Old Testament reading: Esther 1-2

Esther is the greatest inspired text regarding the providence of God. By God’s providence we mean the non-miraculous evidence of God working in the lives of men. This is how providence differs from a miracle. No faith is required to believe a miracle (Acts 4:16). Providence, lacking any tangible evidence, must be embraced by faith. Not once is the name of God found in this marvelous little book, nor is there any reference to God. Yet, we see God’s influence and handiwork throughout. Too many things “fall into place” for the events of this book to be nothing more than dumb luck or coincidence. In the opening of the book we are introduced first to King Ahasuerus and his beautiful and modest queen Vashti. After Vashti is deposed for refusing to display her beauty before the King and his drunken cohorts, Esther enters the scene as a beautiful virgin from an unimportant nation. Raised by her wise and righteous uncle Mordecai, she is chosen as queen to succeed Vashti. God’s providence is also seen in Mordecai’s discovery of a plot against the king (2:19-23). Sometimes lost in this story is how the righteousness of Vashti is rewarded with evil. We should not always expect God to protect or reward us in this life for doing good. Remember Abel.

New Testament reading: Matthew 13-15

“Jesus is the only man to ever walk on water.” Matthew 14 reminds us that there were actually two men who walked on water. Sometimes we forget that Peter also walked on water, but began to sink after he took his eyes off of Jesus and allowed his attention to be diverted to the storm and associated waves. Perhaps this is why the Hebrews writer admonished us to keep our eyes on Jesus as we prepare to face the troubles associated with living for the Lord (Heb 12:1-2). Too often we allow the storms of life to remove our eyes from Jesus. Such is a recipe for spiritual disaster. Jesus has the ability to calm life’s storms (Matt 8:23-27), but such is not necessary for our survival. Jesus did not calm the tempest surrounding Peter, but rather extended His hand to Peter and helped him (walk on water) back to the boat. When I catch myself with my eyes off of Jesus, He is still near, extending His nail-scarred to lift me up and return me to safety.

Old Testament reading: Nehemiah 12-13

In Nehemiah 12, the finished wall is dedicated with great fanfare and joy. The priesthood with its various duties is restored and consecrated. In the opening lines of Nehemiah 13, the Book of Moses is read to remind the people who was permitted to enter into the assembly of God. The remainder of Nehemiah 13 closes this marvelous book with “Nehemiah’s plea for remembrance.” Nehemiah concludes his record with a litany of reforms and rebukes given to the people in an effort to make complete the restoration of the Law. Three times, Nehemiah pleads with God to remember his deeds, closing with a great summation that everyone should make at the close of our lives, “Remember me, O my God, for good!” Though Nehemiah was a faithful man insofar as our accounts speak of him, we should remember that all men can be remembered for good if they close out their life in faithfulness to God (Eze 18:21). This includes Nebuchadnezzar, the man who initiated Judah’s captivity and the destruction of Jerusalem (cf Dan 4:34-37).

New Testament reading: Matthew 10-12

“For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ” (2 Cor 5:10). Today’s reading is filled with references to the great Judgment. Matthew 10:28 warns us to preach the word without fearing the judgment and punishment of man. Rather, let us fear God in all things, as He alone controls matters of eternity. Matthew 11 reminds us that, regardless of whatever condemnation and consequence of sin one might receive in this life, everyone will be at the Judgment together to receive a final verdict and sentencing. After speaking of the Judgment in comparing the impenitent cities to Tyre, Sidon, and Sodom (11:21-24), Jesus says the city of Nineveh (found in Jonah) and the Queen of the South (who lived well before Jonah) would rise in the Judgment “with this generation” (12:41-42). The resurrection of the dead will include all men from Eden to those living when Jesus returns – no exceptions (cf Hebrews 9:27). I cannot help but be struck by Jesus’ statement that the deeds of Jesus were great enough to bring repentance to a city as depraved as Sodom.

Old Testament reading: Nehemiah 10-11

“I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing” (Deut 30:19). Nehemiah 10:29 reminds us that our covenant with God includes both blessing and curse. There is always blessing in obeying the Lord. Conversely, there is always a curse when one does not obey the Lord, which curse is made manifestly worse for those who forsake their covenant with God. Hell won’t be a cakewalk for anyone, but Luke 12:47-48 teaches us that there are degrees of punishment. 2 Peter 2:20-22 teaches us that it is far better to have never known the way of righteousness than to turn away from it later on. Moreover, the truth of man being a free moral agent is also affirmed in the giving of a choice of his own personal and eternal destiny with reward and consequences attached. Nehemiah 11:1-3 contains an interesting statement concerning the repatriation of Judah. By the casting of lots, one-tenth of the exiles dwelled in Jerusalem, while the remainder returned to their former possession and lived there (cf v 20). This reminds us of the preciousness of a family’s property (cf 2 Sam 9:6-11; 1 Kgs 21:1-3).

