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Oho, Oho, A Harlot’s Life For Me (Ezekiel 23:1-49)

March 16, 2025

John Bunyan left nothing to guess work in his classic book, whose full title is, The Pilgrim’s Progress From This World to That Which Is to Come.

  • Character’s names include Christian & Christiana, Obstinate, Evangelist, Hypocrisy & Charity.
  • The pilgrimage follows the main character, Christian, traveling from the City of Destruction to the Celestial City, which is home to the Tree of Life and has streets paved with gold.

The Lord makes it just as obvious that our text is an allegory. He introduces two sisters, Oholah and Oholibah, and immediately reveals, “Samaria is Oholah, and Jerusalem is Oholibah” (v4).

He describes them as unfaithful wives:

  • The LORD says of Oholah, “She has never given up her harlotry brought from Egypt…” (v8).
  • The LORD says of Oholibah, “Thus I will make you cease your lewdness and your harlotry Brought from the land of Egypt, So that you will not lift your eyes to them, Nor remember Egypt anymore.”

Several NT passages assume that idolatry will be a peril in our relationship with Jesus.

  • First John 5:21 “Little children, keep yourselves from idols.”
  • First Corinthians 10:14 “Therefore, my beloved, flee from idolatry.”
  • Colossians 3:5 “Therefore put to death your members which are on the earth: fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry.”

Idolatry isn’t just breaking God’s law. It breaks His heart in ways we cannot fathom.

I’ll organize my comments around two points: #1God’s Love For You Is Intimate, and #2 God’s Love For You Is Incessant.

#1 God’s Love For You Is Intimate (v1-10)

You’ve seen those parental warnings on-screen? For this chapter, it would be NC-17 for Vulgar Language. Profanity is common – even in church – but it’s unnecessary. Rather than dismissing all of those under 18yrs, I’ve paraphrased the NKJV eliminating explicit wording.

There’s almost nothing here that is hard to understand. It won’t require a great deal of commentary. The story is for impact.

The word of the Lord came again to me, saying, “Son of man, there were two women, the daughters of one mother. They acted unfaithfully in their youth; there, their hearts were led astray, and they gave their devotion to others. Their names were Oholah the elder and Oholibah her sister; they were Mine, and they bore sons and daughters. As for their names: Oholah is Samaria, and Oholibah is Jerusalem.

The root word from which their names derive is ohel, meaning “tent” or “tabernacle.”

  • Oholah means her own Tabernacle.
  • Oholibah means My Tabernacle is in her.

After King Solomon’s death, Israel split into two kingdoms. The 10 northern tribes were called Israel, and the 2 southern tribes were called Judah. God had designated Jerusalem’s Temple as the only proper place of worship. His Tabernacle was in Jerusalem. The northern tribes established a man-made false system of worship in Samaria – her own Tabernacle.

Oholah played the harlot even though she was Mine; and she gave her heart to her lovers, the Assyrians, Clothed in blue, captains and rulers, all of them desirable young men, horsemen riding on horses. Thus she pursued the Assyrians, all of them attractive men, and she defiled herself with all their idols. She did not give up her past unfaithfulness, for when she was in Egypt, they had influenced her, and she had followed after them. Therefore, I delivered her into the hands of her lovers, into the hand of the Assyrians for whom she had longed. They uncovered her sins, took her children and daughters away, and killed her with the sword. She became an example to other women, for they executed judgment on her.”

I’ve been captivated by how Ezekiel, and the Bible, portray God’s emotions. Many scholars argue that God cannot have feelings in a meaningful sense because that would imply a dependence on us and compromise His sovereignty.

In verse twenty-five the LORD will say, “I will set My jealousy against you.” Jealousy is an extremely strong emotion. Nevertheless the Bible often attributes it to the Lord. Of course it is to be distinguished from human jealousy, which is rooted in insecurity or selfishness. God’s jealousy is holy – and I would argue that it is, therefore, far more intense than ours.

In the OT God describes Himself being affected by intense sorrow. Hosea 11:8, “How can I give you up, O Ephraim? … My heart recoils within me; my compassion grows warm and tender.”

Jesus famously wept. In Hebrews 4:15 Jesus, as fully God and fully man, sympathizes with human weakness.

Bottom line: God has genuine emotions… But without it affecting His sovereignty.

The whole point of treating Samaria and Jerusalem as unfaithful wives is to elicit strong emotion from the Jews in Jerusalem.

Marital unfaithfulness hurts so bad. Proverbs says, “Can a man take fire to his bosom, and his clothes not be burned? Can one walk on hot coals, and his feet not be seared? So is he who goes in to his neighbor’s wife; whoever touches her shall not be innocent” (6:27-29).

Spiritual infidelity is hurtful & painful for the LORD. Regardless of how we understand God’s emotions, He chose this illustration to show us the deep pain He experiences when we turn away from Him for something or someone else.

When I am tempted to physical or spiritual infidelity, I ought to think about how much it hurts My Father in Heaven, my Savior seated at His right hand, and God the Holy Spirit who indwells me.

#2 God’s Love For You Is Incessant[1] (v11-49)

God turns our attention to Jerusalem (Oholibah).

“Now although her sister Oholibah saw this, she became even more corrupt in her unfaithfulness, behaving worse than her sister. She pursued the Assyrians – leaders, rulers, and well-dressed warriors – all of them desirable young men riding on horses. I saw that she too was defiled, and both sisters followed the same path. But she increased her unfaithfulness even more. She saw men portrayed on the wall, images of Babylonians drawn in bright colors, Wearing belts around their waists and flowing turbans on their heads, all looking like officers, images of the Babylonians from Chaldea. As soon as she saw them, she longed for them and sent messengers to them in Chaldea. Then the Babylonians came to her and led her into unfaithfulness, and she became defiled by them. Yet after this, she became disgusted with them. When she openly displayed her unfaithfulness and exposed her heart, I turned away from her, just as I had turned away from her sister. Yet she increased her wrongdoing, longing for the days of her youth when she followed after those in Egypt. She was drawn to them, just as she had been before, and pursued them again. So you repeated the ways of your youth, when you acted unfaithfully with the Egyptians.”

Egypt is mentioned four times in this chapter: “They committed harlotry in Egypt… She has never given up her harlotry brought from Egypt… Thus I will make you cease your lewdness and your harlotry Brought from the land of Egypt, So that you will not lift your eyes to them, Nor remember Egypt anymore.”

The Exodus was in 1446BC. Ezekiel is 586BC. Nine hundred years after being delivered, the Jews continued to worship the gods of Egypt.

“You can take the Hebrew out of Egypt, but it proved so hard to take Egypt out of the Hebrew;” Now replace “Hebrew” with “Christian.”

Christians bring their idols with them, too. A ‘for instance’ in the Bible would be the episode in the city of Ephesus where we read, “Also, many of those who had practiced magic brought their books together and burned them in the sight of all. And they counted up the value of them, and it totaled fifty thousand pieces of silver” (Acts 19:19).

Letting go of the “idols” we carried into our relationship with the Lord can be a lifelong process.

“Therefore, Oholibah, thus says the Lord God: ‘I will stir up your lovers against you – those whom you have turned away from – and I will bring them against you from every side: The Babylonians, all the Chaldeans, Pekod, Shoa, and Koa; all the Assyrians with them, desirable young men, leaders and rulers, officers and warriors, all riding on horses.

They shall come against you with weapons, chariots, and an army of people. They will surround you with shields, helmets, and armor, and I will put judgment before them, and they shall judge you according to their ways.

“Why, God?” questions need to be put into the context of people rejecting God & being given what they want.

I will set My jealousy against you, and they shall deal with you in fury. They shall remove what you value, and take away what is precious to you. They shall strip you of your garments and take away your fine jewelry. Thus I will remove from you the sins of your youth, and you will no longer look to Egypt for help. For thus says the Lord God: ‘Surely I will deliver you into the hands of those you hate, into the hands of those from whom you turned away. They will deal harshly with you, taking away what you labored for and leaving you exposed and empty. The shame of your unfaithfulness and wrongdoing will be revealed.

During the reigns of David & Solomon, the Israelites were a military world power. David had his “Mighty Men.” But Israel only existed and continues to exist because the LORD fought for them. Take God out of the equation and they were easily conquered & dispersed. Take no credit; point to Jesus, genuinely.

You have brought this upon yourself because you pursued the nations and defiled yourself with their idols. You have followed in your sister’s ways, therefore I will put her punishment upon you.

The next time you are struggling with an OT text that seems to point to unfairness or capriciousness in God, remember the phrase, “You have brought this upon yourself.” How much worse would suffering be if there were no God?

‘Thus says the Lord God: “You shall drink your sister’s cup, Deep and wide, You shall be filled with sorrow and scorn. You will be filled with ruin and devastation, The cup of your sister Samaria.nYou shall drink from it and drain it, Break its pieces, And tear at yourself in sorrow, For I have spoken,’ says the Lord God.

Therefore thus says the Lord God: ‘Because you have forgotten Me and cast Me behind your back, you shall bear the consequences of your unfaithfulness and wrongdoing.’ ”

The Lord also said to me: “Son of man, will you judge Oholah and Oholibah? Then declare to them their abominations. For they have been unfaithful, committing offenses against Me. They have even sacrificed their children, whom they bore to Me, to false gods. Moreover, they have defiled My sanctuary on the same day and profaned My Sabbaths. On the very day they sacrificed their children to idols, they came into My sanctuary and defiled it. This is what they have done inside My house!

Furthermore, you sent messengers to distant lands, and when they arrived, you welcomed them. You bathed, adorned yourself with fine jewelry, and put on makeup. You sat on a splendid couch, with a prepared table before you, on which you placed My incense and oil. The noise of a carefree crowd was with her, including men from distant lands who adorned her hands and placed crowns on her head. Then I said concerning her, who had grown accustomed to such ways: ‘Will they still follow after her?’ But they went in to her, just as men go to a woman who has been unfaithful; so they pursued Oholah and Oholibah in their wickedness.

But righteous men will judge them for their unfaithfulness and for shedding blood, because they are guilty. For thus says the Lord God: ‘Bring an army against them! Let them be terrorized and plundered. The assembly shall stone them and strike them down with swords; they shall slay their children and burn their houses. Thus I will remove wickedness from the land, so that all women may take warning and not commit such acts. You shall bear the consequences of your unfaithfulness, and you shall know that I am the Lord God.’ ”

The Babylonian captivity would last a total of 70yrs. Afterwards the Jews were free to return home. However, they were not autonomous for another 2500yrs when on May 14th 1948 they became a nation again, in one day.

It followed on the heels of the Holocaust. On October 2nd 2023, they suffered the worst death toll since the Holocaust.

A bleak future looms: the Antichrist, or “man of sin,” will appear as a savior, negotiating a seven-year treaty. It marks Day One of the 7yr Great Tribulation. Midway through this period, he will desecrate the rebuilt Temple by entering the Holy of Holies, proclaiming himself as God and demanding worship.

Jesus warned those in Judea to flee from the antichrist’s persecution, possibly seeking refuge in the fortified city of Petra. In their distress, they will call upon the Lord for salvation. At His second coming, they will look upon Him whom they pierced and mourn, leading the surviving remnant to repentance and salvation.

Take an aerial view of history, mix in some Dead Sea Scrolls, then the writings of a few early church fathers, and you’ll have the Millennial Day Theory, aka, the Six-Ages-of-the-World. It links the six days of creation followed by a day of rest to six millennia of human history culminating in a millennium of rest. This interpretation suggests that each real, 24hr day of Creation symbolizes a thousand-year period of human history. The seventh day represents the Millennial Kingdom on Earth. I’m not all-in on that, but it is interesting because we are right now close to the end of the first 6000 years.

