Scripture and Commentary, Week of Third Sunday after Trinity

Monday after the Third Sunday after Trinity

Lectionary

Morning - Ps. 86, Judges 5:1-18, Lk. 6:39

Evening - Ps. 84, 85, Neh. 5:1-13, Acts 13:44-14:7

Commentary, Nehemiah 5:1-13

The Covenant of God includes duties to Him and to other people of the Covenant.  We see this easily in the Ten Commandments, for the first four are about our relationship with God and remaining six are about our duties to one another.  People are not called into an individual Covenant with God; we are, and always have been, called into the Community of the Covenant.  It is within this Covenant Community that we are baptized, instructed in the faith, worship God on the Lord's Day, and celebrate the feast of Holy Communion. In fact, every aspect of our lives, as a man or woman of God, is lived within the context of the community of faith.  In the New Testament era this community is called the Church, which refers to both its universal and local manifestations.  In the Old Testament that community was called Israel, or, by the time of Nehemiah, Judah.  One of the problems with the Jews who remained in Shushan, Babylon, or Egypt, is that they were no longer functioning within the Covenant Community.  Even if they formed synagogues and kept the ritual law in these lands, they were still branches severed from the vine. The Jewish community was not to be scattered, nor were its people to be dispersed into groups in distant lands.  They were to be a vital, living part of the community in the land God had given to them.  Likewise, today, Christians are to be vital members of the community of faith.  But, unlike the Jews, we are called to go into all the world.  We are called to infiltrate every nation with the Gospel.  Those who respond in faith are received into the universal community through the local part of that community, the local church.

Received into that community, we now are under obligation to it.  We are to give ourselves to its instruction, leadership, and discipline.  We enter into the spiritual discipline of prayer, Scriptures, fellowship, sacraments, and worship of the Church.  When we fail in this discipline, the Church, through its ministers, has authority to call us back, and to exclude those who will not return.

In the fifth chapter of Nehemiah, the Jews have neglected their Covenant obligations to one another.  Rather than working together as brethren in the Lord, some have been profiteering from the scarce food supply caused by a drought.  They have sold grain at exorbitant prices, taken land and homes away from their brethren in exchange for food, and even enslaved their neighbor's children as payment.  Others have stolen to feed their families, while still others have sold their land for food.  All of this was in direct violation of the Law of God and the Covenant duties of the Jews toward one another. Nehemiah verbally chastises them for treating each other so.  He clearly sees this as a religious issue (rather than a social issue), in which the people are breaking the Covenant with God.

This is a good place to state that the laws of the Covenant Community do not always apply directly to those outside of it.  The land of Israel, for example, was given to the Jews as their heritage, and could not be taken away from its owners except under very limited circumstances, and even then, only for a specified number of years.  But this does not preclude buying and selling and investing in land by Gentiles, nor does the action urged by Nehemiah mean any person is necessarily owed food and support.  Much harm has been done by well meaning people who have tried to apply Covenant Community obligations to people, business and nations that are not part of the Covenant.  Socialism, communism, and government re-distribution of wealth are sad and costly examples of this.

Nehemiah urges the Jews to restore what rightfully belongs to others, and to deal charitably with the poor through voluntary charitable activities.  He shakes dust from his robe with the prayer that God will shake out of the Covenant everyone who does not fulfill his Covenant duties.

Tuesday after the Third Sunday after Trinity

Lectionary

Morning - Ps.89:1-9, Judges 5:19, Lk. 7:1-10

Evening - Ps. 90, Neh. 8:1-12, Acts 14:8-18

Commentary, Nehemiah 8:1-12

Tonight's reading covers an event so significant in the life of the Jewish people it is worthy to be equated with Passover, crossing the Red Sea, receiving the Law at Sinai, and the moral/spiritual revival of Godliness in the time of Josiah the king.  The event is the mass gathering of the Jewish people to hear the reading of the Law of God on one of the feast days called for in the Old Testament called the Feast of the Trumpets (Num. 29:1).  The people have gathered in the street because the Temple could not hold them, and they have gathered to hear again the words of the grace of God, and the life to which they are called.  To this point, the revival of the Covenant in Jerusalem has been sporadic, and based upon general knowledge and memory, rather than direct contact with the Scriptures.  The people knew they were to offer sacrifices, so they did.  They knew they were to rebuild the Temple, so they did.  They knew they were to dwell in and possess the land, so they rebuilt the wall.  All of these efforts were aimed at returning to God and being people of the Covenant again.  They were good and necessary things, but apart from the Word of Scripture, they lacked unity of purpose and direction.  The people worked from memory, not daily experience with the revelation of God.  All of that changed when Ezra read the Bible to this great and solemn assembly in Jerusalem.  This day is a return to Scripture.

The people had built a pulpit, a tower for this purpose.  It was tall enough for Ezra to be seen by all the people, and all were silent as he ascended the steps. All of Jerusalem and the surrounding countryside were there.  People of great age who had built the new Temple stood beside children.  Young families with infants stood beside grand parents.  All were quiet.  All were intent on the proceedings.  All who were old enough to understand realised this was a momentous occasion.

When Ezra opened the scroll, all the people stood, for they had been kneeling in prayerful stance.  Verse 6 says Ezra blessed the Lord.  This is the traditional, liturgical blessing said when the books of the Law, called the Torah, are opened in the Temple or synagogues, as it has been said for thousands of years.  It is sung by the priest and followed by the amen of the people, also sung in a manner very much like the amen at the end of a hymn today.  The amen is the people's assent and commitment to the prayer. In it they affirm their assent to the meaning of the prayer, and beseech God to grant their request, or receive their thanksgiving and worship.  It is as to say, "Let it be so, O Lord."

The gathering was so large it was impossible for Ezra to be heard by all.  So, at strategic places throughout the area, other priests were stationed.  Watching Ezra, they simultaneously mounted their pulpits, turned to the same passage of Scripture, read the same words, and gave the prepared instruction on the meaning of the text.  So, throughout the city the people heard the Word, prayed, and worshiped as one.  It has been nearly 150 years since the liturgies and readings of the day have been publicly conducted by the Jewish people as a whole in Jerusalem., and it is a moving experience.  It is another step deeper into the Covenant, another step back to God.  And this time, it is the Scripture, not memory, which guides them.

Wednesday after the Third Sunday after Trinity

Lectionary

Morning - Ps. 92, Judges 6:1-35, Lk. 7:11-17

Evening - Ps. 104, Neh. 9:5-15, Acts 14:19

Commentary, Nehemiah 9:5-15

For seven days the people gathered as one in Jerusalem, and each day Ezra and the priests read and expounded the Law of God to them.  It is almost impossible to overstate the importance of this. These people were returning to God.  They were returning to the Bible.  For hours each day they heard the Bible read and explained.  Ezra probably started with Genesis and read straight through the five books of Moses, called the Torah, or Law.  The significance of these books is that in them God invites the Jews into His Covenant, promises many great things to them, and tells them what they must do as their part of the "bargain."  Basically, their part is to receive pardon from sin, and be led into a new and better life with God as their God.  God forgives their sins and wraps them in His everlasting love, gives them a land in which to dwell, and shows them how He is to be known and worshiped.  They are the receivers in all parts of this Covenant.  Even their obligations to love God above all else and serve Him in Godly worship are more like blessings than duties.  It is light and life to the soul to know and serve God.  The knowledge of Him is eternal life; His service is perfect freedom.  The Jews were re-learning this during these days in the Scripture, and in learning them, they were re-dedicating themselves to being God's Covenant people.  It has been many generations since something like this has happened in Jerusalem.  Most of the Jews' history is the story of their departure from the Covenant and return to idolatry and other sins.  Times like this are rare, and noteworthy, and comparable to the Reformation in their scope and significance.

