Sat, 21 January, 2006: Today’s Bible readings.

Acts 21:1-14

¹ And when we had parted from them and set sail, we came by a straight course to Cos, and the next day to Rhodes, and from there to Patara. ² And having found a ship crossing to Phoenicia, we went aboard and set sail. ³ When we had come in sight of Cyprus, leaving it on the left we sailed to Syria and landed at Tyre, for there the ship was to unload its cargo. ⁴ And having sought out the disciples, we stayed there for seven days. And through the Spirit they were telling Paul not to go on to Jerusalem. ⁵ When our days there were ended, we departed and went on our journey, and they all, with wives and children, accompanied us until we were outside the city. And kneeling down on the beach, we prayed ⁶ and said farewell to one another. Then we went on board the ship, and they returned home.

⁷ When we had finished the voyage from Tyre, we arrived at Ptolemais, and we greeted the brothers and stayed with them for one day. ⁸ On the next day we departed and came to Caesarea, and we entered the house of Philip the evangelist, who was one of the seven, and stayed with him. ⁹ He had four unmarried daughters, who prophesied. ¹⁰ While we were staying for many days, a prophet named Agabus came down from Judea. ¹¹ And coming to us, he took Paul’s belt and bound his own feet and hands and said, “Thus says the Holy Spirit, ‘This is how the Jews at Jerusalem will bind the man who owns this belt and deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles.’” ¹² When we heard this, we and the people there urged him not to go up to Jerusalem. ¹³ Then Paul answered, “What are you doing, weeping and breaking my heart? For I am ready not only to be imprisoned but even to die in Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.” ¹⁴ And since he would not be persuaded, we ceased and said, “Let the will of the Lord be done.”

This is a hard passage. People are by the Spirit warning Paul not to go to Jerusalem, yet he continues to press on. Is Paul disobeying the Holy Spirit by going to Jerusalem? Is the Holy Spirit trying to stop Paul from his foolhardy trip?

Probably the best way to understand this is that the Holy Spirit is revealing to the disciples in Tyre (in verse 4) and to Agabus (in verse 11) what is going to happen to Paul in Jerusalem. These people then, out of their own concern for Paul’s welfare, warn him to not go to Jerusalem. It isn’t that the Holy Spirit is warning Paul to not go to Jerusalem, but He is preparing Paul for what will come.

Paul had some idea of what the outcome of his journey would be. In the previous chapter, he told the Ephesian elders:

Acts 20:22-25

²² And now, behold, I am going to Jerusalem, constrained by the Spirit, not knowing what will happen to me there, ²³ except that the Holy Spirit testifies to me in every city that imprisonment and afflictions await me. ²⁴ But I do not account my life of any value nor as precious to myself, if only I may finish my course and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God. ²⁵ And now, behold, I know that none of you among whom I have gone about proclaiming the kingdom will see my face again.

These prophets are just augmenting what Paul has already comprehended: he would be incarcerated in Jerusalem. He would suffer in some way. But Paul says that he is constrained by the Holy Spirit to go there. These little glimpses of what is going to happen are apparently to steel him for the coming difficulties. The Holy Spirit is not leaving Paul to walk blindly into the fires. But as the prophets by the Holy Spirit warn Paul of his coming suffering, they also add their own counsel him to avoid the troubles by not going to Jerusalem.

Paul persists in his intention to go to Jerusalem despite knowing of the coming hardships, and eventually those who are trying to persuade him to abort the trip give up trying to talk him out of going, and instead commit the whole thing to God.

What do we learn from this?

We want to avoid suffering for ourselves and for others. That is natural. Suffering is difficult, and given the option, we prefer to live in comfort rather than in pain. But avoiding difficulties must not be our highest priority, for there are things that are more important than our own comfort. Sometimes it is God’s will for us to suffer for His glory and for our good. If we could somehow sidestep the difficulty God sends us, we would also miss the opportunity that God has in store.

This is not to say that we shouldn’t seek to avoid pain and hardship when we can do so without compromise. But there are times when we have no choice but to face the suffering if we truly put God first in our lives.

Where is Christ in this passage?

