Daily Devotions for May 2010

God's Judgment, God's Restoration

Obadiah 1

This single chapter 21 verse OT book, deals with the coming judgment upon Edom. The Edomites are the descendants of Esau, Jacobs' brother. This book deals with the sin of pride. 1Jo 2:16 because all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. As we take a look then at what God had to say to Edom, we will also evaluate where we are today in our society and in our families and churches.

The very first statement we see is in verse 1, ...Thus says the Lord God concerning Edom... Now let's stop and evaluate for a moment. When you hear this statement, what is the first thing that comes to your mind? "Uh, oh, they've done it now?" That would be an accurate thought, as verses 3 and 4 give us the reason. It says, ...The pride of your heart has deceived you...you who say "Who shall bring me down to the ground?" God then says, "I will bring you down..." Wow, can you even imagine the foolishness of this pride among those Edomites? It is really hard to understand why any sane and thinking person would rebel against the living and true God, but that is what these folks surely did. But say, before we get too hard on them, it is our turn to evaluate and take a look at where we stand before God! Can we say that we, too, have never rebelled against God, and we, too, have always obeyed Him in our lives? In fact, that is the very essence of where many folks are at today. Many people, maybe including ourselves are in the very acts of rebellious pride and constant disobedience to the clear commands of a loving but righteous judge God, who does not hold any man above another and is not a respecter of persons. God does not have favorites. We are all sinners. The fact is, we live in a society today, much like Edom. We are filled with the pride of self; self-reliance, self-security, and apathy. Many people are so full of self that they cannot see these simple truths that God desires for us to learn from Obadiah. We all are sinners; every last one of us. Individually, we are the ones that nailed Jesus to the cross. We must repent of our individual sin of pride and disobedience to the Living and True God who is full of grace and mercy, but must also punish sin.

"Dear God, we realize that it was us that nailed Christ to the cross. Please forgive us and have mercy upon us. Amen.'

Obad.1
[1] The vision of Obadiah. Thus saith the Lord GOD concerning Edom; We have heard a rumour from the LORD, and an ambassador is sent among the heathen, Arise ye, and let us rise up against her in battle.
[2] Behold, I have made thee small among the heathen: thou art greatly despised.
[3] The pride of thine heart hath deceived thee, thou that dwellest in the clefts of the rock, whose habitation is high; that saith in his heart, Who shall bring me down to the ground?
[4] Though thou exalt thyself as the eagle, and though thou set thy nest among the stars, thence will I bring thee down, saith the LORD.
[5] If thieves came to thee, if robbers by night, (how art thou cut off!) would they not have stolen till they had enough? if the grapegatherers came to thee, would they not leave some grapes?
[6] How are the things of Esau searched out! how are his hidden things sought up!
[7] All the men of thy confederacy have brought thee even to the border: the men that were at peace with thee have deceived thee, and prevailed against thee; they that eat thy bread have laid a wound under thee: there is none understanding in him.
[8] Shall I not in that day, saith the LORD, even destroy the wise men out of Edom, and understanding out of the mount of Esau?
[9] And thy mighty men, O Teman, shall be dismayed, to the end that every one of the mount of Esau may be cut off by slaughter.
[10] For thy violence against thy brother Jacob shame shall cover thee, and thou shalt be cut off for ever.
[11] In the day that thou stoodest on the other side, in the day that the strangers carried away captive his forces, and foreigners entered into his gates, and cast lots upon Jerusalem, even thou wast as one of them.
[12] But thou shouldest not have looked on the day of thy brother in the day that he became a stranger; neither shouldest thou have rejoiced over the children of Judah in the day of their destruction; neither shouldest thou have spoken proudly in the day of distress.
[13] Thou shouldest not have entered into the gate of my people in the day of their calamity; yea, thou shouldest not have looked on their affliction in the day of their calamity, nor have laid hands on their substance in the day of their calamity;
[14] Neither shouldest thou have stood in the crossway, to cut off those of his that did escape; neither shouldest thou have delivered up those of his that did remain in the day of distress.
[15] For the day of the LORD is near upon all the heathen: as thou hast done, it shall be done unto thee: thy reward shall return upon thine own head.
[16] For as ye have drunk upon my holy mountain, so shall all the heathen drink continually, yea, they shall drink, and they shall swallow down, and they shall be as though they had not been.
[17] But upon mount Zion shall be deliverance, and there shall be holiness; and the house of Jacob shall possess their possessions.
[18] And the house of Jacob shall be a fire, and the house of Joseph a flame, and the house of Esau for stubble, and they shall kindle in them, and devour them; and there shall not be any remaining of the house of Esau; for the LORD hath spoken it.
[19] And they of the south shall possess the mount of Esau; and they of the plain the Philistines: and they shall possess the fields of Ephraim, and the fields of Samaria: and Benjamin shall possess Gilead.
[20] And the captivity of this host of the children of Israel shall possess that of the Canaanites, even unto Zarephath; and the captivity of Jerusalem, which is in Sepharad, shall possess the cities of the south.

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May 2

The Lord Devised the First Submarine

Jonah 1

To be out of the will of God is the most miserable situation a believer can get into. Jonah, as a prophet, was evidently well versed in Scripture. He went down to Joppa to purchase a ticket going in the opposite direction. Ninevah was under God's divine judgment, but Jonah went down. To go down is to go away from God. We are admonished to look up, for our redemption draweth nigh. I once read of a man who found a coin in the gutter and spent the rest of his life walking along looking in the gutters for other coins. What a miserable life he must have had?

