Reflections on the GOSPEL. Creation, fall, redemption, restoration /consummation /recreation. Inclusive and exclusive. Tabernacle and presence.
Loved by God.
- UBF Gospel Musings
- Chicago, IL, United States
- * It's good to suffer loss, for it draws me to the Cross where God's loss is more than what anyone ever lost. * We cannot hear what the stories of the Bible are saying until we hear them as stories about ourselves. * Let go of control. * Trust God. Thank God. Think about God. Talk to God. Talk about God.
Wednesday, December 27, 2017
Love that is Genuine, Sincere and Real (Romans 12:9)
Friday, December 22, 2017
Discipleship Rooted in Love
Tuesday, December 19, 2017
Make Love Your Goal
Sunday, December 17, 2017
Love Must Be Real (Romans 12:9-21)
Love must be real (sincere, without pretense).
Hate (abhor) what is evil;
stick fast (cling) to what is good.
Be truly affectionate in showing love (show family affection) to one another (be heartfelt in your love to one another);
compete with each other in giving mutual respect (honor one another above yourselves).
Don't get tired of working hard (do not lack diligence; never be lacking in zeal; in zeal do not be lazy).
Be (set) on fire with (by) the spirit.
Work as slaves for the Lord (serve the Lord).
Celebrate your hope (rejoice in hope);
be patient in suffering (bear up under tribulation);
give constant energy (be devoted) to prayer;
contribute to (participate in) the needs of God's people;
make sure you are hospitable to strangers (pursue hospitality).
Wednesday, December 13, 2017
The Core, Crux and Center of Christianity
Tuesday, December 12, 2017
The Most Important Word
"Love, to be real, must cost--it must hurt--it must empty us of self." Mother Teresa of Calcutta.
Monday, December 11, 2017
The Who Why When What and How of Love
- What is love? 1 John 4:8, 16.
- Who do you love? Matthew 22:37-39. John 13:34.
- When do you love? 1 Corinthians 13:7.
- Why do you love? 1 John 4:8, 16. Jeremiah 31:3.
- How do you love? 1 Corinthians 13:4.
Tuesday, December 5, 2017
The beginning of a new world (Ezekiel 33)
- The recommissioning of the prophet (33:1-9; 3:17-21): the renewal of Ezekiel's watchman responsibility. Be a watchman, hear the word (Eze 33:7).
- The responsibility of the hearers (33:10-20; ch. 18): a reminder of the ways of God with the wicked and the righteous. It's not fair (Eze 33:17, 20).
- The vindication and liberation of the prophet (33:21-22). Prophecy comes through.
- The extinction of false hopes (33:23-29): a repudiation of plausible but wrong (specious) theology and false expectations of those left behind in Judah after the fall of the city.
- The exposure of flattering attention (33:30-33): a reminder to Ezekiel of the fickleness of his listeners.
Wednesday, November 29, 2017
The Egyptian Oracles (Ezekiel 29-32)
- 605 BC - Babylonians defeat the Egyptian forces at Carchemish (Jer 46:2) and then press south.
- 601 BC - Babylonian and Egyptian forces clash again with heavy losses on both sides.
- 597 BC - Nebuchadnezzar subdues Jerusalem. Egypt stays neutral. Zedekiah is placed on the throne as vassal king by Nebuchadnezzar.
- 589 BC - Judah under Zedekiah is in open rebellion against the Babylonians.
- 588 (Jan) - The Babylonians advance to besiege Jerusalem.
- 588 BC - The siege is lifted temporarily as the Babylonians redirect their efforts against the Egyptian relief forces (Zedekiah had asked the Egyptians for help). However the Egyptians are soon repulsed, and the Babylonians return to besiege the city.
- 587 (Jul) - Jerusalem'[s walls are breached. The city and temple are burnt. The state of Judah comes to an end. The country is in ruins.
- 587 (Jan) 29:1-16.
- 587 (Apr) 30:20-26.
- 587 (Jan) 31:1-18.
- 586/585 32:17-32.
- 585 (Mar) 32:1-16.
- 571 (Apr) 29:17-21.
- The oracle in 30:1-19 is undated but its content is similar to the others.
