Month: January 2015

” …in order to fulfill the word of the LORD by the mouth of Jeremiah… “ (Ezra 1:1b)

OPEN UP:

God gave prophecies to warn people to turn back to Him. When they didn’t, and disaster came, He gave more prophecies to encourage them through the disaster.

The prophecies point to events of that time as well as to events far into the future, even into eternity.

The LORD — “The LORD” (all capital) is the substitute that most Bible translations use for God’s personal name in Hebrew. Hebrew writing leaves out the vowels, so God’s name is written “YHWH” (probably pronounced Yihweh or Yahweh). The name comes from a word that means “to be” or “to exist”. In Exodus 3:14, God tells Moses what His name is: “I am who I am.” He exists.

The Voice version of the Bible translates YHWH as “Eternal One” instead of “the LORD.” This seems to convey the meaning of God’s name more accurately: infinite existence.


Jeremiah — a prophet who lived in the Southern Kingdom after the time of the prophet Isaiah. (Isaiah foretold about Cyrus; see yesterday’s post.)

Jeremiah warned his people that they would be conquered and taken captive by the Babylonians. Jeremiah was also captured, but the Babylonians let him go because of his prophecies against Jerusalem.

Jeremiah continued to send letters of more encouraging prophecy to those in captivity.

– The events that are about to happen in the book of Ezra will fulfill Jeremiah’s prophecy.

What was Jeremiah’s prophecy?

Jeremiah left a long book of prophecies. Some are easily recognized as being fulfilled in the immediate sense of his time:

“I will send to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, My servant, and will bring them against this land… This whole land will be a desolation and a horror, and these nations will serve the king of Babylon seventy years. ‘Then it will be when seventy years are completed I will punish the king of Babylon…”
(Jeremiah 25:9, 11-12)

“I am going to arouse and bring up against Babylon
A horde of great nations from the land of the north [Persian empire],
And they will draw up their battle lines against her;
From there she [Babylon] will be taken captive…”
(Jeremiah 50:9)

“I am going to punish the king of Babylon and his land, just as I punished the king of Assyria. And I will bring Israel back… I will pardon those whom I leave as a remnant.'”
(Jeremiah 50:17-20)

“The fall of Jerusalem and destruction of the Temple in 587 B.C. was a dangerous time for the faith of Old Testament saints. Jeremiah… helped to put this tragedy in proper perspective as part of the long-range plan of God. The promise of return from distant lands of exile was for them the prelude to the glorious age of Messiah.”
(Smith, 10)

Did the prophets know the future?

“Those to whom prophetic visions were granted often did not know what they meant.”
(Smith, 23)

“…When there is a prophet among you, I, the LORD, reveal myself to them in visions, I speak to them in dreams. …in riddles…”
(Numbers 12:6, 8 NIV)

“The prophets sometimes said more than they intended to say or thought they were saying… Scripture affirms that the writers themselves did not always fully comprehend their own utterances.”
(Smith, 21)

“Predictive prophecy is not intended to be history written in advance. ‘God does not propose to gratify idle curiosity by writing history beforehand… God has been able to write prophecy so it can be read after it is fulfilled, but not generally before.'”
(Smith, 9-10)

Do the prophecies still have any meaning for people today?

Prophecies often had more than one fulfillment, or they were fulfilled in more than one phase. Many Old Testament prophecies are still only partially fulfilled.

“Prophecy is a lock. It needs the Master Key. The first advent [fulfillment] unlocks a number of chambers. The key to the entire system is not given until the second advent.”
(Smith, 22-23)

“The prophets often saw future events as one sees stars in the night sky. The stars are millions of miles apart, but they appear to the observer to be contiguous…

Briggs describes this facet of prediction when he writes:

The prophet stands as it were upon a lofty mountain. Far in the distance, beyond the range that bound the horizon of his generation, he sees the goal of the journey. But he cannot see all the hills and valleys, the rocks and streams and the lesser mountain ranges which intervene between him and the predicted goal.”
(Smith, 23-24)

Do we get to see prophecies fulfilled?

“The prophets who told us [that Jesus] was coming asked a lot of questions… They clamored to know who and when. All they were told was that they were serving you… [who] have now heard for yourselves — through the Holy Spirit — the Message of those prophecies fulfilled.

Do you realize how fortunate you are?