Nineveh was built by Asshur, in the days following the flood, Gen. 10:11-12. It was the capital of Assyria, situated on the Tigris River and was first called Nina, after the patron goddess of the city. Nineveh is the subject of several other books, Nahum and Zephaniah also make predictions concerning this city.

Have you ever considered the mercy and long suffering of God and questioned it? Jonah and Nineveh are perfect examples of God's love and concern for children, (more to be said in chapter 4) as well as, adults. It's impossible for us to comprehend God's mercy and long suffering, but we must accept it by faith.

God could not permit this great city go down in destruction at that time. God sent the storm to turn Jonah around; that failed so the heathen sailors had only one alternative to save themselves, and that was to cast Jonah overboard. Here's where the submarine comes in; God sent a great fish and it swallowed Jonah. God also created another miracle; Jonah was impervious to the gastric juices in the fish's belly. We cannot imagine being in that environment for three days and three nights. Jonah paid the fare, or the price of a ticket to flee from God. Evidently, Jonah had not read Psalm 139:7-13,! We knew a Christian Science lady who directed her son to have her cremated and her ashes scattered in Puget Sound so that God could not find her in the day of judgment. She's in for a surprise when on the "day of judgment," her ashes will be given up by the sea and reformed into a body to stand before the Great White Throne. We cannot escape from God, no matter where we go.

Jonah.1
[1] Now the word of the LORD came unto Jonah the son of Amittai, saying,
[2] Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry against it; for their wickedness is come up before me.
[3] But Jonah rose up to flee unto Tarshish from the presence of the LORD, and went down to Joppa; and he found a ship going to Tarshish: so he paid the fare thereof, and went down into it, to go with them unto Tarshish from the presence of the LORD.
[4] But the LORD sent out a great wind into the sea, and there was a mighty tempest in the sea, so that the ship was like to be broken.
[5] Then the mariners were afraid, and cried every man unto his god, and cast forth the wares that were in the ship into the sea, to lighten it of them. But Jonah was gone down into the sides of the ship; and he lay, and was fast asleep.
[6] So the shipmaster came to him, and said unto him, What meanest thou, O sleeper? arise, call upon thy God, if so be that God will think upon us, that we perish not.
[7] And they said every one to his fellow, Come, and let us cast lots, that we may know for whose cause this evil is upon us. So they cast lots, and the lot fell upon Jonah.
[8] Then said they unto him, Tell us, we pray thee, for whose cause this evil is upon us; What is thine occupation? and whence comest thou? what is thy country? and of what people art thou?
[9] And he said unto them, I am an Hebrew; and I fear the LORD, the God of heaven, which hath made the sea and the dry land.
[10] Then were the men exceedingly afraid, and said unto him, Why hast thou done this? For the men knew that he fled from the presence of the LORD, because he had told them.
[11] Then said they unto him, What shall we do unto thee, that the sea may be calm unto us? for the sea wrought, and was tempestuous.
[12] And he said unto them, Take me up, and cast me forth into the sea; so shall the sea be calm unto you: for I know that for my sake this great tempest is upon you.
[13] Nevertheless the men rowed hard to bring it to the land; but they could not: for the sea wrought, and was tempestuous against them.
[14] Wherefore they cried unto the LORD, and said, We beseech thee, O LORD, we beseech thee, let us not perish for this man's life, and lay not upon us innocent blood: for thou, O LORD, hast done as it pleased thee.
[15] So they took up Jonah, and cast him forth into the sea: and the sea ceased from her raging.
[16] Then the men feared the LORD exceedingly, and offered a sacrifice unto the LORD, and made vows.
[17] Now the LORD had prepared a great fish to swallow up Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.

[Psalm 139:7-13] Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence?
[8] If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there.
[9] If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea;
[10] Even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me.
[11] If I say, Surely the darkness shall cover me; even the night shall be light about me.
[12] Yea, the darkness hideth not from thee; but the night shineth as the day: the darkness and the light are both alike to thee.
[13] For thou hast possessed my reins: thou hast covered me in my mother's womb.

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May 3

The Spiritual Restoration of Israel

Zechariah 13

(1) The phrase "on that day" occurs 16 times in these three closing chapters (12:3-4, 6, 8-9, 11; 13:1-2, 4; 14:4, 6, 8-9, 13, 20-21). On the day of Christ's crucifixion the fountain was opened potentially for all Israel and the whole world. At the Second Advent of Christ, the fountain will be opened experientially for the Jewish nation. We need to appreciate that the most important part of our lives is the spiritual. Now the spiritual will have a great impact on the temporal, but the spiritual is primary.

The kingdom could not come for the nation of Israel until the hearts of the people changed. Their hearts needed to be changed from self, above all else, to the glory of God, above all else. In other words, the main sin in the human heart is that of idolatry. At the end of this age, this idolatry will be manifest in the worship of the Antichrist in the temple in Jerusalem that is dedicated to the worship of Jehovah. In the kingdom, idolatry and false teaching will not be tolerated. Today, most people understand the need to deal with the murderer. In that day, most people will understand the need to deal with the false prophet. It would seem that the nation Israel never really understood the need to deal with the false prophets.

(2) The surviving remnant will have been purged and purified by the persecutions in the Tribulation, as well as by God's judgment on living Israel at the Second Advent.... They will call on the name of the Lord in faith (Zech. 12:10-13:1) and become a restored nation (Rom. 11:26-27). God's purpose for Israel on this earth is not finished. Neither has it been frustrated by the crucifixion. It has only been delayed. In the end, all the glory of God's kingdom will be a reality on this earth. It is just that it cannot be forced. It is not possible to have a spiritual kingdom on this earth without a spiritual people. People must open their hearts to God's grace and mercy. They must trust and follow God's law. It is only then that the blessings of the kingdom can be realized on this earth. We look to systems and structure, but God looks at the heart. If the heart is what it ought to be, the practical results will be good, regardless of the structure. Our problems are primarily a matter of the heart and soul.

