THE LORD SPOKE (March 14)

Daily Reflections from Scripture:

Old Testament: Deuteronomy 7-9

Remember how the Lord your God led you all the way in the desert these forty years, to humble you and to test you in order to know what was in your heart, whether or not you would keep his commands. (Deut. 8:2).

How could you possibly forget forty years in the desert? Yet, God finds it necessary to tell the people this repeatedly. The memory theme is a common one throughout the book of Deuteronomy. See, for example:

• 4:10 - remember the day you stood before the Lord at Horeb
• 5:15; 5:15; 16:12; 24:18,22 - remember that you were slaves in Egypt (another hard thing to forget!)
• 7:18 - remember what God did to Pharaoh in Egypt
• 8:2 - remember what God did for you in the desert
• 8:18 - remember that it is God who gives you the ability to produce wealth
• 9:7, 27 - remember your own stubbornness and wickedness
• 11:2 - remember that your children didn’t see all the things you did
• 16:3 - remember (by means of the Passover) your departure from Egypt
• 24:9 - remember what God did to Miriam
• 25:17 - remember what the Amalekites did to you
• 32:7 - remember the days of old

And God is really into memory aids! Consider all the things He gave the Israelites in the desert to help them remember: the plagues, the Passover seder, the fiery pillar and cloud, Miriam’s song, the lack of golden earrings, many (!) funerals and tombstones, the serpent on a pole, the Ark of the Covenant (with its stone tablets, Aaron’s rod, and the jar of manna), the whole of the Tabernacle and all its furniture and utensils, the glow on Moses’ face, the stones piled at the Jordan River, circumcision, and the holidays related to the desert (Tabernacles, Passover, Simhat Torah).

The Jewish people have had 3400 years of memory! And, to be quite frank, they’ve done a better job than we have. What can we learn from their experience?

1. Write it down.
2. Mark the occasion.
3. Celebrate the anniversary.
4. Talk about it often (tell it to your kids).

New Testament: John 5

How exactly does one “make [every] effort to obtain the praise that comes from...God” (Jn. 5:44)? Jesus called to account the people who persecuted Him for breaking the Sabbath. Though they “diligently stud[ied] the Scriptures” (Jn. 5:39), they’d missed the whole point! How could that be? They’d gotten so caught up in externals and extraneous matters that they “did not have the love of God in [their] hearts” (Jn. 5:42).

That’s not as hard to do as some might think. In fact, it happens to us frequently. So, how exactly does one “make [every] effort to obtain the praise that comes from God” (Jn. 5:44)? From John 5 we can deduce the following answers:

vs. 1-15 - Follow the example of the Lord. In this case, He...

1. went to where the people were
2. focused on an individual
3. initiated the contact in an area of interest to the individual.

vs. 16-23 - When opposed or persecuted, turn the attention on God, the Father.

vs. 24-30 - Listen to “the voice of the Son of God”. This is not some mystical feeling that we seek. While He was on earth it meant the literal, physical voice and words of the One speaking. Since His departure and until His return, His words are recorded for us in Scripture. We know Him and hear His voice in the Bible.

vs. 31-40 - Examine the evidence. This is found in Scripture. It’s possible to study the Scriptures and still miss the point so we must be diligent in our study. How do you do that?

1. read them!
2. read them constantly and thoroughly (don’t skip or ignore parts)
3. look for the main themes, the repeated concepts, and the passages that emphasize and explain basic truths
4. compare Scripture with Scripture
5. examine the details but keep coming back to the big picture

vs. 41-47 - Believe God! Of course it’s hard - impossible even! - to obtain His praise if we reject or resist in any way His truth. Again, we come back to the Scriptures. Moses wrote about the Son and that is how we come to understand the Father. We must read Moses and all that the prophets wrote.

Doing this constitutes “the love of God in your heart” (Jn. 5:42). So, how is it? Do you love God down deep in your heart?