As we think of Paul being willing to go to Jerusalem knowing he will face suffering for the sake of the gospel, it reminds us of Paul’s Lord and Master who also set His face to go to Jerusalem. Jesus Christ knew what was going to happen to Him in Jerusalem, yet He completed His difficult and painful task, knowing it would bring glory to the Father and would win the salvation of His people. Jesus Christ sought to obey the Father rather than to maximize His own comfort.

Fri, 20 January, 2006: Today’s Bible readings.

Nehemiah 10:39

“For the people of Israel and the sons of Levi shall bring the contribution of grain, wine, and oil to the chambers, where the vessels of the sanctuary are, as well as the priests who minister, and the gatekeepers and the singers. We will not neglect the house of our God.”

In the previous chapter, Nehemiah records how the people united to listen to the reading of the word of God. They confessed their sins, and then in this chapter, they joined together in making a covenant to obey God. This covenant was a binding agreement they made together to do what God had commanded them. The covenant included how they vowed to contribute their tithes and offerings to the temple.

What do we learn from this?

God gives us all that we have. There is nothing we have that didn’t come to us from God. In acknowledgment of this, we give back a portion of what God has given us. We don’t give to God because He needs our gifts. He is not indebted to us for our help. No. He is God, and everything belongs to Him. But He does give us the privilege of giving back some of what He has given, so that we can acknowledge it is all from Him and we can express our submission and gratitude.

The people of Nehemiah’s day understood this, and they covenanted together that they would not neglect giving to the house of God.

Where is Christ in this passage?

The Old Testament people contributed to the temple because that was the place they were to gather to offer the required sacrifices. They would come with an animal to be killed in their place, symbolically transferring their sins to the animal. And as they were cleansed from their sins by bringing the substitute God had commanded, and as they trusted in God’s provision for their salvation, they then worshiped God. This process pointed to the Substitute who would come to truly bear the sins of all God’s people.

Jesus Christ is that substitute, completely fulfilling what the sacrificial system was pointing to. Therefore, we no longer offer sacrifices, and the temple is not needed. The perfect Sacrifice has come. No other sacrifice is needed. The temple with its bloody altar is obsolete. Now we worship God in our local churches where Christians all over the world gather together with other believers to praise God, be built up in their faith, and reach out to those around them.

The temple is now abolished, so we bring our tithes and offerings to our local church, presenting them to God as we gather to worship Him on the Lord’s day. We give these gifts out of thanksgiving for what God has done for us in Jesus Christ.

Thu, 19 January, 2006: Today’s Bible readings.

Matthew 19:13-15

¹³ Then children were brought to him that he might lay his hands on them and pray. The disciples rebuked the people, ¹⁴ but Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven.” ¹⁵ And he laid his hands on them and went away.

At this point of His life, Jesus is quite busy. People are coming for healing. Others are coming for advice. The Scribes and Pharisees are trying to trip Him up in His words so they can bring charges against Him. And the population in general is fascinated with Him and come to hear Him talk and watch the show. In all this bustle surrounding Jesus, there are some people who bring children to Jesus for His blessing.

The disciples try to protect Jesus’ already busy schedule by removing the distraction of the children. They did not see the kids as an important part of what Jesus was doing, and so they tried to send the children away.

But Jesus saw the children differently. He accepted them, used them as an object lesson to His harried disciples, and blessed them.

What do we learn from this?

It is an unfortunate truth that even today in most churches, children are treated in the same way they were treated by the disciples. When you step inside most churches, the children are immediately sent away from the main worship service. The intentions are good. Just like the disciples, the people who send the children away are trying to limit the distractions children cause so the grownups can get to the real business of church. Isn’t that exactly what the disciples are trying to do here?

But that isn’t Jesus’ attitude towards children. He welcomes them, and reminds us all that we come to God completely helpless and dependent, as a little child, or we are not saved. Jesus freely includes the little children as part of the covenant community, and invites them to come into His presence to enjoy His blessing. Jesus doesn’t exclude them as a distraction from the real business of the day, but includes them in His blessing.

Based upon this passage and others like it, I contend we should include our children in our worship services. Yes, at times the little ones will cause a distraction. But as I heard a dear pastor say years ago, “I’d rather hear the cries of the babes than the snores of the saints.” Children need to learn how to behave in church, and it takes some time before they will be able to sit quietly and listen to the sermon.

Where is Christ in this passage?