Zech.13
[1] In that day there shall be a fountain opened to the house of David and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem for sin and for uncleanness.
[2] And it shall come to pass in that day, saith the LORD of hosts, that I will cut off the names of the idols out of the land, and they shall no more be remembered: and also I will cause the prophets and the unclean spirit to pass out of the land.
[3] And it shall come to pass, that when any shall yet prophesy, then his father and his mother that begat him shall say unto him, Thou shalt not live; for thou speakest lies in the name of the LORD: and his father and his mother that begat him shall thrust him through when he prophesieth.
[4] And it shall come to pass in that day, that the prophets shall be ashamed every one of his vision, when he hath prophesied; neither shall they wear a rough garment to deceive:
[5] But he shall say, I am no prophet, I am an husbandman; for man taught me to keep cattle from my youth.
[6] And one shall say unto him, What are these wounds in thine hands? Then he shall answer, Those with which I was wounded in the house of my friends.
[7] Awake, O sword, against my shepherd, and against the man that is my fellow, saith the LORD of hosts: smite the shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered: and I will turn mine hand upon the little ones.
[8] And it shall come to pass, that in all the land, saith the LORD, two parts therein shall be cut off and die; but the third shall be left therein.
[9] And I will bring the third part through the fire, and will refine them as silver is refined, and will try them as gold is tried: they shall call on my name, and I will hear them: I will say, It is my people: and they shall say, The LORD is my God.

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(1) (2) Walvoord, John F., and Zuck, Roy B., The Bible Knowledge Commentary, (Wheaton, Illinois: Scripture Press Publications, Inc.) 1983, 1985.

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May 4

True Belief comes through True Repentance

Jonah 3

The exact opposite of the title today is in fact what many folks blindly profess. Many people profess to be "Christian", but they only believe a False Belief that only brings a False Repentance. In chapter 3, Jonah had already had to learn the hard way that he needed to obey God's clear commands for his life. Jonah may have had good reasons not to obey God, at least from his own selfish perspective of why not to go to Ninevah, but God had told him clearly and specifically to go and to preach repentance to this city. So, through the discipline of the Lord on his life for disobeying, (which really shows that he was a true believer) he went and began to preach repentance. Folks, we need to grasp a couple of very important principles here. First, when God tells us to do something, instead of questioning or disobeying God for any reason whatsoever, we need to have a submissive, a willing and a repentant heart to obey God, just because we want to do whatever He would ask of us. Do we really believe that our God and our Savior, whom we profess to know, has a perfect and complete plan for our lives? If not, we either don't really know God, or we are living a life of disobedience, just as Jonah was. Secondly, we see something most wonderful. When Jonah did obey and began to preach repentance, it wasn't the type of music or some program that he used that caused Ninevah to repent, it wasn't the great oratory skills or qualifications and degrees that Jonah might have had that caused the Ninevites to repent. No, it was the Submissive, Obedient Heart of God's willing servant, whom God used to bring God's message in God's way to the Ninevites and it is God who caused them to realize their sin and their pending doom and it is God who saw their hearts and it is God who forgave them. Let us ask ourselves an honest question. Do we also have willing, obedient hearts like Jonah's? Even more importantly, do we live lives that back up our professions of being a Christian? If so, God has given us a clear command to Love Him above all else and to obey Him. Yes, this is where True Joy comes from! True Joy is a result of True Repentance and agreeing with God that He is right and we are guilty sinners worthy of death. Is it by His Grace and mercy that we are saved and then we are commissioned by God to tell others? Salvation comes through repentance and acceptance of Jesus Christ! Say Friend, Do you truly know Him?!

Jonah.3
[1] And the word of the LORD came unto Jonah the second time, saying,
[2] Arise, go unto Nineveh, that great city, and preach unto it the preaching that I bid thee.
[3] So Jonah arose, and went unto Nineveh, according to the word of the LORD. Now Nineveh was an exceeding great city of three days' journey.
[4] And Jonah began to enter into the city a day's journey, and he cried, and said, Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown.
[5] So the people of Nineveh believed God, and proclaimed a fast, and put on sackcloth, from the greatest of them even to the least of them.
[6] For word came unto the king of Nineveh, and he arose from his throne, and he laid his robe from him, and covered him with sackcloth, and sat in ashes.
[7] And he caused it to be proclaimed and published through Nineveh by the decree of the king and his nobles, saying, Let neither man nor beast, herd nor flock, taste any thing: let them not feed, nor drink water:
[8] But let man and beast be covered with sackcloth, and cry mightily unto God: yea, let them turn every one from his evil way, and from the violence that is in their hands.
[9] Who can tell if God will turn and repent, and turn away from his fierce anger, that we perish not?
[10] And God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way; and God repented of the evil, that he had said that he would do unto them; and he did it not.

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May 5

The Rev. Mr. Jonah's Personal Pity Party

Jonah, please read this 4^th Chapter (below) before you read the devotion.

