Daily Bible Devotionals

“Ahaz was twenty years old when he became king, and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem; and he did not do what was right in the sight of the Lord, as his father David had done. For he walked in the ways of the kings of Israel, and made molded images for the Baals. He burned incense in the Valley of the Son of Hinnom, and burned his children in the fire, according to the abominations of the nations whom the Lord had cast out before the children of Israel.  And he sacrificed and burned incense on the high places, on the hills, and under every green tree. Therefore the Lord his God delivered him into the hand of the king of Syria. They defeated him, and carried away a great multitude of them as captives, and brought them to Damascus. Then he was also delivered into the hand of the king of Israel, who defeated him with a great slaughter.”  2 Chronicles 28:1-5 (NKJV)

In today’s chapter, we get to peer under the “hood” of God’s rebuke and see the mechanics of chastening from every angle. We begin with a young king, not quite old enough to buy beer. Age, in & of itself, is not a problem, but Ahaz’s admiration for the sophisticated choices of worship in the Northern kingdom led him to imitate his cousins. A little leaven spoils the whole lump, and King Ahaz’s personal choice to compromise spreads throughout the entire kingdom. Speed of the leader, speed of the team. The problem was that the very culture Ahaz sought to imitate was the one that defeated & took him captive, along with his people, the tribe of Judah.

“And the children of Israel carried away captive of their brethren two hundred thousand women, sons, and daughters; and they also took away much spoil from them, and brought the spoil to Samaria.” 2 Chronicles 28:8 (NKJV)

But all is not lost! God sends His Word to Judah’s Israelite brothers/captors. He lets Israel know that their defeat of Judah is not because of His blessing. They themselves were idolaters. No, God had been using the Northern Kingdom of Israel to teach Judah a lesson: If you worship their idols, you will suffer their fate. It was a forecast, not only to Judah but also to Israel, as to what Assyria would shortly do to them for the same sins. NOTE: Just because the Lord is using you to rebuke someone else does not mean that He condones your sin any more than theirs.

“But a prophet of the Lord was there, whose name was Oded; and he went out before the army that came to Samaria, and said to them: ‘Look, because the Lord God of your fathers was angry with Judah, He has delivered them into your hand; but you have killed them in a rage that reaches up to heaven.’” 2 Chronicles 28:9 (NKJV)

WHY? The sad truth of today’s chapter is that the rebuke from the Lord was all avoidable. We must commit to seeking God’s Word, obeying & sharing it with others.

“For the Lord brought Judah low because of Ahaz king of Israel, for he had encouraged moral decline in Judah and had been continually unfaithful to the Lord.” 2 Chronicles 28:19 (NKJV)

“So the service of the house of the Lord was set in order. Then Hezekiah and all the people rejoiced that God had prepared the people, since the events took place so suddenly.”  2 Chronicles 29:35b-36 (NKJV)

When it comes to decisions where faith in God’s Word must be employed, I follow a simple rule: Work as if it all depends on me, knowing that it all depends on God. That seems to be the overriding principle of today’s passage. After all the hard work that Hezekiah, the Levites, priests, and the people put forth, Hezekiah still gave the credit to God. He understood that God’s Spirit works through the diligent efforts of His people but that He doesn’t need our works to accomplish His plan on earth. Suppose we let that idea settle in on our operational theology (how we live out our faith). In that case, we can find joy in the fact that the God of all creation chooses not only to declare us co-inheritors but also co-laborers with Messiah in the outreach & salvation of lost people, Him working through us as we work.

“I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase. So then neither he who plants is anything, nor he who waters, but God who gives the increase. Now he who plants and he who waters are one, and each one will receive his own reward according to his own labor.  For we are God’s fellow workers; you are God’s field, you are God’s building.  According to the grace of God which was given to me, as a wise master builder I have laid the foundation, and another builds on it. But let each one take heed how he builds on it. For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.” 1 Corinthians 3:6-11 (NKJV)

“Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God. For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. We then, as workers together with Him also plead with you not to receive the grace of God in vain. For He says: ‘In an acceptable time I have heard you, and in the day of salvation I have helped you.’ Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.”  2 Corinthians 5:20-21; 6:1-2 (NKJV)

Notice the progression of Hezekiah’s righteous upbringing, which leads him to make the faithful decision to restore the doors of the Temple. Then Hezekiah recruits faithful men to clean-out the Temple, consecrate themselves, and minister to others on behalf of the Lord. It is the same process concerning our personal salvation. It all begins at the “door” of our hearts and our choice to follow Jesus, followed by our being filled with the Holy Spirit, Who sanctifies our hearts & actions. That leads to co-laboring with other believers in effective evangelism & discipleship.

“Behold, I stand at the door and knock….” Revelation 3:20a (NKJV)

“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” 1 John 1:9 (NKJV)

“Then they slaughtered the Passover lambs on the fourteenth day of the second month. The priests and the Levites were ashamed, and sanctified themselves, and brought the burnt offerings to the house of the Lord.  They stood in their place according to their custom, according to the Law of Moses the man of God; the priests sprinkled the blood received from the hand of the Levites.  For there were many in the assembly who had not sanctified themselves; therefore the Levites had charge of the slaughter of the Passover lambs for everyone who was not clean, to sanctify them to the Lord.  For a multitude of the people, many from Ephraim, Manasseh, Issachar, and Zebulun, had not cleansed themselves, yet they ate the Passover contrary to what was written. But Hezekiah prayed for them, saying, ‘May the good Lord provide atonement for everyone who prepares his heart to seek God, the Lord God of his fathers, though he is not cleansed according to the purification of the sanctuary.’  And the Lord listened to Hezekiah and healed the people. So the children of Israel who were present at Jerusalem kept the Feast of Unleavened Bread seven days with great gladness; and the Levites and the priests praised the Lord day by day, singing to the Lord, accompanied by loud instruments.  And Hezekiah gave encouragement to all the Levites who taught the good knowledge of the Lord; and they ate throughout the feast seven days, offering peace offerings and making confession to the Lord God of their fathers.” 2 Chronicles 30:15-22 (NKJV)

I was recently discussing a potential business venture with a friend, and as we tried to figure out the logistical details, he wisely said, “A good plan today is better than a great plan tomorrow.” His point was clear: You can’t always have every base covered at the time of launch. Some details have to be worked out as you go, and some opportunities can be lost due to “paralysis-by-analysis.”  Today’s passage is an excellent snapshot of God’s mercy, grace, patience, and longsuffering in the Old Testament. The people chose to worship the Lord, even though they weren’t quite sure how to worship Him.

Thanks to Hezekiah’s leadership, the call to worship the Lord in Jerusalem went out to not only Judah but also those Israelites living in the idolatrous Northern Kingdom. How were they to worship Him? By remembering the Passover, the miraculous deliverance of God’s people from Egyptian bondage when they obeyed His Word. Everything was against them. The priests and the people were not sanctified. It wasn’t the Biblically prescribed time to observe Passover, and the nation was divided politically. It sounds like the United States today!

But the encouraging message today is how God overlooked all of those factors and decided to honor their faith, by His grace, despite their absence of good works. It is Ephesians 2:8-9 in action, smack in the middle of the Old Testament! (combined with 2 Chronicles 7:13-14)  God weighs the heart, not strictly the actions.   Messiah Jesus cleans His “fish” AFTER He catches them. And that is comforting to those of us whose prayer of salvation consists of, “Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!” (Mark 9:24)

“Hezekiah did this throughout all Judah. He did what was good and upright and true before the Lord his God. He was diligent in every deed that he began in the service of God’s temple, in the instruction and the commands, in order to seek his God, and he prospered.” 2 Chronicles 31:20-21 (HCSB)

There is much confusion in the Church at large these days concerning the Old Testament. Some Christians believe there is not much value in reading it, while others place too much emphasis on living out the Law to the letter. We know we are saved by God’s grace, through our faith, whenever we make the object of our faith Jesus and His atoning work (on our behalf) on the cross. Since our salvation is by Grace, through Faith, there is no worth to our “good works” concerning our salvation. (Ephesians 2:8-9)  But is there any merit to living according to God’s Word? Absolutely! The Apostle James (James 2:14-26) had much to say about that. I recall a pastor saying, “We are not saved by faith and works. Rather, we are saved by faith that works!”  If you have genuinely placed your faith in Jesus, you should desire to live according to the Word. He is the “Word made flesh.” (John 1:14)

Hezekiah fully understood that it is not just enough to be God’s “chosen.” You must also choose to live for God. Salvation may be by grace through faith, but blessing follows obedience. Hezekiah followed the command of Deuteronomy 6:1-7, to wholeheartedly seek the Lord.  

“Now this is the commandment, and these are the statutes and judgments which the Lord your God has commanded to teach you, that you may observe them in the land which you are crossing over to possess, that you may fear the Lord your God, to keep all His statutes and His commandments which I command you, you and your son and your grandson, all the days of your life, and that your days may be prolonged. Therefore hear, O Israel, and be careful to observe it, that it may be well with you, and that you may multiply greatly as the Lord God of your fathers has promised you—‘a land flowing with milk and honey.’ Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one! You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength.” Deuteronomy 6:1-5 (NKJV - See also: Deuteronomy 6:6-7)

Having begun with exhorting the people to observe the Passover (remember God’s miraculous deliverance and provision in times past), Hezekiah then fast-tracked Biblical literacy, which started the chain reaction of revival. Interestingly, when Jesus was asked about the greatest command, He answered with the same passage:

“‘Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?’  Jesus said to him, ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ (Leviticus 19:18) On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.’” Matthew 22:36-40 (NKJV)

Is obeying God’s Word important to Christians? Just ask “the Word made flesh”:

“But why do you call Me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do the things which I say?” Luke 6:46 (NKJV)

“Now because of this King Hezekiah and the prophet Isaiah, the son of Amoz, prayed and cried out to heaven. Then the Lord sent an angel who cut down every mighty man of valor, leader, and captain in the camp of the king of Assyria. So he returned shamefaced to his own land. And when he had gone into the temple of his god, some of his own offspring struck him down with the sword there. Thus the Lord saved Hezekiah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem from the hand of Sennacherib the king of Assyria, and from the hand of all others, and guided them on every side. And many brought gifts to the Lord at Jerusalem, and presents to Hezekiah king of Judah, so that he was exalted in the sight of all nations thereafter.” 2 Chronicles 32:20-23 (NKJV)

I love mixed martial arts (MMA). It is a trendy sport these days, isn’t it? In fact, MMA is the fastest-growing sport in the world, because it encompasses disciplines from various martial arts. That recipe of varied styles makes the fighting more dynamic and match-ups totally unpredictable.  

Remember, before there was MMA, and we only had regular boxing? I recall staying up past my bedtime as a boy to watch the ending of Muhammad Ali’s fights on television, especially in those long drawn-out fights of his later career. Then came my college years, and the boxing world saw the rise of Mike Tyson. Different from the entertaining “rope-a-dope” styles of Ali and the fighters before him, “Iron Mike” Tyson would end fights in the first couple of rounds. Some fights ended in the first few seconds! After a while, though, Tyson fights became boring and predictable. (Although probably not so boring for his opponents!) We got tired of the long, drawn-out promotional build-up of the “fight of the century,” only to see the challenger lying on the canvas before Tyson could break a sweat.

That is kind of how today’s chapter feels. Verses 1-19 are all the build-up of a battle to finally crush God’s people (and His Word, along with them). And we know that if the battle had been against Hezekiah and the Assyrian army, the Vegas odds would have been in Assyria’s favor. But Assyrian king Sennacherib made a huge mistake: He taunted the God of Israel. And that meant picking a fight with an unbeatable opponent. Hezekiah (along with his friend the prophet Isaiah) knew it!

“‘Be strong and courageous; do not be afraid nor dismayed before the king of Assyria, nor before all the multitude that is with him; for there are more with us than with him. With him is an arm of flesh; but with us is the Lord our God, to help us and to fight our battles.’ And the people were strengthened by the words of Hezekiah king of Judah.” 2 Chronicles 32:7-8 (NKJV)

Sennacherib insulted Hezekiah, specifically his faith in God. Then, he insulted God.  Finally, he insulted the faith of the citizens of Judah. We know that fear and dread fell on the people because it falls on us whenever the World insults our faith in God and His Word. But after all that hype and bluster, YHWH whistled to the bench and summoned one angel, who ended it in the first round! (James 4:7)

Grab your Bible & experience the Groundworks Ministries Podcast as Steve Wiggins leads us through the full chapter of 2 Chronicles 33. Click the links below to watch or listen now!

“Thus says the Lord: ‘Behold, I will bring calamity on this place and on its inhabitants, all the curses that are written in the book which they have read before the king of Judah, because they have forsaken Me and burned incense to other gods, that they might provoke Me to anger with all the works of their hands. Therefore My wrath will be poured out on this place, and not be quenched.’ But as for the king of Judah, who sent you to inquire of the Lord, in this manner you shall speak to him, ‘Thus says the Lord God of Israel: “Concerning the words which you have heard - because your heart was tender, and you humbled yourself before God when you heard His words against this place and against its inhabitants, and you humbled yourself before Me, and you tore your clothes and wept before Me, I also have heard you,” says the Lord. “Surely I will gather you to your fathers, and you shall be gathered to your grave in peace; and your eyes shall not see all the calamity which I will bring on this place and its inhabitants.”’ So they brought back word to the king.” 2 Chronicles 34:24-28 (NKJV)

King Josiah had childlike faith. And that makes sense because he was just a child (8 years old) when he assumed the throne. At age sixteen, Josiah began seeking the Lord. By 26 years, he had purged Israel of its idols. It is not enough to simply do away with idols. You must replace idolatry with Biblical worship. So, when the renovation of God’s temple began, the priests found something extraordinary: The Book of The Law of Moses…the Bible! Hilkiah, the priest, was clueless about the book’s value, and Shaphan, the secretary, gave the king a financial report before announcing, “Hilkiah has given me a book….”  But when King Josiah heard the words of the Bible, he knew his nation was on the verge of divine annihilation. His humble response led to salvation. It stands in stark contrast to King Zedekiah’s response many years later.

“So the king sent Jehudi to bring the scroll, and he took it from Elishama the scribe’s chamber. And Jehudi read it in the hearing of the king and in the hearing of all the princes who stood beside the king. Now the king was sitting in the winter house in the ninth month, with a fire burning on the hearth before him. And it happened, when Jehudi had read three or four columns, that the king cut it with the scribe’s knife and cast it into the fire that was on the hearth, until all the scroll was consumed in the fire that was on the hearth. Yet they were not afraid, nor did they tear their garments, the king nor any of his servants who heard all these words. Nevertheless Elnathan, Delaiah, and Gemariah implored the king not to burn the scroll; but he would not listen to them. And the king commanded Jerahmeel the king’s son, Seraiah the son of Azriel, and Shelemiah the son of Abdeel, to seize Baruch the scribe and Jeremiah the prophet, but the Lord hid them. Now after the king had burned the scroll with the words which Baruch had written at the instruction of Jeremiah, the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah, saying: ‘Take yet another scroll, and write on it all the former words that were in the first scroll which Jehoiakim the king of Judah has burned.’”  Jeremiah 36:21-28 (NKJV)

Our nation is on the verge of judgment. Will we be a Josiah or Zedekiah generation?

“So all the service of the Lord was prepared the same day, to keep the Passover and to offer burnt offerings on the altar of the Lord, according to the command of King Josiah. And the children of Israel who were present kept the Passover at that time, and the Feast of Unleavened Bread for seven days. There had been no Passover kept in Israel like that since the days of Samuel the prophet; and none of the kings of Israel had kept such a Passover as Josiah kept, with the priests and the Levites, all Judah and Israel who were present, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem. In the eighteenth year of the reign of Josiah this Passover was kept.”  2 Chronicles 35:16-19 (NKJV)

Do you remember the Jesus Movement of the late 1960s, what it was like sitting in a tent in Costa Mesa, California, while Chuck Smith preached and Love Song sang “Little Country Church” for the first time? Chances are, you don’t. Most folks were late responders to that movement, so they cannot recall how it felt when revival broke out. Fifty-seven years had passed since Hezekiah died, and in those years, Judah was ruled by the evil kings Manasseh and Amon. Sure, Manasseh repented and found forgiveness, but it was all too little, too late. The kingdom had gone to the dogs.

Then came the boy-king, Josiah, bent on reform. (2 Chronicles 34:1-3)  His efforts to clean out the temple led to the discovery of the Book of the Law. When the Law was read to Josiah, he believed it and sought the Lord’s forgiveness for Judah’s idolatry. More than lip service, Josiah was willing to put his faith into action. (2 Chronicles 34:29-33)  And he reaped the harvest of revival!  

People respond differently to the Word of God. Some hear the gospel, humble themselves in repentance, and commit to following Messiah Jesus. Others get angry and seek to distance themselves from Him, often becoming violent toward God’s messenger. Jehoiakim, Josiah’s son, was that kind of man. He received the same Word as his father, yet he sought to kill the messenger, Jeremiah, to the prophet. Which begs the question: How do YOU respond to the revelation of God’s Word?

“So the king sent Jehudi to bring the scroll, and he took it from Elishama the scribe’s chamber. And Jehudi read it in the hearing of the king and in the hearing of all the princes who stood beside the king. Now the king was sitting in the winter house in the ninth month, with a fire burning on the hearth before him. And it happened, when Jehudi had read three or four columns, that the king cut it with the scribe’s knife and cast it into the fire that was on the hearth, until all the scroll was consumed in the fire that was on the hearth. Yet they were not afraid, nor did they tear their garments, the king nor any of his servants who heard all these words. Nevertheless Elnathan, Delaiah, and Gemariah implored the king not to burn the scroll; but he would not listen to them. And the king commanded Jerahmeel the king’s son, Seraiah the son of Azriel, and Shelemiah the son of Abdeel, to seize Baruch the scribe and Jeremiah the prophet, but the Lord hid them.” Jeremiah 36:21-26 (NKJV)

“And the Lord God of their fathers sent warnings to them by His messengers, rising up early and sending them, because He had compassion on His people and on His dwelling place. But they mocked the messengers of God, despised His words, and scoffed at His prophets, until the wrath of the Lord arose against His people, till there was no remedy. Therefore He brought against them the king of the Chaldeans, who killed their young men with the sword in the house of their sanctuary, and had no compassion on young man or virgin, on the aged or the weak; He gave them all into his hand.  And all the articles from the house of God, great and small, the treasures of the house of the Lord, and the treasures of the king and of his leaders, all these he took to Babylon. Then they burned the house of God, broke down the wall of Jerusalem, burned all its palaces with fire, and destroyed all its precious possessions. And those who escaped from the sword he carried away to Babylon, where they became servants to him and his sons until the rule of the kingdom of Persia, to fulfill the word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah, until the land had enjoyed her Sabbaths. As long as she lay desolate she kept Sabbath, to fulfill seventy years.” 2 Chronicles 36:15-21 (NKJV)

We are in a season of history characterized by great struggle and resistance to the Word of the Lord. Anyone who claims that Messiah Jesus is the Only Way (John 14:6) is labeled a fanatic, brain-dead at best. During this season, perhaps more than ever, we must ask ourselves what our highest values are. Because many people in the church value “not offending” above proclaiming God’s Word. They are afraid of offending people or being made uncomfortable but do not seem to have any problem offending God, Who calls us to suffer on Messiah’s behalf. (Philippians 1:29)  Before God judges, He graciously sends His messengers, the prophets, with words of 1) Exposing Sin and 2) Restoration. Consider Jesus’ words:

“O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, but you were not willing! See! Your house is left to you desolate; and assuredly, I say to you, you shall not see Me until the time comes when you say, ‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!’” Luke 13:34-35 (NKJV)

God’s merciful rebuke of His people is always ultimately meant for their restoration.

“For thus says the Lord: After seventy years are completed at Babylon, I will visit you and perform My good word toward you, and cause you to return to this place. For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart. I will be found by you, says the Lord, and I will bring you back from your captivity; I will gather you from all the nations and from all the places where I have driven you, says the Lord, and I will bring you to the place from which I cause you to be carried away captive.” Jeremiah 29:10-14 (NKJV)

“Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled, the Lord stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, so that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and also put it in writing, saying, ‘Thus says Cyrus king of Persia: All the kingdoms of the earth the Lord God of heaven has given me. And He has commanded me to build Him a house at Jerusalem which is in Judah. Who is among you of all His people? May his God be with him, and let him go up to Jerusalem which is in Judah, and build the house of the Lord God of Israel (He is God), which is in Jerusalem. And whoever is left in any place where he dwells, let the men of his place help him with silver and gold, with goods and livestock, besides the freewill offerings for the house of God which is in Jerusalem.’” Ezra 1:1-2 (NKJV)

In an age of clap-happy worship and entertainment-oriented evangelism, the book of Ezra directs our thoughts to a holy God who demands reverent worship and uncompromising loyalty from His people. Furthermore, Ezra calls us back to a renewed obedience to God’s Word (something close to my heart) and a wholehearted commitment to the work of God in fellowship with the people of God.

Even in the first few verses, Ezra assumes that we are already searching the Scriptures, for it begins with the words, “in order that the Word of The Lord prophesied by Jeremiah be fulfilled.”  How could we appreciate that Jeremiah’s prophecy was fulfilled unless we were intimately familiar with its predictions? How could we understand the magnitude of God’s sovereign intervention unless we were familiar with the pagan brutality of the Medo-Persians?

Imagine that Iran became so powerful that they defeated Israel and the United States, carrying us back to their country as slaves. Furthermore, imagine that once enslaved on Iranian soil, we were forbidden to read the Bible and worship the Judeo-Christian God. Instead, we were forced to worship Allah and recognize the Koran as the supreme spiritual authority. Then, amid such spiritual oppression, what if the president of Iran announced, one day, that his ability to rule has come from the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob and that Jewish and Gentile followers of Jesus are to go to Jerusalem and build a synagogue to our God! Sounds far-fetched? That is precisely what happened in Ezra’s day. Persia is where modern-day Iran resides.

And the overriding message of Ezra is one of hope and certainty in God’s Word. I am certain that is a message we could all use these days, so we must read closely and be encouraged that the peace of God does not always mean the absence of conflict; rather, it is the presence of peace amid conflict that passes all understanding. Hold on – for God is faithful to His Word, and nothing can keep Him from accomplishing His purposes. He can even turn the source of opposition towards His people into a tool to deliver His people!

“These now are the people of the province who came from those captive exiles King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon had deported to Babylon. They returned to Jerusalem and Judah, each to his own town. They came with Zerubbabel, Jeshua, Nehemiah, Seraiah, Reelaiah, Mordecai, Bilshan, Mispar, Bigvai, Rehum, and Baanah.” Ezra 2:1-2 (HCSB)

Be honest! Did you really read every word from chapter 2? I bet you were tempted to skip it and go on to chapter 3, as was I. Though Ezra 2 is a difficult chapter to read, it contains some valuable spiritual lessons.  

The primary spiritual benefit we derive from Ezra 2 has been summed up well by H.A. Ironside:

“Most of the names are for us only names, but God has not forgotten one of the persons once called by these names on earth. He will reward each according to his work. Nothing of good or ill shall be overlooked by Him, who looks not on the outward appearance but on the heart. How little did any of these devoted Jews of Ezra’s day think that God would preserve a registry of their names and families for future generations to read and thus to learn how highly He values all that is done from the devotion of the heart to Himself and for the glory of His name!”

This genealogical section proves that the returning exiles were legitimate descendants of the Jews who occupied Israel before their deportation to Persia. More importantly, it demonstrates that God cares about and is intimately aware of the goings-on of His children. Do these people seem insignificant to you? Well, they are very significant to the Lord, and that should be comforting to us, especially when we feel alone, forsaken and insignificant in this World.

Furthermore, the gift of the land of Canaan to the Israelites and their preservation as a nation were tied in with God’s plan to send His “Son,” Jesus, the Messiah, Savior of the World. We should be thankful that God remembered these people, for in remembering them, we have faith that He also remembers us!

There are a few names worth mentioning, mainly because the persons named may be confused with other prominent Biblical persons with the same name. These people are Joshua, Nehemiah, and Mordechai. They are NOT the “Joshua” who led Israel into Canaan after Moses died, the “Nehemiah” who rebuilt the walls of Jerusalem (he came later), or the “Mordecai” who was Esther’s uncle.

We will encounter more of these lists of names as we go further into Ezra’s book. It will be helpful to keep Ironside’s comments in the back of our minds, knowing full well that if the Lord is slow in returning. Our names may be added to a similar list to encourage future generations. And, of course, ALL believers’ names are written on the most important list: The Lamb’s Book of Life.

“And when the seventh month had come, and the children of Israel were in the cities, the people gathered together as one man to Jerusalem. Then Jeshua the son of Jozadak and his brethren the priests, and Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel and his brethren, arose and built the altar of the God of Israel, to offer burnt offerings on it, as it is written in the Law of Moses the man of God. Though fear had come upon them because of the people of those countries, they set the altar on its bases; and they offered burnt offerings on it to the Lord, both the morning and evening burnt offerings.” Ezra 3:1-3 (NKJV)

In an age when most people never enter the doors of a place of worship on the Sabbath, and most others have dismissed the belief in Messiah Jesus as irrelevant and outdated, we need to ask ourselves some pertinent questions. As Christians, we claim to have the true gospel, but why are we making so little impact on the unreached masses?

Ezra 3 spells out four essential ingredients for spiritual blessing: Unity, Zeal, Obedience, and Worship. These components are indispensable and are found in every period of revival. Hence, they are urgently needed today.  

