The Book Of Lamentations

Lamentations has 5 chapters and all of them are part of the dirge for Israel after the fall of Jerusalem. Jeremiah is called the weeping prophet for this reason. His prophesies forecast destruction and bondage. Nobody liked Jeremiah or his efforts at preventing the coming destruction. Of course, he named their sins and called for repentance. He was dismayed but not surprised by the response he got.

Lamentations is unique as a Book of the Bible. All five chapters are poetry, but unlike Psalms, they all have the same theme. Each chapter is an acrostic poem. There are Psalms that follow this pattern. Each chapter uses the letters of the Hebrew alphabet as a structural platform. In Chapters 1, 2, 4 and 5 each has 22 verses with each verse beginning with the next successive letter of the alphabet, Aleph, Beth, Gimel, etc. Chapter 3 has 66 verses and the verses are grouped by threes. He continues the use of the letters to in succession to shape the poem. (This pattern only works in Hebrew.)

He refers to the former glory of Israel, her armies, her Kings, but he mourns what has happened to her people. He repeatedly  calls to mind the sins which led to this disaster and reminds the people they knew there would be consequences, but they flaunted God's laws. 

In Chapter 3 he returns to a joyous exclamation of hope. The Lord's mercies have kept us from complete destruction. My soul claims hope in him. It is good to hope and wait patiently for the salvation of the Lord. Even though he has allowed grief, he will also show compassion. He does not enjoy afflicting us, but this is the result when we rob men of justice. (The Living Bible, Lamentations:21-26.)  

 Read Lamentations and repent. Seek God's forgiveness. Live in obedience. Revel in the joy of grace.
 

Joseph, the Husband of Mary

Joseph seems to be sort of neglected in the Christmas story. He is  initially referred to because Mary was engaged to him. In the Gospel of Matthew the order of events leaves Joseph till last to be notified of the impending birth. Apparently Mary did not disclose her pregnancy to Joseph at the time of the Angel's visit. Perhaps she waited until physical changes prompted questions. Joseph was a righteous man and he did not intend to dishonor God by engaging in unseemly behavior, so he planned to dissolve the engagement quietly. God was not worried about Joseph's reputation. He assured him that Mary was worthy to be his wife and the child was the Messiah who would save the people from their sins

Joseph's importance is emphasized by the genealogy that traces through him. Even though Joseph is a step-father, the Gospel of Matthew is careful to explore the genealogical connection through David. Matthew also points out that Joseph was visited by an angel who convinced him of Mary's virtue. There would be no breech of his honor to take Mary as his wife. Still with all the confidence God put in Joseph, the scripture devotes little time or ink to him in the Gospels.

I have been taught that he is assumed to have died by the time  Jesus was grown. There is no mention of him after Jesus' twelfth birthday. Jesus would have learned the builder's trade from Joseph even though his calling from God was to preach and heal and establish the Church. Some comentators point out that houses in Israel were built from stone, not wood and lumber, so he would have been a stone mason rather than a carpenter. Boats were built of wood and some of the furniture and doors so I have reason to believe he was also skilled in working with wood.


                                                      

Vision and Reality of the Glory of God

 Ezekiel records some astounding visions, notably the Wheel in a Wheel and the Valley of Dry Bones, but to me the most remarkable visions of Ezekiel are his recounting of the appearance and glory of God. In Chapter 1 the focus initially is on the four living creatures with four faces and 2 sets of wings. They are accompanied by the magnificent wheel which represents the Spirit and goes wherever the living creatures go. The wheel rises when the living creatures rise and goes wherever they go.                                                   
The wheel had another wheel inside it, and there were eyes in the wheels. The creatures' wings were lifted and touched each other and Ezekiel heard the sound of them. The sound of the wings was like the sound of the ocean or great waterfalls. Above the heads of the living creatures was a throne which shone like sapphire and great light came from it.

