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Reading the Gospels in 2026: (2/16) Mark 12:1-12

Feb16

A 5-day per week study.

February 16– Reading Mark 12:1-12.

Read and believe in Jesus.

“A man planted a vineyard and put a fence around it and dug a pit for the winepress and built a tower, and leased it to tenents and went away.”  Mark12:1b

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The Gospel according to Mark 12:1-12.

Jesus had ridden into Jerusalem on a donkey to the wild acclaim of the people.  Their King had come!  He was going to end Roman rule and free Israel.  But, early the next morning, Jesus had instead ended the Sadducee-approved buying, selling, and money-changing in the Temple area.

The next day, these men had accosted Him, demanding to know on whose authority He had done such a thing.  When they refused to answer His question about John the Baptist, Jesus refused to answer their question.  Again, their fear of the adoring crowds kept them from arresting Jesus.

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Vss.1-5.

It is still the same day, a few minutes later, and Jesus spoke TO THEM in a parable.

(Remember, earlier, Jesus had told His disciples that He taught in parables because of the hardness of the people’s hearts. They would not receive truth, so He veiled it in stories.)  He did that here, looking directly at the chief priests, scribes, and elders as He spoke.  They KNEW this parable was directed to them, and they fumed.

The Parable of the Tenants would have instantly reminded these teachers of Israel of Isaiah 5:1-7.  Please DO read this now!)  

They understood that the vineyard represented Israel, and the tenants were a picture of THEM.

Jesus’ parable told of evil, greedy tenants who wanted ALL the harvest for themselves, not just the 10% they earned.  So, as each of the slaves that the landowner sent to collect his portion of the profit arrived, they beat him up or killed him.  MANY of them.

This, of course, represented the many prophets God had sent to Israel and its leaders to correct their evil ways, and to “collect” the love, obedience, and worship He so rightly deserved.  The religious leaders had ignored the prophets and many times killed them. (Read Matthew 23:34-36)

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Vss. 6-9.

Jesus then tells them that the landowner had ONE SON (a picture of Himself) whom He finally sent to get the “harvest” He deserved.  But the wicked tenants, seeing this as their last chance, KILLED THE SON.  “Now… it’s all ours,”  the thought.  THEY THOUGHT!

This evil vividly depicts what the chief priests and elders were going to do to Jesus in just a couple of days.  HE knew it.  He’d told his disciples three times (Had they heard at all?).  And in the minds of these religious leaders, that was JUST what they wanted to do … if they could only figure out how to do it.

Then Jesus said something in the parable that I’m sure the Jewish leaders did not understand.  “The tenants would be destroyed, and the vineyard would be given to others.”

Yes, Jesus would be crucified, but He would be resurrected.  His church would begin and grow from the small band of Spirit-empowered followers with Him.  Churches would be established where believers would worship and glorify God.   AND … in a mere 40 years, Jerusalem would be destroyed, along with the Temple, the sacrifices, and all the priesthood.

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Vss. 10-12.

Jesus then quotes Psalm 119:22-23.

“The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; this was the LORD’s doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes.”

Jesus connects the Son that the tenants killed to the “Stone” (Himself)  that the builders (religious leaders) rejected.  The resurrected Son would be the Cornerstone of the church, upon which the prophets and apostles would build.

The religious leaders fumed.  They seethed.  They WANTED to arrest Him, but, once again, feared the people.  So, they left Him and went away.

(But they would soon come at night, when no crowd’s adoration could protect Him.  And they would have their way with Jesus, just as the evil tenants had with the landowner’s son. )

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Just as God had planned it all from eternity past.

 

 

Reading the Gospels in 2026: (2/11) Mark 11:1-11

Feb11

A 5-day per week study.

February 11– Reading Mark 11:1-11

Read and believe in Jesus.

“Hosanna!  Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord! Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David!  Hosanna in the highest!”  Mark 11:9b-10

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The Gospel according to Mark 11:1-11

Last time, we saw Jesus and His disciples moving from east of the Jordan River, through Jericho, stopping to heal blind Bartimaeus, and then going “on the way.”  This means “towards Jerusalem” (and His death, which He’s been foretelling to His disciples for months).  The crowds are still with Him, and many others are heading towards the Holy City too for the upcoming Passover Celebration in less than a week.

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Vss. 1-3

Bethphage and Bethany (where Mary & Martha lived) were on the east slope of the Mount of Olives, which stands just before Mt Zion, on which Jerusalem is built.   Jesus tells two of his disciples to go into “the village in front of you,” (probably Bethphage).  (I wonder which two He sent…)

Anyway, they would immediately find a colt tied up. (Matthew mentions that its mother was also there.)  They were to untie it (them) and come back to Jesus.  If anyone asked what they were doing, they were to say simply, “The Lord needs it.”

And so it happened.

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Vss 4-10.

Many of the crowds witnessed this and wondered.  What was Jesus doing?  Some began thinking of, and maybe quoting, the scriptures, especially when a cloak was thrown over the back of the colt, and Jesus mounted it.

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  • Zechariah 9:9 – “Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem!  Behold, your king is coming to you; righteous and having salvation is He, humble and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey!”
  • Isaiah 62:11 – “Say to the daughter of Zion, ‘Behold, your salvation comes; behold, His reward is with Him, and His is recompense before Him.'”
  • Psalm 118:25b-25a – “Save us (Hosanna), we pray, O LORD!  O LORD, we pray, give us success!  Blessed is He who comes in the name of the LORD!”

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They began cutting palm and other branches, waving them and laying them down with their cloaks, on the road before Jesus: a colorful, leafy green path to the Holy City.  (Jesus, with the steady hands of its creator, calmed the young colt in this chaos.)

The whispered verses from before were said aloud, then shouted with joy.  He IS the king!  THEY KNEW IT from when He fed the multitude in Galilee! And here He was entering the city to be crowned… to free Israel from oppression!  Hallelujah!  “Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David!” Hosannah!  Hosanna in the Highest!”

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(Luke 19:39-40 tells of some Pharisees coming to Jesus as he approached the city and demanding that He stop the crowds from saying these things. Jesus answered, “I tell you, if these were silent, the very stones would cry out.”)

(Luke 19:41-44 also mentions Jesus weeping as He nears Jerusalem. He foresees the time when the Holy City is destroyed, it and its people… “because you did not know the time of your visitation.”)

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Vs. 11.

Inside the city, Jesus dismounted and sent the donkeys back to their owner.  The crowds watched or went their own way.  With kingly authority, He went to the temple, “and looked around at everything.”  

Jesus inspected the buildings and the grounds, missing nothing…. including the noisy moneychangers and merchants, the loud animals and birds, and their messes… in the Temple.