- Egypt: decline and fall (29:1-16).
- Nebuchadnezzar's reward (29:17-21).
- A dark day for Egypt (30:1-19).
- Pharaoh's broken arms (30:20-26).
- The lesson of the felled cedar for Egypt (31:1-18).
- Lament for Pharaoh (32:1-16).
- Egypt's descent to the domain of death (32:17-32).
- The scope of accountability (33:1-20).
- Ezekiel regains his speech (33:21-22).
- Ezekiel's illegal possessions (33:23-33).
Monday, November 20, 2017
Against Tyre (Ezekiel 26-28)
- Self-satisfaction denounced (26:1-21). In the 12th year--586 BC (Eze 26:1), Tyre is rebuked for seeing the fall of Jerusalem as merely an event which will enhance her own prosperity (Eze 26:2). Therefore, God is against her and she will be pillaged and destroyed (26:3-6). Nebuchadnezzar would lay siege and bring about her downfall (Eze 26:7-14). The campaign was a difficult one (Eze 29:18); it lasted 13 years (587 - 574 BC). She will never be rebuilt (Eze 26:14). She will be dragged down to the pit and not return (26:19-21). Delight at the downfall of others is an emotion that Christians, and others, need to deal with as it is very pervasive, but not readily acknowledged.
- A lament (27:1-36). Tyre is likened to a marvelously-wrought merchant ship. She gloried and took great pride in her beauty (Eze 27:3-4; 16:15), being constructed from the finest materials (27:5-7). The suppliers of her timbers are her merchandise are her trading-partners. She employed many nations to build, operate and defend her (27:8-11). The extensive list of countries and products of highest quality and widest range gives a clear picture of why Tyre was famous for trading (27:12-25). Her links spread throughout most of the Mediterranean, N. Africa, Asia Minor and the Middle East. She employed foreigners in both industry and defense. Yet this ship of state was to be sunk (27:26-27); she will lose it all. Tyre would be overthrown. Her neighbors and trading partners will be appalled (27:28-36). She will be no more (Eze 27:36). Her demise not only affected her but also her local suppliers and services. Recession and economic collapse are some of the modern punishments a state may endure.
- Against arrogance (28:1-10). The achievement of economic wealth brought with it a sense of pride. Skill -> Wealth -> Pride (Eze 28:5). The king is depicted as believing he is as wise as a god (Eze 28:2). The prophecy warns that the penalty for such arrogance is both humiliating and final (28:7-10). It will be at the hands of Babylon, the most ruthless of nations (Eze 28:7). Since they practiced circumcision, her humiliation is to die the death of the uncircumcised (Eze 28:10). Examples of pride and subsequent fall are easy to find throughout history and today, even in the church.
- Expulsion from "paradise" (28:11-19). This lament depicts the rise and fall of the king, and hence of the city state itself. The imagery is strongly reminiscent of the Garden of Eden narrative. However there is no attempt to parallel the Genesis account closely. As is often the case in Ezekiel, metaphors are freely mixed, altered and adapted to suit the language of the prophecy. The poetic language serves to highlight the extent of the fall that Tyre experienced; it was like an expulsion from paradise. She who was perfect in beauty (Eze 28:12) dwelling in a paradise (Eze 28:13-14) and exhibiting blameless behavior (Eze 28:15a). But her widespread commercial activities led to oppression (Eze 28:16a). Her splendor made her conceited and corrupted her thinking (Eze 28:15b, 17).
- Prophecy against Sidon: "Know the Lord" (28:20-26). Sidon, Tyre's neighbor, would suffer due punishment as well. Notice the repeated phrase in a few verses (Eze 28:22, 23, 24, 26).
Sunday, November 19, 2017
Know that I am the Lord (Ezekiel 25-32)
- Against aggression and revenge (25:1-17): Judah's four neighbors.
- Against economic arrogance (26:1-28:19): Tyre and Sidon.
- Against imperial delusions (29:1-32:32): Egypt.
- God and the nations: The message.
Tuesday, November 14, 2017
Ezekiel 1-24 (Sep to Nov 2017)
- Ezekiel 1 (9/3/17) An Encounter with God (Ezekiel 1).
