ResponsiveReiding

1 – Joel 1:1 (ESV) The word of the Lord that came to Joel, the son of Pethuel:

RAF: The one-word theme of Joel is: LOCUSTS. Joel is probably the earliest of the minor prophets. His ministry was to the southern kingdom of Judah, and it seems during relatively good times spiritually in the nation’s history. He makes no mention of idolatry in Judah for instance. What he does do is see a connection between a dreadful locust invasion to which he was witness. This plague, was a tremendous natural disaster, and Joel is motivated by the idea that such disasters serve to point out God’s coming judgment. Judgment not only on the heathen nations he mentions, but on Israel too. Hence, it is a call to repentance. Hidden sin will not be overlooked in the day of the Lord, either among the nations, nor His own people. The seeds of the idolatry which will erupt openly soon, are already sprouting below the surface. He is calling us to examine our hearts – and not rely on a mere external appearance of fidelity toward our God.

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1 – Ezekiel 43:25-27 (ESV) ²⁵ For seven days you shall provide daily a male goat for a sin offering; also, a bull from the herd and a ram from the flock, without blemish, shall be provided. ²⁶ Seven days shall they make atonement for the altar and cleanse it, and so consecrate it. ²⁷ And when they have completed these days, then from the eighth day onward the priests shall offer on the altar your burnt offerings and your peace offerings, and I will accept you, declares the Lord God.”

RAF: There is an inherent dualism in the sacrificial system that is reinforced and made quite explicit in this passage. Amidst this vision of rebuilding Jerusalem’s Temple and the restoration of its sacrifices, we see that one whole set of sacrifices is aimed at making atonement “for the altar”, to “clease it, and so consecrate it.” Such atonement here is not for the people, but for the altar. And the reason is stated explicitly: “then from the eighth day onward the priests shall offer on my alter YOUR burnt offerings and YOUR peace offerings, and I will accept YOU.” (Emphases mine) There is a dimension of the sacrificial system which makes God willing to accept our offerings, and, we are to bring our offerings – in Christ. The mere making atonement for the altar is not the sum of the situation. We cannot rely only on its having been done, we now must bring our own sacrifices of worship. Nor can we bring them and have them accepted until the atonement for the altar is done. Christ must do His full work – both in propitiating the Father, and, in being the only sacrifice we may bring to be accepted. In Him alone is salvation. In Him alone, is the full work done. What a wonderful and complete Savior He is!

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1 – Ezekiel 17:1-2 (ESV) The word of the Lord came to me: ² “Son of man, propound a riddle, and speak a parable to the house of Israel;

RAF: This parable is most helpful. It is often the case that when we are being disciplined by God, we will leave off looking to Him as our help and supply. We imagine that if He is somehow displeased with us, He then wants nothing to do with us. But nothing could be further from the truth. As the parable unfolds – our condition is greatly compounded by our own responses. If, when disciplined, we run to other sources for the nourishment and provision we ought to be gaining from Him, we will bring ruin to our souls. Whereas, in His discipline, He is not after our ruin, but our recovery. If you are suffering under His chastening hand beloved, do run from Him, look to Him for the strength and blessing to sustain you even then. He loves you and seeks your good. Even in those hours, when you know you’ve sinned against Him and set hard and wicked things into motion – run to Him. He does not abandon His own. He will receive you and comfort you and supply your needs still. Our God is GOOD!

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1 – The one-word theme of Ezekiel is: REVIVAL. Not in the sense which it has come to mean in popular American Christianity. We think of revival as a series of special meetings, or simply a time of unique blessing from God. Those are not totally wrong in and of themselves, but the word itself connotes much more. Re-vival, re-vivification – restoring from the dead, bringing back to life that which either was, or seemed to be, beyond hope. That which had lost the essence of its life, being brought back to vibrant vitality. The picture of Judah now in the grave of its exile, being breathed on again like Adam was when he was made “a living soul” instead of just a clay form. God coming back to indwell and raise up His people. The idea will culminate in the valley of dead bones in Chap. 37.

And how the Church has needed such times of revival, when she seems to have been given over to lifelessness. We can need such revival personally, in our local assembly, regionally, nationally or globally. America needs it desperately right now. The soul of the Church needs to be so revitalized, so revived, that once again her zeal for God, His House and His glory – the fame of His name – that the earth would tremble under the revelation of His glorious mercy and grace through His Bride.

It always begins with a fresh vision of God.

Father, send us true, sin destroying, life giving, soul cleansing, Christ exalting, Gospel proclaiming, Christ’s Kingdom advancing – Revival. Restore us in Him. Send your Spirit in power once again. To me. To our Church. To our city. To our State. To our Nation. To the World. Revive us.