A very important part of this time is that, as the people heard the Covenant read and explained, they realised how far they and their ancestors had fallen short of it.  More accurately, they realised that they and their ancestors had simply and intentionally rejected the Covenant, and that Covenant breaking was the habitual direction of their individual and corporate life.  Their confession was no blanket statement.  Fully one fourth of the day was filled with hearing the Law, and one fourth spent in deep and honest confession (Neh.9:3). We notice that the first day of the reading of the Law was an occasion of great gladness.  But now the Law has convicted them of their sin, and they are gathered to hear it in sackcloth and ashes, the garb of great sorrow before God.  On the first day they rejoiced and celebrated.  Now they confess sin and fast in their shame. I dare say the Church of our own time could benefit from such time in the Word of God, and that it would do much more good than most of the programs and "revivals" found in many churches.

Nehemiah 9:5-15 begins a sermon, probably written by Ezra and preached by the Levites who aided him in the preceding days.  Having spent the morning hearing the Word read and the afternoon in prayer and fasting, the Levites return to the pulpits with this sermon, which they preach simultaneously at various places to enable all the people to hear. The sermon continues to the end of the chapter and recounts their history from the call of Abraham (Abram) to their present hour.  Verses 5-15 retell the call of Abraham and the Exodus, emphasising the grace of God in choosing Israel and blessing them as His people.

Thursday after the Third Sunday after Trinity

Lectionary

Morning - Ps. 94, Judges 7:1-8, Lk. 7:18-35

Evening - Ps. 111, 114, Neh. 9:16, Acts 15:1-12

Commentary, Nehemiah 9:16

Tonight's reading continues the sermon begun in Nehemiah 9:5.  The sermon is basically a short summary of the history of the Jewish people in light of the Covenant of God.  The point of the sermon is found in verse 33 "Thou hast done right, but we have done wickedly."   This conclusion is continued in verses 34 and 35 which confess that kings and people, and even the priests of Israel have not kept the Covenant, "neither turned they from their wicked works."  Because of their sin the people are servants in their own land (36).  They are not a free and independent nation, they are part of the Persian Empire and subject to its king.  They are forced to pay taxes to support Persia (37). 

It is not just their ancestors who have sinned; the present generation is just as guilty (37).  They have not kept the Covenant.  The days of hearing the Law read and expounded to them have shown them how far they have strayed from the Covenant.  So they are confessing their sin and turning back to God, turning back to the Covenant He made with them.  Verse 38 is the beginning of a list of Jews who intend to keep the Covenant.  These people have made a covenant to keep the Covenant.

This is a tremendous occasion.  It represents a true desire to be a Jew in heart as well as ethnicity.   The signers of this covenant will not be satisfied with only the outward forms of the faith.  Their hearts and lives are now devoted to God, and they intend to serve Him by keeping the letter and the spirit of the Covenant.

Every Christian has made a covenant to keep the Covenant.  I do not mean we have promised to offer sacrifices and move to Jerusalem.  We have become keepers of the Covenant as it is fulfilled in Christ Jesus.  We have confessed our sins and trusted in Him as our peace offering and atoning sacrifice to God.  We have returned to Him and now dwell in Him and live a new life in Him in which we keep His commandments, and love His people.

Friday after the Third Sunday after Trinity

Lectionary

Morning - Ps. 102, Judges 7:16, Lk. 7:36

Evening - Ps. 116, Neh. 13:15-22, Acts 15:31-21

Commentary, Nehemiah 13:15-22

The Jewish people have seen a wonderful revival among them.  They have seen the Holy City go from a decaying ruin to a secure fortress with royal protection.  They have seen the Faith of the people revived, and they have seen the people return to God and to His Covenant.  There has been much confession and repentance of sin, for as they heard the Law read and expounded they became mournfully aware that their ancestors had turned away from God, and their people had rejected the Covenant.  They found that it was not only their ancestors who had sinned against God; they themselves were guilty.  They had forsaken God.  They had rejected the Covenant.

Their repentance was not in word alone.  They matched their words with their deeds, keeping both the letter and the spirit of the Law of God.  They rebuilt the walls of Jerusalem.  They offered the sacrifices in faith.  They kept the feasts and the fasts according to the Covenant God had made with their forefathers.  They returned to the Bible and made it their rule and guide in life again.  The revival is almost complete, but not quite.  The first verses of Nehemiah 13 show that some of the priests were allied with the enemies of God and were giving the Levites' portion of the tithes to Tobiah (1-10).  This was remedied by Nehemiah (11-14).

In tonight's reading we see that the Jews still had problems with the Sabbath.  The Sabbath is about much more than going to "church" or refraining from work and worldly amusements.  It was about honouring God, trusting Him to provide for physical needs, and finding joy in Him.

It honours God by devoting a full day to His service.  Everything else is set aside to seek and honour God on the Sabbath.  It recognises Him as God, as Lord, and Master and Owner of all things, especially the lives and property of the Jewish people.

It trusts God by putting their prosperity into His hands.  Instead of spending the day working on their homes and earning a living, they spend the day with God.  This means they are trusting Him to provide for them.  Instead of working the farms and crops, they trust them into the care of God for the Sabbath.  This also means they are seeking God instead of following an endless pursuit of the world's goods.  Working seven days a week would enable them to cultivate more land, raise more crops and flocks, make more money, and become more prosperous.  Devoting the Sabbath to God meant they had to be satisfied with less money, and a simpler life.  It also showed them that some things are more valuable than more money, and the Sabbath Day was reserved for those things; for God, worship fellowship, and family.

Keeping the Sabbath instead of spending it as "a day off" for personal pursuits and worldly amusements is also an act of faith which finds its joy in God instead of worldly things.  It is not a day to play; it is a day for God.  The joy of the Sabbath was the worship and service of God.  These are lessons the Church of today desperately needs to learn and practice.

Nehemiah could force the Gentiles to stay away from Jerusalem on the Sabbath, but he could not make the Jews honour the Sabbath in their hearts.  That had to come from within them by the grace of God.

