by Suellen | Project 2013: Read The Bible
Ezra 1-2
So far we have been traveling along a timeline from the garden of Eden to the Assyrian captivity of Israel and the Babylonian captivity of Judah. The books have been in consecutive order. We are continuing on that line of history with Ezra – after a gap.
After seventy years, Cyrus the king of Persia has his heart stirred by the Lord to send people back to Jerusalem to rebuild the house of the Lord. Ezra starts after this decree.
I think that it is important here to interject some nuggets of truth which we will get to later, but apply here. As we have been reading the historical accounts, some of the history has not yet been approached, and that is the history of the prophets. The Bible is laid out in such a way that the historical accounts are first and then the prophets.
During those years of up-and-down kings, God was sending prophets to try to straighten the people out. The prophets were hearing messages from God and taking them to the people.
Isaiah lived in Judah through the reigns of several kings, one being Hezekiah. During that reign, Isaiah heard the Word of the Lord saying,
“Thus says the Lord to Cyrus His anointed whom I have taken by the right hand, to subdue nations before him, and to loose the loins of kings; to open doors before him so that gates will not be shut….For the sake of Jacob My servant, and Israel My chosen one, I have also called you by name; I have given you a title of honor, though you have not known Me.” (Isaiah 45:1, 4)
Now here’s the thing: This was written at least 150 years before Cyrus comes on the scene. He was not even born. God was revealing to Isaiah that this man named Cyrus would eventually be given the mission to help the Jews return to rebuild.
Then we have Jeremiah telling us the time frame. He tells the people that they will go into captivity, and then he says,
“The it will be when seventy years are completed I will punish the king of Babylon and that nation” (25:12)
“For thus says the Lord, ‘When seventy years have been completed for Babylon, I will visit you and fulfill My good word to you, to bring you back to this place.”(29:10)
So God’s hand is not leaving His people during this time. They have violated their covenant with Him, but He hasn’t. God removes His protection from them for a season, but He tells them when they will come back and who He will raise up to send them back. He tells them all of this decades before this plan comes into fruition.
Our God is such a faithful God. He tells them what will happen, when it will happen, and the name of the person He will raise up to fulfill His plan.
Now as we proceed with the revelations from God’s Word, we will come across prophecies concerning the “end times.” We don’t know how long that time frame is, because He doesn’t tell us that, but He gives us signs to look for.
God’s Word is true. What He says has happened, has happened. What He says will happen, will happen.
There will be those who think that they are too smart for God, but they are mistaken. God’s Word will come to pass whether they believe it or not. After all, he is God!
John 19:23-42
John brings out some new details in his account of the crucifixion.
The priests don’t want the inscription “The King of the Jews” on the cross of Jesus. They want it to say, “He said I am the King of the Jews.” But Pilate gets it right, telling them, “What I have written, I have written.” (V. 22) I think that Pilate secretly believed Jesus.
There are others who secretly believe. We see Joseph of Arimathea, “being a disciple of Jesus, but a secret one, for fear of the Jews.”(V. 38) And Nicodemus coming by night also. Joseph takes away the body and Nicodemus provides the burial perfumes. These are two of many “secret disciples.” The Jewish leaders are horrendous in their control of their people.
Today there are many who are afraid to show their faith. In some foreign countries, lives might be a stake. However, in our country, lives are not at stake, but reputations may be.
In some circles it’s not hip to be a christian, and there may be intimidation from the arrogant people around. That’s when we have to choose.
Do we bear the reproach and courageously tell others our beliefs or do we keep our beliefs hidden?
Fear of man will get us into trouble every time. We will offend some with our faith – that’s just a fact of life. Those who are not listening to His voice, but the voice of a stranger, will not like to hear you talk of Jesus.
There are many, however, who just don’t know Him. It’s a privilege to be able to share His love with someone who doesn’t know Him personally. We would do well to be on the lookout for opportunities to share.
As Paul said, “I am not ashamed of the Gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes.” (Romans 1:16).
by Suellen | Project 2013: Read The Bible
II Chronicles 34-36
The end is near.