We all want our children to come to saving faith. That should be our greatest desire. If we truly believe that God grants faith as we hear the preached word, why would we send them out of the worship service. This is where they belong if we want them to be saved. They need to be in the presence of the preaching about Jesus Christ and how He lived and died for His people.

Wed, 18 January, 2006: Today’s Bible readings.

Genesis 19:15-29

¹⁵ As morning dawned, the angels urged Lot, saying, “Up! Take your wife and your two daughters who are here, lest you be swept away in the punishment of the city.” ¹⁶ But he lingered. So the men seized him and his wife and his two daughters by the hand, the LORD being merciful to him, and they brought him out and set him outside the city. ¹⁷ And as they brought them out, one said, “Escape for your life. Do not look back or stop anywhere in the valley. Escape to the hills, lest you be swept away.” ¹⁸ And Lot said to them, “Oh, no, my lords. ¹⁹ Behold, your servant has found favor in your sight, and you have shown me great kindness in saving my life. But I cannot escape to the hills, lest the disaster overtake me and I die. ²⁰ Behold, this city is near enough to flee to, and it is a little one. Let me escape there–is it not a little one?–and my life will be saved!” ²¹ He said to him, “Behold, I grant you this favor also, that I will not overthrow the city of which you have spoken. ²² Escape there quickly, for I can do nothing till you arrive there.” Therefore the name of the city was called Zoar.

²³ The sun had risen on the earth when Lot came to Zoar. ²⁴ Then the LORD rained on Sodom and Gomorrah sulfur and fire from the LORD out of heaven. ²⁵ And he overthrew those cities, and all the valley, and all the inhabitants of the cities, and what grew on the ground. ²⁶ But Lot’s wife, behind him, looked back, and she became a pillar of salt.

²⁷ And Abraham went early in the morning to the place where he had stood before the LORD. ²⁸ And he looked down toward Sodom and Gomorrah and toward all the land of the valley, and he looked and, behold, the smoke of the land went up like the smoke of a furnace.

²⁹ So it was that, when God destroyed the cities of the valley, God remembered Abraham and sent Lot out of the midst of the overthrow when he overthrew the cities in which Lot had lived.

Yesterday we saw Abraham pleading with God for mercy upon Sodom and Gomorrah. He interceded with God to spare the wicked cities if God could find ten righteous people in them. In today’s reading, we see that there were not ten righteous people, and so God destroys the cities. But we also find out what is probably Abraham’s primary motive in pleading for these cities: his nephew Lot is living there.

The angels come to Sodom and found it to be a depraved city. Before they can destroy the city, they first must get Lot and all his family to leave, because God remembered Abraham and had mercy upon his family.

What do we learn from this?

We are to intercede for the people around us, that God would have mercy on them and spare them from disaster, just as Abraham pleaded for mercy on Sodom and Gomorrah. Understandably, our motive in this is usually is that God would have mercy upon our families and upon His people. But as God withholds the judgment due upon a society, those who are in rebellion against God also reap the benefits. They too are spared and continue to prosper.

So we see that the presence of Christians within a society has a great benefit upon all those around them, even if no one recognizes it. If there had been ten righteous people, the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah would have been spared. And even in the great destruction that came, Lot and his family were spared because of righteous Abraham.

We probably will never know how much benefit our society and our families received just because we as Christians are present, receiving God’s blessing.

Where is Christ in this passage?

God doesn’t spare us every hardship just because we are Christians. There still are tragedies that strike Christian and non-Christian alike. But God there is a major difference as God has a care for His people in those tragedies. And more than that, God has spared His people what is worse than any earthly tragedy. He has taken away the punishment that is due for the sins of His people, and He has laid it upon Jesus Christ. He has given His people the righteousness of Jesus Christ so that they can be His people. All this He has done, and continues to do as Jesus Christ, like Abraham, intercedes for us.

Tue, 17 January, 2006: Today’s Bible readings.

Acts 17:10-12

¹⁰ The brothers immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Berea, and when they arrived they went into the Jewish synagogue. ¹¹ Now these Jews were more noble than those in Thessalonica; they received the word with all eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so. ¹² Many of them therefore believed, with not a few Greek women of high standing as well as men.

Luke is chronicling Paul’s travels on his missionary journeys. Sometimes he meets with “success” as people repent and come to salvation. Somethings he is thrown in prison, beaten, and/or run out of town. But he continues to bring the gospel of Jesus Christ to people who have never heard before.

