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NOVEMBER 19
Ezekiel
39-40:27
Ezekiel 39
Vs. 1-6 It seems that the
main action will take place in the mountains toward the Dead Sea and east of
the Dead Sea.
Vs. 7-8 During the
Tribulation, even though the power of the antichrist will grow and Christians
and Jews will be persecuted, God will be active and will let people know that
He is at work.
Vs. 9-16 This will be the
cleanup of this demolished army. The Bible Knowledge Commentary-OT, p. 1302,
says that the references to locations are all around the Dead Sea. The burial
place will actually be in modern-day Jordan. This is the same mountainous
region where the Dead Sea Scrolls were found.
Objection is usually taken to
the mention of bows and arrows, etc., but after a couple years of devastation
as described in Revelation, it will be interesting to see how functional
anything is. As mentioned yesterday, Einstein was the one to say that the third
world war would be fought with atomic weapons and that the fourth world war
would be fought with clubs. God didn't need atomic weapons to destroy Egypt in
Exodus, and He doesn't need them today either.
Vs. 17-20 Apparently all of
nature will aid in the cleanup.
Vs. 21-29 This event will be
known throughout the world, and I think it will give people a reason not to
follow the antichrist. It will give many a reason to aid those who follow
Christ. The understanding of the world, that God is protecting His own, will be
what sets up the separation of the sheep and the goats at the coming of Christ.
Most people will rise up in hatred toward God and anyone who names the name of
Christ, but there will be many who will see "the handwriting on the
wall" and will aid believing Israel and anyone who is a follower of Jesus.
Ezekiel 40
In preparing Israel for the
Millennial Kingdom, God will judge Israel's enemies, and Israel as a nation
will come to Christ. In these remaining chapters, God shows Ezekiel and Israel
where the focal point of the planet will be during that time. It won't just be
Jerusalem, but it will be the place where there is healing and where the glory
of God resides, the Millennial Temple.
Vs. 1-4 According to the BKC-OT,
p.1304, this day may have been the Day of Atonement, October 22, 573 B.C. If Ezekiel
had been 30 when he was first called as a prophet, he would now be 55. Since
the last time notation in Ezekiel 33:21, thirteen years have passed.
Now, one of the things to do
here as you read is either to do a drawing, or look at the drawing of the Millennial
Temple at the end of this document. (“The Millennial Temple,” Bible
Knowledge Commentary-OT, p. 1303.)
You'll also find a drawing of
the entry gates.
V. 4 The mention to look with your eyes, and hear with your ears,
and set your heart sounds like verses from Isaiah 6:10 and Matthew 13:15.
Vs. 5-16 A cubit was normally
about 18 inches, or the distance from the elbow to the longest finger. God used
a special cubit here which was a cubit plus a handbreadth, so altogether, the
stick was about 10.5 feet long. That's 6 inches above a basketball rim. This
entire description is just walking through the east gate. Through the east gate
you would walk across the outer court to the east gate of the inner court.
Entering the inner court, you would walk straight to the altar, and beyond
that, straight into the entrance of the temple, then into the Holy Place and
then into the Most Holy Place. So then, the throne of God would face east and
basically look through the two east gates and to the Mount of Olives. It will
be from the Mount of Olives that the Messiah will return to the city. So it is
significant that the description begins here.
Vs. 17-19 This is a basic
description of the outer court.
Vs. 20-23 Then they went from
the east gate to the north gate.
Vs. 24-28 Then they went from
the north gate, around the inner court, to the south gate.
James
2:18-3:18
I'm sure someone has written
a book on this, but you wonder what it was like for James to grow up with Jesus
as an older brother. Not only was Jesus an older brother, but He was also the
firstborn. After Joseph died, Jesus would have had leadership responsibility
with his brothers. Up to Jesus' 29th year, He was employed full-time as a
carpenter and builder, helping make ends meet in the family. The point I'm
getting to is that when Jesus was 29, he didn't just suddenly invent stories to
use in His ministry. He probably had all the illustrations He used in ministry
before His ministry. That means Jesus probably would have used these observations
and stories with His brothers and sisters.