Saturday after the Third Sunday after Trinity

Lectionary

Morning - Ps.107:1-16, Judges 10:17, 11:29-40, Lk. 8:1-15

Evening - Nehemiah 13:23-31, Acts 15:22-35

Commentary, Nehemiah 13:23-31

We learn from Nehemiah that faith is much more than external rituals; it is a Covenant life with God that includes an inward disposition of the heart.  The Covenant life is expressed in the Covenant forms.  In the Old Testament those forms consisted of being part of the nation of Israel, worshiping God in the prayers and via the Temple sacrifices, and rituals, and the much deeper sense of love of God above all, and living in peace and active good will with the Covenant people.  In the New Testament the forms are prayer, Scripture, public and private worship, and the other things by which God draws us into Himself.  In both Testaments, the outward forms without the inward disposition are meaningless.  Going forward in a crusade, Confirmation, church attendance, and Holy Communion are not the end of faith, whole hearted Covenant life is.  Whole hearted covenant life is fed and accomplished through the outward forms of prayer, worship, and the other means of grace, so the heart and the forms feed and strengthen each other, and both are essential parts of the Covenant life.

We close our study in Nehemiah with the lesson that we cannot truthfully live the covenant life without honouring God in our home life.  No matter what our station in the home, we are to devote ourselves to it without reservation.  The Jews had not done this.  They had intermarried with people who worshiped other gods and followed other values.  This weakened the Jewish home.  It made an essential part of the Covenant community a non-covenanting part.  It robbed the Jews of the blessings of a Godly home.  It robbed the children of the blessings of being raised in the Covenant.  It undermined their faith, and led them into the sin of idolatry. In a similar way, marriage between a Christian and an unbeliever robs the Christian of a Christian home, robs the children of the strong foundation a Christian home provides, and robs God of another Covenant family.

The Jews saw this in their own city.  Children of the mixed marriages were a combination of Jew and pagan.  They had pagan ways and values that opposed and negated those of the community of faith.  Through them, the pagan ways were infiltrating the Covenant community.  They were a major impediment to the return to the Covenant.  They even threatened to lead the Jews back into compromise and idolatry as Solomon's wives had done.  Their presence in Jerusalem shows that compromise was already happening.

Sermon, Third Sunday after Trinity

Christians Pray

Psalm 145, Jeremiah 31:1-14. Matthew 9:9-13

Third Sunday after Trinity

June 16, 2013

What do Christians do?  That has been the subject of the sermons for the past two weeks, and we could summarise them by saying, “Christians Love,” and “Christians Believe.”  Today we continue to look at what Christians do, and today’s sermon is, “Christians Pray.”

But saying, “Christians Pray,” leads us to another important question, why do Christians pray? We pray because the Bible tells us to.  “Pray for the peace of Jerusalem,” says Psalm 122:6. “Pray for them which despitefully use you,” said our Lord in the Sermon on the Mount (Mt. 5:44). “Watch and pray” said Christ to the disciples in Gethsemane (Mk. 14:38).  “Pray for us” wrote the Apostle Paul in1 Thessalonians. 3:1. Again in that same Epistle he wrote, “pray without ceasing” (5:17).  And then we remember the well-beloved words of 1 Timothy 2:1-3, and 2:8;

 “I exhort therefore that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men; for kings and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty.  For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour.”

“I will therefore that all men pray everywhere, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting.”

But we don’t just pray because God tells us to.  In fact, we would pray if God did not tell us to.  For prayer is as natural to us as breathing. When we consider our blessings, we naturally say, “Thanks be to God.”  When we consider our sins, we naturally cry out, “Lord, have mercy upon us.”  When we face the troubles and trials of life, we naturally plead, “Lord, help us.”  This is so much a part of us that we almost do it automatically, and what a blessing it is to be so oriented toward God that we turn to Him automatically in these situations.  So we pray because we want to pray.  We are like David, who wrote, “early in the morning will I direct my prayer unto thee,” and, “Evening, and morning, and at noon will I pray, and cry aloud.”  (Ps. 5:3, Ps. 55:18).  For, “Like as the hart desireth the water-brooks, so longeth my soul after thee, O God.  My soul is athirst for God, yea, even for the living God” (Ps. 42:1-2). “How amiable are thy dwellings, thou Lord of hosts!  My soul hath a desire and longing to enter into the courts of the Lord; my heart and my flesh rejoice in the living God” (Ps. 84:1-2).  We pray, because we long for God.

But prayer would be meaningless if God did not care about us.  So, prayer is based upon the character and nature of God, who is revealed in the Bible as the One who loves us and gave Himself for us “to be the propitiation for our sins.” In a sense, these words from 1 John 4:10 summarise all that we have been looking at since Advent.  They summarise all that we believe about God.  They express the heart of the Christian faith.  God loves us and gave His Son on the cross to be the bearer of and payment for our sins.  Everything we do as Christians is based on this one supreme act of God’s self-giving, self-sacrificing love.  Everything we do is, or should be, our response of loving faith, trust, and obedience to this One who loved us so much “He gave His only begotten son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”

If we look back into this morning’s reading from Jeremiah 31, we see this was as true in the Old Testament as it is in the New; that the entire life of faith has always been based on the loving acts of God, who forgives sin and seeks fellowship with His people.  “I have loved thee with an everlasting love,” God says in Jeremiah 31:3.  “I will build thee, and thou shalt be built” He says in verse 4.  These words were given to the Jews in the context of their wars with the Babylonians, which resulted in the destruction of Israel, the sack of Jerusalem, and the Jews being forcefully moved to Babylon where they lived in captivity for fifty years.  The Bible makes it very clear that God allowed this to happen because Israel had forsaken Him.  But that was not the end of Israel, nor of the love of God for the Jews. He promised to restore them to their home, to rebuild their land and city.  He says He will “bring them from the north country, and gather them from the coasts of the earth…, and “a great company shall return.”  “There is hope in thine end, saith the Lord, that thy children shall come again to their own border.”

Why will God bring them back to Jerusalem?  Why will He bless them with joy and peace?  Not because they deserve it.  Not because they have been holy and righteous.  If they had been righteous they would never have suffered defeat by the Babylonians.  But the Bible says time after time that they were sinners against God, and failed to keep the covenant He had made with them.  And they were no more righteous after their captivity than before.  There was no great revival of Biblical faith among the Jews in Babylon.  There was no great turning to holiness and Godliness of life.  The Jews continued on as they always had.  God saved them out of Babylon for the same reason He saved them out of Egypt, because He chose to love them in spite of their unlovableness.  In other words, they were saved by the grace of God, not by their own works of righteousness.

It was because God saved them by His grace that they were to turn to Him.  It was because He loved them that they were to love Him.  Their life of faith, their keeping of His commandments, their turning to and keeping His covenant with them was all to be based on His grace.  It was to be their response of love to His act of love.

So here is the point I am trying to make today.  Christians pray because we are responding to God’s love.  Christians pray because we believe God cares enough about us to act on our behalf.  And we believe He cares about us because we see that He sent Christ to the cross to bear and pay for our sins.  Once a person really believes his sins have separated him from God and made him worthy of the eternal wrath of God in hell, he cannot help praying to God for mercy.  Once a person truly believes Christ suffered the wrath of God for his sins, and gives him Heaven as a free gift of grace, he cannot help praying to God in loving faith.  That is why Christians pray.X

Scripture and Commentary, Week of Second Sunday after Trinity

Monday after the Second Sunday after Trinity

Lectionary

Morning - Ps.48, Joshua 1, Lk. 4:42-5:11

Evening - Ps. 42, 43, Ezra 7:1-28, Acts 11:18

Commentary, Ezra 7:1-28

The previous chapters of the book of Ezra have given a short history of those Jews who returned to Jerusalem from Babylon.  Its primary purpose is to recount the events and circumstances leading to the completion of the new Temple.  Chapter seven begins the history of the ministry of Ezra in the seventh year of the reign of Artaxerxes, king of Persia, or, 458 B.C.  He is shown to be a priest whose ancestry can be traced to Aaron, brother of Moses (1-5).  He is also a ready scribe (7:6) who was educated in the law of God (theology), earnest of heart to keep the law as a Covenant child of God, and skilled in teaching the Scriptures to the people (7:7-10).