Even though nothing is impossible for God, and that there is nothing too hard for Him, the salvation of Israel and Gentile nations is no small task. It takes thousands of years to accomplish.

Be encouraged! Just as Israel is the apple of God’s eye, the Church is the Lord’s bride, His body, and His Temple on Earth. He began the work of saving us; He carries it forward; He must complete it.

 

References
↑1 unremitting, unrelenting, eternal, constant, unceasing

Prophecy Update #818 – His Number Is 6GG

March 16, 2025

We reserve a few minutes to discuss current trends that you’d expect from reading Bible prophecy.

We are futurists. We interpret all unfulfilled prophetic passages as future events that will occur in a literal, physical, apocalyptic, and global context.

Biometrics, Artificial Intelligence, cashless commerce, the manipulation of human DNA, global government, instantaneous global communication, the exponential growth of human knowledge, and the movement to rebuild a Temple on the Temple

Mount in Jerusalem.

These are predicted in the Bible and are trending as never before.

Technological advances interest us because the Book of the Revelation of Jesus Christ predicts a global government whose cashless economy and services will be accessed by a personal biometric identifier. This identifier, on the forehead or hand, will be necessary for a citizen to make purchases and to participate in society. It will create a tyrannical surveillance society. Once considered fanciful – that system could be implemented right now.

6G is coming.

One source reported, “6G is the next-generation wireless technology that will succeed 5G, promising significantly faster speeds, lower latency, and more efficient connectivity. It is expected to enable new advancements in artificial intelligence, immersive augmented and virtual reality, and internet-of-things (IoT) applications. Unlike 5G, which primarily improves mobile broadband, 6G aims to integrate AI-driven networks, terahertz (THz) frequencies, and advanced computing to support smart cities, autonomous systems, and even brain-computer interfaces.”

Did you catch all that? 6G isn’t simply a better phone network. Artificial Intelligence… Immersive augmented and virtual reality… Internet-of-things (IoT) applications… Advanced computing to support Smart Cities, autonomous systems, and even brain-computer interfaces.

6G will bring together many of the the End Times technologies we talk about. It perfectly describes the rule of antichrist.

They’re predicting a launch by 2030.

Author David Bowen writes, “This has been a slow, deliberate march toward total surveillance, control, and the erosion of individual autonomy. Let’s understand this has been forty years in the making. 6G isn’t just about faster internet, it’s about complete integration with AI, automation, and global connectivity.”

Samsung is saying 6G will revolutionize the way people interact with technology. They say 6G will address economic, environmental, and societal needs. It will be used in entertainment, medicine, education, and manufacturing.

Quoting David Bowen again, “6G will mean the total automation of society – every action, conversation, and movement tracked, monitored, and potentially controlled.”[1]

That is a good description of the reach & authority the government of the future Great Tribulation will exercise.

Jesus promised, “I also will keep you from the hour of trial which shall come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the Earth” (Revelation 3:10).

The resurrection and rapture of the church is always imminent. It could happen any moment; nothing needs to happen before it.

Are you ready for the rapture? If not, Get ready; Stay ready; Keep looking up.

Ready or not, Jesus is coming!

 

References
↑1 https://www.prophecynewswatch.com/article.cfm?recent_news_id=7993

For One Night Only (Mark 1:29-38)

March 12, 2025

What’s the longest shift you ever worked? Whatever it was, I’ll be Ludwig Van Isterdael has you beat. In 2023, the Flemish bartender served customers for 120 hours straight through, with little breaks here and there, and set a world record for longest shift tending bar.[1]

Mark is showing us a day-in-the-life of Jesus and His disciples. It’s a sabbath Saturday. Tonight we’ll see Jesus on a marathon tending and serving shift, as He spends the evening in Capernaum healing many sick and suffering people, before take a quick prayer break, then heading out the next morning to preach the Good News in other towns.

The people who saw these events did not truly understand who Jesus was and what the point of His wonders were. They focused entirely on the miracles, while failing to consider His message.

Mark 1:29 – 29 As soon as they left the synagogue, they went into Simon and Andrew’s house with James and John.

The Jewish sabbath started sundown Friday and ended at sundown Saturday. This is still Saturday before sundown, and so the legal and traditional rules about not working and the exact way you must conduct yourself would still be in effect.

Jesus became a local celebrity overnight. His fame was spreading everywhere. When your friend meets a celebrity, usually one of the first questions you ask them is, “What are they like in real life?” Mark wants us to see that Jesus is the same in the synagogue and in the fisherman’s home. Full of grace and truth and power. He was never putting on an act, never inflating Himself or posturing.

The Gospels show Jesus in many different situations. And they always reveal that our Lord is always the same no matter where He goes. We see Him in synagogues and in the temple, in gardens and in deserts, on hilltops and in ships at sea, in humble homes and Roman Praetoriums. He is always the same, always consistent. Always good, always true, always righteous.

But the Gospels also reveal that Jesus has authority and jurisdiction in every one of those places. Not just the sea and the mountains, but also the temples, the palaces, and your home and heart.

Mark 1:30 – 30 Simon’s mother-in-law was lying in bed with a fever, and they told him about her at once.

Fevers are not usually a big deal to us – though if you’ve ever had a really high fever, things get scary real quick. But Peter’s mother-in-law was in trouble.

The Gospel writers use phrases like, “[she was] laying prostrate, burning with fever.”[2] That she had been sick for some time.[3] In his book, Dr. Luke used a technical, medical phrase of the time, saying “she was holden with a great fever.”[4]

Not only was she in medical trouble, there could’ve been some societal trouble as well. At the time, fevers were often associated with God’s judgment for disobedience,[5] or with demonic activity. In fact, some rabbis taught that you could catch a fever from pagan dancing in the moonlight.[6]

The disciples do something great here: They told Jesus about Peter’s mother-in-law right away. Their swiftness is contrasted with how the rest of the townspeople delay until the sabbath is over to bring their suffering friends and family to the Lord. But Peter and the others did not hesitate, did not delay, did not think Jesus shouldn’t be bothered. They told Him about her at once. They believed Jesus cared and that He had power and that He wasn’t only concerned with battling supernatural entities, but also in bringing hope and help to regular people in regular life.

A biographical note here: Peter was married. Here we see his mother-in-law. Paul also references Peter’s wife and indicates that she traveled with him from place to place in his work as an apostle.[7] Church history records that Peter’s wife was martyred while he was forced to watch and that as she faced death he called out with comfort and encouragement for her to “Remember the Lord.”[8]

Mark 1:31 – 31 So he went to her, took her by the hand, and raised her up. The fever left her, and she began to serve them.

There are several sabbath traditions being broken here. I say traditions because it’s important that we understand that Jesus never broke God’s Law. He was often accused of breaking the Law by the Pharisees, but Jesus absolutely fulfilled the Law.[9] What He didn’t do is abide by the man-made traditions that the leaders of Israel had added on to the Law. He refuted the human interpretation of God’s Law. And He tried to show the people just how badly they were interpreting it.

This still happens today in our own legal system. We see a judge or a circuit court make a ruling about what must be done and how the law should be followed, and then the higher court or judge takes up the case and says, “No, no, you’ve misinterpreted that law and your ruling is reversed.”

Jesus didn’t break God’s law concerning the sabbath. But the people around Him at the time often couldn’t tell the difference between God’s commands and man’s traditions. In this scene there are several traditions being violated.

First of all, they would say Jesus should not be touching a sick person. Second, the fact that He touched a female who was not a relative would be offensive to Pharisee types.[10] But then, after being healed, Peter’s mother-in-law gets up and prepares the sabbath meal! It seems that she had been unable to prep the food Friday afternoon. Isn’t that a big no-no? Well, remember – as Jesus points out in Matthew 12 – the priests work in the temple on the sabbath and are deemed innocent, because they are serving God. And Christ is the Lord of the Sabbath. Like David and his men who were hungry and received the showbread, Jesus and His disciples receive a meal from a grateful and sanctified servant in the form of Peter’s mother-in-law.

We are saved to serve. It’s not the only reason, but it is a reason. Of course, there is an endless list of ways that we could serve the Lord whether it’s now or later, near or far. So which things does He want us to do? Well, that’s what walking with God is about. As you walk with Him you discover where He wants you to go, what He wants you to do, how He wants you to be His hands and feet.

But using this example, an important way we serve the Lord is by identifying the needs in front of us. God brings us into relationship with certain people, into a specific time and place, so we can help one another and love one another and bear one another’s burdens. So each Christian should be sensitive to needs right in front of them. God has positioned you where you are for a reason.

Mark 1:32 – 32 When evening came, after the sun had set, they brought to him all those who were sick and demon-possessed.

Maybe they thought Jesus wouldn’t help them before the sabbath ended.[11] Maybe they were afraid for their own standing in the eyes of the religious rulers.[12] Either way, this huge pool of suffering people had to suffer a little longer even though Jesus was ready to give tender mercy.

Mark 1:33-34 – 33 The whole town was assembled at the door, 34 and he healed many who were sick with various diseases and drove out many demons. And he would not permit the demons to speak, because they knew him.

This is a long night seeing a large number of people. The whole town came out. When it says in verse 34 that He healed “many,” it doesn’t mean there were some He couldn’t heal – the term means all those brought to Him were healed.[13]

These people knew where Jesus could be found, they knew what He was able to work miracles, and yet there is no discussion at all about them listening to Him or believing in Him as disciples.

They wanted physical help. It’s great that they brought sick loved ones, but there are no questions about eternal life, about what they must do to be saved, about how they might follow Him.

And it’s not speculation on our part. Jesus would later call out Capernaum by name as one of the most unresponsive towns He had been in when it came to faith and belief.

Matthew 11:23 – 23 ”And you, Capernaum, will you be exalted to heaven? No, you will go down to Hades. For if the miracles that were done in you had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until today.

Matthew also explains that Jesus’ miracles in Capernaum directly proved He was the One Isaiah prophesied about. And it wasn’t that the people couldn’t believe, it’s that their hearts were hard. In fact, it was in Capernaum that a centurion has faith that astonished Jesus and caused Him to remark that He hadn’t found that kind of faith in anyone in the whole nation of Israel.[14]

Mark 1:35 – 35 Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, he got up, went out, and made his way to a deserted place; and there he was praying.

This is the third time we find Jesus out in the wilderness. At His baptism, at His confrontation with the Devil, now here in prayer. It speaks to us of His fearlessness and His sufficiency and His authority everywhere. In context, we see He didn’t want or need the praise of men. He wasn’t looking for the biggest crowd. He was nourished by intimacy and communion with His Father.

Jesus had a lot of discipline and focus. It seems silly to say that, but think about it: There are no alarm clocks, no GPS maps or Yelp reviews for best praying rock in the desert. But He purposed to spend time praying here in the last watch of the night – sometime between 3am and 6am.[15]

Our Lord spent a lot of time praying. Mark references Jesus taking time to pray at the beginning, the middle, and the end of His ministry. Mark always shows Him praying at critical moments.

We need to pray. Don’t worry about the “best” method of prayer, just start praying. Use the guidance provided in the Word of God and get to it. Begin praying and learn as you go.

Mark 1:36-37 – 36 Simon and his companions searched for him, 37 and when they found him they said, “Everyone is looking for you.”

Notice how these verses are from Peter’s perspective – “Simon and his companions searched for Him.” Scholars and church history agree that Mark’s Gospel was compiled from Peter’s testimony.

The disciples tell Jesus, “Everyone is looking for You.” And they did more than just look for Him. Luke says they actually tried to stop Him from leaving.[16] The question is: For what reason? Why did they want Jesus around? It wasn’t so they could hear heaven’s truth, it was to receive physical benefits. In fact, linguists explain that this term “looking for” is usually used with hostile intent.[17] They were hunting for Him – hunting, not following. They had demands for Him, not devotion.