Today’s chapter includes a few verses about Paul’s visit to Berea. Short as it is, I’ve always appreciated this description of the Bereans. Luke tells us that they didn’t just blindly accept what Paul said. They examined the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so.

What do we learn from this?

This is a great description of these people. They studied the scriptures on a regular basis, and when someone came bringing a spiritual message for them, the listened carefully to what was said, and then went to the scriptures to see if the message was in line with God’s word. They weren’t credulous. Nor were they hard hearted. They seriously considered what they heard, and compared the teaching to scripture to decide if it was true or not.

I would like to be described as a Berean. How do we do it?

The first step is to know the Bible. We won’t know where to look in the scriptures to validate what we are hearing unless we are very familiar with the scriptures. Reading through the Bible every year is a good start. As you continue to do this year after year, you start to become familiar with the scriptures as a whole. This gives you a good basis for considering what you are hearing being taught or preached. As you spend time in the scriptures, the Holy Spirit can call to mind passages to help you. When you are confronted with something, all of the sudden you realize, “I think Exodus (or some other book) has something to say about this….” After some search, you can reference the scripture you have been regularly reading and you have gained an insight into the situation at hand.

Secondly, you must listen critically to what others say. We have a tendency to just accept what someone in spiritual authority says without thinking it through. After all, the person speaking is an expert in this, and I’m just a lay person. But remember, the pastor is a man, and he can make mistakes. Consider carefully what he is teaching. The only authority he has in his sermons is what comes from the authority of scripture. If the sermon contradicts scripture or goes beyond what scripture says, the pastor has overstepped his authority. Carefully consider what you hear and compare it with scripture. Think about it. If it lines up with scripture, then follow it, and apply it to your life.

Maybe you don’t know enough yet to know where to look in scripture for validation. Hopefully, in the sermon the pastor is providing the scriptural backing for what he is teaching. Write down those passages and go home and carefully consider what he said in light of those passages. If he didn’t give any scripture for the basis of what he taught, ask him (tactfully) for it. If he regularly can’t (or won’t) give any scripture to support what he is teaching, you probably should consider attending somewhere else where the scriptures are faithfully taught.

Carefully consider what is being taught in your church, and, like the Bereans, compare it against scripture to see if it is true.

Where is Christ in this passage?

Paul reasoned with the Jews, arguing from the scripture that Jesus is the Christ. He would take what we call the Old Testament scriptures, and use them to proclaim Jesus Christ. The Bereans searched these scriptures to see if this was true. These Old Testament scriptures were enough to prove to those who searched them that Jesus is the Christ.

The premise of looking for Jesus in every passage we deal with in these meditations is that, as Jesus Himself said, we will find Him as we search the scriptures. Scripture, Old and New Testament, are about Jesus Christ. That’s why many of the Bereans came to believe in Jesus Christ as they studied the scriptures, looking for the truth of what Paul said. Jesus Christ is there in the scriptures to be found by those who are seeking for Him.

Mon, 16 January, 2006: Today’s Bible readings.

Nehemiah 6:15-16

¹⁵ So the wall was finished on the twenty-fifth day of the month Elul, in fifty-two days. ¹⁶ And when all our enemies heard of it, all the nations around us were afraid and fell greatly in their own esteem, for they perceived that this work had been accomplished with the help of our God.

Nehemiah has detailed six attempts by the enemies of Jerusalem to stop the building of the wall. But their attempts have all failed, and amazingly the work of building the wall is completed in less than two months.

How could they accomplish so much in so short a time against such opposition? Nehemiah tells us that the reason for their success was evident to all, even to their enemies: God had helped them.

What do we learn from this?

We often think that we are quite strong and able to handle whatever life throws at us. We think that we are capable of handling any circumstance. Unfortunately, when we feel that way, we are not depending upon God, for we think we don’t need Him. Why do we need God when we can do it ourselves? And how much glory do we give to God when we succeed in our strength? If we, in our own minds, have succeeded based upon our own strength, we credit ourselves, not God, with the victory. And so as long as we think of ourselves as strong, we neither come to God for help, nor do we praise Him for the success.