Ezra probably had not even been born when the first band of captives left Babylon for Jerusalem 78 years earlier in 536 B.C.  His parents had remained in Babylon, where he had learned the Scriptures and the work of the priest.  But his heart yearned to see the Jews dedicate themselves to keeping the Covenant of God, and, for this purpose, he was willing to sacrifice a promising career in a place of wealth, for the dangers and uncertainty of an impoverished and backsliding Jerusalem.  And Jerusalem was backsliding.  It had been 57 years since the Temple was completed, and most of the generation which had worked on it had passed away.  Their children and grandchildren were sinking back into the paganism that had plagued the Jews for so long and tried the patience of God to the point of allowing the Babylonian Captivity. Ezra is being sent by God to call the people back to God once again.

Verses 11-26 contain a copy of a letter sent to Ezra from the king of Persia.  Verses 27-28 show the priest's joy that God has moved the king's heart to such kindness toward the Jews.  In verse 28, Ezra gathers influential Jews together who will support and go with him on his mission to that city which should have been missionaries from it into the world.

Tuesday after the Second Sunday after Trinity

Lectionary

Morning - Ps. 49, Joshua 3:1-7, Lk. 5:12-26

Evening - Ps. 50, Ezra 8:15-36, Acts 11:19

Commentary, Ezra 8:15-36

Life has become good for the Jews in Babylon.  Freed from their oppression, they have become productive citizens of the city, often rising to great heights in social and financial status. Living in the capitol city offered many advantages.  It was heavily defended, so the probability of conquest was remote.  It was wealthy and offered many ways to make a very comfortable living, and it tolerated a relaxed approach to faith that appealed to many Jews.  It was far removed from the demands and dangers of the frontier type of existence of those in Jerusalem.  Yet, Ezra longed to leave it for the Holy City.  He longed to call the people back to God, and help them re-establish themselves as the Covenant people of God.  Having the letter from Artaxerxes, Ezra has gathered influential people who are prepared to go with him.  On the shores of the River Ahava, as the pilgrims stop to take stock of their people and resources, a shocking discovery is made; no priests have come.  No priests were willing to face the hardship and danger.  No priests were willing to leave the comfort of well-paying synagogues in Babylon.  No priests were willing to do that which they were called to do, serve in the Temple in Jerusalem (8:15).  By the grace of God this problem was solved, and 258 priests joined the caravan for Jerusalem (8:18-20).  The articles and money for the Temple was put into their care, and the caravan traveled without military escort to Jerusalem (8:22).

                                 

Their entrance into Jerusalem was received with great joy.  They and the people recorded the money and articles brought for the Temple (8:33) and a great day of worship was observed.  It is noteworthy that the sacrifices were all given as burnt offerings and sin offerings.  They were not eaten by the people, but devoured by the fire of the altar as acts of faith, confession, and dedication to God.

Wednesday after the Second Sunday after Trinity

Lectionary

Morning - Ps. 57, Joshua 4:1-8, Lk, 5:27

Evening - Ps. 61, 62, Nehemiah. 1, Acts 12:1-24

Commentary, Nehemiah 1

The book of Nehemiah is often misunderstood; therefore, it is usually ignored by Christians and clergy.  When it is studied it usually becomes the foundation for lessons and sermons about proper planning, wise use of resources, and effective leadership.  But Nehemiah is about much more than building projects or good management.  Nehemiah is about being the people of God.  In Nehemiah we finally see the Jews return to Jerusalem, determined to be the people of God.

Like Ezra, Nehemiah was not among those who returned to Jerusalem after the Jews were released from Captivity.  Born outside of Judea, he lived in the capitol of the Persian Empire, Shushan, where he was the king's cup bearer.  His job was to ensure that the king's wine was not poisoned, meaning he had take a large drink of it before handing it to the king.  If he lived, the king would drink the wine.  If he died, the king hired another taster.

It in was the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes, or about 445 B.C., that Nehemiah heard from recent visitors to Jerusalem that the city was still in moral, spiritual, and economic decay (1:3).  More than 90 years after Cyrus released the Jews, freed them to return to Jerusalem, and even gave them money and protection to rebuild their city and Temple, the city was still in shambles and apostasy.  The brief revival that occurred when Haggai and Zechariah encouraged them to rebuild the Temple and return to the Covenant of God had burned out, and the people had returned to ungodliness and unbelief.  Ezra moved to Jerusalem in 458 B.C., and a brief revival of the old faith ensued.  But 13 years later (445 B.C.), when Nehemiah inquired about conditions in Jerusalem he received only bad news.

How could Nehemiah expect otherwise?  The poverty stricken Jews in Jerusalem were surrounded by enemies, and had given up attempting to follow God.  But what about the Jews who remained in Babylon and Persia?  Had they not abandoned the call and Covenant of God?  Had they not traded God for the "good life" in lands of ease and plenty?  Had God called them to dwell in Shushan and Babylon and Egypt?  Was their dwelling place optional?  Or had God called them to dwell in the land He gave them, and be His people there (1:9)?  It seems the people who had not returned to Jerusalem were equally as guilty of breaking the Covenant as the people in Judea.  They were shirking their calling.  They were concerned with their personal comforts rather than the will of God. Nehemiah finally realised this in verses 4-11.  He had been concerned about Jerusalem, from the safety of Shushan.  But he suddenly realised his concern was phony, a pious cover-up to ease his conscience for forsaking his calling and duty to God.  His prayer was a prayer of confession and repentance as he accepted his guilt, and determined to go to Jerusalem.

It is not difficult to find applications for this passage to the Church and Christians of today.  Many in the Church are simply names on the roll, not serious about being the Church of Jesus Christ.  Others sit in comfortable pews of churches, where the demands of the Bible are ignored, and just enough of the Bible is kept to give the appearance of Christianity.  To leave their comfortable pews and face the sacrifices and challenges of a real Church is unthinkable to them.  Still others forsake the Church entirely.  They call themselves Christians, and may be on a church roll, but their affection for God and His people is done from a safe distance.  They have no intention of actually exchanging their phony, cover-up faith for the real thing.  The only cure for such behaviour is repentance.   Like Nehemiah, we all need to remember what God has commanded us to do and be, and where He has chosen to set His name (1:6-10). 

