Lamentations 4

WEEK  18                                       Lamentations 4

SATURDAY  Reflections

How has everything so good become so bad? This is the question that starts this section. How has everything so good become so bad? This is the question that starts this section. The answer is found beginning in verse 13. The reason things are so bad is that Judah has been bad. Yes, everything is horrible, but God has given them what they wanted, and it led to destruction.

 

This section ends with a warning to Edom. They have been the enemies of Judah and rejoiced when Judah faced its destruction. However, their time will also come. It always does.

Lam 4:1-22
(1)  How is the gold become dim! how is the most fine gold changed! the stones of the sanctuary are poured out in the top of every street.
(2)  The precious sons of Zion, comparable to fine gold, how are they esteemed as earthen pitchers, the work of the hands of the potter!
(3)  Even the sea monsters draw out the breast, they give suck to their young ones: the daughter of my people is become cruel, like the ostriches in the wilderness.
(4)  The tongue of the sucking child cleaveth to the roof of his mouth for thirst: the young children ask bread, and no man breaketh it unto them.
(5)  They that did feed delicately are desolate in the streets: they that were brought up in scarlet embrace dunghills.
(6)  For the punishment of the iniquity of the daughter of my people is greater than the punishment of the sin of Sodom, that was overthrown as in a moment, and no hands stayed on her.
(7)  Her Nazarites were purer than snow, they were whiter than milk, they were more ruddy in body than rubies, their polishing was of sapphire:
(8)  Their visage is blacker than a coal; they are not known in the streets: their skin cleaveth to their bones; it is withered, it is become like a stick.
(9)  They that be slain with the sword are better than they that be slain with hunger: for these pine away, stricken through for want of the fruits of the field.
(10)  The hands of the pitiful women have sodden their own children: they were their meat in the destruction of the daughter of my people.
(11)  The LORD hath accomplished his fury; he hath poured out his fierce anger, and hath kindled a fire in Zion, and it hath devoured the foundations thereof.
(12)  The kings of the earth, and all the inhabitants of the world, would not have believed that the adversary and the enemy should have entered into the gates of Jerusalem.
(13)  For the sins of her prophets, and the iniquities of her priests, that have shed the blood of the just in the midst of her,
(14)  They have wandered as blind men in the streets, they have polluted themselves with blood, so that men could not touch their garments.
(15)  They cried unto them, Depart ye; it is unclean; depart, depart, touch not: when they fled away and wandered, they said among the heathen, They shall no more sojourn there.
(16)  The anger of the LORD hath divided them; he will no more regard them: they respected not the persons of the priests, they favoured not the elders.
(17)  As for us, our eyes as yet failed for our vain help: in our watching we have watched for a nation that could not save us.
(18)  They hunt our steps, that we cannot go in our streets: our end is near, our days are fulfilled; for our end is come.
(19)  Our persecutors are swifter than the eagles of the heaven: they pursued us upon the mountains, they laid wait for us in the wilderness.
(20)  The breath of our nostrils, the anointed of the LORD, was taken in their pits, of whom we said, Under his shadow we shall live among the heathen.
(21)  Rejoice and be glad, O daughter of Edom, that dwellest in the land of Uz; the cup also shall pass through unto thee: thou shalt be drunken, and shalt make thyself naked.
(22)  The punishment of thine iniquity is accomplished, O daughter of Zion; he will no more carry thee away into captivity: he will visit thine iniquity, O daughter of Edom; he will discover thy sins.

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Amos 5

WEEK 18                                               Amos 5

FRIDAY  Reflections

Amos calls this word against Israel a lamentation. It is breaking his heart as it breaks the heart of God. A good parent having to punish their child doesn't bring them pleasure but heartbreak, even so, this call for punishment is a reason for tears.

 

One other note as can be seen throughout Amos, God points out the abuse done by those in power. God had set up a system so the poor could work and a way for the helpless to receive assistance. God’s plan isn't being used and the powerless are being taken advantage of. God is never pleased when those who have take advantage of those who struggle. God isn't saying that everyone who has ever had riches takes advantage of people, but in Israel at this time abuse is the norm. Part of the reason they face judgment is because of this abuse. 