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1 – Jeremiah 52:1-3 (ESV) 12 Zedekiah was twenty-one years old when he became king; and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Hamutal the daughter of Jeremiah of Libnah. ² And he did what was evil in the sight of the Lord, according to all that Jehoiakim had done. ³ For because of the anger of the Lord things came to the point in Jerusalem and Judah that he cast them out from his presence.

And Zedekiah rebelled against the king of Babylon.

RAF: Do not let the irony of this passage escape you – Zedekiah, the king whose wicked reign brought the final destruction of Jerusalem upon it – had Jeremiah the prophet as his counselor. We can have the very best of preaching and teaching among us – the very oracles of God expounded to us by divine revelation, and yet if our ears will not hear, if our hearts will not yield, it is for naught. Merely having our Bibles means nothing, if we are not reading, studying, obeying. We have the very Word of God at our finger tips, and how little we know it and feast upon it. Beloved, do not squander the means God has appointed to bring you the fountains of His grace. Whatever our excuses, whatever our reasons – do not fail to attend to His Word. In reading, in preaching – wherever and whenever you can obtain it. Hear God. There is safety, salvation in no other place.

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1 – Jeremiah 30:10-11 (ESV)¹⁰ “Then fear not, O Jacob my servant, declares the Lord,

nor be dismayed, O Israel;

for behold, I will save you from far away,

and your offspring from the land of their captivity.

Jacob shall return and have quiet and ease,

and none shall make him afraid.

¹¹ For I am with you to save you,

declares the Lord;

I will make a full end of all the nations

among whom I scattered you,

but of you I will not make a full end.

I will discipline you in just measure,

and I will by no means leave you unpunished.

RAF: Once again we are met with this repeated motif in Scripture, that one and the same event serves two or more purposes in God’s hand. Here, as God pours out judgment on the Gentile nations, He but disciplines His own. And while such judgment – (here on a geo-political scale) seals the doom of the unbeleiving ones – it is at the same time a means of but loving His people, and is accompanied with a promise of its good fruit. Christians in different national circumstances need to take such paradigms into consideration for themselves. How God may well bring national upheaval, which Christians endure – but while the nation may be being judged, the Church is being trained up, purified, and has the eternal promises of God on their side.

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1 – Jeremiah 1:4-6 (ESV) ⁴ Now the word of the Lord came to me, saying,

⁵ “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you,

and before you were born I consecrated you;

I appointed you a prophet to the nations.”

⁶ Then I said, “Ah, Lord God! Behold, I do not know how to speak, for I am only a youth.” Jeremiah 1:8 (ESV)
⁷ But the Lord said to me,

“Do not say, ‘I am only a youth’;

for to all to whom I send you, you shall go,

and whatever I command you, you shall speak.

⁸ Do not be afraid of them,

for I am with you to deliver you,

declares the Lord.”

RAF: One would imagine that if he were a prophet of God, chosen and sent, then the path would be safe and surely people would receive him. But it is not so. Many a Christian is shocked that sent as God’s ambassadors with the Good News, the Gospel, men would not receive them kindly. But here, Jeremiah’s very call is attended by instruction to not be afraid, and that God will deliver him. He knows this then, he will meet with fearful circumstances in the course of discharging his duties, and such that, at times, he will to be delivered by divine means. So ought we to anticipate the same. And all this – as he is sent not to the world – but to God’s own people.

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1 – Isaiah 19:23-25 (ESV) ²³ In that day there will be a highway from Egypt to Assyria, and Assyria will come into Egypt, and Egypt into Assyria, and the Egyptians will worship with the Assyrians. ²⁴ In that day Israel will be the third with Egypt and Assyria, a blessing in the midst of the earth, ²⁵ whom the Lord of hosts has blessed, saying, “Blessed be Egypt my people, and Assyria the work of my hands, and Israel my inheritance.”

RAF: One cannot help but be struck by the scope of this prophecy. One we would love to see come to pass. To imagine that those very nations which were first among Israel’s oppressors, Egypt and Assyria would one day be converted. This must have rung in the ears of Isaiah’s hearers as nigh unto impossible. First, it speaks of God’s dealing with the nations positively and outside of Israel’s covenant relationship to God. Israel is still spoken of here as God’s “inheritance.” It retains its unique status. But that status was never meant to be thought of as so exclusive, that God had no love, no compassion, no plan for those outside the covenant He had made with the Jews. Egypt here is called “my people.” And Assyria is called “the work of my hands.” This speaks very pointedly to us as Christians in terms of our evangelism. To not allow ourselves to assume God is not at work in the world to bring men to Himself. We should evangelize with the greatest hope that God is indeed at work – bringing those to Himself we would never imagine. Our labors are not hit-or-miss. He is working outside of our narrow scope. And note that the idea here is not that Egypt and Assyria remain idolaters or have some other way to God. The idea here is that they will come to worship the true and living God rightly (see vs. 21), and that it will be in concert with God’s covenant people.

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