The people of Capernaum had their own ideas, their own priorities, their own designs of what the Lord should do for them. He could just hang out in the area and they would come when they needed something. He would fix the skin disease, the deafness, the physical problem they wanted resolved. Meanwhile, they had no concern for the healing of their hearts. They didn’t do what Peter’s mother-in-law did after her healing, which was begin to serve the Lord in response.

Mark 1:38 – 38 And he said to them, “Let’s go on to the neighboring villages so that I may preach there too. This is why I have come.”

This is a very important moment. Why did Jesus come? Did He come to fix ruined bodies? He did a lot of that, but He came to preach the Gospel and to give His life as a ransom so that our souls could be saved. He came to restore all creation under His perfect Kingdom.

The miracles He performed were not the point of His coming. They were meant to prove He was telling the truth – that He was, in fact, the Messiah. But the message of salvation was His primary focus. In fact, as one Bible scholar points out, we do not see Jesus going out of His way to find someone to heal, but He regularly goes out of His way to preach the Good News.[18]

And the number of miracles He performed weren’t that important to Him. Rather, He was looking for faith, for belief, for obedience to His word. He was not working so that everyone could be physically healed. He worked so that people everywhere could hear the message of salvation, which He would accomplish not by healings and exorcisms, but by His death on the cross.

The people of Capernaum thought, “Jesus is a miracle worker.” But they were wrong. He is the Messiah. And that misunderstanding led to the greatest failure of their spiritual lives. But they were content to say to Jesus, “Do for me,” and go no further. They did not consider Who Jesus is.

For our part, we are reminded that we want Jesus to work in our lives – to help us and deliver us and bless us – but we must also realize Who He is and what He has said. And we must cultivate a desire to hear what He has to say to us. The Lord wants to work in our lives, absolutely, but God has things He wants to say to you and me today and tomorrow and the next day. Eternal truths He wants us to apprehend so that we can spread the message of salvation to a lost and dying world.

Jesus invited Peter and Andrew and James and John to go with Him to spread the word. “Let’s go on to the neighboring villages.” You and I are invited, too. To be a part of the ongoing preaching of the Good News. Preaching with power, yes, but the Word of God going out to us and through us. Because the Gospel is the power of God for salvation. That’s why He came and that’s why He sends us.

 

References
↑1 https://www.brusselstimes.com/515627/flemish-bartender-breaks-world-record-for-longest-shift
↑2 Charles Erdman   The Gospel Of Mark
↑3 Robert Utley, Robert James   The Gospel According To Peter: Mark and I & II Peter
↑4 Archibald Robertson   Word Pictures In The New Testament
↑5 Leviticus 26:16, Deuteronomy 28:22
↑6 David Garland   Mark
↑7 1 Corinthians 9:5
↑8 Clement Of Alexandria   Stromata Book VII, Chapter 11
↑9 Matthew 5:17
↑10 Ben Witherington   The Gospel Of Mark: A Socio-Rhetorical Commentary
↑11 Clifton Allen   Broadman Bible Commentary: Matthew-Mark
↑12 Frank Gaebelein, D. A. Carson, Walter Wessel, and Walter Liefeld   The Expositor’s Bible Commentary, Volume 8: Matthew, Mark, Luke
↑13 William Lane   The Gospel Of Mark
↑14 Matthew 8:10
↑15 Utley
↑16 Luke 4:42
↑17 James Brooks   The New American Commentary: Mark
↑18 Utley

There’s A Gap For That (Ezekiel 22:1-31)

March 9, 2025

If you know me at all, you know how much I enjoy doing maintenance around the house. 

If you don’t believe me, stop by some time and I’ll show you. In just about every room, as well as in the yard, you’ll see all manner of deferred maintenance.

I am so good at it that I’m considering retiring as a Deferred Maintenance Man. My slogan will be, “Do you really need a garbage disposal?”

For over five millennia of human history, walls were essential for defense. Cities like Jericho, Babylon, Troy, and Gondor were noted for their seemingly impenetrable walls. Jerusalem was a walled city.

Defensive walls must be maintained by inspecting for gaps and repairing them swiftly.

The final Babylonian siege was upon the Jews. If ever there were a time to fill gaps it was now.

Not unexpectedly, in verse thirty Ezekiel records, “So I sought for a man among them who would make a wall, and stand in the gap before Me on behalf of the land…”

This imagery was common. But notice something as we read on. Babylon wasn’t the invader. It was the LORD!  “So I sought for a man among them who would make a wall, and stand in the gap before Me on behalf of the land, that I should not destroy it; but I found no one.”

Ezekiel was not talking about their stone & mortared wall. He was using the wall to represent a spiritual condition.

The Jews had ‘built’ a faulty religious wall by turning their backs to God. Their disobedience created significant gaps through which spiritual enemies had entered.

The gaps created by the Jews’ negligence are a problem for us as well. I’ll organize my comments around the three times Ezekiel said, “The Word of the LORD came to me,” in verses 1,17 & 23.

#1 Immorality Creates Gaps In Your Wall (v1-16)

Have you ever heard someone say, “You can’t legislate morality?” Frank Turek comments, “Legislating morality is not only biblical, it is a necessary responsibility of government.”

The sad truth in America is that we have been legislating immorality.

The Family Law Act of 1969 in California introduced no-fault divorce. Before that you had to prove wrongdoing.

God is on record that He hates divorce. He permits divorce & remarriage in certain circumstances, e.g., adultery and desertion. No-fault divorce legislated immorality. It opened up a moral gap that grows & grows. A scholarly paper in the University of Arkansas Law Review commented, “No-fault divorce proliferated; same-sex marriage evolved from nonmarital cohabitation and newly established status arrangements similar to marriage; assisted reproductive technology permitted parentage independent of marriage, sexual intercourse, and genetic connection; single persons, unmarried cohabitants, and same-sex couples could adopt children freely.”

How do the godly stand in that gap? By honoring biblical marriage, for one. God hates divorce; you hate divorce along with Him. Remain married unless you have solid biblical grounds. Marry wisely.

Ezk 22:1  Moreover the word of the LORD came to me, saying…

God’s Word comes to you in the Bible, interpreted and applied by God the Holy Spirit, who indwells you. Your part is to be pre-submitted to God’s word.

Ezk 22:2  “Now, son of man, will you judge, will you judge the bloody city? Yes, show her all her abominations!

Cities adopt slogans. What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas… Keep Austin Weird.

Jerusalem in the 6th century was The Bloody City.

“Blood” or “bloody” are used six times in this chapter.Viva for Vice & Violence.

Ezk 22:3  Then say, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD: “The city sheds blood in her own midst, that her time may come; and she makes idols within herself to defile herself.

Ezk 22:4  You have become guilty by the blood which you have shed, and have defiled yourself with the idols which you have made…

Pagan religions incorporated rituals that involved self-inflicted cutting and bleeding. Shedding your own blood is idiotic. We need the blood of Jesus.

Another connection between blood and idolatry was the worship of Baal. It involved sacrificing infants. I don’t need to tell you that our murder of infants is an especially evil legislated immorality.

Ezek 22:4…You have caused your days to draw near, and have come to the end of your years, therefore I have made you a reproach to the nations, and a mockery to all countries.

Ezk 22:5  Those near and those far from you will mock you as infamous and full of tumult.

Their discipline was accelerated by their sin. In the NT the apostle Peter says that we can hasten the Lord’s coming, not for discipline but deliverance (Second Peter 3:12). He takes us home!

Ezk 22:6  “Look, the princes of Israel: each one has used his power to shed blood in you.

Ezk 22:7  In you they have made light of father and mother; in your midst they have oppressed the stranger; in you they have mistreated the fatherless and the widow.

Laws protecting the most vulnerable were ignored. Lack of godly compassion and empathy is a gap.

Ezk 22:8  You have despised My holy things and profaned My Sabbaths.

Note the plural. There were other Sabbaths, e.g., every 7th year they were not to farm. Every 50th year was Jubilee with its many requirements.

Ezk 22:9  In you are men who slander to cause bloodshed; in you are those who eat on the mountains; in your midst they commit lewdness.

“Slander” can lead to bloodshed. There are those who cite the constant slander of President Trump as encouraging the assassination attempts.

The “mountains” were sites of idol worship, tied to fertility rituals involving sexual deviance.

Ezk 22:10  In you men uncover their fathers’ nakedness…

Dr. Michael Heiser explains that “uncovering your father’s nakedness” is a euphemism for sleeping with one’s mother or stepmother, as seen by comparing Leviticus 18:6-8 and 20:11.

Ezk 22:10… in you they violate women who are set apart during their impurity.

Ezk 22:11  One commits abomination with his neighbor’ wife; another lewdly defiles his daughter-in-law; and another in you violates his sister, his father’s daughter.

It was like an event co-hosted by Sean Combs & Jefferey Epstein with Bill Cosby as the entertainer.

Ezk 22:12  In you they take bribes to shed blood; you take usury and increase; you have made profit from your neighbors by extortion, and have forgotten Me,” says the Lord GOD.

Sounds like the Mafia. Have you ever watched Amish Mafia? It’s so fake, it’s funny.

Ezk 22:13  “Behold, therefore, I beat My fists at the dishonest profit which you have made, and at the bloodshed which has been in your midst.

Ezk 22:14  Can your heart endure, or can your hands remain strong, in the days when I shall deal with you? I, the LORD, have spoken, and will do it.

Ezk 22:15  I will scatter you among the nations, disperse you throughout the countries, and remove your filthiness completely from you.

Ezk 22:16  You shall defile yourself in the sight of the nations; then you shall know that I am the LORD.” ’ ”

Too harsh? Much of their behavior deserved capital punishment. Instead dispersion would ultimately “remove their filthiness.” We can trust that there was no other way to bring them to repentance.

#2 Impurity Creates Gaps In Your Wall (v17-22)

Looking down from Heaven, surrounded by its wall, Jerusalem looked like a crucible for heating metals. The LORD brought the heat and found only impurities in His people.

Ezk 22:17  The word of the LORD came to me, saying,

Ezk 22:18  “Son of man, the house of Israel has become dross to Me; they are all bronze, tin, iron, and lead, in the midst of a furnace; they have become dross from silver.

Ezk 22:19  Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: ‘Because you have all become dross, therefore behold, I will gather you into the midst of Jerusalem.

Ezk 22:20  As men gather silver, bronze, iron, lead, and tin into the midst of a furnace, to blow fire on it, to melt it; so I will gather you in My anger and in My fury, and I will leave you there and melt you.

Ezk 22:21  Yes, I will gather you and blow on you with the fire of My wrath, and you shall be melted in its midst.

Ezk 22:22  As silver is melted in the midst of a furnace, so shall you be melted in its midst; then you shall know that I, the LORD, have poured out My fury on you.’ ”

Again I’d ask, “Is this too harsh? The LORD was trying to save them. He revealed their hearts. You won’t confess & repent unless you see your sin.

Richard Baxter wrote, “See that your chief study be about your heart, that there God’s image may be planted, and His interest advanced, and the interest of the world and flesh subdued, and the love of every sin cast out, and the love of holiness succeed.”

Believers are familiar with trials being crucibles where Jesus refines us and we emerge as gold. Don’t think it strange if you feel the heat. In fact, you should feel weird if you don’t have any trials. Jesus said you would have tribulation.

#3 Indignation Closes Gaps In Your Wall (v23-31)

We will twice encounter the word “indignation” in the remaining verses. God uses it to describe His attitude towards every segment of Judean society.