When the Jews returned to Jerusalem, they found the Temple in ruins. Their task was to restore the worship of God and rebuild the Temple. Our task is very similar. We must ask the Lord what job He has set aside for each of us to restore worship and build the “temple” made with “human stones,” the greater community of Messiah (The Church), in our generation.

We find those answers in Ezra 3. As you study today’s chapter, bear in mind that the reason for God’s choice of Israel is a companion to the reason why He has chosen to establish the Church: so that unbelievers may know His pattern of how to worship Him. The mission of God’s people (then and now) is that we would bear witness of Him to those who have yet to know Him in a saving way or are yet to worship Him rightly.

In considering the “four essential ingredients” for revival, perhaps it might help to ask a few simple questions. These questions will help you analyze yourself and determine whether you are a catalyst for (or hindrance to) revival.

1) Is there a fellow believer in my congregation with whom I have a rift?

2) Is my lack of zeal frustrating my ministry leader and holding back God’s favor on our congregation? In short, am I the “Jonah” who needs to be thrown out of the boat?!

3) How would I respond to God if He were to ask me if I genuinely believe I am living by His Word?

4) Is the Savior who shed His blood for me more precious than anyone or anything else?

5) Does my worship focus attention on men or God?

6) How could I increase these four “ingredients” in my congregation?

Grab your Bible & experience the Groundworks Ministries Podcast as Steve Wiggins leads us through the full chapter of Ezra 4. Click the links below to watch or listen now!

“Then the prophet Haggai and Zechariah the son of Iddo, prophets, prophesied to the Jews who were in Judah and Jerusalem, in the name of the God of Israel, who was over them. So Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel and Jeshua the son of Jozadak rose up and began to build the house of God which is in Jerusalem; and the prophets of God were with them, helping them. At the same time Tattenai the governor of the region beyond the River and Shethar-Boznai and their companions came to them and spoke thus to them: “Who has commanded you to build this temple and finish this wall?” Then, accordingly, we told them the names of the men who were constructing this building. But the eye of their God was upon the elders of the Jews, so that they could not make them cease till a report could go to Darius. Then a written answer was returned concerning this matter.” Ezra 5:1-5 (NKJV)

Turning from Ezra 4 into Chapter 5, we move fourteen years from Cyrus’s reign to that of Darius 1. Cyrus was killed during battle in 530 B.C.  Darius came to the throne in 522 and reigned until 486 B.C. He was Persian by birth and brought up in Zoroastrianism, which is based on the concept of an ongoing struggle between good and evil. Darius established this religion as the state religion of Persia, which was most likely the motivation for his support of rebuilding the Temple in Jerusalem. While he did not believe in the Lord, rebuilding His Temple was simply to provide a “balance” of religions. God uses a myriad of means and motivations to accomplish His purposes.

The mood of God’s people at the time of Ezra 5 was one of abject depression. The people were so downhearted that they abandoned their attempt to renovate the Temple. They never wanted to see another brick or trowel (4:24). The two prophets, Haggai and Zechariah, had their work cut out as they tried to cure the “cancer” of discouragement raging among the Jews. And that’s what discouragement is, isn’t it? Cancer. It begins growing slowly, and by the time you notice, it has traveled throughout the community and threatens to kill progress in its tracks.

Most believers in Messiah Jesus sometimes feel dejected while doing the Lord’s work. There are Saturday evenings when the pastor vows never to preach another sermon and when Sunday School teachers are ready to quit their classes. Volunteers grow weary of their duties amid their busy lives. The layman who goes out, sharing the gospel among the community, sometimes wonders if all his efforts are actually worthwhile after a street full of people refuse to engage in spiritual conversation. Ezra 5 can teach us how to cope with discouragement.

God did not forsake His people in their sadness or leave them to wallow in their self-pity. Instead, He sent two prophets to spur them on to action. Haggai and Zechariah prophesied to the Judeans in Jerusalem. Then, they set out to join in the work. The gospel speaks best with “sleeves-up.”  That is, the prophets were not simply messengers telling the people to have courage; they were also willing to practice what they preached! And that is what we are called to do: Know God through His revealed Word, and then roll up our sleeves, getting to work by mixing the “spit” of our preaching with the “sweat” of our brows. Lead with your labor.

“Then King Darius issued a decree, and a search was made in the archives, where the treasures were stored in Babylon. And at Achmetha, in the palace that is in the province of Media, a scroll was found, and in it a record was written thus: In the first year of King Cyrus, King Cyrus issued a decree concerning the house of God at Jerusalem: ‘Let the house be rebuilt, the place where they offered sacrifices; and let the foundations of it be firmly laid, its height sixty cubits and its width sixty cubits, with three rows of heavy stones and one row of new timber.’” Ezra 6:1-4a (NKJV)

As a high school senior, I was nominated to the United States Air Force Academy.  My father, being an Air Force Lt. Colonel, was very proud of me.  In fact, it had been my dream to fly fighter jets.  But there was one problem: My eyesight was way below the vision requirements for entrance into the Academy.  Still, I went forth with the procedures and interviews all the way up to the medical physical.  I had asked my eye doctor to write me a “dummy” prescription, hoping to slip past the exam, but I wasn’t counting on the Air Force doctors.  They used special drops to dilate my eyes.  When I walked out of the eye exam that day, I knew I had failed the physical, but I still had some youthful hope, some naïve notion that I would magically be allowed into the institution. Thus began my waiting for the official Air Force Academy decision.  

It can be challenging to await the arrival of an important letter.  The Jews must have felt some apprehension about the reply Tattenai would receive to the letter he dispatched to the powerful Persian King Darius.  Would Darius bother to search the old dusty records and back up the claim of the Jews that Cyrus had commanded them to build their Temple in Jerusalem?

Some of the Jews may have been dreading the answer from Darius; perhaps, ALL of them feared that the king would force them to stop building.  Are you afraid of something that might happen in the future?  You might be anxious about an upcoming medical procedure, impending unemployment, or family problems – the list is as vast as our imaginations!  God may surprise us and turn a terrifying prospect into a blessing.  Whatever happens, whether the future is better or worse than we imagined, it will be overseen by our loving, ever-present, all-knowing Heavenly Father.  The God who cared for His anxious people awaiting the reply of King Darius watches over us and plans the path ahead. (Proverbs 3:5-7)

By the way, I did not pass my Air Force Academy physical: eyesight.  I dejectedly accepted a track scholarship at a state college in Arkansas.  One night two years later, on our way home from a track meet at the University of Indiana, I heard the gospel and decided to follow Jesus.  Sometimes, what we think is bad news turns out to be the best news ever.

“On the first day of the first month he began his journey from Babylon, and on the first day of the fifth month he came to Jerusalem, according to the good hand of his God upon him.  For Ezra had prepared his heart to seek the Law of the Lord, and to do it, and to teach statutes and ordinances in Israel.” Ezra 7:9-10 (NKJV)

The rebuilding of Jerusalem after the Babylonian captivity came in stages.  First, Ezra came and restored the worship.  As worship was restored, Zerubbabel rebuilt the temple, the place of worship.  Then, Nehemiah arrived and rebuilt the walls and gates of Jerusalem.  The wall acted as a barrier against attack and protected those living within the city.  Stability radiated outwardly.  It is not enough to fortify the walls and build a place of worship.  Is that really “revival”?  Revival begins with the individual’s heart before the community is strengthened.  That meant YOU.  

From the moment Ezra puts his suitcase down in Jerusalem, we learn why God had chosen him to rebuild worship.  Ezra had prepared his heart to 1) Seek the Law of the Lord, 2) do it (live according to God’s Word), and 3) teach statutes and ordinances.

Do you want to be used by God?  Would you like to have the faith to stand firm and commit to being a “kingdom builder”?  Then you also must SEEK God’s Word, discipline yourself to OBEY His Word, and be a disciple-maker, TEACHING others how to seek and serve the Lord.  Anything that falls short of (or adds to) that simple formula will not perpetuate and sustain discipleship.  That is because anything other than God’s prescribed pattern of discipleship will never develop a firm spiritual foundation from which to stand against the troubles and attacks of this World.  Consider Jesus’s words:

“But why do you call Me ‘Lord, Lord’ and not do the things which I say?  Whoever COMES TO ME, and HEARS My sayings and DOES them, I will show you what he is like: he is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock.  And when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently against that house, and could not shake it, for it was founded on the rock.” Luke 6:46-48 (NKJV)

The good news is that God does not leave the task of fulfilling that pattern of seeking, doing, and teaching entirely up to us.  Every follower of Jesus, at the moment of their belief in Him, is given the gift of the Ruach HaKodesh (the Holy Spirit).  The ministry of the Holy Spirit is to reveal the truth of God’s Word and enable believers to perpetuate the gospel effectively.

“But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria and to the end of the earth.” Acts 1: 8 (NKJV)

So, boldly seek God’s Word and commit to living faithfully and sharing it with others!

“Then, there at the Ahava River, I proclaimed a fast; so that we could humble ourselves before our God and ask a safe journey of Him for ourselves, our little ones and all our possessions. For I would have been ashamed to ask the king for a detachment of soldiers and horsemen to protect us from enemies along the road, since we had said to the king, ‘The hand of our God is on all who seek Him, for good; but His power and fury is against all who abandon Him.’ So we fasted and petitioned our God for this, and He answered our prayer.” Ezra 8:21-23 (CJB)

Years ago, the Southern Baptists decided to hold their national convention in Las Vegas. I know it’s ironic. When the Las Vegas mayor showed up on the first day of the convention to welcome the pastors, the SBC president asked if there was an area of need in the community that the Baptists could pray for. The mayor said, “Well, we’re in the middle of the desert, and we could sure use some rain.” So, the pastors prayed for rain. The next morning, the keynote speaker arrived early, placed an umbrella on the pulpit, and asked, “How many of you brought one of these this morning?” The crowd nervously laughed because nobody had brought an umbrella. Then, the speaker went on to say, “We need to learn to pray, believing that God is listening. Otherwise, our testimony about God is ineffective.” Perhaps they should have read Ezra 8.

Verses 15-31 record the results of Ezra’s three-day stocktaking at the canal and also give us insight into the character of this remarkable man of God. Ezra displayed five traits that equipped him to be God’s “man of the hour”: Wisdom, Piety, Faith, Management skills, and Gratitude.

Today’s passage focuses on his Piety and Faith. Ezra “proclaimed a fast” as an acknowledgment of his sinfulness and an expression of his earnest desire to obtain divine guidance and the protection that comes with following Him rightly. Ezra asked God to be the guardian of the people. His mention of the “children” was a tender-hearted plea to the compassionate heart of the loving Heavenly Father. As a parent, I am always asking for God’s spiritual and physical protection of my children. Verse 23 says he “fasted and petitioned” the Lord. The idea of “petitioning” indicates more than a simple prayer. It was more like pleading with God. How did God respond? “He answered our prayer.” How slow we are to pray when God is willing to answer our supplications!

Concerning Ezra’s faith, he used strong terms to tell King Artaxerxes that the Lord was a mighty God who would indeed protect those who trusted and obeyed Him. With the journey imminent, Ezra began to realize the serious hazards he would face. To ask for assistance would have lessened the king’s esteem of Israel’s God, so Ezra put His faith where his mouth was, so to speak. How easy it is to proclaim the Lord’s greatness and sing of His might, but when trials test our faithful proclamations, how often do we seek shelter in the World? Like Ezra, we must READ God’s Word, BELIEVE it, LIVE it, and PROCLAIM it.

“Now, after all this has come upon us because of our evil deeds and our deep guilt – and even so, you, our God have punished us less than our sins deserve and have given us a surviving remnant – are we to break Your commands again by making marriage with the peoples who have these disgusting practices?  Won’t You become so angry with us that You would destroy us completely, so that there would be no surviving remnant and no one escapes?  The Lord, God of Israel!  You are just; yet we have been left a surviving remnant that has escaped, as is the case today.  Look, we are before You in our guilt; because of it, no one can stand in Your presence.” Ezra 9:13-15 (CJB)

A few years ago, I was in my living room, watching TV, when I heard my son Wyatt in his room, playing CDs on his stereo.  This was usually not a problem, but on this occasion, he was only playing the intro to one of the songs over and over.  Finally, I got irritated with the whole stop-start, so I busted into his room and told him to let the entire song play.  That’s when I realized he wasn’t playing a CD.  He was playing the song on his guitar.  I was amazed because it sounded like a recording from the original artist.  How quickly he had become a really good guitar player!  I have never seen someone pick up an instrument and absorb it so quickly.  When I asked how he had learned the song, he pointed to his computer: YouTube.

It helps to have an instructor, someone to sit right there and teach us.  But, sometimes, the video instructor is better than a living, breathing person.  The video is free; you can rewind, pause, and replay infinitum until you have mastered the course.  

One of the values of books like Ezra and Nehemiah is that they let us observe how they petitioned and prayed to the Lord.  Just like YouTube, we can read and reread their prayers.  And every time we do, we learn a bit more.  They are not parading their spirituality by including the text of their prayers for all to see.  They are teaching us how to beseech our Heavenly Father, and today’s chapter is just that.

Ezra knew how to pray in times of crisis because he was familiar with the path to the throne of grace.  He was on “speaking terms” with God at all times.  In today’s chapter, the central theme of his prayer is confession.  It was the condition of the nation which prompted him.  The widespread moral failure of Christians and unbelievers should not result in paralyzing despair but in sincere supplication to Almighty God.  Only He can heal our wounds, restore our standing with Him, and save us from inevitable judgment.

It is also important to note that many Christians and Jews alike have misinterpreted today’s passage to say that God is against people of different nationalities intermarrying.  We know from the Bible that God is not against His children intermarrying the “peoples.”  Otherwise, the book of Ruth would be tough to explain…as well as other Gentile women listed in the genealogy of Messiah Jesus: Tamar, Rahab, and Bathsheba (Uriah’s wife).  If we read closely, it was not the “nationality” but the “morality” God was concerned with.  He was against “making marriage with the peoples who have these disgusting practices.” (v. 14)

“Now while Ezra was praying, and while he was confessing, weeping, and bowing down before the house of God, a very large assembly of men, women, and children gathered to him from Israel; for the people wept very bitterly. And Shechaniah the son of Jehiel, one of the sons of Elam, spoke up and said to Ezra, ‘We have trespassed[a] against our God, and have taken pagan wives from the peoples of the land; yet now there is hope in Israel in spite of this. Now therefore, let us make a covenant with our God to put away all these wives and those who have been born to them, according to the advice of my master and of those who tremble at the commandment of our God; and let it be done according to the law. Arise, for this matter is your responsibility. We also are with you. Be of good courage, and do it.’” Ezra 10:1-4 (NKJV)

At times, God appears to turn a deaf ear to prayer. Isaiah wrestled with this problem:

“Surely the arm of the Lord is not too short to save, nor His ear too dull to hear. But your iniquities have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden His face from you.” Isaiah 59:1-2 (NIV)

Sin was separating the Jews from God in the days of Ezra. It was, therefore, essential that Ezra’s prayer of confession in the previous chapter should be followed up with repentance, which took form in the separation from foreign wives.

It is hardly surprising that a large crowd gathered around Ezra when they saw him weeping and throwing himself down before the Lord. This was strange behavior for such a prominent leader, as it is strange for our generation’s otherwise dignified leaders. The cause of Ezra’s intense agitation was the marriage of God’s people to non-Jewish, idol-worshipping wives. It has been said that children live by rules and adults live by principles. With that in mind, the whole scenario of today’s chapter can be viewed, in principle, as a metaphor for any intimate relationship that believers may be considering, personal, social, or business. The apostle Paul knew this very well:

“Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness?” 2 Corinthians 6:14 (NKJV)

As stated yesterday, it was not as much the nationality of the foreign wives as it was their idolatry that the Lord was opposed to. For the record, this specific instance of putting away foreign wives and children is one of those moments - like Peter’s suggestion to cast lots to choose another apostle after Judas committed suicide - where the Lord makes no comment as to His approval or disapproval. We are simply given the facts. According to the Torah, both the Israelite men and their foreign wives should have been removed from the community of Israel. We know from reading Nehemiah that it was still a problem in his day (Nehemiah 13:23-27). The questions that arise are: 1.) How strongly do we believe God’s Word, and 2.) Are we willing to put away those “foreign wives” (aka Worldly sins) that separate us from the Lord?

Grab your Bible & experience the Groundworks Ministries Podcast as Steve Wiggins leads us through the full chapter of Nehemiah 1. Click the links below to watch or listen now!

“And it came to pass in the month of Nisan, in the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes, when wine was before him, that I took the wine and gave it to the king. Now I had never been sad in his presence before. Therefore the king said to me, ‘Why is your face sad, since you are not sick? This is nothing but sorrow of heart.’ So I became dreadfully afraid, and said to the king, ‘May the king live forever! Why should my face not be sad, when the city, the place of my fathers’ tombs, lies waste, and its gates are burned with fire?’ Then the king said to me, ‘What do you request?’ So I prayed to the God of heaven. And I said to the king, ‘If it pleases the king, and if your servant has found favor in your sight, I ask that you send me to Judah, to the city of my fathers’ tombs, that I may rebuild it.’” Nehemiah 2:1-5 (NKJV)

I have spent my whole adult life as a touring musician and speaker. During that time, the Lord has given me a unique experience in which I have visited over 1000 churches scattered throughout the United States (and several countries). One thing I have observed is that when God decides to move in a mighty way, He doesn’t just tell one guy His plan. He begins working in the hearts of several people, giving them pieces of a vision, and then He starts bringing those people together. Then, BOOM! A movement develops.

The rebuilding of Jerusalem is the best observable example of what I am talking about. First, God spoke to Isaiah, who prophesied the destruction of Jerusalem unless the people repented. Then we have Jeremiah, who was the “on the scene” reporter during Jerusalem’s destruction, who also prophesied the season of Israel’s exile (and the terms of their return). Today’s passage can seem like Nehemiah was a random lucky guy. But when we connect the Bible’s books like pieces to the puzzle, we see God was preparing the hearts of several men scattered abroad. Then, He drew them together to accomplish great things. Notice how Daniel, Nehemiah, and Ezra all had pieces of the same vision:

“Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled, the Lord stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, so that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and also put it in writing, saying ‘Thus says Cyrus king of Persia: All the kingdoms of the earth the Lord God of heaven has given me. And He has commanded me to build Him a house at Jerusalem which is in Judah. Who is among you of all His people? May his God be with him, and let him go up to Jerusalem which is in Judah, and build the house of the Lord God of Israel (He is God), which is in Jerusalem.’” Ezra 1:1-3 (NKJV)

“In the first year of Darius the son of Ahasuerus, of the lineage of the Medes, who was made king over the realm of the Chaldeans— in the first year of his reign I, Daniel, understood by the books the number of the years specified by the word of the Lord through Jeremiah the prophet, that He would accomplish seventy years in the desolations of Jerusalem. Then I set my face toward the Lord God to make request by prayer and supplications, with fasting, sackcloth, and ashes.” Daniel 9:1-3 (NKJV)

As you pursue God’s Word every day, and He reveals pieces of His great plan to you, He is actually preparing you to join others to accomplish His perfect will in our days

“Also the sons of Hassenaah built the Fish Gate; they laid its beams and hung its doors with its bolts and bars.  And next to them Meremoth the son of Urijah, the son of Koz, made repairs. Next to them Meshullam the son of Berechiah, the son of Meshezabel, made repairs. Next to them Zadok the son of Baana made repairs. Next to them the Tekoites made repairs; but their nobles did not put their shoulders to the work of their Lord.” Nehemiah 3:3-5 (NKJV)

I believe that Jerusalem is the center of the world. I know it may seem a bit mystic to some, but I am not alone in that belief. Israel dominates news coverage more than any other country in the world, and what is happening in Jerusalem dominates the coverage of Israel. Furthermore, according to Revelation, the entire world will be driven to Israel for a final battle. When it is all said & done, the city that will descend from Heaven is literally the “New Jerusalem  .”Center of the world.

In ancient days, the center of Jerusalem was the Temple, with the Ark of the Covenant at the Temple’s center. Because of Jerusalem’s “central” position in the world and God’s presence in the Temple, many theologians consider the gates of Jerusalem to be symbolic of how one must “enter in” to meet with God. Perhaps, we should consider their rebuilding… Going with that thought, the “Fish Gate” is considered to be representative of evangelism.  

“Then Jesus said to Simon, “Don’t be afraid; from now on you will fish for people.’” Luke 5:10b (NIV)

To be honest, the narrative of “who was rebuilding & where” can be pretty dull. But here, in chapter 3, we have a bit of drama. The nobles of T’koa would not labor toward the Fish Gate. As another translation puts it, “they would not submit themselves to supervision.”  Regardless of the debate concerning the symbolic nature of Jerusalem’s gates, one thing is true: Nobility does not mix with evangelism.

Here is what I mean. To evangelize, we must make ourselves uncomfortable and literally be “servants.” We must be willing to risk our images, dignity, and reputations to share the gospel. It takes getting out there among the “unwashed masses,” so to speak. In other words, we must be willing to smell like fish to catch them!  

Nobility, by definition, is directly opposed to evangelism. Nobility rejects servanthood and is preoccupied with “deserving.”  Nobility says, “I am too good for this. I don’t deserve to be treated this way!”  And when you break it down, “de-serve” means to “lessen, or completely diminish” a servant’s role. Nobility cannot evangelize.

Are you living out your calling to share the gospel? Are you boldly evangelizing with humility, or are you paralyzed with nobility? Do you refuse to do the work of an evangelist because it is “beneath you,” afraid of what people might think of you?   As Jesus did for you, do for others. Let’s humble ourselves and build that Fish Gate!

“Therefore I positioned men behind the lower parts of the wall, at the openings; and I set the people according to their families, with their swords, their spears, and their bows. And I looked, and arose and said to the nobles, to the leaders, and to the rest of the people, ‘Do not be afraid of them. Remember the Lord, great and awesome, and fight for your brethren, your sons, your daughters, your wives, and your houses.’ And it happened, when our enemies heard that it was known to us, and that God had brought their plot to nothing, that all of us returned to the wall, everyone to his work. So it was, from that time on, that half of my servants worked at construction, while the other half held the spears, the shields, the bows, and wore armor; and the leaders were behind all the house of Judah. Those who built on the wall, and those who carried burdens, loaded themselves so that with one hand they worked at construction, and with the other held a weapon.” Nehemiah 4:13-17 (NKJV)

We live in perilous times. War, financial uncertainty, moral decay, family breakdown - dangerous times.   Would it surprise you to know that it’s all spiritual? Yes, in real-time, here on earth, it seems like the “enemy” is some extremist, corporate tycoon, media giant, or family member. But in reality, the enemy is the World, the Flesh, and the Devil. When we have human conflict, it is really the effects of the Lord in our lives standing in opposition to the effects of the “enemy,” both in our lives and the lives of others.

“For our battle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the world powers of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavens.” Ephesians 6:12 (HCSB)

There is hope, therefore, beyond human conflict because if our oppressors submitted to the Lord, they would cease oppression and join us as brothers. It is part of the reason we suffer affliction for the cause of evangelism. We must love a person beyond their actions against us and see them apart from the “enemy’s” influence on them.

It is important, then, for us to take Nehemiah’s struggle to build the walls of Jerusalem both literally and metaphorically. True, the citizens of Jerusalem faced strong human opposition and risked their lives to rebuild the city’s walls and gates. But it also reminds us of a greater reality: The mission field is also a battlefield!

While we “wrestle not against flesh and blood,” recognizing the greater spiritual narrative, we still face human opposition. We need each other. The purpose of “community” is to render our weaknesses ineffective. So, from today’s passage, we can glean that we need to work together to rebuild the “walls of Jerusalem” in the Church at large. That means pastors and laity, husbands and wives, parents and children, and denominations with other denominations. When we work alone, the “enemy” has a greater chance of picking us off. But when we work in close proximity, we can lean into each other, or shall we say we lean into “the Lord’s strength, working within each of us”?

We must die to the notion that God exists solely to provide for our comfort and pleasure. We are created to live in community, which means dying to ourselves and living to serve the body of believers, trusting that they are doing the same for you by God’s grace. If the World saw that, many unbelievers would be more willing to believe!

“The earlier governors, before me, had burdened the people, taxing them more than one-and-a-half pounds of silver shekels for food and wine; and even their servants lorded it over the people. But I didn’t, because I feared God. Moreover, I put all my energy into working on this wall. We didn’t buy any land, and all my servants were gathered there for work.” Nehemiah 5:15-16 (CJB)

It is amazing how effectively a follower of Messiah can lead simply by communicating to those around them that there is no personal agenda for which the leader is exploiting the laborers. Nehemiah was not rebuilding the wall of Jerusalem for political advancement or personal profit. He simply labored as unto the Lord, and the people respected and followed him because of it. Jesus exhorted His disciples similarly.    

“Jesus said to them, ‘The kings of the Gentiles lord it over them; and those who exercise authority over them call themselves benefactors. But you are not to be like that. Instead, the greatest among you should be like the youngest, and the one who rules like one who serves.’” Luke 22:25-26 (NIV)

As a loyal subject of an earthly king, Nehemiah was “on leave” to Jerusalem only for a season. Afterward, he had to return to Shushan, where he came from. Still, he faithfully labored on behalf of his ancestors, his contemporaries, and the next generation. Nehemiah’s selfless attitude was very similar to Abraham’s.

