The Righteous Discontent

You may not be able to change their opinion nor their behavior... but you can still do right.

Now there was a man named Joseph, from the Jewish town of Arimathea. He was a member of the council, a good and righteous man, who had not consented to their decision and action; and he was looking for the kingdom of God. This man went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. Then he took it down and wrapped it in a linen shroud and laid him in a tomb cut in stone, where no one had ever yet been laid. (Luke 23:50-53)

Nature Like Ours part 2: Coward

 Then he was afraid, and he arose and ran for his life and came to Beersheba, which belongs to Judah, and left his servant there.  But he himself went a day's journey into the wilderness and came and sat down under a broom tree. And he asked that he might die, saying, “It is enough; now, O Lord, take away my life, for I am no better than my fathers.” (1 Kings 19:3 - 4)

The man who prayed for fire and rain now flees from Jezebel who has pledged to kill him.  Where is that faith in God?  Yet, God uses him.  God comes to him, provides for his needs, ministers to him and reveals Himself to Elijah.

And he said, “Go out and stand on the mount before the Lord.” And behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind tore the mountains and broke in pieces the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. And after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. And after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire the sound of a low whisper. (1 Kings 18: 11 - 12)

Barnabas was a Good Man, Full of the Holy Spirit

Barnabas was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and faith, and a great number of people were brought to the Lord. (Acts 11:24)

1. He was set apart by God to preach the Gospel. Acts 13:2-3
2. He sold property and laid the money at the disciple's feet. Ats 4:36-37
3. He sought Saul out and brought Saul to the believers. Acts 11:25-26
4. He took on Mark when Saul/Paul refused. Acts 15:37-39

Nature Like Ours

Elijah the prophet came near and said, “O Lord, God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, let it be known this day that you are God in Israel, and that I am your servant, and that I have done all these things at your word.  Answer me, O Lord, answer me, that this people may know that you, O Lord, are God, and that you have turned their hearts back.”  Then the fire of the Lord fell and consumed the burnt offering and the wood and the stones and the dust, and licked up the water that was in the trench. (1 Kings 18: 36 - 38)

Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed fervently that it might not rain, and for three years and six months it did not rain on the earth.  Then he prayed again, and heaven gave rain, and the earth bore its fruit.  (James 5:17 - 18)

Righteous Before God and a Doubter?

"I am Gabriel.  I stand in the presence of God, and I was sent to speak to you and to bring you this good news.  And behold,  you will be silent and unable to speak until the day that these things take place, because you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled in their time."

Read more in the book of Luke

Confess

Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. This man came to Jesus by night and said to him, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God, for no one can do these signs that you do unless God is with him.” Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God...” (John 3:1-6)

Nicodemus, who had gone to him before, and who was one of them, said to them, “Does our law judge a man without first giving him a hearing and learning what he does?” They replied, “Are you from Galilee too?... (John 7:48-52)

...the Jews had already agreed that if anyone should confess Jesus to be Christ, he was to be put out of the synagogue. (John 9:22b)

Nicodemus also, who earlier had come to Jesus by night, came bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about seventy-five pounds in weight. (John 19:39)

Helping in the burial of Christ was a pretty public confession that Nicodemus was a follower of Jesus. Here we see a leader, a Pharisee, a teacher of Israel giving it all away to follow Christ. Here was a man who lived out Mark 8:36 "For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul?" Nothing else matters, only Jesus.

So, as another ex-Pharisee said,

For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. (1 Cor 2:2)

Lament, Repent, and Rejoice

Returning to Israel after 70 years in exile the people did something that they had not done for nearly two generations. They heard and understood the Word of God.

"And all the people gathered as one man into the square before the Water Gate. And they told Ezra the scribe to bring the Book of the Law of Moses that the Lord had commanded Israel. So Ezra...read from it facing the square before the Water Gate from early morning until midday, in the presence of the men and the women and those who could understand. And the ears of all the people were attentive to the Book of the Law....the Levites, helped the people to understand the Law, while the people remained in their places. They read from the book, from the Law of God, clearly, and they gave the sense, so that the people understood the reading. And Nehemiah, who was the governor, and Ezra the priest and scribe, and the Levites who taught the people said to all the people, “This day is holy to the Lord your God; do not mourn or weep.” For all the people wept as they heard the words of the Law. Then he said to them, “Go your way. Eat the fat and drink sweet wine and send portions to anyone who has nothing ready, for this day is holy to our Lord. And do not be grieved, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.” So the Levites calmed all the people, saying, “Be quiet, for this day is holy; do not be grieved.” Nehemiah 8:1-3, 7-11

Why did the people cry during the reading of God's Word? They heard what God expected in their lives and realized they did not measure up and they mourned their past. After listening and weeping all morning the leaders told them to stop crying. They said today is a day for joy and celebration. Why joy? Because their relationship with God was restored. Their sin had been exposed, as it always is by the Word of God. They had repented and lamented their sin and now Nehemiah, Ezra and the leaders were telling them to rejoice. Rejoice that God had brought them back to Himself.

And all the people went their way to eat and drink and to send portions and to make great rejoicing, because they had understood the words that were declared to them. Nehemiah 8:12

For this New Year, let our heart be broken for our sin, let us repent, lament and let us rejoice because God has allowed us to hear His Word and understand.

That's One Tough Family Line

I have one of those Chronological Bibles where you read a little each day and by the end of the year you have read the whole Bible. It is the end of December and... I am reading the September selections. Three months behind. How did that happen? Some years I just read the selection for whatever day it is. This year I decided to just keep reading along until I finished. So, lo and behold, I found a part of the Bible I do not ever remember reading; Jeremiah 35.

Jeremiah is told by God to bring in this family, the Rechabites, and offer them wine.

But they answered, “We will drink no wine, for Jonadab the son of Rechab, our father, commanded us, ‘You shall not drink wine, neither you nor your sons forever. You shall not build a house; you shall not sow seed; you shall not plant or have a vineyard; but you shall live in tents all your days, that you may live many days in the land where you sojourn.’ We have obeyed the voice of Jonadab the son of Rechab, our father, in all that he commanded us, to drink no wine all our days, ourselves, our wives, our sons, or our daughters, and not to build houses to dwell in. We have no vineyard or field or seed, but we have lived in tents and have obeyed and done all that Jonadab our father commanded us." (Jer. 35:6-10)

What is the point? God slams the Israelites for not listening to Him and He commends the Rechabites for listening and obeying their granddaddy. Obedience is important.... I need to be better about teaching my children to obey.

If you go far enough back in the Rechabite line you arrive at two interesting characters: Jethro, Moses' Father-in-Law and Jael, the lady who drove a stake through Sisera's head. The Rechabites come from good stock and they obviously knew how to pass on a legacy.

Wait no longer!

Now there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon, and this man was righteous and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. 26 And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord's Christ. 27 And he came in the Spirit into the temple, and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him according to the custom of the Law, 28 he took him up in his arms and blessed God and said,
29 “Lord, now you are letting your servant depart in peace,according to your word;30 for my eyes have seen your salvation31 that you have prepared in the presence of all peoples,32 a light for revelation to the Gentiles,and for glory to your people Israel.”
33 And his father and his mother marveled at what was said about him. 34 And Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother, “Behold, this child is appointed for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign that is opposed 35 (and a sword will pierce through your own soul also), so that thoughts from many hearts may be revealed.” Luke 2:25

Simeon, a man who was willing to wait on God. A man who was willing to put God First. May I also be that man.