Amo 5:1-27
(1)  Hear ye this word which I take up against you, even a lamentation, O house of Israel.
(2)  The virgin of Israel is fallen; she shall no more rise: she is forsaken upon her land; there is none to raise her up.
(3)  For thus saith the Lord GOD; The city that went out by a thousand shall leave an hundred, and that which went forth by an hundred shall leave ten, to the house of Israel.
(4)  For thus saith the LORD unto the house of Israel, Seek ye me, and ye shall live:
(5)  But seek not Bethel, nor enter into Gilgal, and pass not to Beersheba: for Gilgal shall surely go into captivity, and Bethel shall come to nought.
(6)  Seek the LORD, and ye shall live; lest he break out like fire in the house of Joseph, and devour it, and there be none to quench it in Bethel.
(7)  Ye who turn judgment to wormwood, and leave off righteousness in the earth,
(8)  Seek him that maketh the seven stars and Orion, and turneth the shadow of death into the morning, and maketh the day dark with night: that calleth for the waters of the sea, and poureth them out upon the face of the earth: The LORD is his name:
(9)  That strengtheneth the spoiled against the strong, so that the spoiled shall come against the fortress.
(10)  They hate him that rebuketh in the gate, and they abhor him that speaketh uprightly.
(11)  Forasmuch therefore as your treading is upon the poor, and ye take from him burdens of wheat: ye have built houses of hewn stone, but ye shall not dwell in them; ye have planted pleasant vineyards, but ye shall not drink wine of them.
(12)  For I know your manifold transgressions and your mighty sins: they afflict the just, they take a bribe, and they turn aside the poor in the gate from their right.
(13)  Therefore the prudent shall keep silence in that time; for it is an evil time.
(14)  Seek good, and not evil, that ye may live: and so the LORD, the God of hosts, shall be with you, as ye have spoken.
(15)  Hate the evil, and love the good, and establish judgment in the gate: it may be that the LORD God of hosts will be gracious unto the remnant of Joseph.
(16)  Therefore the LORD, the God of hosts, the Lord, saith thus; Wailing shall be in all streets; and they shall say in all the highways, Alas! alas! and they shall call the husbandman to mourning, and such as are skilful of lamentation to wailing.
(17)  And in all vineyards shall be wailing: for I will pass through thee, saith the LORD.
(18)  Woe unto you that desire the day of the LORD! to what end is it for you? the day of the LORD is darkness, and not light.
(19)  As if a man did flee from a lion, and a bear met him; or went into the house, and leaned his hand on the wall, and a serpent bit him.
(20)  Shall not the day of the LORD be darkness, and not light? even very dark, and no brightness in it?
(21)  I hate, I despise your feast days, and I will not smell in your solemn assemblies.
(22)  Though ye offer me burnt offerings and your meat offerings, I will not accept them: neither will I regard the peace offerings of your fat beasts.
(23)  Take thou away from me the noise of thy songs; for I will not hear the melody of thy viols.
(24)  But let judgment run down as waters, and righteousness as a mighty stream.
(25)  Have ye offered unto me sacrifices and offerings in the wilderness forty years, O house of Israel?
(26)  But ye have borne the tabernacle of your Moloch and Chiun your images, the star of your god, which ye made to yourselves.
(27)  Therefore will I cause you to go into captivity beyond Damascus, saith the LORD, whose name is The God of hosts.

Matthew 18 Forgiveness?!

WEEK  18                                            Matthew 18

THURSDAY  Reflections

What happens if we refuse to forgive? The Lord's Prayer says "forgive us as we forgive." The The parable of the unforgiving servant makes it clear, we can't live a freed life if we refuse to forgive. Nothing anyone has done to us is equal to what we owe God for our forgiveness. Wesleyans and Calvinists can argue over if this will cause someone to forfeit their salvation, but neither can argue against the truth that unforgiveness hands us over to be tormented. Unforgiveness never hurts the other person as much as it destroys us. Study after study shows people holding grudges live a less fulfilling life. Testimony after testimony speaks to the freedom found in forgiveness, so why don't we? Jesus makes it very clear unforgiveness isn't God's way. Jesus even forgave those who put him on the cross so why won't we? We have to forgive if we want to be free in Christ.

 

Note: Forgiveness doesn't mean you forget or that you trust someone. Also if you want to read more lookup, Impossible to Forgive. The book deals with my struggles learning to forgive the person who I believe murdered my grandmother and yes, I had to learn to do it. 

