front of a laughing crowd to demonstrate it. “What’s an ark, Noah?” “What’s a flood?” “What’s rain, Noah?” The mockery didn’t stop until the raindrops started pattering on the ground. In the middle of corruption and violence (Gen. 6:5,11), “Noah was a righteous man, blameless among the people of his time, and he walked with God” (Gen. 6:9). He did it in “holy fear” and his trust in God made him “heir of the righteousness that comes by faith” (Heb. 11:7).

DANIEL was a pattern of righteousness in a pagan culture. Repeatedly he chose to obey God rather than man, even though it was at the risk of his very life each time. His enemies had to admit they would “never find any basis for charges against this man Daniel unless it has something do to with the law of his God” (Dan. 6:5). Amazing! Could that be said of you? Daniel was far away from “home”, cut off from other believers or any kind of “support group”, and in a situation of power where he could have gotten away with anything he wanted. He chose to be faithful to God. His life was an example after which you could pattern your life.

JOB was a practitioner of righteousness when it wasn’t any fun. Literally, it hurt him to be faithful. Even his best friends and his own wife went the way of the world on this one. Job stood alone. Noah had seven other people with him in the ark. Daniel had at least three strong friends in the early days in Babylon. Job had no one. Obedience can be lonely. But one plus God is a majority every time.

How about you? Will you stand alone for God on your job? at your school? in your unbelieving family? Will you do right even when everyone else around you is not? Will you dare to be different? For sure, living a righteous life in “this present evil age” is not normal but it was for this that Christ died for you (Gal. 1:3-4). Will you respond to His grace? Remember: One plus God is a majority every time.


Psalms 109-110

David once said, “The Spirit of the Lord spoke through me; his word was on my tongue.” (II Sam. 23:2). As the author of Psalm 110, this was certainly the case here! Though this may have been intended as a “coronation psalm” for successors to the Davidic throne, the Holy Spirit intended it for much more. It is one of the most directly prophetic of all the psalms, as indicated by its frequent use in the New Testament:

• Mat. 22:43-45; Mk. 12:36-37; Lk. 20:42-44 - Jesus argues with the Pharisees that, by the Spirit, David called his future son “Lord”. If the Messiah was a descendant of David, how could David call him “Lord” unless he was also the divine Son of God?
• Acts 2:34-36 - Peter, on the Day of Pentecost used the same passage to prove that the crucified Jesus was “both Lord and Christ”.
• Heb. 1:13; 5:6-10; 6:20; 7:11-28; 10:12-13 - The writer to the Hebrews built much of his argument on Psalm 110 and repeatedly used it as a direct reference to Messiah Jesus.

Though the two words used in English translation look the same, they are not. Perhaps it would help the English reader to note the terms used. David is speaking and refers to God as “the LORD” (all caps = Yahweh or Jehovah) but then speaks of one who is also sovereign over himself, calling him “my Lord” (Adonai).

Prophet, Priest, and Prince - all three aspects of Messiah’s ministry are portrayed in this psalm. His mighty scepter will be extended from Zion. His royal priesthood is not inherited from Aaron but appointed directly by God. He is seated at the right hand of the Father in heaven, interceding for us even now (Rom. 8:34). In John’s vision of heaven, he “saw a Lamb, looking as if it had been [freshly] slain, standing in the center of the throne” (Rev. 5:6). It will be that Lamb who will break the seals to open the scroll and thus unfold the final events of history (Rev. 5:9, with all of chapter 6 and 8:11).

And they sang a new song: "You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, because you were slain, and with your blood you purchased men for God from every tribe and language and people and nation. You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God, and they will reign on the earth."

...In a loud voice they sang: "Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise!"

Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all that is in them, singing: "To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and honor and glory and power, for ever and ever!"

Revelation 5:9-10,12,13

THE LORD SPOKE (August 18)

Daily Reflections from Scripture:

Old Testament: Psalms 74-77

Bewildered. Sounds like Bambi stepping out into the big world for the first time. Sounds like me when I wake up from a nap. Sounds like the psalmist (Jeduthun, in this case) when he doesn’t sense God’s ever-present help. He ends the confused bewilderment of the first section (Ps. 77:1-9) of this psalm with six rapid-fire questions which reveal his anguish. Has God completely forgotten me?