Ezk 22:23  And the word of the LORD came to me, saying,

Ezk 22:24  “Son of man, say to her: ‘You are a land that is not cleansed or rained on in the day of indignation.’

It is likely they had long been experiencing drought. It was a sign in the Law of Moses that the LORD was withholding blessings.

Ezk 22:25  The conspiracy of her prophets in her midst is like a roaring lion tearing the prey; they have devoured people; they have taken treasure and precious things; they have made many widows in her midst.

There are predatory ministries & ministers. Grifting you isn’t the worst of it. Their false teachings and heresies can keep a person from knowing Jesus.

Ezk 22:26  Her priests have violated My law and profaned My holy things; they have not distinguished between the holy and unholy, nor have they made known the difference between the unclean and the clean; and they have hidden their eyes from My Sabbaths, so that I am profaned among them.

The priests compromised, failing to teach or rebuke the people. Over time, this led to a complete loss of distinction between what was holy and what wasn’t.

It’s been said, “You can take the Christian out of the world, but you can’t take the world out of the Christian.”

Ezk 22:27  Her princes in her midst are like wolves tearing the prey, to shed blood, to destroy people, and to get dishonest gain.

Princes were what we would call politicians. As Stan Lee used to quip, “Nuff said.”

Ezk 22:28  Her prophets plastered them with untempered mortar, seeing false visions, and divining lies for them, saying, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD,’ when the LORD had not spoken.

They were offering white-washed prophecies, in that they promised the LORD would repel the Babylonians for His names’ sake.   

Ezk 22:29  The people of the land have used oppressions, committed robbery, and mistreated the poor and needy; and they wrongfully oppress the stranger.

This is a general statement that Jerusalem had become lawless. It was an undesirable place to live.

Ezk 22:30  So I sought for a man among them who would make a wall, and stand in the gap before Me on behalf of the land, that I should not destroy it; but I found no one.

Ezk 22:31  Therefore I have poured out My indignation on them; I have consumed them with the fire of My wrath; and I have recompensed their deeds on their own heads,” says the Lord GOD.

God said He couldn’t find anyone to make a wall and stand in the gap. That seems odd given prophets like Jeremiah, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, and Ezekiel. We know that Habakkuk interceded, and he did so literally from a tower on the actual wall.

One commentator said, “It wasn’t that these men were deficient, but rather that the people were so thoroughly defiant.” They did not want to be delivered. They would not follow a wall-building, gap-man.

A shadowy OT character, Balaam, was hired to curse God’s people. Instead he finds himself blessing them! His advice to bring them down was “If you can’t beat them, join them!”

Israel’s enemy enticed them to sin, triggering the wrath of God upon His people.

We defeat ourselves when we are content with white wash and and defer repairing tiny gaps in our walk.

A.W. Tozer made this observation: “Religion today is not transforming the people – it is being transformed by the people. It is not raising the moral level of society – it is descending to society’s own level and congratulating itself that it has scored a victory because society is smiling accepting its surrender.”

Prophecy Update #817 – We Do Digital Right

March 9, 2025

We reserve a few minutes to discuss current trends that you’d expect from reading Bible prophecy.

We are futurists. We interpret all unfulfilled prophetic passages as future events that will occur in a literal, physical, apocalyptic, and global context.

Biometrics, Artificial Intelligence, cashless commerce, the manipulation of human DNA, global government, instantaneous global communication, the exponential growth of human knowledge, and the movement to rebuild a Temple on the Temple

Mount in Jerusalem.

These are predicted in the Bible and unfolding as never before.

Technological advances interest us because the Book of the Revelation of Jesus Christ predicts a global government whose cashless economy and services will be accessed by a personal biometric identifier. This identifier, on the forehead or hand, will be necessary for a citizen to make purchases and to participate in society. Once considered fanciful – that system could be implemented right now.

Anybody like Taco Bell? KFC? How about Pizza Hut? I read an article this week about their parent company. Its title was, Yum Bets Big On AI As It Attempts To Move To 100% Digital Sales.

Excerpts:

Chief Financial Officer Chris Turner talked about the company’s goal of complete digital sales… saying “Digital sales up approximately 15% and digital mix surpassing 50%.”

Turner said Yum Brands is able to do this through Byte by Yum!, a proprietary software and digital ecosystem that includes AI-driven products for easier operations.

The platform will be used by both employees and customers. The technology will power mobile apps, web ordering, point of sale, kitchen and delivery optimization, menu management, inventory and labor management and various team member tools.

Currently, 25,000 Yum restaurants, which include KFC International, Taco Bell, and Pizza Hut across the world use at least one Byte by Yum! product.[1]

I’m not saying Byte by Yum! is the antichrist (although you would expect him to eat Taco Bell).

We read the Bible and it predicts a global, cashless economy – we call it ‘digital.’ All people will be forced into using it or else they won’t be able to by KFC… Or anything! Lo & behold, we read articles like this that are exactly what we expect.

This system will dominate during the future 7yr Great Tribulation. The Church won’t be on Earth!!

Jesus promised, “I also will keep you from the hour of trial which shall come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the Earth” (Revelation 3:10).

The resurrection and rapture of the church is always imminent. It could happen any moment; nothing needs to happen before it.

Are you ready for the rapture? If not, Get ready; Stay ready; Keep looking up.

Ready or not, Jesus is coming!

 

References
↑1 https://www.ibtimes.com/yum-brands-ai-digital-sales-goals-3762623

Any Given Saturday (Mark 1:21-28)

March 5, 2025

Sometimes celebrities go viral after sharing their daily routines. Mark Wahlberg got a lot of attention a few years ago after sharing his typical daily schedule, which he claims starts at 2:30am with prayer, breakfast and then “Workout A” from 3:40am to 5:30am.

Orlando Bloom also went viral after sharing his typical daily schedule. Sadly, no one was impressed. In fact, many of his fans thought he must have been joking. He said things like he “earns” breakfast in the morning by going on a hike and listening to Stone Temple Pilots.[1] That mixed with the “brain octane oil” he eats must make for quite a day.

In our last study, Jesus defeated the Devil after withstanding 40 days of temptation. For anyone else, that title fight would’ve been followed by a well-deserved off-season. Mark shows Jesus going immediately to the seaside to seek out disciples and then straight into ministry in Galilee.

What follows are some very memorable stories of Jesus teaching and healing and interacting. But scholars believe that what Mark wants to do here is show a day-in-the-life of Jesus’ ministry.[2] This is one particular Sabbath, but these are things things He filled all His days with.

As we watch, there are a lot of fantastic feats, colorful characters, interesting incidents, but Mark wants us to see Jesus. In this first scene, Mark references Jesus 12 times in 8 verses. There are scribes and disciples and a congregation and a demon, amazement, antagonism, and activity, but our eyes should be fixed on Jesus. Who He is, what He says, how He acts, where He leads.

Mark 1:21 – 21 They went into Capernaum, and right away he entered the synagogue on the Sabbath and began to teach.

Synagogues were gathering places for Jewish believers, Gentiles who had converted to Judaism, and people called “God-fearers,” which were Gentiles who were interested in the God of Israel but had not officially converted. They didn’t offer sacrifices there – that was only done in the temple in Jerusalem. Instead, according to what we know, their services weren’t that different than ours.

They prayed, read the Scripture, heard a sermon which exposited the text, and gave benedictions.[3] Traveling teachers or rabbis would often be asked to give the sermon. Jesus often took advantage of this custom, as did Paul and Barnabas in the book of Acts.

What did Jesus teach that day? We’ve already seen the general message He preached back in verse 15: “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!” But His address that morning wasn’t just a stump speech like politicians recite when they’re on the campaign trail. Jesus’ message had a profound, stunning effect on His listeners. The word used for teach means He instructed them.[4] He had a living message for them. Something that shook them up and totally arrested their hearts and minds.

One writer notes, “Judaism had become a book religion.”[5] The chosen people of God were walking in darkness. God hadn’t sent them a new message in 400 years. They had lost dominion of their promised land. Their king was not a son of David, but a perverse murderer installed by Rome.

Religious life in Judea had become a snarl of fragmented and polarized groups, each in fierce opposition to the others. And all of them were weighed down by an ever-growing burden of human traditions masquerading as Godliness that no one could ever hope to actually achieve.

So let’s say you’re a faithful Jew – you want to follow God – but God seems to have forgotten Israel. You’re oppressed by a Gentile government, discouraged by your religious leaders, waiting generation after generation for the Messiah to arrive or a prophet to arrive or just someone who actually knew some truth about God and His dealings. And then, one day, God Himself comes to town, with hope and help and kindness and grace – with a message for your life and future.

Mark 1:22 – 22 They were astonished at his teaching because he was teaching them as one who had authority, and not like the scribes.

The scribes weren’t just court reporters. They were professionally trained to be experts in both the Law of Moses and in the traditional laws and regulations that had been built up around the Law.[6]

When they taught at synagogue, usually they would just recite doctrinal precedents – long quotations of what other teachers had said.[7] It was theoretical, abstract, and tedious.

In one dialect, their title is paraphrased as “Those who know the Jews’ ways.”[8] But it will become very clear that they did not know God’s ways. They didn’t know His heart. They didn’t know His love.  They didn’t know how to actually connect man to God and God to man. Jesus came to show us the Father – to reveal that everything the Father has is Christ’s and to declare it to us.

When Jesus spoke to them, they were absolutely amazed. Mark uses a very strong word here.[9] It hit them hard, but not in a bad way. When the scribes “taught” the people, with their lifeless recitations, all they did was put millstones around the necks of their listeners. But when Jesus spoke, He set them free.[10] They were overwhelmed, not by discouragement, but with comfort.[11]

Mark 1:23-24 – 23 Just then a man with an unclean spirit was in their synagogue. He cried out, 24 “What do you have to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God!”

Talk about a pivot! If you thought Will Smith slapping Chris Rock at the Oscars a few years ago was shocking, try to imagine this situation.

The Devil didn’t quit after getting beatdown in the wilderness. He waited for other opportune times to strike at Jesus. There seems to have been a convergence of demonic activity especially during the three and a half years of Jesus’ ministry.

Demon possession can and does still happen today, but it does not seem to be as frequent as it was in the Gospels. And that makes sense, because Satan was focused on stopping Jesus.

This demon immediately recognized Jesus and He even knew where He was from – both His heavenly and earthly homes – but He wasn’t sure what Jesus was about. It’s clear that the demon felt his very existence was threatened, and he clearly had some knowledge of the plan of God, but he honestly didn’t know why the Lord was there that day.[12] The question he asked indicates that the demon was wondering why Jesus was invading “their” turf. Why was Jesus interfering?

More than that, it seems that this demon tried to battle against Jesus, to get the upper hand on Him. You see, the demon specifically spoke both Jesus’ earthly identity and His heavenly identity.  The Jews there that day would’ve seen this as offensive maneuver because “it was widely believed at that time that if you knew a person’s true identity and could utter his name, you could gain a magic power over him.”[13]

Now, this demon stood no chance, but this situation does teach us something: Knowledge alone doesn’t save.[14] This demon knew more about Jesus than anyone else in the building. Yet, obviously, he was the furthest from salvation. The scribes knew a ton about the Old Testament – the ins and outs of every phrase and syllable – but they would be instrumental in having Jesus killed.

We need knowledge, because we must have the truth revealed and preached to us, but salvation is about faith and trust and obedience, not just intellectual familiarity.

Mark 1:25 – 25 Jesus rebuked him saying, “Be silent, and come out of him!”

So Jesus came into their service, shared a sermon that blew their minds and made them think, “This Guy speaks as if He has real authority from heaven!” And now we see that Christ really does have authority from heaven. When He speaks, demons must obey. When He speaks, the wind and the waves listen. When He speaks, mountains move.