It was late, so He and the disciples went back to Bethany.  But He would be back the next day… and they had better watch out.

 

Reading the Gospels in 2026: (1/8) Mark 2:18-28

Jan8

A 5-day per week study.

January 8 – Reading Mark 2:18-28.

Read and believe in Jesus.

“The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath.”  Mark 2:27

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The Gospel according to Mark 2:18-28.

In today’s reading, we see the Pharisees becoming more vocal in their displeasure with Jesus.

When the paralytic man was forgiven and healed, they criticized Jesus “in their hearts.”  When Jesus had dinner with a tax collector and other “sinners,” the Pharisees spoke their criticism aloud, but only to each other. 

Now, they openly confront Jesus with a question that is actually an accusation.  They will get an answer, alright, and it will be outrageous.  But first…

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Vs. 18.

John the Baptist still had some followers as he preached and baptized people for the forgiveness of their sins. These were super loyal to him, especially now that he was in prison.  They would have supplied him with food and carried messages, including the haunting question they later took to Jesus from John and Jesus’ answer. They also told Jesus the news of John’s death. 

These disciples of John adhered to the strict Pharisaic practice of fasting twice a week.  The Pharisees used this unnecessary practice to “promote their holiness” in the eyes of the people.  God only required His people to fast on ONE DAY per year, the Day of Atonement in late autumn. (See Leviticus 16:29, 31).  (Sometimes, in a time of national crisis, a special fast might also be called.)

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Vss. 19-20.

This concerned the people who daily crowded around Jesus. Eventually, they asked Him, “Why do John’s disciples and the disciples of the Pharisees fast… but YOUR disciples do not fast?”

Jesus’s answer might have confused them at first, but they would have understood what He meant after thinking about it.  “Can the wedding guests fast while the bridegroom is with them?  As long as they have the bridegroom with them, they cannot fast. The days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and THEN they will fast … in that day.”

Um…. was there a wedding somewhere? 

Was Jesus getting married? 

Who would be taking “this bridegroom” away?   

Then, the people saw the analogy.  A wedding was a time of celebration. No one fasted, but rejoiced and ate and drank.  Jesus wasn’t getting married, but His time among them with His teaching and healing miracles WAS a time for rejoicing … LIKE a wedding. And after He was gone, yes, THAT would be a sad time. Fasting would be suitable. 

(Of course, no one – even the disciples – realized that Jesus was talking about His death on the cross.) 

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Vss. 21-22.

Jesus continues with some illustrations about the “new life” He was bringing to them, and how the “old traditions of the Pharisees” just wouldn’t mesh with it.  The people were certainly acquainted with the examples he gave.

  1. “No one sews a piece of unshrunk cloth onto an old garment. If he does, the patch will pull away from it (when washed), and a worse tear is made.”
  2. “No one puts new wine into old (stiff) wineskins. If he does, the wine (as it ferments) will burst the skins, and both the wine and the skins are destroyed.  New wine is for new wineskins.” (New life is for changed hearts.)

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Vss. 23-24.

We know what “the Sabbath” is. (Sabbath actually just means “seventh.”)  After God’s six days of Creation, He “rested” on the seventh day.  He declared the day “holy,” which just means “set apart for Him.” 

God gave this GIFT to his people, Israel.  No longer would they be required to labor nonstop for seven days per week, month after month, year after year, as they had in Egypt.

They would now have a legally mandated day of rest.  Even the women would not be required to cook meals that day.  Rest, glorious rest.  God wanted them to also think of Him, as their Creator and Savior, and have a heart of gratitude.

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Centuries later, the rabbis of Judaism, to protect the commandment to “NOT WORK” on the Sabbath, created 39 detailed restrictions on what constituted “work” on the Sabbath. 

  • You couldn’t spit on the ground, for it might make a groove in the dust, and that would be “plowing,” or it might make a little mud, and that would be “mixing mortar,” which would be “building.” 
  • You could have nothing in your pockets or wear a piece of jewelry, for that would be “carrying a burden.”  
  • Untying a knot was prohibited because it couldn’t be done with one hand.
  • You couldn’t cut your nails or trim your beard. It would be considered “shearing.”
  • AND, you couldn’t pluck grain, rub it in your hands to remove the chaff, and then blow the chaff from your hand.  THAT would be “reaping,” “threshing,” and “winnowing.”

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Vss 25-28.

Well, one Sabbath, Jesus and his disciples were walking by a grainfield.  As they walked, the disciples began to pluck heads of grain to eat.  (God’s law allowed this. See Deuteronomy 23:25).  The “extra” rules of the Pharisees did NOT allow this.

“Look!  Why are they doing what is not lawful on the Sabbath??” they demanded, no doubt pointing fingers.

Jesus, like a ‘mama bear,’ turned to protect his disciples.  He was harsh.  “Hey, you, Teachers of the Law, haven’t YOU read the Scriptures?   David, when he was in need and hungry, he and those with him entered the house of God (the Tent of Meeting) and ate the bread of the Presence (Showbread), which is not lawful for any but the priests to eat, and also gave it to his men.

Life or bread. Which is more important?  “The Sabbath was made FOR men, not man for the Sabbath.”

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 Jesus would later emphasize this whenever He healed someone on the Sabbath.  If they could rescue a sheep in a pit on the Sabbath, why couldn’t He “rescue” one made in the image of God who had been suffering long with a disease or demon possession?   “The Sabbath was made FOR men, (for their health and welfare).  It was a kindness from their God.  Having food, helping others – this was good.

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After this incident, the Pharisees and religious leaders kept an eagle eye on Jesus, and pounced on Him for every good deed He did on the Sabbath.  It was part of the case against Him that would later lead to their demand for His crucifixion. 

Journaling through the Bible Chronologically in 2025, Day 343

Dec10

Day 343 – Reading – Romans 8 – 10

Read and believe in Jesus!

Romans 8-10 is a tough section of scripture for us mortals to understand. Paul does a good job, but we need the Holy Spirit’s help more than ever.

Chapter 8 begins with a heart-swelling statement.

  • “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are IN Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free IN Christ Jesus from the Law of sin and death. (Praise God!)

Here’s how God did it.  It’s the Gospel.

  • “By sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, He condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us,”

Then he puts forth some serious considerations.

  • “Those who are in the flesh cannot please God. You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit IF in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you. (Anyone who does not have the Spirit of God does not belong to Him.)
  • “But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through the Spirit who dwells in you.”
  • “IF you live according to the flesh you will die, but IF by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.
  • “For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.
  • “The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs … provided we suffer with Him in order that we may also be glorified with Him.”

