365 Reflections

The prophet Malachi is listed last in the Old Testament because his ministry occurred at the end of Israel’s long, millennia-old journey with God under the terms of the former Covenant. Although they have long since returned and rebuilt the temple and city of Jerusalem, they have yet to experience the blessings of the messianic age. Consequently, the people’s spiritual vitality deteriorates. They are in a stagnant and stagnant relationship with God, and the worst part is that they don’t even realize it.  Malachi 1:1 (ESV) The oracle of the word of the LORD to Israel by Malachi. The word “oracle” here signifies a sense of burden. I find it fascinating to contemplate the thought of speaking on behalf of God. He doesn’t merely bestow words upon His servants; instead, He shares His burdens with them, and they are compelled to speak. One of the prayers I consistently offer during my sermons is that God may fill my heart with a burden that I must convey for His purposes. You know you’ve...

Daniel chapter 4 is a salvation testimony from an unlikely vessel.  Daniel 4:1–3 (ESV) King Nebuchadnezzar to all peoples, nations, and languages, that dwell in all the earth: Peace be multiplied to you! 2 It has seemed good to me to show the signs and wonders that the Most High God has done for me. 3 How great are his signs, how mighty his wonders! His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and his dominion endures from generation to generation. The conversion of Nebuchadnezzar is not something you'd expect to happen at all in scripture. He may top the list of people you'd never expect to worship the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. But he does. He's brought low and sent into the wild by the hand of God. In the end, he found out who he wasn't (God) and who he was accountable to (also God).  It started with pride.  Daniel 4:4 (ESV) I, Nebuchadnezzar, was at ease in my house and prospering in my palace. He has a dream again, this time he tells the magicians and enchanters ...

We have to learn to sing into the difficulty, not just after the victory.  Isaiah 42:10 (ESV) Sing to the LORD a new song, his praise from the end of the earth, you who go down to the sea, and all that fills it, the coastlands and their inhabitants. Isaiah 42 is a call to worship as Israel considers the hand of God's judgment. They will be disciplined but they will return. The Lord will come for them and do a "new thing" as was mentioned already in this incredible chapter.  The call to worship in this chapter seems out of place. How do we sing when we know destruction is coming? Because we know it is only temporary, that God is using it and we will recover from it into a better kind of life. For Israel, it will be the kingdom of heaven inaugurated by Jesus Himself, the Lord's servant.  How often do we fail to worship God when we need to do so most? In the dark times, in the confusing times, in the times of waiting and hoping - worship God. Do not wait for worship to b...

Jerusalem's walls were built and her temple was operational. The work of Ezra and Nehemiah in guiding the exiles back to the Holy City was accomplished. There was just one very important event that needed to happen. They had to live there.  Now you can imagine that the "idea" of living there seemed grand from Babylon, but to actually live there knowing how it was destroyed a century ago had to be scary. Nebuchadnezzar had starved the city out, ripped open the pregnant women, and slaughtered their children. The city had also experienced several attacks from the outside before and several troubles from inside since. In other words, this was a fearful place to be.  So Nehemiah 11 opens by telling us who goes in: Nehemiah 11:1–2 (ESV) Now the leaders of the people lived in Jerusalem. And the rest of the people cast lots to bring one out of ten to live in Jerusalem the holy city, while nine out of ten remained in the other towns. 2 And the people blessed all the men who willi...

Holding on to the glories of the past can sour the potential of our present. And Ezra 3 provides a picture of this in the last two verses. The exiles have returned to celebrate the feast of booths before the presence of the Lord. And after the festival, the leaders begin to break ground on a new Temple for worship. Ezra 3:10–11 (ESV) And when the builders laid the foundation of the temple of the LORD, the priests in their vestments came forward with trumpets, and the Levites, the sons of Asaph, with cymbals, to praise the LORD, according to the directions of David king of Israel. 11 And they sang responsively, praising and giving thanks to the LORD, “For he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever toward Israel.” And all the people shouted with a great shout when they praised the LORD, because the foundation of the house of the LORD was laid. This was an exciting time for the Jews. Their freedom to worship and enjoy God's presence would soon be a reality again. The people sh...