Jesus certainly didn’t need a demon as a PR person. He didn’t need their accursed advertising. As it is, some of the people would ultimately say Jesus got His power from the ruler of demons.

But notice this exorcism: He needed no incantations, no rituals, no props of any kind.[15] He spoke a word and the fight was over. The demon was muzzled. The man was set free.

Mark 1:26 – 26 And the unclean spirit threw him into convulsions, shouted with a loud voice, and came out of him.

This demon did not go quietly. Luke assures us this demon left without hurting this man at all.[16] But this image gives us a sobering reminder about the character and conduct of our spiritual enemies.

Sin, satan, the rebel self within our hearts are all part of the same fallen kingdom of darkness. I doubt anyone here is demon possessed, but we still have sin lurking in our hearts. It crouches at the door. It wants to capture you and rule you and enslave you. It isn’t your friend. It doesn’t make you stronger. It wants to dominate your life the way the demon dominated this man.

Jesus wants to set you free from that domination. And we see here that the power of His word is enough. The process can be unpleasant, but Jesus kept this fellow safe, even as the demon was shouting and kicking and trying his best to keep control over this life.

There’s nothing Christ can’t free us from. That’s why He came – to rescue us. To unshackle us. But don’t give sin a foothold in life. Because this is how sin treats a person.

Tonight, maybe you didn’t come in with an unclean spirit, but with a fearful spirit, a worried spirit, a discouraged spirit, a confused spirit. Christ will help you. Jesus is willing to minister to you.

Mark 1:27 – 27 They were all amazed, and so they began to ask each other, “What is this? A new teaching with authority! He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey him.”

As one scholar points out, don’t confuse their astonishment for faith.[17] Mark gives the impression that they’re in a bit of a panic.[18] This was an intense discussion.[19] “Who is this Guy???” They realized that everything about what they had just heard and seen was new. New in quality as compared to the old, worn out, dead religion they had always known.[20]

This Teacher was not just another rabbi. He wasn’t just another exorcist. What He said and did was so strikingly different that they were astonished and alarmed. “What is this???”

But, they spoke to each other, not to Him. They spoke to their neighbors, not the Man Himself.

Mark 1:28 – 28 At once the news about him spread throughout the entire vicinity of Galilee.

Fascination spread, but not necessarily faith. Even what they were spreading around was more like rumors than reports.[21] Paul would later use this term in 2 Timothy when he warns about people have an itch to hear what they want to hear.

Jesus became a local celebrity, but generally speaking, their astonishment didn’t lead to acceptance. God was shaking them up – disturbing everything they had known with truth and power and real hope for the first time in centuries – but most of the people just rolled over and went back to spiritual sleep.

But we know there were some who took seriously what was being revealed in their midst. We think of those Greeks in John 12 who had heard about Jesus and they put foot to pavement and came and found a disciple and said, “We want to see Jesus.” They wanted to speak with Jesus. He told them, “If anyone serves Me, he must follow Me.”[22] Eyes and ears and heart and mind and hands and feet all together in faithful discipleship. God reveals, we respond with living, exercised faith.

If Jesus had instruction for a Capernaum synagogue, He has instructions for me. If Jesus had commands for a demon – His adversary –  what does He command me, His servant?

Like the people in this Gospel, I often find myself focusing on the wrong thing. I’ll think, “Oh, I wish Mark would’ve told us what Jesus’ awesome sermon was that day. I wish we knew what He said.” We do! It’s called the Bible.

I think most of us would say, “I want to know what God wants me to do and if He showed up to talk to me today, I’d definitely do what He says.” But He has shown up! He has spoken. Come and see what God has said. Come and see what God has done. Come and see what God has commanded. And He has sent His Holy Spirit to speak to us day by day. Our job is not to wait for a miracle to be performed in front of us. Our part is to learn to understand what the Spirit says to us, how the Word applies to us, where the Master is leading us. To realize that the Messiah is in our midst, teaching.

Mark shows us that a typical day in the life of Christ is filled with Him doing work in your life.  He wants to teach you, to rescue you, to reveal things to you, to lead you.

I don’t want to suggest we put ourselves in the place of the demon in this text, but the question he asked is a good one for us to ask, albeit from a completely different perspective: Lord, what do you have to do with me today? What adjustment? What opportunity? What encouragement? What task? You’ve come to disrupt my life with Your new life and so, Lord, speak, direct, bring me along, because I know Who You are: The Messiah, the King of kings, my Savior and Master and Friend.

 

References
↑1 https://www.businessinsider.com/orlando-bloom-daily-routine-involves-brain-octane-oil-fans-react-2021-3
↑2 William Lane   The Gospel Of Mark
↑3 Ben Witherington   The Gospel Of Mark: A Socio-Rhetorical Commentary
↑4 New American Standard Hebrew-Aramaic and Greek Dictionaries: Updated Edition
↑5 David Garland   Mark
↑6 The NET Bible First Edition Notes
↑7 Morna Hooker   The Gospel According To Saint Mark
↑8 Clifton Allen   Broadman Bible Commentary: Matthew-Mark
↑9 Frank Gaebelein, D. A. Carson, Walter Wessel, and Walter Liefeld   The Expositor’s Bible Commentary, Volume 8: Matthew, Mark, Luke
↑10 Archibald Robertson   Word Pictures In The New Testament
↑11 Witherington
↑12 Lane
↑13 David Garland   Mark   {see also Gaebelein, Witherington, Lane}
↑14 Douglas Mangum   Lexham Context Commentary: New Testament
↑15 R.T. France   The Gospel Of Mark
↑16 Luke 4:35
↑17 Witherington
↑18 ibid.
↑19 France
↑20 Lloyd Ogilvie   Life Without Limits: The Message Of Mark’s Gospel
↑21 NASB Dictionaries
↑22 John 12:20-26

The Hallelujah Chorus (Psalm 117)

March 2, 2025

In the AD 1295, Marco Polo returned to Venice with his father Nicolo and his uncle Maffeo. Gone for 24 years, their family had long given them up for dead. In fact, the 3 Polos weren’t recognized at first when they arrived at the Polo estate. But, once they were cleaned up and identified by relatives, the weary travelers called for a feast that very night.

At the meal, Marco shared about the places they had been – Sumatra, Java, Tibet, India, Ceylon, Burma, and Mongolia. Moreover, Marco told of a king – one richer and more powerful than all the kings of the world. His name was Kublai Khan and he ruled over the largest contiguous empire in history.[1] Marco Polo had not only been welcomed in to the dazzling courts of this great king, the king made him his friend, had sent him out on missions, and given him great rewards.

It sounded like a fable. After all, the Polos had arrived in coarse clothing – old and torn. But then Marco, Nicolo, and Maffeo ripped open the seams of their tattered traveling garments and out spilled piles and piles of gemstones. Diamonds, pearls, emeralds, and rubies. The people of Venice had never seen treasures so great in size and number.[2] The story was true. The King was real.

Psalm 117 might come up on a trivia night for two reasons: First, it is the shortest chapter in the Bible. Second, it is actually the middle chapter of the Bible. The song may be little, but it isn’t trivial. Derek Kidner writes, “the shortest Psalm proves to be one of the most potent.” It reaches to every corner of the globe – a universal call to praise. But it also extols the greatness of heaven’s King.

As we’ve looked at almost 70 of the Psalms in the last few years, we’ve learned that there are collections of songs within the book. Psalm 117 is part of a group called the Egyptian Hallel Psalms – Psalm 113 through 118. As Israel’s history developed, these songs became associated with the annual religious festivals, especially Passover. Eventually, Psalms 113 and 114 would be sung before the eating of Passover and 115 through 118 sung after the meal.[3]

And it is for this reason that Psalm 117 reminds me of the Marco Polo’s dramatic banquet. Because this Psalm invites all of us in to hear the story of the greatest King, Who shares His Kingdom, lavishes His treasures, changes history, and makes us His friends. A King Who redefines everything we thought we knew about the world and who has called all of us – no matter who we are, where we’re from, what we have, or what we’ve done – into relationship with Him.

Psalm 117:1 – 1 Praise the Lord, all nations! Glorify him, all peoples!

In Hebrew, the opening and closing of the song are the same: Hallelujah! This is a Hallelujah chorus. Thanks to the Bible, hallelujah is a familiar word to us, but what does it mean? It’s not just giving God an attaboy, not just that passing feeling of “oh wow” we sometimes have when we see an impressive card trick or hear something interesting. A hallelujah is a special kind of reaction.

The word “connotes being sincerely and deeply thankful and satisfied” in the Lord.[4] It is an essential part of human life. One Bible dictionary puts it this way: “The frequency and mood [with which this word is used] emphasizes the vital necessity of this action.”[5]

The object of our hallelujah praise is presented very clearly: We are to praise Yahweh – the One true God revealed on the pages of Scripture.

There are so many religions in the world, so many philosophies and perspectives. But there’s only One God. There is no other.[6] And here all the nations of the world are commanded to worship the God of the Bible. Deism isn’t enough. Spiritualism isn’t enough. Meditation isn’t enough. The One true God demands that you respond to His revelation – that you acknowledge Him, turn to Him, surrender to Him.

In the last few years, a lot of big time comedians have adopted no-cell-phone policies at their shows. Dave Chappelle, Kevin Hart, Chris Rock, John Mulaney, and others. If you want to go to their show, you have to lock up your phone. If you take your phone out, you’re taken out of the venue.

I saw an interview with Dave Chappelle where they were talking about this policy and the interviewer was totally on board and they were saying that, really, if the audience didn’t go along, they were only cheating themselves.

These people have said, “If you want to be a part of what I’m doing, this is the requirement.” And, whether we agree with their policy or not, they sell out arena after arena.

God has requirements for us – commands and precepts and principles. He requires that we go His way and not our own. This response to God is somewhat encapsulated in the word, hallelujah. Acknowledge God, believe Him, be filled with thanks and satisfaction as God works in your life.

But here is where this little song becomes absolutely radical: “Praise the Lord all nations.”

Remember: This is a song sung by Israelites in the Temple or at their Passover celebrations. The nations refer to the Gentiles outside of Israel’s borders and outside the Mosaic covenant. Not only are they outside, in the Old Testament they were almost always at odds with the Jews. In fact, the next time we see “the nations” referenced in the Psalms is right next door in Psalm 118 where the nations are gathered in violent opposition against God’s people.

There are other Psalms where we see “the whole earth” praising God, but this is the only one where we specifically see the Gentile nations joining in.[7]

This line would remind Israel that, one day, God would reconcile the whole world under His authority and His truth. But not only that, singing these words should have reminded them of their calling to be light in the dark. To be a beacon of God’s love and salvation even for Gentiles.

This had always been the plan. Back when God chose Abraham to start the family of faith, which would grow to be the nation of Israel, the Lord said, “Abraham, through you all the peoples of the earth are going to be blessed.”[8] In the Law we read of this evangelical intention. In Deuteronomy the Lord tells Israel, “Follow My statutes and ordinances because, when you do, the nations of the world will see it and think, ‘Oh, we want to have a relationship with a real God they way you do.’”[9]

Of course, this reminds us that we are meant to be lights in this world. If you’re a Christian, you are meant to preach the Gospel through the way you live your life. The words you speak, the choices you make, your attitudes and actions, so that a watching world will see the love of God and the grace of God and be drawn to Him. Your life is designed to be a beacon of the grace of Jesus.

Sometimes we forget that that is our function – not our only function but a major function that we’re all commissioned into: Go and make disciples. In God’s eyes, every Christian is a missionary.