“By faith he dwelt in the land of promise as in a foreign country, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise; for he waited for the city which has foundations, whose builder and maker is God.” Hebrews 11:9-10 (NKJV)

In our generation, we also must have the attitude that this World is not our home. If we keep this perspective, we will be free of the Worldly distraction that constantly nags us to get our “piece of the pie.”  Again, as with Abraham and Nehemiah, this World is not our home. Furthermore, we are given a task not unlike Nehemiah’s. He rebuilt the wall and gates of Jerusalem, but we are tasked to build God’s holy temple!!

“So then, you are no longer foreigners and strangers. On the contrary, you are fellow citizens with God’s people and members of God’s family. You have been built on the foundation of the emissaries and the prophets, with the cornerstone being Messiah Jesus Himself. In union with Him the whole building is held together, and it is growing into a holy temple in union with the Lord. Yes, in union with Him, you yourselves are being built together into a spiritual dwelling place for God!” Ephesians 2:19-22 (CJB)

Not are we building His dwelling place, human stone upon human stone, but we ourselves are stones, stacked & mortared in the apostle's teaching, with Jesus as our chief Cornerstone.

“So the wall was finished on the twenty-fifth day of the month Elul, in fifty-two days. When all our enemies heard about it, and the surrounding nations became afraid, our enemies’ self-esteem fell severely; because they realized that this work had been accomplished by God.” Nehemiah 6:15-16 (CJB)

Have you ever had to deal with a bully? Because of their size, expertise, or influence, some people feel the need to intimidate, harass and threaten others. At the core of the bully’s heart is low self-esteem. Even if they have considerable power, they fear losing it, so they feel compelled to prove their dominance over and over.  

Some bullies are seriously pathologically mean and dangerous. They continue bullying long after being locked away in prison with other bullies. But most bullies cower in the midst of opposition. I’m not tall, so when I was younger, I was bullied. A big guy wants to prove himself, so he looks for the smallest guy to harass. What these bullies didn’t know was that I had a big brother, and the two of us were always fighting. So, I was bullied by several kids, but only once. You see, I knew how to fight. It is amazing how much blood a well-placed punch to the nose can produce. Bullies learned that there were easier wins out there than me. Has Satan learned that about you?  

Nehemiah and the struggling Jewish community faced a collection of bullies. They mocked Israel and puffed up their feathers like a peacock, but all their threats were nothing more than hot air. They were trying to intimidate Israel against following the Lord because history had proven that when Israel believed God, they were unstoppable. In short, their power through intimidation was coming to an end. Once the wall of Jerusalem was completed, the bullies’ true colors came out: they became afraid, and their self-esteem fell severely. Israel had won a great victory by submitting to God amid opposition. In fact, God had won a great victory through the lives of His submitted people. He led His people back to Himself by guiding them, step-by-step, to a right relationship with Him. He was reversing their steps, back up the same path their parents’ generation had walked down in their departure from God.

Yes, there was victory, but that did not mean the enemy gave up trying to undermine Israel’s return to the Lord. The enemy never quits; it just changes its tactics.

“Also in those days the nobles of Judah sent many letters to Tobiah, and the letters of Tobiah came to them. For many in Judah were pledged to him, because he was the son-in-law of Shechaniah the son of Arah, and his son Jehohanan had married the daughter of Meshullam the son of Berechiah. Also they reported his good deeds before me, and reported my words to him. Tobiah sent letters to frighten me.” Nehemiah 6:17-19 (NKJV)

If bullying does not prove effective, perhaps politics or intermarriage will. Maybe it will be something else. The reality is that the enemy never stops trying to stop us, so we must never stop pursuing the Lord. That is why we search His Word, every day.

“Then it was, when the wall was built, and I had hung the doors, when the gatekeepers, the singers, and the Levites had been appointed, that I gave the charge of Jerusalem to my brother Hanani, and Hananiah the leader of the citadel, for he was a faithful man and feared God more than many. And I said to them, ‘Do not let the gates of Jerusalem be opened until the sun is hot; and while they stand guard, let them shut and bar the doors; and appoint guards from among the inhabitants of Jerusalem, one at his watch station and another in front of his own house.’” Nehemiah 7:1-3 (NKJV)

As noted earlier, the rebuilding of the walls of Jerusalem is both a historical account and a symbolic picture of the Church today. Therefore, one question begs to be answered: Why did God’s people have to leave the land in the first place? Answer: They departed from God’s Word and began to follow after idols. Jeremiah said it well:

“How lonely lies the city that once thronged with people! Once great among the nations, now she is like a widow! Once princess among the provinces, she has become a vassal. Bitterly she weeps at night, tears running down her cheeks. Not one of all her lovers is there to comfort her. Her friends have all betrayed her; they have become her enemies.” Lamentations 1:1-2 (CJB)

After repeated prophetic warnings, God’s great patience transitioned into His justice. God allowed Israel and Judah to be besieged by the Babylonians. Furthermore, the Babylonians plundered and destroyed the city of Jerusalem. Solomon’s Temple, which had stood for approximately 400 years, was burned to the ground. Lest we consider God a tyrant, we should note that Israel’s idolatry has been going on since the generation after Joshua.

“When that entire generation had been gathered to their ancestors, another generation arose that knew neither the Lord nor the work He had done for Israel. Then the people of Israel did what was evil from the Lord’s perspective and served the Ba’alim” Judges 2:10-11(CJB)

Israel had been on a slow yet steady departure from God’s Word for many generations. Since the history of Israel is also a warning for the Church, we must ask how a nation collectively becomes idolatrous. First, individuals depart from the Word. Then, those individuals share their non-Biblical word views within the assembly. Eventually, the whole community becomes saturated with idolatrous thinking.  

So, how does a nation become virtuous? The very same way. Individuals (you & me) must return to the Word! When those individuals assemble, a culture of holiness develops, and the walls surrounding God’s people begin to be rebuilt. Important to note: We are not building ghetto walls to enclose ourselves. The walls of “Jerusalem” are walls with gates so that we can go in & out, and others can enter as well! True, we need gatekeepers and watchmen, but the intent is to allow those seeking virtue to enter.

Grab your Bible & experience the Groundworks Ministries Podcast as Steve Wiggins leads us through the full chapter of Nehemiah 8. Click the links below to watch or listen now!

“Our kings, our leaders, our priests and ancestors did not keep Your Torah, pay attention to Your commands, or heed the warnings You gave them. Even when they ruled their own kingdom, even when You prospered them greatly, in the great rich land You gave them, they did not serve You; nor did they turn back from their wicked deeds. So here we are today, slaves. Yes, in the land you gave our ancestors, so that they could eat what it produces and enjoy its good – here we are in it, slaves! Its rich yield now goes to the kings you have set over us because of our sins: they have power over our bodies, they can do what they please to our livestock, and we are in great distress!” Nehemiah 9:34-37 (CJB)

My grandfather, Virgil, was born in 1905. He was a very sharp guy up till the day he died in his mid-90s. For instance, when Virgil turned 90 years old, the State of Arkansas renewed his driver’s license! A year before he passed away, I had the opportunity to visit with Virgil and ask about his upbringing and what it was like living through the Great Depression. He smiled and said, “We can’t choose when, where, or to whom we are born. We can only choose how we live in response.” The returning Israelite exiles did not have the option to choose to be born in a time of God’s disfavor towards their parents or to be born into Babylon slavery. They only had the choice of how they’d worship.

If I could give today’s chapter a title, I would call it “How Our Actions Affect Others.”  With all of Israel assembled in the garments of humility, sackcloth, and ashes, Nehemiah led the people in a national confession. The confession was not just for the personal sins of the people in the assembly; it was also a confession of the sins of Israel’s forefathers, sins for which their descendants were still suffering the consequences. They were acknowledging how personal sin brought down an entire nation.

National sin begins when one person decides to step outside of God’s Word. Unless repentance comes quickly, a lawless mindset quietly spreads throughout the whole community. Compromised communities become compromised cities. Compromised cities infect a state, then a nation, and eventually the World. Recall how one bite of “forbidden fruit” has affected all mankind with a horrible sinful aftertaste. That is distressful news, and when confronted with it, the returned exiles had a choice to make. Would they continue fueling God’s disfavor or reverse it within their generation to set up their descendants to win? They chose God.  

Israel returned to God’s favor by retracing their parents’ steps back to the Lord. Instead of departing from God’s Word, they sought it. Instead of denying their sin and rebelling against God, the returned exiles humbly confessed their sins. As a result, personal holiness affected the community, cities, states, and nation, as it were.

Friends, America is in trouble, and the future looks bleak. The source of its woes is not financial; it is spiritual. We have departed from God’s Word and sold ourselves into credit and moral bondage. So, how should we respond to the revelation of God’s Word in our time? We should humble ourselves by personally repenting & turning back to the Lord. Your personal holiness can set national revival into motion.

“Now the rest of the people—the priests, the Levites, the gatekeepers, the singers, the Nethinim, and all those who had separated themselves from the peoples of the lands to the Law of God, their wives, their sons, and their daughters, everyone who had knowledge and understanding—these joined with their brethren, their nobles, and entered into a curse and an oath to walk in God’s Law, which was given by Moses the servant of God, and to observe and do all the commandments of the Lord our Lord, and His ordinances and His statutes:” Nehemiah 10:28-29 (NKJV)

Before Israel rebuilt the actual walls of Jerusalem, they had to rebuild the “spiritual” walls of Jerusalem by seeking God’s Word and praying. Then, before houses could be built within the walls of Jerusalem, the “homes” of Jerusalem had to be established through knowledge of God’s Word and personal & national confession. In today’s chapter, those “homes” are further distinguished by separation from “the peoples of the land” and toward “the Torah of God.” They were to be a nation in the World but distinguished from it.

We live in a day and age where tolerance and political correctness seem to rule the day. This generation of “Millennials” (18-30 years old) is characterized by a strong distrust of institutions and absolutes. So, it is hard for me to envision such a “separation,” as today’s passage describes, taking place in our culture, yet Jesus commands us to be “in the World but not of the World.” He even prayed to the Father about such an arrangement.  

“I have given them Your Word, and the world hated them because they do not belong to the World – just as I Myself do not belong to the World. I don’t ask You to take them out of the World, but to protect them from the Evil One. They do not belong to the World, just as I do not belong to the World. Set them apart for holiness by means of the Truth – Your Word is Truth. Just as You sent Me into the World, I have sent them into the World. On their behalf I am setting Myself apart for holiness, so that they too may be set apart for holiness by means of the Truth.” John 17:14-19 (CJB)

In a culture that seeks to be liked by everyone, I am reminded of the old saying: If you don’t stand for something, you’ll fall for anything. More than simply standing for “something,” believers are standing on God’s Word, the very thing that distinguishes/separates them from the World. But if you fear being disliked or rejected because of your pursuit of holiness, consider Jesus’ words.

“If the World hates you, understand that it hated Me first. If you belonged to the World, the World would have loved its own. But because you do not belong to the World – on the contrary, I have picked you out of the World – therefore the World hates you. Remember what I told you, ‘A slave is no greater than his master.’ If they persecuted Me, they will persecute you too; if they kept My Word, they will keep yours too.’” John 15:18-20 (CJB)

Holiness has a price, but the rewards are worth it!

“The leaders of the people took up residence in Jerusalem; while the rest of the people cast lots to bring one-tenth of them to live in Jerusalem the holy city, with the other nine-tenths in the other cities. The people blessed all those who volunteered to live in Jerusalem.” Nehemiah 11:1-2 (CJB)

A “tithe” is ten percent. When followers of Jesus give ten percent of their income to support the ongoing ministry of their local congregations, it is called a “tithe.” Of course, the tithe is the minimum requirement, and any faithful believer will offer over & above the minimum whenever the need arises, as the Lord leads.

Nehemiah proposed a “tithe of the people” to repopulate Jerusalem and continue rebuilding. Not only was this decision good for the city of Jerusalem, but it was also a brilliant political move because it evenly distributed Jerusalem’s population among all the returning exiled tribes.

Historically, most of Israel’s problems came while the kingdom was divided after Solomon’s reign. Ten tribes rejected Solomon’s Temple in Jerusalem because they rejected the Davidic kingship, which came from the tribe of Judah. The dispute grew to include the issue of where & how to worship. Nehemiah’s solution had Jerusalem populated by representatives of the entire remnant. Jerusalem was to be a cosmopolitan city yet focused on God.

We have a similar situation in the United States. Right on the border of Virginia and Maryland, a district was developed (the District of Columbia…the “DC” of Washington DC), which houses our federal government. The reason for the development of the District of Columbia is so that no state can boast of housing the nation’s capital. Our capital was designed as a city with no favoritism to any State. This is the idea for Jerusalem’s repopulation plan: God’s agenda would reign. With an evenly spread demographic, every tribe would be inclined to rush to Jerusalem’s aid because each family had relatives there.  

Beyond the practical and political reasons for this arrangement, there are more spiritual concerns. The people who repopulated Jerusalem were not chosen by election or whimsy. God chose each person. He made His will known through the “lots,” …a legitimate way of seeking the Lord’s will in Nehemiah’s day. Believers today don’t need to cast lots. We each have the gift of the Ruach HaKodesh (Holy Spirit), given in Acts 2 on the day of Shavuot (Pentecost).  

God chose people bent on holiness who would be confronted with opposition yet view opposition as an opportunity to stand faithfully. Perhaps those people would never have chosen to live in Jerusalem, but God knew what was best. Similarly, I never would have chosen to follow Jesus on my own, but He pursued me, and eventually, I believed the gospel. God has also chosen to give eternal life to those who believe in and follow Messiah Jesus. Therefore, when the Lord calls, I am eager to depart this body and be present with the Lord, taking up residence in the New Jerusalem!

“Now at the dedication of the wall of Jerusalem they sought out the Levites in all their places, to bring them to Jerusalem to celebrate the dedication with gladness, both with thanksgivings and singing, with cymbals and stringed instruments and harps. And the sons of the singers gathered together from the countryside around Jerusalem, from the villages of the Netophathites, from the house of Gilgal, and from the fields of Geba and Azmaveth; for the singers had built themselves villages all around Jerusalem.” Nehemiah 12:27-29 (NKJV)

As I mentioned earlier, many scholars see the gates around Jerusalem as representative of the different ways that people enter into the Lord’s presence. If there were an issue that stood between you and God, there was a gate you could enter through, which corresponded to your particular issue. The names of the gates were symbolic. You could leave your burden at that gate, so to speak, and enter, unhindered, to meet with the Lord. To facilitate your entrance into Jerusalem, gatekeepers and musicians were stationed.

“After the wall had been rebuilt and I had set the doors in place, the gatekeepers and the singers and Levites were appointed.” Nehemiah 7:1 (CJB)

There is an old saying: music calms the savage beast. That idea is definitely true when it comes to worship music. The reason for music within the context of a worship service is to prepare the hearts of worshippers to receive the message of God’s Word. If we must lay down our “loads” before we enter Jerusalem, music softens the heart and sweetens the experience; music, therefore, is the spoonful of sugar that helps the medicine go down.

Traditionally, Jerusalem was to be open 24-7. That is 24 hours/day, 7 days/week. The symbolism was that the Lord was accessible at all times. Therefore, gatekeepers and musicians conducted their duties in shifts so there would continually be praise before the Lord.  

“Those who were musicians, heads of the Levite families, stayed in the rooms of the temple and were exempt from other duties because they were responsible for the work day and night.” 1 Chronicles 9:33 (NIV)

Can you imagine a church today, with the surrounding neighborhoods completely inhabited by its worship team and their families? The sole reason for their close proximity was that they continually led music - a never-ending jam session.

I like the relationship between gatekeepers and musicians. There is a kind of balance between the FREEDOM of music and the ACCOUNTABILITY of gatekeeping. Too much liberty with no accountability leads to anarchy. Too much accountability without freedom to worship just seems kind of fascist. I thank the Lord for that balance of holiness and grace, which allows us to fear the Lord as we boldly approach His throne.

“In those days I saw people in Judah treading winepresses on the Sabbath, and bringing in sheaves, and loading donkeys with wine, grapes, figs, and all kinds of burdens, which they brought into Jerusalem on the Sabbath day. And I warned them about the day on which they were selling provisions. Men of Tyre dwelt there also, who brought in fish and all kinds of goods, and sold them on the Sabbath to the children of Judah, and in Jerusalem. Then I contended with the nobles of Judah, and said to them, ‘What evil thing is this that you do, by which you profane the Sabbath day? Did not your fathers do thus, and did not our God bring all this disaster on us and on this city? Yet you bring added wrath on Israel by profaning the Sabbath.’” Nehemiah 13:15-18 (NKJV)

When I was a kid growing up in Arkansas, the city I lived in had a “blue law” that prohibited retail businesses from opening on Sundays. Apart from a few restaurants, everything in town was closed for business. The city’s managers, along with the voting public, felt it was best for our community to rest on the Lord’s Day. Truth be known, the majority of our city council were deacons in their local churches. While they could not enforce whether people went to church, they could make it nearly impossible for anyone to do anything else!

I remember when that law was amended to allow businesses to open in the afternoon on Sundays, and I recall when the law was repealed altogether. At the time, I was not a follower of Jesus, so I rejoiced when I finally had the opportunity to skip church and go shopping. If you were to ask Nehemiah, he would say it was blasphemy!

A friend of mine recently challenged me by asking how well I felt I was following the 4th commandment: “Remember the Sabbath Day and keep it holy,” as the Lord commanded us to observe it. I thought about it and realized I was not doing a good job setting aside a day of complete rest to read God’s Word and reflect on Him.  

You don’t hear a lot of pastors teaching on this subject of setting the ENTIRE day aside, primarily for two reasons: 1) It is hard enough to get people to worship at a church for an HOUR every week, and 2) The people being preached-to are the ones who are already setting-aside time to attend church! But the idea about the Sabbath is not simply to attend a weekly congregational meeting; the Sabbath is about committing a whole day to do nothing but seek & worship the Lord.  

When was the last time you committed a whole day to simply worshipping the Lord, forsaking all other opportunities? For most of us, sadly, the answer would be never.  

I challenge you to try it and see how the Lord refreshes your soul. As the Lord says concerning our tithe, “Test me on this…” (Malachi 3:10b). Test the Lord by devoting yourselves to His prescribed day (and His prescribed way) of rest.

“In accordance with the law, the drinking was not compulsory; for so the king had ordered all the officers of his household, that they should do according to each man’s pleasure. Queen Vashti also made a feast for the women in the royal palace which belonged to King Ahasuerus. On the seventh day, when the heart of the king was merry with wine, he commanded Mehuman, Biztha, Harbona, Bigtha, Abagtha, Zethar, and Carcas, seven eunuchs who served in the presence of King Ahasuerus, to bring Queen Vashti before the king, wearing her royal crown, in order to show her beauty to the people and the officials, for she was beautiful to behold. But Queen Vashti refused to come at the king’s command brought by his eunuchs; therefore the king was furious, and his anger burned within him.” Esther 1:8-12 (NKJV)

King Ahasuerus knew how to throw a kegger! 180 days of partying were not enough, so he decided to top it off with a 7-day banquet featuring an open bar. On the last day of this soiree, the king decided to show off his “trophy queen.” Problem: She don’ wanna come. Headlines read “Queen Cools, King Ablaze.”  

It sounds like the plot for a great movie based on a true story. How will it end? You’ll have to keep reading. Is it relevant to our generation? Absolutely!

We don’t catch a glimpse of the Lord’s involvement until chapter 2, but that is precisely where the lesson is for us today. Even when we cannot see God, He is ever-present, accomplishing His purposes according to His will.

Some people believe that a person must be righteous in order to be used by God. That is not true, especially in today’s passage! God is not hindered by anyone or anything. Now, if you want to please God in His use of you, then you had better be pursuing His honor; but God can use you either way. In today’s chapter, God is using the worldliest of people in the midst of an utterly decadent scenario so He can position His servants where they can exert maximum influence for His kingdom. Drunken kings and obstinate queens are merely tools in God’s hand.

Perhaps God seems distant or even absent from your life. Maybe you wonder if He knows your name or cares about your personal well-being. When people feel God is absent or fail to perceive His power & authority, they tend to either lose hope or arrogantly taunt Him. Neither reaction is justified. God is ever-present, and He is almighty. In short, He is Lord, whether we believe it or not.

“Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, ‘I will never leave you nor forsake you.’” Hebrews 13:5 (NKJV)

The generation of Jewish people who went into Babylonian exile could very well have felt abandoned and forsaken by God. While He may have been silent, God was still at work. The Lord was orchestrating events to provide for His people’s deliverance. Feeling forsaken? Hold firm to the truth of God’s Word; cling to His promises. He is with us, He cares, and He has the power and the plan to deliver us! Wait on the Lord.

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Grab your Bible & experience the Groundworks Ministries Podcast as Steve Wiggins leads us through the full chapter of Esther 2. Click the links below to watch or listen now!

“Haman was furious when he saw that Mordekhai was not kneeling and bowing down to him. However, on learning what people Mordekhai belonged to, it seemed like a waste to lay hands on Mordekhai alone. Rather he decided to destroy all of Mordekhai’s people, the Jews, throughout the whole of Achashverosh’s kingdom.” Esther 3:5-6  (CJB)

We live in difficult times, and our nation has an unclear financial future.  As anyone who has ever had money in the stock market knows, there are no sure bets on Wall Street!  Israel was about to learn this lesson the hard way.

Life for the Jews in exile could not have been much better.  One of their own was queen (although most would not have been aware of that because of the secret pact in chapter 2:1, 20).  Furthermore, one of their own had just rescued the King and was sure to be rewarded for that heroic act.  There is an old saying: Rising tide lifts all boats.  What that means (in the context of chapter 2) is that when a couple of Jews are favored in the King’s eyes, it should raise the profile and prospects of the Jewish community as a whole.  Humanly speaking, they were as secure as any exiled people could be.  All of that, however, would quickly change.  The Jewish “stock” on the “Susa Board of Exchange,” which in chapter 2 reaches all-time heights, plummets in chapter 3 to all-time lows.

Chapter 3 begins easily enough – a promotion of one individual and a seemingly insignificant act of defiance on the part of another.  However, the chapter ends with the shocking revelation of an entire nation of people being placed under a death sentence.  It is a death sentence that has been repeated throughout the generations and tragically will be repeated again.

“In the first month, the month of Nisan, in the twelfth year of Achashverosh, they began throwing Pur (that is, they cast lots) before Haman every day and every month until the twelfth month, which is the month of Adar.  Then Haman said to Achashverosh, ‘There is a particular people scattered and dispersed among the peoples in all the provinces of your kingdom.  Their laws are different from those of every other people; moreover, they don’t observe the King’s laws.  It doesn’t befit the King to tolerate them.  If it please the King, have a decree written for their destruction; and I will hand over 330 tons of silver to officials in charge of the King’s affairs to deposit in the royal treasury.”  Esther 3:7-9 (CJB)

The entire Jewish people are made to pay for a crime committed by one of their own.  Ironically, the same individual, who in chapter 2 is instrumental in bringing about the meteoric rise in Jewish stock, now becomes the reason for its dramatic drop.

Looking at the big picture, it is clear that Satan is positioning His people while God is positioning His.  That’s not to say that good & evil exist in some balance.  God has no equal, evil or otherwise.  It simply reminds us to expect Satan always to attempt to foil the Lord’s plans.

But fear not!  Greater is He who is in us!!  1 John 4:4

“Then Esther spoke to Hathach, and gave him a command for Mordecai: ‘All the king’s servants and the people of the king’s provinces know that any man or woman who goes into the inner court to the king, who has not been called, he has but one law: put all to death, except the one to whom the king holds out the golden scepter, that he may live. Yet I myself have not been called to go in to the king these thirty days.’ So they told Mordecai Esther’s words. And Mordecai told them to answer Esther: ‘Do not think in your heart that you will escape in the king’s palace any more than all the other Jews. For if you remain completely silent at this time, relief and deliverance will arise for the Jews from another place, but you and your father’s house will perish. Yet who knows whether you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this?’” Esther 4:10-14 (NKJV)

Have you ever started to tell somebody about a problem you’re having, only to have that person interrupt you by saying, “You think you’ve got problems; you should hear what I have to put up with!” Then the person goes on to explain in detail some minor issues they are facing.  If so, you can relate to Mordekhai’s situation in today’s passage.

Mordekhai relays to Esther that his problem is a life-threatening one, not only for himself but also for the entire Jewish population in Medo-Persia, and that Esther has the responsibility to do something about it.  Esther immediately reacts by saying, in effect, “You think you’ve got problems….” Interestingly, she does not express any concern for Mordekhai’s or her fellow Jews’ plight; instead, she worries because she might personally have to risk incurring the wrath of government authority and that such an act would put her own life in jeopardy.  To top it off, she mentions that her marriage has not been going well lately…30 days since she had last been in the king’s presence.  Oy vey!  Perhaps, the beauty treatments and luxurious lifestyle were starting to go to Esther’s head.

In this verbal exchange, relationships are being determined.  Would Esther perceive the conversation to be between queen & subject or uncle & niece?  In the greater sense, the whole debate was a commentary on the existential condition of the Jewish community in exile.  Had the Jews assimilated and simply considered themselves “Medo-Persians,” or did they still hold on to the prophecy of Jeremiah that they would someday be given the opportunity to return to the Promised Land?  Esther personified that existential condition.  Assimilation is still a significant issue for the Jewish Community, and the question of “what does it mean to be Jewish” is the main issue.  

