Good morning friends, As Hebrews 1 tells us, in the past, God spoke at many times and many ways.  Daniel is certainly a prime example.  He had visions of future events and here he has an angelic visitation where the angel gives a verbal description of the future.  But Daniel knew that he was receiving revelation from God and faithfully recorded what he heard. Blessings, Jeff This is one of those times when chapters can make it harder to understand what is going on.  Daniel has two visions, one under Belshazzar (chapter 9) and the under Cyrus (Chapter 10 and 11) who would start the return of the exiles to Judah.  However chapter 11 starts by talking about Darius who was king before Cyrus.  Also, trying to keep the cast of characters straight.  The "me" refers to "the man dressed in linen" from 10:5.  It would be easy to think it meant Daniel as he is the human author or archangel Michael as he is the last named being in previous verse.  But ne...

Good morning friends, As you may know, I worked at Millstone Nuclear Power station.  Back in the mid 90's, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission shut us down due to nuclear safety concerns.  A plant manager once said "If I wanted loyalty, I would buy a dog".  You can imagine how this made employees feel.  The owner at the time, Northeast Utilities, refused to listen to employee concerns.  There were many technical issues, but the NRC lost confidence in the company to address safety issues.  Yet the leaders of the company refused to fire themselves and put new management in place.  I thought about this as I was writing this devotional.  What is your trouble?  You are, O king. Blessings, Jeff Observations: The king asks a question that unmasks condition of his heart.  What is your problem?  Why don't you just look around and see the miserable condition of the city.   The contrast between the king's piety (wearing sackcloth under...

Good morning beloved, Some wise men have said that context matters.  The passage for today certainly proves that point. Blessings, Jeff So what does the way women dress have to do with prayer?  This chapter is about all Christians (men and women) praying for all people.  So this is not a male chauvinist giving his opinion of women's fashions.  It really is a remarkable statement about complementary role of the sexes in prayer.  Many sceptics point to passages like this and accuse Christians of oppressing women.  But nothing could be further from the truth. Context Contrast between Church and pagan culture. In Roman world, women were generally no better than slaves.  But Paul sees women as having a vital part in the spiritual discipline of prayer.  We know that this is the case because v8 looks at men's role and v9 at women's role.  If Paul thought that only men were to pray, he would not say anything about women. Prayer in a pagan world is es...

Good morning brothers and sisters, One of the things that makes me confident that the Bible is true is the impact revelation had on the men who received it.  No one would sign up for this task.  And no one would keep going without the life changing impact of having received some part of God's self revelation.  Daniel is a prime example. Blessings, Jeff After all that he has experienced personally and interpreted for others, Daniel's visions of the future utterly undoes him.  When Gabriel appears and comes near him, Daniel falls on his face.  Then when Gabriel speaks to him, he falls into a deep sleep with his face to the ground.  Then Gabriel touches him and makes him stand up.   If the person who has the vision accurately records it, seeks to understand it, has an angelic visitation to "make this man understand", gets the explanation and accurately records that as well, but at the end still does not understand, how are we to claim to understand i...

Good morning friends, We are familiar with the Christmas carol, "We three kings"  Here we have a different group of three kings who find themselves out of water in a wilderness.  These guys are not following a star or looking for a savior.  They are out doing what seems right in their own eyes. Blessings, Jeff Observations You would think the Jehoshaphat would have learned his lesson.  He made an alliance with Ahab that almost got him killed.  Ahab disguised himself so the Syrians thought Jehoshaphat was the king of Israel and initially went after him.  But now here is in alliance with Ahab's second son, Jehoram, which means "Jehovah is exalted". Consulting a prophet of the Lord regarding battle plans is a last resort.  Jehoram decided to march through the wilderness of Edom to put down the revolt of the king of Moab.  After a "circuitous seven days march" they find themselves out of water.  Maybe that is why it is called "the wilderness of E...