Now, we might look at this first line and say, “Fat chance the nations of the world would really turn to God.” And it is a rare thing, but it has happened. Look at the city of Nineveh in the book of Jonah: Everyone from the greatest to the least repented and turned to the Lord. Look at historical revivals like what happened in Wales in the early 1900s. Stories are told of police precincts having nothing to do, so they closed down and formed choirs to sing at the revival meetings.[10]

But, we recognize that those sort of wide-scale turnings to Christ are few and far between. Ultimately, this looks forward to the day when the Lord Jesus comes and establishes His physical, global Kingdom on the earth and all nations will bow before Him in obedience and worship.

But in the second line of verse 1 we see it’s not just about nations, but the people within them. Any person in any nation can glorify God. That’s possible because you and I were designed to glorify God. That is the purpose of your life. Isaiah 43 says we were created for God’s glory.[11]

How do we bring glory to God? Good news! Your heart can bring glory to God. Your lips can bring glory to God. Your hands, your feet, your home, your wallet, your day-to-day life – all of it can bring glory to God. 1 Corinthians says your body can bring God glory.[12] Peter says our suffering as Christians and our regular conduct can bring God glory.[13] In 2 Corinthians we see our ministry and preaching and generosity can bring God glory.[14] In John we learn that even our deaths can bring God glory.[15] In Colossians it’s set out plainly: Whatever you do, do it from the heart, as something done for the Lord.[16]

We can glorify the Lord through great actions and small, in the home or out of it, from the solitude of a prayerful heart or in public proclamation of the Gospel. But all of us have been created for this purpose: To glorify God and to be crowned with glory and honor[17] by Him as He transforms us more and more into His image, set apart for His purposes.

Psalm 117:2a – 2 For his faithful love to us is great; the Lord’s faithfulness endures forever.

What does Yahweh do with all His unstoppable power? With His undefeated record? With His authority and strength and freedom to do anything He wants? He uses His power to love you.

This is hesed love which is based on compassion, loyalty, and mercy – an active love that rescues a weaker person in need. God doesn’t have to save us. He wants to save us because He loves us.

Verse 1 already showed us that this love is extended to everyone. All the people of all the nations of the world. And the rest of the Bible shows us that anyone is welcome. Israel was the chosen nation to show the world that God loved them all. That His active love was also extended to Ruth the Moabitess, Rahab from Jericho, Naaman the Aramean, Uriah the Hittite, Nebuchadnezzar the Babylonian, Cornelius the Roman, the Samaritan woman at the well. You and me.

God’s love toward us is great. The word means it is a love that has prevailed in power.[18] Prevailed over what? Well, in Psalm 65 we read that our iniquities “overwhelm” us, and the same word is used there as is used describing God’s love fr us here. Meaning that God’s love has prevailed over the sin that hold us captive in guilt and shame and failure.

Not only does God’s love prevail, it also protects.[19] The love of God through Christ Jesus is our atonement and shield and refuge. And so, He prevails over our sin and protects us from death.

This song shows God fighting foes we could never hope to stand against and overwhelming us with His kindness.[20] And what good news that His tender mercy, His faithfulness will always endure.

I read a story this week of an Italian couple who got divorced after being married for 77 years![21] The husband was 99 years old. The wife was 97.

We never have to worry about God’s love for us growing cold. His faithful love endures forever. The greatness of His love never lessens, it never weakens. Which also means that every single thing He has promised to us out of His love will absolutely come to pass.

The song ends where it began:

Psalm 117:2b – Hallelujah!

The song leader practices what he preaches. He’s commanded all of us everywhere to look on the revelation of God’s love and power and then to respond with praise and then he praises!

Real praise happens when a person is in right relationship with the God of the Bible. Real praise flows from knowledge and revelation. His work is brought to our attention and we respond with adulation. Or we learn something more of Who God is – His heart, His kindness, His goodness, His character and we run into His loving embrace, thanking Him and lifting His name high.

The more we understand what God has revealed about Himself, the more we will see how great His faithful love is. And that’s what God wants. Yes, His is strong and yes, He is holy – yes, we need to know those things and understand what they mean. But when God called Moses up to Mount Sinai and said, “Ok, I’m going to show you Who I am,” He appeared to Moses and said, “I am gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in faithful love and truth.”[22] And after that revelation, Moses worshipped. Yes, God warns us of the wrath that must pour out on sin, but He warns us about it so we can avoid it – so He can save us by His love and grace.

God loves you and invites you into a lifetime relationship where He saves you and transforms you and rescues you from sin and the grave and then you begin to glorify Him as you live out worship and evangelism to a lost and dying world so that others can be saved just like you. The offer is open to anyone. Everyone. The nations of the world.

Sadly, we look around and agree with Psalm 2: The nations rage and the people plot in vain against the Lord Jesus.

One day there will be no more opposition. All the nations of the earth will bow in worship and harmony before the King of kings. But before that wonderful day, there will be a time of great judgment where those who refuse God’s love will be destroyed by His wrath.

You can be saved from that judgment by believing on the Lord Jesus – by accepting the gift of salvation by grace, through faith.

During the feast at the Polo estate, Marco and his father and uncle changed robes after each course. They had taken off their tattered rags and now were sporting beautiful, luxurious garments. But each time they changed into a new robe, they carefully folded the previous robe and then presented it as a gift to one of their guests. “This,” explained Marco, “is in strict accordance with Mongol custom.”[23] The robes they were handing out had been presented to Marco by the Khan himself.

What a greater King is Jesus, Who not only gives of His riches to His servants, but He laid down His own life to save you from your guilt. He doesn’t give you a robe of satin or velvet, but a robe of righteousness which is full of life and strength and hope and peace and promise and eternal reward.

Praise this King and His unfailing love! And now we who have been welcomed into His family can go out with the Good News that there is room for other weary travelers to come in and be refreshed by His grace, saved from death, protected by His power.

 

References
↑1 https://www.britannica.com/place/Mongol-empire
↑2 Manuel Komroff   Marco Polo
↑3 Frank Gaebelein, Willem VanGemern, Allen Ross, J. Stafford Wright, and Dennis Kinlaw   The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Songs. Vol. 5.
↑4 Theological Wordbook Of The Old Testament
↑5 TWOT
↑6 Isaiah 46:9
↑7 John Goldingay   Psalms, Volume 3: Psalms 90-150
↑8 Genesis 12:1-3
↑9 Deuteronomy 4:5-7
↑10 https://jeanluctrachsel.org/the-welsh-revival/
↑11 Isaiah 43:6-7
↑12 1 Corinthians 6:20
↑13 1 Peter 4:16, 2:12
↑14 2 Corinthians 9:13
↑15 John 21:19
↑16 Colossians 3:23
↑17 Psalm 8:5
↑18 STEP Bible
↑19 Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset, and David Brown   Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
↑20 Robert Alter   The Hebrew Bible: A Translation With Commentary
↑21 https://williamstrachanfamilylaw.com/2024/03/guinness-book-world-records-marriage-divorce
↑22 Exodus 34:1-7
↑23 Komroff

The Sword In The Sigh (Ezekiel 21:1-32)

February 23, 2025

You could probably name at least five famous swords.

  • Excalibur is the traditional “Sword in the Stone.”
  • The Wallace Sword belonged to the beloved Scottish patriot, Mel Gibson.

J.R.R. Tolkien presents a grip of swords: Glamdring, Orcrist, Sting, and Narsil, which would be reforged as Andúril – Flame of the West.

Ezekiel mentions a “sword” 16 times.

It is the Sword of the Lord, who says, “I shall draw My sword out of its sheath.”

Too bad that the LORD’s sword is loaned to King Nebuchadnezzar to conquer His people, not to deliver them.

There is an emotional aspect we will explore. Twice in verse six Ezekiel represents the LORD as sighing.  Let it sink in that God sighs.

I’ll organize my comments around two points: #1 The Sword Of The Lord Is Unsheathed To Keep You, and #2 The Sighs Of The Lord Are Uttered To Caress You.

#1 The Sword Of The Lord Is

     Unsheathed To Keep You (v1-5 & 18-32)

“Look among the nations and watch – Be utterly astounded! For I will work a work in your days Which you would not believe, though it were told you. For indeed I am raising up [Babylon], A bitter and hasty nation Which marches through the breadth of the earth, To possess dwelling places that are not theirs.

They are terrible and dreadful” (Habakkuk 1:5-7).

Habakkuk was astonished that God used Babylon to discipline Israel, but He did.

He did it because they were, and they remain, His precious chosen nation.

Had God let them continue on their downward spiral they would have destroyed themselves.

Ezk 21:1  And the word of the LORD came to me…

Ezk 21:2  “Son of man, set your face toward Jerusalem, preach against the holy places, and prophesy against the land of Israel;

Ezk 21:3  and say to the land of Israel, ‘Thus says the LORD: “Behold, I am against you, and I will draw My sword out of its sheath and cut off both righteous and wicked from you.

Ezk 21:4  Because I will cut off both righteous and wicked from you, therefore My sword shall go out of its sheath against all flesh from south to north,

Ezk 21:5  that all flesh may know that I, the LORD, have drawn My sword out of its sheath; it shall not return anymore.” ’

The first sword appears in Eden after Adam and Eve’s rebellion. God placed cherubim and a flaming sword to guard the tree of life. It was a protective act, for their good.

The Jews could not comprehend the LORD allowing the Temple to be destroyed. He is more interested in His people than any places. In Psalm 8 David marvels at the stellar heavens. Then he says, “What is man that You are mindful of him, And the son of man that You visit him?” God’s attention is not on the marvels of the microverse or the macroverse. They are on you.

We talked about the righteous suffering along with the unrighteous. With a fallen race, with nations lusting for power, there is going to be universal suffering. Not God’s fault.

We’re going to drop down to verses 18-32.

Ezk 21:18  The word of the LORD came to me again, saying:

Ezekiel received another prophecy and obeyed immediately. “Of course,” we say, “God spoke to him!” But God has spoken to us even more through His written Word.

Ezk 21:19  “And son of man, appoint for yourself two ways for the sword of the king of Babylon to go; both of them shall go from the same land. Make a sign; put it at the head of the road to the city.

Ezk 21:20  Appoint a road for the sword to go to Rabbah of the Ammonites, and to Judah, into fortified Jerusalem.

Jerusalem’s Public Works Dept. is told to go to the fork in the road and install signage so that the invaders will know where they are headed, Jerusalem or Ammon.

The NT uses imagery of the broad way that leads a person to destruction, and the narrow road to eternal life. When you come to a fork, your way is marked by godly wisdom, meekness, humility, etc.

How will Nebuchadnezzar choose?

The usual way – by consulting a liver

Ezk 21:21  For the king of Babylon stands at the parting of the road, at the fork of the two roads, to use divination: he shakes the arrows, he consults the images, he looks at the liver.

Ezk 21:22  In his right hand is the divination for Jerusalem: to set up battering rams, to call for a slaughter, to lift the voice with shouting, to set battering rams against the gates, to heap up a siege mound, and to build a wall.

They used divination. Examining the liver of a sacrificed animal… My personal favorite.

All signs pointed to Jerusalem. The Babylonians prepared battering rams, siege ramps, and towers.

We must avail ourselves of our spiritual weapons in order to stand against supernatural enemies. It hadn’t been that long since the Angel of the LORD killed 185,000 Assyrians in one night. He did it as the Jews prayed, repenting of sin, approaching God with humility.

Ezk 21:23  And it will be to them like a false divination in the eyes of those who have sworn oaths with them; but he will bring their iniquity to remembrance, that they may be taken.

The people of Judah dismissed Babylon’s divination, believing God would overturn it. However, Zedekiah had sworn loyalty to Babylon, and God expected them to honor this oath.