And not only does the Holy Spirit of God witness that we are God’s children, He also intercedes for us when we attempt to pray.  And He intercedes according to God’s will.

Then Paul lists the order of our salvation, which is ALL God’s doing. This is hard to understand, and often hard to WANT to understand.

  • “For those whom He FORENEW, He also PREDESTINED to be conformed to the image of His Son.  And those whom He predestined He also CALLED, and those He called He also JUSTIFIED, and those whom He justified He also GLORIFIED.”  

Then Paul asks these questions, “If God is for us, who can be against us?  Who shall bring any charge against God’s ELECT?  Who is to condemn?  Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? 

And he answers them. “I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

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Romans 9.

Here, Paul bares his heart and soul about his fellow countrymen, the Jews.  He grieves for them for their hardness of heart and rejection of Jesus.  He says they have had and still do have so many privileges, like the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the law, the worship, the promise of the Messiah.  They have the patriarchs, and from their own race, they have the CHRIST.

Paul knows that not all Jews belong to “Israel.” Not all the offspring of Abraham are his “children.”  God elects only SOME of them.  It depends NOT on human will or exertion, BUT ON GOD, who has mercy (on whomever He wills, and hardens whomever He wills).

Okay. Say it.  That doesn’t seem fair.

Aha!  It’s as if Paul has heard your response.

“Who are you, O man, to answer back to God? Will what is molded say to its molder, ‘Why have you made me like this?’  Has the potter no right over the clay to make… (what He wants, vessels of wrath and vessels of mercy, both of which will be for His glory)?  

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Romans 10.

Paul – whom God has sent to bring the Gentiles into His kingdom – has a heart aching for his own people too… another reason why he takes the message to the Jews first in any new town he visits.

“My heart’s desire and prayer to God for them is that they may be saved!”

He says they (like so many today) have a ZEAL for God, and they are seeking RIGHTEOUSNESS.  But NOT the way God demands – by faith.  They strive by their own effort, their own strength, and do not seek or submit to God’s Way. Pride is the culprit.

God says that the “righteous shall LIVE by faith.”

  • The word (of faith) is near you, in your mouth and in your heart; because if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.”
  • For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.  EVERYONE (Jew or Gentile) who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

Then he asks these progressive questions that put an urgency on us today to go and preach the gospel.

  • How will they call on Him in whom they have not believed?
  • How are they to believe in Him of whom they have never heard?
  • How are they to hear without someone preaching?
  • How are they to preach unless they are sent?

(How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!)

And then Paul adds his sad conclusions:

  1. But they have not all obeyed the gospel.
  2. “But of Israel, Isaiah says, ‘All day long I have held out my hands to a disobedient and contrary people.”

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Chapter 11 will go on with this thought, speaking of a REMNANT of ISRAEL. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Journaling through the Bible Chronologically in 2025, Day 310

Nov6

A NEW MONTH!

Day 310 – Reading – Mark 13

Read and believe in Jesus!

Mark 13.

Today’s reading is another account of the dire predictions we read about yesterday in Luke 21, and what we will read about again in Matthew 24 tomorrow.  The setting is Jerusalem, mid-week before the horrible time of Jesus’s suffering leading up to His crucifixion on Passover. He has had several encounters with Jewish leaders, who are even angrier now. 

Jesus also spoke some dire things about the future that have made His disciples curious.  When they leave the Temple, one of His disciples comments, “Look, Teacher, what wonderful stones and what wonderful buildings!”

Jesus answers him cryptically, “Do you see these great buildings? There will not be left here one stone upon another that will not be thrown down.”  

As they walked through Jerusalem and out the gates, through the Kidron Valley to the Mount of Olives, I’m sure they were thinking about what Jesus had predicted.  From their viewpoint, they could see the Holy City across the Western horizon, with the Temple prominently standing. All the enormous stones were “golden” in the setting sun.  It was hard to imagine it all in rubble.  (But hadn’t that very thing happened centuries before when Babylon attacked and destroyed the city and temple, taking Israel into exile?  Would that happen again?  (Sadly, yes.)

Sadly, this first part would happen in less than 40 years after Jesus’ warning. The destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple buildings by the Roman General Titus occurred in 70 A.D., and thousands of Jews were killed or taken as slaves.

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As they rested on the Mount of Olives – possibly in the Garden of Gethsemane – the four fisherman brothers (Peter & Andrew, James & John) approached Jesus privately. “Tell us, when will these things be, and what will be the sign when all these things are about to be accomplished?”

They wondered if this would happen very soon, not-so soon, or not for a long while. Should they start preparing? 

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His answer may have been confusing. 

Jesus begins with warnings, “Beware that no one leads you astray.”  “Don’t be alarmed.”  “Be on your guard.”  “Don’t be anxious.”  “The one who endures to the end will be saved.”

This first section seems to refer to the near future, and the persecution they will suffer after He has departed.  However, it could refer to any suffering by believers throughout the centuries.  There will be “false Messiahs” coming that try to fool believers into believing that He has returned.  There will be earthquakes, famines, and wars between nations, but these are just the beginning.

They are to expect persecution from the Jews and governments (think of all that happens in the book of Acts) as they spread the Gospel.  They will be brought to court to give their testimony.  In those times, the Holy Spirit will show them what to say. 

And they are to expect persecution even from their own families, including being put to death (possibly out of fear for their own lives).

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In the next section, Jesus seems to be warning believers IN THE END TIMES. (see verse 14, “let the reader understand.)  The Antichrist of the Great Tribulation will act and appear like that historical Antiochus Epiphanes, king of Syria in the second century B.C., who raided Jerusalem, killing 80,000 Jews, and then set up a statue of Zeus in the temple and sacrificed pigs on the holy altar. 

Jesus, “For in those days there will be such tribulation as has not been from the beginning of the creation that God created until now, and never will be.  And if the Lord had not cut short the days, no human being would be saved.  (Read Revelation for further details.)  But for the sake of the elect, whom God chose, He shortened the days.”

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I’m sure the disciples were thoroughly scared by then (I would be).  But Jesus has a little more to reveal.

“After that tribulation, the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will be falling from heaven, and the powers in the heavens will be shaken.”  (As if they were not fearful enough!)  

“And THEN they will see the Son of man coming in clouds with great power and glory. And then He will send out the angels and gather His elect from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of heaven.”

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And as for their “When?” question, Jesus gives an example of the fig tree.  When it begins to leaf out, you know that summer is near. “So, also, WHEN YOU SEE THESE THINGS TAKING PLACE, you know that he (and the Kingdom of God) is near, at the very gates. 

Then, before they can ask further, Jesus answers. “But concerning the DAY and the HOUR… no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.”  Only those alive in that final generation will live to see the return of Christ.