Ezekiel fell on his face when he heard the sound of God's voice. God commanded him to get up on his feet. Throughout scripture this is a common response to the majesty of God's presence. Daniel fell before the Messenger who spoke to him; John "fell as dead" in Revelations; Abram also fell before the presence of God. Gen. 17:3  Many other instances are cited and Ezekiel repeated it twice.  
  I don't think this is something you can practice and prepare for: It is rather something you can't avoid. Standing in the presence of God, witnessing his power and authority takes the breath from the body, reduces humans to utter humility, without even strength to stand. Then like Daniel and John, we will be revived by the orders of God to stand on our feet and face him. I'm guessing that's not something you can plan or prepare for either.

Read Ezekiel 1to begin to understand this great mystery and what awaits us in the future.

Ezekiel

It seems to me the Book of Ezekiel has been neglected even though he is one of the Major Prophets, and I am struggling to understand why and correct my view of him. Ezekiel was taken to Babylon in the first group of exiles from Judah in 598 b.c.e. Some call him a pessimist, but he also prophesies wonderful and glorious future events for Israel. 

In Chapter 1 he describes the first vision in great detail. He cites the day and the place giving details of the men he saw.  The men were not men as we know them, but creatures with four faces. They stood at attention and moved as God directed. Each of the creatures had a human face with a lion's face on the right side and the face of an ox on the left and each also had the face of an eagle. I wondered if the eagle was on the back of the head.

Each of the living creatures had a wheel that went with him and the wheels were "full of eyes." The creatures were obedient to the Spirit and he looked like fire with burning coals and lightning. The wheels looked like a wheel intersecting a wheel. The description sounds like a gear, a wheel in a wheel. The purpose of the wheel is not explained, but it represented the Spirit of God; it contributed to the glory with the sound, the light, and the eyes.

I never thought of God's Glory in terms of sound, but the description of Glory in Ezekiel is profoundly related to sound. In the beginning of the vision, Ezekiel sees a windstorm with lightning and the center of the storm looks like glowing metal. Even though the text does not describe sound, the windstorm would be accompanied by sound and the lightning would be accompanied by thunder. The creatures had wings and they made sound. Yes, this vision is as important in the sounds as in the sights it records.

Colossians

English: Map of Epistle to Colossians Polski: Mapa Listu do Kolosan (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Colossians is a small book in the New Testament that started out in life as a letter of Paul to a faithful congregation in the city of Colossae. Paul's letter reveals that Epaphras evangelized the area, but it is assumed that Paul never visited them, but had only heard of their faith  through the reports of Epaphras and, perhaps, others who visited him while he was in prison in Rome. Epaphas was a resident of Colossae. Epaphras may have heard the message of Jesus from Paul or some other witness, but he took it back home and spread the word. This is indeed what we are supposed to do: Hear the message and share it with those we see and meet and live with.

Paul learned of their faith from Epaphras whom Paul calls "a dear fellow servant." Since Paul had not visited or preached in Colossae, I wonder if Epaphras was won to the Lord through his preaching in another city. Colossae is about 11 miles from Laodicea and Paul made repeated visits in the area.

Even though this is a small book it contains some very important truths such as the passage in Chapter I where he defines the supremacy and magnitude of Christ as equal with God the Father. In Chapter II he reminds the Colossians and us of the necessity of fullness in Christ without the limitations of human rules.

In Chapter III he implores us to keep our eyes fixed on our position as "raised in Christ" and alive to him and his claim on us. We no longer dwell in the carnal nature or depend on it for our sustenance.
He calls wives to be submissive, husbands to be kind and generous, children to be obedient, fathers to be gentle, and whatever you work at, do it as unto the Lord.

Chapter IV gives the last reminders about caring for one another and doing the essentials. He sends regards to some he thinks might know him and gives the closing message to pray for him and the spread of the Gospel.   

I urge you to read this book and find the gems that shine for you. Don't just take my word for it. There is much wisdom and joy to be found here.

Not A Quick Fix

I read a selection from the Bible every week with a lady who lives here in "the home" with me. She may be older than me. She does not read when we meet because her vision seems to be worse than mine. We have read the Book of Acts since Easter and now we have begun Micah. I really like the Old Testament Prophets, but they are not very popular in most discussions. Most people think of the Minor Prophets as filled with judgments and destruction, but there are also words of comfort and restoration.

