Hephzibah And Beulah

Isaiah 62:1-5

Many people like reading a “rags to riches” story, where someone goes from being in a poor and desperate situation to having more than enough, going from being unloved or cared for to meeting the love of their life.  We cheer for their success and luck, sometimes even if their misfortune in the beginning was their own fault.  Periodically throughout the Book of Isaiah, the great Old Testament prophet, we read how God will punish the people of Israel for their faithlessness to Him.  However, we also read that God will never completely forsake and turn His back on His people.  When they return to Him, He will step in and rescue them from their distress.  Our Scripture today paints a beautiful picture of just how the Lord will turn the condition of His people around, from distress and “rags” to one of His comfort and “riches”.

As our Scripture opens, the prophet Isaiah tells how the situation and condition of Zion (another name for the people of Israel and Jerusalem in particular) will be turned around by the Lord.  They have been punished by the Lord for their disobedience, but He will not let them remain in a cast-off condition.  God will not “hold His peace”, sit by quietly and “rest” while they suffer (vs. 1).   Instead of being a people who practiced wickedness, they will be a people of righteousness, which comes when one turns to the Lord Jesus, and their salvation will shine like a bright lamp for Gentiles and kings of the earth to see (vs. 2).

When people have a positive change of fortune in their life, they sometimes will change their name.  They want to forget the darker days of their life, and a new name will help.  Sometimes when people find salvation in the Lord Jesus, and turn their life around for Him, they take a new name.  We see this with St. Paul, who was formerly known as Saul.  St. Matthew was formerly known as Levi.

We read here that when the Lord turns the fortunes of His people around, He will give them a new name (vs. 2).  During the years that they were punished by the Lord for their sins and wickedness, they were known as Forsaken and Desolate (vs. 4).  However now the Lord says that they will have new names.  The first is Hephzibah, and the second is Beulah.  Hephzibah is a Hebrew word which means “my delight is in her”.   She is no longer forsaken, but is delighted in.   During their dark days the land of Israel was considered desolate, with their walled cities, particularly Jerusalem, leveled to the ground, their lush farmland now desolate.  However, the Lord promised that instead they would now be named Beulah, a Hebrew word meaning “married”.  Instead of being a desolate and forsaken woman, they would be God’s bride that He delighted in.

A person who is forsaken and desolate, a person who is going through a very difficult and desperate time in their life is not likely to be dressed in the finest of apparel.  When you picture such a person in your mind, you are likely to think of dirty and torn rags.  However, the Lord says that His beloved is like a crown of glory, a royal diadem in His hand (vs. 3).  Instead of something that you want to cast off, throw in the trash, and then thoroughly wash your hands, the Lord says they are a royal diadem, a jeweled tiara like the late Queen used to wear, like Princess Kate wears on formal occasions.  Any woman would like to have her beauty be described as lovely as a royal diadem or crown of glory!

As the prophet Isaiah closes this segment of Scripture, he tells us that the Lord delights in us just as a bridegroom delights in his bride (vs. 5).  When we think of a traditional wedding ceremony, we picture the bride coming down the aisle, with her groom waiting in the front, and he has only eyes for his beloved.  He rejoices in her!  That is how God feels towards us.  The Lord takes pleasure in us.  He doesn’t just accept us like a consolation prize.  He doesn’t just put up with us.  Jesus delights in us and wants to be with us!  He celebrates our place in His kingdom.  We are His Hephzibah and Beulah!

The Baptism Of Jesus

Luke 3:15-16, 21-22

There are a few things that occurred in Jesus’ life that are mentioned in all four Gospels, such as His crucifixion and resurrection.  Another event would be His baptism at the hands of John the Baptist.  Today we take a quick look at the account that St. Luke gave in his Gospel.

Earlier in the third chapter Luke had introduced us to John the Baptist and his ministry.  John was a fiery preacher who preached a hard-hitting message of repentance, without giving any concern as to who might be hearing his message.  He wasn’t going to water down his message for the benefit of anyone.  John baptized those who took his message to heart.  Because there had been at least 400 years since there had been a prophet of God of any significant standing and there was virtually a silence from heaven, when John the Baptist came on the scene people immediately noticed.  There had been the promise of God throughout the days of the Old Testament that He would send the Messiah to bring deliverance to His people, and some began to wonder whether or not John the Baptist was this Messiah (vs. 15).  Four hundred years was a long time to not have any prophet or preacher bringing a message from the Lord.  That would be like us not hearing a message from the Lord since the early 1600’s, no Billy Graham, no Billy Sunday, no John Paul II, or any other messenger from the Lord all that time.  Now, suddenly, coming from out in the wilderness, John the Baptist and his strong message appears.  People were longing for a message, and some thought that he must be God’s promised Messiah.

