Many times in the Old Testament, when Israel sins, God has someone (a judge, Moses, a prophet, etc.) intercede for the people, pleading on their behalf for God to have mercy. And God uses that intercession as a means to lead the people with a firm, yet loving hand. Here in Ezra, however, the Israelites receive mercy without an intermediary. Ezra hears about the peoples’ transgressions, and marvels at the way God has kept His people despite their disobedience. “...seeing that You, our God, have punished us less than our iniquities deserved and have given us such a remnant as this...”(Ezra 9:13). Ezra discovers, after the fact, that God is acting in mercy towards the Israelites. I think this is really important, because it’s so easy to see the righteously wrathful, powerful, sovereign side of God in the old testament (that is NOT to say that God’s sovereignty and power changes between the Old and New Testaments, nor that God’s love suddenly becomes tangible and active later in the Bible.), but in Ezra we see the “cords of kindness” and “bonds of love” (Hosea 11:4) that God uses to lead His people.
“For we are slaves. Yet our God has not forsaken us in our slavery, but has extended to us his steadfast love before the kings of Persia, to grant us some reviving to set up the house of our God, to repair its ruins, and to give up protection in Judea and Jerusalem.” (Ezra 9:9)
It becomes so easy to limit our gaze on our present circumstance, to get bogged down in the reality of disappointment, but Ezra expands his perspective, realizing that God has blessed Israel. In Ephesians, it says that our God is “rich in mercy” (2:4) and indeed, He is so. Even when things seem pretty awful for the Israelites, Ezra still praises God for His grace and blessings.
I also really love how the people respond. in chapter ten of Ezra, it reads, “While Ezra prayed and made confession, weeping and casting himself down before the house of God, a very great assembly of men, women, and children, gathered to him out of Israel, for the people wept bitterly.” They are grieved, but the people don’t let their discouragement or guilt keep them from action. They approach Ezra and, acknowledging their sin, offer to restore their broken commitment to the Lord by making a new covenant to put away their unlawful families. The people see the situation, evaluate what needs to be done and then work to accept responsibility and restore their relationship with God. The men who go to Ezra say, “Arise, for it is your task [to make a covenant with God], and we are with you; be strong and do it.” and they get the job done in only a few months. That is dedication. That is determination. That is God, working in the lives of His children to draw them closer to Himself.
Sunday, August 15, 2010
Sunday, August 8, 2010
You break my heart of stone
In the last two chapters of Ezra, the prophet discovers that the people (and the officials, even) have deliberately disobeyed God’s command not to intermarry with the different people groups. Ezra responds:
“As soon as I heard this, I tore my garment and my cloak and pulled hair from my head and beard and sat appalled.” (Ezra 9:3)
I really admire his reaction. Contrary to contemporary practices, he is grieved by sin. Sometimes i feel as if people realize their sin and even boast about it. Like, they are proud that they struggle in this area or they feel that this downfall is somehow attractive to others. But sin is sin, and should evoke remorse and (for lack of a better word....sorrow doesn’t seem strong enough, but pain sounds too exclusive against mental and emotional stress....) grief. If people could look at sin the way God views sin, I think that would alter the flippancy and apathy in this generation.
Ezra prays, “O my God, I am ashamed and blush to lift my face to you, my God, for our iniquities have risen higher than our heads, and our guilt has mounted up to the heavens.”(Ezra 9:6)
I completely identify with Ezra’s feeling here. The oppressive, overwhelming guilt of sin that chokes out joy has rapidly taken over him. I mean, i don’t know if Ezra knew about the intermarriage problem before (i imagine that it would be kinda hard to hide that particular sin...) although his writings make it seem as if he was ignorant of it until chapter 9, but it is like all of the weight of the Israelite’s transgressions have crashed down on him, and, because of the magnitude (i mean, this had been going on for some time because these unholy unions contrived children) of Israel’s guilt, Ezra feels the barrier between the people and God (at least, i think that is implied in the “mounted up to the heavens” although maybe i’m wrong and am reading too much into it. i do that sometimes....) I really abhor the feeling of realizing that i am in the wrong (i’m not talking about arguments...although i really don’t like that either! haha but i mean when i realize that i have been acting on pride or any other sinful compulsion); of discovering that I am so far from where God’s word exhorts me to be. I mean, in a way it is so very rewarding to experience God’s grace (always remembering, of course, that we are NOT called “to continue in sin that grace may abound”! because that is not biblical or right or rewarding in any way!) and to be reminded of how fallible and “in need of a savior” i am, but it still isn’t a pleasant sensation.