Good afternoon friends, A few thoughts about Daniel at toward the end of his career as a prophet and as a political leader. Blessings, Jeff A new king from a new empire but Daniel is still at the top.  Darius the Mede wipes out the Babylonian empire, but keeps Daniel as an advisor.  The Jewish captive of Nebuchadnezzar outlives the empire that took Judah captive.  He immediately becomes a respected leader within the new Median regime.  Perhaps the story of the handwriting on the wall got the attention of Darius.  The evidence of an "excellent spirit."  Daniel had demonstrated that he was not afraid to speak truth to a king.  A wise king would see the value in this trait.  Being surrounded by 'yes men" who would not warn of the dangers of a course of action can be fatal. From Daniel's perspective, after a life of God's proven record of providing for him, not much can distract him from obedience to God.  Being a top official does not go to his ...

Happy Independence Day (originally 7/4/21) While we celebrate the day the founders declared independence, we didn't really become independent until Yorktown.  Even then, the British were not really willing to let us go.  That is why we had to do it again in War of 1812.  Glenda and I were watching a show about "how the states got their shapes".  This episode was about how "mother nature" impacted the shape of states.  Did you know that just after the British burnt the capitol and the White House, a tornado swept through DC and the British promptly left town.  Sounds like divine intervention to me.   It was for freedom, that Christ set us free.  You shall know the truth and the truth will set you free. Blessings, Jeff I don't know if this is this is most quoted verse of the most quoted psalm in New Testament, but it has to be close. Some observations:  The LORD - YHWH, the I AM.  my Lord - Adon, sovereign, i.e. controller (human or d...

Here we are at the end of 1 Kings already. Today we look at a series of events that some might say proves that there are random arrows and therefore God is not in control of whatsoever comes to pass.  But closer look shows otherwise. Blessings, Jeff I love passages like this that make God's sovereignty seem problematic.  Right here a certain unnamed man in the Syrian army drew his bow at random and the arrow just happened to find the open spot between scale armor and breastplate to deliver a mortal wound to Ahab.  Isn't this saying that God was not in control of the soldier, the bow, the arrow, the armor and Ahab.  Apparently, It all happened by accident. But then we read "they washed the chariot by the pool of Samaria, and the dogs licked up his blood, and the prostitutes washed themselves in it, according to the word of the LORD that he had spoken"   While it is true that none of the players in this drama knew their role, all these intermediate events wer...

Good afternoon fellow pilgrims, There is a lot in prophetic books about the future that is hard to understand.  But stories like this of things that actually happened can also be a challenge.  So here are a couple of thoughts that I hope you find helpful.  God has certainly challenged me as I wrote these things. Blessings, Jeff  Just pondering what 6th petition means in light of persecution and coercion.  I would like it to mean that those inspired by evil (either sin or the devil) would be restrained from issuing such decrees.  That way, I would not be tempted to publicly save my skin by bowing down.  But I am convicted by just writing those words.  For I see that I am tempted and have already yielded to the temptation to save my skin privately numerous times.  These are much subtler circumstances like not wanting to offend people by a "2 But we have renounced disgraceful, underhanded ways. We refuse to practice cunning or to tamper with God...

Good morning brothers and sisters, Today's passage is another example in how God uses prophets for the correction of kings.  In ancient Israel, the highest political authority is subject to correction by an unnamed prophet.  The point is that the king is not "personally autonomous".  He is subject to the Lord in all things.  The king's authority is derived.  In our day "personal autonomy" has trickled all the way down to individual citizens.  However, it wasn't true of kings and it not true of us. Blessings, Jeff God uses an unnamed prophet to pronounce judgment on Ahab for letting Ben-hadad, the king of Syria, go free after routing the Syrian army. I think this is an example of what Jesus later taught in the Sermon on the Mount. Why do you see the speck that is in your brother's eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? 4 Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when there is the log in your own eye?...

Good morning fellow saints in the Lord, Today's passage is short, but filled with challenges. Blessings, Jeff Paul conducted his ministry in such a way that the people he discipled were walking in a manner worthy of God.  This is another "remember what you should never forget" passages. Observations: repetition for emphasis - he exhorted, encouraged and charged each one to walk...  There can be no doubt in their minds as to what Paul thought was important.  He did these things when he was with them and then wrote them down in the letter to remind them of what he had said.  I can just imagine that every conversation he had with each person involved some discussion about their walk.  Not much room for the weather, sports or other trivialities. the "oh by the way" about God - who calls you into his own kingdom and glory.  While he spends most of the time on how he ministered, don't forget that it is God who calls, not Paul.  It is God's kingdom and glory ...