- Ezekiel 2 (9/10/17) A Spirit Driven Calling (Ezekiel 2-3a). Driven by a High Calling.
- Ezekiel 3 (9/17/17) The Crux of the Call (Ezekiel 3b). A Job Description with Strange Instructions and Restrictions.
- Ezekiel 4-7 (9/24/17) A Horrifying Message (Ezekiel 4-7).
- Ezekiel 8-9 (10/1/17) God's Glory Departs (Ezekiel 8-9).
- Ezekiel 10-11 (10/8/17) God's glory departs II (Ezekiel 10-11).
- Ezekiel 12-15 (10/15/17) False Bible Teachers and Idolators (Ezekiel 12-15).
- Ezekiel 16 (10/22/17) You Trusted in Your Beauty (Ezekiel 16).
- Ezekiel 16-19 (10/29/17) Face the Facts, Listen to the Truth (Ezekiel 15-19).
- Ezekiel 20-23 (11/5/17) Face the Facts about Your (His)Story (Ezekiel 20-23).
- Ezekiel 23-24 (11/12/17) The Whore, the Pit and the Wife Who Dies (Ezekiel 23-24, 16).
Monday, November 13, 2017
Timeline of Israel and Judah (Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel)
Ezekiel is easily the most bi_____ of all the prophets. He was struck d___ (Eze 3:26). He a____ out his prophecies (ch. 4). He prophesied to the e_____. He insu____ and an_____ them with his ora____ and par_____ (ch. 16, 23). Ezekiel verses.
Isaiah prophesied around 740-700 BC, about 100 years before Babylon destroyed Jerusalem in 586 BC, and 160 years before Cyrus, king of Media and Persia, conquered Jerusalem and Babylon in 539 BC.
Ezekiel prophesied around 590-570 BC. A contemporary of Daniel, Ezekiel was exiled to Babylon in 597 BC (eight years after Daniel).
- 930 BC: Israel divided into E______ (capital S______) and J____ (capital J_______).
- 722 BC: No______ Israel (E_____) defeated by Assyria (Isa 7:8-9; 2 Ki 18:9-12).
- [740-400 BC: Isaiah's ministry]
- 605 BC: First siege. Those exiled include Daniel.
- [626-586 BC: Jeremiah's ministry]
- 597 BC: Second siege. Those exiled include Ezekiel (Jer 52:28).
- [590-570 BC: Ezekiel's ministry]
- 593 BC: Ezekiel's call; he saw visions of God (Eze 1:1-2). He was stuck dumb (3:26).
- 592 BC: Ezekiel transported to Jerusalem in a vision (Eze 8:1, 3).
- 588 BC: King of Babylon laid final siege to Jerusalem (Eze 24:1-2).
- 586 BC: Jerusalem/temple destroyed (Eze 33:21). Ezekiel's mouth opened (33:22).
Tuesday, November 7, 2017
Ezekiel's Wife Dies (Ezekiel 24)
Explain Ezekiel's emotional state when he knows that God took his wife in her youth in order to be a sign to the people.
- Jerusalem must fall (1-24)
- Judah's enemies must fall (25-32)
- Jerusalem must be comforted. The gospel according to Ezekiel. The Messiah will come and save a remnant.
- [Ezekiel 15 - A useless vine] You are useless.
- [Ezekiel 16 - A nymphomaniac bride] You forgot God's grace and used your beauty for yourself/satisfaction (15).
- [Ezekiel 17 - The eagle and the vine] You broke your oaths.
- [Ezekiel 18 - Only the sinner needs to die] You blame others and do not take responsibility.
- [Ezekiel 19 - A lament] Your leadership sucks.
- Ezeliel 20: What you do. You make up your contrary to the facts and reality, to make yourself look good.
- Ezeliel 21: What God does. He sends Babylon as his sword of judgment.
- Ezeliel 22: Why God does it. They are corrupt beyond redemption.
- Ezeliel 23: Why it's fair. Their adulterous idolatrous hearts are insatiable and incurable.
Saturday, November 4, 2017
Ezekiel 23-24
- The community of faith stands in constant danger of forgetting God's grace and expending its energies in the satisfaction of its own cravings. When this occurs the people of God, vulnerable to the seductive appeal of other allegiances, often sell their soulds in their misguided pursuits. But God considers devotion to any other person or object adultery, the violation of the church's marriage covenant with him.
