Witness, Worship and Work!

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.

Thursday, November 5, 2009
Devotions: Ps 71, 74; Ezra 7:1-26; Rev 14:1-13; Mt 14:1-12
YHWH, be my Rock of refuge; deliver and rescue me. Rescue me from the wicked, and be my Keeper. I will breathe Your praise all the day long. Hasten to help me, and keep me near You, Lord. Put my accusers to shame. I know You let me struggle to strengthen my faith; You will increase my honor and my comfort once more. And I will praise You, my God! Death follows separation from God; fellowship with God is life eternal. YHWH Sabaoth is my Refuge and my Testimony. Lord, please don’t be angry with Your people; don’t leave us without guidance—let Your prophecy be spoken to us. Remember how enemies scoff and revile You among us. Take care for Your covenant, Lord; the dark places in our land are full of violence; keep the downtrodden from shame, and let the poor and needy praise Your name. Silence Your enemies, my Lord!

Ezra was of the line of Aaron, a Torah scribe, God’s gift to the people in exile. Favored by YHWH, Ezra was granted all his requests by the Persian king Artaxerxes II. In the seventh year of that king’s reign, Ezra led Jews up to Jerusalem, including priests, Levites, singers, gatekeepers and temple servants. He arrived around 398 B.C. He had come to study and obey God’s law, and teach it to the people of Jerusalem. He carried a letter from the king, who decreed that anyone who wished was permitted to accompany Ezra to Jerusalem, and to convey the silver and gold and freewill offerings to support the Jerusalem temple of YHWH. With this money, they were to purchase animals for sacrifice, cereal and drink offerings, and offer them to YHWH in His temple. The king’s treasury would supply anything else they needed to fulfill this mission—‘up to a hundred talents of silver, a hundred cors of wheat, a hundred baths fo wine and of oil, and unlimited amounts of salt’ to protect the king and his sons from YHWH’s wrath. The king forbade tribute, custom, or toll charges against the servants of YHWH: priests, Levites, doorkeepers, and other temple servants. The king directed Ezra to appoint officials to judge the people, and to teach the people YHWH’s laws; and the king proclaimed that any who would not obey Torah and the king’s law would be subject to strict judgment: death, banishment, confiscation of his goods, or imprisonment.

In his vision, John saw on Mount Zion the Lamb and the 144,000 with His name and His Father’s name written on their foreheads. A voice spoke from heaven—like many waters, loud thunder, and many harpers harping. They sang a new song before the throne of God and the living creatures and elders around it—only these 144,000 knew this song’s words. They are chaste, personal attendants of the Lamb, redeemed as first fruits of humankind for God and the Lamb—they are spotless! John saw another angel flying in midheavean, proclaiming an eternal gospel to all on earth: ‘Fear God and glorify Him; for the hour of His judgment has come; let all worship Him Who made all things.’ A second angel followed and proclaimed: ‘Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great, who made all nations drink the wine of her impure passion.’ A third angel: ‘If any one worships the beast and its image, and receives the beast’s mark on head or hand, he also will drink the wine of God’s wrath, and shall be tormented with fire and sulphur before God’s angels and the Lamb. The smoke of their torment goes up forever; they have no rest, these worshipers of the beast and its image, and whoever receives the mark of its name!’ Let the saints endure, keeping God’s commandment and the faith of Jesus! A heavenly voice commanded John: ‘Write this: blessed are all who die in the Lord henceforth.’ And the Spirit responded, ‘Blessed indeed, that they may rest from their labors, for their deeds follow them!’

Herod Antipas the tetrarch heard the news about Jesus and told his servants, ‘This is John the Baptizer; he ahs been raised from death; that is why he has such powers.’ Herod had imprisoned John for the sake of Herodias, the wife of Herod’s brother Philip, whom Herod had incestuously married. John had confronted Herod: ‘It is not lawful for you to have her.’ Herod feared the people, who respected John as a prophet. But on Herod’s birthday, Herodias’ daughter had danced for the king and his guests, and Herod pomised to give her whatever she might ask. Prompted by her mother, the girl demanded that the king give her John’s head on a platter, then and there. Thus challenged in public, Herod had John beheaded in prison, and the head was given Salome on a platter, and she took it to her mother Herodias. John’s disciples came and took John’s body and buried it, and took the news to Jesus.


Friday, November 6, 2009
Devotions: Ps 69, 73; Ezra 7:27,28; 8:21-36; Rev 15; Mt 14:13-21

Lord, the water level is at my neck; I’m sinking and only You can save me. I am attacked by enemies, and betrayed by my own sinfulness and folly. Keep others from being harmed by the consequences of my shortcomings, Lord. Let me be consumed by passion for Your kingdom. My prayer is to You alone, great YHWH: answer me in the abundance of Your steadfast love; redeem me and set me at liberty. Protect me from the plots and attacks of the wicked. If they will not repent, let my enemies come under Your anathema; and as I repent, Lord, let Your salvation raise me on high. I will magnify God with song and praise; let all heaven and earth praise YHWH, our Savior and Sovereign. God is good to the upright; I struggle with envy for the prosperous wicked and proud. Yet, Lord, truly there is nothing I desire beside You; God is the strength of my heart, my Portion forever!

Ezra thanked God for the strong support of Artaxerxes II, and he proceeded to gather the people and resources for his mission to Jerusalem. He proclaimed a period of fasting among the missioners, humbling themselves before God, seeking a straight, safe pathway for their travels and protection for the treasures they would be taking with them. He consecrated twelve leading priests and put extensive treasure in their hands; he commissioned them: ‘You are holy, as are these temple vessels and this silver and gold, freewill offerings to YHWH, the God of your fathers. Guard them well, and deliver them intact to the chief priests and Levits and elders in Jerusalem, in YHWH’s house.’ They traveled safely to Jerusalem, and the whole was counted out and weighed and duly recorded. And those returning from exile offered offerings and sacrifices and delivered the king’s commission to his provincial officials, and began to aid the people and God’s temple.

John’s vision continues. He saw a final portent of God’s wrath: seven angels with seven end-time plagues. He saw a sea of glass mingled with fire; around it stood those who overcame the best and its image and the number of its name, holding harps of God and singing the song of Moses and the song of the Lamb: ‘Great and wonderful are Your deeds, O Lord God the Almighty! Your ways are just and true, O King of the ages. Let all, O Lord, fear and glorify Your name! For You alone are holy. All nations shall come and worship You, for Your judgments have been revealed.’ From the temple of the tent of witness came the seven angels with seven plagues; they were robed in pure bright linen, their chests girded with golden sashes. One of the four living creatures passed the seven angels seven golden bowls full of the wrath of the ever-living God. The temple was filled with some from God’s glory and His power; no one could enter the temple until the seven plagues were ended.

When Jesus heard of Herod’s execution of John the Baptizer, Jesus took a boat and went to a lonely place along the shore of the Sea of Galilee. Crowds on foot hurried to the place and awaited Jesus. When He landed, He had compassion on the throngs and He healed their sick. At evening, the disciples said to Jesus, ‘This is a lonely place; day is over; send the crowds away so they can find food and shelter in the villages.’ But Jesus replied, ‘They don’t need to go away; you give them something to eat.’ They answered, ‘But we have only five loaves here, and two fish!’ And Jesus said, ‘Bring them here to Me.’ He directed that the crowd be seated on the grass; He took the loaves and fish, looked up to heaven, blessed and broke and gave the loaves the the disciples. They distributed the food to the crowds; they all ate—five thousand men, plus women and children—and were satisfied; and the disciples took up 12 baskets full of the leftovers.