NOVEMBER 18
Ezekiel
37-38
Resurrection at any level is actually creation. When you
look at the raising of Lazarus or Jesus, after days of death, their bodies were
not "livable" in any respect. Their bodies had to be re-created
before their spirits could return to them. Dead tissue is no longer tissue.
Dead blood is no longer blood. You get the picture, right? God is, after all,
God, and He can do that stuff in a milli-second. But what about bringing to
life an entire nation? Israel, north and south, were both scattered among the
nations. For most nations, when this happened, they ceased to be a people ever
again. Since we've read Ezra and Nehemiah, we know that God brought Judah back.
In Daniel we'll see how He did it. Here, Ezekiel is given a vision and a
message that the nation of Israel will not only rise again, but that they will
be a nation before God forever.
Again, keep observing and underlining stuff.
Ezekiel 37
Vs. 1-14 I can't imagine what this vision looked like. I'll
bet it was graphic and powerful for Ezekiel. And, what an amazing promise for
the nation.
Vs. 1-6 Here is the set-up and the question to Ezekiel.
Could God bring life again? Ezekiel had seen the glory of the Lord so He gave a
wise answer.
Vs. 7-10 They became an army full of life. Ready for a
mission? This will certainly be Israel at the beginning of the Tribulation,
preaching the gospel of the kingdom throughout the whole world as a testimony
to all nations. See Matthew 24:14.
Vs. 11-14 Twice God says here that they will know that He is
the Lord. In a way, I don't think this is referring to the resurrection of the
OT believers, but rather to the raising up of a believing nation. Those who are
with Christ awaiting resurrection already know the Lord. They don't need to be
convinced. At the beginning of the Tribulation, Israel will not only be
convinced and know the Lord, but they will be willing to give their lives so
that mankind can hear the gospel and be saved.
Vs. 15-23 Israel had been a divided nation since the death
of Solomon about 400 years earlier. Once God "raised" the nation, He
would unify them. Here is where it pays to remember Genesis. Remember that
Jacob gave the firstborn blessing to Joseph, signified in blessing Ephraim. But
God, for some reasons we can understand, blessed Judah and gave his descendants
the kingship of the nation, which came to David and then to Jesus. When Israel
divided as a nation, Judah and Benjamin stayed together, symbolized by Judah;
and the other ten tribes joined together, symbolized by Ephraim. When Judah was
taken into captivity, there were people of all 12 tribes living in the southern
kingdom. They came to Judah because the true worship of God was in the temple
and most of the kings of Judah still respected that. The kings of the northern
tribes never worshiped Yahweh. When you see the register of who returned to
Israel from the Babylonian captivity (exiles from Judah) in 1 Chronicles and
Ezra, all the tribes are represented.
V. 22 Just for interest, notice the mention of the mountains of Israel. We've seen
these mountains mentioned before and we'll see them again. And by the way, who
will that king be?
Vs. 24-27 This is a very cool section. Notice the three
things God will do here. The people won't be resurrected believers because they
can have children. This prophecy of David has to be literal and will obviously
be for the Millennial Kingdom. He is the first resurrected person we know of
who will have a job.
Notice here the mentions of the sanctuary. We'll be getting the blueprints soon. This is a big
deal.
Ezekiel 38
Men have written books about this nation. Some people
suggest it is Russia or parts of Russia and its allies, because of the
references to the uttermost parts of the
north. If you look far above Israel on the map, guess who's there. You'll
notice that Iran is also part of this group. But as you make your observations
on this chapter, here are some guiding thoughts.
Vs. 1-6 God has just spoken of giving peace to Israel. This
foe will represent the greatest future threat to the nation of Israel. God is
going to use this nation to show who He is and to show that Israel is His own
possession. In principle, this is the same thing God did with Egypt in the
Exodus.