There is something about
James' teaching that sounds like he grew up with someone who used a lot of
illustrations. Not only that, some of what James says is very reflective of
what Jesus said, and we know that months before Jesus' death, his brothers were
still unbelieving. That means they didn't follow with Him as disciples and hear
Him teach. But maybe they did hear Him teach for years of their lives as Jesus
filled in for Joseph, dealing with family matters, taking care of disputes or
just shooting the breeze with His brothers.
James 2:18-26
V. 18 The problem here is not
how a person is saved (faith or works) but how true faith is seen. I would say
this is a problem that every group faces, in that the understanding of some
people is that faith can be private and hidden. Jesus didn't believe that.
Jesus told His disciples on several occasions that no one lights a lamp and
then puts it in a cellar or under a bushel, but rather on a lampstand that all
who enter may see the light. James himself might remember an occasion where he
and his brothers went with Mary to seize Jesus. Jesus was surrounded by a crowd
sitting around Him as He taught, so they couldn't get to Him. No sneak attack
was possible. When Jesus was told His mother and brothers wanted to speak to
Him, do you remember what Jesus said? After saying that His disciples were His
mother and brothers, He said, My mother
and my brothers are those who hear the word of God and do it (Luke 8:21).
Jesus would have agreed that faith without "doing" was dead.
V. 19 What a powerful verse
and truth.
Vs. 20-25 These are great
illustrations from the Bible.
Abraham's saving faith was
shown in all he did.
Rahab believed and showed
this by risking her life to hide the spies. Oddly enough, both Jesus and James
were descendants of Rahab. This might have been a family story.
V. 26 There is no
contradiction between Paul and James. Paul said that elders and deacons were
shown to be faithful and qualified by their actions. Deacons were to be tested
first.
Especially in times of stress
and persecution, it is easy to hide in the quiet shell of a hidden faith. Faith
bears fruit; it is active and bears witness by word and deed. Even Paul had to
tell Timothy to get active in spite of his fear.
James 3
This is a very famous section
in James. Just so you see what the contrast to a wild tongue is, look now at
3:13-18. It is easy to preach and talk, but what qualifies you to be a teacher
is in vs. 13 and 17. What makes you one of those bad preachers is in vs. 14, 15
and 16. I think the need to be a known and vocal teacher in the church was the
root problem behind this section. Paul also addressed the church's fascination
with being the "mouth," when he taught about gifts in 1 Cor. 14.
Also, in the synagogue there
was a position of a visiting, informal, untrained teacher. Jesus as a
"common man" taught in His local synagogue and in many other
synagogues. Paul taught in synagogues all the time. Now in the church, that
role was broadened and sought after. Everyone wanted to be a teacher, but as
vs. 14, 15 and 16 show, the desire behind that ambition was to be known and
acknowledged by others, not to feed the flock.
The men who were truly
qualified were men of faith, and their faith showed itself in service and
mercy, as in v. 17. You can imagine too, if the church and the believers were
under stress, it was hard for some to be humble and submit themselves to
leaders who told them what James was telling them. There are always people who
want to be heard and rail against others.
Notice all the illustrations
James used here. Also, notice v. 12.
Particularly if the church
and the believers were in stress, they needed to watch their mouths. Spiritual
maturity is seen in what we are when we are afraid and shaken. Most husbands
and wives are civil with each other, until something goes bad, and the stress
of the situation remains or increases. Good times do not show maturity. Hard
times show what is in the heart. I think what occasioned this section on the
tongue wasn't just a general situation, but the need under pressure for
everyone to allow the Spirit to work a deeper control and Christ-likeness in
them.
Vs. 1-2 These verses set up
the context of the following discussion on the tongue.
Vs. 3-12 The tongue and the
challenge of controlling it. Jesus used the illustration a lot. I'll bet James
heard this growing up. You will recognize
them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from
thistles (Matt. 7:16)? Interestingly, Jesus was talking about false
teachers. I think that further helps define the context of James' teaching here
regarding the tongue.
Vs. 13-18 The heart is the
real issue behind the tongue.
Psalm
118:1-18
This is another one of those
psalms that confirms that if you want the reality of being able to declare the
faithfulness of the Lord and to testify to His steadfast love, you have to pay the dues. Look at what the psalmist
endured. Look at what he learned as he waited on the Lord. That is all in
direct proportion to the depth of his distress.