John knew that he was not the promised Messiah, and though it might have been tempting for some to try to fit into that position, and get the attention and fame that might come, John immediately denied any such claims for himself (vs. 16).  During his time in the wilderness preparing for his ministry, God had revealed to him that he was to be the forerunner of the Savior.  He acknowledged that his role was to be the one to prepare the way for the Messiah.  John had immense humility, and knew that he wasn’t even worthy to perform the lowly task of removing the Messiah’s sandal straps.  This is different from many preachers today, many who want the spotlight shining brightly on them, who want their name big and bold on their books and speaking tours.  John the Baptist knew that the position of prominence belonged only to the Lord Jesus Christ.  John brought a baptism of repentance with water, but the Lord Jesus would come baptizing with the Holy Spirit and fire, symbolizing purification and empowerment.

As we continue with our Scripture passage, Jesus came down to the area by the Jordan River where John the Baptist was preaching and performing his water baptism of repentance.  Jesus was then baptized by John, marking the beginning of His public ministry (vs. 21).  He was also baptized to identify Himself with humanity’s need for repentance and righteousness.

When Jesus was baptized, He spent that moment in prayer and meditation to His Father in heaven.  He wasn’t looking around to see who might be watching, as if looking for a photo op.  This was a special moment between Himself and His Heavenly Father.  While Jesus prayed, heaven opened up, and the Holy Spirit descended upon Him in the form of a dove.  At the same time the Father spoke to Jesus, telling Him that He was His beloved Son, and that He was well-pleased with Him (vs. 22).  Both the Gospel of Luke and that of Mark state that the Voice from Heaven spoke to Jesus, saying “You are my beloved Son.”  Matthew’s Gospel says that the Voice spoke to others there, John the Baptist specifically, telling them that He, (Jesus) was His beloved Son, and He was well pleased with Him.  These are not necessarily contradictory.  God spoke to both Jesus personally, and also to those other present, telling each what they needed to hear - that Jesus is God’s Son, and He is pleased with Him.

There are some churches or denominations that deny the existence of the Trinity.  Our Scripture today is just one of many that highlight the presence of the Trinity.  We see Jesus, the Son, being baptized here.  Then we hear the Father’s Voice from heaven.  We also see the Holy Spirit descending like a dove upon the Lord Jesus.  The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit - the Trinity.

In closing, let us be like John the Baptist, serving the Lord humbly, and point others to the Lord Jesus, the Messiah.  The focus, the spotlight, should not be focused on us.  Instead, let us direct others to look to Jesus, the Messiah, the Son of God who the Father is well-pleased in.

No Partiality

Acts 10:34-38

Our New Testament reading for this first full week following the Epiphany in our Lectionary is a short segment from the Book of Acts where the Apostle Peter brings the Gospel message to the Gentile Cornelius and his family.   This was an important event in the early church.  Let’s see what lessons we can pick up in this brief passage.

To fully understand this Scripture we first need to look into the background of Jewish and Gentile relations in the first century.  For centuries, since the early days of the Old Testament, there was a lot of animosity between Jewish people, the descendants of the twelve tribes of Israel, and non-Jewish or Gentile people.  Good and faithful Jews did not want any close relationship with the non-believing, pagan Gentiles.   A “good” Jew would never marry a Gentile, though this did occasionally happen, as we see several Gentile women in Jesus’ family tree.  They also went so far as to even avoid having Gentile friends.  By the time of the New Testament a “good” Jew would avoid, if possible, business dealings with Gentiles, and if it was unavoidable, they would keep it at the barely civil level.  A “good” Jew would never eat with a Gentile, and would never even enter a Gentile’s house.  If any of this was unavoidable, they would go through a ritualized cleansing ceremony to cleanse themselves from contamination of being with a Gentile.