But when we know ourselves to be weak, that is when we throw ourselves upon God, because we know that we can’t handle the circumstances. We come to God, pleading for His help, like Nehemiah and the Israelites, knowing that if it is up to us, we will fail miserably. And once we succeed, we give the glory to God, since we have throughout the entire endeavor recognized that we can’t do it without God’s help. We have to praise God for His blessing our efforts, since we could not have done it apart from His answering our plea for help.

And what is more, when it is clear to everyone, not just to ourselves, that we are weak and unequal to the task, those around us looking on will have to praise God as well. In Nehemiah’s case, the enemies saw how they prospered in building the wall, grew disheartened, and attributed the success of building the wall to God.

So the question is: How do we face the difficulties we encounter? Are we confident in our own ability to handle the situation and so we don’t bring the matter to God? Do we consider ourselves strong enough for the situation? If so, we can be pretty sure that regardless of the outcome, God will not get the glory. But if we are aware of our inability and our weakness, we will come to God for assistance, and will praise Him whatever the outcome.

Paul learned this lesson with his thorn in the flesh:

2 Corinthians 12:7-10

⁷ So to keep me from being too elated by the surpassing greatness of the revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from being too elated. ⁸ Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me. ⁹ But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. ¹⁰ For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

Where is Christ in this passage?

The most significant area of our lives we are tempted to think that we can handle on our own with little or no help from God is our own salvation. It is part of our fallen nature to think that we can do something to appease God and to earn His favor. If we can just do more good than bad, we’ll be accepted by God. Or if we make that one sacrifice, He will be pleased with us. Or we think that the one big act of obedience outweighs many small acts of disobedience. We think there is some work we can do to save ourselves.

But, my friend, it just isn’t possible for us to save ourselves. Not even with God’s help can we save ourselves. In fact, our salvation is only possible as we come to the point that we recognize our complete weakness and inability, and we throw ourselves upon God’s mercy. If you are trusting that some act you have done will save you, I must warn you. You are in deep trouble. There is nothing that you can do to save yourself.

It is only as we trust in what Jesus Christ has done for us that we are saved. Our salvation is in recognizing that we are lost and completely unable to save ourselves, and turning to God for the salvation He alone provides. Our salvation is by God’s grace alone, imparted to us by faith alone in what Jesus Christ alone has done for us wholly apart from any works that we do. And therefore, God alone gets the glory for our salvation, since we don’t merit it in any way whatsoever.

Sun, 15 January, 2006: Today’s Bible readings.

Matthew 15:1-9

¹ Then Pharisees and scribes came to Jesus from Jerusalem and said, ² “Why do your disciples break the tradition of the elders? For they do not wash their hands when they eat.” ³ He answered them, “And why do you break the commandment of God for the sake of your tradition? ⁴ For God commanded, ‘Honor your father and your mother,’ and, ‘Whoever reviles father or mother must surely die.’ ⁵ But you say, ‘If anyone tells his father or his mother, What you would have gained from me is given to God, ⁶ he need not honor his father.’ So for the sake of your tradition you have made void the word of God. ⁷ You hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy of you, when he said:

⁸ “‘This people honors me with their lips,
but their heart is far from me;
⁹ in vain do they worship me,
teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’”

The Pharisees of Jesus’ day had built up an elaborate system of rules and regulations ostensibly based upon the scriptures, here referred to as the tradition of the elders. They held this human made system to be of equal authority with scripture, and so they chastize Jesus for the disciples violations of the tradition of the elders.

What is Jesus’ response? Instead of agreeing with them that the violation of the tradition was a serious issue, Jesus turns the table to show that the traditions they held so dear were not built upon scripture, and actually in some cases violated scripture.

What do we learn from this?

It is difficult to build system of rules for governing our lives. The big danger is that it is possible for us to desire to build a system of conduct that will be in accordance with scripture, and badly miss. We can add rules against things the scriptures don’t forbid, and we can allow things that scripture forbids. This is greatly complicated when the system of conduct is constructed over time, as one generation teaches another how to behave. Within the church, we build a tradition desiring to follow scripture, but sometimes end up contradicting scripture. This is something we must be very careful to try to avoid.

Traditions are good. It is by tradition that we hand down to our children a sense of community with the people of the past. Tradition gives us a corporate identity through time. It is by tradition that we define who we are and how we are united to our forefathers. But we can’t just blindly accept tradations without thinking about what we are doing. And we can’t give the traditions themselves a higher place than scripture. If our tradations contradict scripture, we must drop the tradition and stick with scripture. Scripture first.

