uphold

This week we begin worship with:

Isaiah 9:6–7

For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon

his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,

Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and of

peace there will be no end, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to

establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time

forth and forevermore. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will do this.

What is zeal (qin'â)?  Is it power and might?  No.  Is it holiness and purity?  No.  Zeal is passion.  Sent in the wrong direction it is envious and jealous.  Sent in the right direction it can motivate a young person, build a family, or unify a nation.

What is God zealous for?  The translators highlight the answers by the little word “to”.  God wants to establish and to uphold the kingdom through which He will rule with justice and righteousness, under this child, our Lord Jesus Christ.

To “establish” (kûn) sets the foundation, but to “uphold” (sāʿaḏ) includes the comfort and assurance of regularly sitting down to a well set meal.  The best example in scripture of this was Nehemiah who daily fed 150 at his table (Nehemiah 5:16-18) while he was rebuilding Jerusalem.  But God wants to do even better:

Revelation 19:6-9

Then I heard what seemed to be the voice of a great multitude, like the roar of many waters and like the sound of mighty peals of thunder, crying out,

“Hallelujah!

For the Lord our God

    the Almighty reigns.

Let us rejoice and exult

    and give him the glory,

for the marriage of the Lamb has come,

    and his Bride has made herself ready;

it was granted her to clothe herself

    with fine linen, bright and pure”—

for the fine linen is the righteous deeds of the saints.

And the angel said to me, “Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.” And he said to me, “These are the true words of God.”

 Pass the plate!

dwell

 This week we begin worship with:

Micah 5:1-5a

Now muster your troops, O daughter of troops;

    siege is laid against us;

with a rod they strike the judge of Israel

    on the cheek.

But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah,

    who are too little to be among the clans of Judah,

from you shall come forth for me

    one who is to be ruler in Israel,

whose coming forth is from of old,

    from ancient days.

Therefore he shall give them up until the time

    when she who is in labor has given birth;

then the rest of his brothers shall return

    to the people of Israel.

And he shall stand and shepherd his flock in the strength of the Lord,

    in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God.

And they shall dwell secure, for now he shall be great

    to the ends of the earth.

And he shall be their peace.

In this passage, we move from their violent past ("daughter of troops") to their future peace ("he shall be their peace").  

Normally this is done by winning a war, but there is an issue.  Bethlehem is "too little to be among the clans of Judah".  The word for "clans" ('elep̄) means thousands.  To be a clan you must be able to must a thousand fighting men.

So, instead of through a thousand soldiers, we are told that peace will come through a lone shepherd.

Normally, peace is regional.  There is always a region beyond the reach of a king where it is either lawless or where another king reigns.  But this peace will be "to the ends of the earth".

So, instead of simply a local peace, we are told that the peace will be universal.  

There will be one King, our Lord and Shepherd Jesus Christ in whose "strength" (ʿōz) we will "dwell" (yāšaḇ).  This is better said "sit" and no, the word "secure" is not present in the Hebrew.  We are not "secure" with a wall about us capable of withstanding the siege-works of the world.  We sit as any lamb would, vulnerable, yet protected, wherever we are led to graze.

let us

 This advent season we begin worship this week with:

Isaiah 2:2-5

It shall come to pass in the latter days

    that the mountain of the house of the Lord

shall be established as the highest of the mountains,

    and shall be lifted up above the hills;

and all the nations shall flow to it,

    and many peoples shall come, and say:

“Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord,

    to the house of the God of Jacob,

that he may teach us his ways

    and that we may walk in his paths.”

For out of Zion shall go forth the law,

    and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.

He shall judge between the nations,

    and shall decide disputes for many peoples;

and they shall beat their swords into plowshares,

    and their spears into pruning hooks;

nation shall not lift up sword against nation,

    neither shall they learn war anymore.

O house of Jacob,

    come, let us walk

    in the light of the Lord.

[For those with a sense of deja vu, Micah repeats this revelation (Micah 4:1-5).]

This passage is often used to advise pacifism.  But that omits the battle that must be won to create the peace.  Only then, a peace will reign that is so complete that the instruments of war are no longer needed and education in its tactics will simply cease. 

That battle will be the last battle, which occurs on the day that ends history, for "latter days" is literally describing the end (singular) of the “last” ('aḥărîṯ) days (plural).  See the battle in Revelation 18 and offer praise for its brevity (v. 8).

Yes, there will be disputes but at the center of this peace will be law.  During a business meeting of peers if a dispute occurs over policy or direction and voices are raised, one can settle the room, by simply escalating to leadership.  Imagine being able to escalate to the true source of justice.

Today we have a foreshadowing of this peace within the church, where its members are fellow citizens of the Kingdom of God and under His law.  Yes, disputes will occur but we have a common remedy Matthew 18:15-18) to which we have all taken vows.  

So, let's keep plowing instead.

I/me/my

This week we begin worship with:

Psalm 138:1, 3

I give you thanks, O LORD, with my whole heart; before the gods I sing your

praise. ...On the day I called, you answered me; my strength of soul you

increased.

In this verse we explore a person (Reread it looking for "I/me/my").  