Thursday after the Second Sunday after Trinity

Lectionary

Morning - Ps.63, Joshua 6:1-20, Luke 6:1-11

Evening - Ps. 65, Neh. 2:1-8, Acts 12:25-13:12

Commentary, Nehemiah 2:1-8

In chapter 1, Nehemiah repented of his sin.  He was called to be a Jew, not a Persian.  He was called to be a member of the Covenant People of God, and to dwell with the people of the Covenant in the land God promised to them, and gave to them, where they were to love and serve Him as one people.  But Nehemiah has been living as a Gentile all of his life.  Yes, he had a Jewish education.  Yes, he went to synagogue, and studied the Scriptures, and probably kept much of the ceremonial law, but he did it from the safety of Shushan.  He was happily disconnected from the demands of Jerusalem, and happily not fulfilling his calling as a member of the Covenant people. How often we run happily along in our own little world, tragically unaware that even our religion is sinful in God's eyes. Nehemiah repented of his sin, and in chapter two he prepared to go to Jerusalem.

But Nehemiah was an important servant in the king's household.  He did not simply taste the wine for the king; he ran the wine cellar and possibly much of the vineyard.  It was his job to ensure the quality and safety of the king's wine.  Yet he was still a servant, and he became afraid when the king noticed his sadness (2:2).  Kings usually want cheer and frivolity at meals, not sadness, which can spoil the mood. Emboldened by the king's apparent sympathy, Nehemiah requests to be sent to Jerusalem with permission and aid to rebuild the walls of the city.

Any smart king would have gladly granted Nehemiah's request.  Sending him to Jerusalem, with a small company of Persian soldiers, and rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem under the hand of a proven loyal servant would give Persia a military stronghold on the frontier between Persia and the other area superpower, Egypt.  Artaxerxes wisely agreed to Nehemiah's request.

              

But this is more than just a smart move by a king.  This is the providence of God at work in the life of His people.  He is bringing them back to their purpose and calling by His own power.  He raised up Babylon to punish the Jews.  He has raised up Persia to restore them.  He works all things according to the counsel of His own will.

Friday after the Second Sunday after Trinity

Lectionary

Morning - Ps. 71, Josh. 14:6, Lk. 5:12-26

Evening - Ps. 77, Neh. 2:9, Acts 13:13-25

Commentary, Nehemiah 2:9

Three words continually occur to me as I read the book of Nehemiah; Grace, Providence, Covenant.  To understand how these words fit into the narrative we must return to the early stages of God's call to Abraham.  In Genesis 12:1 we read "Get thee out of thy country... unto a land that I will shew thee."  And in Genesis 1:7, "Unto thy seed will I give this land."  In Exodus the same promise is reiterated, "I will take you to me for a people, and I will be to you a God... And I will bring you unto the land, concerning the which I did swear to give it to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob; and I will give it you for an heritage" (Ex. 6:7-8).  In Nehemiah, God is continuing His work with the descendants of Abraham.  God is keeping His Covenant.  It was by grace that He called Abraham and His descendants to be His people.  They were no better than any other people.  They were sinners and idolaters, just like all the rest of the people in Ur at that time.  But in grace He called them, forgave their sin, and blessed them with the privilege of being His people.  He watched and guided them by His providence.  When they erred from His ways, He providentially raised up a nation to punish them.  When it suited His purpose, He raised up another nation to deliver them.  He providentially guided them back to Jerusalem.  He providentially called Nehemiah to go to Jerusalem to rebuild the walls of the city.  He providentially put it into the king's heart to let Nehemiah go, and even to help him achieve his goal.  God is working in the life of His people.  We must always see this when we read Nehemiah. Covenant is the call of God to come to Him and be His people.  This is the call to love Him above all things.  This is the call to separate from the rest of the world and to be unique among all people.  This is the call to worship and serve Him.  It is the call to make the God their God. According to the Covenant, God would redeem them from their sins, and bless them, and love them.  He would give to them a home where they could exist as a nation to love and enjoy Him.  All through the book of Nehemiah, we see God faithfully keeping His Covenant obligations.  And all through the book of Nehemiah we see God calling the Jews back to their Covenant obligations.

The Jews simply are not keeping their end of the bargain.  Many have not even returned to Jerusalem from Shushan and Babylon.  This is as much as sin as it was for the Exodus generation to refuse to enter the land.  It is not just a refusal of God's gift; it is a refusal to keep the Covenant.  Those in Jerusalem were no better.  They have not really established themselves in the land.  They do not possess the land; they simply exist in it.  The city is in ruins.  Their faith is weak, compromised, or non-existent.  They are making no real attempt to be the Covenant people because they have no real faith that God is going to enable them to possess the land and serve Him in it.  They suffer from the same lack of faith as the Exodus generation, which did not believe God would give them the land because of the "giants" that were in it.

But God does not forget them.  He sends Nehemiah to them.  Nehemiah is just as guilty of forsaking the Covenant as any other Jew of the time.  He lives in comfort in Shushan rather than in the land God has given to the Jews for their inheritance.  He is not worshiping in the Temple, keeping the law of God, or dwelling in Judea as a member of the unique nation of God.  But he repents of that, and comes to Jerusalem to join his people and to serve God.

One of the things the Jews must do, in obedience to God, is to really take possession of the land.  This is an obligation and a sacred duty.  Securing the city by rebuilding its walls is not just about safety, it's about faith, about obedience, about Covenant.  The call to rebuild is a call to repent and return to the Covenant.  It is a call to become Covenant keepers.

When they begin to rebuild, others oppose them.  These people seem to be descendants of the Northern tribes of Israel, who, conquered by the Assyrian Empire generations ago, intermarried with their conquerors and mixed pagan religions with the Old Testament faith.  So, while they still worshiped God, they also worshiped other gods, thus holding to an apostate faith. Called "Samaritans" by the Jews, they realise that rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem is a religious action, an act of faith that will re-establish the Covenant, the Temple, and Jerusalem as the center of worship and orthodoxy.  This will expose the Samaritan faith to be a comprised faith and a false religion; they cannot tolerate that. They may also fear that a well fortified Jerusalem will become the military and commercial center of the area, thus decreasing their own wealth and power.  But it is clear in the book of Nehemiah that the primary ground of their opposition is religious.  Thus they spread lies about the Jews to the king, and threaten military action against them if they do not stop their work.

Parallels to these events are so prevalent and obvious to all, comments on them are superfluous.  The opposition of false believers who would rather hinder the progress of the Gospel than repent of their compromised faith; the relaxed unbelief of many "Christians" who refuse to dwell in "Jerusalem;" the constant love and guiding providence of God in His true Church; and God's constant call to repent and return to the Covenant, are but a few of the similarities and applications of this passage to our present day.