We only have part one of
Psalm 118 today, but tomorrow we'll see two verses used to refer to the Lord in
the New Testament. That means that it is good to read this portion today with
the idea that what David is expressing might also have a prophetic connection
to what Jesus felt or experienced.
Vs. 1-4 This is the
declaration of praise because of God's steadfast
love.
Vs. 5-7 We know that David
faced enemies, but when you look at Jesus' ministry, He was constantly surrounded
by aggressive enemies. In Luke 22:28, just before He died, Jesus said this to
the disciples, You are those who have
stayed with me in my trials. The word "trials" might sum up His
entire ministry. (Verse 6 is found in Hebrews 13:6.)
Vs. 8-9 This is something all
of us have to learn. God supplies people to help; but our true help, trust, and
hope has to be in the Lord.
Vs. 10-13 David, the anointed
king, was pursued and afflicted. So was Jesus.
Vs. 14-16 It is interesting
that in this psalm tomorrow it will talk about Jesus, who sat down at the right
hand of God.
Vs. 17-18 And in all of the
unfairness, the writer (probably David) noticed that he was personally being
disciplined in what he was going through. I think of the close call that David
had in almost killing Nabal. God rescued David through Abigail and showed David
what was in his heart. David knew that God was also teaching him through those
tough times to be wise, show mercy, bridle his tongue and control his moods. In
Psalm 119 we'll see how David brought his heart under control in those
stressful, distressing times he was living through.
Proverbs
28:2
This is a very interesting
thought, especially in any election year. What is interesting is that it is
based on the hearts of the people, but we always yell at the elected leaders.
It seems that if we understood the Word and our world and the Lord and the
harvest, we'd just shut up and do our work, reaching the lost and making disciples,
who make disciples, who make disciples. But faith in "word only" has
a way of wagging its tongue at the situations of life, rather than doing the
work of faith and mercy in the harvest.
Please Read
the Following Disclaimer
I'm writing the Reading Notes to and
for those who are following a One Year Bible and are 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, that is, 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 and important discipleship manual we have and it is the 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, or whom we are to be following. 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, as disciples, 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, making disciples in the harvest.
If you would like a more descriptive
commentary that is still readable and concise, I'd recommend the Bible Knowledge Commentary (BKC).
I read the BKC in doing background for the Reading Notes and refer to it quite often.
I also make reference to maps or charts in the BKC, though I will only note
where those resources can be found. Often you can do a search for these and
find them in Google books. Buying both volumes of the Bible Knowledge
Commentary would be a good idea.
I am not endorsing any particular
One Year Bible translation; in fact, I read something you probably don't, Die
Revidierte Lutherbibel, 1984. Unless noted, all Scripture quotes are from the
ESV Bible.
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. Often there is a breadth of opinion on certain events, both
historical and prophetic. Many of my views come from my church background,
theological training and my personal study.
I'm
doing this with discipleship in mind, meaning, I'm writing out thoughts that
will keep discipleship and our growth as disciples applied to what we are
reading. Remember, the real focus of the Reading Notes is to be a supplement,
a disciple’s commentary, giving motivation and insight so that we will keep
following our Lord in the harvest, reaching the lost and making disciples, who
make disciples. Being in the Word every
day, sitting at Jesus’ feet, learning directly from Him, is the essential
essence of being and making disciples.
May the Lord bless you as you follow Him in the
harvest, reaching the lost and making disciples, who make disciples. Dan
If you would like documents
containing an entire month of the Reading Notes, go to https://sites.google.com/site/dlkachikis/reading-notes.
If you would like a full
presentation of discipleship read Simply
Disciples*Making Disciples.
Or if you are struggling with
insomnia and would like a long boring dissertation on disciple making, these
can both be found on https://sites.google.com/site/dlkachikis/reading-notes.
Reading Notes ©, Dan Kachikis
2011, 2012, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2018
The One Year Bible © by
Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton Illinois 60189
The Holy Bible, English
Standard Version® (ESV®) Copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of
Good News Publishers.
All charts/graphics/outlines
from the Bible Knowledge Commentary are used with the permission of David C.
Cook.
© 1983, 2001 John F Walvoord and Roy B Zuck.
The Bible Knowledge Commentary is published by David C Cook.
All rights reserved. Publisher permission
required to reproduce.
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