Worship has always been a hallmark of the people of God. And when the exiles return from Babylon, the first order of business was not to settle in homes or establish their businesses. The first order of business was to establish a structure for worship. Ezra 3:1–3 (ESV) When the seventh month came, and the children of Israel were in the towns, the people gathered as one man to Jerusalem. 2 Then arose Jeshua the son of Jozadak, with his fellow priests, and Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel with his kinsmen, and they built the altar of the God of Israel, to offer burnt offerings on it, as it is written in the Law of Moses the man of God. 3 They set the altar in its place, for fear was on them because of the peoples of the lands, and they offered burnt offerings on it to the LORD, burnt offerings morning and evening. When Israel worships, they separate themselves from the world around them and become the light to the nations. Notice the statement made in verse three concerning their establ...

Ezra 2 is a chapter you'd probably skip over as it mainly contains a list of names of the returning exiles to the land. But these kinds of lists in the ancient world were of utmost importance for Israel to maintain a connection between their past and present.  Ezra 2:1–2 (ESV) Now these were the people of the province who came up out of the captivity of those exiles whom Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon had carried captive to Babylonia. They returned to Jerusalem and Judah, each to his own town. 2 They came with Zerubbabel, Jeshua, Nehemiah, Seraiah, Reelaiah, Mordecai, Bilshan, Mispar, Bigvai, Rehum, and Baanah. In the list are men as heads of households (verse 3ff), priests (verse 36ff), Levites (verse 40), temple servants (verse 43), royal servants (verse 55), and even some undocumented Israelites (in verse 59). But the aim of all of them was the same. They were coming back to establish proper worship of Yahweh.  Ezra 2:68–69 (ESV) Some of the heads of families, when th...

Hey readers! My book is finally out!  Get a copy and tell me what you think! So in the last post, I talked about the importance of praise in the midst of the battle. That's the theme of 2 Chronicles 20 as Jehoshaphat and the nation saw God fight for them. They need only to stand and see the salvation of God. Their participation would be worship. Worship can change the dynamic of your life, the atmosphere of your life. But the story of 2 Chronicles 20 is not done with the war being won. When the king and the people go into the enemy camp they are overwhelmed by the spoil of the war: 2 Chronicles 20:25 (ESV) When Jehoshaphat and his people came to take their spoil, they found among them, in great numbers, goods, clothing, and precious things, which they took for themselves until they could carry no more. They were three days in taking the spoil, it was so much. They spent three days gathering the spoil of war from their enemies. Think of how much this would have been. God not only g...

Hey readers! My book is finally out!  Get a copy and tell me what you think! Did you know that praising God is a weapon? It is. And it can help you defeat the enemies of your life. This is the lesson from 2 Chronicles 20 in the life of Jehoshaphat. Having prayed desperately for God to intervene and depending on His Word and Covenant Promises, the messenger of the Lord shows up before the battle with good news.  2 Chronicles 20:15–17 (ESV) And he said, “Listen, all Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem and King Jehoshaphat: Thus says the LORD to you, ‘ Do not be afraid and do not be dismayed at this great horde, for the battle is not yours but God’s . 16 Tomorrow go down against them. Behold, they will come up by the ascent of Ziz. You will find them at the end of the valley, east of the wilderness of Jeruel. 17 You will not need to fight in this battle. Stand firm, hold your position, and see the salvation of the LORD on your behalf, O Judah and Jerusalem.’ Do not be afraid and ...

Are we satisfied with our church meetings? A few songs, a nice "sermon" and a couple of handshakes? Do we really think that's the point of the Church?  In 2 Chronicles 5, the glory of God fills the Temple at the pinnacle of its completion. Solomon has built the outer casing of the Temple, he has consigned work to be done on the instruments to fill the Temple, and now in this chapter, the process to complete the Temple occurs as the Levites make their way into the Temple with the Ark to worship and serve the Lord. 2 Chronicles 5:2 (ESV) Then Solomon assembled the elders of Israel and all the heads of the tribes, the leaders of the fathers’ houses of the people of Israel, in Jerusalem, to bring up the ark of the covenant of the LORD out of the city of David, which is Zion. 2 Chronicles 5:4 (ESV) And all the elders of Israel came, and the Levites took up the ark. Solomon is careful not to make the same mistake as David when transporting the Ark. He has the Levites which w...