It is also a major question for the Christian community.  Just as the Jewish exiles were commanded to be “among but not of” a foreign people, all believers are to live with the hope of Heaven, not seeking our identities in this World.  Like Esther, we must all choose to love the Lord and stand with His people, no matter the personal cost.

“On the third day, Esther put on her royal robes and stood in the in the inner courtyard of the king’s palace, opposite the king’s hall.  The king was sitting on his royal throne in the king’s hall, across from the entrance to the hall.  When the king saw Esther the queen standing in the courtyard, she won his favor; so the king extended the gold scepter in his hand towards Esther.  Esther approached and touched the tip of the scepter.  ‘What is it you want, Queen Esther?’ the king asked her.  ‘Whatever your request, up to half the kingdom, it will be given to you.’” Esther 5:1-3 (CJB)

History records that on January 10, 49 B.C., Julius Caesar, who by the Senate of Rome had been declared an enemy of the Roman state, took a step that forever changed the course of history – he crossed the Rubicon.  By leaving his home province and crossing that shallow river with his army, Caesar, in effect, had declared war on the Roman Empire.  Alea jacta est – “The die is cast.”

Caesar risked his all and succeeded as, perhaps, no one else could.  Would the same be true for Esther now that she had taken that one small step across the threshold to the king’s royal hall?  We might anticipate big drama and suspense here, but the author tells the story almost as if it was an everyday event, with no special emphasis.

Interestingly, the author chooses not to build tension surrounding Esther’s approach to the king but immediately reveals that the king graciously welcomed Esther into his presence.  Thus, Esther is not painted as a heroine of super-human proportions but merely as someone who has a task to do and does it calmly & efficiently.  There is a lesson for followers of Jesus here.  We should not seek to be heroes or to be recognized as anything other than obedient to the Lord.  If we will live our lives in simple, diligent devotion, there is no end to the amazing things the Lord will accomplish through us.  Where, then, is heroism?  Is it not God who works through us; doesn’t the glory completely go to Him for the deeds of even the most pious among us?

The events of chapter 5 take place “on the third day,” that is, the day the fast that Esther instituted was to end.  What a difference three days make in her willingness to risk her life and luxury for the betterment of others!  It begs the question: What is fasting?  More than simply not eating, fasting is the intentional denial of fleshly desire.  When we fast, we are making our flesh submit to our will.  When we combine prayer with fasting, we make our flesh submit to our will as we submit to the Lord’s will.

Now, we see where Esther’s boldness comes from!  She has put herself under God’s direction and made her flesh be under hers.  Are you struggling with a difficult decision?  Do you feel as if your flesh continues to lead you down paths your spirit does not want to travel?  Try seeking the Lord daily through His Word and prayer and deny your flesh the control it wants.  There can be only one “Alpha” in control of your life.  And He should be the “Alpha & Omega!”

“That night the king could not sleep. So one was commanded to bring the book of the records of the chronicles; and they were read before the king. And it was found written that Mordecai had told of Bigthana and Teresh, two of the king’s eunuchs, the doorkeepers who had sought to lay hands on King Ahasuerus. Then the king said, ‘What honor or dignity has been bestowed on Mordecai for this?’”  Esther 6:1-3 (NKJV)

UCLA basketball coaching legend, John Wooden, had an endearing impact on his players.  Even after his players left to pursue their respective careers, they considered him as much a father as a coach.  One of the unorthodox things that Wooden would do to establish trust was to teach each recruit how to put on their socks and tie their shoes properly.  A simple thing, but it built that sort of father/son relationship and sent the message: “It doesn’t matter what you think you know; I am going to teach you how to play the game from the ground up.”  There is nothing quite like lacing up gym shoes in anticipation of an upcoming sporting event.

Forgive me for trying to make the tying of shoes into a spiritual experience!  But the whole process of tying shoes is a good analogy for the Book of Esther because lacing shoes takes mental effort that subconsciously anticipates the struggle that is about to take place in the sporting world.  The threads of Esther’s story are interwoven, much like gym shoes – the laces that (at the beginning) seem to work at cross purposes to each other are finally revealed to be drawn up together.  The author of the Book of Esther is weaving the laces of the story together in such a nonchalant way that we are almost surprised when things begin to cinch tightly together.

When seemingly unrelated or opposing agendas suddenly cinch together to accomplish God’s will, that’s called “Providence.”  It means that God is working from an elevated perspective, viewing the big picture in ways that are impossible for us to perceive.  Here on earth, at the pedestrian level, we can only see from a very limited perspective.  That means we must trust that God is all-knowing, all-powerful, and ever-present and that His character never changes.

In today’s passage, we feel the laces cinch together in a way that nobody could have predicted.  We can only read today’s chapter and praise the Lord for doing something only He could accomplish.  He awoke the king in the middle of the night and gave him a strong desire to read the records of the daily journal, where the king discovered Mordecai was never honored or appreciated for his heroic and patriotic act.

Do the circumstances of your life seem loose, contradictory, and randomly unrelated?  God causes all things to work together, to literally cinch up like shoelaces, for the good of everybody who loves Him and is called, according to His purpose.  (Romans 8:28)

“Then Queen Esther answered and said, ‘If I have found favor in your sight, O king, and if it pleases the king, let my life be given me at my petition, and my people at my request. For we have been sold, my people and I, to be destroyed, to be killed, and to be annihilated. Had we been sold as male and female slaves, I would have held my tongue, although the enemy could never compensate for the king’s loss.’ So King Ahasuerus answered and said to Queen Esther, ‘Who is he, and where is he, who would dare presume in his heart to do such a thing?’ And Esther said, ‘The adversary and enemy is this wicked Haman!’” Esther 7:3-6a (NKJV)

Several years ago, my band Big Tent Revival performed at a Christian music day at Universal Studios Theme Park in Orlando, Florida, called “Rock The Universe!”  After our performance, a park employee confided to my drummer and me that he could smuggle us into an (as-of-then) unopened section of the park, where we could preview their new roller coaster, “The Hulk.”

The Hulk is an “acceleration coaster,” different from the traditional roller coaster because its power is generated magnetically instead of the traditional “gravity” coaster.  Put simply, instead of creeping up a hill and then accelerating as the cars roll over the peak, acceleration coasters literally shoot the cars up the hill.  Acceleration coasters are very common these days, but we had no idea what to expect back then!  The ride started off like usual, creeping upward, but halfway up the incline, a noise went off, and the coaster shot off like so many Floridian space shuttle launches!

Delving into chapter 7 of the Book of Esther is much like buckling into an acceleration coaster.  There is a sense of anticipation at first, followed by the explosive acceleration of Esther’s accusation.  This leads to a momentary pause as the king leaves the room.  Immediately after that, the terror returns as Haman “attacks” the queen, and the king catches Haman in the act.

Once more, a few short sentences and a lull in the action occur, during which the king’s servant mentions the gallows that Haman has built.  The action quickly resumes when the king commands that Haman be hanged, and Haman is executed.  The chapter then comes to an abrupt halt, and everyone except Haman seemingly breathes a sigh of relief.  The ride is over.

All of that to say, we are reminded again in today’s chapter that there are two things that confound a fool: How slow God is to act and how quickly He shows up!  Haman was a fool, making him the perfect pawn for Satan’s plan to annihilate God’s people.  And he truly believed he would succeed, as did Hitler, Balaam & Balak, several Roman emperors, the Catholic Inquisitors, Stalin, Nero, Nebuchadnezzar, and a host of others.  Then, God showed up.

“The city of Susa shouted and rejoiced, and the Jews celebrated with gladness, joy and honor.  In every province and every city, wherever the king’s command and his law reached, rejoicing and jubilation took place among the Jews.  There was a celebration and a holiday.  And many of the ethnic groups of the land professed themselves to be Jews, because fear of the Jews had overcome them.” Esther 8:15b-17 (HCSB)

Break out the Manischewitz!  The city of Susa was in the middle of a party that rivaled the one that opened the Book of Esther.  To this very day, the Jewish holiday of Purim is a festive occasion and one of the happiest events on the Jewish calendar.  As one Jewish comedian put it, “Purim is like the Jewish Halloween” because everyone dons costumes rattles noisemakers, and sends presents & food to one another.  It is amazing what happens when God’s people esteem His Word over their own self-preservation instincts.  Talk about transformations!  Esther did more than change her attitude; she became tenacious toward what she was formerly timid.  She became a “wolverine,” as it were.

Wolverines are built with powerful legs that propel them mile after mile in search of food.  They possess tremendous strength and determination.  Once they set their mind on their target, they press on despite all odds, seemingly never giving up until they achieve their goal.  This describes Queen Esther.  Once she made up her mind to secure the deliverance of her people, Esther tenaciously pressed forward until she achieved that end.  Even after victory over Haman was secured, Esther forged ahead to ensure that her enemies were thoroughly defeated and that her own people established a permanent means to remember their amazing victory.

But we must remember that the Jews were simply a small people group within a vast kingdom that spanned from India to Ethiopia.  So, what was the reaction of the other peoples within Achashverosh’s kingdom?  There was sheer fear and dread of the Jewish people…to the point where people declared themselves Jewish, simply to escape potential harm.

Years ago, I pondered (as many of you may have) the source of anti-Semitism.  Why have so many people groups hated the Jewish people; why have so many world leaders sought to destroy them?  In short, Satan hates the Jewish people.  Historically, Satan tried to kill off the Messianic line of David because redemption for the World would come through Messiah, Jesus.  But as God’s affection for the Jewish people endures (Romans 11), enraged envy and jealousy still wells up within the evil one, Satan.  Haman was undoubtedly a representative of the antichrist, as were Hitler, Stalin, and a host of others.

But how could anti-Semitism infect the Church?  Where were the seeds of anti-Semitism?  Today’s chapter ends with the reaction of the Medo-Persians toward the Jewish people: Fear and dread.  Now, picture several generations later when Roman heralds ride throughout the Empire, announcing that Constantine has decreed that every pagan Roman citizen is now a Christian and must worship the Jewish Messiah…

Grab your Bible & experience the Groundworks Ministries Podcast as Steve Wiggins leads us through the full chapter of Esther 9. Click the links below to watch or listen now!

“And King Ahasuerus imposed tribute on the land and on the islands of the sea. Now all the acts of his power and his might, and the account of the greatness of Mordecai, to which the king advanced him, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Media and Persia? For Mordecai the Jew was second to King Ahasuerus, and was great among the Jews and well received by the multitude of his brethren, seeking the good of his people and speaking peace to all his countrymen.”  Esther 10:1-3 (NKJV)

Today’s chapter, the last in the Book of Esther, is one verse away from being the shortest chapter in the entire Bible.  One might be inclined to wonder how such a short chapter could warrant much attention.  To me, Esther, chapter 10 is like the very end of a TV program.

Near the end of a television drama or sitcom, after the murder has been solved, the marriage has been restored, or the problem has been resolved, there is often a brief commercial break followed by a short segment that brings closure to the show.  If we apply this analogy to the Book of Esther, we observe the central problem of the story being resolved by 9:19.  We then watch the commercial break in 9:20-32 – an infomercial about Purim holiday celebrations.  Finally, we discover the last three verses of the book (today’s chapter), wrapping up the whole story and leaving us with both a sense of completion and a realization that life goes on as before in the Medo-Persian empire.

The Book of Esther could comfortably end with Esther’s command in 9:32, which establishes Purim as a legal holiday for the Jews.  Yet the book is not a simply passionate commercial for a holiday; it is concerned with a much larger issue – the “hidden” work of God on behalf of His people despite their spiritual condition.  Nothing can keep God from accomplishing His purposes, not even the sin of His people!  Therefore, just because God is using you to accomplish His purposes (or just because you are living a seemingly “blessed” life while pursuing a sinful one) does not necessarily mean you are in God’s favor.  It may simply mean that God is working in spite of you!

Thus, to highlight that larger issue, the author adds three seemingly innocuous verses that zero in on a tax, a book, and a person.  In actuality, these three verses are anything but innocuous.  They invite us to re-evaluate the details of the book in light of the broad thematic scope of the book.  If we see them as only a historical postscript, we miss the author’s closing comments that give the final definition to all that he has previously placed before our eyes.

So, how do we bring closure to this chapter AND this email?  How about we answer a question you may have had at the beginning of this email: What is the shortest chapter in the Bible?  It also happens to be appropriate to end this chapter.

“Praise the Lord, all nations! Glorify Him, all peoples! For His faithful love to us is great; the Lord’s faithfulness endures forever.” Psalm 117:1-2 (HCSB)

“There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job; and that man was blameless and upright, and one who feared God and shunned evil.” Job 1:1 (NKJV)

I believe the two most dreaded verses in the Bible are “Turn away from Me, I never knew you” (Matthew 7:23) and “Then the Lord said to Satan, ‘Have you considered My servant...?’” (Job 1:8a)  Personally, the notion that God & Satan may be talking about ME at this very moment terrifies me! I would rather live a peaceful life, having received salvation. I would be content to simply read my Bible, share the gospel, love my family, earn an honest wage, and maybe vacation at the beach for a week every year. I would be good with that!  But my “American Dream” scenario is not found anywhere in Scripture. The reality is that the “accuser,” Satan, is always trying to convince God to condemn us.  And how does Satan know that he has a case against mankind?  Because he is the one who enticed us to sin in the first place!

“Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.” 1 Peter 5:8 (NKJV)

We should not be surprised at the notion that our lack of righteousness is being discussed in Heaven, nor should we be afraid. Just as we have an accuser, we also have an advocate (attorney).

“My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not.  And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.” 1 John 2:1-2 (KJV)

So, Satan’s ongoing argument about the sin of God’s people (and his demand that God rebuke & cast us away) presents us with a dilemma for which we have no human solution. After all, Satan is correct in his assertion that we deserve judgment. Enter Messiah Jesus. Not only is Jesus our advocate (argues on our behalf), but He is also our “propitiation”. That is, Jesus has paid the fullness of our sin penalty, in its entirety, forever!

“Then I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, “Now salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren, who accused them before our God day and night, has been cast down.” Revelation 12:10 (NKJV)

Job’s name in Hebrew translates as “Hated/Persecuted.” While Job was hated and persecuted by Satan (and later also by his so-called friends), he was loved and sheltered by God. That is encouraging for us!  We should take courage that while Satan and the world may hate us as believers, God loves us!  (John 3:16)

“If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you.” John 15:18 (NKJV)

“Then the Lord said to Satan, ‘Have you considered My servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, one who fears God and shuns evil? And still he holds fast to his integrity, although you incited Me against him, to destroy him without cause.’ So Satan answered the Lord and said, ‘Skin for skin! Yes, all that a man has he will give for his life. But stretch out Your hand now, and touch his bone and his flesh, and he will surely curse You to Your face!’ And the Lord said to Satan, ‘Behold, he is in your hand, but spare his life.’” Job 2:3-6 (NKJV)

Many followers of Jesus have a superstitious wariness concerning the book of Job.  It is as if once they read the book, God will have a similar conversation with Satan about them! I know I feared reading the book of Job for many years. My fear was mostly centered on my misconception that God exists solely to make me happy and give me a life of worldly abundance. I did not want to face the truth that God’s great plan and purpose for my life may include my suffering for His gospel!

These first two chapters of Job are some of the most dreaded chapters in the Bible and pretty much single-handedly dismantle the “prosperity” gospel.

Something that profoundly leaped out of today’s chapter was Satan’s argument against Job that a man will give up everything he has to save his life. What was so interesting is that Satan’s argument was exactly the opposite of what Jesus did. Jesus, the Creator of all that is (John 1), left His position of power, honor, and glory to offer up His life for us.

“The Word became flesh and took up residence among us. We observed His glory, the glory as the One and only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.” John 1:14 (HCSB)

Furthermore, Satan argued that if he were allowed to curse Job’s flesh, Job would curse God to his face. Again, this is precisely the opposite of Jesus’ response, even at the pinnacle of His suffering.

“And Jesus called out with a loud voice, ‘Father, into Your hands I entrust My spirit.’  Saying this, He breathed His last.” Luke 23:46 (HCSB)

Whereas Job’s life was spared, Jesus’ life was not. That meant that His sacrificial atonement was complete! And we know that it pleased God to see Jesus honor Him all the way through His suffering, as evidenced by the Father’s testimony upon Jesus’ resurrection.

“Now to which of the angels has God ever said: Sit at My right hand until I make Your enemies Your footstool?” Hebrews 1:13 (NIV)

“Why is light given to him who is in misery, and life to the bitter of soul, who long for death, but it does not come, and search for it more than hidden treasures; who rejoice exceedingly, and are glad when they can find the grave? Why is light given to a man whose way is hidden, and whom God has hedged in? For my sighing comes before I eat, and my groanings pour out like water. For the thing I greatly feared has come upon me, and what I dreaded has happened to me. I am not at ease, nor am I quiet; I have no rest, for trouble comes.” Job 3:20-26 (NKJV)

Have you ever wished you were never born? Have you ever cried out that the Lord would take you out of this world, that there is no reason to be alive, and that light and air are even wasted on you? That is a miserable way to feel, but you are alone. I have felt that way. Job felt that way. God knew you would feel that way, and He has written this account to help give insight into the redemptive “why” regarding the suffering of the righteous. Consider Paul’s words.

“For if we live, we live in relation to the Lord; and if we die, we die in relation to the Lord. So whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord – indeed, it was for this very reason that Messiah died and came back to life, so that He might be Lord of both the living and the dead.” Romans 14:8-9 (CJB)

The reason we exist (in this world and the next) is to glorify the Lord. Our culture has somehow convinced many of us that God exists to serve mankind. This mindset has even taken root in the Church-at-large. That is exactly the opposite of the truth. Even Heaven is not the “eternal recess” many believe it will be. We belong to the Lord, and our lives (even in eternity) are to be lived unto Him for His purposes, chosen by His great wisdom. It is our obligation to trust that even if our circumstances do not resemble blessing, He is ultimately working all things together for good. (Romans 8:28) Again, consider the words of Paul, no stranger to suffering for following the Lord.

“Now I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has actually resulted in the advance of the gospel, so that it has become known throughout the whole imperial guard, and to everyone else, that my imprisonment is in the cause of Christ. Most of the brothers in the Lord have gained confidence from my imprisonment and dare even more to speak the message fearlessly.” Philippians 1:12-14 (HCSB)

“My eager expectation and hope is that I will not be ashamed about anything, but that now as always, with all boldness, Christ will be highly honored in my body, whether by life or by death. For me, living is Christ and dying is gain. Now if I live on in the flesh, this means fruitful work for me; and I don’t know which one I should choose. I am pressured by both. I have the desire to depart and be with Christ—which is far better— but to remain in the flesh is more necessary for you.” Philippians 1:20-2 (HCSB)

Paul could be encouraged because he knew what Job didn’t: the end of Job’s suffering! We see the end of Paul’s and, perhaps, most importantly, the eternal end of Jesus’.

“For a word was stealthily brought to me, my ear caught only a whisper of it.  In passing thoughts flashing through visions at night, when sleep lies heavy on people, a shiver of horror came over me; it made all my bones tremble. Then a spirit passed in front of my face; the hair on my flesh stood on end.  It stood still, but I couldn’t make out its appearance; yet the form stayed there before my eyes. Then I heard a subdued voice, ‘Can a human be seen by God as righteous? Can a mortal be pure before his maker? God doesn’t trust His own servants, He finds fault even with His angels; much more those living in houses of clay, whose foundation is in the dust.’” Job 4:12-19 (CJB)

Today’s passage is the first of a series of counsel/rebukes by Job’s friends. When I read the counsel of Job’s friends, I ask the age-old question: With friends like these, who needs enemies?  

This first “counsel” comes from a fellow named Elifaz the Teimani (Hebrew).  Elifaz, in Hebrew, means “my god shines purely as gold.”  Perhaps it is eluding that Job’s friend was an idolater. One thing is sure: Elifaz reveals the source of his counsel: Satan.

In the same way the “snake” slithered up to Eve and struck up that infamous conversation in the Garden of Eden, Satan whispers in Elifaz’s ear in the night.  Interestingly, nothing Satan says is blatantly false. One of Satan’s grand schemes is to present the truth in a negative light. You see, better than getting people to reject God’s Word completely is to convince them to follow God’s Word incompletely! Both tactics keep people from a saving relationship with the Lord through His Son, Jesus. It also keeps followers of Jesus from being effective witnesses and counselors to the lost and hurting.

That is why we read God’s Word every day, asking Him to personally reveal the truth of His Word so we can know it rightly. Then, we ask Him to give us someone to share it with. Why?  Because Satan has many “Job’s friends” planted throughout this world and even in the Church. If it were not so, why would Paul have written these words?

“In fact, all those who want to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted. Evil people and impostors will become worse, deceiving and being deceived. But as for you, continue in what you have learned and firmly believed. You know those who taught you, and you know that from childhood you have known the sacred Scriptures, which are able to give you wisdom for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is inspired by God and is profitable for teaching, for rebuking, for correcting, for training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.” 2 Timothy 3:12-17 (HCSB)

We search God’s Word daily, so we can weigh both the world’s counsel and so-called “Christian” counsel that may deny critical aspects of the Word. Also, we can give Godly counsel to those who perceive their suffering as “for no reason.”

“Behold, happy is the man whom God corrects; therefore do not despise the chastening of the Almighty. For He bruises, but He binds up; He wounds, but His hands make whole. He shall deliver you in six troubles, yes, in seven no evil shall touch you.” Job 5:17-19 (NKJV)

When my older children were still very young, my wife and I determined that we would keep our kids as close to church as possible. We toted the kids to every program the church offered. When the kids got a bit older, we decided to enroll them in Christian schools. This was all because we were trying to protect our children from worldliness and its influence within the public school system.  

For the most part, our plan worked, but as time progressed, we began noticing that not all “Christian” families have the same rules and standards as us. We soon came to understand that it was not enough to protect our children from worldliness by shielding them from the World. We also must shield our kids from worldly Christians. That is, Christians whose worldview is based more on their knowledge of the World than their knowledge and faithful belief in the Bible.

This scenario is precisely what Job is facing in today’s passage. His “friends” have a form of godliness but a wrong understanding of God. When people depart from God’s Word, the Bible, they immediately lose track of the spiritual “true North” and cannot be trusted as a moral compass. That means their counsel may contain “religious-sounding” terms, be filled with sincerity, and be passionately presented…but it will probably not be consistent with God’s standard. When filtered through the lens of Scripture, what may appear to be common spiritual “horse sense” may actually be good, old-fashioned heresy!

Listen to how sincere Elifaz’s “tough love” encouragement sounds: How happy the person whom God corrects! Don’t despise Shaddai’s discipline.  

The problem was that the Lord was doing a whole other thing in Job’s life. Job was not undergoing the Lord’s rebuke. Job’s friend had misdiagnosed Job’s condition in a self-righteous rush to judgment, fueled by his Biblical ignorance. The source of Eilphaz’s spiritual pride was his lack of understanding of God, and this lack of understanding came from heeding the ungodly counsel of Satan himself.  (Job 4:12-21)

Once a person departs from God’s Word yet seeks to follow Him through some other means, not only is that person deceived, but any counsel they give has potentially eternal adverse effects on the lives of others. Notice how Elifaz prophesies, drawing wrong predictions of Job’s future based on an incorrect understanding of the Lord. This condition is rampant within the Church-at-large because so few professing believers read the Bible. We should discern all teaching and advice, just as the Bereans did.  

“Now the Berean Jews were of more noble character than those in Thessalonica, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true.” Acts 17:11 (NIV)

Grab your Bible & experience the Groundworks Ministries Podcast as Steve Wiggins leads us through the full chapter of Job 6. Click the links below to watch or listen now!

“Human life on earth is like serving in the army; yes, we drudge through our days like a hired worker, like a slave longing for shade, like a worker thinking only of his wages.” Job 7:1-2 (CJB)

It has been said that the “American Dream” is to work hard and become your own boss. When I was in high school, I met one of the most successful Americans. I was living in Arkansas and working at Wal-Mart’s store #125 when a voice came over our loudspeaker, “Hello, everyone! I am Sam Walton, owner of Wal-Mart, and I would like to meet you.” It was the first time I ever shook a billionaire’s hand. I must have washed my hands too soon after that handshake because the billions didn’t transfer to me!

Several years later, I heard a news report that Sam Walton had died. And how much of those billions did he take with him?  $0. Here is my point, and perhaps Job’s as well: Even if we become the boss of the world, we still must submit to the Lord. We work for God.

Yes, I know it grates at our independent spirits! We don’t want to work for anyone or take orders from any authority. But that doesn’t change the fact that we are bondservants at the beck-and-call of our master. It pleases God when we recognize our place in His Kingdom and willingly offer ourselves to His service. Consider Jesus’ conversation with a Roman centurion.  

“‘Lord,’ he said, “my servant lies at home paralyzed, suffering terribly.” Jesus said to him, ‘Shall I come and heal him?’ The centurion replied, ‘Lord, I do not deserve to have you come under my roof. But just say the word, and my servant will be healed. For I myself am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. I tell this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and that one, ‘Come,’ and he comes. I say to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.’ When Jesus heard this, he was amazed and said to those following him, ‘Truly I tell you, I have not found anyone in Israel with such great faith.’” Matthew 8:6-10 (NIV)

Job understood his place and the calling of all mankind to serve God. He compared it to the life of an army soldier. Well-disciplined soldiers do not question orders from their superiors, even when they seem absurd. Job did not like his condition one bit, but he had hope in God’s character. When what he believed to be true about God did not seem consistent with his immediate circumstances, Job held on to the Lord in faith.

