THE LORD SPOKE (June 7)

Daily Reflections from Scripture:

Old Testament: II Kings 24-25

Babylonian Press - Dateline: March 16, 597
The Egyptian army has been driven out once and for all (24:7) and after a three-month siege, Jerusalem has been destroyed (24:8). King Jehoiachin has been deposed and taken prisoner (24:12) and the Temple of Jehovah ransacked (24:13). Some 10,000 inhabitants, including 7,000 elite forces and 1,000 leading citizens, have been taken captive (24:14,16). A puppet king named Mattaniah (AKA Zedekiah) was set up by Nebuchadnezzar and his generals (24:17). He is known to be weak and indecisive (Jer. 38:5,19) but it is hoped that he will support the Babylonian regime.

Babylonian Press - Dateline: July 18, 586
After further Judean rebellion, Nebuchadnezzar's second campaign (which began on January 15, 588) has finally brought Jerusalem and the Judean kingdom to its knees. Severe famine (25:3) and the breach of the city walls (25:4) led to the precipitous flight of King Zedekiah and the whole Judean army (25:4-5). After his capture near Jericho and the execution of the royal family at Riblah, Zedekiah's eyes were gouged out and he has been brought to Babylon as a captive (25:5-7).

Babylonian Press - Dateline: August 14, 586
Nebuzaradan, commander of Nebuchadnezzar's Imperial Guard, returned to Jerusalem to tear down the rest of the walls, burn the Temple, the Royal Palace, and every important building in the city (25:8-10). Large quantities of money (gold, silver, and bronze) have been added to the Babylonian Royal Treasury and innumerable objects of artistic and historical value have been placed in the Babylonian Museum (25:13-17). All the leading citizens have been executed (25:18-21), leaving only a skeleton crew of hoi polloi and an unreliable administrator named Gedaliah to continue sending tribute to the royal coffers (25:12,22-24).

Babylonian Press - Dateline: March 22, 561
It is reported that the Prophet Jeremiah, several army officers, many inhabitants of all ages, and an unknown number of leading citizens escaped to Egypt. This was the same prophet that had earlier predicted our army's success but we have heard that he has now changed his tune. Our reporters in Egypt obtained this comment from Jeremiah: Babylon will be captured.... [Persia] will attack her and lay waste her land. No one will live in it.... In those days...the people of Israel and the people of Judah together will go in tears to seek the Lord their God. They will ask the way to Zion and turn their faces toward it. They will come and bind themselves to the Lord in an everlasting covenant that will not be forgotten. (Jer. 50:2-5)

To read the full text of Jeremiah's statement, see our web site. Though we were previously informed that our destruction of Jerusalem was "in accordance with the word of the Lord" as "proclaimed [by] the prophets" (24:2) and that "the Lord was not willing to forgive" (24:4), it now seems that there was a previously binding agreement that over-rode this temporary injunction. It appears we have not yet heard the last of those Jews in Jerusalem.

Indeed!


New Testament: II Corinthians 9

Money - Part II

Again, it’s so contrary to common thinking or practice. The more you give, the more you have! “Whosoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously” (II Cor. 9:6). This may have been an ancient proverb but it’s not one of the many that are included in the book of Proverbs. Take a look as some of those:

• 3:9 - Honor the Lord with your wealth, with the first fruits of all your crops.
• 6:11 - (to the sluggard) Poverty will come on you like a bandit and scarcity like an armed man.
• 10:4 - Lazy hands make a man poor, but diligent hands bring wealth.
• 10:22 - The blessing of the Lord brings wealth, and he adds no trouble to it.
• 11:25 - A generous man will prosper; he who refreshes others will himself be refreshed.
• 11:28 - Whoever trusts in his riches will fall, but the righteous will thrive like a green leaf.
• 13:11 - Dishonest money dwindles away, but he who gathers money little by little makes it grow.
• 13:22 - A good man leaves an inheritance for his children’s children.
• 14:31 - He who oppresses the poor shows contempt for their Maker, but whoever is kind to the needy honors God.
• 15:16 - Better a little with the fear of the Lord than great wealth with turmoil.
• 19:17 - He who is kind to the poor lends to the Lord, and he will reward him for what he has done.
• 20:21 - An inheritance quickly gained at the beginning will not be blessed at the end.
• 21:6 - A fortune made by a lying tongue is a fleeting vapor and a deadly snare.
• 22:7 - The borrower is servant to the lender.
• 22:16 - He who oppresses the poor to increase his wealth and he who gives gifts to the rich - both come to poverty.
• 23:4 - Do not wear yourself out to get rich; have the wisdom to show restraint.
• 28:19 - he who works his land will have abundant food, but the one who chases fantasies will have his fill of poverty.
• 29:22 - A stingy man is eager to get rich and is unaware that poverty awaits him.