And some final warnings, “Be on guard. Keep awake. Stay awake.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

Journaling through the Bible Chronologically in 2025, Day 309

Nov5

A NEW MONTH!

Day 309 – Reading – Matthew 23 and Luke 20-21

Read and believe in Jesus!

Matthew 23.

Remember in yesterday’s study, Jesus was confronted with several groups of the Jewish religious leaders with questions meant to trick Him.  Jesus never faltered, and even asked THEM a question that left them stumped.  Then He warned his disciples to “Beware of the scribes/Pharisees for their hypocrisy.”

Now, this chapter is a series of scathing remarks or judgments on those very leaders to warn the crowds and his disciples about their evil ways.

But first, a caveat. Jesus tells his hearers that these leaders do “sit on Moses’ seat.” In other words, the laws they teach ARE holy as God gave them to Moses.  The people are to “practice and observe” what these leaders SAY from the Scriptures, but they are not to imitate what they DO.

Why?  As hypocrites, they “heap heavy burdens, hard to bear, on the people’s shoulders, but don’t lift a finger to help them.   And they “do all their deeds to be seen by others.”  They love the places of honor, the best seats, greetings in the marketplace, and to be called “rabbi.”  “Don’t be like that,” Jesus tells them. “The greatest among you shall be your servant.”

Then Jesus doubles down with seven “woes” or condemnations.

  1. WOE!  Jesus condemned their harsh demands on the people (far above what Moses wrote), and yet they did not observe them.
  2. WOE!  These hypocrites went to great lengths to make a single convert to Judaism, but then made him “a child of the devil” by their excessive demands.
  3. WOE!  These “blind fools” valued gold, offerings, and material objects more than the sacred things of God.
  4. WOE!  These hypocrites tithed minutely on everything, even the herbs they used, but they neglected the weightier things of God’s Law, like justice, mercy, and faithfulness.  They were straining out “gnats” while swallowing “camels.”
  5. WOE!  These blind hypocrites washed the “outside” of their cups and plates in precise, legalistic ways, while allowing the serving pieces to be full of greed and self-indulgence.  “First, clean the inside!” Jesus told them.
  6. WOE!  Jesus told these hypocrites that they were like white-washed tombs.  Pretty on the outside with their self-righteousness, but inside, they were full of “dead bones and uncleanness,” which is what Jesus called their hypocrisy and lawlessness.
  7. WOE!  They were such “false” leaders that they built monuments to honor the prophets of old who spoke God’s truth.  And all the while they were KILLING them because they did not want to hear God’s condemnation. Jesus calls these sons of murderers, “serpents” and a “brood of vipers” and asks, “How are you to escape being sentenced to hell?”  Jesus says HE is sending them prophets, wise men, and scribes, but they will kill and crucify some, and others flog and persecute … so that … on YOU may come all the righteous blood shed on earth, from Abel to Zechariah. 

 

Then Jesus turns to his surroundings and weeps.  “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it!  How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings … and you would not!

“See, your house is left to you desolate. For I tell you, you will not see me again, until you say, “Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord.”

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Luke 21.

While some were looking around and speaking of the temple, how it was adorned with noble stores and offerings, Jesus said,  “As for these things that you see, the days will come when there will not be left here one stone upon another that will not be thrown down.”   (Did they think of the first Temple’s destruction and their exile?)

“Teacher, when will these things be, and what will be the sign when these things are about to take place?  they asked, worried.

Jesus:  “See that you are not led astray. For many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am he!’ and ‘The time is at hand!’  Do not go after them.  And when you hear of wars and tumults, do not be terrified, for these things must first take place, but the end will not be at once.

Then Jesus lists events that will occur before His return.  Some are distant, even to us right now. Others will happen in 70 a.d. when the Romans destroy Jerusalem and the Temple.

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  • “Nation will rise against nation, kingdom against kingdom.
  • There will be great earthquakes, famines, and pestilences.
  • There will be terrors and great signs in the heavens.
  • Before all this, they will lay hands on you and persecute you, delivering you up to synagogues and prisons, before kings and governors for My name’s sake. (You will be given wisdom to witness.)
  • You will be delivered up even by parents and relatives and friends, and some of you will be put to death.
  • You will be hated by all for My name’s sake.
  • And when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, know that its desolation is near.  FLEE to the mountains.
  • There will be great distress upon the earth, and wrath against this people. They will fall by the sword and be led captive among all nations.
  • And Jerusalem will be trampled underfoot by the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.
  • There will be signs in the sun and moon and stars, and on the earth distress of nations because of the roaring of the sea and waves.
  • People will faint with fear and with foreboding of what is coming o the world, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken.
  • And THEN they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.  When you see this begin to take place, straighten up and raise your heads, for your redemption is drawing near.
  • Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will not pass away.”

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Then Jesus turned to them with warning and encouragement.   “But WATCH yourselves lest your hearts be weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness and cares of this life … that the Day come on you suddenly like a trap.

“Stay awake at all times, praying that you may have strength to escape all these things that are going to take place … and to stand before the Son of Man.”

 

(Definitely a serious lesson and it may cause us to be fearful, but TRUST in Jesus, pray, and believe.)

 

 

Journaling through the Bible Chronologically in 2025, Day 308

Nov4

A NEW MONTH!

Day 308 – Reading – Matthew 22 and Mark 12

Read and believe in Jesus!

Matthew 22 and Mark 12.

These two chapters have similar accounts of Jesus, so we’ll take them together. The events take place in Jerusalem (sometimes in the Temple) after Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem, and before Passover Thursday.

Both of these chapters begin with parables (The Wedding Feast and The Tenants).  Both speak of people who were asked by someone to DO something. (attend the wedding and take care of the property).  Both decided NOT to comply, so a second group of people was then considered. (common people from the byways and a new set of tenants).   

The Jewish religious leaders knew that both of these parables were directed at THEM, and resented Jesus even more.  Jesus was saying that the very people who knew “the law and prophets” thoroughly did not see their Messiah when he came, but the common people did, and accepted Him. So THEY were chosen to enter the Kingdom.

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Now we’re going to see several different Jewish Religious groups coming to test Jesus. 

The Pharisees and Herodians.  (This was a weird combo. An uber-pious Jewish religious group and a secular political group with leanings toward Rome.)

First, the “butter up.” “Teacher, we know that you are true and do not care about anyone’s opinion. For you are not swayed by appearances, but truly teach the way of God.”

Then the test question. “Tell us what you think. Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not? Should we pay them or should we not?”

(Heh, heh, heh.  They thought they had Him between “a rock and a hard place:” his Jewish heritage and the Roman rule they lived under.  WHICH would he say?)