This was not the way that Jesus taught.  On many occasions during His time on earth He ministered to Gentiles.   He spoke with the Samaritan woman and led her to salvation (John 4:5-26).  Jesus also heard the prayer of the Canaanite woman, casting a demon from her daughter (Matthew 15:21-28).  He also healed a Roman centurion’s servant (Luke 7:1-10).  The last words Jesus spoke to His disciples before ascending back to heaven were instructions for them to bring His message to all nations (Matthew 28:18-20).  However, by the days of Acts 10, which took place possibly about ten years after the resurrection, the apostles were witnessing almost exclusively to just other fellow Jews.  (There was a ministry to Samaritans, which we read of in Acts 8.)  However, Jesus had specifically said to take His message to the whole world, Gentiles included.

This brings us to Acts chapter 10.  The Apostle Peter had been called to the coastal city of Joppa where he had prayed for a believer, Tabitha, raising her from the dead (Acts 9:36-43).  While he was there, the Roman centurion Cornelius, a devout man, was instructed by an angel to send for Peter and to hear the message he would bring (Acts 10:1-8).  Peter simultaneously had a vision, where God showed him all sorts of food, both clean and unclean, instructing him to eat.  He understood God teaching him that what He has called clean, Peter was not to say it was unclean, but was to obey Him (Acts 10:9-16).   Peter received the message from the Gentile centurion Cornelius, and he knew that God wanted him to go with and bring His message to the family.

Thankfully Peter obeyed God’s instructions and went with the messengers, and when he arrived, he did not hesitate to enter the house of Gentile Cornelius.  He had learned God’s lesson that He shows no partiality to any group of people (vs. 34).  His message of salvation is for everyone, both to Jews and to Gentiles, and whoever believes is accepted by Him (vs. 35).  Peter preached the message of salvation to Cornelius, and the family believed and received the Holy Spirit (Acts 10:44-48).

After staying with these new believers a few days, Peter and his companions returned to Jerusalem.  When word got out that he had gone into a Gentile’s house, ate with them, and witnessed to them, leaders of the new Church strongly reprimanded Peter for associating and being with a Gentile (Acts 11:1-3).  After Peter explained what had happened, and how God did not show any partiality, as He gave the outpouring of the Holy Spirit to the Gentiles as well as to the Jews, the Church leaders held their peace (Acts 11:16-18).

How do we react to others that are not of our specific community, to people who are perhaps of a different nationality or race?  Do we welcome them into our church family?  God does not show partiality, and neither should we.  This was a problem in the early church, as we have seen in our Scripture, one that was not easily resolved.  For many years there was conflict and animosity between many of the Jewish believers and Gentile believers, and many tried to put a stop to the spread of the Gospel to non-Jews, as we see in the conflicts that Paul frequently faced in his ministry.  As we have seen, God does not show partiality, and neither should any of His children.  When He calls us to do something, like Peter, we should obey without question.

Keeping The Covenant

Psalm 89:1-4, 14-29

A covenant is a solemn oath or promise, given by one person or group to another.  It is much more important than a child promising his parents he will mow the lawn after school, or a daughter promising to do the dishes.  A covenant is a promise made between two or more groups of people, one of these often in a position of power, or between business organizations.  Throughout the Bible we find covenants being made.  There were covenants between the kings and their people, between one country and another, and we especially see covenants made between God and His people.  Today’s psalm speaks of one such covenant between God and His servant, King David.  Let’s take a quick look.

In the Bible, we find that there are two different types of promises or covenants made.  There are the conditional promises or covenant, and then there is the unconditional promise.  It is important to take note of these two differences, because when it comes to wondering if the covenant has been kept or not, we need to see if the promises were conditional or unconditional.   A conditional promise is if the one party promises to do something, then the other party will follow through with their part.  An example could be if a son promises to wash the car all summer, then the parent will buy his sports equipment.  That is an example of a conditional promise.  In the Bible we see where God promises to protect the nation of Israel from their enemies and provide for their needs if the people worship only Him, and not worship pagan deities.  An unconditional promise or covenant is one where God’s promises will be performed without any requirements.  One unconditional promise is when God promised to never destroy the world again with a flood.