What a perfect message for our present-day World!

But here’s the better news: We serve a Master Who (through the atoning work of His Son, Jesus) esteems us “slaves” (who have been purchased by Jesus’ shed blood) as ‘sons and daughters,’ making us co-inheritors with Messiah Jesus.

“Then Bildad the Shuhite answered and said:  ‘How long will you speak these things, and the words of your mouth be like a strong wind?  Does God subvert judgment? Or does the Almighty pervert justice?  If your sons have sinned against Him, He has cast them away for their transgression. If you would earnestly seek God and make your supplication to the Almighty, if you were pure and upright, surely now He would awake for you, and prosper your rightful dwelling place. Though your beginning was small, yet your latter end would increase abundantly.” Job 8:1-7 (NKJV)

Several years ago, I received a phone call from a friend who was considering placing his mom in an asylum. “Her dementia has become too much to handle,” he explained. His mom’s symptoms were textbook dementia and borderline Alzheimer’s. For instance, she would wear two or three outfits on top of each other, insist they had doctor appointments in the middle of the night, and call the police because she was convinced family members were trying to kill her. In her mid-70s, she displayed the behavior of women in their late 80’s. There was only one problem. She did not have dementia. She had a urinary tract infection. Thank the Lord that one doctor suggested an antibiotic because she was back to normal within a few days.

When the diagnosis is wrong, the treatment and expectations for healing are wrong, and sometimes with devastating consequences! This was the case with Job’s friends. Each was convinced God was judging Job for some secret sin, to the point where they became indignant whenever Job defended his character. Never mind Job’s testimony about himself; let’s consider Job from God’s testimony.

“Then the Lord said to Satan, ‘Have you considered My servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, one who fears God and shuns evil?’” Job 1:8 (NKJV)

Have you ever been wrongly judged? I have. Between the years 2008-2010, there was a massive financial downturn. One-in-four homes in Southern California were in danger of foreclosure. I know because I lost my home in that downturn. So, there I was, a minister of the gospel who had left Middle America to follow God’s call to Southern California. I firmly believe that God provides whenever He guides, so it was a major blow to my faith paradigm when we lost our home, so I had a serious decision to make. Was I going to curse God and die, as Job’s wife recommended, or was I going to hold on to God’s Word that EVERYTHING works together for the good (Romans 8:28)?  My wife and I chose to hold on. Other people chose to judge us.

If you are ever in foreclosure, you can’t qualify for another mortgage for three more years. Three years later, a pastor offered me a job outside of California. Had we saved our CA home with its pre-collapse mortgage, we may not have been able to heed God’s new call in another state. Sometimes He provides long-term by not providing short-term. Hard times may be unrelated to our personal righteousness and more related to His plan!

“For He is not merely human like me; there is no answer that I could give Him if we were to come together in court. There is no arbitrator between us who could lay his hand on us both. If He would remove His rod from me and not let His terrors frighten me, then I would speak without fear of Him; for when I’m alone, I’m not afraid.” Job 9:32-35 (CJB)

Job understood that it was impossible to take God to court. He understood that he could never bring forth a case against God’s character because God is flawless and perfect in all His ways. Still, Job could not understand why he was undergoing such hardship. One of Job’s frustrations was focused on the great gulf that separated God from man. If only God were a man! Perhaps mankind could relate to Him. If only He could relate to mankind! Perhaps He would be gracious and merciful towards us. Enter Jesus: God, made flesh, fully God and fully man.  

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  He was with God in the beginning. All things came to be through Him, and without Him nothing made had being. In Him was life, and the life was the light of mankind.” John 1:1-4 (CJB)

“And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.” John 1:14 (NKJV)

Now that we see how God can relate to us on a human level let’s look at Job’s next frustration: Who could arbitrate between God and man? Arbitration is a legal process used in lieu of taking a case to court. In arbitration, a third party (the Arbitrator) negotiates a settlement between the two “at odds” parties, whereby justice is served. In mankind’s case, God has done nothing wrong! Therefore, arbitration is out of the question. So, how can imperfect man commune with perfect God? Enter Jesus: our advocate.

“My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world.” 1 John 2:1-2 (NKJV)

With Jesus as our advocate, we have no need for arbitration. Messiah Jesus settled our “sin debt” to God by personally fulfilling our “righteousness obligation” on the cross. Now, turning from our sin and accepting Jesus’ offer of atonement does not stop the efforts of the Accuser (Satan) to persuade God to judge us to the full extent of the Torah. But, at the same time the Accuser is ranting against us, our Advocate (Jesus) simply raises his nail-scarred hands and says something to the effect of, “Their debt is paid in full. The Torah’s requirements have been fulfilled through Me. They are blameless and righteous in Your sight, Father!”

“Do You have eyes of flesh? Do You see as humans see? Are Your days like the days of mortals? Are Your years like human years, that You have to seek my guilt and search-out my sin? You know that I won’t be condemned, yet no one can rescue me from Your power. Your own hands shaped me, they made me; so why do You turn to destroy me? Please remember that You made me, like clay; will You return me to dust?” Job 10:4-9 (CJB)

God knows how it feels to have “eyes of flesh” and to “see as humans see.” Not only did He create humanity, but He also chose to redeem the World as a human.

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  He was with God in the beginning. All things came to be through Him, and without Him nothing made had being. In Him was life, and the life was the light of mankind.” John 1:1-4 (CJB)

“And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.” John 1:14 (NKJV)

Jesus, the “God-man,” came into this World as a man - fully God, yet fully man - to seek and save the sinner.

“For while we were still helpless, at the right time, the Messiah died on behalf of ungodly people. Now it is a rare event when someone gives up his life even for the sake of somebody righteous, although possibly, for a truly good person one might have the courage to die. But God demonstrated His own love for us in that the Messiah died on our behalf while we were still sinners.” Romans 5:6-8 (CJB)

So, exactly, who is a “sinner”?  Everyone is a sinner.

“…for all have sinned and come short of the glory of God…” Romans 3:23 (NKJV)

“As it is written, there is no one righteous, no, not one,” Romans 3:10 (NKJV)

As the man, Jesus, God can truly empathize with our human condition. But more importantly, Jesus came to save us. His salvation is not some uncertain Heavenly event set aside for the dead.  Salvation is sudden, and it is certain. Alongside the promise of Heaven, Jesus came to give us abundant life here on earth. The knowledge of His reconciliation gives us the peace to endure all manners of hardship. This kind of peace seems foolish to those who consider themselves wise in this World!  

“Therefore, since we have now come to be considered righteous by means of His bloody sacrificial death, how much more will we be delivered by His life, now that we are reconciled! And not only will we be delivered in the future, but we are boasting about God right now, because He has acted through our Lord Jesus the Messiah through whom we have already received reconciliation.” Romans 5:9-11 (CJB)

“Then Zophar the Naamathite answered and said: ‘Should not the multitude of words be answered? And should a man full of talk be vindicated? Should your empty talk make men hold their peace? And when you mock, should no one rebuke you?’” Job 11:1-3 (NKJV)

In today’s chapter, another of Job’s “friends” offers his counsel in the form of a rebuke.  It seems he feels like a little “tough love” is in order. Now, there is nothing wrong with tough love. There are times when sin must be directly confronted. And things get more complicated when we have to confront sin in our friends’ lives.  

Let’s remember that one of the most “friendly” and compassionate things we can do is to lead a friend back to repentance. We should always be gracious and compassionate when intervening in such issues, especially with friends. Still, we must be willing to risk friendships (possibly losing those friends forever) to lead people back to the right relationship with the Lord. Ultimately, it is for their benefit. Godly rebuke is a blessing to those who will accept correction.

But what about the scenario where a “counselor” has departed from God’s Word? This is an all-too-common experience. It is doubly worse when such “counselors” claim to speak from the Bible! Here, we can learn from Job’s friends. Once a person distances himself from a correct understanding of God’s Word, he also distances himself from the attributes of a believer who has a right standing with the Lord, namely, compassion, grace, mercy, gentleness, and empathy.

But notice how cold and hateful Tzofar the Na’amati is! They don’t say, “Job, help me understand why you feel this way.” This “friend” launches straight into accusation and condemnation. You see, a departure from God’s Word leads to bad theology. Bad theology leads to wrong assumptions, and wrong assumptions lead to false counsel and ham-fisted delivery.

“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline.” Proverbs 1:7 (HCSB)  

I generally do not receive rebuke with immediate contriteness & humility. I don’t know anyone who does. It is because sin is foolish, and it takes a moment for God’s Spirit to override our foolishness and convict us of our actions and attitudes. But, once we accept God’s Word on the matter, we turn from that sin. Rightness has been restored.

Things get complicated when we have experienced a history of “wrong rebuke,” where people have misused the Bible and given us false counsel. We tend to throw up our defenses even when a true believer with proper knowledge of Scripture corrects us. That is why we must seek the Bible ourselves: to know God’s Word and live according to it. At times, we will even be called to discern the difference between Godly Biblical counsel and those who misinterpret or misuse Scripture.

“Job responded: ‘No doubt you are the only people that matter; and when you die, so will wisdom. But I too have a brain, as much as you, in no way am I inferior to you. Besides, who doesn’t know things like these? Anyone who calls on God, and He answers him, becomes a laughing stock to his friends – they make fun of an innocent, blameless man.  Those at ease have contempt for misfortune, for the blow that strikes somebody already staggering. The tents of robbers prosper, the homes of those who anger God are secure, those who carry their gods in their hands.” Job 12:1-6 (CJB)

Today’s chapter begins with Job answering Tzofar’s merciless rebuke with a bit of country sarcasm. Amid such condescending counsel, Job defends his intellect. Any follower of Jesus who has sat in a secular university classroom has felt Job’s pain! Many in the “intellectual” community believe that believing the Bible means checking your brain at the door!  

Having departed from God’s Word, the World has developed a “wisdom” and “knowledge” of its own, based on observations made from presumptions based on their non-Biblical worldview. Then, they look back at Christians and openly mock them for believing ancient “myths” devised before science could prove them wrong. Many young believers, weak in Scriptural knowledge, have fallen prey to the arguments of such “authority figures.” Scripture predicts the natural downward moral progression of those who depart from God’s Word.

“How blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, Nor stand in the path of sinners, Nor sit in the seat of scoffers!” Psalm 1:1 (NASB)

When a believer departs from following God’s Word, they begin to distance themselves from it by allowing the advice of the wicked to lead them astray. Over time, they find their pursuit has led them to adopt a belief system that is, at best, partly Biblical. They are now standing firm in the way of sinners, and the Bible calls it “wicked.” Then, looking back at the true believers they have distanced themselves from, they mock them as “unenlightened,” “bigoted,” and “self-righteous.” They have exchanged the truth of God for lies.  Believing themselves enlightened, they mock the faith of true believers.  

This is exactly the case with Job’s friends. They had departed from God’s Word and followed the advice of the wicked. (Job 4:12-21) Now, claiming to be enlightened experts on God, they are mocking righteous Job. Have you ever been graced by such “believers”?  I have, and they always seem to show up when I need wise counsel! They are like mirages in the desert: They promise refreshment but leave us ever unsatisfied.

Job’s friends’ heresy was centered on prosperity. Think of it as Christian Karma: Good things happen to good people, and bad things happen to the bad. The pride of such “theology” refuses to recognize that God’s ways are not always so predictable. Prosperity is not always the merit of the believer or under the control of the faithful. God has His purposes, and man has his obligation to faithfully follow God through His Word.

Grab your Bible & experience the Groundworks Ministries Podcast as Steve Wiggins leads us through the full chapter of Job 13. Click the links below to watch or listen now!

“I wish You would hide me in Sh’ol, conceal me until Your anger has passed, then fix a time and remember me! If a man dies, will he live again?  I will wait all the days of my life for my change will come. You will call, and I will answer You; You will long to see what You have made again. Whereas now You count each step of mine, then You will not keep watch over my sin. You will seal up my crime in a bag and cover my iniquity.” Job 14:13-17 (CJB)

In today’s passage, Job introduces the idea of resurrection. More than simply bringing up the subject, Job professes to believe in the certainty of resurrection: “If a man dies, will he live again? I will wait all the days of my life, for my day will come”, “You will call, and I will answer,” and “Whereas now You count each step of mine, then You will not keep watch over my sin.”

It has been put forth by some so-called “experts” that the idea of “the resurrection” is not consistent with Judaism. Well, we see here that the belief in the resurrection predated even the call of Abraham! Furthermore, several generations before Moses, people held to the ideas of sacrifice and atonement for the removal of personal sin and guilt. I love how Job describes God sealing up Job’s crime in a bag and covering his iniquity!

Of course, the resurrection of the dead is an actual occurrence and a promise that followers of Jesus hope for. It allows us to endure suffering to follow the Lord.

“By his power God raised the Lord from the dead, and he will raise us also.” 1 Corinthians 6:14 (NIV) (See also: Romans 6:4-11, John 5:21, John 6:39-54…)

It is comforting for believers to know for certain that we will be resurrected to everlasting life in Heaven. But did you know that non-believers will also be resurrected?

“Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat upon it, from whose presence earth and heaven fled, and no place was found for them. And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and books were opened; and another book was opened, which is the book of life; and the dead were judged from the things which were written in the books, according to their deeds. And the sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades gave up the dead who were in them; and they were judged, each one of them according to their deeds. Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.” Revelation 20:11-15 (NASB)

What makes the “good news” of the gospel so good is that the “bad news” is so bad. The reality is that salvation is offered to all who would receive it, free of charge, paid in full by Jesus. Have you accepted His free gift of eternal life? If so, are you sharing the “good news” with others so they, too, can turn to the Lord and be saved?

“Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered and said: ‘Should a wise man answer with empty knowledge, and fill himself with the east wind? Should he reason with unprofitable talk, or by speeches with which he can do no good? Yes, you cast off fear, and restrain prayer before God. For your iniquity teaches your mouth, And you choose the tongue of the crafty. Your own mouth condemns you, and not I; yes, your own lips testify against you. Are you the first man who was born or were you made before the hills?  Have you heard the counsel of God? Do you limit wisdom to yourself? What do you know that we do not know? What do you understand that is not in us? Both the gray-haired and the aged are among us, much older than your father.’” Job 15:1-10 (NKJV)

Envy is pride, wounded in competition. Whenever someone is envious of you, regardless of whether you sense any degree of competition with them, just know that they are in competition with you and they feel endangered of losing. Envy is a negative defense mechanism that many people use when they feel threatened by competition. Envy’s goal is always to crush its competitor to the degree that they never rise up in competition again. Envy’s tactics include gossip, misinformation, and false counsel. Envy is what we observe from Eliphaz the Temanite’s conversation with Job, and the competition stemmed from Job’s former status of being “the greatest of all the people of the East.” (Job 1:3b)

When you read the first chapter of Job, did you not sense a bit of competition with Job yourself? When I read that Job was blameless & upright, that he feared God and shunned evil, had a big happy family, the respect of his peers, and great wealth, I compared my life to Job’s. I assumed the difference in our lifestyles must be related to my lack of righteousness to some degree. Just being honest. So, when God allows Satan to come at Job so hard, it rocks our life expectations because we must all admit that (to some degree) we hold to a theological paradigm of “quid pro quo” blessing for righteousness. Job forces us to stop comparing our lives & lifestyles with those of others.  Comparing lifestyles (based on blessing-for-righteousness) is actually a form of competition that is an open door for envy. We should not compare ourselves to others but rather to God’s standard, as He has articulated in His Word, the Bible. Then, our appreciation for Messiah Jesus’ atonement is elevated because we realize we can never earn enough to merit His favor. Our purpose in life is to seek Him and share Him with others, regardless of lifestyle reward.

In his envy, Eliphaz wrongly rebukes Job by attacking his 1) Personal experience, 2) Ability to receive God’s counsel, and 3) Going against the tradition of the elders. When the theology is off, the diagnosis is off; thus, the suggested road to recovery and expectations of healing never pay off. We seek God’s Word so we can weigh counsel. Bad counsel comes from bad theology, which leads to competition & envy.

“Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world.” 1 John 4:1(NKJV)

“My enemies look daggers at me. Wide-mouthed they gape at me; with scorn, they slap my cheeks; they gather themselves together against me. God delivers me to the perverse, throws me into the hands of the wicked. I was at peace, and he shook me apart. Yes, he grabbed me by the neck and dashed me to pieces. He set me up as his target – His archers surrounded me. He slashed my innards and shows no mercy, he pours my gall in the ground. He breaks in on me again and again, attacking me like a warrior.” Job 16:9b-14 (CJB)

I have read the book of Job several times, and this is the first time that I noticed how “messianic” many of Job’s statements are. Chapters 16 and 17 are especially messianic and relay specific instances that Jesus suffered. Job can be considered (along with Biblical figures like David, Joseph, and Daniel) as a “type” of Messiah.

Some of the images of Jesus’ suffering are found in Job 16: Prayer in the Garden of Gethsemene (v.v. 15-17), Jesus as our High Priest (v.v 18-22)

In today’s passage, the first image is of the suffering of Jesus before the Sanhedrin at Ciaphas’ home:

“My enemies look daggers at me. Wide-mouthed they gape at me; with scorn, they slap my cheeks; they gather themselves together against me. God delivers me to the perverse, throws me into the hands of the wicked.” Job 16:9b-11 (CJB)

“Meanwhile, the men who were holding Jesus made fun of Him. They beat him, blindfolded Him and kept asking him, ‘Now, prophesy!  Who hit You that time?’ And they said many other insulting things to Him.” Luke 22:63-65 (CJB)

The second half of today’s passage paints a graphic image of Jesus’ suffering on the Roman cross:

“I was at peace, and he shook me apart. Yes, he grabbed me by the neck and dashed me to pieces. He set me up as his target – His archers surrounded me. He slashed my innards and shows no mercy, he pours my gall in the ground. He breaks in on me again and again, attacking me like a warrior.” Job 16:12-14 (CJB)

“The soldiers came and broke the legs of the first man who had been put on the cross beside Jesus, then the legs of the other one; but when they got to Jesus and saw that He was already dead, they didn’t break His legs. However, one of the soldiers stabbed His side with a spear, and at once blood and water flowed out.” John 19:32-34 (CJB)

“He has made me a byword among the peoples, a creature in whose face they spit. I am nearly blind with grief, my limbs reduced to a shadow. The upright are perplexed at this, the innocent aroused against the hypocrites. Yet the righteous hold-on to their way, and those with clean hands grow stronger and stronger.  But as for you all, turn around!  Come back! – yet I won’t find a wise man among you.”  Job 17:6-10 (CJB)

Job 17 is a continuation of Job’s answer, beginning in the 16th chapter. True to the form, Job 17 is full of Messianic imagery, which those familiar with the New Testament will recognize. We see substitutionary atonement: “Be my guarantor yourself! Who else will put up a pledge for me?” (v. 3)

In today’s passage, we see a parallel between Jesus’ persecution and Job’s. Job describes how his suffering condition led him to become a byword among the people, to the point of being spat upon:  

“Then they spat in His face and beat Him with their fists. Others slapped Him and said, ‘Prophesy to us, Messiah! Who hit You?’” Matthew 26:67-68 (HCSB)

Not everyone who observed Job’s condition threw insults at him. Job said that the righteous were “perplexed” and that his state aroused the innocent against the hypocrites.  Surely, Job was the talk of the town as everyone commented about Job and tried to reckon his suffering with their personal theologies. The whole scene is reminiscent of how James exhorted followers of Jesus to consider the trials they were facing as the result of obedience to God.

“Consider it a great joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you experience various trials, because you know that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its full effect, so that you may be mature and complete, lacking nothing.

Now if any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God—who gives to all generously and ungrudgingly—and it will be given to him. But let him ask in faith without doubting. For the doubter is like the surging sea, driven and tossed by the wind. That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord, being double-minded and unstable in all his ways.” James 1:2-8 (CSB)

Through it all, Job held firm to his faith. He pleaded with his friends to turn from their sin. Perhaps the best indicator that we truly believe the gospel is our willingness to suffer to share it and to share it in the midst of our suffering. Job also knew that a reckoning was coming. Just because the Lord has not judged your sin yet doesn’t mean that He won’t.  Still, He gives us the opportunity to repent beforehand.

“The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead, he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.” 2 Peter 3:9 (NIV)

“Bildad the Shuchi said, ‘When will you put an end to words? Think about it – then we’ll talk! Why are we thought of as cattle, stupid in your view? You can tear yourself to pieces in your anger but the earth won’t be abandoned just for your sake; not even a rock will be moved from its place.’” Job 18:1-4 (CJB)

In today’s chapter, we hear from Job’s friend, Bildad, again. Bildad’s name means “son of contention,” and that is exactly what he is. Bildad is the most aggressive in his accusations against Job.

It is important to note that Job’s friends all hold to the “prosperity” gospel, which is itself not the gospel. In a nutshell, the prosperity gospel holds that God brings prosperity to people who follow Him rightly and adversity to those who follow Him wrongly. It is a divine “quid pro quo” tit-for-tat scenario. Therefore, in the eyes of the “prosperity” belief, if you are successful, you must be right with the Lord. Conversely, if you are undergoing a season of trial, it must have been brought on by your sin. Obviously, the people who put forth this “gospel” aren’t seriously considering the book of Ecclesiastes.

While each of his friends holds to the same theology, they each approach Job from different angles. Eliphaz is more spiritual and mystic; Tzofar claims Job’s problem is his lack of wisdom or judgment. Bildad’s approach is humanistic, with his action-oriented “save yourself” speeches. What is scary about their counsel is that, when you put their arguments together, Job’s friends distort God’s Word to send a clear message: “Job, you can be your own Judge, define your own truth, and save yourself.”  

By the way, “Judge,” “Revelation of Truth,” and “Salvation” are the ministries of the Father, Spirit, and Son. Job’s friends are “clinging to a ‘form’ of godliness, but denying the power, thereof.” (2 Timothy 3:5). Essentially, they are counseling Job away from relying on all three persons of God. Interestingly, 2 Timothy 3:5 exhorts believers, “from such people, turn away.”

Toward the end of today’s passage, Bildad evokes images of Jesus’ prophecy concerning the future of the Temple in Jerusalem.

“Some of His disciples were remarking about how the temple was adorned with beautiful stones and with gifts dedicated to God. But Jesus said, ‘As for what you see here, the time will come when not one stone will be left on another; every one of them will be thrown down.’” Luke 21:5-6 (NIV)

Also interesting is how Jesus’ accusers used this same prophecy against Him during His trial: “Finally two came forward and declared, ‘This fellow said, “I am able to destroy the temple of God and rebuild it in three days.” Matthew 26:60b-61 (NIV)

Shortly after this accusation, Jesus testified (again) that He was the Son of God. (See also: John 10:30-33)

“He has made my brothers keep their distance, those who know me are wholly estranged from me, my kinsfolk have failed me, and my close friends have forgotten me. Those living in my house consider me a stranger; my slave girls too – in their view, I am a foreigner. I call my servant, and he doesn’t answer, even if I beg him for a favor!” Job 19:13-16 (CJB)

As we move into the second half of the book of Job, the Messianic imagery gets more identifiable to the narrative of Jesus’ suffering. It is as if Job had heard the story of Jesus. Try reading today’s chapter alongside Isaiah 53.

Moving on to today’s passage, it is as if we are transported to Jesus’ trial before the Sanhedrin at Ciaphas’ home. Earlier, Jesus predicted that his close followers would abandon Him when he began to suffer persecution leading up to His crucifixion.  

“‘You will all fall away,’ Jesus told them, ‘for it is written: I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered.’” Mark 14:27 (NIV) (Their abandonment was also prophesied in Zechariah 13:7)

Specifically, Jesus told Peter (who was declaring he would follow Jesus, even unto death) that he would deny Him outright.

“Peter declared, ‘Even if all fall away, I will not.’ ‘Truly I tell you,’ Jesus answered, ‘today—yes, tonight—before the rooster crows twice you yourself will disown me three times.’” Mark 14:29-30 (NIV)

There is an interesting twist in today’s passage. Nestled in the midst of Job’s lament that his friends have abandoned him, Job mentions that his slave girls consider him a foreigner. Consider the dialogue between Ciaphas’ servant girl and Peter, as he was warming himself by the fire in the high priest’s courtyard, afraid to identify with Jesus:

“As Peter was below in the courtyard, one of the servant girls of the high priest came. And when she saw Peter warming himself, she looked at him and said, ‘You also were with Jesus of Nazareth.’ But he denied it, saying, ‘I neither know nor understand what you are saying.’ And he went out on the porch, and a rooster crowed. And the servant girl saw him again, and began to say to those who stood by, ‘This is one of them.’ But he denied it again. And a little later those who stood by said to Peter again, ‘Surely you are one of them; for you are a Galilean, and your speech shows it.’” Mark 14:66-70 (NKJV)

Hebrews 4:14-16 describes how Jesus is our superior “High Priest.” That being the case, shouldn’t the high priest’s home have been Jesus’ home? And shouldn’t the servant girl of the high priest have been Jesus’ servant girl, strictly in principle? Yet, she considered Jesus a “Nazarene” when, in fact, He was actually a Judean by birth. In Israel’s history, the Galilee region was part of the northern kingdom of Samaria, known for idolatry. So, the servant girl’s mention of Peter’s accent was also a strong racial slur.

Grab your Bible & experience the Groundworks Ministries Podcast as Steve Wiggins leads us through the full chapter of Job 20. Click the links below to watch or listen now!