We see one more honorable king arise, as Josiah attempts to right the wrongs of the years of rebellion. In fact, he tears down the altars, crushes the idols, and repairs the house of God. Then, when they find the Mosaic scrolls of the law buried in the house of God, he tears his clothes and repents before the Lord. They then celebrate the most complete Passover since the days of Samuel.
So God doesn’t allow Josiah to be captured, but the next few years steadily march toward the final destruction of the temple and Jerusalem itself.
The kings who follow Josiah are evil. Babylon besieges enough to set up their own choice for king, so corruption is a definite outcome. Then, when Zedekiah doesn’t honor God or the king of Babylon, the final end comes.
The treasures of the house of God, the king himself, his officers, and all of his treasures are carried away to Babylon. Then the invaders burn the house of God, break down the walls of Jerusalem, and burn all of the buildings with fire. Total destruction of God’s great city.
At the end of chapter 36 there is a quick note that eventually Cyrus, the King of Persia – in order to fulfill the Word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah – sends some people back to restore Jerusalem.(36:22). However, that is 70 years away.
The next portion of Jewish history is sad, indeed. God’s special people, the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob have rebelled to the point where they have been carried off into captivity. They are in Babylon now, slaves of a worldly king.
Before this happens, many prophets warn the Jewish people to turn back to God, but the people won’t listen. Later we will get to the books of prophecy which explain this aspect of God’s plan.
In the meantime, we have a few more books on the history of the Jews. Bit by bit, we are putting the puzzle pieces into place so that we can see the big picture.
John 19: 1-22
Pilate is nervous! He excitedly goes to the priests again and again saying, “I find no guilt in this man.”(V. 4) But the priests won’t be hindered in their desire to crucify Him.
When they say, “He calls himself the Son of God,” Pilate really gets nervous. He rushes back into Jesus saying, “Where are you from?”(v. 9)
Jesus plainly tells Pilate that Rome has no authority over Him unless it was given from above. Now Pilate is indeed in a frenzy.
Pilate makes efforts to release Jesus, but he gets manipulated once again by the priests, and gives in. But not before washing his hands in protest of the operation.
In the meantime, the Jewish leaders think that their ends are being met, but instead, God’s plan is working perfectly.
His Passover Lamb is about to be slain. God’s people are about to be set free from the penalty of sin for all time.
by Suellen | Project 2013: Read The Bible
II Chronicles 32-33
We get the Sennacherib attack from a different perspective.
The Assyrian army has overtaken several nations in the area, and they surround Judah. The first thing Hezekiah does is cut off water to the surrounding troops. He has some natural options in place for the defense of his country. But his primary hope is in God, as he proclaims to the people.
Gathered around the square, the citizens hear the king’s message. “Be strong and courageous, do not fear or be dismayed because of the king of Assyria, not because of all the multitude which is with him; for the one with us is greater than the one with him.
With him is only the arm of flesh, but with us is the Lord our God to help us and to fight our battles.”(32:7-8).
As we saw in II Kings 18, Sennacherib’s men try to turn Hezekiah’s people against him by shouting taunts in Hebrew. But the Jews stand firm, and God sends an angel to wipe out the armies. Then upon his shameful return to his land, Sennacherib is killed by his own children.
So Hezekiah’s reign finishes with great pomp, riches , and success.
Now his son Manasseh is another story. Manasseh starts out rebuilding all of the altars, and worshiping other gods. He “passes his sons through the fire,” engages in witchcraft and sorcery, and generally “does mush evil” in the sight of the Lord. “Thus Manasseh misled the sons of Judah to do more evil than the nations whom the Lord destroyed before the sons of Israel.” (33:9) They paid no attention to the Lord.
The king of Assyria threatens again, and Manasseh is carried off to Babylon. But Manasseh prays to the One true God and is delivered back to Judah.
Manasseh has a turnaround. He now believes in God, and starts turning his people back to him. We have seen kings turning away from God in their old age, but this is different. We see someone turning to Him. And we see that God forgives and blesses this king. The nation is saved from destruction because of God’s forgiveness.