Mat 18:1-35
(1)  At the same time came the disciples unto Jesus, saying, Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?
(2)  And Jesus called a little child unto him, and set him in the midst of them,
(3)  And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.
(4)  Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven.
(5)  And whoso shall receive one such little child in my name receiveth me.
(6)  But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea.
(7)  Woe unto the world because of offences! for it must needs be that offences come; but woe to that man by whom the offence cometh!
(8)  Wherefore if thy hand or thy foot offend thee, cut them off, and cast them from thee: it is better for thee to enter into life halt or maimed, rather than having two hands or two feet to be cast into everlasting fire.
(9)  And if thine eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: it is better for thee to enter into life with one eye, rather than having two eyes to be cast into hell fire.
(10)  Take heed that ye despise not one of these little ones; for I say unto you, That in heaven their angels do always behold the face of my Father which is in heaven.
(11)  For the Son of man is come to save that which was lost.
(12)  How think ye? if a man have an hundred sheep, and one of them be gone astray, doth he not leave the ninety and nine, and goeth into the mountains, and seeketh that which is gone astray?
(13)  And if so be that he find it, verily I say unto you, he rejoiceth more of that sheep, than of the ninety and nine which went not astray.
(14)  Even so it is not the will of your Father which is in heaven, that one of these little ones should perish.
(15)  Moreover if thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone: if he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother.
(16)  But if he will not hear thee, then take with thee one or two more, that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.
(17)  And if he shall neglect to hear them, tell it unto the church: but if he neglect to hear the church, let him be unto thee as an heathen man and a publican.
(18)  Verily I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.
(19)  Again I say unto you, That if two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven.
(20)  For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.
(21)  Then came Peter to him, and said, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times?
(22)  Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven.
(23)  Therefore is the kingdom of heaven likened unto a certain king, which would take account of his servants.
(24)  And when he had begun to reckon, one was brought unto him, which owed him ten thousand talents.
(25)  But forasmuch as he had not to pay, his lord commanded him to be sold, and his wife, and children, and all that he had, and payment to be made.
(26)  The servant therefore fell down, and worshipped him, saying, Lord, have patience with me, and I will pay thee all.
(27)  Then the lord of that servant was moved with compassion, and loosed him, and forgave him the debt.
(28)  But the same servant went out, and found one of his fellowservants, which owed him an hundred pence: and he laid hands on him, and took him by the throat, saying, Pay me that thou owest.
(29)  And his fellowservant fell down at his feet, and besought him, saying, Have patience with me, and I will pay thee all.
(30)  And he would not: but went and cast him into prison, till he should pay the debt.
(31)  So when his fellowservants saw what was done, they were very sorry, and came and told unto their lord all that was done.
(32)  Then his lord, after that he had called him, said unto him, O thou wicked servant, I forgave thee all that debt, because thou desiredst me:
(33)  Shouldest not thou also have had compassion on thy fellowservant, even as I had pity on thee?
(34)  And his lord was wroth, and delivered him to the tormentors, till he should pay all that was due unto him.
(35)  So likewise shall my heavenly Father do also unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses.

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Psalm 88

WEEK  18                                          Psalm 88

WEDNESDAY  Reflections

It is Psalms like this one that convince some that the Jewish people had no concept of life after death. This chapter gives no view of life after death if one has no understanding of Hebrew scholarship. Other passages make clear reference to some view of life after death. Yes, they didn't have a clear picture of what it might be, but they understood there was more to living than just this life.

 

So how do I explain this psalm? First, this writer might not have had any clear picture of an afterlife, so as far as he was concerned, this world was the only place one could serve and praise God. The second, and this is where we fit in, is when all of life goes wrong, and it looks as if God is causing us to face the consequence of our sin, then we only care about this life. Life after this one doesn't matter if what we can or can't do now is the question. "How can we praise you if we are dead?" is a reasonable question when all of life seems set against you.

 

Once again, the Psalms clearly picture the human heart both at its high and here at its lows.  

Psa 88:1-18
(1)  A Song or Psalm for the sons of Korah, to the chief Musician upon Mahalath Leannoth, Maschil of Heman the Ezrahite. O LORD God of my salvation, I have cried day and night before thee:
(2)  Let my prayer come before thee: incline thine ear unto my cry;
(3)  For my soul is full of troubles: and my life draweth nigh unto the grave.
(4)  I am counted with them that go down into the pit: I am as a man that hath no strength:
(5)  Free among the dead, like the slain that lie in the grave, whom thou rememberest no more: and they are cut off from thy hand.
(6)  Thou hast laid me in the lowest pit, in darkness, in the deeps.
(7)  Thy wrath lieth hard upon me, and thou hast afflicted me with all thy waves. Selah.
(8)  Thou hast put away mine acquaintance far from me; thou hast made me an abomination unto them: I am shut up, and I cannot come forth.
(9)  Mine eye mourneth by reason of affliction: LORD, I have called daily upon thee, I have stretched out my hands unto thee.
(10)  Wilt thou shew wonders to the dead? shall the dead arise and praise thee? Selah.
(11)  Shall thy lovingkindness be declared in the grave? or thy faithfulness in destruction?
(12)  Shall thy wonders be known in the dark? and thy righteousness in the land of forgetfulness?
(13)  But unto thee have I cried, O LORD; and in the morning shall my prayer prevent thee.
(14)  LORD, why castest thou off my soul? why hidest thou thy face from me?
(15)  I am afflicted and ready to die from my youth up: while I suffer thy terrors I am distracted.
(16)  Thy fierce wrath goeth over me; thy terrors have cut me off.
(17)  They came round about me daily like water; they compassed me about together.
(18)  Lover and friend hast thou put far from me, and mine acquaintance into darkness.