“Why do the wicked go on living, grow old and keep increasing their power? They see their children settled with them, their posterity assured. Their houses are safe, with nothing to fear; God’s rod is not on them.  Their bulls are fertile without fail, their cows get pregnant and don’t miscarry. They produce flocks of babies and their children dance around. They sing with tambourines and lyres and rejoice to the sound of the pipe. They spend their days in prosperity and go down to the grave in peace. Yet to God they say, ‘Leave us alone! We don’t want to know Your ways. What is Shaddai, that we should serve Him? What do we gain if we pray to Him?’” Job 21:7-15 (CJB)

I once heard Dr. Adrian Rogers say, “For the non-believer, this World is as close to Heaven as they are ever going to get, so they had better get all they can while they are here! But for followers of Jesus, this World is as close to Hell as they have to get.” Don’t worry about getting cheated here. Eternity in the Lord’s presence awaits you!

In a passage that could have been lifted from the book of Ecclesiastes, Job laments that, sometimes, the wicked prosper while the righteous suffer. It all seems futile, and it would be, were it not for the promise of Heaven. If we could keep an eternal perspective, we would realize this World is but a passing vapor.

“For I consider the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us.” Romans 8:18 (ESV)

“For our momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond comparison…” 2 Corinthians 4:17 (NASB)

“Instead, rejoice as you share in the sufferings of the Messiah, so that you may also rejoice with great joy at the revelation of His glory.” 1 Peter 4:13 (HCSB)

Nobody wants to suffer, but the believer knows their suffering is also an opportunity to give reason for the hope in them. The hard-hearted non-believer does not want to hear that sort of gospel! They want to “get all they can and can all they get.” To God, whose tremendous and holy plan would include suffering, they say, “Leave us alone!” This World is their “heaven,” and it is as close to the real one as they will get. They only want to know God for what He will do for them, not so they can know what He requires of them.

In today’s passage, the name “Shaddai” comes up in the original Hebrew. Often misinterpreted as “God Almighty,” Shaddai actually means “All-Sufficient One.”  “Shad” in Hebrew means “breast.” As a mother’s milk provides an infant with all the nutrition it needs, God provides His children all they need in this life and the next. Those who reject God feel they cannot live on His provision alone, so they must provide for themselves what the Lord is either unwilling or unable to do for us Himself.

“Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered and said: ‘Can a man be profitable to God?  Surely he who is wise is profitable to himself.  Is it any pleasure to the Almighty if you are in the right, or is it gain to him if you make your ways blameless? Is it for your fear of him that he reproves you and enters into judgment with you? Is not your evil abundant? There is no end to your iniquities. For you have exacted pledges of your brothers for nothing and stripped the naked of their clothing. You have given no water to the weary to drink, and you have withheld bread from the hungry. The man with power possessed the land, and the favored man lived in it. You have sent widows away empty, and the arms of the fatherless were crushed. Therefore snares are all around you, and sudden terror overwhelms you, or darkness, so that you cannot see, and a flood of water covers you.’” Job 22:1-11 (ESV)

Are you bored with the monotony of these arguments from Job’s so-called “friends”? You should be; that is precisely why the Lord keeps confronting us with their arguments. We must endure the repetitiveness of their arguments because they are the same arguments Satan uses against us today! When we hear worldly counsel from well-intended yet Biblically context-ignorant church friends, we are intended to respond, “Oh, I’ve heard that argument before, and it is not of the Lord!”

Eliphaz is still convinced that Job is being judged by God, as opposed to being tested by Him, by allowing Satan’s divinely limited attack. Eliphaz argues that Job’s good works have not allowed him to escape God’s judgment of secret sin. That is, Job’s righteousness is of no profit to God. And that counsel is Biblically accurate in that we can never accrue enough good works to say that God OWES us anything. In fact, Jesus compared believers to servants who owe everything to their master who redeemed them and shouldn’t assume He owes them anything for their service.

“So likewise you, when you have done all those things which you are commanded, say, ‘We are unprofitable servants. We have done what was our duty to do.’” Luke 17:10 (NKJV)

But when taken out of Biblical context (Eliphaz did not include in his operational theology that God would test His servants to such an extreme as Job endured), otherwise Biblically correct counsel can turn people to despair as opposed to repentance and restoration. In Job’s case (where he committed no sin, which led him to such horrible circumstances), Eliphaz’s words extend no hope that Job could hang his faith.

No, our good works do not profit God. He does not need us, yet He chooses to call, equip, and use us to build His kingdom. The calling, equipping, and kingdom are all supplied by Him, but the choice to participate is ours. And therein lies the love of God: while our righteousness is of no profit to Him, our faith brings Him pleasure.  And the faithful should strive to hear Him proclaim, “Well done!”  (Mathew 25:21-23)

“If I head east, His isn’t there; If I head west, I won’t detect Him, if I turn north, I don’t spot Him; in the south He is veiled, and I still don’t see Him. Yet He knows the way I take; when He has tested me, I shall come forth as gold. My feet have stayed in His footsteps; I keep to His way without turning aside. I don’t withdraw from His lips’ command; I treasure His words more than my daily food.” Job 23:8-12 (CJB)

Because I have taught the Bible in coffeehouses, I am always on the lookout for a new cool location. On one occasion, I stumbled onto a vibey coffeehouse, almost hidden in a downtown neighborhood. The shop’s owner told me he considered his business to be a ministry, so I began thinking we had another Bible study location. But when I asked him to define what he meant by the word “ministry,” the owner told me he was a “universalist Christian.” What?  Oxymoron. Basically, he believes all religions lead to Heaven, and no specific religion has a corner on the complete truth.

Now, if “Christian” means “follower of Christ” (lit: follower of Messiah), how could this fellow deny the words of Jesus?

“I am the way, and the truth, and the life: No one comes to the Father except  through Me.” John 14:6 (ESV)

According to Job, God cannot be found in the “discipline-without-personal-relationship” philosophies that define Eastern religion. God also cannot be found in the “Liberty-without-accountability” philosophies that define Western religion. Go to the North or South, and you won’t find Him there, either. God can only be fully found in His Word, as Job admits at the end of today’s passage.

Can we honestly say, as Job professed, that our feet have stayed in the path of Jesus’ footsteps? He is, after all, the Word made flesh.  

“And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us.” John 1:14a (ESV)

Can we say that we have kept His way and not strayed to the right or left (east or west) of it?

“Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law My servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may prosper wherever you go.” Joshua 1:7 (NIV)

If you are undergoing a personal “trial,” remember to stay faithful to God’s Word, the Bible, and be faithful to the “Word-made-flesh,” Jesus. When your season of testing is over, you shall come forth as gold. I love God’s promises!

“Yet God keeps pulling the mighty along – they get up even when not trusting their own lives. However, even if God lets them rest in safety, His eyes are on their ways. They are exalted for a little while; and then they are gone, brought low, gathered in like all others, shriveled up like ears of grain. And even if it isn’t so now, still no one can prove me a liar and show that my words are worthless.” Job 24:22-25 (CJB)

Job has been suffering the insults & accusations of his friends, who hold to a “theology” that claims God only punishes those who do evil, and He only rewards those who do good. Amid such a caustic environment, Job (in today’s chapter) gives evidence to the contrary of his friends’ beliefs.

“Men are groaning in the city, the mortally wounded are crying for help, yet God finds nothing amiss!” Job 24:12 (CJB)

Job points to the apparent injustices in their midst, where men who do wicked prosper, and the righteous suffer. But Job goes further to suggest a reckoning is coming.

“Yet God keeps pulling the mighty along – they get up even when not trusting their own lives. However, even if God lets them rest in safety, His eyes are on their ways. They are exalted for a little while; and then they are gone, brought low, gathered in like all others, shriveled up like ears of grain.” Job 24:22-24 (CJB)

Yes, we will all die someday. Both the righteous and unrighteous must face death. To be honest, I am not afraid to die. That’s not to say I want to suffer! It’s just that believers should not fear death. To be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord. Job says that what is to be feared is to be absent from the body but not in the Lord’s presence! True, the wicked may die with millions in the bank, healthy children, and smiles on their lips, but then there is judgment and eternal separation from God.  

People who believe in Heaven do so by faith. But the same is true for those who believe in Hell. Interestingly, those who reject the Bible’s description and requirements concerning salvation also reject its claims of judgment. One can reject the notion of God, Jesus, the need for salvation, Heaven, and Hell - but rejecting those truths does not mean they don’t exist. Job is telling his friends that a reckoning is coming, believe it or not.

“And even if it isn’t so now, still no one can prove me a liar and show that my words are worthless.” Job 24:25 (CJB)

Are you ready for the reckoning?

“Then Bildad the Shuhite answered and said: ‘Dominion and fear belong to Him; He makes peace in His high places. Is there any number to His armies? Upon whom does His light not rise? How then can man be righteous before God? Or how can he be pure who is born of a woman? If even the moon does not shine, and the stars are not pure in His sight, how much less man, who is a maggot, and a son of man, who is a worm?’” Job 25:1-6 (NKJV)

Whenever one steps away from God’s Word and attempts to establish righteousness apart from it, they eventually have to deal with two opposing factors: 1) God’s complete holiness and 2) man’s incurable spiritual inadequacy.

If we say mankind can earn his salvation through some system of good works, we exaggerate man’s righteousness and humiliate God’s holiness. If we say, God is holy and impossible for man to please, then mankind is hopeless. So, here is humanity’s dilemma: How can imperfect people commune with holy God? Every major religion errs in one of these two perspectives.  

So, what distinguishes the follower of Jesus in such a way that we can confidently say, “We are saved!”? The distinguishing factor is God’s grace and mercy. Grace, in that He offers humanity a salvation we could not afford and do not deserve.  

“For you are saved by grace through faith, and this is not from yourselves; it is God’s gift— not from works, so that no one can boast.” Ephesians 2:8-9 (CSB)

Mercy, in that God offers to not give us the punishment we deserve for our sins.

“…But God proves His own love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us! Romans 5:8 (HCSB)

In today’s passage, which is actually the entire 25th chapter, Bildad’s theology contradicts his earlier arguments, along with those of his friends. Up to this point, the arguments have been simple: If a man is righteous, God will bless him; if he is unrighteous, God will judge him. Today, Bildad says it is impossible for anyone “born of a woman” to be considered righteous before God! That’s what we call a flip-flop, which is always the ultimate intellectual end of religion, apart from God’s Word. Only in the Bible do we find a God who imputes righteousness on the basis of faith, as opposed to works. Only in the Bible do we find a Messiah who is fully God and fully man, who becomes our sin offering and offers salvation, free of charge, to all who would accept it.

Satan’s argument (spoken through Job’s friend Bildad) cuts to the righteousness and deity of Jesus. Notice his language, “How can those born of a woman be clean?” The fact is that Jesus was born of a woman; the Word made flesh. And He walked among us in human form. (John 1:14) God bridged the gap between Himself and mankind through the God-man, Jesus, distinguishing as “saved” those who follow His Son.

“But Job answered and said: ‘How have you helped him who is without power? How have you saved the arm that has no strength? How have you counseled one who has no wisdom? And how have you declared sound advice to many? To whom have you uttered words? And whose spirit came from you? The dead tremble, those under the waters and those inhabiting them. Sheol is naked before Him, And Destruction has no covering.’” Job 26:1-6 (NKJV)

After Bildad’s scathing “How can humans be righteous with God?” rebuke, Job snaps back with the response, “With friends like you, who needs enemies?”  

Speaking of “enemies,” Job pinpoints the source of Bildad’s argument as Satan. This information is not new to us. It was Elifaz who first revealed the enemy’s counsel.

“For a word was stealthily brought to me, my ear caught only a whisper of it. In passing thoughts flashing through visions at night, when sleep lies heavy on people, a shiver of horror came over me; it made all my bones tremble. A spirit passed in front of my face; the hair on my flesh stood on end. It stood still, but I couldn’t make out its appearance; yet the form stayed there before my eyes. Then I heard a subdued voice, ‘Can a human be seen by God as righteous? Can a mortal be pure before his maker? God doesn’t trust His own servants, He finds fault even with His angels; much more those living in houses of clay, whose foundation is in the dust.’” Job 4:12-19 (CJB)

Now that Job has established that he is aware of who is actually speaking to him, he goes on the offensive - not just against Bildad but also against the demon counseling him. Job recalls how God judged demonic influence in the days of Noah through the flood. How, then, could such counsel override God’s Word? Demons had already been proven subject to God’s power. Job’s insight should remind us of the true source of the Worldly, non-Biblical counsel we are often subjected to. Not only is it demonic, but more importantly, its demonic source has already been judged and sentenced to an ultimate Hellish end!

The concept that Job brings up, that “the ghosts of the dead tremble beneath the water with its living creatures,” was the source of a superstition prevalent in Jesus’ day. Many people held that demons lived at the bottom of large bodies of water. The idea behind the superstition was that since spirits are eternal, they must still live at the bottom of the seas, held over from when Noah’s flood subsided. This is most likely the source of the disciples’ exclamation upon seeing Jesus walking in the water in the midst of the storm.

“Around three in the morning, He came toward them walking on the sea. When the disciples saw Him walking on the sea, they were terrified. ‘It’s a ghost!’ they said, and cried out in fear. Immediately Jesus spoke to them. ‘Have courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.’” Matthew 14:25-27 (HCSB)

Grab your Bible & experience the Groundworks Ministries Podcast as Steve Wiggins leads us through the full chapter of Job 27. Click the links below to watch or listen now!

“And to man He said, ‘Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom, And to depart from evil is understanding.’” Job 28:28 (NKJV)

I became a follower of Jesus when I was almost 21 years old. I was raised by parents who took me to church, but for some reason, religion didn’t seem to have worked on me. Some kids have drug problems. I was drug to church, and that was a problem for me!  When I reached 18, I left home and went to college on a track scholarship. For me, happiness was Fort Smith, Arkansas, in my rearview mirror.

When I got to college, I had three priorities: 1) Running track, 2) Looking for girls, and 3) Figuring out the meaning of life. Part of fulfilling  #3 was taking a World Religion course. At the time, I wasn’t real high on Jesus, so I was willing to swap religions if I found one that suited my needs better. Interestingly, a survey put out by UCLA a few years ago found that only 13% of college students search religion to find out what God requires of them. The vast majority only want to know what God can do for them as if He is some cosmic genie obligated to fulfill our wishes.

I will never forget my first day in World Religion class. The lady teaching the course stated that she was a devout Christian (an Episcopalian) but wasn’t convinced that Christianity was the only way to Heaven. Even as a non-believer, I thought that was an oxymoron: “Devout believer” who isn’t sold out! Nobody could question her knowledge of the Bible. She had memorized many long passages and knew certain nuts and bolts, but all her knowledge had not gained her wisdom. That is, she had not fully committed herself to the truth of God’s Word. She had read all about God but did not know Him personally. Because she did not know Him personally, she opened herself up to all sorts of non-Biblical ideas and life choices.

Biblical wisdom is a gift from God, and so is understanding. Wisdom & understanding must be spiritually enabled, so it is of utmost importance that people who seek God’s wisdom & understanding be filled with His Spirit. Now, the gift of the Holy Spirit is only available to those who believe in Jesus, yet it is immediately given to believers the moment we place our faith & trust in Him. Furthermore, wisdom & understanding are things the Bible recommends we seek & petition God for.

“Now if any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives to all generously and without criticizing, and it will be given to him. But let him ask in faith without doubting. For the doubter is like the surging sea, driven and tossed by the wind.’ James 1:5-6 (HCSB)

Godly wisdom brings about understanding as to Who He is and how the World works in relation to Him. Understanding is applied wisdom. Understanding says, “Based on what I know about God, I am making these specific changes to my life.” In short: fearing the Lord and shunning evil.

“Job again took up his discourse and said, ‘Oh that I were as in months gone by, As in the days when God watched over me; When His lamp shone over my head, And by His light I walked through darkness; Just as I was in the days of my youth, When the protection of God was over my tent; When the Almighty was still with me, And my children were around me; When my steps were bathed in cream, And the rock poured out streams of oil for me!’”  Job 29:1-6 (NASB)

When I was a new believer, young in the faith, I was blessed to be invited to join a group of fiery young men bent on building the Kingdom through Bible study, fellowship, and personal evangelism. I’ll never forget the closeness of that community and how it seemed to come together organically without much effort on anyone’s part. Later in my life, I was involved in several ministry efforts that seemed forced and unnatural, but those early discipleship days for me were truly amazing. Each of us went on to pursue full-time ministry, and we have all been highly successful. That group of guys was a gift from the Lord to each of us, but as naturally as it came together, it fell apart. Each one of us heeded the Lord’s calling to other places, much like friends in Army boot camp must eventually be deployed to their areas of specialty for the good of the Army’s greater mission.  

I miss those early Christian days when heeding God’s call was more rooted in “I can do all things through Christ Who strengthens me” (Philippians 4:13) than “You will be hated by everyone because of Me.” (Matthew 10:22; John 15:15-18; Mark 13:13) In today’s chapter, Job is lamenting bygone days when “God watched over me…”.  But Job had a lesson to learn: God was as close as He had ever been or ever could be.  It is just that Job’s personal theology placed Job in the center of the world, not God.  God does not exist to accomplish our purposes; we exist to accomplish His through the power of His Spirit and to the glory of His Son, Messiah Jesus. How can I say that?  Because God’s Word teaches it.  In that idea, we share Job’s struggle to cling to God’s Word when the road ahead is dark and uncertain.

“Through Your precepts, I get understanding; therefore I hate every false way. Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. I have sworn and confirmed that I will keep Your righteous judgments”.  Psalm 119:104-106 (NKJV)

We serve a God who never leaves or forsakes us, even when the valley darkens with the shadow of death.  (Hebrews 13:5 - Deuteronomy 31:6;8 - Joshua 1:5 – Psalm 23:4)  And our “job” (pun intended) is to take Him at His Word. Job may not have possessed a copy of the Bible as we know it, but God made His Word abundantly clear to Job, as He has to us, through His Spirit when we read the Bible. Not only did God have a lesson for Job, but He also used Job (as He sometimes uses us) to teach lessons to onlookers. Does your faith have the capacity to be used as a lesson on faithfulness?

“But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit—the Father will send Him in My name—will teach you all things and remind you of everything I have told you.”  John 14:26 (HCSB)

“I call out to You God, but You don’t answer me; I stand up to plead but You just look at me. You have turned cruelly against me; with Your powerful hand You keep persecuting me. You snatch me up on the wind and make me ride it; You toss me about in the tempest. For I know that you will bring me death, the house assigned to everyone living.” Job 30:20-23 (CJB)

One of the hardest things for followers of Jesus to comprehend is the problem of pain and hardship in the lives of believers. It is easy to take the stance of Job’s friends whenever non-believers suffer. Perhaps we could say they earned it. But what about the suffering of the righteous? Is God not paying attention? Does He not have the power to save? Or worse, does He not exist after all? These questions can go through the minds of even the most ardent followers of Jesus when serious trials come upon them.

While it is unimaginable for me to answer the “why” of everyone’s individual troubles, at least it is comforting to know that Jesus can relate to whatever pain you may be going through. Job had it bad - but Jesus had it worse. This is primarily because Satan was ordered to stop short of killing Job. With Jesus, Satan was permitted to go all the way. Job may have felt close to the edge, but Jesus got pushed over it! In those final moments on the cross, Jesus cried out with words that seemed to come from Job’s own mouth.  

“Now from the sixth hour darkness fell upon all the land until the ninth hour. About the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, ‘Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?’ that is, ‘My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?’ Matthew 27:45-46 (NASB)

“Why?” It is not as if Jesus did not know God’s plan of salvation or His role in the salvation of mankind. You see, as Jesus was paying a debt He did not owe, He was also demonstrating the response (to God) of all who would die apart from His atonement. Furthermore, when we analyze the psalm Jesus quoted at that moment, we recognize His cry was also a song of hope, of enduring to the end. It was a hope based on the testimony of God’s Word concerning His faithfulness throughout the generations.

“My God, my God, why have You forsaken me? Far from my help are the words of my groaning. My God, I cry out by day, but You do not answer; And by night, but I have no rest. Yet You are holy, You who are enthroned upon the praises of Israel. In You our fathers trusted; They trusted and You rescued them. To You they cried out and they fled to safety; In You they trusted and were not disappointed.” Psalm 22:1-5 (NASB)

Believer, are you suffering at the moment, wondering, “Why, God?” It is a logical human response. But be encouraged! Even if all hope seems lost and your present situation carries you to the grave, God’s promise of eternity with Him in Heaven endures. It was true for those believers who came before you and will be true for you.

“I wish I had someone who would listen to me! Here is my signature; let Shaddai answer me! I wish I had the indictment my adversary has written! I would carry it on my shoulder; I would bind it on me like a crown. I would declare every one of my steps; I would approach Him like a prince.” Job 31:35-37 (CJB)

In today’s chapter, every curse/judgment that Job calls upon himself (in the event he is found unrighteous) is found in the book of Isaiah. Isaiah was called to communicate God’s certain judgment if Israel remained unrepentant. Of course, Israel refused to repent, so many years later, Jeremiah reported how God fulfilled everything that was prophesied through Isaiah.  

Reading the opening lines of today’s passage, I am thankful that we have someone who will listen to us! Jesus is the advocate before God for all believers, defending us as the Adversary accuses us. In the days of the priesthood, the high priest wore two black stones on the shoulders of his garment. These black stones represented the sin of Israel and symbolized the priest’s duty to atone for them, literally “shouldering” the sin and guilt of the people.

“Take two onyx stones and engrave on them the names of the sons of Israel – six of their names on the one stone and the six remaining names on the other, in the order of their birth. An engraver should engrave the names of the sons of Israel on the two stones as he would engrave a seal. Mount the stones in gold settings and put the two stones on the shoulder pieces of the vest as stones calling to mind the sons of Israel. Aaron is to carry their names on his shoulders as a reminder.” Exodus 28:9-12 (CJB)

The inefficiency of the priesthood to provide lasting atonement for Israel was replaced by Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross.  Jesus “shouldered” the sin of the World.  

“Now every priest stands every day doing his service, offering over and over the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. But this one (Jesus), after He had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, sat down at the right hand of God, from then on to wait until His enemies be made a footstool for His feet. For by a single offering He has brought to the goal for all time those who are being set apart for God and made holy.” Hebrews 10:11-14 (CJB)

Jesus paid the sin debt we owe, the same sin debt the Adversary accuses us of in his indictment against us before the Lord. But his accusation cannot stand because Messiah’s atonement has covered our sins, and God remembers it no more.

“But the Holy Spirit also witnesses to us; for after He had said before, ‘This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, says the Lord: I will put My laws into their hearts, and in their minds I will write them,’ then He adds, ‘Their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more.’” Hebrews 10:15-17 (NKJV)

“Now because they were years older than he, Elihu had waited to speak to Job. When Elihu saw that there was no answer in the mouth of these three men, his wrath was aroused. So Elihu, the son of Barachel the Buzite, answered and said: ‘I am young in years, and you are very old; therefore I was afraid, and dared not declare my opinion to you. I said, “Age should speak, and multitude of years should teach wisdom.” But there is a spirit in man, and the breath of the Almighty gives him understanding. Great men are not always wise, nor do the aged always understand justice. Therefore I say, ‘Listen to me, I also will declare my opinion.’” Job 32:4-10 (NKJV)

In today’s chapter, we are introduced to Elihu. Elihu has been silently present for all the conversations leading up to this point. Perhaps because he was young, he felt the voices of age-old wisdom should speak. Not only did the old guys fail to put Job in his place, but Job ended up silencing them by proclaiming the truth of God’s Word. Job’s older friends’ failure to coerce a confession teaches us two important lessons about departing from God’s Word: 1) You lose your moral ground, and 2) You eventually lose your followers!

“Where there is no revelation, people cast off restraint; but blessed is the one who heeds wisdom’s instruction.” Proverbs 29:18 (NIV)

Elihu casts off his restraint. Because there was no Godly leadership and clear direction from God’s Word, Elihu lost his faith in the establishment. A youth movement was born.  We see that same scenario developing in the Church at large today, and often for obvious reasons. Many young people are frustrated with the hypocrisy and inefficiency they have experienced in the Church. But some of the assumptions put forth from certain emerging strains are just as off base as Elihu’s rebuke of Job! The way to combat a lack of Godliness in the establishment is not just to be more creative and mysterious but to be adherent to God’s Word.

There is nothing wrong with youthful passion or even rebuking the establishment as long as one is meek. “Meekness” is power under submission, and Godly meekness for young people means submitting all that youthful energy to the authority of Scripture and the direction of the Holy Spirit. Contrast Elihu’s words with Paul’s exhortation to Timothy:

“Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity. Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to preaching and to teaching.” 1 Timothy 4:12-13 (NIV)

The source of Elihu’s boldness was nothing more than old-fashioned, youthful, rebellious gut feelings: “The spirit in a person.” But Paul reveals how a young person can be justified in boldly leading people much older than himself: By being an example in all that he is & does through reading, preaching, and teaching the Bible.

“So, Job, please, hear my speech; listen to all my words. Look, I am opening my mouth; the words are on the tip of my tongue. I will say exactly what is on my mind; what my lips know they will speak sincerely. It is the Spirit of God that made me, the breath of Shaddai that gives me life. So refute me, if you can; organize your words, take your stand! Look, before God, I’m the same as you; I too am fashioned from clay. You don’t need to be afraid of me; my pressure on you will not be heavy.” Job33:1-7 (CJB)

Over the past few years, I have noticed a bumper sticker on more and more cars. It is a sticker that reads “coexist,” and the letters are made up of religious symbols: Muslim crescent & star, Satanic pentagram, “e” from the theory of relativity, yin-yang, Karma wheel dotting an “I,” and of course, the Cross. The problem with this bumper sticker is that these religions can’t coexist! If you study the teachings of these religions, devout followers of each would always be trying to kill or convert the others. Given these religions’ various conflicting claims to truth, it is a naive notion that they could ever live in harmony.