This forgiveness is one of the attributes of our Father which has always been there. It was there for Jacob, for David, for Manasseh, and for you. Whatever you have done, whatever you have said, whatever you have been a part of, the Lord is ready to forgive you and set you on a new path.
Your humility is the key. You have to repent and turn around. But if you do that, God is always ready to forgive you and restore you.
John 18:19-40
God’s perfect Lamb is on trial. The Romans can find nothing wrong with Him. (Of course not, since he is a perfect Man).
Because of their ambition, greed, and jealousy, the priests want Him killed, but they have to manipulate to have their job done. They don’t have the authority to put Him to death.
The Romans have a custom of releasing one prisoner from execution in honor of the Jewish Passover. So the priests induce the crowds to ask for Barabbas to be released in the place of Jesus.
These Jewish leaders (and Satan who is stirring them up) think that they are winning, but God is the One who wins. He has planned from the beginning to have His Lamb slain by the High Priest at Passover time. Through the centuries, as the priests have slain the Passover lambs, they have been pointing to this day: the day when the final, perfect Lamb would be slain.
Make no mistake about it, when God has a plan, He wins – every time. Now you and I have the right given to us by Him not to be in on the plan, but if we won’t be a part of it, He will find someone who will.
God’s overall plan will be done. It was true on this Passover, and it’s true today.
by Suellen | Project 2013: Read The Bible
II Chronicles 30-31
Hezekiah had a proclamation written up (the cell phone of the day), and sent word throughout the land. Judah – and anyone from Israel who wanted to participate – was to gather at Jerusalem in two months to celebrate the Passover.
“O Sons of Israel, return to the Lord God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, that He may return to those of you who escaped from the hand of the kings of Assyria. And do not be like your fathers and your brothers, who were unfaithful to the Lord God of your fathers, so that He made them a horror, as you see…For if you return to the Lord, your brothers and sons will find compassion before those who led them captive, and will return to the land. For the Lord your God is gracious and compassionate, and will not turn His face away from you if you return to Him.”(30:6-9)
When Israel and Judah had strayed so far from the Lord, it must have seemed radical to many for Hezekiah to want to put out this proclamation. The people – including the kings and priests – were deriving their vision from those around them. The present culture, and not the true God, had established the patterns of thought.
Doesn’t that seem like today? Many leaders – even ministers – use the surrounding culture to establish how they want to live. Sometimes people begin to believe that they are too smart for our Christian God. (Boy are they wrong)!
Hezekiah turned to the ancient writings to remind himself of the way it was supposed to be. And he followed the course prescribed. This was huge, since this feast had not been celebrated for many years.
The priests and Levites were ashamed of themselves, because they had been unfaithful to God’s principles of worship.
When the celebration got underway, there was tremendous rejoicing. The people didn’t know what they were missing until they experienced it.
Then they all went about destroying the idols and altars to the foreign gods.
“So there was great joy in Jerusalem, because there was nothing like this in Jerusalem since the days of Solomon the son of David, king of Israel.” (30:26)
There is great joy when we return to the truths of the Bible. Of course, there are certain things which are cultural. But there are certain truths which are constant whether you are living in New York City in a high-rise overlooking Central Park or a remote village of Africa. Or whether you lived two centuries ago or today. Certain truths prevail.
Oh, Lord, let us find the truth of your Word, and let us live it out the way you want us to!
John 18:1-18
There was certainly power in the words of Jesus! And power in His breath.
When the Roman soldiers came to arrest Jesus, He said’ “Whom do you seek?” They answered, “Jesus, the Nazarene.” When Jesus replied “I am He,” the soldiers drew back and fell to the ground. (V. 4-5)
Now think about that for a minute. These Roman soldiers were not wimps. The Roman Empire was known for having a strong, disciplined army. They conquered all of the neighboring territories and brought them under subjection.
Don’t you think that they themselves were surprised when they fell down? Such power came out of the mouth of Jesus that they couldn’t withstand the force.
Now that’s what I call “power in your words!”