Our psalm today speaks of another unconditional promise or covenant that God made with His people, with King David in particular.  In Psalm 89 we read of God’s unconditional promise of the Messiah, and His descent from the family line of King David.  This was an unconditional promise, as God did not say that the Messiah would only come from David’s line if David behaved himself at all times.  As we know, David did not always behave himself, yet Yahweh vowed He would make His covenant with him and establish His seed with David’s line forever (vs. 3-4).

As we read in our psalm, God chose David from the people (vs. 19).  David was one chosen by God from among the people of the tribe of Judah, and also was chosen from among his several brothers to be God’s chosen king to replace King Saul.  Prophetically, though, these verses also speak of the Lord Jesus, who is the descendant of David’s that is the chosen Messiah.  God chose David to be His servant, and prepared him for that calling.  His humble position as a shepherd was the starting place for training to be God’s servant.  While on the run from Saul, David led a band of men.  That prepared him to lead the army of Israel.  What we go through in life is training us for what lies ahead.

Jesus was also chosen out of the people so that He could know our wants, our trials, and our temptations, and could sympathize with us (Hebrews 4:15).  Jesus is fully divine and became fully human, fully man.  Thus He is able to be my Brother.  When we accept Jesus as our Savior, we can then honestly say that we have a Brother in heaven.  Here on earth we may be poor, we may not have much at all, and be the humblest person in our neighborhood, but we have a divine Brother who has the riches of the universe at His disposal, and is a King.  He is a Brother born for adversity (Proverbs 17:17).  There are times when just about everyone else may fail us, our friends are nowhere to be found, and they cannot or will not help us.  But our Heavenly Brother is there for us.  Whatever difficult and painful road we are on, it is marked by the footsteps of the Savior.

Life has gotten more unsure as the decades pass.  However, our Source of security has not changed.   The Lord God has not, and will not, ever change.  His Word, His promises and covenants, stand as strong and sure as they ever have.  We can trust in Him to keep His Word to us.  God is still the only certainty in this life.  We can count on the One Who is faithful, just, and loving.

The Servant Of The Lord

Isaiah 42:1-9

This world can be a very harsh place to live.  Life beats us down, and then when we struggle to get up, along comes someone else to knock us down again, and they seem determined to want to keep us down.  Where is there a helping hand to assist us when we need it?  We might not find one among our neighbors and acquaintances.  Who can we turn to for help?  We find an answer in our Scripture from the prophet Isaiah.

Our Scripture today introduces the Servant of the Lord.  This was Someone who Yahweh sent, One who would be there to help the downtrodden.  This is a prophecy of the Lord Jesus Christ, One who the Spirit of the Lord was upon (vs. 1).  We see the Lord God acknowledging that His Spirit was upon Jesus at the time of His baptism (Matthew 3:16-17).

The Servant of the Lord was not Someone who sought to draw attention to Himself (vs. 2).  When encouraged by some to allow the people to make Him a king, the Lord Jesus refused.  He knew that His mission was not one of political power, or of being vocally loud and clamorous.  Instead, Jesus, as God’s Servant, was gentle and compassionate, not forceful or loud.

We see that the Servant Jesus would not break a bruised reed (vs. 3).  Nor would He quench a smoking flax.  Instead He would bring forth justice.  What did this mean?  A reed is a tall, grass-like plant found in wetlands.  They were used by ancient peoples in making flutes and musical instruments.  Reed grass was also often woven together to make mats.  When the harder reed stems were damaged, bruised, or broken, they could not be used for anything else.  In our life we often feel like we have been broken and bruised, and then no longer good for much of anything.  A flax was used in ancient days to light a room, like the wick of a candle.  A quenched flax was one that had been or was about to be extinguished, and often would give off a lot of smoke.  A broken reed, a smoking flax - both things that are damaged or about to go out.  Jesus came to help the weak and downtrodden.  God will not break a bruised reed.  He won’t quench a faintly burning wick.  Instead, He will restore and strengthen those who turn to Him for help.

God’s Servant, the Lord Jesus, came to bring forth truth and justice throughout the earth (vs. 3-4).  As we have seen in so many instances, the poor and downtrodden have had nowhere to turn when those more powerful seek to keep them down.  Jesus will not fail in bringing justice to those who need His help.  God called Him in righteousness, and sent Him to be a light to the Gentile peoples, the people of all nations throughout the world (vs. 6).