Pity parties are always for selfish reasons and the person at the pity party is only you. Others don't want to attend, because they are not interested in your self pity. "A person all wrapped up in his or herself makes a very small package." Selected

What good was Jonah's prayer? A person who is angry with God and God's mercy cannot expect God to hear his prayers. Just think of this for a few minutes. Jonah was used of God to bring a great city to its knees and repent of their sins, also to spare 120,000 little, innocent ones who did not know their right hand from their left. Poor Jonah, he was deeply patriotic to Israel, but uncaring about the lost souls of Nineveh. We also can be very fundamental in our spiritual lives, but uncaring about the lost souls all around us. Show me a spiritual leader that is uncaring about lost souls and I'll show you a hireling, rather than a shepherd. Jesus had no time for the hirelings.

Jonah wanted God to destroy the city of Nineveh, but God extended His mercy to that huge, repentant city in spite of Jonah's prayer. The only bright spot in Jonah's world was a gourd that God created for shade to protect Jonah from the intense heat. However, because of Jonah's pitiless attitude towards Nineveh God sent a worm to destroy the shading plant and now the sun was blasting down on Jonah's head. As the sweat ran down his face and Jonah fainted and God came to him again, And God said to Jonah, Doest thou well to be angry for the gourd? And he said, I do well to be angry, even unto death. Then said the LORD, Thou hast had pity on the gourd, for the which thou hast not laboured, neither madest it grow; which came up in a night, and perished in a night: And should not I spare Nineveh, that great city, wherein are more than sixscore thousand persons that cannot discern between their right hand and their left hand; and also much cattle? Jonah 4:9-11. To have pity means to have compassion for others. If we do not have compassion for the lost, we are as unfaithful to our Great Commission (Matt 28:19-20), as Jonah was to his commission. Our generation cannot be saved unless we share with them.

Jonah.4
[1] But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he was very angry.
[2] And he prayed unto the LORD, and said, I pray thee, O LORD, was not this my saying, when I was yet in my country? Therefore I fled before unto Tarshish: for I knew that thou art a gracious God, and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repentest thee of the evil.
[3] Therefore now, O LORD, take, I beseech thee, my life from me; for it is better for me to die than to live.
[4] Then said the LORD, Doest thou well to be angry?
[5] So Jonah went out of the city, and sat on the east side of the city, and there made him a booth, and sat under it in the shadow, till he might see what would become of the city.
[6] And the LORD God prepared a gourd, and made it to come up over Jonah, that it might be a shadow over his head, to deliver him from his grief. So Jonah was exceeding glad of the gourd.
[7] But God prepared a worm when the morning rose the next day, and it smote the gourd that it withered.
[8] And it came to pass, when the sun did arise, that God prepared a vehement east wind; and the sun beat upon the head of Jonah, that he fainted, and wished in himself to die, and said, It is better for me to die than to live.
[9] And God said to Jonah, Doest thou well to be angry for the gourd? And he said, I do well to be angry, even unto death.
[10] Then said the LORD, Thou hast had pity on the gourd, for the which thou hast not laboured, neither madest it grow; which came up in a night, and perished in a night:
[11] And should not I spare Nineveh, that great city, wherein are more than sixscore thousand persons that cannot discern between their right hand and their left hand; and also much cattle?

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May 6

Judgment is Determined

Micah 1

The Old Covenant included the promise of God's blessing and curse. In Deuteronomy chapters 27, 28.

(1) Micah prophesied about both the Northern and the Southern Kingdoms, but he mentioned only these three kings of Judah because the kings in the north were not in the Davidic line.

The Northern Kingdom had long before strayed from the covenant given through Moses. And the people in the Southern Kingdom were acting like their brothers and sisters to the north, failing to live according to the covenant.

One of the problems with God's grace and mercy is that people tend to presume on the grace of God. In this opening chapter, God is presented as above what is going on this earth. He calls on all creation to bear witness of the sin and unfaithfulness of His people. The sin was the immorality that surrounded pagan idolatrous worship. The marital infidelity reflected the greater spiritual adultery that was going on in the worship of idols. The sins of the people progressed to the point where judgment was inevitable. In verse 9, we read her wound is incurable...? At this point, there was no way the nation could avoid the righteous judgment of God.

Judgment is so certain that they may as well begin their mourning.

(2) Tell it not in Gath recalls 2 Samuel 1:20 where David made the same statement. In that case David did not want the Philistines to be glad about the demise of Saul, Israel's former ruler. In Micah's case he did not want the inhabitants of Gath to hear about the Assyrian attack on Judah. God has created this world with fixed spiritual laws. If we ignore important elements of God's law, we will come to reap as we have sown. Sometimes when people repent, they expect God to remove all the consequences of their sin. In most cases, this does not happen. Yes, there are exceptions, but for the most part, we will reap as we have sown. This is the order God created in this world. This is why it is important that we understand and obey God's law. It is important that we live in faith and not presumption. We are presumptuous if we don't expect to reap even as we have sown.