Jeduthun remembers (Ps. 77:3,6) previous times of distress when God did answer but that only produces more anguish because no amount of effort or invocation seems to awaken the Divine mercies this time. Could there be a hint of the problem in Ps. 77:2? “My soul refused to be comforted.” There’s truth to the saying: if you find yourself distant from God, there’s no question as to who moved away. Maybe the psalmist’s nostalgia has produced a certain numbness. Is he looking more for a feeling than for a reality? He’s musing (Ps. 77:3,6) and thinking about former days (Ps. 77:5).

“Then” (Ps. 77:10) he focuses on God’s mighty deeds, miracles, and works of long ago (Ps. 77:11-12). It’s when Jeduthun meditates on God’s mighty acts that the bewilderment melts away and confidence returns. A great anthem of praise (Ps. 77:10-20) is the result. How interesting that “no footprints were seen” (Ps. 77:19) but God clearly “led his people like a flock” (Ps. 77:20). When they stopped looking down and raised their eyes to the level of the Shepherd, they could see the way.

Looking back, looking down, looking as circumstances all around - it’s so easy to fall into those traps and we spend our days floundering in bewilderment. The only backward look we should take is to remember what God has done in the past. Remember how He has displayed His power (Ps. 77:14) and look for His path through the sea ahead of you.

What could that mean in practical terms?

• Write it down. Keep a journal of answered prayer or what God has been doing in your life. Establish some mile markers or memory posts on the trail behind you and remember God’s mighty acts in getting you up to those points.
• Review it often. Use visual or auditory aids (e.g. Ps. 77:18!) to remind you of the past.
• Don’t live in the past. Sounds contradictory, doesn’t it? Remember the past but don’t live in the past! Meet today’s challenges head on and quit thinking about the so-called “good ol’ days”. Forge out some future. Write today a page that will go down in the history books of tomorrow.
• Press on now. Don’t pull over to the side of the road to rest. The traffic will pass you by and you’ll find yourself struggling just to catch up again. Be a pace-setter yourself. You’ll love how God keeps showing you the next few steps - usually just a few at a time.

New Testament: II Peter 3

Talk about global warming! Peter’s description of the last days speaks of a fiery holocaust that “will bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire, and the elements will melt in the heat” (II Pet. 3:12). That “day of the Lord” has been long delayed, in man’s way of thinking, but God’s timetable is not the same as ours (II Pet. 3:8-9) and, once it begins to happen, the end will be swift.

Just as the flood in Noah’s day caught men by surprise and unprepared to avoid destruction (II Pet. 3:6) so will the coming of this day of the Lord. The delay has caused many scoffers and doubters to arise. Truth be known, many good people have wondered. It does seem that “everything goes on as it has since the beginning” (II Pet. 3:4). But this way of thinking is the result of forgetting God’s Word. It is the result of forgetting what God did in the past. It is the result of forgetting that God is God and in perfect control of all things.

God has made a promise and that sacred covenant included six eschatological developments that we should be looking for:

1. Jesus will return just as the OT prophets and the NT apostles prophesied (II Pet. 3:1-4).
2. A final judgment by fire will take place just as the flood in Noah’s day presaged (II Pet. 3:5-7,12).
3. God’s measurement of time might be different but it is certain. Absolutely certain. Everything is taking place according to a pre-determined timetable (II Pet. 3:8-10,15).
4. Though the present heavens and elements will be destroyed, there will be a new heavens and a new earth (II Pet. 3:10,13; c.f. Is. 65:17-25 and Rev. 21:1).
5. This life is transitory so people who would live holy and godly lives must fix themselves upon God’s promise (II Pet. 3:11-12).
6. Living holy and godly lives will actually speed the coming of the day of the Lord (II Pet. 3:12).

So then, dear friends, since you are looking forward to this, make every effort to be found spotless, blameless, and at peace with him. (II Pet. 3:14)