- In God's eyes adultery is an abhorrent evil, not only because it perverts the sex act but especially because it violates the covenant bond of marriage. Apart from the marital covenantal commitment, all sexual activity is prostitution, and rather than offering lasting satisfaction, illicit intimacy yields contempt and disgust. The fate of Jerusalem serves as a warning for the corporate faith community as well as for individual members that marital infidelity is self-destructive, and brings upon one the wrath of God.
- Only by the grace of God is one able to shake the patterns of sinful behavior established in one's youth. Sin is deeply ingrained in the human race, and unless the community of faith and individuals within that community retain a vital relationship with their covenant Lord, the temptation to see one's soul to satisfy the lusts of the flesh poses an ever present danger. In the hour of crisis, those who abandon their Savior for other allegiances may find no security in their claims to covenant partnership with him. God's passion burns for his people, but if they trample underfoot his grace, the cup of his fury will be poured out on them. Accordingly, hope is to be found only in abandoning one's sinful ways and casting oneself on God's mercy.
- Preamble (1-3a).
- The popular saying (3b-5).
- The dispute (6-8).
- The counterthesis (9-13).
- Conclusion (14).
The implications of this oracle for the people of God of any age are sobering. There is no security in tradition or position in the kingdom of God if the claims of privilege are not matched by love for God and one's fellow human beings. Singing songs about the promises of God is no substitute for obedience to him. Indeed, the true kingdom is often found among those whom the spiritual elite have written off. The message of Ezekiel is that there is hope for the rejected, but for those who make empty claims of status before God the prospects of an encounter with him are frightening.
The End of an Era (Ezekiel 24:15-27) [Ezekiel's wife dies]
This is the last of the judgment oracles in the first part of Ezekiel (ch. 1-24).
- The disturbing human propensity to transform legitimate religious symbols into idolatrous images. Ideally the city and its temple symbolized God's presence among his people. But instead of providing a place where they could come humbly for an encounter with him, it had become a source of cultural pride. Instead of the people finding their security in relationship with God, his residence had become the focus of their affections and the (false) basis of their hopes. The tragic events of 586 BC serve as a warning for all who are tempted to make the same mistake.
- Nothing, not even the temple, is more sacred to God than a sanctified people. For > 300 years Solomon's temple had stood as a magnificent symbol of God's glory and holiness. This was his earthly residence, the place he had chosen for his name to dwell. Through its service and ritual his sanctifying grace was dispensed to all who sought him in spirit and in truth. But formality had replaced authentic faith. The symbol had displaced the reality as the center of people's affections. Although the temple was as dear to God as Ezekiel's wife was to the prophet, not even the sanctuary was immune to his wrath. Not until the people had been sactified through the work of God's Spirit (36:16-38) could they expect him to resume his residence in their midst.
- The message of God is proclaimed most powerfully when it is incarnate in the life of the messenger. While few will be asked to go to the lengths of this remarkable prophet, the implications of this oracle for those who are called to be agents of God are staggering. The cost of bearing in their bodies the message they proclaim is often high. In an earlier age God had tested Abraham by demanding of his his son Isaac, but that story had a happy ending (Gen. 22). It will not always be that way. The call to divine service cost Ezekiel his wife, the delight of his eyes. Although the text is silent on the struggle that must have raged in the prophet's soul over God's absurd demand, this was no less a test of faith for him than the sacrifice of Isaac had been for the patriarch. He could have rebelled against this intrusion into his personal affairs, but he did not waver. In his reaction to his wife's death, he was a sign for his people. But in his response to the hand of God, he is a model for all who follow in his professional train.
Thursday, November 2, 2017
History with an Attitude (Ezekiel 20; 20-24)
- The call for Israel's arraignment (1-4).
- The indictment of Israel: The nations history of rebellion (5-31).
- Israel's rebellion in the distant past (5-26).
- Phase I: Rebellion in Egypt (5-9).
- Phase II: Rebellion in the desert (10-17).
- Phase III: Rebellion in the desert: the second generation (18-26).