Mic.1
[1] The word of the LORD that came to Micah the Morasthite in the days of Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah, which he saw concerning Samaria and Jerusalem.
[2] Hear, all ye people; hearken, O earth, and all that therein is: and let the Lord GOD be witness against you, the Lord from his holy temple.
[3] For, behold, the LORD cometh forth out of his place, and will come down, and tread upon the high places of the earth.
[4] And the mountains shall be molten under him, and the valleys shall be cleft, as wax before the fire, and as the waters that are poured down a steep place.
[5] For the transgression of Jacob is all this, and for the sins of the house of Israel. What is the transgression of Jacob? is it not Samaria? and what are the high places of Judah? are they not Jerusalem?
[6] Therefore I will make Samaria as an heap of the field, and as plantings of a vineyard: and I will pour down the stones thereof into the valley, and I will discover the foundations thereof.
[7] And all the graven images thereof shall be beaten to pieces, and all the hires thereof shall be burned with the fire, and all the idols thereof will I lay desolate: for she gathered it of the hire of an harlot, and they shall return to the hire of an harlot.
[8] Therefore I will wail and howl, I will go stripped and naked: I will make a wailing like the dragons, and mourning as the owls.
[9] For her wound is incurable; for it is come unto Judah; he is come unto the gate of my people, even to Jerusalem.
[10] Declare ye it not at Gath, weep ye not at all: in the house of Aphrah roll thyself in the dust.
[11] Pass ye away, thou inhabitant of Saphir, having thy shame naked: the inhabitant of Zaanan came not forth in the mourning of Beth-ezel; he shall receive of you his standing.
[12] For the inhabitant of Maroth waited carefully for good: but evil came down from the LORD unto the gate of Jerusalem.
[13] O thou inhabitant of Lachish, bind the chariot to the swift beast: she is the beginning of the sin to the daughter of Zion: for the transgressions of Israel were found in thee.
[14] Therefore shalt thou give presents to Moresheth-gath: the houses of Achzib shall be a lie to the kings of Israel.
[15] Yet will I bring an heir unto thee, O inhabitant of Mareshah: he shall come unto Adullam the glory of Israel.
[16] Make thee bald, and poll thee for thy delicate children; enlarge thy baldness as the eagle; for they are gone into captivity from thee.

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(1) (2) Walvoord, John F., and Zuck, Roy B., The Bible Knowledge Commentary, (Wheaton, Illinois: Scripture Press Publications, Inc.) 1983, 1985.

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May 7

God's Judgment and Mercy

Micah 2

Contrary to popular belief and the TV Media popularity poles, God says there are consequences for sin. What God says is always right! In fact, Mic 6:8 He hath shewed thee, O man, what [is] good; and what doth the LORD require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God? ROM11:34 For who hath known the mind of the Lord? or who hath been his counsellor? And God did say, ROM3:23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God. We see on the news that evil and sin is every where. We also see from God's Holy Word, that there will be judgment on evil doers and upon those who do not repent of their sin.

It is always interesting that people ignorantly say that God is a God of love and why would He cause bad things to happen, when, in fact, it is our own sin and the evil power of Satan that cause the bad things to happen. God is in complete control and will only allow things to happen for His children's good. ROM8:28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. Plus, we know that, 1Co 10:13 There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.

God allows every person to make their own choices. We can choose to repent and trust Christ as Savior. We then can choose to serve Him. If we choose God's way, we will experience a peace that passes all understanding in a world that does not have peace. We will experience a life of inexpressible joy in a world that does not have joy. God has shown us that He wants for us to live our only life in the way that would bring glory and honor to Him, but it is our choice. We can choose the way of evildoers and God will have to bring judgment, or we can choose to repent and live for Him. He will bring blessing on those who obey. Deu 5:9,10 ... visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me, And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me and keep my commandments. What will be your choice?

Mic.2
[1] Woe to them that devise iniquity, and work evil upon their beds! when the morning is light, they practise it, because it is in the power of their hand.
[2] And they covet fields, and take them by violence; and houses, and take them away: so they oppress a man and his house, even a man and his heritage.
[3] Therefore thus saith the LORD; Behold, against this family do I devise an evil, from which ye shall not remove your necks; neither shall ye go haughtily: for this time is evil.
[4] In that day shall one take up a parable against you, and lament with a doleful lamentation, and say, We be utterly spoiled: he hath changed the portion of my people: how hath he removed it from me! turning away he hath divided our fields.
[5] Therefore thou shalt have none that shall cast a cord by lot in the congregation of the LORD.
[6] Prophesy ye not, say they to them that prophesy: they shall not prophesy to them, that they shall not take shame.
[7] O thou that art named the house of Jacob, is the spirit of the LORD straitened? are these his doings? do not my words do good to him that walketh uprightly?
[8] Even of late my people is risen up as an enemy: ye pull off the robe with the garment from them that pass by securely as men averse from war.
[9] The women of my people have ye cast out from their pleasant houses; from their children have ye taken away my glory for ever.
[10] Arise ye, and depart; for this is not your rest: because it is polluted, it shall destroy you, even with a sore destruction.
[11] If a man walking in the spirit and falsehood do lie, saying, I will prophesy unto thee of wine and of strong drink; he shall even be the prophet of this people.
[12] I will surely assemble, O Jacob, all of thee; I will surely gather the remnant of Israel; I will put them together as the sheep of Bozrah, as the flock in the midst of their fold: they shall make great noise by reason of the multitude of men.
[13] The breaker is come up before them: they have broken up, and have passed through the gate, and are gone out by it: and their king shall pass before them, and the LORD on the head of them.