The heart (lēḇ) is the center of emotions and from which true thankfulness pours. A healthy heart is whole (Psalms 86:11).  When it is sick it is divided (Matthew 6:24).

The soul (nep̄eš) is the center of our being into which the spirit enters to give the body life (Genesis 2:7) and what exits the body with the spirit upon death (John 19:30).  A healthy soul is strong, but not in might but rather stability, in which we rest (Psalm 62:1-2).

To strengthen the soul you call upon God.  To heal the heart we worship Him alone.

sanctify

This week we begin worship with:

John 17:17-19

Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth. As you sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world. And for their sake I consecrate myself, that they also may be sanctified in truth.

Our verse this week is part of the High Priestly Prayer, that Jesus prayed following the Upper Room Discourse and the institution of the Lord's Supper.  It may have been spoken on the way to or at the Garden of  Gethsemane (See transition at John 14:31).

Knowing that His time on earth was short, and that His work to guard what was entrusted to Him would soon end, Jesus prays that God the Father would ". . . keep them in your name, which you have given me, that they may be one, even as we are one" (John 17:11).

But there was a second unfinished task.  Jesus had also been entrusted with the word (John 17:14).  He had faithfully spoken that word, but the word had not yet had its full effect.  Jesus prayed then that God the Father would continue that process and "sanctify" (hagiazō) them through the word.

To sanctify is the opposite of the verb to "profane".  To profane takes something holy and makes it unsuitable for the act of worship.  To sanctify means to make something suitable for the act of worship.  

This prayer, in part, was answered though Paul who explained the process of sanctification in the first half of his letter to the Romans and the new form or worship in the last portion of that book, where he explained that we are now "holy and acceptable" so we can be a "living sacrifice" (Romans 12:1-2).

May the word spoken today encourage and equip us to do so.

voice

This week we begin worship with:

John 10:16

I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd.

There exists a sport called pigeon battles.  Competitors own a roost and care for a flock of pigeons.  During a battle, the opponents release their respective flocks, which intermingle in seemingly a choreographed flight, but then using their voice and their whistle, they call the flock back to the roost and count the result.  If they have more birds than at the start of the battle, they are declared the winner.  

The fold does not determine the flock.  Rather it is the voice of the Shepherd.  In our verse today, our Good Shepherd the LORD Jesus Christ explains in parable to a very exclusive Jewish audience that it will be His voice that will unite those that will listen into a single flock.

That voice must be heard over the din of life.  Pigeon battles are not fought in a peaceful and quiet field.  They are fought in the clamor of the city.  The competitor's voice must be heard over the horns, the cars, and the voices of thousands.

Isaiah 30:19-21

For a people shall dwell in Zion, in Jerusalem; you shall weep no more. He will surely be gracious to you at the sound of your cry. As soon as he hears it, he answers you. And though the Lord give you the bread of adversity and the water of affliction, yet your Teacher will not hide himself anymore, but your eyes shall see your Teacher. And your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, “This is the way, walk in it,” when you turn to the right or when you turn to the left. 

Our Teacher's voice is here, right behind us, responding to our cry for help, and guiding us back to the path and back to the fold.

plead

This week we begin worship with:

Jeremiah 50:34

Their Redeemer is strong; the LORD of hosts is his name. He will surely plead their cause, that he may give rest to the earth, but unrest to the inhabitants of Babylon.

We have been taught to fear over-population.  Yes, Abraham and Lot separated because their flocks grew too large to graze together (Genesis 13:8-11), but the true spoil of war was often people.  The victor led captives back to their city.  Abraham (Genesis 14:16), Moses (Numbers 31:9), and David (2 Samuel 8:2) returned with captives after victories, for one needs people to prosper.

Our verse today follows the devastating defeat of Israel at the hands of the Babylonians, where the best of the best were taken captive:

2 Kings 24:12-17

. . . The king of Babylon . . . carried away all Jerusalem and all the officials and all the mighty men of valor, 10,000 captives, and all the craftsmen and the smiths. None remained, except the poorest people of the land. And he carried away Jehoiachin to Babylon. The king's mother, the king's wives, his officials, and the chief men of the land he took into captivity from Jerusalem to Babylon. And the king of Babylon brought captive to Babylon all the men of valor, 7,000, and the craftsmen and the metal workers, 1,000, all of them strong and fit for war . . .

We are today in a battle for the soul.  Many have loved ones who have stepped away from the faith, who were led captive by Satan.  As the prophet Jeremiah reminds us in our verse this week that battle will soon end and rest will once again return to the earth.  In fact, Paul tells us that process has begun:

Ephesians 4:7-8
But grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of Christ's gift. Therefore it says,
“When he ascended on high he led a host of captives,
    and he gave gifts to men.”

So with fervent hearts and with this week's promise in mind join our Redeemer in pleading their cause and pray they might be in that number. 

steadfast

When you are backing away from a bully, the worst feeling in the world is when your back touches the wall.