Where is Christ in this passage?

Jesus is at the center of this controversy. Note the irony. The Pharasees who built their lives around their supposed following of God’s law, confront the Second Person of the Trinity to accuse Him of not following their rules. Think about that for a moment. They claim to be more righteous than God Incarnate, and to have better rules than He has.

But don’t we do the same thing every time we follow our own human made rule that contradicts scripture?

Sat, 14 January, 2006: Today’s Bible readings.

Genesis 15:1-6

¹ After these things the word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision: “Fear not, Abram, I am your shield; your reward shall be very great.” ² But Abram said, “O Lord GOD, what will you give me, for I continue childless, and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?” ³ And Abram said, “Behold, you have given me no offspring, and a member of my household will be my heir.” ⁴ And behold, the word of the LORD came to him: “This man shall not be your heir; your very own son shall be your heir.” ⁵ And he brought him outside and said, “Look toward heaven, and number the stars, if you are able to number them.” Then he said to him, “So shall your offspring be.” ⁶ And he believed the LORD, and he counted it to him as righteousness.

This chapter is one of the most theologically significant chapters in the Bible. Our understanding of how God saves is greatly furthered by what we learn here. At the end of the chapter, we see God as a Theophany passing through the severed animals, in essence pledging to take the curse of the law upon Himself if the covenant is broken. Clearly this has implications for the coming of Jesus to bear the curse for us. But in the beginning of the chapter, we have the very important statement of Abram’s justification (when he is decared to be righteous by God). Abram (soon to be Abraham) was justified by faith.

What do we learn from this?

Abram was not saved based upon his lineage. He was not saved because he was better than others, or because of his good works. We are told that he believed the LORD. Abram had faith in God. It is on the basis of faith that God counts Abram righteous.

The same is true for us. We aren’t saved because we are born into a Christian home. We are not saved because we are better than others, or because we do works good enough to earn God’s favor. The only way we are saved is by trusting God, just the same as Abram.

Where is Christ in this passage?

God has provided the means for our salvation by sending a substitute to live the perfect life for us and to die in our place. This substitute is Jesus Christ, the second Person of the Trinity. He is the one who takes the curse of the law fulfilling the vow God made in passing through the animal halves. He is the Savour sent by the Father to win the salvation of all who come to Him in faith. We are called to trust in Him only for our salvation. As we come to God in faith, trusting in God’s substitute for our salvation and trusting in nothing in ourselves, God declares us to be righteous also. We are justified, just as Abram, by faith alone.

Fri, 13 January, 2006: Today’s Bible readings.

Acts 13:1-3

¹ Now there were in the church at Antioch prophets and teachers, Barnabas, Simeon who was called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen a member of the court of Herod the tetrarch, and Saul. ² While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” ³ Then after fasting and praying they laid their hands on them and sent them off.

The church at Antioch is a well established church, gifted with many men who can serve. In fact, they have more men than they need to meet all the needs of the congregation. They are fasting, apparently seeking guidance from God, and they are also worshiping God. At that point, the Holy Spirit tells them to commission and send Paul and Barnabas on a missionary journey. The Holy Spirit moves them to use the talents He has gifted them with to expand the church into other areas.

What do we learn from this?

In the church setting Paul and Barnabas aside for God’s service, the church is only recognizing what the Holy Spirit has already done to prepare them for this role. The church does not make Paul and Barnabas missionaries. Rather, the church simply acts to make explicit what God has done. God makes Paul and Barnabas missionaries. God gifts His people for service, and His people recognize that gifting and set those people apart for His service.

The same is true today. The church doesn’t make elders or deacons by choosing men in a popularity contest. (At least, that is not what it should do.) Rather, the church should seek for men who have been gifted for the roles of elder or deacon, and at the leading of the Holy Spirit, the church sets these men apart and ordains them for these roles.

Where is Christ in this passage?

Paul and Barnabas are called by the Holy Spirit and ordained by the church to bring the gospel to places where it had never been preached before. As we continue to read in the rest of the chapter and in succeeding chapters, Paul and Barnabas will go out to preach in Galatia. They will preach the good news of salvation in Jesus Christ in each city starting in the synagogues, preaching to the Jews, and then expanding to preach to the Gentiles also. In every city, they proclaim Jesus Christ and what He has done to save all those who come to Him in faith.