No one could take Jesus’ life until He was ready to lay it down. This was His time, so he submitted to the arrest and the coming trial.
“The cup which the Father has given Me, shall I not drink it?”(V. 11)
Thank you, Lord, for doing that for us.
by Suellen | Project 2013: Read The Bible
II Chronicles 28-29
Remember : the temple represents God’s presence – which also means His involvement.
Ahaz had turned to such evil that not only did he worship other gods, but this king destroyed the utensils of the temple and closed its doors. We’ve never seen this in Judah before. Horrible times in God’s promised Land.
Thankfully, however, Hezekiah becomes king and begins to restore things. He opens the doors of the temple and begins the repairs. He also re-institutes the sacrifices with the priests and Levites.
Interestingly, the people are ready for this good change, because when Hezekiah calls for the burnt offerings, more are brought than the priests can handle. They have to have the Levites pitch in with the work.
Now we get a hint as to how Ahaz could have gotten so far off course. When Hezekiah calls for the priests and Levites to consecrate themselves, the “Levites were more conscientious to consecrate themselves than the priests.” (29:34)
The priests had lost their zeal for God and had allowed Ahaz to run amok. God’s men, who should have been upholding His purposes – even when evil kings were on the scene – had stepped down from their post. They had allowed the temple to be ransacked and closed.
Today, if you look around you can see some of God’s men who are more faithful to the current trends of thought than they are to God. It is sad when this happens. God’s leaders are the keepers of the flame. Without those keepers doing their jobs, the flame can go out – or become very dimly lit.
It’s interesting in Hezekiah’s day, however, that the regular people and the Levites are more eager to get back with God’s program than the priests.
If the leaders won’t do it, God will raise up others who will.
I pray that the Christian leaders of today will rise to the occasion as our Father is calling for restoration. Many of them will.
But where leaders won’t, God will go to the next level and raise up other believers to stand up for Him.
Our God needs a voice in our present day, pleasure-driven society.
John 17
This chapter is what I call the “real Lord’s Prayer.” I know that we recite another one together, but this chapter is the real deal.
When you understand about prayer, you understand that God wants His people to ask Him for His purposes.That’s one of our privileges as a believer. It all goes back to the beginning (Genesis 1-3),when He put man into the earth to “have dominion,” and “rule over” everything. Man has been given a certain amount of authority on the earth, which includes free will and the charge to ask for what we want from God. (His will).
I think that this prayer we see here is one of Jesus’ primary missions in coming to the earth.
If there was ever anyone who was in God’s perfect will and who could count on God’s will being done in His life it would be Jesus. Right? Well, isn’t it interesting that He tells God that the time had come? “Glorify Thy Son.” (V.1) Why? A man needed to pray that.
Then He goes on to pray for us. He prays that God will keep us from the evil one, and He says some shocking things.
“As Thou didst send Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world.”(V.18). We are to represent Him when He has gone.
Just in case you may be thinking that this prayer was for the disciples of that day, look at verse 20. “I do not ask in behalf of these alone, but for those also who believe in Me through their word.” That’s us!
The next part of the prayer is one that the Lord is really working on today. He prays that we will be one – with Him and with each other, so that people will know that He had been sent by God. And that God loves us – just as much as He loves Jesus. (V. 23) Wow!! And again I say, wow!!
As soon as the church was instituted after Jesus ascended to Heaven, the church started dividing up. One group thought this; the next group thought that. Look at the many denominations and doctrines out there now, and we see where this division has taken us. A house divided.
Now I’m not endorsing Universalism, I am endorsing all Christian churches which believe that Jesus Christ was the Son of God, He paid the price for our sins on the cross, and He has sent his Holy Spirit back to earth to live within our hearts. If we believe that, then we need to honor each other and reach out for the common purpose of affecting our communities.
I think that when we get to Heaven, we are going to find that none of us was completely right or wrong. We all know in part and see in part, and we can learn from each other.
My husband, Mickey, does a lot of teaching along these lines. He says that we are twelve tribes, but one nation. As the tribes of Israel each had their own banner, customs, and leadership, so do our Christian “tribes.” But when they went to war, they went as a nation.