But it doesn’t end there. God is gracious and merciful. And i am going to go into that (at least, the part that i see in Ezra. obviously i could never finish unpacking God’s grace and mercy because it knows no bounds, and i am just a mere human attempting to express abstract ideas and themes in concrete and tangible terms). For now, goodnight and God bless. Should God grant me grace enough for one more day on this earth, i will write more about Ezra. :)
“As soon as I heard this, I tore my garment and my cloak and pulled hair from my head and beard and sat appalled.” (Ezra 9:3)
I really admire his reaction. Contrary to contemporary practices, he is grieved by sin. Sometimes i feel as if people realize their sin and even boast about it. Like, they are proud that they struggle in this area or they feel that this downfall is somehow attractive to others. But sin is sin, and should evoke remorse and (for lack of a better word....sorrow doesn’t seem strong enough, but pain sounds too exclusive against mental and emotional stress....) grief. If people could look at sin the way God views sin, I think that would alter the flippancy and apathy in this generation.
Ezra prays, “O my God, I am ashamed and blush to lift my face to you, my God, for our iniquities have risen higher than our heads, and our guilt has mounted up to the heavens.”(Ezra 9:6)
I completely identify with Ezra’s feeling here. The oppressive, overwhelming guilt of sin that chokes out joy has rapidly taken over him. I mean, i don’t know if Ezra knew about the intermarriage problem before (i imagine that it would be kinda hard to hide that particular sin...) although his writings make it seem as if he was ignorant of it until chapter 9, but it is like all of the weight of the Israelite’s transgressions have crashed down on him, and, because of the magnitude (i mean, this had been going on for some time because these unholy unions contrived children) of Israel’s guilt, Ezra feels the barrier between the people and God (at least, i think that is implied in the “mounted up to the heavens” although maybe i’m wrong and am reading too much into it. i do that sometimes....) I really abhor the feeling of realizing that i am in the wrong (i’m not talking about arguments...although i really don’t like that either! haha but i mean when i realize that i have been acting on pride or any other sinful compulsion); of discovering that I am so far from where God’s word exhorts me to be. I mean, in a way it is so very rewarding to experience God’s grace (always remembering, of course, that we are NOT called “to continue in sin that grace may abound”! because that is not biblical or right or rewarding in any way!) and to be reminded of how fallible and “in need of a savior” i am, but it still isn’t a pleasant sensation.
But it doesn’t end there. God is gracious and merciful. And i am going to go into that (at least, the part that i see in Ezra. obviously i could never finish unpacking God’s grace and mercy because it knows no bounds, and i am just a mere human attempting to express abstract ideas and themes in concrete and tangible terms). For now, goodnight and God bless. Should God grant me grace enough for one more day on this earth, i will write more about Ezra. :)
Saturday, August 7, 2010
Cast Your Bread upon the Waters
taking a small break from Ezra.....
There is a verse that God has really put on my heart recently. From Ecclesiastes, chapter 11 verse 1 reads, "Cast your bread upon the waters, for you will find it after many days". At first, i really didn't understand what that meant. (and my oh-so-helpful sister told me that it meant God wanted us to feed the ducks...hahaha) but i kept meditating on that verse.
Basically the whole book of Ecclesiastes speaks to the fleeting, shallow pleasures of the world. The "preacher" must come to grips with the fact that life holds no guarantees, no lasting joy of any kind. all is vanity. Only God can sustain and offer life abundantly (of course, in order to gain life, we must die to ourselves...mmhm, such a sweet paradox!) So, putting the verse in context, I think what it conveys is the realization/resignation to the truth that our life is completely out of our hands. "Cast your bread upon the waters..."; give up your false security in your own abilities, you have no control over your circumstances. I think this verse is a call to live in faith, surrendering everything to God, trusting that He knows best and will provide. "....for you will find it after many days"; let God provide; He is in control and has the power to take care of you.
any thoughts? I don't know. I could be off..... Just a thought for the day (or, more like this whole past month for me! haha)
There is a verse that God has really put on my heart recently. From Ecclesiastes, chapter 11 verse 1 reads, "Cast your bread upon the waters, for you will find it after many days". At first, i really didn't understand what that meant. (and my oh-so-helpful sister told me that it meant God wanted us to feed the ducks...hahaha) but i kept meditating on that verse.