- Israel's rebellion in the recent past (27-31).
- Phase IV: Rebellion in the land (27-29).
- Phase V: Rebellion in exile (30-31).
- The future transformation of Israel (32-44).
- Phase VI: Israel in the desert of the peoples (32-38).
- The transformation of Israel (39-40a).
- God's acceptance of Israel (40b-42).
- Israel's response to God's action (42-44).
- The riddle of the sword (20:45-49; 21:1-7).
- The song of the sword (8-17).
- The agent of the sword (18-27).
- The taunt of the sword (28-32).
What is the theological significance in the quartet of oracles devoted to the sword of God?
- God becomes the enemy of those who claim to be his people but refuse to accept the responsibilities accompanying that privilege. The sword in Ezekiel 21 functions as a frightening instrument of providential fury unleashed against his own people -- the benefactors of his covenant. The notion or idea or utterance is divine wrath is reprehensible to many, that it should be directed at his own people in intolerable. But God's application of principle is not affected by human sentimentality. If "his people" spurn his grace, they cannot expect to be spared the fate of the wicked.
- The Lord is faithful to his word. This applies not only to his promises of presence and well-being, but also to his warnings of judgment for apostasy and infidelity (Lev 26; Deut 28). Parroting covenant promises is no substitute for obedience and offers no immunity from divine wrath. In the end the sword fell on the nation, precisely as Moses and Ezekiel had forewarned. Contra Ezekiel's contemporaries, this did not signify divine betrayal of covenant promises, but the rigorous fulfillment of its fine print.
- God can achieve his divine agenda through those who do not worship him. The achievement of the divine agenda is not bound by human definitions of propriety. In these oracles God's will was revealed through pagan divination and executed through pagan instruments. However, the end does not justify the means, nor does the commission offer immunity from divine scrutiny to the agent. Those charged with fulfilling God's commission must still account to him how they executed the charge.
- The indictment of Jerusalem - the bloody city (1-16).
- The call for Jerusalem's arraignment (1-2).
- The summons to Jerusalem (3).
- The announcement of the charges (4-5).
- The presentation of the evidence (6-12).
- The announcement of the sentence (13-16).
- A society that thrives on violence not only self-destructs but will also have to contend with God.
- Community leaders bear special responsibility for the maintenance of justice and the welfare of its citizenry.
- Knowledge of the will of God is no substitute for obedience to that will.
- Although humans may renege on their covenant commitments, God will not.
- The judgment of Jerusalem: In the smelter of God's wrath (17-22).
- The nation may consider itself precious metal in God's sight, but this is a delusion. For the people to become what God wants them to be, they must be subjected again to the refiner's fire. This time, however, it is the fire of divine wrath, which is terrifying as painted in this oracle. Like the gardener who cuts off fruitless branches and casts it into the fire (Jn 15:1-11), it serves as a warning for all who claim security in divine election but refuse int heir lives to reflect the glory of the divine Elector. God's passion for a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, his own special treasure, has not diminished (1 Pet 2:9).
- The rationale for the judgment of Jerusalem: The unmanned breach (23-31).
- The thesis statement (23-24).
- The crimes of Israel's leaders (25-29).
- God's response to the crimes of Israel's leaders (30-31).
- The call to leadership is primarily a call to responsibility, not privilege.But power has the baneful (deleterious, detrimental, harmful) tendency to transform noble lions and majestic wolves into cannibalistic beasts. The people of God are not immune from the temptation to exploit positions of power for personal advantage and thereby threaten the vitality of the community. Those who pervert "Thy kingdom come" to "My kingdom come" invite the wrath of God.
- Whatever responsibilities other leaders have, those called into divine service are charged with maintaining the sanctity of God. This is accomplished by the scrupulous personal observance of sacred-profane distinctions and the indoctrination of the people of God with the same sensitivity. The absence of such distinctions leads to theological and moral anarchy and, even more seriously, the desecration of the reputation of God.
- The survival of the church depends on the positive response of leaders to the call of God to stand in the breach. This call is not fulfilled by professional self-gratification or plastering decayed walls with reassuring pronouncements of peace. The breach is defended and the wrath of God averted with compelling appeals for repentance from sin and a new commitment to God.