Good afternoon friends, As Ezekiel concludes, I come back to the thought that prophetic writings are different than any other forms in the Bible.  Are they "literal" or "figurative/symbolic" or a mixture?  This last chapter seems to say Yes to all these options. Blessings, Jeff Last words from Ezekiel describe the distribution of the twelve tribes, giving Joseph's 2 sons shares and excluding Levi.  But most of the chapter is about the "new" holy portion for the city, temple, Levites, priests and prince. Observations In this new Israel, all the tribes are regathered and have essentially equal strips of land.  This is another difficult thing to understand.  The 10 northern tribes (Israel) were dispersed and tribal purity was almost certainly lost.  So how do these tribes become reconstituted?  Judah and Benjamin were intact up to the time of the exile.  Benjamin seems to have some ongoing identity into New Testament times as Paul proclaims that he i...

Good afternoon friends Some time ago in an adult Sunday School class, Pat showed us one of many Ray Vanderlaan videos.  This one was about understanding the word picture of Psalm 23 - "green pastures" of the Middle East shepherd was not very appealing/  It was green in relative terms, not absolute.  So this came to mind as a worked on today's devotional. Blessings, Jeff This seems like a good place to mention one of the themes of God's provision.  In general, He gives just enough to get from one place to another.  Elijah has just been fed by ravens and drawn water from a brook for some period of time.  Not exactly "your best life now".  Then the brook dries up.  Natural reaction would be to get all worried about where next drink of water was going to come from.  But God has a plan. The widow in Zarephath (outside of the promised land, a Gentile) will feed you.  Maybe Elijah thought that this was going to be a step up from what the ravens...

Good morning beloved in the Lord, As I was writing this devotional this morning, I started to think about how Paul addresses believers as "saints".  In Christ, this is who we are.  We have absolute confidence in the sufficiency of Christ's work on the cross.  Our relationship or communion with God is assured.  The activities in the new temple give us a picture of this. Blessings, Jeff Observations: Sacrifices at Sabbaths and new moons will continue to be celebrated in the new temple. The prince is at the center of these frequent sacrifices. The priests offer the sacrifices but the prince is the one who provides the animals, grain and oil. These sacrifices are not related to atoning for sin.  So their continuation after the crucifixion is not as problematic.  However, I think it is interesting that Sabbath and new moon observations were one of the failures in pre and post-exile Judah.  Failure to keep the fourth commandment by trading appears in many of...

Good evening friends, Writing this on 6/27/21 after listening to Jonathan's sermon on true and false children of God and how our attitude toward the Bible is a barometer for our relationship with the Lord. I especially concur with the thought that it takes time to grow in the Word.  If this is the first time you have read through the Bible, don't be discouraged by not finishing in a year.  Hang in there and God will bless you for your diligence. Blessings, Jeff  Many psalms speak of God's holiness, but this is David's personal commitment to integrity. This verse extends the standard to those around David. Let us meditate and inquire about this verse. What does it say? How would David know about those who secretly slander their neighbor?  I think this is more a warning that no private slander stays that way very long.  Eventually the slanderer puts his words into action or someone who heard that words reports them to others.  Spurgeon says that David knew th...

A short plug for small group Bible study.  Our two current options for small group Bible study are women's group on Thursday mornings and men's D(evotions) on Saturday morning.  The elders recognize the need for other options as not everyone is available at these times.  Studying the Bible with other Christians is one of the ways which the Holy Spirit will produce maturity in each believer.  So I encourage you to join one of the these groups or let one of the elders know when you would be available for another group. Blessings Heff Both women's and men's Bible study were looking at 1 Kings 12 and following this past spring.  This episode was a vivid example of how bad theology can make you do some pretty silly things.   Jeroboam is the first king of the new Northern Kingdom aka Israel.  He apparently believes that the prophet who told him that he would become king could also tell him if his son would recover.  If the story ended there, we mig...

