OCTOBER 16
Today you begin 1
Timothy, the fifteenth book of the New Testament. It gives us a look into the
church and the lives of two disciples, after the history recorded in the book
of Acts. In other words, find something sweet with which to celebrate.
Jeremiah
28-29
Finally some action and adventure in Jeremiah; and the
further we go, the more action there will be.
So, last chapter, God told Jeremiah to make a yoke, put it
on his neck and then tell the nations and King Zedekiah, that in spite of what
they might have heard about instability in Babylon, God was requiring all
nations to submit to Nebuchadnezzar.
Jeremiah 28
Vs. 1-4 Hananiah was about to get into real trouble.
V. 1 Notice that the time is given very exactly.
Vs. 5-11 This false prophecy was given in Jeremiah's
presence, in public, and Jeremiah was made to look like a fool by this smooth
talking, dynamic preacher.
It is interesting to me that Jeremiah's only retaliation was
the word God gave him. Even after the yoke was smashed, Jeremiah didn't lose
his mind. This speaks for his submission to God and to his maturity. It brought
to mind that both Jesus and the Holy Spirit only spoke on the Father's
authority, and then, they only spoke what they heard. As a disciple the Lord is
impressing me with this. People don't need to hear my take on life; they need
to hear the Lord. I should only say what He wants me to say, since I'm under
His authority.
Vs. 12-17 You might wonder why God even allowed Hananiah to
speak, but the people wanted to believe a lie. They could always have believed
Jeremiah. Notice in this section the occurrences of you. God was not happy with Hananiah.
V. 17 The people heard of this prophecy against Hananiah.
Where Hananiah projected two years for his prophecy, it didn't take God two
months to fulfill his word on Hananiah.
I wonder if anyone took this to heart.
Jeremiah 29
This is a very interesting chapter. Jeremiah sent a letter
to the exiles in Babylon. Just think of that. Nebuchadnezzar allowed that. The
people were organized in Babylon. By this time Daniel had been in Babylon about
10 years. For the past seven years, Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and
Azariah have been top government officials. Nebuchadnezzar had already
developed a respect for Yahweh, bowing to worship Him. It is possible that
Daniel 3 had already occurred. If so, Nebuchadnezzar had worshipped Him again,
but I'm guessing, by this chapter, that that event was still in the near future.
Anyway, that is all to explain why this communication would have been possible.
God had already made a safe place for His people in Babylon.
Vs. 1-14 These orders by God to the exiles give a lot of
information and hope.
V. 3 Notice Elasah the son of Shaphan. Shaphan was one of
the officials who found the only existent copy of the Bible during the early
years of Josiah. His heritage can be seen by looking at “The Line of Shaphan,” Bible
Knowledge Commentary-OT, p. 1164.
This was a very godly man and three of his four sons were
also godly.
Vs. 15-23 There are lots of observations to be made here.
V. 15 God would take care of these prophets. The people
already had false prophets in Babylon, so God was going to raise up Ezekiel in
the fifth year of the taking of Jehoiachin. Then they would know that a real
prophet was among them. Since these prophets were prophesying against
Nebuchadnezzar, both Neb and Daniel would have been concerned about their
words, though for different reasons.
V. 22 This is why I think that Daniel 3 hadn't happened yet,
but I don't know because I wasn't there. Here is my thinking. When you see
Neb's arrogance against Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah, I'm guessing it is
because he had already roasted these two "prophets" and Yahweh did
nothing. God was setting up Nebuchadnezzar for a shock that would protect the
Jews throughout his entire empire and become the top of the world's evening
news for several months.
Vs. 24-32 If you understand what is happening here, there is
a second letter Jeremiah/God is sending back to Babylon. Some guy name Shemaiah
heard the first letter in Babylon and got mad and sent a letter to Jerusalem
saying they should rebuke Jeremiah. So God sends a letter back to the exiles in
Babylon saying not to listen to Shemaiah, and that Shemaiah would get whammied.
Interestingly, in contrast to the heritage of Shaphan, Shemaiah will have no
descendants.
It might be hard for us to identify with this conflict and
the false prophets, but we live with it too. Politicians do this all the time,
saying things are fine with Fanny Mae and Freddy Mac when they were totally
bad. Now we are paying the price for decades of abuse. Yet we're not that aware
of political things. On the spiritual side of life we need to be very aware.