- The opening formula (1).
- The introduction of the accused (2-4).
- The historical background of the case (5-35).
- The case against Oholah and Oholibah (36-49a).
- The concluding formula (49b).
- Preamble (1-3a).
- The popular saying (3b-5).
- The dispute (6-8).
- The counterthesis (9-13).
- Conclusion (14).
Wednesday, November 1, 2017
Don't Delude Yourself (Ezekiel 20)
- God often interprets history quite differently from humans. This is especially true of one's own story, whether it be personal, congregational, denominational, or ecclesiastical. Those who claim to be the people of God have often idealized their past and been blinded by pride in their own election to deny or ignore the darker sides of their story. We may gloat over the cultural achievements of the Western church, but overlook the role that Christians played in violent crusades against "infidels," genocidal pogroms (massacre or persecution of an ethnic or religious group) against Jews, and dehumanizing enslavement of non-Europeans. At the denominational and congregational level we may hold high our orthodoxy, liturgy, evangelistic energy, and creativity, but avoid the weightier matters of covenant relationship: integrity, humility, honesty, compassion, self-sacrifice, and love. Ezekiel affirms again that one's subjective perceptions may be totally divorced from reality. In the end it will not matter how we have told our story, but only how God sees it.
- God desires that the world knows who he is; this is the primary motivation behind divine revelation (Eze 20:20, 26, 44, 7, 12). In our individualistic and hedonistic world it is difficult to understand, let alone accept, that the universe does not revolve around oneself. God, the source and sustainer of all things, is also the goal of all things (Col 1:16). When he intervenes in earthly affairs he does indeed respond to human needs, but the nature of his response is set by his own character. His reactions are never arbitrary or capricious (sudden mood changes), but driven by his internal consistency. We must never forget to be grateful that grace is a significant element in that character, and that in his struggle over human rebellion his justice is tempered by mercy. But even when he acts with compassion, his concern is the manifestation of his holiness.
- His divine reputation depends on the fate and welfare of his people. All of God's dealings with Israel were public -- before the eyes of the nations. Israel was to be the agent through whom the nations would come to know that he is God. Nothing has changed. Jesus reminded his disciples that their prayers should be different from the self-seeking petitions of the Gentiles (Mt 6:5-15). Concern for the sanctity of his name and the glory of his kingdom remains the mark of God's people (Eze 20:9, 14, 20).
- The experience of divine mercy drives true covenant people to their knees. Those with an overly optimistic view of the human condition tend to dismiss this text (esp. Eze 20:43-44) as a theological archaism (old-fashion), damaging to one's mental well-being. This only perpetuates our delusional optimism, like Ezekiel's audience. The good news of the gospel is not "there must be something truly wonderful about us since God can love us and accept us so readily." Rather the gospel is that there must be something truly wonderful about God! Yes, all human beings do have intrinsic dignity by virtue of our status as images of God, but notions of self-worth must be distinguished from ideas of worthiness. Our status as God's image provides the basis for his unique interest in us, but our fallen condition disqualifies us from claiming that status as a natural right. God did not express his love in Jesus in response to our worthiness, but to redeem us from our unworthiness. The fundamental problem with most of us is not deficient self-esteem but an inadequate divine-esteem. Ultimately God operates for his own name's sake (Eze 20:9, 14, 20). His investment in us relates to agendas far greater than ourselves. As we submit ourselves to God, we will treasure the grace with which he reaches out to us. Within this framework, the fundamental human pathology is not self-loathing but pride, an unhealthy and unrealistic self-esteem. It is from this arrogance that we, especially in the US, need deliverance.
References:
- Block, Daniel I. The Book of Ezekiel Chapters 1-24, NICOT (New International Commentary on the Old Testament). Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co, Grand Rapids, Michigan, 1997.
- Wright, Christopher J.H. The Message of Ezekiel, BST (Bible Speaks Today). IVP, Downers Grove, IL, 2001.
Tuesday, October 31, 2017
A Happy Marriage Requires Fighting (Ephesians 6:10-20)
- Strength for the conflict. In the Lord (Eph 6:10-11).