As our Scripture continues, the prophet Isaiah declared that the Servant of the Lord, the Lord Jesus, was sent to open the eyes of the blind, and to set the prisoners free (vs. 7).  We see this in the ministry of the Lord Jesus, as He brought healing to many blind folks.  However, it goes much beyond that.  People may not be physically blind, but are spiritually blind, with their mind and heart closed to the truth of God and His Word.  The Lord Jesus brought spiritual truth, opening people’s hearts and minds to God’s truth.

Jesus would also set prisoners free.  What did that mean?  We don’t see Jesus going into the Roman prisons and releasing prisoners.  Instead, Jesus set spiritual prisoners free.  Mankind had been held prisoner by Satan and his kingdom of darkness since the days of Adam.  However, Jesus, through His death and resurrection, broke the power of Satan and death, and He brought out the prisoners and those who sit in darkness.  Sometimes we need to be rescued from all sorts of things that hold us captive.  Some are held captive to addictions, some held captive to harmful relationships.  Jesus came to set every prisoner free.  Even if we can’t see a way out, the Lord has already planned one for us when we turn our life over to Him.

In closing, the prophet Isaiah spoke the words of the Lord, giving warning that He would never share His glory with pagan gods and religions (vs 8).  Too often, including today, we see some religious leaders who feel that it is good and peaceful for the world if religions “come together” and Christianity and other religions worship together in “peace”.  However, God has clearly stated that He will not share His glory with any other religious tradition.  Instead, let us proclaim the Light that the Lord Jesus brings, emulating His gentleness and compassion for the weak, and bringing the Gospel of hope to those in darkness.

A Mystery Revealed

Ephesians 3:1-12

Do you like mysteries, a good mystery story or movie?  Do you like to solve puzzles, uncovering the key or special clue that reveals the answer?  Many of us do.  We like the challenge of trying to figure out mysteries.  Our Scripture from St. Paul’s letter to the believers in the city of Ephesus speaks of one mystery.  We read here of a mystery that was once hidden from our understanding, and is now revealed to us.  Let’s see what this is.

When we read a mystery book or see a mystery movie, there is usually some type of crime that has been committed, often a murder, and we don’t know who did it.  We follow the detective through chapters, trying to solve the mystery.  Was it the butler?  Was it the spurned lover?  Then in the last chapter, some hidden clue is revealed, and we find our mystery solved.  Or maybe we are trying to figure out some puzzle, and the key, the solution, the answer is finally revealed.  What is this mystery mentioned in our Scripture?  It is not a typical “who-done-it” or puzzle.  This is something that had been hidden from our understanding for ages, but now the Holy Spirit has revealed this to our knowledge.

This mystery is that salvation is opened to the Gentiles, and that they are now partakers to the promises of God (vs. 1-6).  Throughout the Old Testament we read of how God’s chosen people were the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and how He made His covenant with them.  Those who were not a literal descendant of the twelve tribes of Jacob were outside of God’s covenant.  There were scattered prophecies, primarily in the Book of Isaiah, where we saw hints of the opening of the way for Gentiles to come within the covenant of grace, but this remained a mystery for ages.  Now, however, this mystery has been revealed, and the way opened up, as Paul declares it to us and the world.

The descendants of Jacob were heirs of God’s mercy and grace, and now, through the Lord Jesus Christ, we see this mystery revealed, that, along with the Jews, the Gentiles are also joint heirs and partakers of the promises God made to Abraham.  The Apostle Paul was given the honor, but also this great responsibility, to reveal this mystery to the world through his epistles (vs. 8-10).

Most of us reading this are probably of Gentile heritage.  We are not physically descended from one of the twelve tribes of Israel.  So this mystery which has been opened up, bringing the Gentiles into God’s covenant, benefits us and the whole world, those whom the Lord Jesus died to save.

We are now heirs of the unsearchable riches of Christ (vs. 8).  Not only are we now heirs of salvation and eternal life, which would be treasure enough, but we are also heirs of all of the riches in Christ Jesus.  Jesus has riches that are unsearchable, that are beyond any and all comprehension.  They are beyond the calculations of arithmetic, or the imagination of dreams.  We can look, study, and ponder but Jesus is greater than anything we can think.  He is willing and able to supply all of our needs.  Jesus does not treat His servants stingily.