“There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death.” Proverbs 14:12 (NKJV)

We should indeed be respectful to all mankind, remembering that all life is a gift from God. At the same time, we must be certain that the object of our worship is the one that leads to eternal life.

“Jesus answered, I am the way and the truth and the life.  No one comes to the Father except through Me.” John 14:6 (NIV)

The young Elihu claimed to speak from the Spirit, which was breathed into him by God and gave him life. But just because he was alive, that was no grounds for Elihu to be an emissary of God’s saving grace. Satan is obviously speaking lies through this young man.   Notice how Elihu’s promise of lightening Job’s spiritual burden mimics the words of Jesus. The best heresies are those which closely resemble the real thing. They claim the same God to divine new revelations from the same Spirit, and they bend God’s Word to mean the opposite of its intended message. “From such, turn away.” 2 Timothy 3:5b (NKJV)  

“All things have been delivered to Me by My Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father. Nor does anyone know the Father except the Son, and the one to whom the Son wills to reveal Him. Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” Matthew 11:27-30 (NKJV)

While we are all called to share the gospel, ultimately, it is Jesus, through the power of the Holy Spirit, Who reveals the Father to the unbeliever at the soul level.

Grab your Bible & experience the Groundworks Ministries Podcast as Steve Wiggins leads us through the full chapter of Job 34. Click the links below to watch or listen now!

“Are you so convinced you are right, that you say, ‘I am more just than God’? For you ask what advantage is it to you, ‘How do I gain from not sinning?’” Job 35:1-3 (CJB)

When my wife and I moved from suburban Chicago to Southern California years ago, we were amazed at how many varieties of fruits and vegetables could grow in our backyard.  In Chicago, we only grew icicles. In the 1950s, my old So-Cal neighborhood was a fruit orchard; many of those original fruit trees were still scattered throughout the neighborhood. As a result, everyone in my neighborhood had more than enough oranges, lemons, walnuts, limes, pomegranates, etc., than they knew what to do with! The reason that the neighborhood has fresh fruit today is that someone planted seeds a long time ago.  

In today’s passage, Elihu rebukes Job for asking, “How do I gain from not sinning?” Job asks an honest question, especially if one cannot pinpoint the reason for their suffering. We have the benefit of flipping to the end of Job’s story.  From our perspective, we say, “Hold on, Job! It won’t be long until God restores even more than He allowed to be taken away.” But poor Job couldn’t see how his conditions would turn out. He was literally living on faith and trying to hold on to God’s Word, even when it didn’t feel right.

We would like to believe our faithfulness would be rewarded immediately by the way some sustained level of personal comfort or success. But sometimes, that faithfulness is never realized, at least in our lifetimes. Sometimes, we have to enlist the faith of a “patriarch.” That is, our faithfulness should set into motion habits and patterns of faithfulness that our children or grandchildren will implement. And they will see a level of blessing we only hoped to achieve. This is the story of Israel, leading up to Joshua’s leading Israel into the land of Canaan.

So, what does this all have to do with the fruit trees in my neighborhood and Elihu’s rebuke of Job’s question, “How do I gain from not sinning?” When we faithfully follow the Lord, He guides us by His Spirit. Our faithfulness is like good soil and His Spirit planting the good seed of God’s Word in us. If we continue in faith, God’s Word will develop roots, produce shoots and leaves, and, eventually, bear fruit.

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Against such things, there is no law.” Galatians 5:22-23 (HCSB)

The benefit of holding on to God’s Word, even when it isn’t comfortable, is that God truly does reward faithfulness, just not always in the ways or time frame we expect. But the more we wait faithfully, the more we experience God’s faithfulness, which builds our endurance and deepens our trust in His Word. That deepened trust manifests itself in love, peace, patience, kindness, etc. It takes soil, seed, water, manure, and time. In time, Job’s faith was realized. That is what Job gained from not sinning in the midst of his suffering. Faith isn’t fact until it’s tested, so hold on and let faith work!

“Those who have a godless heart harbor anger; even when God binds them, they do not cry for help. They die in their youth; their life ends among male cult prostitutes.  God rescues the afflicted by their affliction; He instructs them by their torment. Indeed, He lured you from the jaws of distress to a spacious and unconfined place.  Your table was spread with choice food. Yet now you are obsessed with the judgment due the wicked; judgment and justice have seized you. Be careful that no one lures you with riches; do not let a large ransom lead you astray. Can your wealth or all your physical exertion keep you from distress?” Job 36: 13-19 (HCSB)

Continuing from yesterday’s chapter, Elihu is proclaiming the goodness of God. Indeed, God is good, and for the most part, we find nothing wrong with Elihu’s proclamation, except for one majorly minor tidbit: Job is not being judged! So, while Elihu’s proclamations sound like praise, they expose a major error in his theology. Elihu’s faith (along with the rest of Job’s “friends”) could not comprehend the suffering of the righteous or the (worldly) prosperity of the wicked. He is not the only person in the Bible to wrestle with that concept. Consider these verses:

“Righteous are You, O Lord, when I plead with You; Yet let me talk with You about Your judgments. Why does the way of the wicked prosper? Why are those happy who deal so treacherously?” Jeremiah 12:1 (NKJV)

“There is a vanity which occurs on earth, that there are just men to whom it happens according to the work of the wicked; again, there are wicked men to whom it happens according to the work of the righteous. I said that this also is vanity.” Ecclesiastes 8:14 (NKJV)

Our job is not to hold God accountable as if we could understand His ways and hold His wisdom and Lordship in contempt. Our job is to trust in His character (as articulated in His Word) and live obediently, knowing it will all make sense in eternity.

“And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.” Romans 8:28 (NKJV)

Yes, God resists the proud, but His greatest delight is when sinners turn to Him.

“The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.” John 10:10  (NKJV)

“For when we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.  For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die. But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:6-8 (NKJV)

“Teach us what we should tell Him, for the darkness keeps us from organizing our case. Is He to be told that I will speak? Can a man speak at all when he is already swallowed up? Now people don’t see the light, which is bright in the sky; but then the wind blows and clears the clouds away. Out of the north comes a golden glow, fearsome majesty surrounding God. Shaddai, whom we cannot find, whose power is immense in His great righteousness does not pervert justice. This is why people fear Him; He does not consider those who think of themselves as wise.” Job 37:19-24 (CJB)

In today’s passage, Job’s friend Elihu takes one final stab and accuses Job. His basic ongoing indictment is that Job is undergoing judgment for his sin by the righteous Judge. As we remember, Elihu is the more mystical and spiritual of Job’s friends. But as far back as chapter 4, Elihu reveals the source of his theology: Satan.

“For a word was stealthily brought to me, my ear caught only a whisper of it. In passing thoughts flashing through visions at night, when sleep lies heavy on people, a shiver of horror came over me; it made all my bones tremble. Then a spirit passed in front of my face; the hair on my flesh stood on end. It stood still, but I couldn’t make out its appearance; yet the form stayed there before my eyes. Then I heard a subdued voice, ‘Can a human be seen by God as righteous? Can a mortal be pure before his maker? God doesn’t trust His own servants, He finds fault even with His angels; much more those living in houses of clay, whose foundation is in the dust.’” Job 4:12-19 (CJB)

I know it may be laboring that I continue to bring this up, but if we can pinpoint the source of Elihu’s counsel, we can comprehend the real agenda behind the conversation. The reader then must ask, “What is Satan trying to accomplish from this conversation?”  What is evil communicating? I believe Satan is envious of God’s affection towards humanity, and he cannot understand why God would condemn him to Hell yet choose to redeem sinful men & women.

Pay attention to Satan’s question in chapter 4:  “Can a human be seen by God as righteous? Can a mortal be pure before his maker? God doesn’t trust His own servants, He finds fault even with His angels; much more those living in houses of clay, whose foundation is in the dust.”  Job 4:17b-19 (CJB)

Compare that with Satan’s questioning in today’s passage: “Shaddai, whom we cannot find, whose power is immense in His great righteousness does not pervert justice. This is why people fear Him; He does not consider those who think of themselves as wise.” Job 37:23-24 (CJB)

Satan is telling his own story and trying to convince Job that they have common eternal destinations, so Job should just give up! Envy is pride wounded in competition, and Satan is envious and hates believers because we have attained, by God’s Grace, what he could not achieve, even with his great power and position.

“Then the Lord answered Job out of the storm: ‘Who is this, darkening my plans with his ignorant words? Stand up like a man and brace yourself; I will ask questions; and you, give the answers!’” Job 38:1-3 (CJB)

In reading Job, it is easy to get the impression that Satan is taking advantage of God and the Lord is passively standing by. It is as if God has been conned by the Devil, pick-pocketed, as it were, and robbed of His best follower. But that is not the case. Satan may be taking advantage of the situation, but he is not taking advantage of God. We must remember that it was God who brought Job into the conversation.

“Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan also came among them. And the Lord said to Satan, ‘From where do you come?’ So Satan answered the Lord and said, ‘From going to and fro on the earth, and from walking back and forth on it.’; Then the Lord said to Satan, ‘Have you considered My servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, one who fears God and shuns evil?’” Job 1:6-8 (NASB)

So, now we see that it was God’s idea. It sounds cruel - as it no doubt felt to Job - but if God allowed it, Job’s suffering must have ultimately been a good thing. For one thing, at the pinnacle of his suffering, Job uttered these words:

“And to human beings, He said, ‘Look, to fear the Lord is wisdom!  Shunning evil is understanding!’” Job 28:28 (CJB)

We began this probe into Job’s story with a simple thought: FAITH is not FACT until it is TESTED. At the beginning of the book of Job, God declares that Job was “a blameless and upright man who fears God and shuns evil.” Of course, it is easier to be blameless and upright when the times are good! But what if you stripped a man of all his worldly possessions and brought a man to the brink of death? That was basically Satan’s argument to God. Through it all, Job never stopped fearing God, nor did he ever embrace evil.  

In the beginning, Job’s faith was mainly a theory, but by the end, Job had the most valuable knowledge available. Job’s faith was the real thing. God knew it from the beginning, Satan learned it, and (most importantly) Job learned it, but Job still didn’t understand why all this was happening. I am certain he understood after the following conversation with the Lord!!

In today’s passage, the Lord says, “Who is this, darkening My plans with his ignorant words?”  It was God’s plan, not Satan’s, for Job to undergo such tribulation. Therefore, it was ultimately for good.  (Romans 8:28)

Do you feel like you are in the “olive press,” being squeezed for no apparent reason?  When what we believe is not what we feel, and we still hold on, that is when we truly know for certain that we’ve got the real stuff!

“Did you give the horse its strength? Did you clothe its neck with a mane? Did you make him able to leap like a locust? Its majestic snorting is frightening! It paws with force and exults with vigor, then charges into battle; mocking at fear, unafraid, it does not shy away from the sword. But the rider’s quiver rattles over it, his gleaming spear and javelin.  Frenzied and eager, it devours the ground, scarcely believing the trumpet has sounded. At the sound of the shofar it whinnies: as from afar it scents battle, the roar of the chiefs and the shouting.” Job 39:19-25 (CJB)

In today’s chapter, the Lord asks for Job’s knowledge and understanding of eight of His creatures. Job is given a pop quiz concerning the birth of mountain goats & deer that live among treacherous cliffs. He speaks of the impossibility of taming wild donkeys and oxen. The Lord asks if Job has knowledge of the ostrich, which has wings but no wisdom, compassion, or understanding. He points out the wisdom of the hawk and eagles, and in today’s passage, the Lord describes the horse.

Speaking of horses, I grew up in Arkansas and Louisiana horse country. I appreciate the beauty of a horse. In the words of American orator Will Rogers, “There is nothing better for the inside of a man than the outside of a horse.” That being said, I also know how dangerous horses can be. A college friend of mine was killed when the horse he was riding was startled and bucked him off.

Horses under submission are very useful, but an un-submissive horse is dangerously unreliable, useful for nothing. The term horse trainers use for taming a horse is “making him meek.” Meekness is power under submission. When considering God’s description of the horse in today’s passage, I am reminded of myself as a young believer. I had a lot of energy and zealous passion, but I had to learn to submit to Jesus.

“Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.” Matthew 5:5 (NIV)

Jesus’s words were a quote from the Psalms and were intended to contrast those Israelites who made themselves meek to the Lord against those who rejected submission and pursued evil. If you remember, it was Israel’s refusal to submit to God that led to their being conquered and deported. God promised that if Israel repented, they would be restored to the land.

“For evildoers will be cut off, but those hoping in the Lord will inherit the land. Soon, the wicked will be no more; you will look for his place, and he won’t be there. But the meek will inherit the land and delight themselves in abundant peace.” Psalm 37:9-11 (CJB)

Have you made yourself “meek” by placing yourself under submission to the Lord’s Word? Or are you still trying to do something big for God in your own way by your own power? When we submit and seek to do the Lord’s work the Lord’s way, we find ourselves resting in the Lord’s peace. God is teaching Job to be meek, surrendering himself to the Lord’s gracious “bridle” so he could be led and not try to seize the reigns.

“The Lord answered Job out of the storm. Stand up like a man and brace yourself. I will ask questions; and you will give the answers! Are you falsely attacking my justice?  Putting Me in the wrong will prove yourself right? Do you have an arm like God’s? Can you thunder with a voice like His? Come on, deck yourself with majesty and dignity, robe yourself in glory and splendor. Let loose your furious anger, look at all who are proud, and humble them. Look at all who are proud and bring them down; tread down the wicked where they stand. Bury them in the ground together, bind their faces in the hidden world. If you do this, then I will confess to you that your own power can save you.” Job 40:6-14 (CJB)

In today’s passage, in essence, God is telling Job, “Everybody wants My job, but nobody can do it!” Whenever we are in the midst of hardship, why is there always some part of us that wants to indict God’s character? We want to claim that God is not being fair or that He is too busy or blind to see us. Perhaps He has the will, but sometimes we wonder if He actually has the power to affect change.

Because we know that God can alleviate suffering, we spend much of our time on earth frustrated that we are not where we feel we should be. Sometimes, the world doesn’t make sense, and God allows wicked people to prosper. Basically, we have seen the system manipulated so many times in the world that we wonder why the rules can’t be bent for us. In short, that kind of attitude communicates one thing: we want to be our own god! But honestly, we only want to determine our destinies until things get over our heads. And things can get over our heads pretty quickly! Not only can you not be God, but it is also impossible for you to be your own savior.

“If you do this, then I will confess to you that your own power can save you.” Job 40:14 (CJB)

For a moment, ponder the gravity of that statement. Only God can save a man. Man cannot save himself. Now consider that if only God can save a man, who must the Savior of all mankind be? Some believe Jesus was a good man, perhaps the best man who ever lived. They even claim that Jesus is the Messiah (the salvation of both Jew & Gentile), but in their ignorance of Scripture, they deny His deity.  

“Bethlehem Ephrathah, you are small among the clans of Judah; One will come from you to be ruler over Israel for Me. His origin is from antiquity, from eternity.” Micah 5:2  (see also: John 1:1-14; 10:17-18a)

Because Jesus is God, made flesh, He has both the power & authority to save not only Himself but all mankind as well!

“This is why the Father loves Me, because I am laying down My life so I may take it up again. No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down on My own. I have the right to lay it down, and I have the right to take it up again. I have received this command from My Father.” John 10:17-18 (HCSB)

Grab your Bible & experience the Groundworks Ministries Podcast as Steve Wiggins leads us through the full chapter of Job 41. Click the links below to watch or listen now!

“Then at last, Job gave the Lord this answer: ‘I know that You can do everything, that no purpose of Yours can be thwarted. You asked, “Who is this, hiding his counsel, without having knowledge?” Yes, I spoke, without understanding, of wonders far beyond me, which I didn’t know.  Please listen, and I will speak.  You said, “I will ask questions and you, give Me answers” – I had heard about You with my ears, but now my eyes see You; therefore I detest myself and repent in dust and ashes.’” Job 42:1-6 (CJB)

Growing up, I loved old-school horror movies, films like the original Dracula, the Mummy, Creature From The Black Lagoon, and, of course, Frankenstein. An interesting moral in the Frankenstein narrative is that a well-intended person can create something that gets so out of control that it eventually destroys its creator.

In a rebuke that lasts five chapters, God instructs Job that He created everything and that everything He made is entirely under His control. Even great beasts like Leviathan and Behemoth must answer to the Lord. Scholars have debated over the identities of these creatures. Some say they are a whale and a crocodile. Others believe they are a dinosaur and a giant squid. Still, others suggest they are symbols of sin and the Devil. It doesn’t matter what they are as long as we understand they are under God’s control!

There is so much in this World that we do not understand, and it is comforting that we are not required to know everything about everything. Have you ever gone out with friends and, while you were out together, something so incredible happened that you can’t stop talking about it? Then, when another friend asks what you are talking about, you say, “We can’t explain it; you just had to be there….” That is how it is with God. He tells us all that we NEED to know about Him, but not ALL there is to know about Him. We simply cannot understand some things, such as what existence was like before creation. Or the sound it made when the land was separated from the ocean. We just had to be there. But we weren’t.

It is much the same situation when we share the gospel with non-believers. How can we convey what it is like to know and follow God through a saving relationship with Messiah Jesus? It cannot fully be described, as all analogies end up falling short of the real thing. God cannot be fully appreciated in theories and descriptions. A relationship with God must be lived.  Our relationship with Him must be personal. (John 14:6)

And that is what Job has been doing for 42 chapters, living out his faith in the worst situations. Job’s faith has been tested to the point that it is realized as fact.  Job held on, and God showed up.  That is Job’s confession in today’s passage:

“I had heard about You with my ears, but now my eyes see You; therefore, I detest myself and repent in dust and ashes.” Job 42:5-6 (CJB)

Are you experiencing difficulty in your faith journey? Hold on! Trust the Lord and His Word and keep pressing on until He shows up and proves His Word true in your life.

“Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the path of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful.” Psalm 1:1 (NKJV)

As a young recording artist, I received some veteran advice from an older colleague: You never get a second chance to make a first impression. This artist communicated the reality that most first-time concertgoers form their opinions of your music before your first song ends. Therefore, it is of utmost importance that you immediately seize their attention, earn their trust, and establish your message within the first three minutes. No pressure, right? And musical “first impressions” are powerful in our culture. Most churchgoers will not download their pastor’s sermon and listen to it over and over the following week. However, they will go to a music streaming website and listen to worship music. That is why it is so important that the music we sing also communicates the correct theology. Martin Luther said, “Music is the handmaiden of theology,” but for some people, music is their primary source of reinforced theology, especially for young believers who have yet to form the habit of daily Bible study.

So, when it comes to “first impressions,” what is God communicating to His people within the first line of the first song in Israel’s hymnal? Seeking and living according to His Word is paramount for success in life! Notice how He describes a pattern of decline whenever people seek “ungodly” counsel. And what makes counsel ungodly? It simply denies God’s Word. The moment we replace God’s Word, the Bible, with some extra-Biblical source, we are replacing the pursuit of Godly blessing with Worldly goals. Ungodly counsel segregates God from certain areas of our lives where we feel He may hinder progress and sends us into a downward moral trajectory, where we go from seeking non-Biblical counsel to actually “standing” in the path of sinners and being more comfortable around non-believers than among Christians who seek God’s Word.

The longer we live not just among the ungodly but literally “becoming as” the ungodly, the more we become solidified in the world’s value system. Increasingly ungodly values spiral us even further down to the point where we become fully established, sitting in the “seat of the scornful.” This means that we have descended, Biblically, to the point where we are actually mocking and scorning Christians who believe the Bible and are striving to live according to it!

For those of us who have determined to seek God’s Counsel, we begin to spiral upward spiritually. We become more established in a faith that does not defer hope. Instead, God proves Himself faithful to our pursuance of Him.

“But his [the blessed man’s] delight is in the law of the Lord, and in His law, he meditates day and night.”  He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that brings forth its fruit in its season, whose leaf also shall not wither; and whatever he does shall prosper.” Psalm 1:2-3 (See also Revelation 22:1-3) (NKJV)

“The ungodly are not so, but are like the chaff which the wind drives away. Therefore, the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous. For the Lord knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the ungodly shall perish.”  Psalm 1:4-6 (NKJV)

“Why do the nations rage, and the people plot a vain thing? The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the Lord and against His Anointed, saying, ‘Let us break their bonds in pieces and cast away their cords from us.’” Psalm 2:1-3 (NKJV)

I have heard it said by various church leaders that Christians should be known more for what they are “for” than what they are “against  .”Their point is that Christians have a negative image in the world and that non-believers’ perception of us is that we are always negative: “Don’t do this or that….”  That may be the case in some instances. I have met quite a few negative, unloving Christians. However, the cure for the world’s perception of us is not that we must engage in increased levels of positive conversation. They will rage against us regardless! The psalmist (in this case, David) tells us that the nations have ALWAYS plotted against the Lord and His people, not because of our rhetoric, but because they perceive God’s Word as restraining them from the so-called “happiness’ offered by Satan and his demonic fleshly influence in the world. Satan always promises high and delivers low.

The reality is that God does not “bind us in cords” to keep us from enjoying life, as the world suggests. Yes, God’s Word (including our freedom in Christ) commands us to be disciplined and adhere to certain restrictions and prohibitions. Those guidelines are given to enhance and ensure our joy, not keep us from it! He describes His Word as leading us gently, with bands of love, not dragging (or restricting) us from fun.

“When Israel was a child, I loved him, and out of Egypt I called My son. As they called them, so they went from them; they sacrificed to the Baals, and burned incense to carved images. I taught Ephraim to walk, taking them by their arms; but they did not know that I healed them. I drew them with gentle cords, with bands of love, and I was to them as those who take the yoke from their neck. I stooped and fed them.”  Hosea 11:1-4 (NKJV)

The prophet Hosea described how the Northern kingdom of Israel (Ephraim) had forsaken God, choosing the so-called “unrestricted freedom” of worldly idolatry against the ordered worship of the Lord. In the end, Assyria (whose false gods Ephraim had worshipped) defeated the Northern kingdom and took them away captive. The world’s promised freedom always leads to bondage far worse than any “burden” the Lord would require. Satan only seeks to trap and control you, keeping you from the blessings of a Godly life. Perhaps that is why Jesus’ words were so comforting to many people in His generation and ours as well.

“Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”  Matthew 11:28-30 (NKJV)

“Lord, how they have increased who trouble me! Many are they who rise up against me. Many are they who say of me, ‘There is no help for him in God.’ (Selah) But You, O Lord, are a shield for me, my glory and the One who lifts up my head. I cried to the Lord with my voice, and He heard me from His holy hill. (Selah) I lay down and slept; I awoke, for the Lord sustained me. I will not be afraid of ten thousands of people who have set themselves against me all around. Arise, O Lord; save me, O my God! For You have struck all my enemies on the cheekbone; you have broken the teeth of the ungodly. Salvation belongs to the Lord. Your blessing is up on Your people. (Selah)” Psalm 3:1-8 (NKJV)

I am embarrassed to admit it, but my wife and I used to own a little Chihuahua. She was 50% tremble and 50% rage. The typical Chihuahua is a Pit Bull cursed with a Guinea Pig’s body. A few years ago, we noticed our Chihuahua’s breath was increasingly horrible, so we took it to the veterinarian. Turns out, the dog had severe gum disease that required the vet to pull every tooth from the dog’s mouth! I used to be hesitant to pet the dog for fear of getting bitten. Not after that! The dog could bristle, growl, bark, and bite. It just couldn’t do any damage.

This is like the picture the Lord is painting with David’s psalm. God had broken the teeth of David’s enemies and took the bite right out of them! And He does exactly the same for us through Messiah Jesus.

“O Death, where is your sting? O Hades, where is your victory? The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus, Messiah.” 1 Corinthians 15:55-57 (NKJV)

And who were David’s enemies? At the time this psalm was penned, David was pursued by his own son, Absalom (along with the majority of Israel who had previously pursued David under Saul’s reign). Why would a man’s own son seek to kill him? Well, the short version is that God punished David for killing Uriah the Hittite, whose wife, Bathsheba, David, had gotten pregnant. God told David that people from within his own house would rise up against him. So, was that it for David? Was there no forgiveness for him? David was a broken man, and he sought the Lord’s forgiveness. However, he did not want to presume the Lord owed him anything. Consider David’s words as he fled Jerusalem as compared to Psalm 3.

“And all the country wept with a loud voice, and all the people crossed over. The king himself also crossed over the Brook Kidron, and all the people crossed over toward the way of the wilderness. There was Zadok also, and all the Levites with him, bearing the ark of the covenant of God. And they set down the ark of God, and Abiathar went up until all the people had finished crossing over from the city. Then the king said to Zadok, ‘Carry the ark of God back into the city. If I find favor in the eyes of the Lord, He will bring me back and show me both it and His dwelling place. But if He says thus: “I have no delight in you,” here I am, let Him do to me as seems good to Him.’” 2 Samuel 15:23-26 (NKJV)

“Hear me when I call, O God of my righteousness! You have relieved me in my distress; have mercy on me, and hear my prayer. How long, O you sons of men, will you turn my glory to shame?  How long will you love worthlessness and seek falsehood?  (Selah)” Psalm 4:1-2 (NKJV)

It has never been easy to live faithfully in the world. Never, ever. As far back as the book of Genesis, people of unbelief & half-hearted devotion toward God have been at war against people with whole-hearted faithfulness. Cain killed his brother Abel out of envy because God favored Abel’s devotion. So why would we be surprised when a modern-day college professor, politician, or filmmaker would seek to destroy the faith of Christians? While unrighteous men have always sought to tarnish the “glory” of God’s children, the Lord has always been inclined to hear the prayers of His people. God delivers us, and He “re-polishes” our glory through redemption.  