Not only are there spiritual cults and counterfeits, we need to make sure, as
we work in the harvest, that we are giving the whole counsel of God and not
just what is easy for us to say. The false prophets in Jeremiah's day were "positive"
and likeable and gave the people hope. You can see how it would be a lot more
fun to give people that message than the one Jeremiah was giving. Our message
is not just about getting one's life or family together and hanging out with
God. It is also about a coming kingdom and a King. It is about judgment and the
need to turn to God. It is about being forgiven or having to face God's wrath
for eternity. Those are just the facts.
John 3:36 Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him.
1
Timothy 1
1 & 2 Timothy and Titus are called the pastoral epistles, because they were
written to two pastors, Timothy and Titus. These three letters were written
after Paul was released from Rome after the history we find at the end of Acts.
Apparently Paul was released after his house arrest in Rome and hearing in
front of Nero. Then for perhaps five years he was free. Then the persecutions
of Nero heated up and Paul was captured and for a second time was imprisoned in
Rome. That is where we find Paul in 2 Timothy. While the first imprisonment was
very civil and Paul was under house arrest in a nice apartment, the second time
he was in jail, he was in a deep, dark, dank Roman dungeon awaiting judgment
and death in 2 Timothy, which was his last letter.
In 1 Timothy we find Paul still free and traveling urgently
to the churches in Macedonia. He left Timothy in Ephesus to repair whatever had
happened there. Now he was sending Timothy a letter with instructions. Although
1 Timothy and Titus are similar in the instructions on choosing elders and
setting up order in the church, it is alarming that Timothy was having to do
this in a well-established church like Ephesus. What awaited Timothy there was
stress and, it looks like, having to rebuild the leadership structure in the
church. In Acts 20, Ephesus seemed to be pretty strong. Here it looks like
major problems had torn the church apart. As usual, as a result of this
disaster, we get some great teaching. It is also very possible that the Roman
persecutions under Nero were beginning to heat up and had resulted in churches
being persecuted and losing their leaders. In 2 Timothy, Paul appears to be
weeks before his death. Paul died in 67 A.D., executed by Nero. Three years
later the Romans destroyed Jerusalem and the temple, fulfilling Jesus'
pronouncement of judgment on that generation of Israel He had spoken to, who
had rejected Him.
Although 1 Timothy and Titus cover some of the same ground
regarding church structure, the letters to Timothy are much more personal in
tone, pointing to the unique relationship Paul had with this disciple.
Rebuilding Ephesus is in the forefront of Paul's letters to Timothy, yet they
are also very much about Paul building into Timothy. Hardly anything Paul says
is just for teaching or guiding the church. Everything Paul says seems to have
some message to Timothy to strengthen him and clear his vision for the task of
making disciples, who will make disciples, who will make disciples long after
Paul is gone.
V. 1 This is an unusual greeting for Paul, unique for
Timothy. What is Paul directing Timothy's attention to? God our Savior is unique, as is Christ
Jesus our hope. Notice how there is a focus on the gospel and the harvest
right from the first verse. This would be the emphasis of Timothy's work, and
it was something Ephesus had lost.
V. 2 Paul apparently led Timothy to Christ. This is not
Paul's usual "grace to you and peace" benediction. Timothy needs all
of these in his fight.
Vs. 3-4 You notice the urgency in this letter immediately.
We'll see that the confusing influence that tore this church apart had a very
Jewish bent to it.
V. 4 The RSV says, the
divine training that is in faith. There is a pattern of life, of building
and working forward in the harvest that is in view here. There is a training
that takes place every day in following Christ in the harvest.
Vs. 5-7 You could begin v. 5 with "whereas" and
end the verse with a comma, not a period.
You see, once again, it was legalistic, hard, conservative
Jewish teaching that was creating difficulties. We'll see this clearly in
chapter 4.
Vs. 8-11 The point here is that Christians are to be focused
on Christ and the harvest, not on the law. The law focuses on condemnation;
grace focuses on Christ, forgiveness and His coming. This focus on the law had
probably stopped the church from being salt and light, and it may have also
blown the leadership of the church apart through judging people according to
the law.