Ultimately, it was the LORD who directed the Babylonian king, as stated in Proverbs 21:1, “The king’s heart is in the hand of the Lord; He turns it wherever He wishes.”

This isn’t theistic determinism. We have genuine free-will. God’s stepping in to keep His plan for redemption on track is consistent with both His sovereignty & man’s free-will.

Ezk 21:24  “Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: ‘Because you have made your iniquity to be remembered, in that your transgressions are uncovered, so that in all your doings your sins appear – because you have come to remembrance, you shall be taken in hand.

Ezk 21:25  ‘Now to you, O profane, wicked prince of Israel, whose day has come, whose iniquity shall end,

Ezk 21:26  thus says the Lord GOD: “Remove the turban, and take off the crown; Nothing shall remain the same. Exalt the humble, and humble the exalted.

Ezk 21:27  Overthrown, overthrown, I will make it overthrown! It shall be no longer, Until He comes whose right it is, And I will give it to Him.” ’

The Lord announced the end of Zedekiah’s authority, symbolized by removal of his turban and crown.

Ezk 21:28  “And you, son of man, prophesy and say, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD concerning the Ammonites and concerning their reproach,’ and say: ‘A sword, a sword is drawn, Polished for slaughter, For consuming, for flashing –

Ezk 21:29  While they see false visions for you, While they divine a lie to you, To bring you on the necks of the wicked, the slain Whose day has come, Whose iniquity shall end.

Ezk 21:30  ‘Return it to its sheath. I will judge you In the place where you were created, In the land of your nativity.

Ezk 21:31  I will pour out My indignation on you; I will blow against you with the fire of My wrath, And deliver you into the hands of brutal men who are skillful to destroy.

Ezk 21:32  You shall be fuel for the fire; Your blood shall be in the midst of the land. You shall not be remembered, For I the LORD have spoken.’ ”

While still in possession of the Lord’s power and authority over other nations, King Nebuchadnezzar  returns his attention to the Ammonites. Despite their false prophecies of victory, the Ammonites would be destroyed.

When is the last time you met an Ammonite?

The destruction of Jerusalem, and the subsequent Babylonian captivity, were awful. Israel left Jehovah no alternative. If they were going to survive as a nation and a people to bless all the nations of the world by bringing the Messiah, God must halt their apostasy.

#2 The Sighs Of The Lord Are

Uttered To Caress You (v6-17)

A few studies ago we encountered the Doctrine of Impassibility. It asserts that God does not experience emotional changes or suffering due to external influences.

Of course He does; He says so

Himself multiple times in the Bible

Relational Sovereignty is one approach to countering impassibility. It posits that God’s sovereignty is exercised in a dynamic and interactive relationship between God and His creation. God engages with humanity in a way that allows for genuine interaction, responsiveness, and mutual influence. God’s will is both purposeful and flexible, accommodating human free will. Prayer is the most potent example. It is a genuine conversation that can effect Him. .

Ezk 21:6  Sigh therefore, son of man, with a breaking heart, and sigh with bitterness before their eyes.

Ezk 21:7  And it shall be when they say to you, ‘Why are you sighing?’ that you shall answer, ‘Because of the news; when it comes, every heart will melt, all hands will be feeble, every spirit will faint, and all knees will be weak as water. Behold, it is coming and shall be brought to pass,’ says the Lord GOD.”

Ezekiel is representing God when he sighs. This is much more intense than it at first seems:

  • “Knees weak as water” indicates loss of bladder control. This is really strong emotion!
  • “Bitterness” is better translated grief.

The LORD’s emotions are set down in a song

The song is in verses 8-16. Songs in our Bible study should be approached less analytically and more artistically.

Ezk 21:8  Again the word of the LORD came to me, saying,

Ezk 21:9  “Son of man, prophesy and say, ‘Thus says the LORD!’ Say: ‘A sword, a sword is sharpened And also polished!

Ezk 21:10  Sharpened to make a dreadful slaughter, Polished to flash like lightning! Should we then make mirth? It despises the scepter of My son, As it does all wood.

Ezk 21:11  And He has given it to be polished, That it may be handled; This sword is sharpened, and it is polished To be given into the hand of the slayer.’

“Slayer” was Nebuchadnezzar’s super hero name. (Punisher was already taken). The LORD gave the King of Babylon authority over other nations.

God’s “son” in this song is the nation of Judah.

Ezk 21:12  “Cry and wail, son of man; For it will be against My people, Against all the princes of Israel. Terrors including the sword will be against My people; Therefore strike your thigh.

Ezk 21:13  “Because it is a testing, And what if the sword despises even the scepter? The scepter shall be no more,” says the Lord GOD.

Ezekiel’s gestures are choreographed. It doesn’t take away the emotion; it enhances it.

Ezk 21:14  “You therefore, son of man, prophesy, And strike your hands together. The third time let the sword do double damage. It is the sword that slays, The sword that slays the great men, That enters their private chambers.

Ezk 21:15  I have set the point of the sword against all their gates, That the heart may melt and many may stumble. Ah! It is made bright; It is grasped for slaughter:

What songs evoke strong emotion from you? That take you back to a terrible time?

It’s not unusual for someone recently saved to ditch their music. Sometimes they bring it back. That’s between you & the Lord, but take care. It can be a sign of your maturity, or just the opposite.

Ezk 21:16  “Swords at the ready! Thrust right! Set your blade! Thrust left – Wherever your edge is ordered!

Ezk 21:17  “I also will beat My fists together, And I will cause My fury to rest; I, the LORD, have spoken.”

Putting His fury to rest reminds us that while the LORD expresses deep emotion, He is never out of control. He does not overreact. Yet, He fully understands my grief and sorrow. He comforts and holds me close, as One who knows what it is to be human, yet without sin.

Lets think back in Jewish history to 1445BC. After 40yrs of being prohibited from entering, Joshua led the Israelites into the Promised Land.

His first obstacle was the walled city of Jericho. He went out to reconnoiter. Suddenly Joshua sensed the presence of someone else. “He lifted his eyes and looked, and behold, a Man stood opposite him with His sword drawn in His hand. And Joshua went to Him and said to Him, “Are You for us or for our adversaries?” So He said, “No, but as Commander of the army of the LORD I have now come.” And Joshua fell on his face to the earth and worshiped, and said to Him, “What does my Lord say to His servant?” Then the Commander of the LORD’s army said to Joshua, “Take your sandal off your foot, for the place where you stand is holy.” And Joshua did so” (Joshua 5:13-15).

The ‘Commander’ was an appearance of the Second Person of the Trinity. It was Jesus. The sword of the Lord was unsheathed to give Israel victory-after-victory.

Eight centuries later, the sword is in Nebuchadnezzar’s hand. The Jews would be forcibly removed & exiled from the Promised Land.

From that time until the modern era, Israel did not govern herself, and has had no king on the earthly throne. That all changed May 14, 1948 when the Jews returned to their homeland. It will change again at the 2nd Coming of the Lord; all Israel will be saved.

Israel started well, but fell away. Every Christian starts well… But finishing well can be elusive. Two teachings from the apostle Paul can help us:

  1. “Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith? Are you so foolish? Having begun in the Spirit, are you now being made perfect by the flesh?” (Galatians 3:2-3).
  2. “Be filled with the Spirit” (Ephesians 5:18).

BTW: Wednesday morning, at our Men’s Study, Jacob reminded us that “be filled with the Spirit” is a command. I’ve heard it translated, “Go on being filled.” It is something you need to be reminded about.

We start the Christian life well, believing Jesus for salvation. The Holy Spirit immediately, permanently resides in us. After, however, we tend to move away from His supernatural leading to depend on ourselves. God commands us to continue as we started, as those with the Holy Spirit.

“As for me, and my house…”

Prophecy Update #816 – Trump & Temple

February 23, 2025

We set aside a few minutes most Sunday mornings to identify connections between unfulfilled Bible prophecies and current news & trends.

As futurists, we believe every biblical prophecy will be fulfilled literally. This common-sense approach confirms that there will be a Jewish Temple in Jerusalem.

Daniel and Jesus predicted its defilement midway through the Tribulation. Jesus calls it, “the ABOMINATION OF DESOLATION, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the Holy Place” (Matthew 24:15). Other passages tell us that this ‘abomination’ is the antichrist declaring himself ‘God’ and demanding to be worshipped as ‘God.’

Prime Minister of Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel, recently called President Trump the greatest friend Israel has ever had in the White House. In his first term, President Trump did something amazing for Israel. He moved their embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.

There is a great deal of speculation that Jews in Jerusalem will take advantage of the Trump presidency in order to get the Temple built.

Those around Trump would like to see the Temple built. Speaking at an event in Jerusalem in 2018, now Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth said there was “no reason why the miracle of re-establishing the Temple on the Temple Mount isn’t possible,” using the Israeli name for the raised plateau in occupied East Jerusalem where Al-Aqsa Mosque stands.

He also told attendees that Israel should take advantage of Trump being in office to do what they needed to do in the region, because there were “true believers” in Washington who would back them.

Right now it remains speculation. We are simply pointing-out that this is exactly what you would expect to read about in the news if you are familiar with the Bible and its prophecies. The stage is definitely being set for the Great Tribulation to begin, followed by the Second Coming of Jesus Christ to establish his kingdom on earth.

The Second Coming… That’s the real 2.0!

Where do we fit in? Jesus promised to resurrect & rapture His Church prior to His Second Coming, and before the Great Tribulation would come upon the whole Earth.

We will not see the revealing of the Antichrist. The resurrection and rapture of the church is presented as an imminent event. It could occur anytime. Right now, for example.

Are you ready for the rapture? If not, get ready, stay ready, and keep looking up.

Ready or not Jesus is coming!

The Sovereign Is Calling And I Must Go (Mark 1:12-20)

February 19, 2025

Wilt Chamberlain made his NBA debut in October 1959. He dominated in college and delighted audiences during one season with the Harlem Globetrotters. But how would he do in the big leagues? At the end of his first game, Wilt left the court with 43 points and 28 rebounds.[1] Quite a rookie performance. And he still holds the record for more 40 point games 66 years later.

Last week Mark introduced Jesus. Socially speaking, He was an unknown. He had no political clout, no earthly certifications, no foot in the door with the Jerusalem elite. The people at the Jordan weren’t there to see Jesus, there were there to see John. But none of that mattered because when He came up out of the water heaven itself split open to grab our attention and say, “This is the Messiah. Look at Him. Listen to Him.” This was the One to behold.

So what would be Jesus’ first act? Would He throw Caesar off the throne? Host a big fundraiser? Would He demand genuflection or commission a palace? All would’ve been within His rights as King of kings. What would His first act be?

We learn very quickly that this King is not like other kings. In this Gospel, He begins His work going into battle alone – on our behalf – and then inviting us to fall in line behind Him to enjoy the victory. He doesn’t grind us down under His thumb, but lifts us up in His loving embrace.

Mark 1:12-13 – 12 Immediately the Spirit drove him into the wilderness. 13 He was in the wilderness forty days, being tempted by Satan. He was with the wild animals, and the angels were serving him.

There’s a sudden shift from verse 11 to verse 12. Mark makes fast movements in his writing. He’s going to use this term “immediately” more than 40 times.[2] There is an urgency to the work of Christ culminating in His death and resurrection. He was on a mission, not a vacation.

As we read the other Gospel accounts it’s easy to think that Satan came, threw out his 3 temptations, which takes less than 2 minutes when you read it right through, and then took off. But we see here an extended period of testing and conflict between the Lord and our Adversary.

The wilderness doesn’t only speak to us of danger and isolation. It also proves an important point about Who Jesus is. You see, Moses had failed in the wilderness, due to frustration.[3] Elijah failed in the wilderness, due to fear and despair.[4] But Jesus did not fail.