Saturday after the Second Sunday after Trinity

Lectionary

Morning - Ps. 73, Josh. 23:1-16, Lk. 6:27-38

Evening - Ps 66, Neh. 4:6, Acts 13:26-43

Commentary, Nehemiah 4:6

The Lectionary passes from the second to the fourth chapter of Nehemiah.  Chapter 3 recounts the beginning of the work on the wall of Jerusalem.  The first 5 verse of chapter 4 tell of more mocking and opposition from Sanballat and others.  Tonight's reading starts in 4:6, an able summary of these events; "So we built the wall: and all the wall was joined together unto the half thereof; for the people had a mind to work."  This means the wall was half finished at this point in the book.  The enemies here have moved from ridiculing the work to planning actual violence against the Jews (4:8).  The apparent vulnerability of the Jews is shown in verses 10-12.  They were tired.  They were so spread out along the wall that an attacking force could breach their line before the soldiers were able to move in to defend it.  Due to the rubble and other conditions, invaders could sneak in close to the wall and launch a surprise attack on the already vulnerable Jews.  The solution; everyone builds, and everyone soldiers.  They worked in shifts, spending part of the time building and part of the time at ready arms (4:21).  Those building kept their weapons at the ready.  They were so prepared that those working as builders worked with one hand and carried their weapon with the other (4:16-18).  A signal was decided upon.  If an attack came at one point, the sentries would sound a trumpet, and all would take their weapons to meet the enemy at the point of attack.  They did not retire to their homes at night.  They slept at their places on the wall. They did not stop this routine until the wall was completed.

These people have returned to the Covenant.  They are possessing the land, and they are doing the work necessary to dwell in the land God had given them. 

Scripture and Commentary, Week of First Sunday after Trinity

Monday after the First Sunday after Trinity

Lectionary

Morning - Ps. 28, Num 22:2-14, Luke 2:21-40

Evening - Ps. 31, Ezra 5:1-17, Acts 9:1-19

Commentary, Ezra 5:1-17

As noted in the commentary for Monday after Trinity Sunday, the first seven chapters of the book of Ezra give a brief history of the Jews who returned from Babylon in 536 B.C.  Forced by military action to stop work on the new Temple, the work languished, as did the zeal of the Jewish people (4:23-24).  The Lord raised up prophets to call them back to their work.  It is important to note here that their work was not to simply build a new Temple or re-instate the sacrificial system.  Their work was to be the Covenant People of God, and to love Him above all else.  The Temple was a symbol of this.  It was the symbol of His presence with them.  The sacrifices offered there were symbols of their devotion to Him.  They also symbolised the coming of the Messiah, whose sacrifice would actually take away their sins.  It was the place where God met His people, where He made them whole and clean, where He forgave their sins, and where they came to be in the presence of God.  So the Temple was an important place and it served an important function in Jerusalem. It was the focal point of the Covenant, and to be forced to stop rebuilding it was a serious blow to the Jewish people.

Chapter 5 records the ministries of the prophets Haggai and Zechariah, which we have been reading for the past few days.  The result of their ministry was the renewed determination of the governor and the High Priest to build the Temple (5:2).  Chapter 5:6-17 is a copy of the letter sent by the Jews in Jerusalem to the king of Persia explaining their loyalty to him and asking him to search his records for the decree of Cyrus allowing them to return to Jerusalem and rebuild the Temple.

If the Temple was the focal point and primary symbol of the Covenant of God, the zeal to rebuild it was the zeal to be God's Covenant People.  The objective was not simply to rebuild an object of national pride, or to build a religious building where they could do religious things.  The intention, on their part was to return to their calling to be the people of God.  It was this intention that God wanted to keep alive in their collective heart.  It was their departure from the Covenant that brought the wrath of God upon them in 586.  It was their dilution of the faith, along with their lack of sincerity that led them into other sins and caused God to allow the Babylonians to conquer them.  The Babylonian Captivity was punishment for breaking the Covenant and rebelling against God.  Now that they were back in Jerusalem, God wanted them to return to the Covenant again.  Thus, the Temple, as the focal point of their Covenant keeping, must be rebuilt.

Tuesday after the Second Sunday after Trinity

Lectionary

Morning - Ps. 32, Num. 22:15-40, Lk. 2:41

Evening - Ps. 33, Ezra 6:1-12, Acts 9:20-31

Commentary, Ezra 6:1-12

Ezra is a book of history. Therefore, a look at what has transpired prior to today's reading in chapter 6, will greatly help us understand its message.  Chapter 1 records the decree of Cyrus releasing the Jews from captivity in Babylon.  In 536 B.C. the first of several groups of Jews left Babylon and arrived in Jerusalem.  Almost immediately they attempted to rebuild the Temple, which had been plundered and destroyed by the Babylonians in 586. In chapter 4, adversaries of Judah ask to be allowed to help with the Temple, but are refused.  The adversaries were descendants of Israelites who had intermarried with Gentiles. They had also diluted their faith with pagan ideas and worship.  On the surface their appeal to help rebuild the Temple appears good, and the rejection of their offer by the Jews (Ez. 4:2) seems cruel and arrogant.  But perhaps the Jews understood that watered down, adulterated religion had to be rejected, and to allow its practitioners to help rebuild the Temple would be to invite their erroneous faith into it when completed.  It was just that kind of religious compromise that brought the judgment of God upon the Jews in the first place, and they had no intention of returning to it at that time.

Rather than repenting of their sin and purging themselves of false religion, the adversaries began to make trouble for the Jews (4:4-6), even making false accusations to the king that the Jews were preparing to mount a military attack on Persia (4:8-16).  Believing the accusation to be true, the Persians sent an army to Jerusalem to stop the rebuilding of the Temple by force of arms (4:23-24).

The Jews responded with an appeal to the king.  By this time, Cyrus was dead and Darius the Mede ruled the empire (5:5-17).  Darius searched his records and found the decree of Cyrus, which is restated in our reading for today, Ezra 6:1-12.

A major point of this passage is the need for truth in religion.  The Jews could have welcomed the compromisers into their midst.  Their presence would have made the work easier, the city wealthier, and the congregation larger.  Instead, the Jews refused to compromise.  Why? The message of Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel told them the Babylonian Captivity was the judgment of God for compromising the faith.  They did not want to endure such suffering again, so, for a while, they maintained the pure faith.  The primary point of this passage is the great, irresistible power of God. God brings His work to completion in His own way and time.  He does not need the wealth of people, or great numbers of them to accomplish His will.  A small band of faithful believers is much more valuable to Him than great crowds who have compromised the truth. He raises up empires at His pleasure, and casts them down when He wills.  Empires are no more of a hindrance to Him than Judas was to our Saviour.

Wednesday after the First Sunday after Trinity

Lectionary

Morning - Ps. 37:1-25, Num. 22:41-23:12, Lk. 3:1-22

Evening - Ps. 34, Ezra 6:13-18, Acts 9:32

Commentary, Ezra 6:13-18

                                     

At long last the Temple is completed.  God has brought His people back to their homeland, and enabled them to rebuild the Temple.  This means the sins which brought His anger and caused their captivity are forgiven, and they are restored to God's favour. This is all accomplished by grace.  It was God alone who brought them out of Babylon, and God alone who gave them zeal to build the Temple and persevere in its construction though enemies tried to stop their work.  God's wonderful mercy and unstoppable providence are clearly seen in this passage.  And if God accomplished His promises to the Jews with such power and faithfulness, we can trust Him to accomplish what He has promised us in Christ.  We may meet with opposition, and our faith may be as weak as that of the Jews in this passage, but God will bring His work in us to completion by His own power.  He cannot fail.