Basically the whole book of Ecclesiastes speaks to the fleeting, shallow pleasures of the world. The "preacher" must come to grips with the fact that life holds no guarantees, no lasting joy of any kind. all is vanity. Only God can sustain and offer life abundantly (of course, in order to gain life, we must die to ourselves...mmhm, such a sweet paradox!) So, putting the verse in context, I think what it conveys is the realization/resignation to the truth that our life is completely out of our hands. "Cast your bread upon the waters..."; give up your false security in your own abilities, you have no control over your circumstances. I think this verse is a call to live in faith, surrendering everything to God, trusting that He knows best and will provide. "....for you will find it after many days"; let God provide; He is in control and has the power to take care of you.
any thoughts? I don't know. I could be off..... Just a thought for the day (or, more like this whole past month for me! haha)
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
obedience and stuff :)
Continuing in Ezra.....
so in chapter five, the Israelites listen to the prophets Haggai and Zachariah and resume construction on the temple which causes the governor to start asking questions. He doesn’t shut them down, but writes to the king, imploring him to check records for Cyrus’ decree to rebuild the temple.
“But the eye of their God was on the elders of the Jews, and they did not stop them until the report should reach Darius and then an answer be returned by letter concerning it” (Ezra 5:5)
So, it was the Israelites obedience to God to continue building even in the face of legal troubles that caused the king Darius to find Cyrus’ old edict for Jerusalem to be rebuilt. God chose to bless the Israelites again by touching the king’s heart. Darius supports the temple builders financially and even provides animals for sacrifice. He then protects the Israelites and their purpose with this:
“Also i make a decree that if anyone alters this edict, a beam shall be pulled out of his house, and he shall be impaled on it, and his house shall be made a dunghill. May the God who has cause His name to dwell there overthrow any king or people who shall put out a hand to alter this, or to destroy this house of God that is in Jerusalem”.
How cool is that? God faithfully provides for the Israelites...but notice that the Israelites had to take a leap of faith and obey God. They had to begin building, with no guarantee of safety for themselves or their families. But God blessed them for their rightful commitment to His commands. God used their obedience to impact the king and governor and also to bless the Israelites. Not only did the Israelites gain the support and funding from the Darius, but also the assurance that their work would go unhindered by anything else! God is pleased with obedience, for obedience is our most tangible demonstration of our love for Jesus. (John 14:15) I pray that no matter the circumstances or repercussions, i would earnestly strive to act in accordance with what God commands because i love Him.
Again, in chapter 7, we see God changing the heart of the king Artaxerxes as he offers help to Ezra. I love Ezra’s response!
“Blessed be the Lord, the God of our fathers, who put such a thing as this into the heart of the king, to beautify the house of the Lord that is in Jerusalem, and who extended to me His steadfast love before the king and his counselors, and before all the king’s mighty officers. I took courage, for the hand of the Lord my God was on me and i gathered leading men from Israel to go up with me” (Ezra 7:27-28)
I pray that I would recognize and react to God’s hand in my life with the same reverence and joy as Ezra did. When God orchestrates circumstances that allow me to follow His will with confidence, may i marvel and praise Him with such fervent devotion that others comprehend how great and powerful and GOOD our God truly is!
so in chapter five, the Israelites listen to the prophets Haggai and Zachariah and resume construction on the temple which causes the governor to start asking questions. He doesn’t shut them down, but writes to the king, imploring him to check records for Cyrus’ decree to rebuild the temple.
“But the eye of their God was on the elders of the Jews, and they did not stop them until the report should reach Darius and then an answer be returned by letter concerning it” (Ezra 5:5)
So, it was the Israelites obedience to God to continue building even in the face of legal troubles that caused the king Darius to find Cyrus’ old edict for Jerusalem to be rebuilt. God chose to bless the Israelites again by touching the king’s heart. Darius supports the temple builders financially and even provides animals for sacrifice. He then protects the Israelites and their purpose with this:
“Also i make a decree that if anyone alters this edict, a beam shall be pulled out of his house, and he shall be impaled on it, and his house shall be made a dunghill. May the God who has cause His name to dwell there overthrow any king or people who shall put out a hand to alter this, or to destroy this house of God that is in Jerusalem”.