Jesus asked for a coin commonly used at that time (think of a Quarter in the United States).   “Whose likeness and inscription is this?” 

They admitted, “Caesar’s.”

“So, then give to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.”  When they heard Jesus give this answer, they marveled and went away.

(Score one for Jesus.)

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Next, The Sadducees came to Jesus with a test question. (Now the Sadducees did not believe in the bodily resurrection. That was why they were “sad, you see.” Haha.)

First, understand the law (Deuteronomy 25:5-10) that gave a provision to ensure family ties were kept intact and that widows were cared for. It stated that if a woman became a widow without children (who cared for widows then), her dead husband’s brother should marry her and raise a child to carry on the deceased’s name and property rights in the Land, and to care for the widow.  It was a kindness.

And so, the Sadducees came with this facetious question.  If a woman’s husband died without giving her a child, and each of his seven brothers also tried but died without giving her a child … and then the woman died.  In the “resurrection,” WHOSE WIFE WOULD SHE BE?

Ha, ha, ha.  They thought they had Jesus trapped now. 

But Jesus landed on their one mistake. Although Jewish scholars, they obviously did not understand the Word.  “You are wrong because you know neither the Scriptures nor the power of God.”  Then Jesus went on to tell them that in Heaven, there would not be marriage.  That was a provision on earth to procreate.  And as far as people living on after death, Jesus asked them to consider the scripture where God said, “I Am” the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” He is not God of the DEAD but of the LIVING.    

The crowd heard this and were astonished at His teaching.

(Score 2 for Jesus)

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When one of the Pharisees heard how Jesus had silenced their rivals, the Sadducees, they gathered together and appointed one as their spokesperson.

The Pharisee: “Teacher, which is the most important commandment in the Law?

Jesus: “‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’  And the second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’  On these two commandments depend all the Law and Prophets.”

The Pharisee:  “You are right, Teacher. You have truly said that He is one, and there is no other besides Him. And to love Him with all the heart and with all the understanding and with all the strength, and to love one’s neighbor as oneself, is much more than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices.”

Jesus:  “You are not far from the kingdom of God.”

And after that, no one dared to ask Him any more questions.

(Score 3 for Jesus)

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Jesus then ASKED THEM a question. “What do you think about ‘the Christ’?  Whose son is he?

Pharisees:  “He is the son of David.”

Jesus: “How is it then that David, in the Spirit, calls Him Lord, saying, ‘The Lord said to my Lord, Sit at my right hand, until I put your enemies under your feet?’  If then David calls Him Lord, how is He his son?”  (Psalm 110:1)

And no one was able to answer Him a word, nor from that day did anyone dare to ask a question.

(Score 4 for Jesus)

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Mark adds this vignette. 

Jesus and his disciples were sitting in the Temple court opposite the Treasury, watching people putting money into the offering box. Many rich people put in large sums.  And a poor widow came and put in two small copper coins, which make one penny.

Jesus: “Truly, I say to you, this poor widow has put in more than all those who are contributing to the offering box.”   And to the disciples’ questioning looks, He added, “They all contributed out of their abundance, but she, out of her poverty, has put in everything she had, all she had to live on.”

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“Beware of the scribes/Pharisees, who like to walk around in long robes and like greetings in the marketplaces and have the best seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at feasts, who devour widows’ homes and for a pretense make long prayers.  THEY will receive the greater condemnation”

 

Journaling through the Bible Chronologically in 2025, Day 305

Nov1

A NEW MONTH!

Day 305 – Reading – Matthew 20 – 21

Read and believe in Jesus!

Matthew 20.

The Parable of the Vineyard. (Read verses 1-16. What do you think is Jesus’ message?)

At sun-up (6:00 a.m.), a vineyard owner went to the marketplace to hire day workers. (You’ve all see them: men waiting abound Home Depot or other places for day work.)  The owner picked some and took them to his vineyard. On the way, they settled on the usual day’s pay for a day’s work – a denarius.   

The owner saw that he would need more laborers. Perhaps the heat was damaging the grapes, or a storm threatened.  At 9:00 a.m., 12:00 p.m., 3:00 p.m., and 5:00 p.m. he went back and hired more men. Each of these later hires agreed on “what was fair” as pay.

At 6:00 p.m. (12 hours after the first hire), the owner told the foreman to pay the men and send them home. All had done a great job.  Oh, and he was to begin with the last hired, and go on until the first hired with his “paychecks”. (coins) 

The foreman did just that.  As the earliest hires who had worked a full 12 hours watched the others being paid the same wage they had agreed on, the thought “Wow, WE must be getting much more, having been here ALL DAY.  But when the foreman came to them, he doled out a denarius to each.  These workers looked at the coin in their hand and were disappointed, even a bit outraged. THEY had worked for 12 hours, the last men had worked only ONE!  It wasn’t fair!

Was it?

The owner of the vineyard came to see the problem and asked them, “Friends, I am doing you no wrong. Did you not agree with me for a denarius?  Take your pay and go. I choose to give these last workers as I give to you. Am I not allowed to do what I choose with what belongs to me?  Do you begrudge my generosity?”  

Jesus added to the listeners of this parable to help their understanding, “So the last will be first, and the first last.”

OH PLEASE! Let us not begrudge the Lord’s generosity!  For this is a picture-story of all those who are saved by faith in the work of Jesus on the cross.  Some are saved early and work their entire lives for God, perhaps even giving their lives as martyrs.  Then some believe and are saved late in their lives, such as an old gentleman, or and elderly house cleaner.  Or … the thief on the cross.  They have no, or very little time to work in some ministry.  The thief, had only time to BELIEVE.  But still, we all can be confident that a beautiful, forever “Eternal Life” is waiting for us when they die.  Praise God! Thank You for Your so great salvation!

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Matthew 21.

The time of Jesus “hour” that he predicted three times to His disciples … is beginning.  Having set His face like a flint to do as His Father asks, Jesus now approaches Jerusalem. They stop in Bethphage.  Jesus is not tired, but He knows there is scripture to be fulfilled. (Zechariah 9:9) He sends two of His disciples into town to get a donkey for Him to ride on. (Matthew tells us that the donkey had a foal, which had never be ridden.)  

“But what if…” they questioned Jesus.

“If anyone asks, say, ‘The Lord has need of it.”

They get the animals and throw their cloaks on the back of the colt, and Jesus sat on it.  (Now…in normal life, that unbroke colt would have shied away from the flapping cloaks, and surely bucked at the weight of a human on its back.  But this Man, was his Creator. He instantly obeyed.)