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May 8 

The False Prophets vs. a Spirit-Led Prophet

Micah 3: 5-7 - 8 and 12

There were false prophets in Micah's time and Christ promised there'll be false prophets in the church, Mat. 7:15, 24:11, 24, 1 John 4:1. Micah fairly cuts down the false prophets and calls them what they are. John even mentions that there will be false christs. False prophets make prophecies that don't come to pass, Therefore night shall be unto you, that ye shall not have a vision; and it shall be dark unto you, that ye shall not divine; and the sun shall go down over the prophets, and the day shall be dark over them. Then shall the seers be ashamed, and the diviners confounded: yea, they shall all cover their lips; for there is no answer of God. 3:6-7 God sent prophets to speak and it comes to pass. But truly I am full of power by the spirit of the LORD, and of judgment, and of might, to declare unto Jacob his transgression, and to Israel his sin. --- Therefore shall Zion for your sake be plowed as a field, and Jerusalem shall become heaps, and the mountain of the house as the high places of the forest. 8 and 12. Note, that Micah is promising judgment on both Israel and Judah. Jerusalem is to be the recipient of God's judgment, Read Jeremiah 26:18. History has it that Jerusalem had been plowed under seven times. Jerusalem is the apple of God's eye and God is protecting it today because we are very close to the end of the age, and the antichrist will come on the scene. We are preparing now for a worldwide leader. One who can bring a false peace to Israel and will head all the governments of the world for seven years.

Now back to Israel and Judah; the People of God were listening to false prophets and had completely turned from God. They were worshipping false gods and practicing every known sin. If the atheists of today and the ACLU [Anti Christian Legal Union] have their way, America will also come under the awful hand of God's Judgment and we will become a third rate nation. Like Israel and Judah, we are in the process of self-destruction. Let us note some of their sins and see if that fits our society today: Hate good and love evil. Leaders hate judgment and justice. Murder, Priest's teach for money. Politicians take bribes and claim immunity from doing evil. Lie about God and curse Him. Sounds like the 21^st century, doesn't it?

Mic.3
[1] And I said, Hear, I pray you, O heads of Jacob, and ye princes of the house of Israel; Is it not for you to know judgment?
[2] Who hate the good, and love the evil; who pluck off their skin from off them, and their flesh from off their bones;
[3] Who also eat the flesh of my people, and flay their skin from off them; and they break their bones, and chop them in pieces, as for the pot, and as flesh within the caldron.
[4] Then shall they cry unto the LORD, but he will not hear them: he will even hide his face from them at that time, as they have behaved themselves ill in their doings.
[5] Thus saith the LORD concerning the prophets that make my people err, that bite with their teeth, and cry, Peace; and he that putteth not into their mouths, they even prepare war against him.
[6] Therefore night shall be unto you, that ye shall not have a vision; and it shall be dark unto you, that ye shall not divine; and the sun shall go down over the prophets, and the day shall be dark over them.
[7] Then shall the seers be ashamed, and the diviners confounded: yea, they shall all cover their lips; for there is no answer of God.
[8] But truly I am full of power by the spirit of the LORD, and of judgment, and of might, to declare unto Jacob his transgression, and to Israel his sin.
[9] Hear this, I pray you, ye heads of the house of Jacob, and princes of the house of Israel, that abhor judgment, and pervert all equity.
[10] They build up Zion with blood, and Jerusalem with iniquity.
[11] The heads thereof judge for reward, and the priests thereof teach for hire, and the prophets thereof divine for money: yet will they lean upon the LORD, and say, Is not the LORD among us? none evil can come upon us.
[12] Therefore shall Zion for your sake be plowed as a field, and Jerusalem shall become heaps, and the mountain of the house as the high places of the forest.

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May 9

The Blessings of the Kingdom

Micah 4

As sure as there was a beginning, there will be an end. God's purpose on this earth will be perfectly accomplished. (1) The mountain of the Lord's temple "...Mount Zion where the millennial temple will be built (cf. Ezek. 40-43)"will become chief among the mountains (cf. Zech. 8:3). That is, the temple site will be the center of the millennial government, the place where Christ will rule. This fact contrasts sharply with the desolate condition of Jerusalem stated in Micah 3:12. In the kingdom, saved Gentiles will want to learn the ways of the Lord, whereas ironically Israel was not interested in obeying the Lord. What a rebuke this was to Micah's contemporaries. Micah's readers were chafing under the Word of God, not wanting to be told by Him or by His prophet that they were wrong. By contrast eventually the whole world will submit willingly to God's Word and His decisions.

It is as it was in the days when Jesus walked this earth. Those studied in the law rejected Him while the publicans and sinners heard Him gladly. Those who are blind to their need and satisfied with what this life has to offer, have no desire for hope. They are content where they are. The picture is one of oppression and the oppressed. The oppressed need hope. As long as people feel right about oppressing others, there will be war. We find some of my favorite words of hope about the future in verse 3. Here we read that Jesus shall judge among many people, and rebuke strong nations afar off; and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks: nation shall not lift up a sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more. This earth has never known such a time.

This time will come when people open their hearts to God's grace. Today, most people are bent on self destruction. By opening our hearts to grace, we can find healing. At the end of the age, the majority of those who survive its destruction will open their hearts to God. When this happens the kingdom will come. However, if we open our hearts to grace now, we can find all the spiritual blessings of the kingdom. Why not open your heart today?