How cool is that? God faithfully provides for the Israelites...but notice that the Israelites had to take a leap of faith and obey God. They had to begin building, with no guarantee of safety for themselves or their families. But God blessed them for their rightful commitment to His commands. God used their obedience to impact the king and governor and also to bless the Israelites. Not only did the Israelites gain the support and funding from the Darius, but also the assurance that their work would go unhindered by anything else! God is pleased with obedience, for obedience is our most tangible demonstration of our love for Jesus. (John 14:15) I pray that no matter the circumstances or repercussions, i would earnestly strive to act in accordance with what God commands because i love Him.
Again, in chapter 7, we see God changing the heart of the king Artaxerxes as he offers help to Ezra. I love Ezra’s response!
“Blessed be the Lord, the God of our fathers, who put such a thing as this into the heart of the king, to beautify the house of the Lord that is in Jerusalem, and who extended to me His steadfast love before the king and his counselors, and before all the king’s mighty officers. I took courage, for the hand of the Lord my God was on me and i gathered leading men from Israel to go up with me” (Ezra 7:27-28)
I pray that I would recognize and react to God’s hand in my life with the same reverence and joy as Ezra did. When God orchestrates circumstances that allow me to follow His will with confidence, may i marvel and praise Him with such fervent devotion that others comprehend how great and powerful and GOOD our God truly is!
Monday, August 2, 2010
consider your ways
So I have been reading through the book of Ezra, and the organization of the book really fascinates me. I mean, it almost reads like a novel or a play. It opens with the exiled Israelites returning to rebuild the temple. God has moved the king, Cyrus, to allow the Israelites to travel back to Jerusalem. Cyrus even goes so far to command that the Israelites should be given “...silver and gold, with goods and with beasts, besides free will offerings for the house of God that is in Jerusalem.” (Ezra 1:4) How amazing is that? God is so good! Not only has He changed the heart of the king of Persia, but He has made a way for His people to go back to their home and even provided funds for them to rebuild the temple. God provides for/equips the Israelites to accomplish His will.
Then, in chapter four, the enemies of the Israelites employ all manner of trickery to hinder the building of the temple. They intimidate the workers, bribing officials to frustrate and slow down the Israelites. Finally, they write to Artaxerxes, contriving a cease and desist letter from the king. And what do the Israelites do? They give up. Stop building the temple. Now, at this point, i am feeling sympathetic with the Israelites. After all, we are called to respect authority and the authority of the land has commanded that they stop construction (which is kind of a lame way of thinking...after all, render unto Caesar what is Caesar’s and unto the Lord what is the Lord’s....and we are supposed to hold everything up to God’s word and act in accordance with what it teaches, i.e. if God says to build the temple, but the monarch says to stop building, we build anyway). But then, in chapter five, Ezra mentions the prophets Haggai and Zachariah (and i thought, hey! i know them...their books are further into the bible...) so i went and read them. And this is what i found...
“Thus says the Lord of hosts: Consider your ways. Go up to the hills and bring wood and build the house, that I may take pleasure in it and that I may be glorified, says the Lord. You looked for much, and behold, it came to little. And when you brought it home, I blew it away. Why? declares the Lord of hosts. Because of my house that lies in ruins, while each of you busies himself with his own house.” (Haggai 1:7-9)
wow. punch in the face. Difficulties arise and instead of trusting in God to work out the problems, the Israelites abandon their purpose and busy themselves with their own goals. So often, i think that Christians catch a vision of what God is doing and passionately set out to be used for His will and then when hardship comes, they lose heart and start thinking that maybe what they thought wasn’t really God’s will because it’s hard. Well, who said it was supposed to be easy? Just because God chose to bless the Israelites with Cyrus’ decree and encourage them with easily acquired materials, that doesn’t mean that God is required to continue to provide in the same way. God is not formulaic. It’s like in Prince Caspian, when Lucy meets with Aslan and wants Him to come roaring in and save everyone like He did in The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe, but Aslan says that He never works the same way twice. why? Because God isn’t about the ends. We try to micro-manage God, by expecting Him to work in the most “efficient” way, by our standards. But God has another purpose in mind. He is about the relationship. The Israelites had already experienced God as provider. They needed to grow, to experience God in a new way. Before, He blessed them so they could worship Him as provider. When things are tough, when the world turns against the Israelites, they could experience Him as comforter, as their rock. They could have trusted Him to see them through the persecution and continued construction on the temple.(again, like when Lucy should have followed Aslan, even when her older siblings didn’t believe her, yet she let her circumstances dictate her actions and resulted in disobedience.) But they didn’t. and, as a result, they missed out on experiencing the faithfulness and power of God.
