Cleave to God in holiness

New Guest: Like this one, most posts are devotional; those related to CAR BIZ can be found by searching for that title. You might start with 'Welcome,' the first post in the archives, dated November 12, 2008, where I introduce myself and the blog.

November 9, 2009
Devotions: Ps 77, 79, 80; Neh 9:1-25; Rev 18:1-8; Mt 15:1-20

In my days of trouble, I cry aloud to my God—please, Father, help me! Help me recall the days of goodness; let me commune with my heart and search my spirit. Will you leave me to languish? No, I don’t think so. I will call to mind the deeds of YHWH and remember Your mighty deeds. Your way is holy, Lord; I know I must cleave to You alone. Lead me as You have always led Your people, Lord! God, the heathens have entered Your inheritance and defiled Your temple. Will You leave me to struggle forever, God? Have I been cast aside? Help me, God of my salvation, for the honor and glory of Your blessed Name. Why should the heathens chuckle, seeing my distress? Let me prosper, so they may honor You, I pray. Restore me, O God! Let Your face shine, that I may be saved. Restore me—it’s serious, Lord! I will not give up, because I know deep down that You are trustworthy.

The people of Israel assembled in Jerusalem; they separated themselves from the Gentiles among and around them. They listened to God’s word for six hours, then confessed and worshiped for six hours. Their leaders exhorted the people: ‘Stand up and bless the Lord your eternal God. Blessed be Your glorious name which is exalted above all blessing and praise.’ Ezra spoke to God and to the assembly: ‘You are God alone, Maker of heavens and earth, and all that dwell therein. You are YHWH, the God Who chose Abram and brought him forth from Ur of the Chaldeans; You gave his offspring the land of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Jebusites and Girgashites. You are righteous, and You keep Your covenants! You brought our ancestors out from their bondage in Egypt; You heard their cries for help at the shores of the Sea of Reeds; You delivered and led them forth with mighty acts of power. You led them step by step to Sinai and through the wilderness. You gave them Your own Torah—right ordinances, true laws, good statues and commandments—by Moses Your servant. You fed them with heaven’s bread and with quail and brought them water from the Rock for their thirst. Yet, our ancestors acted presumptuously and sinned against You; they were stiff-necked, and disobeyed You; they ignored the wonders You performed for their benefit. They wanted to return to slavery in Egypt. But You are a God ready to forgive, gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, and You did not forsake them. They cast an idol of gold and worshiped it—yet You forgave and continued their deliverance. You have given Your good Spirit to instruct us. Forty years, You kept them safe in the wilderness, and they lacked nothing. Their clothes did not wear out; their feet didn’t swell. And you gave them the Gentile kingdoms You had promised. They lived in cities others had built, and harvested crops others had planted, houses, cisterns, vineyards, olive orchards, fruit trees in abundance. They ate, and became fat and delighted themselves in Your great goodness.’

A mighty angel of great authority came to earth from heaven, lighting the earth with his splendor. In a mighty voice, he called out: ‘Fallen is Babylon the great, dwelling of demons, haunt of foul spirits. All the nations have partaken of her impure passion; the mortal kings have fornicated with her; earth’s merchants are rich with wealth from her wantonness.’ Another heavenly voice called: ‘Come out of her, my people, least you take part in her sins and share her plagues! Her sins are heaped high as heaven, and God remembers her sins. Render to her what she deserves, doubly what her deeds have earned. She glorified herself and played the wanton; so give her a like measure of torment and mourning. She styles herself a queen; let her plagues come upon her all at once, pestilence, mourning and famine; she shall perish in flames, for mighty is the Lord God Who judges her.’

From Jerusalem came Pharisees and scribes who interrogated Jesus: ‘Why do your disciples transgress the traditions of our elders: they do not wash their hands when they eat!’ Jesus replied, ‘Why do you transgress the commands of God in order to serve your human traditions: God commanded you, “Honor your father and mother” and ‘Let him die who speaks evil of father or mother.” But you excuse anyone who decides to make a free-will offering to God of what otherwise would have supported his parents—he need not honor them. You hypocrites have made void the word of God for the sake of your own tradition. Well did Isaiah say of you, “This people honor Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me; in vain they worship Me, teaching as doctrines the mere precepts of men.”’ Jesus then turned to those following Him, saying, ‘Hear and understand: it is not what goes into a person that defiles; rather it is what comes out of him that defiles.’ His disciples pointed out that the Pharisees had taken offense at what He was saying; and Jesus answered, ‘Every plant not planted by My heavenly Father will be rooted up. Leave them alone: they are blind guides; if anyone follows a blind guide, both will fall into a pit!’ Peter asked Jesus to explain further. Jesus replied, ‘Are you still ignorant, without understanding? Don’t you see: whatever goes into the mouth passes into the stomach and then out again. But what comes out of the mouth originates in the heart; this evil defiles a man! From the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, fornication, theft, false witness, and slander. These, not eating with unwashed hands, are what defile a human being!’