New Testament reading: Matthew 8-9

“For every thing there is a season (9:14-17, cf Ecc 3:1-8). The picture of patching an old garment with new material and the new wine in old skins is nothing more than an explanation of this principle. There is nothing mysterious or subliminal in this text. Jesus says you just don’t do some things because it isn’t proper. Some things are not to be blended or confused. In this case, the subject was fasting. Jesus didn’t say his disciples shouldn’t fast, but rather that the time wasn’t right. When the time was right, his disciples would fast. Finally, Jesus does not here command fasting, but associates it with the separation of himself from his disciples. There is nowhere in the biblical record where fasting is enjoined as a standard practice to be followed by all, neither in the Old Testament or the New Testament.

Old Testament reading: Nehemiah 8-9

Nehemiah reminds us of the privilege of receiving God’s Word. As Ezra opened the Book of the Law in the sight of the people, they all as one man rose to their feet out of respect for God’s Word. Moreover, as a further act of reverence, they also bowed their heads to the ground and worshiped the Lord. The scene reminds me of 1 Samuel 3:1, “And the word of the Lord was precious in those days; there was no open vision” (KJV). And also Proverbs 29:13, “Where there is no revelation, the people cast off restraint, but happy is he who keeps the law.” The word of God is vital to our long term happiness and success. While we are not bibliolaters, that is, Bible worshipers, we should still give the Bible our utmost respect and reverence, as it is in truth the very word of God. It is tragic that so many of us have such free access to God’s word, yet fail to take advantage of said access or appreciate what a great blessing we have.

New Testament reading: Matthew 5-7

Some thoughts from Jesus’ instruction on prayer (6:5-13). An often overlooked thought in this text is that Jesus condemns two errors regarding prayers, one by the Jews and the other by the Gentiles. Concerning the Jews, Jesus condemned their public prayers that were performed for the observation by men and not offered in humility before the throne of God. Of these, Jesus says “they have their reward.” In other words, they were praying to be seen of men, and they got exactly what they wanted. Also implied is that God has no intention of listening to such prayers with any intent to act upon anything that was said. Of the Gentiles, (the word translated “heathen” in v 7 is closely akin to that translated “Gentiles” elsewhere in Scripture), Jesus condemns their “vain repetitions,” that is, the mindless repeating of memorized prayers. When one considers many of the peculiar doctrines and practices of the Catholic Church, he will find numerous co-opting of heathen practices. Of note in this case is the rosary. Others have managed to find themselves in violation of this text using the very model prayer of Jesus no less! To be clear, the mindless, heartless quoting of the model prayer in Matthew 6:9-13 is worthless.

Old Testament reading Nehemiah 5-7

Great leaders come from curious places. Though a slave and cupbearer for the king, the character and example marking Nehemiah’s leadership is nothing short of remarkable. He rebuked the nobles for taking advantage of their brethren (5:1-13), which account is followed by his great example in generosity (5:14-19). A true leader never asks of others what he himself is unwilling to do. Nehemiah 6:15 tells us the wall was completed in 52 days, which shows us what we can accomplish when “the people have a mind to work” (4:6). You will likely scan or be tempted to pass over chapter 7, but if you do, you might miss a great lesson in 7:61-65 (which you might have missed earlier doing the same thing in Ezra 2:59-63). Those who could not identify their father’s house or trace their lineage “were excluded from the priesthood as defiled.” In like fashion, Christians are God’s priests on earth today (1 Pet 2:5, 9). One becomes a Christian by obeying the gospel (cf Mark 16:15-16). Only those with proper credentials are fit to serve God and offer spiritual sacrifices to him.

New Testament reading: Matthew 1-4

Matthew 2 provides the account of the visit by the “wise men from the East.” This visit took place some space of time after that of the shepherds, for the shepherds found Jesus still in the manger (Luke 2:8-20), while the wise men visited Him in a house (Matt 2:11). Though generally regarded as being three in number, there is also no mention of how many wise men visited Jesus. Of particular note is the account of their actions upon finding Jesus in Matthew 2:11. The text says “they saw the young child with Mary His mother, and fell down and worshiped Him.” There is not a word concerning any veneration or exaltation of Mary. These men knew the proper object of worship, and Jesus’ mother was not among them. It is also worthy to note that Jesus was worthy of worship even as an infant! Today’s reading also affirms that the Lord God alone is worthy of worship (Matt 4:10). Neither man (Acts 10:25-26; 14:8-18) nor angel (Rev 22:8-9) are worthy of worship. Our Jehovah Witness friends hold Jesus as some manifestation of Michael the archangel, yet this cannot be so if Jesus was worthy of and received worship (John 9:38). Jesus is Divine!