As Jesus began riding down the Mount of Olives toward the City gate, the crowd “saw” what was happening.  They began to throw their cloaks and cut palm branches on the road before Jesus.  Excitement grew, and they began shouting, “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosannah in the highest!” (Psalm 118:25)

As Jesus entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred up.  “Who is this?” some cried.  “This is the prophet Jesus, from Nazareth of Galilee!”

(If you want to see how all this (and Jesus’ death) fulfills Daniel’s “weeks” prophecy, read Daniel 9:24-26.)

(At some point, Jesus dismounts the colt and either a disciple, or the owner who followed along, takes the two animals away.) 

Jesus enters the Temple area and sees again the “marketplace atmosphere” of buying and selling sacrificial animals, and changing money.  Jesus is furious for His Father’s sake.  He drives them all out, quoting Isaiah 56:7 and Jeremiah 7:11.  “My house shall be called a house of prayer, but YOU make it a den of robbers!”

Cleansed, the temple court now becomes a place of healing for all who come to Him. 

BUT, when the chief priests and scribes SAW the wonderful things that He did, and the children calling “Hosanna to the Son of David!” THEY WERE INDIGNANT.

Leaders: “Do you hear what they are saying!!??”

Jesus: “Yes. Have you never read, ‘Out of the mouth of infants and nursing babies you have prepared praise?”  (Psalm 8;2)

Then Jesus left the Holy City and went to Bethany and lodged there. (Perhaps with Martha, Mary, and Lazarus.)

The next day, four incidents happen that all point to the failure of Israel and her leaders to obey and please the LORD God.

  • 1.)  The fig tree.  On the way back to the city the next day, Jesus sees a fig tree and reaches for some fruit.  However, the tree is void of all fruit.  Jesus curses it and immediately it withers and dies.  (Remember, that the fig tree often represents Israel. This picture shows Jesus disgust at Israel’s leaders, and is predicting the eventual destruction of the city and their pious rule.
  • 2.) The challenge of authority. Inside the temple court, these leaders come to Jesus demanding WHO gave Him authority to do these things (ride into Jerusalem as Israel’s king and cleansing away the “robbers” in the temple. Jesus asks them a question they fear to answer – from where did John get his authority to baptize” – so Jesus tells them HE won’t answer THEIR question. As Israel’s spiritual leaders, they should be praising God, not questioning the holy One He has sent.
  • 3.) The Parable of the Two Sons represent the leaders themselves, who pompously say they are sent by God, but who do not obey His law, and in fact. corrupt it for the people.  The father asked son #1 to go work in the vineyard.  The son said he didn’t want to go, but later went out to work.  Son #2 said he would go work in the vineyard as his father said, but later did not go out.
  • Jesus said the tax collectors and prostitutes were sinners, but finally obeyed God.  Whereas the religious leaders were represented by the second son who said the kept the entire law, and yet inside they were corrupt and obeyed none of it.
  • 4.) The Parable of the Tenants.  In this parable, the Vineyard owner was God, and the evil tenants were the currant religious leaders.  When God looked for the fruit of righteous in His vineyard, they murdered all God’s servants sent to get it (the prophets) and even HIS SON (Jesus) out of greed.  Jesus told them that the Vineyard owner – God – will come with justice and kill all of them, and give the “vineyard” to others.
  • Jesus was direct with them. “The kingdom of God will be taken away from you and give to a people producing its fruits.”

Of course the chief priests and Pharisees KNEW Jesus was speaking about them.  Right then, they feared to arrest him because of the crowds who held Jesus to be a prophet. But just wait, they thought. 

Just you wait.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Journaling through the Bible Chronologically in 2025, Day 281

Oct8

THE NEW TESTAMENT!

Day 281 – Reading – John 5

Read and believe in Jesus!

John 5,

Jesus heals the invalid by the Pool of Bethesda, which is just north of the Temple.

Around this pool lay “a multitude of invalids – blind, lame, and paralyzed” – waiting for the the water to “stir” so they could go in and be healed. (Just south of it, between the Antonia Fort and Pool of Israel is where the small Sheep Gate is located. Jesus went out this gate from the Temple to find the paralyzed man.)

A MIRACLE PERFORMED:

Among the crowds of ailing men lay one who had been an invalid for thirty-eight years.  Had he no friends or family to help or care for him? Had he been injured, or was he born a cripple?

He waited with many others for the water in the pool to “stir.” Some believed that it was an angel that stirred up the water, and that the first one in was healed of their ailment.  Today, it’s believed that a surge from an underground spring caused the water to ripple. Was there a healing?  When you have been sick for so long ANY belief is welcome.

But that day, Jesus approached this man, knowing he’d been there a long time. 

“Do you want to be healed?”  

That seems like an odd question. OF COURSE the man wanted healing, right?  Or… had he gotten so used to being there, collecting alms, perhaps commiserating with other “friends” who’d been there a while, napping, watching for the elusive stir in the pool…   

Jesus knew his mind and heart, and asked him the question.  He may ask it to us today, not for physical healing, but for deep heart issues.  Do we want to be “healed” from a life of sin?  Do we want to be saved?

The man started in on a long explanation about him having no help, the water stirring, someone else getting there first….

“Get up, take up your bed, an walk.” 

Not an instant lapsed. The man was healed instantly. He took up his mat and walked away. Jesus faded into the crowd.  And the day was the Sabbath.

THE MASTER PERSECUTED

The walking man, no longer “unclean” by disease, headed for the Temple.  He hadn’t been inside the sacred courts for almost 40 years. He wanted to thank the Almighty God! He hardly remembered the mat under his arm.

“Hey! It’s the Sabbath. It’s not lawful for you to take up your mat,” accused the ever eagle-eyed religious leaders.

The ex-cripple stopped. “The man who healed me said, ‘Take up your bed and walk.'”

“Who was THAT MAN?”

The healed man looked around and shrugged. 

Later, Jesus found him in the Temple. “See, you are well! Sin no more, that nothing worse may happen to you.”  (Hmmm, had his ailment been caused by some specific sin?)

The man went away and found those Jews who had quizzed him earlier. “It was Jesus who healed me.” 

Was he simply being a good citizen?  Or was he scared he’d get into trouble and maybe excommunicated?  Or was he a bit miffed at Jesus’s command and warning?

MURDER PLANNED.

And this was why the Jews were persecuting Jesus, because he was doing these things on the Sabbath.

“IT’S NOT LAWFUL TO HEAL ON THE SABBATH!  YOU BROKE THE LAW”  They shouted at Him.

But healing was NOT against the Sabbath Law that God gave to Israel for their benefit.  Often, Jesus explained that helping even an animal on the Sabbath, who was injured, was not breaking the law. Kindness and mercy are traits from God.  That day, however, Jesus answered differently. He spoke clearly and with authority.