Good morning friends, Are you ready for a dive into the deep end of the theological pool? The fact that Calvin did not comment on this makes me hesitant to even look at it.  But I think we can come to a reasonable tentative conclusion. Blessings, Jeff  This is a difficult passage if this new temple is the same as the one described in Revelation.  The continuation of the sacrificial system after the crucifixion is not consistent with the fulfillment of that system.  How are we to understand this? Here are some commentaries Reformaton Study Bible - 43:21. outside. See Ex 29:14; Lev 4:12, Lev 4:21; Lev 8:17; Lev 9:11; Lev 16:27. The writer of Hebrews interprets these instructions as an aspect of Christ’s offering of Himself (Heb 13:11-13). Ezekiel 43:21 43:18–27  ESV Study Bible notes - This section describes the rituals of purification required for the altar before it is fit for regular use. Although the preceding verses have focused on the altar's design, its act...

Good morning fellow exiles and sojourners, Today we are confronted with the division of Israel just one generation after David, the man after God's own heart. Making sense out of moments like this is not easy when we think in human terms.  Reality is that God's plan of salvation includes this rather disastrous turn of events.  It only make sense in light of God acting for his glory and our good. Blessings, Jeff The fragile relationship between Israel and the house of David.  All the tribes followed Saul up to his death in spite of the fact that they all knew that God had rejected him as king.  After Saul's death all but Judah remained loyal to Saul's line until Abner makes a deal.  When Absalom rebels, almost all Israel goes with him.  All this despite the great victories that David had won.  And now because of Solomon's disobedience, God tears the 10 tribes away from his son Rehoboam. US history kind of did the same thing.  Washington was elected...

Dear friends, One of the most significant tools God used in my live was the Navigators 2:7 discipleship program.  It is based on Colossians 2:7 and was a two year small group that emphasized personal quiet times, memorizing scripture.  They used "the topical memory system"  2 verses on a given topic and 6 topics within a group.  So I started this in the late 80's and was faithful for about 5 years.  However I stopped when I did just about all the verses in the system.  About 6 years ago, I discovered The Fighter Verses from John Piper's Desiring God ministry.  This is a 5 year program of topics but also extended passages.  I have been able to memorize 2 books (James and Philippians) and large sections of other books.  Just want to encourage you to give it a try. Blessings, Jeff  I was memorizing this verse when I was volunteering at Wildwood Christian School.  Working with children for the first time in a long time, I was struck tha...

In contrast to the interaction between Solomon and Hiram, Ezekiel's vision of the new temple is full of significance.  So this is just the beginning. Blessings Jeff The beginning of Ezekiel's vision of the new Jerusalem.  The day that Jerusalem falls, Ezekiel is taken in the spirit back to Israel where he encounters this man whose appearance was like bronze and who had a measuring read in his hand. Observations: The worst day in Jewish history up to this point is the occasion for a promise of future restoration beyond imagination. Ezekiel is not taken back to view the destruction of Jerusalem, but "a very high mountain, on which was a structure like a city to the south" Some aspects are very detailed such as the measuring reed and "that very day".   But others are very vague.  The man's appearance was like bronze, the structure was like a city. Implications The 'memorable day".  December 7, JFK assassination, Challenger explosion, 9/11.  They ar...

Good afternoon brothers and sisters, Just a short comment on an unusual event. Blessings, Jeff The odd story of an unappreciated gift.  Didn't find much in commentaries or study Bible notes to explain this. These two kings had a good working relationship. So it is hard to figure out if the gift was really not too valuable or if the expectation was too high.  I am sure that this event is somehow related to the promised seed of Genesis 3:15, but I am also content not to make something out of it that isn't really there.  It may be as simple that one disappointment between friends was not blown out of proportion and didn't have long term impact on relationship.  This may be an example of the proverb  Good sense makes one slow to anger, and it is his glory to overlook an offense. Proverbs 19:11

Friends, As we have mentioned before, prophetic can drift between specific and symbolic.  And it is hard to really know when it has happened.  I hope these thoughts are encouraging Blessings Jeff Chapters 38 & 39 are prophecies against Gog. From Reformation Study Bible notes: Rather than add to speculation about future history, modern readers should understand that Ezekiel himself uses these nations as symbolic references to all powers arrayed against God’s people. Ezekiel contains many oracles against foreign nations (Eze 29), but there is none specifically against Babylon, where he and the exiles were held in captivity. Some have suggested that Magog, Meshech, and Tubal are veiled references to Babylon, the immediate enemy. Gog and Magog recur in John’s apocalyptic description of future conflict between good and evil (Rev 20:8). Ezekiel 38:2 I thought v17 to 19 were interesting for a couple of reasons. 1. my wrath will be roused in my anger. For in my jealousy and in my ...