Angels would have given anything to be in on this!
(1 Peter 1:10-12 MSG)

Every time I open my Bible and read about Jesus, I get to see the miracle of prophecy fulfilled.

No matter what happens, I know that God has everything planned in advance. He exists eternally and is not limited by time. Nothing that happens in my life is a surprise to Him.

There are many more prophecies that haven’t been fulfilled yet. If I become familiar with them, I can be comforted about future events and recognize God’s work when it happens.


If today were my last day on earth, I would:

…simply trust that God already knows and has things under control.

God,
Thank You for fulfilled prophecy, which saved my faith when I was doubting. Help me not to miss what You are doing. In everything that happens, help me remember that You’ve seen it all in advance and have it all planned.
For Jesus, who existed from eternity and who was promised from the beginning of time,
Amen.

References:
Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament (1980)
Smith, James E. What the Bible Teaches About the Promised Messiah. Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1993.
www.blueletterbible.org
All verses are NASB unless otherwise noted.

Passage: Ezra 1:1a

“Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia… “ (Ezra 1:1a)

OPEN UP:

God raised up the great, generous Cyrus to rescue His people.
Cyrus was just an agent of God’s kindness.
All good things come ultimately from God, not from humans.

People:
Cyrus II — king of Persia, ended Jewish captivity in Babylon,
name means “the sun”

Places:
Persia — empire that “encompassed the territory from India on the east to Egypt and Thrace on the west” (ref)

– Cyrus conquers Babylon and assumes rule over Babylon’s conquests, including Israel.

Who was “Cyrus the Great” in secular history?

“In October 539 BCE, the Persian king Cyrus took Babylon, the ancient capital of an oriental empire covering modern Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, and Israel.”
(ref)

What kind of king was he?

“This emperor proclaimed at the pinnacle of his power… that he ‘would not reign over the people if they did not wish it’. He promised not to force any person to change his religion and faith and guaranteed freedom for all.”

– Shirin Abadi, 2003 Nobel Peace Prize recipient, ref

“Cyrus instituted the enlightened policy of placating the gods of his subject peoples rather than carrying off their cult statues as the Assyrians, Elamites, Hittites, and Babylonians had done before.

His generosity to the Jews was paralleled by his benevolence to the Babylonians.”

– Gæbelein, Frank E. Expositor’s Bible Commentary, Vol. 4, Zondervan, 1988, p. 602.

What does the Bible say about Cyrus’ greatness?

“This is what the LORD says… of Cyrus,
‘He is my shepherd and will accomplish all that I please;
he will say of Jerusalem, “Let it be rebuilt,”
and of the temple, “Let its foundations be laid.”’

“This is what the Lord says to his anointed, to Cyrus,
whose right hand I take hold of to subdue nations before him
and to strip kings of their armor,
to open doors before him so that gates will not be shut:
I will go before you and will level the mountains;
I will break down gates of bronze and cut through bars of iron.
I will give you hidden treasures, riches stored in secret places,
so that you may know that I am the LORD, the God of Israel,
who summons you by name.

For the sake of Jacob my servant, of Israel my chosen,
I summon you by name and bestow on you a title of honor,
though you do not acknowledge me.
I am the LORD, and there is no other; apart from me there is no God.
I will strengthen you, though you have not acknowledged me…
I bring prosperity and create disaster; I, the LORD, do all these things.'”
(Isaiah 44:24-45:7, NIV)


The verse above says Cyrus is God’s “anointed.”
This is the same word as “Messiah.”
Today, Messiah usually refers to the ruler (Jesus) who was promised repeatedly from the beginning of Scripture.

Was Cyrus actually “the” Messiah?

“[Anointed] may designate an office such as the high priest [but] is almost exclusively reserved as a synonym for ‘king’…”

“…Cyrus was a worshiper of Marduk and other pagan deities. Yet Cyrus was the Lord’s appointee for a definite task. The Isaiah passage [above] suggests that [Messiah] be understood as one singled out… for a task, characteristically one of deliverance – a deliverance of Israel from their Babylonian captors returning them to their homeland…”

“…the coming Son of David [Jesus] is seldom called Messiah in the OT… Many other designations are used (Branch, Shoot, Son of David, etc.)… It should be stressed, however, that the OT did employ the term [Messiah] to designate the coming Savior, Jesus.”

– Harris, R. Laird, et al. Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament, Moody, 1980, p. 531.