  • “MY FATHER is working until now, and I am working.” 
  • The Son can do nothing of His own accord, but only what He sees the Father doing.
  • Whatever the Father does, that the Son does likewise.
  • For the Father loves the Son and shows Him all that He himself is doing.
  • And greater works that THESE will He show Him, so that you may marvel.
  • As the Father raises the dead and gives them life, so also the Son gives life to whom He will.
  • The Father judges no one, but has give all judgment to the Son, that all may honor the Son as they honor the Father,
  • Whoever hears My word and believes Him who sent me has eternal life and does NOT come into judgment bust has passed from death to life.
  • An hour is coming and is now here, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live.
  • The works that the Father has give me to accomplish, the very works that I am doing, bear witness about me, that the Father has sent me.
  • YOU search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me, yet you refuse to come to me that you may have life.
  • How can you believe, when YOU receive glory from one another and do not seek the glory that comes from the only God?

 

  • If YOU believed Moses … you would believe Me; for he wrote of Me.”

And so the Jews sought all the more to kill Him, because he was even calling God his own Father, making Himself equal with God.

 

 

 

 

Journaling through the Bible Chronologically in 2025, Days 271 & 272

Sep29

Day 271 – Reading – Nehemiah  8 – 10

Day 272 – Reading Nehemiah 11 – 13, and Psalm 126

Today’s reading tells of the people weeping, experiencing “the joy of the LORD,” celebrating and rejoicing, and a deep and long confession of their sin and the sins of their ancestors, ending in a solemn commitment in writing to obey God.  All this … because they heard God’s Word read and explained.

(****Oh, LORD, may my reading and study of Your word elicit weeping, confession of sin, then joy & celebration with a commitment to love and obey You…from my heart.)

Day 271 – Nehemiah 8.

It was the first of the seventh month, usually when the Feast of Tabernacles was celebrated.  The people gathered as one to hear the Law of Moses read.  A wooden platform was built to elevate Ezra and 14 other priests who would help to read and explain the law. This was set up in the large area facing the Water Gate, south of the Temple Mount. 

Ezra opened the scroll, and all the people stood.  He blessed the LORD, the great God, and all the people said, “Amen, amen.” 

While the people stood in their places, they read from the book of The Law of God, clearly, and gave the sense (meaning) so the people understood.  They read from early morning until midday, about six hours or more…. all standing.  And all the people wept as they heard the words of the Law.

Nehemiah and Ezra said to the people. “This day is holy to the LORD your God; do not mourn or weep. Do not be grieved, for the joy of the LORD is your strength.”  They told the people to go their way, eat and drink sweet wine, and send food to those who had nothing ready. It was a holy day to the LORD.  So there was great rejoicing.

The next day, all the heads of fathers’ houses, with the priests and Levites, came together to Ezra to study the words of the Law. They found it written that the people should dwell in booths during the feast of the seventh month, and that they should publish it in the surrounding area. “Go out to the hills and bring branches and make booths.” 

So they obeyed and set up booths everywhere, living in them for the week. And day by day, they read from the Book of the Law of God.  They celebrated for seven days, and on the eighth day, there was a solemn assembly, according to the rule.

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Nehemiah 9.

And so, in the spirit of the solemn Day of Atonement, the people of Israel assembled with fasting and in sackcloth, and earth thrown on their heads (a sign of deep contrition). 

They STOOD and CONFESSED their sins, and the iniquities of their fathers. 

They stood and read the Book of the Law of the LORD their God for a quarter of a day. For another quarter of the day, they made confession and worshiped the LORD their God.

On the stairs, the high priest Jeshua and other priests cried with a loud voice to the LORD their God.

Then Jeshua and the others told the people to stand up and bless the LORD their God.

“From everlasting to everlasting, Blessed be your glorious name, which is exalted above all blessing and praise. YOU are the LORD, YOU alone. You have made heaven, the heaven of heavens, with all their host, the earth and all that is on it, the seas and all that is in them, and You preserve all of them, and the host of heaven worships You. You are the LORD, the God who chose Abraham….  And You have kept Your promise, for You are righteous.

And throughout the day, they recited the history of how God dealt with His chosen people, Israel.

  • “You are a God ready to forgive, gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love … and you did not forsake them….. even when they made a golden calf…
  • “You in your great mercy did not forsake them in the wilderness…”
  • “You gave your good Spirit to instruct them, and did not withhold your manna…. and gave them water… sustaining them for forty years.
  • “You gave them kingdoms and peoples and allotted to them every corner.”
  • “You multiplied their children as the stars of heaven…”
  • “So they ate and were filled and became fat and delighted themselves in Your great goodness.”

They confessed the sin and rebellion of their fathers.

  • “But they were disobedient and rebelled and cast your law behind them….
  • “You gave them to their enemies who made them suffer…
  • “But when they cried out to You, You heard from heaven and sent saviors….
  • “Yet they turned again away from You and did evil… so You sent their enemies again.
  • “Many times You delivered them according to Your mercies.
  • “Many years You bore with them and warned them, yet they would not listen.
  • “Nevertheless, in Your great mercies, You did not make an end of them or forsake them, for YOU are a gracious and merciful God.

Now, they confess their own sins, and acknowledge that where they are, is because of their sin. 

  • “Now, therefore, our God, the great, the mighty, and the awesome God, You have dealt faithfully and we have acted wickedly.
  • “Our kings, princes, priests and fathers have not kept your law or paid attention to Your commandments and warnings, they did not serve You or turn from their wicked ways…..
  • And now, behold, WE ARE SLAVES THIS DAY, in this land You gave our fathers to enjoy.  WE ARE SLAVES, and the land’s rich yield goes to the kings whom you have set over us because of our sins.  They rule over our bodies and over our livestock as they please, and we are in distress.

And so they wrote and signed a “firm covenant” to obey God and not repeat the sins of their fathers. 

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Nehemiah 10.

The people who signed the Covenant are listed in detail at the top of this chapter. Nehemiah, the Governor, is first. Then, all the leaders and nobles, priests, Levites, temple workers, and of the laity, those who had separated themselves from the peoples of the land to the Law of God, with their wives and children. They enter into a curse and an oath to walk in God’s Law that was given by Moses, and to do all the commandments of the LORD.   They also pledged to give the yearly Temple tax to support the religious workers, and the regular required offerings. 

“We obligate ourselves to bring the first fruits of our ground and of all fruit trees, year by year, to the house of the LORD.  Also, the firstborn of our sons, our cattle, herds, and flocks.”

“We will not neglect the house of our God.”