Good morning friends, We are not told much about the circumstances of this psalm that would result in such deep distress.  Yet the light of faith is evident.  I hope these thoughts encourage you on your walk today. Blessings, Jeff Psalms such as this force me to ponder, Why would anyone write such a song if he did not believe that God would hear his prayer and give him relief in some way?   In preparation for upcoming sermon on 6th petition (lead us not into temptation...), I have been reading Calvin's chapter on prayer in the Institutes.  Section 13 God’s command and promise as motive for prayer.  Not only are we commanded to pray, we are given the promise that God hears and will answer.  It seems to me, that the psalmist, Heman the Ezrahite, knew this deep in his soul.   All the world has to offer is "The seven stages of grief".  Of course, to the promise to hear and answer is only to those who believe that the God who gave the promise...

Good morning friends, Sometimes we get wrapped up in all the details of the tabernacle and now Solomon's temple.  So here are some thoughts about the Holy of Holies which is the focal point of the house of God. Blessings, Jeff The cherubim in the inner sanctuary aka the Holy of Holies. The Holy of Holies in the tabernacle was 20x20x20 cubits.  The ark itself was 2.5x1.5 cubits.  So a relatively large space for a relatively small box where the infinite God met with His people.  Exodus 25:17-20 You shall make a mercy seat of pure gold. Two cubits and a half shall be its length, and a cubit and a half its breadth. 18 And you shall make two cherubim of gold; of hammered work shall you make them, on the two ends of the mercy seat. 19 Make one cherub on the one end, and one cherub on the other end. Of one piece with the mercy seat shall you make the cherubim on its two ends. 20 The cherubim shall spread out their wings above, overshadowing the mercy seat with their wings, ...

Another "history matters" devotion.   Mount Seir is representative of Edom which is Esau, Jacob's brother.  When Jacob came back to Canaan after the 20 years spent with Laban, Jacob was afraid of what Esau might do to him.  But eventually,  Then Esau took his wives, his sons, his daughters, and all the members of his household, his livestock, all his beasts, and all his property that he had acquired in the land of Canaan. He went into a land away from his brother Jacob. For their possessions were too great for them to dwell together. The land of their sojournings could not support them because of their livestock.  So Esau settled in the hill country of Seir. (Esau is Edom.) Genesis 36:6-8 It would seem that after all the years that Esau and his descendants lived outside of Canaan that they would not really be interested in taking Israel and Judah's place when they are sent dispersed or sent into exile.  Yet that is exactly why God will judge them....

Good Sabbath day to you, Enjoying a quiet Father's Day in Madison after listening to Jonathan's sermon of freedom.  Saying "Yes" to God's design and "No" to the desires of the flesh is true freedom.  But it is a daily battle.  Spending the whole time in the public and private exercises of God's worship (WSC question 60) is my "Yes" for this day. Blessings, Jeff  I have wondered how it is that God appeared to Solomon while he was sacrificing at a "great high place." And after his marriage alliance with Pharaoh.  His first acts are contrary with God's revealed will. But after the dream, Solomon sacrifices before the ark in the tabernacle. Yet he does not reconsider marriage alliance and continues on to have many foreign wives and concubines. I listened to another Martyn Lloyd Jones sermon on Romans 8.  In an overview of Paul's method, he points our that Paul always lays out theology and then addresses practical application. ...

Good evening my friends, Just keeping pace for today (June '21).  Still about 3 weeks behind on devotions.  But I am glad to be able to write as an encouragement to you as you read.  Every day in the Word is a blessing. Blessings, Jeff Some observations: Reaping is the theme.  We modern, technologically savvy people miss the agricultural context of the Bible.  Every farmer knows that what you sow determines what you reap.  The rest of us just go to the store and buy food without really thinking about how it got there.  Paul is using this analogy for spiritual purposes.   The black and white of salvation.  Either dead or alive.  Not a little of each.  Either flesh or Spirit.  Not a little of each  Works or faith. One way or many ways.  The plan of salvation presented in the Bible is contrary to all other faiths.  Going all the way back to Genesis 3:15, God has promised one way for the  head of the serpen...