Not only was Jesus doing what Elijah could not and what Moses could not, more significantly, Jesus conquered while Adam had surrendered. When Satan came and tempted Adam, he gave in. And he was defeated in the garden. A perfect garden where he was at home, where every need was met, where his perfect companion was constantly with them and together they communed with God Himself face-to-face. But Christ, the Second Adam faced an extended barrage of temptations in the wilderness alone. Hungry but with nothing to eat. Mark says angels were serving Him, but Matthew reveals they didn’t arrive until after the Devil left.[5]

We’re told that the Spirit drove Jesus into this situation. It was an absolute, Divine necessity that He go and prove that He was qualified to be the Savior.[6] It’s not that it was a question – God the Father wasn’t wondering if Jesus would pass the test – but as Hebrews would later explain:

Hebrews 2:17-18 – 17 Therefore, he had to be like his brothers and sisters in every way, so that he could become a merciful and faithful high priest in matters pertaining to God, to make atonement for the sins of the people. 18 For since he himself has suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are tempted.

He was tempted not only to show He had what it takes to defeat the Devil – something no human had ever been able to do – but to also so that He might sympathize with us in our weakness.[7]

And to think: This was Jesus’ rookie performance. Usually you don’t face the champ in your very first fight. But Jesus did and it wasn’t even close. Total victory over ultimate temptation.

Mark 1:14 – 14 After John was arrested, Jesus went to Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God

About a year passes in-between verses 13 and 14. The Gospel of John records that Jesus had an early Judean ministry that overlapped with John the Baptist’s ministry – in fact, they may have been in the same general area.[8]

But Mark’s Gospel has 3 major parts. You have the Galilean ministry in chapters 1 through 8. Then you have Jesus’ journey to Jerusalem in from the last part of chapter 8 through 10. And then you have Passion week in chapters 11 through 16. The opening 13 verses of chapter 1 are an introduction and the last few verses of chapter 16 are an appendix.

Here in verse 14 the Galilee portion begins. Galilee is not just some random place. As one scholar points out, Galilee has both a geographical dimension and a theological dimension.[9] It was a place where the barriers between Jew and Gentile started to break down. There were a lot of religious Jews there, but it was also semi-pagan.[10] Matthew calls it a Gentile district.[11] In this remarkable place, Jesus met all kinds of people and proclaimed the Good News to all of them. Salvation for anyone. And in coming to Galilee, Jesus fulfilled yet another Isaiah prophecy: that the Lord would bring light and freedom and joy to the people living in darkness – the people in Galilee![12]

I couldn’t help but wonder, “Why wasn’t John one of the 12 apostles?” Wouldn’t he have been an incredible addition to the team? Full of the Holy Spirit from the womb. A faithful Nazarene. A great preacher. Humble and fearless. Yet, he was “arrested.” The term actually means “handed over into the power of men.”[13] It’s the same word that will later be used when Jesus is betrayed by Judas.

Why wasn’t John brought into the 12? We obviously don’t know the mind of God, but we do know that, in His providence, God had set aside John to serve as the herald of the Messiah and to maybe use him as the “Elijah that was to come.” Later in Mark we’ll hear Jesus say, “Elijah does have to come before the end of human history, and John could have been Elijah, but he was rejected.”[14]

You see, Christ’s offer to Israel to restore her and establish the forever Kingdom was a genuine offer. But Israel’s leaders, both political and religious, rejected Jesus, and so we now wait for the full and final consummation of the Messiah’s work and the establishment of His physical Kingdom.

Mark 1:15 – 15 “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!”

In the Garden of Eden, looking on the failure of man, the infiltration of sin and death into creation, the Lord made a promise to send a Son to defeat the Devil and save the world. And now, so many centuries later, the time had come. Not only were the gates of the Kingdom thrown open, but the arrival of Christ also signified the beginning of the end. Mark 1:15 is the start of the last days.[15]

The coming of the Kingdom is good news, but it isn’t only good news. Along with the offer of salvation comes the promise of judgment. Those who refuse to enter in will face His inescapable wrath. And so, while sharing the happy tidings, Jesus also urgently invited people to enter in.[16]

From the beginning, He explained how to gain access to the eternal Kingdom of God: Repent and believe the good news. In those few words we see an entire life being oriented toward the truth of God in trust and obedience. You have the heart, the mind, and the actions all together moving the progress of a life from going in one direction to now going in another direction.

We don’t earn a place in the Kingdom, we don’t climb in by our own grit or ability. We are invited in by the King, Who loves us and wants very much to spend eternity with us. But to receive what God has offered, we must have an operational faith – belief with repentance. A faith that is not just intellectual – and not just emotional – but rooted in love, truth, and motion toward God. It’s not just about words we say. In fact, Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians, “the kingdom of God is not a matter of talk but of power.”[17] And so, we must respond to Christ’s urgent summons with a living, childlike faith.

Are we in the Kingdom now? Some Christians and church traditions teach that we are and shouldn’t expect a physical manifestation of Christ’s Kingdom in the future. And Jesus said, “The Kingdom has drawn near. It’s at hand.”  But He would also go on to tell His disciples to pray, “Your Kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” Even later He will teach in His Olivet Discourse, “When you see the following things happening, you know the Kingdom is near.”[18]

As Christians, we live in the reality of the Kingdom now in the sense that we know that this world is not our home, and that while we are passing through we are on a mission to further the King’s work and bring more citizens to His Kingdom. At the same time, here at Calvary we are futurists who see the unfulfilled prophecies in the Bible, including those about a Millennial Kingdom, and recognize that just as the prophecies of Christ’s first coming were literally fulfilled, so the prophecies about His second coming and the establishment of a Kingdom in Jerusalem will be literally fulfilled. And that belief should impact our plans, our values, the things we’re excited about, and so much more.

In the meantime, I receive the Kingdom here and now by submitting to God’s rule over my heart and life. I live a life defined by belief and repentance and trust in this Savior King Who has been revealed and Who works in and through my life as I walk with Him.

Mark 1:16 – 16 As he passed alongside the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and Andrew, Simon’s brother, casting a net into the sea—for they were fishermen.

First thing Christ did after being introduced was fight a battle He didn’t have to fight to so He could share with us a victory we couldn’t win for ourselves. The second thing He did was go looking for disciples. This may seem like normal to us in a world full of brand ambassadors and military recruitment, but this was an unusual thing. Old Testament prophets didn’t go looking for disciples. Most rabbis didn’t either.[19] John the Baptist had disciples, but they came to him. But Jesus is the Good Shepherd Who goes looking for lost sheep. He seeks after you. He calls out to you.

Now, normally we thinking of the fishermen of Galilee being a coarse and impoverished lot. But the truth is, they were not peasants. In fact, they would occupy what we might call the middle class, (relatively speaking).[20] But that doesn’t mean Christianity is a middle-class movement. Jesus brought people of every background into His fold, as He continues to do today. Because the Gospel brings hope and transformation to all peoples of all places and social classes. Spiritually speaking, no matter who we are, we’re blind, bankrupt, and in need of rescue. Jesus comes to us.

Mark 1:17 – 17 “Follow me,” Jesus told them, “and I will make you fish for people.”

Jesus’ was not like the other teachers of Scripture at the time.  The other rabbis of Israel would not say “follow ME,” they would say, “Come learn the Torah from me.”[21] And when Jesus talked about fishing for people, it would’ve reminded these Jewish fellows about that same image used in the Old Testament prophets. But there, fishing for people led to wrath and judgment. Here, Jesus says, “I’m going to send you to fish for people to save them from wrath and judgment.”

His call to them may only have been 10 words, but there could not have been anything more transformational, radical, or demanding. This was a command from the Son of God. But with the command came a promise. To receive that promise, they must go along with Christ’s demands – and He demanded everything. “Fall in line behind Me, come after Me, wherever I lead you.” But, if they were willing to follow, He would lead them into a greater life and experience than they could’ve possibly imagined.

Mark 1:18 – 18 Immediately they left their nets and followed him.

Look at this! Incredible faith. Incredible obedience. Immediate trust and belief in practice.

With that said, the Gospels are full of examples of the disciples making profound mistakes. They’re not recorded to shame them, but to help us. But you have to wonder, why not just pick those angels from verse 13 to be the Messiah’s entourage? Angels don’t misunderstand. Angels can’t be imprisoned. Angels don’t fear or falter. Humans do. But it is God’s desire to redeem us and sanctify us and make us His own special possession to be put on display for all the cosmos to see His power and grace and mercy and faithfulness. We are chosen despite our failures and weakness.

Mark 1:19-20 – 19 Going on a little farther, he saw James the son of Zebedee and his brother John in a boat putting their nets in order. 20 Immediately he called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired men and followed him.

These brothers would make up the core four of Jesus’ disciples. Though we’ll see their obedience was definitely not perfect, it was prompt and complete here at the start.[22]

What enticed them to go? They saw no miracle. They may have known something about Jesus, but Mark gives us no such indication. They were propelled by Christ’s authority and Word. His word and presence were powerful despite there being no supernatural manifestation.

And so they left their own plans, they left their own designs, they left their human father to be led by Jesus, and lead Him He did, through thick and thin, ups and downs, failures and triumphs. Christ was always faithful to them. And His desire was to lead each of these fellows in very specific, and in some cases very different ways.

James would be a relatively early martyr for Christ in Jerusalem. Peter would become a leader in the Jerusalem church and, ultimately, be led to Rome. John would become the bishop of Ephesus, be exiled to Patmos, and receive the Revelation of Jesus Christ. Andrew “went as far as the borders of Russia” with the good news.[23]

They didn’t know any of that that day as the water lapped the shore by their nets. But they believed that not only was Jesus worth serving, He was going to lead them for the rest of their lives.

Christ’s introduction in this chapter shows us so much about Him and about the life He’s called us to. Through this book, we see that Jesus has also sought you out and said to you, “Follow Me.” And He really, actually, wants you involved in His work and His Kingdom. He could use angels. He could find other John the Baptists. But He wants you and me to come after Him and be sent into a specific life of faith and power and grace and truth. One where we can overcome temptation because our Savior overcame every temptation. One where we continue to be renewed in our belief and built up in our faith by God the Holy Spirit, living under the protection of the Most High, dwelling in the shadow of the Almighty. A life where the King of kings brings us into His Kingdom and shares all He has with us. A life we get to walk in as we exercise our faith, grow in our knowledge and understanding of Christ Jesus our Lord, and wait with expectation and hope for all that He will accomplish by His power on our behalf.

 

References
↑1 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wilt_Chamberlain
↑2 Ben Witherington   The Gospel Of Mark: A Socio-Rhetorical Commentary
↑3 Numbers 20:9-11
↑4 1 Kings 19:4-5
↑5 Matthew 4:11
↑6 James Brooks   The New American Commentary, Volume 23: Mark
↑7 Hebrews 4:15
↑8 John 3:22-26
↑9 Wilfrid Harrington   Reading Mark For The First Time
↑10 Morna Hooker   The Gospel According To Saint Mark
↑11 Matthew 4:15
↑12 Isaiah 9:1-2
↑13 Hooker
↑14 Mark 9:11-13 paraphrased
↑15 Franklin Paschall and Herschel Hobbs   The Teacher’s Bible Commentary
↑16 Luke 16:16
↑17 1 Corinthians 4:20
↑18 Luke 21:31
↑19 David Garland   Mark
↑20 Craig Keener   The IVP Bible Background Commentary: New Testament
↑21 Garland
↑22 Brooks
↑23 R. Kent Hughes   Mark: Jesus, Servant, And Savior
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