Thu, 12 January, 2006: Today’s Bible readings.

Nehemiah 2:1-8

¹ In the month of Nisan, in the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes, when wine was before him, I took up the wine and gave it to the king. Now I had not been sad in his presence. ² And the king said to me, “Why is your face sad, seeing you are not sick? This is nothing but sadness of the heart.” Then I was very much afraid. ³ I said to the king, “Let the king live forever! Why should not my face be sad, when the city, the place of my fathers’ graves, lies in ruins, and its gates have been destroyed by fire?” ⁴ Then the king said to me, “What are you requesting?” So I prayed to the God of heaven. ⁵ And I said to the king, “If it pleases the king, and if your servant has found favor in your sight, that you send me to Judah, to the city of my fathers’ graves, that I may rebuild it.” ⁶ And the king said to me (the queen sitting beside him), “How long will you be gone, and when will you return?” So it pleased the king to send me when I had given him a time. ⁷ And I said to the king, “If it pleases the king, let letters be given me to the governors of the province Beyond the River, that they may let me pass through until I come to Judah, ⁸ and a letter to Asaph, the keeper of the king’s forest, that he may give me timber to make beams for the gates of the fortress of the temple, and for the wall of the city, and for the house that I shall occupy.” And the king granted me what I asked, for the good hand of my God was upon me.

I have always loved this passage. Nehemiah learned about the plight of the people in Jerusalem and he is concerned for their welfare. He’s been thinking and praying about this. And now, in chapter 2, four months after hearing about the plight of the people in Jerusalem, Nehemiah is presented with the opportunity to do something.

King Artaxerxes notices that Nehemiah is upset and asks why. From Nehemiah’s fear we realize this is a dangerous situation for him. These kings held the power of life and death, and to offend or upset them could be fatal. But Nehemiah is determined to act for his people, and so he speaks out to make his request, but not before offering a quick prayer to God.

That’s what I love about this passage: the quick prayer before making his formal request to the king.

What do we learn from this?

Often we think that our prayers must be works of literary art. We use fancy (often arcane) language in our prayers that is unique to them. We don’t talk to anyone else the way we talk to God. And maybe that is appropriate, because we shouldn’t talk disrespectfully or flippantly to God. But we also see from scripture that we don’t need to have a formal, ornate prayer to call out to God. Nehemiah’s prayer in that moment couldn’t have been much more than a silent cry of, “God, help me!”

Nehemiah did pray much before this moment. We have one of his prayers recorded in chapter 1, and in the four months between the chapters, he assuredly prayed even more. So we know that as far as prayer goes, the moment of decision before the king did not find him unprepared. Nehemiah had prayed intently. Yet he felt his intense need of the moment, and so cried out again in the briefest of prayers.

God heard and granted his plea. Despite its brevity, this prayer found favor with God.

We should pray much. And a good portion of our prayer life should be more structured and formal, addressing God in terms appropriate to who He is and who we are. He is our Father, and we are to hallow His name. He is not our big buddy, and we should not treat Him as such. But as our Father. He is available and desires that we come to Him in moments of crises, and cry out to Him for help. Like Nehemiah, it is often appropriate for us pray for an extended period in preparation for an event. Then when the time comes to act decisively, we should cry out the the God of heaven in the briefest of prayers, and act.

Where is Christ in this passage?

Nehemiah’s cry to God is for salvation from the temporal danger of the king. King Artaxerxes could have had Nehemiah killed for the request he made. But, as Nehemiah himself acknowledges in verse 8, the king granted me what I asked, for the good hand of my God was upon me. God granted him success. God saved him from the danger as Nehemiah trusted in God.

But God also grants a greater salvation. As we come to Him in faith, trusting in Jesus Christ, His provision for our sins, He grants us salvation from the punishment due upon our sins. He grants us eternal life, as Jesus Christ takes the guilt of our sins and gives us His perfect righteousness.

The prayer to call out to God savingly doesn’t have to be any more elaborate than Nehemiah’s at that moment before the king. It just needs to be a cry of faith, trusting in His provision for our salvation. We must trust in Jesus Christ.