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Obadiah

WEEK  18                                             Obadiah

TUESDAY  Reflections

Obadiah is the shortest book in the Old Testament. It is God’s pronouncement of judgment against Esau’s decedents the Edomites. These people were related to the Jews yet lived as their enemies.

 

Their first sin was pride. They were filled with pride because the mountain where they lived offered protection from attack. God was further displeased by their actions toward Israel when they were attacked. They didn’t assist them and even took advantage of the attacks to attack Judah themselves. 

 

Esau had been taught by Isaac about God, but he and his family chose another way. Now they were going to face the consequences of those choices.

 

A historical note: Four years after the Babylonians destroyed Jerusalem, Edom was successfully attacked. By the time Jerusalem was destroyed in 70 A.D., the Edomites ceased being a people. 

 Oba 1:1-21
(1)  The vision of Obadiah. Thus saith the Lord GOD concerning Edom; We have heard a rumour from the LORD, and an ambassador is sent among the heathen, Arise ye, and let us rise up against her in battle.
(2)  Behold, I have made thee small among the heathen: thou art greatly despised.
(3)  The pride of thine heart hath deceived thee, thou that dwellest in the clefts of the rock, whose habitation is high; that saith in his heart, Who shall bring me down to the ground?
(4)  Though thou exalt thyself as the eagle, and though thou set thy nest among the stars, thence will I bring thee down, saith the LORD.
(5)  If thieves came to thee, if robbers by night, (how art thou cut off!) would they not have stolen till they had enough? if the grapegatherers came to thee, would they not leave some grapes?
(6)  How are the things of Esau searched out! how are his hidden things sought up!
(7)  All the men of thy confederacy have brought thee even to the border: the men that were at peace with thee have deceived thee, and prevailed against thee; they that eat thy bread have laid a wound under thee: there is none understanding in him.
(8)  Shall I not in that day, saith the LORD, even destroy the wise men out of Edom, and understanding out of the mount of Esau?
(9)  And thy mighty men, O Teman, shall be dismayed, to the end that every one of the mount of Esau may be cut off by slaughter.
(10)  For thy violence against thy brother Jacob shame shall cover thee, and thou shalt be cut off for ever.
(11)  In the day that thou stoodest on the other side, in the day that the strangers carried away captive his forces, and foreigners entered into his gates, and cast lots upon Jerusalem, even thou wast as one of them.
(12)  But thou shouldest not have looked on the day of thy brother in the day that he became a stranger; neither shouldest thou have rejoiced over the children of Judah in the day of their destruction; neither shouldest thou have spoken proudly in the day of distress.
(13)  Thou shouldest not have entered into the gate of my people in the day of their calamity; yea, thou shouldest not have looked on their affliction in the day of their calamity, nor have laid hands on their substance in the day of their calamity;
(14)  Neither shouldest thou have stood in the crossway, to cut off those of his that did escape; neither shouldest thou have delivered up those of his that did remain in the day of distress.
(15)  For the day of the LORD is near upon all the heathen: as thou hast done, it shall be done unto thee: thy reward shall return upon thine own head.
(16)  For as ye have drunk upon my holy mountain, so shall all the heathen drink continually, yea, they shall drink, and they shall swallow down, and they shall be as though they had not been.
(17)  But upon mount Zion shall be deliverance, and there shall be holiness; and the house of Jacob shall possess their possessions.
(18)  And the house of Jacob shall be a fire, and the house of Joseph a flame, and the house of Esau for stubble, and they shall kindle in them, and devour them; and there shall not be any remaining of the house of Esau; for the LORD hath spoken it.
(19)  And they of the south shall possess the mount of Esau; and they of the plain the Philistines: and they shall possess the fields of Ephraim, and the fields of Samaria: and Benjamin shall possess Gilead.
(20)  And the captivity of this host of the children of Israel shall possess that of the Canaanites, even unto Zarephath; and the captivity of Jerusalem, which is in Sepharad, shall possess the cities of the south.
(21)  And saviours shall come up on mount Zion to judge the mount of Esau; and the kingdom shall be the LORD'S.

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