When David puts the worshippers in the Temple, we find some incredible insights into the theology of worship.  1 Chronicles 25:1 (ESV) David and the chiefs of the service also set apart for the service the sons of Asaph, and of Heman, and of Jeduthun, who prophesied with lyres, with harps, and with cymbals. The list of those who did the work and of their duties was: Now we have to see this event as pointing to Christ and revealing His work in the church to establish orderly worship and prophesy in the assembly. Notice that the SONS of Asaph were set apart by David and the chiefs. I believe the Lord does that to this day. He sets us apart for the service of worship. The rest of the chapter is filled with relatives serving together in the house for the administration of worship.  But there's more to the worship than singing. Verse 1 says they "prophesied" with the instruments. Let us consider that worship is a ministry of prophecy in the Old Testament. My mind goes back t...

The idea that God is not interested in order and process in our worship experience ignores the record both of God's own commitment to order (see the universe and seasons) and the regular reference to order and divisions in the company of Israel's priests and musicians.  As David continues preparation for the Temple build Solomon will undertake after him in 1 Chronicles 24, we see order and division of labor come clearly into place. 1 Chronicles 24:1–4 (ESV) The divisions of the sons of Aaron were these. The sons of Aaron: Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar. 2 But Nadab and Abihu died before their father and had no children, so Eleazar and Ithamar became the priests. 3 With the help of Zadok of the sons of Eleazar, and Ahimelech of the sons of Ithamar, David organized them according to the appointed duties in their service. 4 Since more chief men were found among the sons of Eleazar than among the sons of Ithamar, they organized them under sixteen heads of fathers’ houses of ...

The time of 2 Kings 11 is desperate. Athaliah is queen and the nation languishes awaiting deliverance from her wickedness. On top of this, the promise of God guaranteed a son of David to sit on the throne of Judah forever and it seems Athaliah has killed all the king's sons and there is no heir to the throne. Are God's ways nullified by mankind's wickedness? NO! There was a faithful priest named Jehoida who conspired with the Queen's step-daughter Jehosheba to hide one of the queen's grandsons for 6 years with a nurse in a bedroom until the proper time for him to be revealed. But how would this revelation take place? 2 Kings 11:4 (NLT) In the seventh year of Athaliah’s reign, Jehoiada the priest summoned the commanders, the Carite mercenaries, and the palace guards to come to the Temple of the LORD. He made a solemn pact with them and made them swear an oath of loyalty there in the LORD’s Temple; then he showed them the king’s son. In a covert operation, Jehoiada g...

2 Samuel 22 is another version of Psalm 18 but this time, the song is placed in the historical setting at which it was uttered. David has lived a blessed and sustained life from the Lord. He acknowledges freely and joyfully that without the Lord he would have been doomed. One thing that jumps off the page for me is that the mighty king and warrior is also a worshipper. So often we think worship is for the weak or maybe even the feminine. It is not just for them! It is also for the strong, the mighty, the one who knows the Lord is strong FOR them and THROUGH them. 2 Samuel 22:2–4 (ESV)   He said, “The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, 3 my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold and my refuge, my savior; you save me from violence. 4 I call upon the Lord , who is worthy to be praised, and I am saved from my enemies. Notice the personal relationship David maintained with the Lord. Ten times in...

We have seen that 2 Samuel 6 is largely concerned with worship. First, David experiences the deadly consequences of false worship. Then David rightly aligns Israel with God's prescribed order of worship bringing the Ark home. He then blesses the people and returns home to bless his house. Things do not go well. 2 Samuel 6:18–20 (ESV) And when David had finished offering the burnt offerings and the peace offerings, he blessed the people in the name of the Lord of hosts 19 and distributed among all the people, the whole multitude of Israel, both men and women, a cake of bread, a portion of meat, and a cake of raisins to each one. Then all the people departed, each to his house. 20 And David returned to bless his household. But Michal the daughter of Saul came out to meet David and said, “How the king of Israel honored himself today, uncovering himself today before the eyes of his servants’ female servants, as one of the vulgar fellows shamelessly uncovers himself!” Consid...