THE LORD SPOKE (November 7)

Daily Reflections from Scripture:

Ezekiel 8-10

The “Voice of America” is a radio program that rings hope and strength to many people in remote corners of the earth. For the expatriate hungry for news and assurance from his homeland, it’s a voice of cheer and strength. For the freedom fighter needing encouragement, it’s a voice of assurance that liberty is worth the sacrifice it takes. For the oppressed under crushing regimes, it’s a tower of strength and a beacon for freedom.

Ezekiel speaks of an infinitely greater voice. He speaks of “the voice of God Almighty when He speaks” (10:5). What does the audible voice of God sound like? The producers of Prince of Egypt attempted to portray that sound by dozens of over-laid recordings of the same voice, giving it a booming depth of sound and feeling of authority. Very good try. But we still wonder how close it comes to the Real Thing.

More important than hearing the audible voice of God is to hear Him when He speaks. This is a major concern of Ezekiel. Beginning at 5:15 the prophet uses the phrase “I the Lord have spoken” a total of 65 times. That’s impressive! The foundation of all that Ezekiel says is based on “thus saith the Lord”. His voice is...

• The Voice of Authority - When He speaks, it is spoken! It is the voice of God Almighty; who could oppose it? Who would want to try?
• The Voice of Righteousness - It sets the standard and establishes right and wrong. It removes the gray areas and paints things in black and white.
• The Voice of Judgment - It crashes down on sin and pronounces a sentence on the evil lurking in my heart.
• The Voice of Comfort and Cheer - It brings healing and cure for brokenness. It is a balm that soothes the weary soul.
• The Voice of Promise - It speaks in terms of eternal covenants and the characteristic phrase is “I will”.
• The Voice of Hope - It provides the only real reason for living and gives meaning to life.

O God, speak to me.
Quiet me and slow me down so that
you don’t have to fight to get my attention.
Then let me hear your voice.
Please, let me gain assurance and conviction from your Word
and then let me go forth in humble power to serve you.
May my strength come from the certainty
that you have spoken.

Psalm 103-104

It’s not so much that we have a bad memory. Our memory is pretty good. It’s just that we have a better “forgettery”. The Bible very frequently tells us not to forget. In fact, the emphasis on tangible memorials in Scripture is remarkable. Consider, for instance, just the memorials related to the Exodus experience: the fiery pillar and cloud to remember God’s presence and leading, Miriam’s song, the lack of golden earrings, all the funerals and tombstones scattered throughout the desert, the serpent on a pole, the Ark of the Covenant (with its stone tablets, Aaron’s rod, and jar of manna), the Tabernacle, the stones piled at the Jordan River, circumcision, and all the holidays related to it (Tabernacles, Passover, Simhat Torah). That’s a lot of memory!

After a declaration of my soul’s praise to the Lord, Psalm 103 begins with the exhortation, “forget not all his benefits”. That is followed by five verbs that describe His wonderful works which are not to be forgotten:

• He forgives all my sins - Burdens are lifted at Calvary. The slate has been washed clean. I have been cleansed and forgiven.
• He heals all my diseases - I can trust Him for a grace sufficient for every sickness - from the small aches and pains to the big cancers of life. He is the Great Physician.
• He redeems my life - The price He paid shows the value He placed on me. How can it be that I should gain an interest in His love?
• He crowns me with love and compassion - He has graced my life with goodness. As His child, I’ve been lifted up and given the position of a prince and an heir.
• He satisfies my desires with good things - Both my needs and my longings are supplied. Deep fulfillment and constant joy is the result.

The Rolling Stones couldn’t get no satisfaction because they were looking in all the wrong places for all the wrong things. Try looking to the Lord and you’ll find the truest and deepest satisfaction that exists.

All my life long I had panted
For a drink from some clear spring,
That I hoped would quench the burning
Of the thirst I felt within.

Feeding on the husks around me,
Till my strength was almost gone,
Longed my soul for something better,
Only still to hunger on.

Hallelujah! I have found Him
Whom my soul so long has craved!
Jesus satisfies my longings,
Through His blood I now am saved.

Clara T. Williams