BUT.... God doesn’t give up on them. In Zachariah, God says, “Cry out, Thus says the Lord of hosts: I am exceedingly jealous for Jerusalem and for Zion. And I am exceedingly angry with the nations that are at ease; for while I was angry but a little, they furthered the disaster. Therefore, thus says the Lord, I have returned to Jerusalem with mercy; my house shall be built in it, declares the Lord of hosts, and the measuring line shall be stretched out over Jerusalem. Cry out again, Thus says the Lord of hosts: My cities shall again overflow with prosperity, and the Lord will again comfort Zion and again choose Jerusalem” (Zachariah 1:14-17).
Thank you, Father, for Your enduring faithfulness!
i have more to write about Ezra, but i don’t have time right now....
Then, in chapter four, the enemies of the Israelites employ all manner of trickery to hinder the building of the temple. They intimidate the workers, bribing officials to frustrate and slow down the Israelites. Finally, they write to Artaxerxes, contriving a cease and desist letter from the king. And what do the Israelites do? They give up. Stop building the temple. Now, at this point, i am feeling sympathetic with the Israelites. After all, we are called to respect authority and the authority of the land has commanded that they stop construction (which is kind of a lame way of thinking...after all, render unto Caesar what is Caesar’s and unto the Lord what is the Lord’s....and we are supposed to hold everything up to God’s word and act in accordance with what it teaches, i.e. if God says to build the temple, but the monarch says to stop building, we build anyway). But then, in chapter five, Ezra mentions the prophets Haggai and Zachariah (and i thought, hey! i know them...their books are further into the bible...) so i went and read them. And this is what i found...
“Thus says the Lord of hosts: Consider your ways. Go up to the hills and bring wood and build the house, that I may take pleasure in it and that I may be glorified, says the Lord. You looked for much, and behold, it came to little. And when you brought it home, I blew it away. Why? declares the Lord of hosts. Because of my house that lies in ruins, while each of you busies himself with his own house.” (Haggai 1:7-9)
wow. punch in the face. Difficulties arise and instead of trusting in God to work out the problems, the Israelites abandon their purpose and busy themselves with their own goals. So often, i think that Christians catch a vision of what God is doing and passionately set out to be used for His will and then when hardship comes, they lose heart and start thinking that maybe what they thought wasn’t really God’s will because it’s hard. Well, who said it was supposed to be easy? Just because God chose to bless the Israelites with Cyrus’ decree and encourage them with easily acquired materials, that doesn’t mean that God is required to continue to provide in the same way. God is not formulaic. It’s like in Prince Caspian, when Lucy meets with Aslan and wants Him to come roaring in and save everyone like He did in The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe, but Aslan says that He never works the same way twice. why? Because God isn’t about the ends. We try to micro-manage God, by expecting Him to work in the most “efficient” way, by our standards. But God has another purpose in mind. He is about the relationship. The Israelites had already experienced God as provider. They needed to grow, to experience God in a new way. Before, He blessed them so they could worship Him as provider. When things are tough, when the world turns against the Israelites, they could experience Him as comforter, as their rock. They could have trusted Him to see them through the persecution and continued construction on the temple.(again, like when Lucy should have followed Aslan, even when her older siblings didn’t believe her, yet she let her circumstances dictate her actions and resulted in disobedience.) But they didn’t. and, as a result, they missed out on experiencing the faithfulness and power of God.
BUT.... God doesn’t give up on them. In Zachariah, God says, “Cry out, Thus says the Lord of hosts: I am exceedingly jealous for Jerusalem and for Zion. And I am exceedingly angry with the nations that are at ease; for while I was angry but a little, they furthered the disaster. Therefore, thus says the Lord, I have returned to Jerusalem with mercy; my house shall be built in it, declares the Lord of hosts, and the measuring line shall be stretched out over Jerusalem. Cry out again, Thus says the Lord of hosts: My cities shall again overflow with prosperity, and the Lord will again comfort Zion and again choose Jerusalem” (Zachariah 1:14-17).
Thank you, Father, for Your enduring faithfulness!
i have more to write about Ezra, but i don’t have time right now....
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