Sometimes I am tempted to run to people to rescue me, when I’m discouraged. God can use people to give encouragement — like He used King Cyrus — but ultimately, the encouragement comes from God.

“Every generous act of giving and every perfect gift is from above and comes down from the Father…” (James 1:17, ISV)

When I have needs, I can ask God to meet them. He is happy when I remember to thank Him, even if He brought other people to lift me back up.


If today were my last day on earth, I would:

…ask God to show me how He can use me to encourage someone.

God,
I wish I had the kindness, wisdom, generosity, people skills, and ability to manage impressive resources, which are attributed to King Cyrus. Cyrus is clearly used in the Bible as an example of what Jesus’ leadership is like. Teach me my own role in Your kingdom, and — as You did with King Cyrus — provide me with whatever I need to accomplish Your purposes for me.
For the sake of deliverance of the oppressed,
Amen.

References:
All verses are NASB unless otherwise noted.

Three Foreign Kings:

“Israel is a scattered flock, the lions have driven them away.

[1] The first one who devoured him was the king of Assyria,

[2] and this last one who has broken his bones is Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon.

Therefore thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel:

[3] ‘Behold, I am going to punish the king of Babylon and his land, just as I punished the king of Assyria.

And I will bring Israel back… I will pardon those whom I leave as a remnant.'”

(Jeremiah 50:17-20)

OPEN UP:

Jeremiah descried the terrible punishment of Israel at the hands of two kings. Then he foretold their restoration through a third king who was coming. In the time of restoration, God asks His people to make the effort to seek Him with their whole hearts.

Three Foreign Kings
1. (first lion) king of Assyria — conquered the Ten Northern Tribes
2. (last lion) King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon — conquered the Southern Kingdom of Judah (also conquered Assyria)
3. (lion tamer/punisher) King Cyrus of Persia — conquered Babylon
(more about Cyrus tomorrow)

Northern Kingdom of Israel:
1. stops following God.
2. gets conquered by ruthless Assyria.

Southern Kingdom:
3. stops following God.
4. gets conquered by Babylon.
(Babylon also conquers ruthless Assyria.)

5. Babylon gets conquered by Persia (the “punisher” in the prophecy above).

6. Persia lets anyone from the Southern Kingdom return to their land.
7. The book of Ezra begins with the return of some of the survivors from the Southern Kingdom.

How can a loving, forgiving God punish and destroy entire groups of people in the Old Testament?

When I hear news reports about unthinkable cruelty (especially to children), I want justice. This is a natural desire — it comes from the God of justice, who made me.

The nations of the Old Testament were horrifically cruel, ruthless, and evil. Both the Northern and Southern Kingdoms of Israel had started following the ways of those nations — including child sacrifice! The God of justice couldn’t sit back and watch without intervening.

This article gives more explanation about the reason for war in the Old Testament. It ends with these reassuring verses (also from the OT):

“Though he brings grief, he will show compassion, so great is his unfailing love.
For he does not willingly bring affliction or grief to anyone.”
(Lamentations 3:32-33, NIV)

A future with no more war:
“[God will] settle things fairly between nations…
No more will nation fight nation;
they won’t play war anymore.”
(Isaiah 2:4, The Message)


Did God cause suffering in my life to punish me?

Jesus suffered grief, loss, and difficulty, even though He never did anything wrong. Then He died a cruel death. His death was the punishment for our sins. For anyone who relies on Jesus’ payment, there is no more punishment left from God, because Jesus took it all.

God still uses difficulty to teach, train, and refine people. This isn’t punishment, but preparation for His work. Being trained by suffering requires deep trust.

All discipline for the moment seems not to be joyful, but sorrowful; yet to those who have been trained by it, afterwards it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness.” (Hebrews 12:11)

Sometimes it’s confusing to make sense of my life, just as it’s confusing to make sense of the Bible. Why doesn’t God fix the world all at once?

After the Jewish people had been taken captive, Jeremiah sent them a letter from God:

“'[After] seventy years… I will… bring you back to this place. You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart. I will be found by you,’ declares the Lord, ‘and I will restore your fortunes…'”
(Jeremiah 29:10-14)

God is the only one who can make sense of my life and restore my freedom and joy. It takes effort to set aside distractions and seek Him with my whole heart, but the reward is that I will find Him. It’s a promise.