Mic.4
[1] But in the last days it shall come to pass, that the mountain of the house of the LORD shall be established in the top of the mountains, and it shall be exalted above the hills; and people shall flow unto it.
[2] And many nations shall come, and say, Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, and to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for the law shall go forth of Zion, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.
[3] And he shall judge among many people, and rebuke strong nations afar off; and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks: nation shall not lift up a sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.
[4] But they shall sit every man under his vine and under his fig tree; and none shall make them afraid: for the mouth of the LORD of hosts hath spoken it.
[5] For all people will walk every one in the name of his god, and we will walk in the name of the LORD our God for ever and ever.
[6] In that day, saith the LORD, will I assemble her that halteth, and I will gather her that is driven out, and her that I have afflicted;
[7] And I will make her that halted a remnant, and her that was cast far off a strong nation: and the LORD shall reign over them in mount Zion from henceforth, even for ever.
[8] And thou, O tower of the flock, the strong hold of the daughter of Zion, unto thee shall it come, even the first dominion; the kingdom shall come to the daughter of Jerusalem.
[9] Now why dost thou cry out aloud? is there no king in thee? is thy counseller perished? for pangs have taken thee as a woman in travail.
[10] Be in pain, and labour to bring forth, O daughter of Zion, like a woman in travail: for now shalt thou go forth out of the city, and thou shalt dwell in the field, and thou shalt go even to Babylon; there shalt thou be delivered; there the LORD shall redeem thee from the hand of thine enemies.
[11] Now also many nations are gathered against thee, that say, Let her be defiled, and let our eye look upon Zion.
[12] But they know not the thoughts of the LORD, neither understand they his counsel: for he shall gather them as the sheaves into the floor.
[13] Arise and thresh, O daughter of Zion: for I will make thine horn iron, and I will make thy hoofs brass: and thou shalt beat in pieces many people: and I will consecrate their gain unto the LORD, and their substance unto the Lord of the whole earth.

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(1) Walvoord, John F., and Zuck, Roy B., The Bible Knowledge Commentary, (Wheaton, Illinois: Scripture Press Publications, Inc.) 1983, 1985.

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May 10

The Coming Messiah

Micah 5

This chapter deals with those who are God's own, His children. As we go through life as Christians, we are to be, Heb 12:2,3 Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds. What do you focus your daily attention on? Lack of sleep, the weather, breakfast, your job, the kids, your spouse, etc? That's the whole point! We need to fix our eyes, our hearts on Jesus Christ! We are to be looking for His return. His return is imminent. He could come at any time. But do you really believe it? Do you really live like it?

There was the story of a man who stood at Niagara Falls and proclaimed to the crowd that he could walk across Niagara Falls blindfolded, with a person on his back. The people were skeptical at first, but some of them believed that he could do it. As they began to shout that they believed, others joined in, as well, saying that they, too, believed. Finally the man held up his hands and said that he was glad that they believed and now he needed one volunteer from all the believers to go with him on his back as he crossed. Not one person volunteered. The point to this story is that there are a lot of professing Christians out there who say that they believe, but in fact, the opposite is true because they will not allow Christ to have full access to their lives.

A True Christian loves God with all his heart and has a desire to read God's Word. A True Christian obeys God's clear commands to witness and make disciples. A True Christian displays spiritual fruit. A True Christian is looking for the return of Christ and is sending on ahead the spiritual rewards to glory and is giving up the material rewards of this life.

God's purposes will be accomplished whether we obey or not! God will reward those who trust and obey, and He will bring judgment on those who chose to go their own way. "Dear Heavenly Father, please forgive us of sin and guide us in Your everlasting truth."

Mic.5
[1] Now gather thyself in troops, O daughter of troops: he hath laid siege against us: they shall smite the judge of Israel with a rod upon the cheek.
[2] But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.
[3] Therefore will he give them up, until the time that she which travaileth hath brought forth: then the remnant of his brethren shall return unto the children of Israel.
[4] And he shall stand and feed in the strength of the LORD, in the majesty of the name of the LORD his God; and they shall abide: for now shall he be great unto the ends of the earth.
[5] And this man shall be the peace, when the Assyrian shall come into our land: and when he shall tread in our palaces, then shall we raise against him seven shepherds, and eight principal men.
[6] And they shall waste the land of Assyria with the sword, and the land of Nimrod in the entrances thereof: thus shall he deliver us from the Assyrian, when he cometh into our land, and when he treadeth within our borders.
[7] And the remnant of Jacob shall be in the midst of many people as a dew from the LORD, as the showers upon the grass, that tarrieth not for man, nor waiteth for the sons of men.
[8] And the remnant of Jacob shall be among the Gentiles in the midst of many people as a lion among the beasts of the forest, as a young lion among the flocks of sheep: who, if he go through, both treadeth down, and teareth in pieces, and none can deliver.
[9] Thine hand shall be lifted up upon thine adversaries, and all thine enemies shall be cut off.
[10] And it shall come to pass in that day, saith the LORD, that I will cut off thy horses out of the midst of thee, and I will destroy thy chariots:
[11] And I will cut off the cities of thy land, and throw down all thy strong holds:
[12] And I will cut off witchcrafts out of thine hand; and thou shalt have no more soothsayers:
[13] Thy graven images also will I cut off, and thy standing images out of the midst of thee; and thou shalt no more worship the work of thine hands.
[14] And I will pluck up thy groves out of the midst of thee: so will I destroy thy cities.
[15] And I will execute vengeance in anger and fury upon the heathen, such as they have not heard.

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May 11

The word "Woe" is found 80 times in the Old Testament and 26 times in the New Testament. It is used to open a chapter on 13 different occasions. It is also found in Revelation 7 times and means: trouble, sorrow, afflictions, grief and calamities, according to Webster's Dictionary. In the Bible, it means God's judgment is about to fall on a nation or an individual. Here in Micah, God is warning Jerusalem and Judah that their sins have come up before Him and He is not going to put up with them any longer. They are ripe for Divine judgment; their cup of sins is running over. You have not kept My Sabbatical years; you have become involved in every sin that the mind of man can conjure up, God says, "I've had it with you!" From verses 4-6, we see that for Israel materialism is in vogue.