Vs. 12-17 Aren't we glad this happened in Ephesus, so we
would have this testimony and look into Paul's walk with Christ? Maybe the Lord
allows stuff like this in our lives for the same purpose.
Vs. 12-13 I sense the burden and weight of this on Paul.
V. 14 For ministry, I believe that Paul received a
supernatural equipping and gifting of faith and of love in Christ. I think this
working of the Spirit turned this scrawny Jewish boy into Captain America, I
mean Captain Gospel.
V. 15-17 Even near the end of his life, Paul never forgot
what he had been and how/why God had saved and equipped him. It wasn't for
himself, but for Christ, for others, for the harvest.
Vs. 18-20 Paul is charging Timothy to wage war. Paul was in
the battle and Timothy was to stay in the battle. He was to remember and be
inspired by what God had said about him.
V. 20 Hymenaeus gets mentioned in 2 Timothy. False teachers
were on the rise. “Handing over” these men was to exclude them from the safety
and protection of the church and its fellowship.
These words to Timothy are some of the most complete on
keeping the church focused on the harvest and making disciples, who make disciples,
who make disciples. The harvest and the making of disciples is a part of
everything Paul is saying in these letters. If the church falls, so does the
commission we were entrusted with.
Psalm
86
As you read the psalm, look for words to underline,
especially O Lord, you, and your. It gives the psalm an interesting
emphasis as you read.
Vs. 1-7 As we have seen in David, the desperation of his
life was used by God to make him the man he was. David cried out and sought no
other hope but in God. Through all of these experiences, he saw over and over
that God was loving, faithful and mighty to save.
Vs. 8-10 In keeping with His promise to Abraham and His
faithfulness to Israel, not only was God great above all others, but all
nations were destined to worship Him.
Vs. 11-13 These are what we always see expressed by David.
He loved God and His truth. He promised to praise God, and he rested in God's steadfast love. Verse 11 is interesting
and sounds like this "uniting" was bringing peace and understanding
to his heart.
Vs. 14-17 Though David had powerful enemies, he was busy
looking to the Lord in hope, remembering how God had constantly helped and
saved him.
Proverbs 25:17
Amen.
If you’re reading along
and don’t have a One Year Bible, click on this link http://www.esvbible.org/devotions/every-day-in-the-word/. If that doesn't work, go to http://www.esvbible.org/devotions/ and click on “Every Day in the Word.”
I'm writing these
comments to and for those who are following a One Year Bible and interested in
growing deeper as a disciple, following Jesus in the harvest. My hope is to see
the growth of a discipleship culture in the church. Groups of 3-4 disciples,
meeting weekly, encouraging each other to follow Christ and work to reach out
and make disciples who make disciples. The Bible itself is the most universal
manual we have and key to our growth and service in Christ. Nothing keeps us
more focused on why we are here or what we are to be doing. My comments are
only meant to provide some explanation of the events or to show the flow of
God's plan of redemption. My comments are in no way exhaustive, but are
designed to keep us focused on Christ and our role in His harvest. My hope is
that the people in these groups will grow in Christ and be willing, after a
year, to find 3 others to meet with and encourage in their growth as disciples,
disciples making disciples in the harvest.
If you would like a
complete description of this model of being and making disciples you can find
it in my book: Simply Disciples*Making Disciples.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B011WJIDQA?*Version*=1&*entries*=0
If you would like a more
descriptive commentary that is still readable and concise, I'd recommend the
Bible Knowledge Commentary. It's keyed to the NIV, so the result is the
commentators are constantly telling you what the Greek or Hebrew is. That never
hurts.
I am not endorsing any
particular One Year Bible; in fact, I read something you don't, die revidierte
Lutherbibel 1984.
Anyone reading along with
us is welcome to do so and is encouraged to take their own notes and make their
own observations. If the comments made do not agree with your particular
tradition or understanding, that's OK. Nothing I've written is meant to
criticize any point of view, but only to express the truth of what God has
written to us, as I understand it. Send comments or feedback to dgkachikis@gmail.com.
If you would like
documents containing an entire month of the Reading Notes, go to https://sites.google.com/site/dlkachikis/reading-notes. You can download these to use on your computer or to
print.
No comments:
Post a Comment