Vs. 7-9 The best time for this battle is during the
Tribulation. And the best time during the Tribulation is in the first 3.5
years, possibly near the end of that time. Israel will be at peace and will
dwell securely (v. 14, also). These nations will come in to loot and destroy
Israel. It is possible that this is at the instigation of the antichrist and
this defeat might be what tips him over the edge. Their staging area will be
the mountains.
Vs. 10-13 During the first 3.5 years of the Tribulation,
much of the earth will be destroyed by natural events, and up to two thirds of
the world's population will be gone. It will not be a world we recognize, and
our dependence on high tech will paralyze the world. Transportation and
communication will be reduced drastically. Things like running water and
electricity will be gone or very limited. Governments and nations will be in
disarray. I don't know if cell phones or the internet will work. I don't think
there will be smart bombs or the money and factories to make them, and there
may be very little ammunition. I think Einstein is credited with saying,
"The third world war will be fought with atomic weapons. The fourth world
war will be fought with clubs." It could look pretty primitive, and
materials of any kind will be scarce. So the idea of looting Israel might be
very accurate, particularly if Israel misses some of the destruction like
Goshen did before the Exodus.
Also, the antichrist will not be followed by all nations.
Sure, he'll have a very powerful, dark, spiritual backing; but humans are
notorious at being rebellious to all spiritual authority, light or darkness.
The line I like in C.S Lewis' The Last Battle is "The dwarfs are
for the dwarfs." And so we are. The battle of Armageddon, at the end of
the Tribulation, can only happen if forces are coming against the antichrist.
In the case of the battle talked about here, this battle will probably happen
just before the antichrist walks into the temple and declares himself to be
god.
Vs. 14-16 God makes a point of calling on the arrogance of
these nations to come down to Israel and be broken. God will vindicate Israel
and show the world that He is God. This will be a very important event for
several reasons. It will be a testimony to the earth about Israel. As a result,
there will be the kind of faith that will cause people around the world to
protect the believers of Jesus. There will be godly, spiritual understanding.
Those who believe and help the followers of Jesus with just a cup of water will
enter the Millennial Kingdom. That will make the antichrist and Satan really
mad. And, this army that comes to loot and destroy will bring so many supplies
with them that Israel will be able to live off of those supplies for 3.5 years
of hiding in the mountains and in the wilderness.
Vs. 17-23 This seems to indicate that this nation will
symbolically represent all nations that Satan has used to oppose Israel, Israel
being the nation that was to have proclaimed God's redemption to the world.
Israel will fulfill this mission during and after the Tribulation. Israel's
greatest enemies always came from the north. This will be the ultimate northern
enemy.
Vs. 19-23 If you look at what God does here, as seen also in
the result stated in v. 23, there will be something about the way God saves
Israel that will cause the antichrist to snap. After this, the antichrist will
himself attack Jerusalem, kill the two witnesses in Jerusalem, desecrate the
temple and begin to exterminate Israel. The people will flee to the mountains,
and thankfully, there will be lots of resources of the fallen army so they can
hold out in the hills. Remember back to the large armies King Asa and King
Jehoshaphat went up against. When God overthrew those armies, the people lived
off of the supplies of those armies for years.
Again, when we see how difficult warfare is in a mountainous
place like Afghanistan, even with smart bombs and drones, imagine how the
antichrist will fare with few weapons and little gasoline. And, the people God
is saving, who are scattered in the mountains, will have God supplying
resources for them.
James
1:19-2:17
So, just for chuckles, imagine that there is a fairly
consistent theme in James. One of the old "criticisms" against James
was the seemingly random presentation of topics. Actually, compared to
Proverbs, James is a tight formula. So, just for fun, let's think of these
people being written to as encountering very hard circumstances because of
their faith (kind of like in Hebrews). Stress has a way of breaking us down.
Personally we fall apart, and our attitudes, disciplines and routines get
shabby. Our relationships start looking messy and our marriages and families
begin to unravel. And, of course, it doesn't do church any good either. You'll
hear James taught many different ways, so for this time, try to think of those
introductory words in 1:2-4, as presenting the general atmosphere or framework
for the different situations mentioned in instructing these believers.