Israel had received some advanced notice that not one but three armies were on their way and intent on their destruction.  Their king, Jehoshaphat, calls for a nationwide fast to seek help from the LORD (2 Chronicles 20:3-4) and at the assembly the king prays a candid but desperate prayer calling upon God to keep his promise (2 Chronicles 20:6-12).  It contains three questions: "Are you not . . .?", "Did you not . . .?" and "Will you not . . .?".  

The prayer ends with their back against the wall, but their eyes focused, not on the bully, but on their Savior.

2 Chronicles 20:12b

"We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you.”

To which God answers through the Levite Zechariah who then spoke through the Spirit our call to worship this week:

2 Chronicles 20:17

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 do not be dismayed. Tomorrow go out against them, and the Lord will be with you.”

They go out to battle, led by worship.  They sing:

2 Chronicles 20:21b
“Give thanks to the Lord,
    for his steadfast love endures forever.”

For, God's promise of "steadfast love" (ḥeseḏ) cannot be broken . . . and they watch as their enemies consume each other!  

delivered

 This week we begin worship with:

Psalm 34:4-5

I sought the LORD, and he answered me and delivered me from all my fears. 

Those who look to him are radiant, and their faces shall never be ashamed.

With these two verses David explains what happened to him, when he sought protection from God, and encourages others to do the same.  

Empty handed and alone, he escaped Saul, and went to seek the provision, if not the protection, of the Achish, the king of Gath.  Yes, that Gath, the home of Goliath, whom he had slain.  He sought the protection of the Philistines!

And yes, by the time he reached Gath, he was carrying the very recognizable sword of Goliath.  For, on the way, he was given the sword by Ahimelech (1 Samuel 21:8-9).

But rather than receiving protection, the court of king Achish identified David as a dangerous enemy.  David quickly understood that he was in danger.  So, he pretended to lose his mind, and by acting insane, he was allowed to depart.

He left and went to the Cave of Adullam, where a band of soldiers began to rally around him and from which he emerged beginning to seek God (1 Samuel 22:3).  The remaining chapters of 1 Samuel continue to descend ultimately to a stunning defeat when David's wife and daughters are captured, and at which:

1 Samuel 30:6
And David was greatly distressed, for the people spoke of stoning him, because all the people were bitter in soul, each for his sons and daughters. But David strengthened himself in the Lord his God.

It was from this pit that God began to lift him up to reign over Israel.  And it is for that reason, the pinnacle verse of this Psalm is an invitation for us to:

Psalms 34:8
Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good!
Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him!

 

husband

 This week we begin worship with:

Isaiah 54:7-8

For a brief moment I deserted you,

    but with great compassion I will gather you.

In overflowing anger for a moment

    I hid my face from you,

but with everlasting love I will have compassion on you,”

    says the Lord, your Redeemer.

This is not the "brief moment" when you were overlooked for a promotion, or when your stock pick did not work out, or your date for the prom backed out.

This is an epic God-sized moment, when He cast off Israel because she forsook His covenant with her (Ezekiel 16).  Chosen and cared for from birth (Ezekiel 16:5-7), Israel took her place among the nations, but trusted in her own beauty and prostituted herself (Ezekiel 16:14-15).

But after this "brief moment", God calls her back:

Isaiah 54:4-6

“Fear not, for you will not be ashamed;

    be not confounded, for you will not be disgraced;

for you will forget the shame of your youth,

    and the reproach of your widowhood you will remember no more.

For your Maker is your husband,

    the Lord of hosts is his name;

and the Holy One of Israel is your Redeemer,

    the God of the whole earth he is called.

For the Lord has called you

    like a wife deserted and grieved in spirit,

like a wife of youth when she is cast off,

    says your God.

He calls her back to a renewed covenant that is eternal:

Isaiah 54:9-10

“This is like the days of Noah to me:

    as I swore that the waters of Noah

    should no more go over the earth,

so I have sworn that I will not be angry with you,

    and will not rebuke you.

For the mountains may depart

    and the hills be removed,

but my steadfast love shall not depart from you,

    and my covenant of peace shall not be removed,”

    says the Lord, who has compassion on you. 

relents

This week we begin worship with:

Joel 2:12-13

“Yet even now,” declares the LORD, “return to me with all your heart, with

fasting, with weeping, and with mourning; and rend your hearts and not your

garments.” Return to the LORD your God, for he is gracious and merciful, slow

to anger, and abounding in steadfast love; and he relents over disaster.

When? “Yet even now, . . ”.  It is never too late in this life to repent. Never will God turn you away.  Never.

What?  “with all your heart”.  He wants all of you.  Not one bit should be held back. Not one bit is too far gone to be revived and made new. 

How?  “rend your hearts and not your garments.” A priest would tear their priestly garments to defend the honor of God when they heard someone speak blasphemy (Matthew 26:65)  We are instead to tear down any pretense that we are sovereign from within our own self.

Why? “abounding in steadfast love” Because God loves you, He will prevent the disaster that awaits the unrepentant soul.  He will “relent” (nāḥam), and take pity on you.  

The word is also properly translated “repent” (KJV).  God will prevent your punishment because it would be wrong of Him to do it.  We come to understand in the New Testament that it would be unjust.

1 John 1:9

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.