Old Testament reading: Nehemiah 3-4

[Today marks the halfway point through the Old Testament and second reading of the entire New Testament! A word of caution – The English word “mediocre” is from Latin meaning “halfway up the mountain.” Now is no time to quit! Let’s press onward to the top!]

“Let us rise up and build” (Neh 2:18). Under Nehemiah’s careful planning, capable leadership, and faith in God, the Jews “set their hands” (ibid) to rebuild the wall of Jerusalem. Almost without exception, they gave themselves to the work. That one exception was the Tekoite nobles, who are singled out as not putting their shoulders to the work of their Lord. Why this is so is not stated. As nobles, perhaps they thought themselves as being above getting the hands dirty. We are not told, but I think Nehemiah’s comment is made to place them in disrepute. Everyone else “had a mind to work” (4:6). Of note is Eliahshib the high priest (3:1) and the priests from the plain (3:22). I love preachers who aren’t afraid of hard work! Shallum, without sons, gave his best, as he and his daughters are given special mention (3:12). Baruch “carefully repaired” a section (v 20). “Carefully” is not a good rendering, as the Hebrew word means to glow with heat, blaze up, or be zealous. Others are noted as repairing more than one section, including the Tekoites (v 27), who may have been picking up the slack of their nobles.

New Testament reading: Revelation 19-22

“Don’t add to God’s word, and don’t take anything from it.” This was the very first thing I learned from the Book of Revelation (cf 22:18-19). Of course, this is not the first time we are warned not to tamper with God’s word. The same warning is found in Deuteronomy 4:2, and a similar admonition is seen in Proverbs 30:6. Some have even accused Eve of adding “nor shall you touch it” (Gen 3:3) to God’s command “you shall not eat” in Genesis 2:17. The totality of God’s word is truth (Psalm 119:160; John 17:17). We must be satisfied to hold to God’s word in its entirety and to it alone without mixture or alteration. To do otherwise is to violate the text itself and invite the wrath of God.

Old Testament reading: Nehemiah 1-2

Nehemiah is truly one of the great characters of the Bible. The book bearing his name provides us with his personal account of Jerusalem’s reconstruction. This period coincides with Ezra, though the events of Nehemiah generally precede those in Ezra, focusing on the rebuilding of Jerusalem, while Ezra describes the rebuilding of the temple some sixteen years afterward. A thought in this reading is the power of positive living. Though a slave, Nehemiah served Artaxerxes with joy (2:1-2). It was obvious to the king that Nehemiah’s heart was filled with sorrow after he had received the report of Jerusalem and her inhabitants (1:2-4). Nehemiah was of such character so as to gain the king’s friendship and concern, even as a lowly cupbearer. He serves as a living example of Paul’s admonition in Colossians 3:22, where we are to serve, “not with eyeservice, as menpleasers, but in sincerity of heart, fearing God.”

New Testament reading: Revelation 16-18

Of note is the world’s sorrow over their loss, which will be followed by the saints’ rejoicing over their gain. By way of reminder… Though I am an early date advocate of the writing of Revelation, I do not hold (as some brethren have in the past) that all the things in Revelation were fulfilled in the destruction of Jerusalem in A.D. 70. A case in point is Revelation 17-18, which marks the fall of Babylon. I believe the fall of Babylon to be a reference to the fall of Rome, which did not take place until A.D. 476. I believe the Roman empire is represented by the woman introduced in verse 3. This woman sits on seven hills or mountains (v 9). The seven hills of Rome are well known and their names precede Christianity by more than 400 years. Thus, the hills stand as a representation of the city of Rome itself. Some faithful brethren hold a “middle date” of authorship, somewhere in the late 70s to early 80s based on the description of the seven kings found in Revelation 17:10-12 and the relationship these may have to the emperors of that particular time. Again, knowing the date of the book’s writing is not necessary to understand its overall message of hope for the faithful child of God. God’s message of victory for His faithful children in any and every circumstance remains unchanged (cf 1 Cor 15:58).

Old Testament reading: Ezra 9-10

“God would never want two people to break up their marriage, especially if kids are involved.” In keeping with the theme of yesterday’s New Testament reading, Ezra 10 records a time of bitter stomach for God’s people. Though joyous over their restoration to Jerusalem, the rebuilding of the temple and observing the Passover, it is discovered that many of the priests had taken wives from among the people whom God had forbidden such. Unsure what to do, Ezra sat devastated until the evening sacrifice. As he was praying, weeping, confessing and bowing before the house of God, a great assembly of Israelites approaches him with the remedy he seeks. Hear their words, “We have transgressed against our God, and have taken pagan wives from the peoples of the land; yet now there is hope in Israel despite this. Now therefore, let us make a covenant with God to put away all these wives and those who have been born to them, according to the advice of my master and of those who tremble at the commandment of our God” (10:2-3). If putting away their wives was not in keeping with God’s will, God would have intervened… He didn’t. Not even in those cases when children were involved (cf 10:44). Why is it that so many refuse to see the lesson here? We cannot continue in any relationship that is not authorized or condemned by Scripture, including an unscriptural marriage.