James 1:19-27
Vs. 19-21 When life seems out of control, it is easy to
react and lose your temper. Anger never works.
Notice the call to meekness. This sounds a little like Peter
saying in 1 Peter 5:6, Humble yourselves,
therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt
you. Meekness in trials, accepting the working of God, holding tightly to
the Word of God, seems to be the recipe throughout all of Scripture. We
definitely have seen this in David in The Psalms.
Vs. 22-25 And in these trials, what God shows you in the
Word about yourself, you need to respond to. Obviously this is a wonderful
general principle seen throughout all of Jesus' teaching (Blessed rather are those who
hear the word of God and keep it! Luke 11:28);
but particularly in times of trial, we see something different, sometimes ugly,
sometimes rebellious and unfaithful, coming out of us. As we spend time in the
Word, in meekness, we need to submit to God and act on what He shows us.
Vs. 26-27 What are you like when events squeeze you? Do you
complain and criticize? Or do you huddle closer to God and show compassion to
others? Remember in Hebrews, at the end, how the author told the people to go
and visit (show mercy) to those in prison? It is the same thought. A true
relationship with God gives us a reserve of peace that helps control our
tongues and moves us to show compassion. Otherwise, we are just stuck in our
own worlds. That doesn't show we belong to Christ.
James 2:1-17
Vs. 1-7 Verses 6-7 return to the difficult situation these
believers were facing. It puts the entire situation in perspective. We would
normally have a problem with showing partiality, but in times of stress, the
situation is intensified.
Vs. 8-13 This sounds very much like what Paul says in Romans
13:8-14, also a chapter about Christians in stress with the Roman government.
As disciples in the harvest, we carry our death following our Lord. It is no
news to us that we are to face death and danger in the harvest. So, showing His
love and compassion and mercy to the lost and to brothers and sisters in Christ
is our duty. To allow our love to grow cold because of hard times shows that we
are too anchored to this earth and our treasure is down here. See Matthew
24:12.
Vs. 14-17 In good times, you could understand what James is
saying. Now, add to this the threat that in showing mercy to others, you
yourself could be punished for it, or if you are under stress because of trials
and someone shows up at your door. In stress, the temptation is to withdraw
into ourselves and to let our hearts shrink. That may be natural, but it is not
the supernatural life of Christ in us. We can say we believe, but where is the
power and the evidence thereof? Paul told Timothy to suffer by the power of God, and that Timothy
had not received a spirit of fear, but of
power and love and self control. (2 Tim. 1)
Looking at the book of James like this makes it a
discipleship guide for times of stress. Sometimes suffering for Christ in the
power of God is not only God's perfect will for us, but it is the most powerful
witness. Just think, two men came to faith in Christ as Jesus hung on the
cross. One was the criminal hanging on Jesus' right and the other was a Roman
centurion. Jesus never uttered a word. He just suffered. His enemies did all
the talking.
Psalm
117
This is a very simple psalm, so I would imagine that as they
sang it, there was some repetition and the music must have framed the song
well. Notice the steadfast love and faithfulness of the Lord. This is David's and God's favorite combination.
Also, wouldn't you know it, v. 1 is quoted in the New
Testament as the result of Christ's work on the cross and as showing that in
God's eternal plan and unfathomable wisdom, He was always planning to save the
Gentiles. And again, “Praise the Lord,
all you Gentiles, and let all the peoples extol him.” (Rom. 15:11)
I'm kind of humbled and amazed at how well Paul knew The
Psalms and how often The Psalms are quoted regarding Jesus.
Proverbs
28:1
I wonder if
this is because the righteous know that God is present, or as Paul says in Philippians
4:5, Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand.
If you think about it, this might also be what James is saying to the
persecuted believers to whom he is writing.
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.
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