If today were my last day on earth, I would:

…show compassion, trust Jesus’ payment for me, and make sure there is no doubt in God’s eyes about whether I am seeking Him with my whole heart.

God,
Thank You for taking the punishment for my sin through Jesus. Thank You that when bad things happen, I don’t have to wonder whether You are mad and trying to punish me. You already took care of that through Jesus, and I am fully accepted by You. You have paid for me, and my life is Yours. Teach me to do Your work of compassion and justice.
For Jesus, who will lead the nations to peace.
Amen.

References:
All verses are NASB unless otherwise noted.

“Israel is a scattered flock…” (Jeremiah 50:17a)

OPEN UP:

Years before the the book of Ezra begins, the prophet Jeremiah foretold events leading up to our study. His prophecy showed that God would take drastic measures to protect His people from destroying themselves — but He would mercifully preserve those who were willing to turn back to Him.

Prophet: Jeremiah — wrote the book of Jeremiah, which contains prophecies that are fulfilled in Ezra

Scribe: Ezra — wrote the book of Ezra
Ezra will arrive in chapter 7 of his book, to teach the people to follow God.

Scattered Flock: Israel — Israel (a.k.a. Jacob) was a founding father of God’s Chosen People. Israel had 12 sons whose descendants (tribes) settled in the Promised Land. Both the nation and the land are called “Israel” (same as today).


How the Flock of Israel was Scattered:

10 Northern Tribes — Ten of the tribes of Israel, living in the northern part of the land, split off from the others and stopped following God. These tribes were conquered and taken captive first. Their land was never recovered, and most of the survivors were lost to intermarriage.

Southern Kingdom of Judah — The remaining tribes living to the south are referred to as “Judah.” The capital city of Jerusalem is here. Eventually the Judeans (Jews) stopped following God, too. They were taken captive, but God promised He would bring back a small remnant of them. This is what happens in Ezra.

Super-quick recap:
– God chose Israel/Jacob to be a founder of His Chosen People.
– Israel had 12 sons.
– The descendants of these sons settled the Promised Land.
– They fought and split into two kingdoms.
– All of them started worshiping other gods.
– All of them were eventually conquered and/or carried off into captivity.
– A small remnant of the Southern Kingdom was allowed to return to their land. This begins the book of Ezra.

Is it egotistical or ethnocentric for God to ask people to worship only Him?

The twelve tribes had been turning away from God for many years, while He patiently tried to show them that they would only destroy themselves this way.

Sure enough, they began sacrificing their own children in the fire to foreign gods (among other injustices)! Oppression of the weak is one of the top sins that makes God so flaming mad in the Old Testament.


“…they made their sons and their daughters pass through the fire… the LORD was very angry…” (2 Kings 17:17-18)

“You slaughtered my children and sacrificed them to the idols.” (Ezekiel 16:21)


Worshiping man-made idols makes no sense:
“Doesn’t it occur to them to say, ‘Half of this tree I used for firewood: I baked bread, roasted meat, and enjoyed a good meal. And now I’ve used the rest to make an abominable no-god. Here I am praying to a stick of wood!'” (Isaiah 44:19, The Message)


We become like whatever we worship:
“They followed worthless idols and became worthless themselves.” (Jeremiah 2:5, NIV)

“Those who make idols end up like them. So does everyone who trusts them.”
(Psalm 135:18, God’s Word Translation)


There is always hope:
But now listen…
This what the Lord says, the one who made you,
formed you from the womb,
and who will help you…
…apart from me there is no God.
Who is like me? Let him proclaim
and declare it…
And let him speak future events;
let them tell him what will happen…
Didn’t I tell you and announce it long ago?
…I have formed you;
…Return to me;
because I’ve redeemed you.” (Isaiah 44:1-8, 21-22)

My idol worship may not be as obviously destructive as the Old Testament variety, but any time I value something more than I value God, I end up making unhealthy choices. God promises His help, if I return to Him.

If today were my last day on earth, I would:

…be sure that I understand, live in, and demonstrate God’s forgiveness.

God,
This is the beginning of a study that is too big and complex for me. My first task now is to worship You alone, above anything else that catches my attention. You are the only living Creator. Only You know how I am formed and what will happen in my future. Only You have the power to help. Thank You for choosing to be merciful and welcoming.

For Jesus, who effectively covered my sins and made them whiter than snow. Amen.

References:
All verses are NASB unless otherwise noted.