- Source of the conflict. Not flesh and blood (Eph 6:12).
- Strategy for the conquest. Full armor of God (Eph 6:13-20).
- Truth (Eph 6:14a)
- Righteousness (Eph 6:14b)
- Gospel of peace (Eph 6:15)
- Faith (Eph 6:16)
- Salvation (Eph 6:17a)
- Word of God (Eph 6:17b): Read the Bible together. Pray together.
- God brought you together (Mt 19:6; Mk 10:9; Gen 2:24).
- Marriage is forever.
- God intends for you to be gentle and humble in heart (Mt 11:29; Rom 8:29).
- Love that is unconditional
- Forgiveness that is endless
- Grace that is ever present
- For richer or poorer
- In sickness or in health
- For better or worse
- (Whether cuter or less cute, more handsome or more ugly, fatter or thinner!)
- ...till death do us part.
"...be content [satisfied] with what you have, because God has said, 'Never will I leave you; never will I forsake [abandon] you'" (Heb 13:5; Dt 31:6).
Saturday, October 28, 2017
Friday, October 27, 2017
Face the Truth and Accept Rebuke (Ezekiel 15-19)
- [Ezekiel 15 - A useless vine] You are useless. Why is Jerusalem like a useless vine (Eze 15:8)?
- [Ezekiel 16 - A nymphomaniac bride] You forgot God's grace and used your beauty for yourself. What is the problem with forgetting your past and how you once were (Eze 16:22, 43)?
- [Ezekiel 17 - The eagle and the vine] You broke your oaths. How important is it that you keep your oaths and your promises (Eze 17:18)?
- [Ezekiel 18 - Only the sinner needs to die] You blame others and do not take responsibility. What happens when you blame others (Eze 18:2)?
- [Ezekiel 19 - A lament] Your leadership sucks. What may be some causes of bad or failed leadership?
- Presumption. The promises of God to the ancestors are no guarantee of divine blessing for their descendants. Ezekiel 18 affirms that children die for their own sins; they do not inherit the guilt of their parents. God had promised to bless Jacob/Isreal (Gen 49:8-12), and then narrowed this privilege to the house of David (2 Samuel 7). After four centuries of uninterrupted rule, the dynasty was governing the people as if by divine right, without any sense of accountablity to the people of God. For such leaders, the promises of David count for nothing.
- Servanthood. The call to leadership is a call to servanthood. Ezekiel 19:3, 6 is a sharp indictment of the exploitative behavior of Israel's kings. Much of the responsibility for the fall of Judah/Israel would rest on their shoulders. According to Moses, leaders serve by divine appointment for the good of the people (Dt 17:14-20). The last kings of Judah were not the only ones who had betrayed their calling. Sadly, the history of the world and of the church is strewn with the victims of monarchical excesses. Solomon--the wisest of Israel's kings--demonstrated himself the consummate fool by disregarding Torah. So are all who use divine election as an excuse for high-handed rule. Government exists for the people. People do not exist for the government.
- Commitment. The presence of God's chosen representative is no substitute for personal commitment to him. The people of Judah, even the exiles, continued to look on the ruling members of the dynasty as sure signs of divine favor, a kind of good luck charm. So long as a Davidide sat on the throne, God's protection was sure. They failed to realize that none of the divine promises was automatic; all are contingent. Without submission to the will of God of both leader and led, shepherd and sheep, pastor and congregant, any claim to security with God is a delusion.
- Block, Daniel I. The Book of Ezekiel Chapters 1-24, NICOT (New International Commentary on the Old Testament). Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co, Grand Rapids, Michigan, 1997.
- Wright, Christopher J.H. The Message of Ezekiel, BST (Bible Speaks Today). IVP, Downers Grove, IL, 2001.
References:
- Block, Daniel I. The Book of Ezekiel Chapters 1-24, NICOT (New International Commentary on the Old Testament). Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co, Grand Rapids, Michigan, 1997.
- Wright, Christopher J.H. The Message of Ezekiel, BST (Bible Speaks Today). IVP, Downers Grove, IL, 2001.
Thursday, October 26, 2017
Encouragement, Idolatry, Beauty, Responsibility (Ezekiel 13, 14, 16, 18)
- [Eze 13:19, 22-23] When is encouragement wrong or bad?