During the “laymen’s missionary movement” of 1906, one of the leaders, J. Campbell White said, “If a man is growing large in wealth, nothing but constant giving can keep him from growing small in soul.” Evidence for that is so readily available. It’s those who give most that live best.

God has promised to provide our needs but He delights in a generous soul and has promised to bless way beyond any point of need those who give freely. Just as we saw in the last chapter, it’s the heart attitude that counts:

Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. (II Cor. 9:7)

That certainly removes giving from any consideration of “paying a tithe”. In fact, it would probably be better to determine your giving at either 9% or 11% just to avoid any appearance of paying a debt. But why stop at 10%? Rare would be the modern American who couldn’t live quite well on 90%.

In exchange you have God’s promise to “supply and increase your store of seed and [to] enlarge the harvest of your righteousness” (II Cor. 9:10).

THE LORD SPOKE (June 6)

Daily Reflections from Scripture:

Old Testament: II Kings 22-23

What King Josiah did:

• that which "was right in the eyes of the Lord...not turning aside" (22:2)
• initiated repairs on the Temple (22:3-7)
• responded to the Book of the Law (22:11-13)
• he repented (22:11)
• he inquired of the Lord (22:12-13)
• he took action and led others to do the same (22:13)
• listened to spiritual counsel (22:18f)
• humbled himself before the Lord (22:19)
• led from the front - he read the Book of the Covenant to the people and led them publicly to renew their commitment (23:1-3)
• cleansed the Temple and the whole kingdom of pagan worship (23:4-24)
• re-instituted Passover observance (23:21-23)
• died in the saddle (23:29)

What the priests and prophets did:

• found the Book of the Law (22:8) [How on earth did they lose it in the first place?]
• sought spiritual counsel (22:14)
• took the answer back to the king (22:20b) - not always an easy thing to do
• joined the king in public repentance and commitment to the covenant (23:2)
• were instrumental in all the king's actions to destroy pagan worship in Judah (23:4-24)

What the people did:

• listened to their leaders about "what is written in this Book" and what should be done about it (22:13)
• "pledged themselves to the covenant" (23:3)
• expressed their agreement with the king's reforms by joyfully celebrating the Passover again (23:30,32)

Did you notice? It all started because a 26-year-old leader's "heart was responsive and [he] humbled [himself] before the Lord...with all his heart and with all his soul and with all his strength" (22:1,3,19,25).


New Testament: II Corinthians 8

“See that you also excel in this grace of giving.” (II Cor. 8:7)

Paul refers to “overflowing joy...in rich generosity” (II Cor. 8:2) and to “the privilege of sharing” (II Cor. 8:4). Giving is a grace! It is unmerited favor that God should allow us to contribute to His work. That’s why Paul commends the Macedonian churches for their attitude toward giving: “they urgently pleaded with us for the privilege of sharing” (II Cor. 8:3).

Is that our experience today? If not, why not? Why do we find ourselves pleading for needy causes? Why do people need to be prodded and needled to give? Why is God’s work often hindered for lack of funds?

First off, maybe we need to better define what is God’s work and what are our own dreams or schemes. “God’s work, done in God’s way, will never lack God’s supply.” If that’s true, perhaps we should conclude that a lack of funding is proof that it’s not God’s work or, at least, not His timing.

But we’re still back to the question about giving. Paul commands us to “excel in this grace of giving”. How may we do that?