The people did their work with great joy.  This includes not only the rebuilding of the Temple, but also its dedication and services.  We may also do our service unto God with joy.  Worship, prayer, the services of the Church, and the reading of the Scriptures can be a source of great joy to us.  Let them not become burdens we must force ourselves to bear.  Let them be meat and drink to our souls, as streams in the desert. "Let us learn to welcome holy ordinances with joy and attend on them with pleasure.  Let us serve the Lord with gladness.  Whatever we dedicate to God, let it be done with joy" (Matthew Henry) 

Thursday after the First Sunday after Trinity

Lectionary

Morning - Ps. 37:26, Num. 23:13-26, Lk. 4:1-13

Evening - Ps. 39, Zech. 7:8, Acts 10:1-23

Commentary, Zechariah 7:8

Yesterday's reading in Ezra told us of the completion of the work of rebuilding the Temple.  Tonight's reading in Zechariah takes us back to the days before the Temple was built, and a time when the construction had ceased due to military threats by the Persian government.  Zechariah and Haggai began their ministries in Jerusalem in the year 520 B.C.  Their prophetic message was comprised of two primary points.  First, rebuild the Temple.  This point came with many encouragements and promises of God, some of which we have looked at in recent comments.  Second, be the People of God.  Return to the Covenant He made with your ancestors.  Return to Him.  Love and honour Him as you are called to do.  This point also came with promises and encouragements.  We have looked at some of them already, and will do so again soon.  Tonight's reading is about the second point of Zechariah's message; being the people of God.  It is about returning to the Covenant relationship with God.  It is about being His people and loving Him above all else.  God's major concern was not for the Temple.  The Temple was not for Him, it was for the Jews.  It was a symbol of God's presence and providence with them.  It was a symbol of the forgiveness of their sins and their acceptance by God through His grace.  It was the place where they worshiped God, and where they met God in worship.  In short, the Temple was the symbol of the Covenant in action.  The Law specified their Covenant obligations; the Temple was a central part of how they fulfilled those obligations in everyday life.

The Law was a primary aspect of the Covenant.  There were three parts of the Law; moral law, civil law, and ceremonial law.  The Jews had a tendency to focus on the ceremonial law because it was the easiest to keep.  The moral law, summarised in the Ten Commandments, was the hardest to keep.  It still is.  It is because of our failure to keep the moral law that we need the sacrifice of the Lamb of God to cover our sins and make us acceptable to God.  The civil law, because it was simply the moral law codified and applied to everyday life, was also very difficult to keep. It, too, still is. Man's natural inclination toward evil causes us to tend to pervert the civil law and government for selfish gain.  If a party can gain control of the government and courts, its members can do what they want without fear of human retribution.  It did not take some of the Jews long to devise ways to control the government and courts, and to use them to their own advantage.  David's false dealing with Uzziah over Bathsheba, and Ahab and Jezebel's dealings with Naboth (1 Kings 21:1-16) show some of this abuse, but it was not contained to the palace.  The writings of Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel frequently mention the abuse of power to gain wealth.  Crooked scales, moving property boundaries, and false accusations were well honed and heavily used tools in Judah before the Captivity.  But God called the Jews to live in fellowship and respect, even to love one another.  He did not create a wellfare state; He did create a system of laws, which promoted freedom, justice, and well-being among His people.

Zechariah reminds the people of Jerusalem that their ancestors' abuse of the civil law was a major reason why God allowed the Babylonians to conquer and brutalise them.  They were warned by the former prophets (9-10), but they did not listen.  "Yea, they made their hearts as an adamant stone, lest they should hear the law" (7:11).  Because they refused to hear God's call to them through the prophets, God did not listen to their call to Him through prayer when the conquering armies came (7:12).  He allowed them to be conquered in a brutal war that left vast numbers of their people dead and vast parts of their land ravaged, including Jerusalem and the Temple.  Survivors of the war were forced to live in captivity in foreign lands (7:13-14).

We could draw many lessons from this short passage.  Law based on the moral law of God provides a sure foundation for liberty and justice, and the nation that has and follows such laws will live in peace and freedom.  The natural sin-inclinations of the human heart are one of the main reasons why we need government.  It exists to protect the God-given rights and freedoms of the people.  Even good government can be perverted and used for evil if people are allowed to control and distort it for personal gain and power.  God desires peace and liberty for all people.  Failure to live in true liberty and peace is great sin, and God is angry at such people.  God is angry at those who pervert justice and use government power for their own gain and goals.  On a higher lever, it is God's plan that His Covenant People live in mutual respect and love according to His moral law.  There is to be a fellowship and unity among us based upon our love for God and one another.  We cannot expect the world and its kingdoms to live up to this standard very well.  But the Church must.

Friday after the First Sunday after Trinity

Lectionary

Morning - Ps. 40:1-16, Num. 23:27-24:25, Lk. 4:14-30

Evening - Ps. 41, 54, Zech. 8:1-13, Acts 10:24-33

Commentary, Zechariah 8:1-13

God is returned unto Zion (Zech 8:3).  This refers not to His actual presence, for God is present in all places and in all times.  It refers to His presence in grace.  It is His presence in the way we mean when we say, "God be with you, and with thy spirit."  He is present to defend, to lead, to bless, and dwell in peace with His people.  The time of His wrath has ended.  The conquest, the captivity, the scattering of the people of Jerusalem into the surrounding nations is over.  God allowed that to happen because of sin in his people.  The holy city of Jerusalem, and even the Temple itself, had become unbearable in God's eyes because of the sin of the people.  The Temple had been filled with idols.  The worship offered in it was vain and insincere.  The morality of the people was as that of Gentiles who did not know God.  All of this is recorded in the Bible from Genesis to the prophets. So God allowed His people to reap what they had sown and receive what they had sought.  They wanted to be as the Gentiles, so God gave them over to the Gentiles, to be conquered and murdered and dominated by them.  But all of that is over.  God has brought them back to Jerusalem.  God has called them to return to the Covenant, to being the people chosen by God to be His unique people among all others.  God has returned to them in grace, and calls them to return to Him in faith.

               

The rest of the reading tells of the restoration and glory of Jerusalem after the Temple is rebuilt.  The people will not be killed by invaders, they will live to ripe old age, and the streets will be filled with children.  Thus, the Jews are to "Let your hands be strong" (8:9), strong for the work of rebuilding the Temple and the city, but most of all, for rebuilding their faith.

This passage has obvious application to the New Testament Church.  God will bring His people into it from many nations and countries.  It will be a City of Peace, for the peace that passes all understanding, which is not as the world giveth but as Christ only can give, will dwell in it.  God Himself will dwell in this New Zion, and it will be blessed and a blessing.  Therefore, we who dwell in this City of God must let our hands be strong.  Let them be strong for the work of the Kingdom.  Let them be strong in faith.  Let them build spiritual things now and for generations yet to come.  For we will possess all things.