(These are bold and righteous commitments.  Can they keep them? (If they were like me and the people today, probably not, sadly.)

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Day 272 – Nehemiah 11

The leaders of the people lived INSIDE Jerusalem, while the rest of the people lived outside the walls in their towns and villages.   So the people cast lots to bring ONE OUT OF TEN to live inside the city walls.  Nehemiah did this to hurry up the reestablishment of homes and businesses in Jerusalem.  Names of people and places are listed in this chapter.

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Nehemiah 12.

Before the fall of Jerusalem and the destruction of the Temple, there were 24 courses of priests, each course serving in the temple for a period of two weeks per year. (King David set up the schedule.)

Sadly, only FOUR of the 24 courses returned from Babylon.  These were now divided into 24 courses. 

  • (Only 22 are mentioned here, perhaps because these priestly families died out with no sons to follow at the time Zerubbabel originally named them.)

Next, the finished wall around Jerusalem was dedicated.   All the Levites were called in to celebrate the dedications with GLADNESS, THANKSGIVINGS, and SINGING.

The Priests and Levites first purified themselves, and then they purified the people and the gates and the wall.

Then Nehemiah brought the leaders of Judah up onto the wall and appointed two “great choirs” to give thanks.  One half went all the way south along the wall, and the other went to the north to meet them, all surrounding the House of the LORD.

They sang, offered sacrifices, and rejoiced, for God had made them rejoice with great joy. “And the joy of Jerusalem was heard far away!   For long ago in the days of David and Asaph, there were directors of the singers, and there were songs of praise and thanksgiving to God.” 

(Thank you, David.  And thanks to all our own music directors and leaders who lead congregations in praise in churches around the world!)

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Psalm 126.

“When the LORD restored the fortunes of Zion,

We were like those who dream.

Then our mouth was filled with laughter,

and our tongue with shouts of joy;

Then they said among the nations,

“The LORD has done great things for them”

The LORD has done great things for us;

We are glad.

Restore our fortunes, O LORD,

like streams in the Negev!

Those who sow in tears shall reap with shouts of joy!

He who goes out weeping,

bearing the seed for sowing,

shall come home wit shouts of joy,

bringing his sheaves with him.

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Nehemiah 13.

Now in the 32nd year of King Artaxerxes, Nehemiah returned to Persia as he said he would.  He’d organized and led the people to rebuild the wall of Jerusalem, and they’d done it with God’s help and protection. The wall had been dedicated.  

But while he was back in Persia, bad things were happening again.  He (obviously) got news of it and asked permission from the king to return.

Problem #1. While they were reading from the Law of Moses each day in the annual cycle, they came on the portion (Deut. 23:3-6) that said “No Ammonite or Moabite should ever enter the Assembly of God because of that event with Balaam cursing them as they approached the Promised Land.”

As soon as they heard that law, the people separated out those of foreign descent from the temple workers, but…..  before the reading and the doing of this law, something awful had happened.  One of the priests – Eliashib, whom Nehemiah had caught siding with the enemy earlier (Neh. 2:10) – had smuggled Tobiah into one of the storage rooms of the temple, and he was LIVING THERE!   THE NERVE!

(You remember Tobiah, right?  He and Sanballat were two of the main hindrances to Nehemiah’s wall work.)

SO…………  when Nehemiah got back, he was VERY ANGRY!  He threw out Tobiah and all his household furniture from the chamber. Then he gave orders for the chamber to be cleansed, and for the vessels of the House of God to be brought back in.

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Problem #2. And while he was at it, Nehemiah found that the portions of support had not been given to the Levites, so they had gone home to work in their fields. 

Nehemiah confronted the officials, gathered the Levites back to their stations, and got after the people until they brought their tithes of grain, wine, and oil into the storehouses. He then appointed a reliable priest, a scribe, a Levite, and his assistant to fairly distribute to the Levites. 

Then Nehemiah prayed, “Remember me, O my God, concerning this, and do not wipe out my good deeds that I have done for the house of my God and for His service.”

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Problem #3. Then our eagle-eyed Nehemiah spotted people working on the Sabbath. They were treading grapes in the winepresses, and bringing in heaps of grain and fruit and fish which they loaded and brought into Jerusalem to sell on the Sabbath!!!   

Nehemiah confronted the leaders about this broken law. “What is this evil thing that you are doing, profaning the Sabbath day?  Did not your fathers act in this way, and did not our God bring all this disaster on us and on this city??? You are bringing MORE wrath on Israel by profaning the Sabbath.”

Nehemiah began closing all the gates in the walls of Jerusalem as it started to get dark before the Sabbath.  He gave orders for them not to be opened until AFTER the Sabbath.  And he stationed his guards to make sure it happened. 

Problem #4. Sooo… the merchants simply unloaded all their stuff outside the wall and held a “market” there.  But Nehemiah got after them as well.  “If you do this again, I will lay hands on you!”

He then told the Levites that THEY should purify themselves and come guard the gates, to keep the Sabbath day HOLY.

And Nehemiah prayed, “Remember this also in my favor, O my God, and spare me according to the greatness of your steadfast love.”

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Problem #5. And….. AGAIN…… Nehemiah saw Jews who had married women from Ashdod (Philistia), Ammon, and Moab.  And half their children couldn’t even speak Hebrew.

Nehemiah confronted them.  And cursed them.   And beat some of them.  And pulled out their hair!

(I’d say he was pretty angry and zealous for the LORD!!)

And Nehemiah made them swear an oath NOT to give their daughters or take daughters to foreigners.

“Did not Solomon, king of Israel, sin on account of such women???  Among the nations, there was no king like him, and he was beloved by his God, and God made him king over all Israel……. nevertheless, FOREIGN WOMEN made even him to sin!  Shall YOU now act treacherously against our God?

Nehemiah noticed that one of the sons of the high priest had married one of Sanballat’s daughters!!!  Nehemiah CHASED HIM AWAY!

And Nehemiah prayed, “Remember them, O my God, because they have desecrated the priesthood, and the covenant of the priesthood and the Levites.

Problems #6+. Then Nehemiah cleansed them from everything foreign … and he established the duties of the priests and Levites, each in his work … and he provided for the wood offering at appointed times, and for first fruits.

Wow.

And he prayed, “Remember me, O my God, for good.”

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(What a man and what a leader Nehemiah was!  He was strong and hard on sin.  He did not get distracted from his work. He honored his word.  He was honest and giving.  It seems he knew MORE of the law than even the priests and Levites knew.  He led the people in righteousness. And he prayed … again and again.

O LORD, for men in leadership like this today!  And I ask that some of Nehemiah’s “straight path” ways would be evident in me too.)