• Ask God to shower His grace - this grace of giving - upon you.
• Determine to set aside a portion of your income to give to God’s work, just as outlined in I Corinthians 16:1-2. It should be proportionate, consistent, and faithful.
• Follow through on this with a plan. Determine how much you will give, to what or whom you will give, and when and how you will give it. Then work your plan.
• Learn to live on less so you can give more. Determine to increase the amount you will give.

The Bible has a lot to say about money and our attitude towards it. Paul tells Timothy that “the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil” (I Tim. 6:10). This “grace of giving” is just the opposite! It involves not clinging to money or material wealth. It is giving it away rather than keeping it. John Wesley had this to say: “When I get any money, I get rid of it as fast as I can - lest it find a way into my heart.”

There is the key! Where your heart is, there your treasure will be also - to turn the phrase of Matthew 6:21. It is ultimately a heart issue. Jesus said you must determine who/what is your master. “You cannot serve both God and money.” (Mat. 6:24).

THE LORD SPOKE (February 07)

Daily Reflections from Scripture:

Old Testament: Exodus 37-38

Much of what we read in Exodus 37 and 38 is a repetition of material already given in chapters 25, 27, and 30. Why is this? Matthew Henry, a venerable commentator still of much value, reminds us that Moses “used no vain repetitions; there are no idle words in scripture”. He then suggests four reasons why these chapters are here for us:

1. “Moses wrote primarily for the people of Israel, to whom it would be of great use to read and hear often of these divine and sacred treasures with which they were entrusted.... That which they ought to read again (lest they should fail of doing it) is written again and again.”
2. “Moses would thus show the great care which he and his workmen took to make every thing exactly according to the pattern shown him in the mount.... And thus he teaches us to have respect to all God's commandments, even to every iota and tittle of them.”
3. “It is intimated hereby that God takes delight in the sincere obedience of his people, and keeps an exact account of it, which shall be produced to their honour in the resurrection of the just. None can be so punctual in their duty, but God will be as punctual in his notices of it.”
4. “The spiritual riches and beauties of the gospel tabernacle are hereby recommended to our frequent and serious consideration. Go walk about this Zion, view it and review it: the more you contemplate the glories of the church, the more you will admire them and be in love with them. The charter of its privileges, and the account of its constitution, will very well bear a second reading.”

New Testament: Mark 10

You don’t have to be wealthy for wealth to keep you out of the kingdom of God. True, Jesus said, “How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God!” (Mark 10:23). But the problem isn’t the quantity. It’s the fixation. If you focus on wealth, you can’t focus on God. It’s not possible!

That’s the moral of the story about the rich young man in Mark 10. He begins his question to Jesus with, “Good teacher”. The Lord’s answer could be misunderstood to mean, “Only God is good. I’m not God. So you shouldn’t call me good.” But no - that’s not at all what Jesus is saying. His words are, “Only God is good. By calling me good, are you acknowledging that I’m God?”

That’s what it takes! Anything less isn’t good enough to enter the kingdom of God. Rich and poor alike must enter the same way - by placing their total reliance upon God as their only hope for salvation. So, while a good god demands obedience to His commandments, that isn’t the key to entry. Good deeds won’t get you in. Neither can wealth buy you eternal life. In fact, be careful! It’s a greater hindrance than help.

Typically, Peter is the one who piped up (10:28). “How about us? We’re good aren’t we?” Jesus’ answer (10:29-30) lays it out clearly:

1. Make sure of your motivation. If it’s done for anything other than “me and the gospel” it’s worthless.
2. The reward is certain. This is a “truth”. There will be rewards in this life for sacrificially following the Lord.
3. There will be a price to pay. This is also a “truth”. Persecution will certainly accompany this choice. There will be obstacles to make you doubt. The Devil will make sure of that!
4. The end result will be eternal life. That life is described elsewhere but it is rich, fully rewarding, and worth it. It will be beyond your wildest imagination (I Cor. 2:9).

Upon hearing all this, the rich man in our story turned back. How about you? Are you still first in line to join up?