King David may not have written the music to “The Safety of The Faithful” in Psalm 4, but he certainly lived out the theology it communicates! David had survived the pursuit of Saul. God’s faithfulness to His Word to David grew David’s faith to the extent that David understood this…while we do not know what the future holds, we place our confidence in The One who holds the future. In that knowledge, there is a peace that calms us, even in the midst of great conflict.  

“But know that the Lord has set apart for Himself him who is godly; the Lord will hear when I call to Him. Be angry, and do not sin. Meditate within your heart on your bed, and be still.  (Selah)” Psalm 4:3-4 (NKJV)

It is possible to be angry and indignant about injustice and not to sin. The wise and faithful know not to be driven by the flesh but rather to seek the Lord in how to respond. Also, God’s favor cannot be bought nor coerced through hasty repentance, which only turns back to worldliness once the difficulty subsides. God knows the differences between anxious “turning from sin” and true repentance. We may pray the Aaronic blessing (“Lift up Your countenance upon us” Numbers 6:22-27) over people, but only those judged by God as righteous may receive the blessing.

“Offer the sacrifices of righteousness, and put your trust in the Lord. There are many who say, ‘Who will show us any good?’ Lord, lift up the light of Your countenance upon us.”  Psalm 4:5-6 (NKJV)

When we meditate on God’s Word and His past faithfulness, we find joy. Literally, the peace which passes understanding.  (Philippians 4:6-7)

“You have put gladness in my heart, more than in the season that their grain and wine increased. I will both lie down in peace, and sleep; for You alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety.” Psalm 4:7-8 (NKJV)

“For You are not a God who takes pleasure in wickedness, nor shall evil dwell with You. The boastful shall not stand in Your sight; You hate all workers of iniquity. You shall destroy those who speak falsehood; the Lord abhors the bloodthirsty and deceitful man. But as for me, I will come into Your house in the multitude of Your mercy; in fear of You I will worship toward Your holy temple. Lead me, O Lord, in Your righteousness because of my enemies; make Your way straight before my face.”  Psalm 5:4-8 (NKJV)

The holiness of God is incomparable to mankind. That truth is often confusing when God determines to bestow mercy on some men while sternly judging others. Our great existential predicament is that we are all sinful and imperfect creatures (Romans 3:23). Yet, His standard for communing with us is that we must be perfect (Matthew 5:48). In today’s passage, David, a sinner like the rest of mankind, is beseeching the Lord to make a judgment between himself and men who are seeking to kill him. What is intriguing to us is how David asks the Lord to distinguish his pursuers as deserving of judgment while he expects God’s mercy for himself.

Indeed, some people believe their personal righteousness deserves God’s reward, yet they will not receive it. Consider the words of Jesus concerning the arrogance of unbelievers expecting an eternal reward.

“And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’” Mathew 7:23 (NKJV)

Does this mean we are all doomed sinners, fated to eternal damnation for falling short of God’s standard? Absolutely not! We have a choice.

“Say to them: ‘As I live,’ says the Lord God, ‘I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live. Turn, turn from your evil ways! For why should you die, O house of Israel?’” Ezekiel 33:11(NKJV)

The fact that we are sinners does not exclude us from the hope of salvation. But it is not our accumulation of personal righteousness that saves us. Instead, it is the object of our faith, Jesus, who saves us! He has paid the penalty our sin deserves, and moreover, He imputes (accredits) His righteousness to us when we place our trust in Him, alone, for our salvation.  

“But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:8 (Ephesians 2:8-9; Romans 4:8) (NKJV)

How could David confidently make a distinction between himself and other men? Because He had chosen to follow the Lord, as revealed in His Word. The same is true for us.  

“But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name” John 1:12 (John 1:1;14) (NKJV)

Grab your Bible & experience the Groundworks Ministries Podcast as Steve Wiggins leads us through the full chapter of Psalm 6. Click the links below to watch or listen now!

“Oh, let the wickedness of the wicked come to an end, but establish the just; for the righteous God tests the hearts and minds. My defense is of God, Who saves the upright in heart. God is a just judge, and God is angry with the wicked every day.”  Psalm 7:9-11 (NKJV)

Today’s psalm is a “meditation of David” sung to the Lord concerning the words of Cush, a Benjamite. We do not know much about this fellow, Cush, other than the fact that he was from the tribe of Benjamin. But that actually tells us quite a bit about his character and allegiances. At the time of David’s writing of this psalm, the tribe of Benjamin had just come out of a very dubious season in Israel’s history. The book of Judges ends with the tribe of Benjamin’s war against the rest of the tribes of Israel. Benjamin had refused to hold rapists and murderers accountable within their tribe. While the war began in Benjamin’s favor, were it not for God’s merciful intervention, Benjamin would have been eliminated as a tribe. We know that King Saul was a Benjamite, and he was pursuing David to kill him. Saul was controlling not just the army of Benjamin but the rest of Israel’s troops as well.

We also know what Cush was saying about David because David asks God to weigh Cush’s false accusations and judge fairly.

“O Lord my God, if I have done this: If there is iniquity in my hands, if I have repaid evil to him who was at peace with me, or have plundered my enemy without cause, let the enemy pursue me and overtake me; yes, let him trample my life to the earth, and lay my honor in the dust.  Selah” Psalm 7:3-5 (NKJV)

We will meet some people in life, and they will form false assumptions about us. They will observe our lives and string together false assumptions about our characters. It is like the neighborhood kids who pass by an old widow’s run-down house, observe her overgrown yard, rusty gate, and cats moving through the bushes, and assume she is a witch. It is wrong to make such judgments, but how they develop is understandable. Such judgments could be reversible if the kids simply met the old lady and discovered she is actually very kind.

Then, there are other people who are simply prejudiced and envious. ENVY is PRIDE wounded in competition. That was Cush. He was just plain mean! Cush knew that David had fallen out of favor with Saul, and he tried to earn Saul’s favor by lying about David’s character and behavior. It is good to know that when we have nobody to defend us, we can appeal to the Lord! He is more than capable of judging wisely and delivering the oppressed. (Romans 12:9; Deuteronomy 32:35) Therefore, we can find joy even in the midst of unjust persecution.

“I will praise the Lord according to His righteousness, and will sing praise to the name of the Lord Most High.” Psalm 7:17 (NKJV)

“O Lord, our Lord, how excellent is Your Name in all the earth, who have set Your glory above the heavens! Out of the mouth of babes and nursing infants, You have ordained strength, because of Your enemies, that You may silence the enemy and the avenger.” Psalm 8:1-2 (NKJV)

The great value of the gift of the Holy Spirit, given to all followers of Jesus at the moment of their decision to believe, is that He reveals the truth of God’s Word.  

“But as it is written: Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man, the things which God has prepared for them that love Him. But God hath revealed them unto us by His Spirit: for the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God.” 1 Corinthians 2:9-10 (NKJV)

And one of the ways the Spirit teaches us is to “whisper” in our hearts and minds as we read the Bible. The Holy Spirit whispers how we should apply Scripture to change our lives to align ourselves with God’s will. He warns us of the world around us by revealing how present-day scenarios mimic ancient scenarios so that we can expect predictable outcomes. And He brings us to a recollection of things we have read earlier in the Bible so we can spot Biblical trends that run throughout Scripture. Reading today’s passage, we should hear a whisper, asking, “Where have you seen ‘mouth of babes’ before?”

“But when the chief priests and scribes saw the wonderful things that He did, and the children crying out in the temple and saying, ‘Hosanna to the Son of David!’ they were indignant and said to Him, ‘Do You hear what these are saying?’

And Jesus said to them, ‘Yes. Have you never read, “Out of the mouth of babes and nursing infants You have perfected praise”’?”  Matthew 21:15-16 (NKJV)

What does “Hosanna” mean? It means “Save us now!”  So, in quoting Psalm 8, Jesus clarifies that the “strength” that comes out of the mouth of babes and nursing infants is the declaration that Messiah is the source of that saving strength and that He is Messiah! In directing their praise to Jesus, those children (along with adults) declared that Jesus was the Messiah, coming to save His people.  

Furthermore, Jesus’ name in Hebrew, Yeshua, means “YHWH (God) is our salvation  .”So, when the children were directing their praise “Hosanna” at Jesus, they were literally declaring His deity, “God is our salvation; save us now!”  That perfectly aligns with who the Hebrew prophets knew that Messiah would be: God made flesh. (Micah 5:2; Isaiah 9:6). No wonder the religious leaders sought to silence the children. When they read Psalm 8, they focused on “What is man that you are mindful of Him and the son of man that you visit him?”, thus missing the Messiah, whom even a child could see!  (Matthew 18:3; Mark 10:15; Luke 18:7)

“O Lord, our Lord, how excellent is Your name in all the earth!”  Psalm 8:9 (NKJV)

“The nations have sunk down in the pit which they made; in the net which they hid, their own foot is caught. The judgment knows the Lord He executes; the wicked is snared in the work of his own hands. MEDITATION. (Selah) The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the nations that forget God. For the needy shall not always be forgotten; the expectation of the poor shall not perish forever. Arise, O Lord, do not let man prevail; let the nations be judged in Your sight. Put them in fear, O Lord, that the nations may know themselves to be but men. Selah” Psalm 9:15-20 (NKJV)

As David said, the Lord is known by the judgment He executes. But “judgment” is often misunderstood to mean “angry vengeance.” Indeed, most Christians hold an opinion of God that He was always angry in the Tanakh (Old Testament). God did not change His image at halftime, between the Old & New Testaments, emerging from the locker room as a cuddly grandfather. It is easy to have this opinion of God if our only source of Biblical understanding is listening to the occasional sermon in the average church. But, when we take time to read the Bible for ourselves, the Holy Spirit reveals that God is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow.  

“For I am the Lord, I do not change; therefore you are not consumed, O sons of Jacob.” Malachi 3:6 (NKJV)

Furthermore, since Jesus is God, made flesh, He never changes.

“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.” Hebrews 13:8 (NKJV)

So, all throughout the Bible, God judges righteously. He gives grace to the humble and repentant, and he rebukes and punishes the proud and unrepentant. We should reflect on that. As a matter of fact, David even instructs the musicians to add a solo section (“Higgaion”:  Hebrew for “meditation”) where the worshipper can ponder God’s judgment & mercy, which should result in our praise: Selah.

Again, God is not only angry in the Old Testament; He is also gracious and merciful. He cares for widows, orphans, wild animals and even foreign refugees.

“The Lord also will be a refuge for the oppressed, a refuge in times of trouble. And those who know Your name will put their trust in You; for You, Lord, have not forsaken those who seek You. Sing praises to the Lord, who dwells in Zion! Declare His deeds among the people. When He avenges blood, He remembers them; he does not forget the cry of the humble. Have mercy on me, O Lord! Consider my trouble from those who hate me, you who lift me up from the gates of death, that I may tell of all Your praise in the gates of the daughter of Zion. I will rejoice in Your salvation.” Psalm 9:9-14 (NKJV)

Have you put your faith & trust in the Lord? If so, He both cares and fights for you!

“Why do You stand afar off, O Lord? Why do You hide in times of trouble? he wicked in his pride persecutes the poor; let them be caught in the plots which they have devised.”  Psalm 10:1-2 (NKJV)

“Why, Lord?”  It is the age-old question that shows no signs of going out of style. Who can know the mind of God that they could call His character into account? He has an aerial view of time (accompanied by a precise, detailed knowledge of how creation was designed) that our imaginations and calculations could never envision. He knows the cause-and-effect nature of circumstances concerning world happenings, and He ALWAYS chooses to act (or not) correctly. No degree or error. Still, we are human, so we ask, “Why?”

“The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.” 2 Peter 3:9 (NKJV)

Consider the conversation between Moses and the children of Israel when Pharaoh overtook them as they fled in the Exodus, hemmed in at the edge of the Red Sea. Does it not mimic David’s internal struggle in Psalm 10?

“And when Pharaoh drew near, the children of Israel lifted their eyes, and behold, the Egyptians marched after them. So they were very afraid, and the children of Israel cried out to the Lord. Then they said to Moses, ‘Because there were no graves in Egypt, have you taken us away to die in the wilderness? Why have you so dealt with us, to bring us up out of Egypt? Is this not the word that we told you in Egypt, saying, “Let us alone that we may serve the Egyptians”? For it would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than that we should die in the wilderness.’ And Moses said to the people, ‘Do not be afraid. Stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord, which He will accomplish for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall see again no more forever. The Lord will fight for you, and you shall hold your peace.’”  Exodus 14:10-14 (NKJV)

“Arise, O Lord! O God, lift up Your hand! Do not forget the humble. Why do the wicked renounce God? He has said in his heart, ‘You will not require an account.’ But You have seen, for You observe trouble and grief, to repay it by Your hand. The helpless commits himself to You; You are the helper of the fatherless. Break the arm of the wicked and the evil man; seek out his wickedness until You find none. The Lord is King forever and ever; the nations have perished out of His land. Lord, You have heard the desire of the humble; You will prepare their heart; You will cause Your ear to hear, to do justice to the fatherless and the oppressed, that the man of the earth may oppress no more.”  Psalm 10:12-18 (NKJV)

Whatever you are going through, remember that the Lord knows. Cry out in prayer and know that He is there. He is holy, cares, and has the power to affect change!

“In the Lord I put my trust; how can you say to my soul, ‘Flee as a bird to your mountain’? For look! The wicked bend their bow, they make ready their arrow on the string, that they may shoot secretly at the upright in heart.”  Psalm 11:1-2 (NKJV)

A few years ago, my brother sent me a photo of a deer he shot with his bow. Unlike rifle hunting, the bow and arrow are silent killers. Due to the slower velocity of the arrow as compared to a rifle bullet, bow hunting demands the archer position strategically and wait patiently. The animal must get as close as possible before letting go of the string. TWANG! Thud. Bull’s-eye!

David uses the image of an archer to describe how the wicked are taking aim at him. The Bible describes how David was literally hunted by his enemies, stalking him with both literal arrows and figurative ones: injurious testimony and discouraging words. David’s response? He remembered the Word of the Lord, the foundation of our faith, and God’s promise to those who pursue righteousness.  

“If the foundations are destroyed, what can the righteous do?”  Psalm 11:3 (NKJV)

If we depart from the Bible, what foundation can we stand upon when it seems no hope is in sight? If we have forsaken God’s Word, where do we turn when we need to be encouraged and refreshed? What well can we drink from if we have left the source of Living Water?

“For My people have committed two evils: They have forsaken Me, the fountain of living waters, and hewn themselves cisterns—broken cisterns that can hold no water.” Jeremiah 2:13 (NKJV)

God’s Word declares that we can stand firm and have joy when all around us seems hopelessly dark. We remember that the Lord sees us and has the power and determination to save His own people in the time and manner He determines!

“The Lord is in His holy temple, the Lord’s throne is in heaven; His eyes behold, His eyelids test the sons of men. The Lord tests the righteous, but the wicked and the one who loves violence His soul hates. Upon the wicked, He will rain coals; fire and brimstone and a burning wind shall be the portion of their cup.”  Psalm 11:4-6 (NKJV)

It is our memory of Scripture that calms our hearts in these days when it seems that followers of Jesus are perpetually “in season  .”Wicked men seek to destroy the faithfulness of God’s Word by hunting His people. Still, we take heart knowing a righteous Judge presides over His creation and delights in His righteous ones.

“For the Lord is righteous, He loves righteousness; His countenance beholds the upright.” Psalm 11:7 (NKJV)

“The words of the Lord are pure words, like silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times. You shall keep them, O Lord, You shall preserve them from this generation forever.” Psalm 12:6-7 (NKJV)

Today, let’s start with the positive message of this psalm: God will preserve His Word throughout the generations, even unto eternity! College professors, entertainment stars, business giants, and militant false religions may war against the Bible. They may seek to silence and destroy those of us who commit our lives to faithfully submit our lives to the Word, but God will preserve it. Sure, we may train ourselves to “defend” the faith, but God will personally sustain it! By way of spiritual oppression, what we see may appear to be insurmountable mountains of opposition all around us. But God only sees grass that needs to be mowed! In fact, the Lord told the prophet Isaiah to tell the people who considered themselves too highly that they were merely grass in His sight.

“The voice said, ‘Cry out!’ And I said, ‘What shall I cry? All flesh is grass,

And all its loveliness is like the flower of the field. The grass withers, and the flower fades, because the breath of the Lord blows upon it; surely the people are grass. The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God stands forever.’” Isaiah 40:6-8 (NKJV)

The Hebrew word for “breath” or “wind/air” is Ruach. It is also the word for “spirit.” So, when the Lord says that He blows on the grass and the grass (even the more flowery grass) dies, He is saying that by His “Ruach HaKodesh” (Holy Spirit), He establishes men, allowing them to have glory (flower). Furthermore, He brings them to their end. Meanwhile, His Word, which seemed (in the short term) to be on the verge of extinction, keeps on keepin’ on!

When Godly men pass away, we tend to fret that the light of the gospel and the preaching of the Word will cease. Notice David’s anxiety.

“Help, Lord, for the godly man ceases! For the faithful disappear from among the sons of men. They speak idly everyone with his neighbor; with flattering lips and a double heart they speak. May the Lord cut off all flattering lips, and the tongue that speaks proud things, who have said, ‘With our tongue we will prevail; our lips are our own; who is lord over us?’… The wicked prowl on every side, when vileness is exalted among the sons of men.” Psalm 12:1-4; 8 (NKJV)

There is the long-fought struggle…and then God weighs in. The time of our faithful wait is over, as God Himself brings His faithful Word to pass! Are you waiting in faith for God to deliver you? Hold on! He is faithful to complete what He has called us to.

 “For the oppression of the poor, for the sighing of the needy, now I will arise,” says the Lord; “I will set him in the safety for which he yearns.” Psalm 12:5 (NKJV)

Grab your Bible & experience the Groundworks Ministries Podcast as Steve Wiggins leads us through the full chapter of Psalm 13. Click the links below to watch or listen now!

“The fool has said in his heart, ‘There is no God.’ They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none who does good. The Lord looks down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there are any who understand, who seek God. They have all turned aside, they have together become corrupt; there is none who does good, no, not one. Have all the workers of iniquity no knowledge, who eat up my people as they eat bread, and do not call on the Lord? There they are in great fear, for God is with the generation of the righteous. You shame the counsel of the poor, but the Lord is his refuge. Oh, that the salvation of Israel would come out of Zion! When the Lord brings back the captivity of His people, let Jacob rejoice and Israel be glad.” Psalm 14:1-7 (NKJV)

Several years ago, while I was living in California and teaching Bible studies in various coffee shops, a young man got quite angry at me when I put forth that certain psalms were prophetic…speaking of the Messiah (Jesus, who would come many generations later) and of other events that did not occur until after the psalmists had passed. Of course, I shared today’s Psalm, along with a few others, and posed the question: Were the people of Israel in exiled captivity during David’s lifetime? Undeniably, no, they were not.

In trying to understand today’s psalm, perhaps it helps to read it in reverse. Because if we read it from the top down, we tend to get stuck on the idea that all men have turned aside and become corrupt. It is not until later in the psalm that we recognize there is a “generation of the righteous.”  So, if all men are corrupt and do not seek God, how does a righteous generation arise? Of course, by the end of the psalm, we learn that salvation comes not from the works of unrighteous men but rather from the atoning work of the Lord Himself. Only then, when the Lord saves, will captives truly be set free, for the captivity of God’s people is not solely defined as unwilling restraint by a foreign people. Our true captivity, which ALL MANKIND holds in common, is the captivity of sin & death. Both have been defeated on the cross by the Lord Himself, Messiah Jesus! (Micah 5:2; 1 Corinthians 15:55-57)

Notice how the prophet Isaiah describes that “generation” for which the Messiah atones.

“All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned, everyone, to his own way; and the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed, and He was afflicted, yet He opened not His mouth; He was led as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before its shearers is silent, so He opened not His mouth. He was taken from prison and judgment, and who will declare His generation? For He was cut off from the land of the living; for the transgressions of My people He was stricken. And they made His grave with the wicked—but with the rich at His death, because He had done no violence, nor was any deceit in His mouth. Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise Him; He has put Him to grief. When You make His soul an offering for sin, He shall see His seed, He shall prolong His days, and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in His hand.”  Isaiah 53:6-10 (NKJV)

“Who may worship in your sanctuary, Lord? Who may enter your presence on your holy hill? Those who lead blameless lives and do what is right, speaking the truth from sincere hearts. Those who refuse to gossip or harm their neighbors or speak evil of their friends. Those who despise flagrant sinners, and honor the faithful followers of the Lord, and keep their promises even when it hurts. Those who lend money without charging interest, and who cannot be bribed to lie about the innocent. Such people will stand firm forever.”  Psalm 15:1-5 (Compare: 1 Corinthians 6:9-11) (NLT)

There is a false assumption dominating the understanding of many Christians that Old Testament believers were somehow justified by the works of the Law. Reading today’s psalm, it’s easy to assume a “salvation by works” mindset, so some explaining is necessary. Nobody has ever been justified solely by their good works. Salvation has always been and forever will be, by grace, through faith.

“For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.”  Ephesians 2:8-9 (NKJV)

Old Testament righteousness, by grace, through faith, is the primary message of the New Testament book of Hebrews. Hebrews was written to the Jewish community after Jesus’ resurrection to drive home the reality that none of the Old Testament heroes were justified in the eyes of God based solely on their own good works.  

So, exactly how were those Old Testament heroes justified before God? They were saved when they put their faith in God’s Word, which said that if they would repent and turn from their sin as He prescribed, He would forgive them. Again, it was not their works that saved them but their faithful belief that God’s Word was true. That faith motivated their works and met His standards. Works must follow faith, but faith does the heavy lifting. Otherwise, a person with no faith in God could do certain prescribed actions and be saved without believing in God. As one pastor put it, “We are not saved by faith & works. Rather, we are saved by faith that works!”  Notice how the Apostle John introduced Jesus as “the Word” in his gospel.  

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God…And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.” John 1:1;14 (NKJV)

So, what does the Bible say we must do to be saved in our generation? We must believe God’s Word. The Bible says that God loves the world and desires to forgive sinners who are willing to repent. (John 3:16)  We must repent (turn from our sin), placing our faith in Jesus, that He paid our sin debt by dying on the cross and was raised from the grave. By God’s grace, we are saved when the object of our faith is Jesus’ work, not our own. By His work, we stand blameless before God! By faith in Jesus’ work, we are made righteous, and that motivates our good works.

“I have set the Lord always before me; because He is at my right hand I shall not be moved. Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoices; my flesh also will rest in hope. For You will not leave my soul in Sheol, nor will You allow Your Holy One to see corruption. You will show me the path of life; in Your presence is fullness of joy; at Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.” Psalm 16:8-11 (NKJV)

Here, in Psalm 16, David is speaking prophetically and pleading emphatically. He begins with desperation, “Preserve me, O God, for in You I put my trust.” Obviously, David has found himself in a jam only God could get him out of. It is not unlike many prayers that you or I have prayed, looking for a way through a dilemma for which we cannot imagine a solution. But David’s situation leads us to believe that he feels he may not make it out alive. So, he is declaring his belief that if he dies, God will preserve him, resurrecting him from the grave.

Notice his words, “For You will not leave my soul in Sheol (Heb: the grave)….”  

David is declaring his belief, not just in God’s ability to resurrect the dead, but in His willingness to resurrect David, personally, because he has placed his faith in God. For those who hold to the notion that the resurrection of the dead is a purely New Testament idea, this is solid evidence otherwise! But don’t feel lonely; the Old Testament’s teaching (of the resurrection of the dead) was hotly debated, even in the days of Jesus and His apostles.

“Then Paul, knowing that some of them were Sadducees and the others Pharisees, called out in the Sanhedrin, ‘My brothers, I am a Pharisee, descended from Pharisees. I stand on trial because of the hope of the resurrection of the dead.’” Acts 23:6 (NIV)

Just when we might believe Psalm 16 is purely a declaration of David’s belief that he will be resurrected, his psalm moves to the subject of Messiah (Jesus) and His resurrection: “…nor will You allow Your Holy One to see corruption.” Psalm 16:10b (NKJV)

It should not surprise us that David prophesied about Messiah. After all, the Messiah was also known as “the Son of David.”  However, David was not the only prophet who understood the Messiah’s role. Every single Old Testament prophet plainly saw Jesus and His role & resurrection. (Micah 5:2; Isaiah 53; Psalm 22; Isaiah 9:6)  Furthermore, they all knew there would be no salvation other than Messiah Jesus.  

“All the prophets testify about Him (Messiah) that through His Name everyone who believes in Him will receive forgiveness of sins.” Acts 10:43 (see also: John 12:41) (NASB)

“This is the ‘stone which was rejected by you builders, which has become the chief cornerstone.’ Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other Name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.” Acts 4:11-12 (NKJV)