New Testament reading: Revelation 12-15

The wildly speculated mark and number of the beast are seen in Revelation 13:15-18. In the book of Revelation, numbers are highly symbolic. In Revelation, the number 7 represents perfection, whereas the number 6 represents imperfection. The number 3 is also associated with perfection, and also Deity (eternality). Combining the two marks a “complete and eternal incompleteness.” My opinion is that this number represents the documentation of paying homage to the emperor, a practice implemented shortly after the establishment of the church. Thus, the Imperial cult of Rome is represented as a work of the Devil, who aspires to Deity but shall never attain it. One must remember the identification of this mark was known to those to whom this letter was written. Ascribing such to 20^th and 21^st century personalities or practices is foolish and unbiblical.

Old Testament reading: Ezra 8

“Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks” (Matt 12:34). The same might be said concerning our prayers. What things find prominence when I pray? In verse 21 Ezra calls for fasting and prayer before traveling on to Jerusalem. This prayer contained four requests: 1) humility for all in God’s sight; 2) direction for themselves; 3) direction concerning their children; and 4) direction concerning their possessions (v 21). Most of us pray often for guidance for ourselves and our children, but how often do we pray for guidance concerning our material blessings? We often give thanks, but the giving of thanks is not the same as requesting wisdom to use our blessings wisely. Let us ask ourselves, “How would praying in such a way affect my attitude toward my possessions? And how would it affect my giving?” The purpose of Ezra’s prayer was his refusal to ask the king for an armed escort, since he had earlier claimed the favor of God as being upon those who serve him and against all who forsake him. Ezra notes that God answered their prayer (v 23) and provided safety in their journey to Jerusalem (v 31).

New Testament reading: Revelation 8-11

Revelation 10:8-11 parallels Ezekiel 2:9-3:3 and the eating of the scroll. As in Ezekiel’s day, the scroll was sweet to the taste but bitter to the stomach. So it often is with preaching God’s Word. It is sweet to the preacher as he receives it, as it fills his heart and satisfies his soul. However, it becomes bitter as he realizes the difficulties wrought in the lives of those who hear it. For example, we should rejoice in God’s plan for and elevation of marriage. God created this holy union and His word was given as a jealous guardian thereof. But the vast majority of the world, and an alarmingly increasing number among the Lord’s church, no longer hold this sacred institution in the esteem it deserves. Of this very text and its implications, Johnny Ramsey once preached, “When I preach on marriage, divorce, and remarriage, it hits some of my kinfolks right in the middle of our lives. But I still gotta preach it.” Calling men out of a world of darkness into the marvelous light of Christ is a daunting and difficult task, and is often met with the bitter stomach experienced by Ezekiel and John.

Old Testament reading: Ezra 6-7

“Let the foundations of it be firmly laid” (Ezra 6:3). No matter what we might build, be it a house, a friendship, a marriage, a nation, etc., a firm foundation is key. The most magnificent of structures is doomed to fail without a proper foundation undergirding it. The only enduring foundation is God’s word. Chapter 7 contains Artaxerxes’ letter to Ezra. In both texts is seen the providence of God toward his people as exercised through the ruling kingdom of the earth. At the Constitutional Convention, Benjamin Franklin, affirming his faith “that God Governs in the affairs of men,” quoted 127:1, “Except the Lord build the house, they labor in vain that build it.” The most well known passage of this reading is Ezra 7:10, “For Ezra had prepared his heart to seek the law of the Lord and to do it, and to teach statutes and ordinances in Israel.” One is not fit to teach that which he neither knows nor lives.

New Testament reading: Revelation 4-7

“This is the song that never ends. Yes it goes on and on my friend…” So sang the characters at the end of Lamb Chop’s Play-Along some years ago. When I read Revelation 4, I think of another song that will never end, as the four living creatures “do not rest day or night, saying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, Who was and is and is to come” (v 8). And whenever the four living creatures do this (which is all the time), “the twenty four elders fall down before Him who sites on the throne and worship Him who lives forever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying, “You are worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power, for You created all things, and by Your will they exist and were created” (vv 10-11).  Then in chapter 5 we see the twenty four elders singing a new song declaring the praise of the Lamb “who redeemed us to God by His blood out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation. And made us kings and priests to our God, and we shall reign on the earth” (5:9-10). Of course, we know Revelation 4:9-11 is not to be understood literally as the four living creatures and elders are seen doing and saying other things elsewhere in the book (cf 5:9-10, 7:9-17). The emphasis here is God’s worthiness to be praised at all times, for all time.