David failed to follow clearly laid out scriptures regarding the transport of the Ark into his city. It was for this Uzzah was judged with death and David feared bringing the Ark, leaving it in the care of a man named, "Obed-Edom." Time passed and word spread, however: 2 Samuel 6:12 (ESV) And it was told King David, “The LORD has blessed the household of Obed-edom and all that belongs to him, because of the ark of God.” So David went and brought up the ark of God from the house of Obed-edom to the city of David with rejoicing. Now we have a clear understanding of the changed David made in his second attempt in 1 Chronicles 15. David commissioned the proper Levite officers in proper garments with proper sacrifices to accompany the transport of the Ark. David went to Holy Scripture and clearly followed the Lord's protocol in bringing up the Ark. It reads, 1 Chronicles 15:12–15 (ESV) and said to them (the priests), “You are the heads of the fathers’ houses of the L...

Hannah has a son. She has lent him to the Lord for the rest of his days. God has answered her prayers and given her Samuel, the man who will faithfully transition the struggling and fractured Israelites into the united established kingdom with David on the throne. But she could not have known all that God would do through her son had she not done what comes next in 1 Samuel 2. She takes time to worship God for the blessings in her life. And in her worship, she is transported from personal answers to prayer to God's universal sovereignty over the nations. Worship has a transcendent trajectory. Once you begin to worship, your perspective is transported from your personal issues to God's powerful reign. This is an experience you should regularly have. Notice the personal nature at the beginning of her worship. 1 Samuel 2:1 (ESV) And Hannah prayed and said, “My heart exults in the LORD; my horn is exalted in the LORD. My mouth derides my enemies , because I rejoice in your ...

Hebrews 10:12–14 (ESV) But when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God, 13 waiting from that time until his enemies should be made a footstool for his feet. 14 For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified. Those words are never more wonderful than when you read Leviticus 8-9 and see what was required of the Levitical priesthood in order for the glory of the Lord to appear under the Old Covenant. After 7 days of preparation with cleansing, clothing, offerings and anointing, Aaron is now to prepare the people for the presence of God in Leviticus 9. Leviticus 9:1–4 (ESV) On the eighth day Moses called Aaron and his sons and the elders of Israel, 2 and he said to Aaron, “Take for yourself a bull calf for a sin offering and a ram for a burnt offering, both without blemish, and offer them before the LORD. 3 And say to the people of Israel, ‘Take a male goat for a sin offering, and a ...

Today we start the book of Leviticus. It is an often avoided piece of literature in the scriptures. The offerings and descriptions of the priestly system is enough to drive anyone far from investing their time in this book. But what a mistake it is to disregard it's powerful presentation of God's truth. We find in the book of Leviticus the means by which a man may come to God. And the first thing that Leviticus is going to tell us is that we come by way of sacrifice. Commentators tell us that the first word in Leviticus (in Hebrew) is a conjunction. It connects its contents to the end of Exodus. At the end of Exodus, Moses has erected the Tent of Meeting (the Tabernacle) and God filled it with His presence and glory. Moses cannot enter the tent because of God's glory - YET - Leviticus opens with they way by which we all may come to God. Leviticus 1:1–2 (ESV)  The LORD called Moses and spoke to him from the tent of meeting, saying, 2 “Speak to the people of Israel and sa...

The book of Exodus is the story of God's redeeming work to choose a people for Himself, to reveal Himself to the nations as He does so, and ultimately to dwell among them so that all may know the Lord is over all His creation and every nation. The book ends with Israel enslaved by a man who thought he was god. It ends with the people free with THE GOD in their midst. The temple is completed by Moses in Exodus 40 and there are notable things we should consider: Exodus 40:1–5 (ESV)   The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 2 “On the first day of the first month you shall erect the tabernacle of the tent of meeting. 3 And you shall put in it the ark of the testimony, and you shall screen the ark with the veil. 4 And you shall bring in the table and arrange it, and you shall bring in the lampstand and set up its lamps. 5 And you shall put the golden altar for incense before the ark of the testimony, and set up the screen for the door of the tabernacle. Exodus 40:16 (ESV)  T...