When we trust in God, having real faith in His Word, we can have a holy boldness in our prayers, just like Elijah and Paul did (vs. 12).  God is not inaccessible.  We are not left abandoned, like on some remote island in the South Pacific.  We can come to Him in prayer at any time and always.

In closing, we see the mystery revealed, the keys are given.  Gentiles are welcomed at God’s throne through His Son, Jesus Christ.  This is what the season of Epiphany celebrates.  The Gentile Magi were among the first to come and worship the Lord Jesus, and now anyone, Jew or Gentile, can become a joint heir of His grace and mercy.

  

Prayers For A New Leader

Psalm 72

In a couple of weeks my country will be inaugurating a new president, a new leader of our country.  This typically happens every four years.  Other countries elect new prime ministers on a periodic basis.  Monarchies tend to have a changing of the guard on a less frequent basis.  On occasions like these, Scripture instructs us to pray for our rulers and leaders, and not just during times of transition, but also at all times.  Our psalm for this week is a prayer for our leaders and rulers of our country.  Let’s take a quick look at what the Lord has to say to us here.

Psalm 72 was written by King Solomon, son of the great King David.  Solomon may have been remembering some of the prayers of his father, prayers David made in preparation for when his son would step onto the throne.  Now he was on the throne, and Solomon knew that he needed the Lord’s blessings in order to have an effective reign.  There are five basic prayers or requests that Solomon made for his reign, asking for the Lord’s blessing.  Let’s briefly look at each of these, as these are prayers that we, too, can pray for our national leaders, as well.

The first is a prayer that the king or ruler will show forth righteousness and justice during their reign (vs. 1-4).  How many rulers, whether kings or elected officials, are corrupt, and use their position to gain personal power and money.   They do not care about the people who are under their protection.  They trample over the poor, the oppressed, and the needy, and do not bring them legal justice.  Righteousness and justice are key characteristics of Yahweh, and will highlight the reign of the Messiah.  Solomon prays that they will be keys of his reign and that of his descendants.  We should be praying that righteousness and justice will also be key factors in how our political leaders guide their administrations, and that they care for the poor and oppressed, bringing them the justice they deserve.

The second prayer in our psalm is for Solomon’s reign to bring prosperity and peace (vs. 5-7).  Every new administration makes these promises.  “Vote for me and I will bring peace and prosperity”, is a frequent campaign promise.  No one wants years of war and high inflation.  As we read all throughout Scripture, these are blessings that come from following the Lord and obeying His Word.  It was true during the days of the Old Testament kings, and it is still true today.  God will not bless disobedience.  Peace and prosperity will flourish during the reign of the Lord Jesus.

Next is a prayer for a universal reign (vs. 8-11).  This one prayer is not something that we can actually pray for our earthly rulers or leaders today, as none of our leaders could or should have a universal rule.  Even at the time of Solomon’s reign, though they might have wanted a nice, big, spread-out territory, God never promised them a world-encompassing country.  However, that is what the reign of the Lord Jesus will be when He returns, and we can certainly pray for that to come quickly.  His reign will be to the ends of the earth, and all the earthly rulers will bow to Him.

Solomon continues on with a renewed prayer for his reign to be marked with a compassion for the needy (vs. 12-14).   Again, this is a prayer that we should continually be praying for our earthly leaders.  Instead of our rulers making sure that their own pockets, and those of their cronies are well-filled with our tax dollars, they should be ensuring that they hear the cries of the poor and needy, and seeing they have justice from their oppressors.  We can be sure that this will happen when Jesus reigns!

The final prayer that Solomon makes is one to ensure a good and enduring legacy (vs. 15-17).  When a president, prime minister, king, or any other political leader’s time comes to an end, they always hope that their name will be remembered in a positive light, and not go down in infamy as a terrible ruler.  Those who rule by following the ways of the Lord, and by obeying His Word can leave an enduring legacy.  The only Name which will endure forever, though, is that of the Lord Jesus Christ, and it is in His Name that our earthly rulers can find blessing.

We can pray this psalm for our national leaders, that they will seek to follow the Lord Jesus and His Word as they serve their people with righteousness, justice, and compassion, and know that the ultimate fulfillment of this psalm is in the reign of the Lord Jesus Christ, who alone will bring perfect justice, peace, and prosperity.