- [Eze 14:3] When happens when you set up idols in your heart?
- [Eze 16:15] When others see your beauty, do they lust after your beauty or do they long for the God and Giver of your beauty?
- [Eze 18:2-4] Why is it always wrong to blame God and others (such as parents, the church)?
- I dismiss or diminish my own personal responsibility. Then there is no real need to apologize or repent. But without repentance there can be no forgiveness and salvation. Thus blaming others provides a specious (superficially plausible but false) sense of security (I didn't really do anything wrong, it is his/her/their fault), and it blocks us from repentance and forgiveness, from peace and joy.
- I make myself a victim rather than acknowledge that I'm a sinner. Blaming others and the victim mentality provides the perfect logic to unrepentance: "I'm the injured party here. Others and God have to get their act together."
- our genes,
- our environment,
- our upbringing,
- government failures, corrupt self-serving politicians,
- psychological stress.
Wednesday, October 25, 2017
The Gospel and Religion
Sunday, October 22, 2017
Know One Thing - John Wesley
"I want to know one thing -- the way to Heaven; how to land safe on that happy shore. God Himself has condescended to teach the way; for this very end He came from heaven. He hath written it down in a book. O give me that book! At any price, give me the book of God! I have it: here is knowledge enough for me. Let me be homo unius libri" [man of one book]. Standard Sermons, ed. Edward H. Sugden, 2 vols. (London: Epworth Press, 1921), 1:31-32.
Saturday, October 21, 2017
Friday, October 20, 2017
Sobering Truth about the Church
Thursday, October 19, 2017
Only the One Who Sins Dies (Ezekiel 18)
- Blaming others for his or her fate (Eze 18:2). To be sure, parents need to always be reminded that God holds them responsible for the welfare of their children (Exo 20:5). But children may not absolve themselves of personal responsibility for their own destiny. It is NOT inevitable that death is destined for the children of the wicked, nor is life promised for the children of the righteous. Rather each individual dies for his or her own sin, and lives by his or her own righteousness. Each person is master of his or her own destiny.
- Eternal destiny or condemnation is already determined by one's past choices and decisions. Death for the wicked and life for the righteous can be arrested at any time. No one can bank on an abundance of past good deeds to ensure their future well-being, nor do they need to despair that an abundance of past evil will condemn them in the future. The appeal to "repent and live" (Eze 18:30, 32b; 14:6) assumes real personal freedom to determine at any time one's own conduct and also the destiny that God decrees for a person.
- Blaming and accusing God for being unfair (Eze 18:25, 29), unscrupulous, capricious and unpredictable. God's moral universe runs according to fixed rules. It includes the following:
- The person who sins dies for his or her own sin (Eze 18:4b, 20a).
- Righteousness is expressed primarily by right action (rather than credal assent) (Eze 18:5-9).
- Those in authority and with means will be held accountable for the way they treat the weak and marginalized.
- A person's past behavior need not determine his or her future well-being (Eze 18:21-22).
- God is on the side of life for all, rather than death for any (Eze 18:23, 32).
- God is primarily bent on judgment and death (Eze 18:23, 32). The gospel is crystal clear that God promises hope and that he stands on the side of life, not death, while also warning of judgment. To be warned is not only to remind one of the poeril of one's course but also to be directed to the way of escape. God's mercy and grace move him to plead with men and women to accept that way, to repent of their sin and find life in him.
- Bible teachers/leaders proclaiming what people want to hear. People in despair need a message of hope. Those wrapped in self-pity and in their own misery need a vision of God's mercy. The leader/teacher must lead the way against the teaching of cheap grace and it's counterpart work righteousness. One's appreciation for grace is directly proportional to one's consciousness of sin. No teacher or leader does anyone any favors by promoting a sense of well-being when one is governed by the law of sin and death (cheap grace/work righteousness). For them there is no substitute for a call for repentance.
- God's covenant with his people (Israel) is over. For those in exile its benefits have been suspended. But underlying God's passionate appeal for the nation's corporate repentance and revival is his commitment to his people. God has given his word (promise) and he longs for the day when they will reciprocate and respond.