The truth is that God blesses the reading of his words whether we like them or not. Even passages we feel are judgmental and overwhelming are blessed when we read them with reverence and attention. It's not always something we understand that strengthens us for our course. Sometimes it's the act of studying the obscure and difficult passage that brings new awareness and blessing.

Read a different translation and make sure you understand what is happening and what the message is; then read it again and see what God is saying to you about your present circumstances. If you are still in doubt, let it rest for a while and come back later. Maybe you will have to let it rest for a long time, but some day you may find it a surprising revelation. Then you know that God has been working in you heart and mind to reveal a powerful truth, a truth that deserves this kind of commitment and effort. This is something that should take a while, maybe a long while, to become clear. Now you can recognize that God is in this for the long haul. You need to accept that and let it grow in you even if it takes your whole life.  

Abram Believed God

English: The frescoes of Joakim Skovgaard in the Viborg Cathedral, Denmark: Abraham and Isaac climbing Mount Moriah. Joakim Skovgaards fresker i Viborg Domkirke: Abraham og Isak på vej op ad Moriabjerget. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

 In Genesis , Abram was called by God to leave his homeland and his people and go to a  place he didn't know. He did it. There were several hindrances to his life and welfare, but he did prosper and find sustenance in Canaan. 

The Bible does not give any clue to the amount of time that passed between the initial call and the time of testing, but finally God called him to take his son Issac and go to Mount Moriah and make an offering there. The offering was Isaac. This son that he had plead with God for was to be the offering. He saddled his donkey and called two of his men to accompany them and they set out early in the morning. 

Isaac was smart enough to know they needed an animal for the sacrifice. He questioned Abram about it. "Father, we have the knife and the wood and the fire, but where will we get a lamb on the mountain?" Abram replied, "God will provide." This is the answer of faith. When God called him to make an offering, he was obedient.

Abram never argued or begged for some other option. He was completely compliant with God's choice. I can imagine the heart wrenching agony he faced when he laid the wood on Isaac's back and assured him that there would be an acceptable sacrifice when the time for the offering came. I am less sure that I could have been as confident of God's providence as Abram was.

Abram came form a society and culture where child sacrifice was acceptable and routine. The society I live in, at least in regard to laws and public policy, defends the child's right to be accepted as an individual and protected as a human being. Abram highly valued and loved his son Isaac. He did have another son, Ishmael, but Issac was the son God had promised, and they could not coexist as descendants of God's promise to Abram. 

When he got to the place where the offering was to take place, Abram prepared the altar and placed the wood in order and bound Isaac and laid him on top. I have to assume that Isaac knew what was about to happen to him when his father took the knife. This surely was a test for Abram, but I think it was equally a test for Isaac. He did not protest or fight. He was as yielded as Abram. 

Before he could sink the knife into the boy, the angel of the Lord called to him and pointed to a ram caught in the thicket that he could substitute for Isaac.

Abram was tested, and God was satisfied with his obedience. God called to him again from Heaven, and said, "Because you have obeyed and not questioned, all the people of the earth will be blessed through your son."

Not every test is announced; some take us by surprise. Only in hindsight do we recognize great tests of faith we witness. Sometimes we witness the test when we fail. Abram had failed one test when God told him that he would have a child. He and Sarai conspired to seek the child from Sarai's handmaiden. That was a flop. The effort produced a child, Ishmael, but he was not the child of the promise. Now Isaac  was the offering. Did Abram have faith to trust God this time? With a resounding yes, we see Abram ready to offer Isaac on the altar. This is the attitude God wanted in every case. 

Are we willing to sacrifice our cherished dream to take up God's call? Abram is the model of obedience. It is not appropriate for us to offer a child anymore. That was a one-time thing, and we cannot take every demand of God as a prescription for our behavior. God no longer calls us to this kind of sacrifice, but he may call us to acts of great obedience and sacrifice. Seek God to learn what he is requiring of you each day.