Saturday after the First Sunday after Trinity

Lectionary

Morning - Ps. 44, Dt. 34, Lk. 4:31-41

Evening - Ps. 46, 47, Zech. 8:14, Acts 10:34

Commentary, Zechariah 8:14

Zechariah 8:14-23 continues the wondrously good news that God has returned to Zion.  Because the Jewish people had forsaken Him He withdrew His grace and protection from them, and allowed them to be devoured by their enemies.  But now He has returned in grace to accomplish His purpose for His people.  As He did not turn back from His wrath, He also will not turn back from His mercy (14-15).  As surely as His words of wrath were fulfilled, His words of mercy will also be fulfilled.  He will do good things for Jerusalem and Judah, thus, they can have confidence in Him.  They may draw near to Him in faith, rather than run from Him in fear.

He calls the Jews to return to Him as He has returned to them.  The call is not simply to rebuild a landmark and re-institute religious activity.  The call is to turn their hearts to God as He has turned His to them.  The call is to live in fellowship and peace with one another and with God.  It is a call to come to God with sincerity and truth in worship.  God does not tell them to dispense with liturgy in order to worship Him with their heart.  He tells them to put their heart into the liturgy.  The Temple worship is formal, but it is not dead formalism, and it means nothing if the heart of the people is not in it.  Let the service of God in worship and in everyday life be joy to the house of Judah (8:19).  When the heart is in it, it will be joy to worship God.

This will cause many to want to return to Jerusalem and to the Covenant (8:20-21).  Many Jews did not return to Jerusalem at the end of the Captivity.  Many found new lives in the lands where they had once been prisoners.  They did not want to return to Jerusalem, a land of poverty, hardship, and danger.  They enjoyed the looser approach to the faith that was allowed in the Gentile lands.  In short, they had no intention of returning to Jerusalem or making the sacrifices required to become the people of the Covenant again.  The joy of the people in Jerusalem would be an invitation to them to return to God.

It would also induce Gentiles to seek the God of Israel.  "Many people, and strong nations shall come to seek the Lord of hosts in Jerusalem, and to pray before the Lord" (8:22).  This will be fulfilled in greater glory in the New Jerusalem.  Christ's Church will gather many people and strong nations into it in a way the old Jerusalem could never do.  Verse 23 is also a picture of the day of Christ and the era of fulfillment in which we live.  The first Christians were Jews and through the grace of God working in them, Gentiles have come to their God.  May they also come to us, the spiritual children of Abraham, because they have heard that God is with us.

First Sunday after Trinity Sermon

Thy Life

Psalm 119:33-48, Deuteronomy 30:11-20, John 13:1-17, 34-35

First Sunday after Trinity

June 2, 2013

Today we move into the second half of our Church year, which is our annual cycle of prayer and Scripture reading.  The first half has emphasised what the Bible teaches about God and what He has done for us in Christ.  The second half emphasises our response to God.  We could say that the first half of the year is about what Christians believe, and the second half is about what Christians do.

What do Christians believe?  We believe the Bible.  We believe the Bible was given to us by God and that it is His self revelation of His nature and will.  In it we see a loving Father who welcomes prodigals back to His house, who even runs to meet us on the way, and who desires only what is good for us, only that which gives meaning and joy and goodness to life.  In the Bible we see God loving us so much He made the ultimate sacrifice, going to the cross to bear in Himself all of the anguish and grief and, yes, even anger, our sins have caused Him.  Yes, there are legitimate questions about the Bible, and, yes, there are many disagreements about its meaning even among Christians, and, yes, even those who profess to believe it are miserable failures at living out its principles and teachings. But, in spite of all of this, there is, and always has been, a general agreement among all people who read the Bible, whether they are skeptics or true believers, in what the Bible teaches.  Knowing what we know about human beings, such agreement is remarkable in itself.  And what the Bible teaches is summarised for us in the great and enduring creeds of the Church.  We say one of them every Sunday; the Apostles' Creed at Morning and Evening Prayer, and the Nicene Creed at Holy Communion.  They express the essential teachings of the Bible, therefore we do not simply recite them as an academic acknowledgement, we say them as expressions of our faith.  To us they are not just facts, they are the beliefs by which we live our lives.

We say this because we believe what God said through Moses in Deuteronomy 30:20, "He is thy life."  He is our life because it is He who created us.  He did not merely create the heavens and earth, He created us.  He formed us in the womb.  He formed our bodies and put life into them He formed our personhood, so that we are not just something, we are someone.  He is our life because He has preserved our lives to this very moment.  I am not just talking about giving us the necessities that have kept us alive, I'm talking about His supernatural intervention and guiding of our lives in those things that, when we look back over our lives we say, if God had not delivered me from this or that danger, I would not be here today.  If God had not delivered me from this situation or those circumstances, my life today would be vastly different and miserable, if I were even alive at all.

But Moses was writing about something deeper and more fundamental than God giving and preserving our physical lives, Moses was writing about the life of the soul, for it is especially in the life of the soul that God "is thy life."  Naturally we think about the cross when we think about the life of the soul.  In giving His life for us, Christ purchased life for our souls.  But I hope we think about more than simply being forgiven of sin and going to Heaven, because Christ died to help us in this life too.  Christ died to give us what He called abundant life, life that is as good as it can get in this world.  It is no secret that a life lived in the "thou shalt nots" is no life at all.  That is because the things God forbids are the things that destroy lives.  Therefore, God's commandments are not prison walls to keep us from having fun, they are a fence around a home that keep us from harm.  Anyone who has seen young children running and playing beside a busy highway can immediately grasp the value of a good fence, and that is what the commandments of God are.  And look at the hurt and misery that fills the history of the human race because of our willful indulgence in God's "thou shalt nots."  Wars, abuse, violence, hatred, injustice, corruption.  How many children have died?  How many have cried themselves to sleep alone, afraid, and hungry, because of the human infatuation with God's "thou shalt nots?"

But imagine what the world would be like if the entire human race replaced murder with peace, fornication and adultery with fidelity and love, deceit with honesty, falsehood with truth, and greed with contentment. Suppose everyone lived in such a way that, as as our Catechism says, we hurt no one by word or deed, keep our bodies in temperance, soberness, and chastity, be true and just in all our dealings, keep our tongues from evil speaking, and labour truly for our own livings rather than covet the possessions of others?  Can we not see that such a world would be fundamentally different from the one in which we live?  Can we not see that life in such a world would be exciting and free and happy?  And isn't that the kind of world God's commandments would create, if we just obeyed them?

I am not suggesting we can build such a world in our present condition.  I don't believe any amount of social engineering, education, or political experimentation can create such a world.  It certainly cannot be created by law or by force.  I think it will be created, one day, by the grace of God, but God will build it, not man.  But you and I have the opportunity to taste that world now, because we have the opportunity to live by God's law, not perfectly, but better than we are currently doing.  And we, by faith, have the opportunity to "see" how wonderful life would be if everyone lived by it God's law.  But, even more than this, we have the promise that we will actually live in such a world one day.  We will live in a place where evil is a thing of the past, where all live in peace and harmony with one another and with God.

But let's get back to the here and now, for we are talking about how Christians live.  We live by the law of God.  We do not think we keep it perfectly, nor do we believe keeping it earns any favour from God.  We keep it because it is a gift from God.  It shows us how to live happy and peaceful lives.  We keep it because it is good.  By His grace, and by the power of the Holy Spirit  let us walk in the ways of His commandments.