When our different Bible-believing denominations come together for His purposes – to bring His plans into the earth – we need to come together in humility, appreciating each other, loving each other, and affecting our communities as one.
Remember when we have seen all of the barbaric things happening in the early chapters of the Bible? Remember that God’s plan all through that was to raise up a nation which could introduce His plan of redemption into the world? And a nation that could bring forth a Savior? All of God’s dealings with the Jews under the Old Covenant were to introduce the necessity for a blood sacrifice and a true walk with God.
Well, look at verse 24. Jesus says that God had loved Him before the foundation of the world. Before any of what we see was even here, God’s plan of redemption had been established.
Does this make your head tilt? It should,because none of us are really walking in all that has been provided for us. There is always more to learn and more to reach out for as we journey with the Lord.
I hope you will read this chapter several times. This is the prayer that Jesus prayed for you! Think about it and meditate on it.
Are you living up to what Jesus did for you? Let’s keep moving forward – pressing toward the mark.
by Suellen | Project 2013: Read The Bible
II Chronicles 25-27
The torch is passed to Joash’s son, Amaziah, who starts out by trying to “do right in the sight of God.” He listens when a man of God warns him not to go to battle with the troops of Israel. And he wins the battle as he follows directions.
Yet he brings back the gods of the sons of Seir, sets them up, and begins to worship them. (It’s hard to figure some people out). Not only that, but no longer will he listen to the prophets.
So Amaziah challenges the king of Israel to war, and loses. Then all of the treasures are taken from the temple and carried off to Samaria.
Let’s see if Uzziah can get it right. This son of Amaziah replaces him when he is only 16 years old. Yay, it looks like he’s going to do well.
Uzziah reigns for 52 years. “And he continued to seek God in the days of Zechariah, who had understanding through the vision of God; and as long as he sought the Lord, God prospered him.” (26:5).
This king is industrious and innovative, building towers, cisterns, and establishing strong armies. “His fame spread afar, for he was marvelously helped until he was strong.” (V.26:15).
Then immediately Uzziah becomes proud in his heart and falls into sin. So the end of his life is tragic: he dies as a leper.
How many times do we have to go through this routine before we get the message? Over and over, the kings start out determined that they are going to follow God. Then by the time they end their reign, they have turned away. Pride has brought them down.
So Jotham reigns for 16 years, and he follows the Lord. However, the roots of rebellion have already been sown, and the people “continue acting corruptly.”(27:2)
We could certainly learn some lessons from these historical accounts. It’s not how we start our walk as much as how we finish it. It’s easy to start out with lots of zeal, but we are in this walk with our God for the long haul.
I want to finish strong!
John 16
Jesus elaborates more on the Holy Spirit, and His mission when Jesus leaves. The words He shares with His disciples couldn’t possibly be understood by them at this moment. They don’t really know what is about to happen.
Remember, Jesus said earlier that the Holy Spirit would bring to remembrance the Words which He had spoken. For right now, their heads have to be spinning.
What? Where are you going? Why can’t we go?
Yet He offers comfort to them – and to us. “When He comes, the Spirit of Truth, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak ; and He will disclose to you what is to come.”(V.13)
Today, if we are Christians, we have this wonderful Holy Spirit of God living inside of us. He does indeed guide us into the truth. He explains to us the Word, and He shows us what we need to do. “It has been to our advantage for Jesus to have left” (V.7), because now we have the Holy Spirit for ourselves.
Now God loves us, just as He loves Jesus. The new dispensation of grace has been born into the world.
“If we ask the Father for anything, He will give it to us in Jesus’ name.” (V.23). “Ask, and you will receive that your joy may be made full.”(V. 24).
Do you believe those two verses? Do you believe that your prayers will be answered?
I believe that everything Jesus said was absolutely true! I believe that as we are in Jesus – and He in us – that what we ask will be according to His will. We won’t ask for evil; we will only ask for good. And those things will be given to us so that our joy may be made full.
Yes, Lord, I believe.