In verses 7-14, we learn what type of judgment is coming, captivity and slavery in a strange land and heathen culture. Their beloved land and Jerusalem, are about to receive the rest God required of Israel way back in Leviticus 25:3-4, Six years thou shalt sow thy field, and six years thou shalt prune thy vineyard, and gather in the fruit thereof; But in the seventh year shall be a sabbath of rest unto the land, a sabbath for the LORD: thou shalt neither sow thy field, nor prune thy vineyard. For 490 years they had not kept the Sabbaths, therefore, God was going to give the land 70 years of rest.

Verse 12 is interesting in that it speaks of horses running on rock. Horse shoeing, as we know it, was unknown in Bible times. Both Greeks and Romans fitted leather cups on the hooves of their horses so they could walk or run on the rock. Also speaking of plowing on the rock, to this day the Arabs in Israel plow with one ox and instead of having steel plowshares they use a pointed stick and turn only a shallow furrow. They pick up the small rocks and use them for walls around their fields. In the Arab parts of Israel, it is still very primitive. In the Jewish sections they use modern machinery and are as up to date as America.

Mic.6
[1] Hear ye now what the LORD saith; Arise, contend thou before the mountains, and let the hills hear thy voice.
[2] Hear ye, O mountains, the LORD's controversy, and ye strong foundations of the earth: for the LORD hath a controversy with his people, and he will plead with Israel.
[3] O my people, what have I done unto thee? and wherein have I wearied thee? testify against me.
[4] For I brought thee up out of the land of Egypt, and redeemed thee out of the house of servants; and I sent before thee Moses, Aaron, and Miriam.
[5] O my people, remember now what Balak king of Moab consulted, and what Balaam the son of Beor answered him from Shittim unto Gilgal; that ye may know the righteousness of the LORD.
[6] Wherewith shall I come before the LORD, and bow myself before the high God? shall I come before him with burnt offerings, with calves of a year old?
[7] Will the LORD be pleased with thousands of rams, or with ten thousands of rivers of oil? shall I give my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?
[8] He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the LORD require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?
[9] The LORD's voice crieth unto the city, and the man of wisdom shall see thy name: hear ye the rod, and who hath appointed it.
[10] Are there yet the treasures of wickedness in the house of the wicked, and the scant measure that is abominable?
[11] Shall I count them pure with the wicked balances, and with the bag of deceitful weights?
[12] For the rich men thereof are full of violence, and the inhabitants thereof have spoken lies, and their tongue is deceitful in their mouth.
[13] Therefore also will I make thee sick in smiting thee, in making thee desolate because of thy sins.
[14] Thou shalt eat, but not be satisfied; and thy casting down shall be in the midst of thee; and thou shalt take hold, but shalt not deliver; and that which thou deliverest will I give up to the sword.
[15] Thou shalt sow, but thou shalt not reap; thou shalt tread the olives, but thou shalt not anoint thee with oil; and sweet wine, but shalt not drink wine.
[16] For the statutes of Omri are kept, and all the works of the house of Ahab, and ye walk in their counsels; that I should make thee a desolation, and the inhabitants thereof an hissing: therefore ye shall bear the reproach of my people.

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Friday May 12

God is Our Only Hope

Micah 7

The terrible time spoken of in our text is the end of the age. It would seem that mankind as a whole must hit rock bottom before looking to God. Consider the words of our text. We read in verse 5, trust ye not in a friend, put ye not confidence in a guide: keep the doors of thy mouth from her that lieth in thy bosom. If a time like this is not rock bottom, I don't know what would be. There is no love in the land for anything but self. How tragic!

What can a person do in such an evil age? The answer is given in verse 7. Here we read, I will look unto the LORD; I will wait for the God of my salvation: my God will hear me. This verse has application to all who find themselves without human hope today. Man's extremity is God's opportunity. In our text, there is an admission of guilt. We read in verse 9, I will bear the indignation of the LORD, because I have sinned against him, until he plead my cause, and execute judgment for me: he will bring me forth to the light, and I shall behold his righteousness. When we sin and reject God and His ways, there is great trouble and sorrow. However, if we will open our hearts to God's grace and truth, there is always hope.

There is a great picture of hope in verses 18- 19, Who is a God like unto thee, that pardoneth iniquity, and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of his heritage? he retaineth not his anger for ever, because he delighteth in mercy. He will turn again, he will have compassion upon us; he will subdue our iniquities; and thou wilt cast all their sins into the depths of the sea. It is simply not possible for sin to carry us where God's grace and mercy cannot reach us. It is fitting that in this message of sin and judgment that we find hope. According to the covenant, there would be all kinds of problems because ofIsrael's sin and unfaithfulness. She will be brought down to where there is no where to look, but to God in faith and hope. Yet, even in such a desperate situation, God will bring salvation and blessing to all who open their hearts to His grace. We need to be careful about any teaching that would take away hope from those who stray. Such doctrine is not found in the Bible. God is always and ever ready to heal and bless, if we only turn to Him in faith.

Mic.7
[1] Woe is me! for I am as when they have gathered the summer fruits, as the grapegleanings of the vintage: there is no cluster to eat: my soul desired the firstripe fruit.
[2] The good man is perished out of the earth: and there is none upright among men: they all lie in wait for blood; they hunt every man his brother with a net.
[3] That they may do evil with both hands earnestly, the prince asketh, and the judge asketh for a reward; and the great man, he uttereth his mischievous desire: so they wrap it up.
[4] The best of them is as a brier: the most upright is sharper than a thorn hedge: the day of thy watchmen and thy visitation cometh; now shall be their perplexity.
[5] Trust ye not in a friend, put ye not confidence in a guide: keep the doors of thy mouth from her that lieth in thy bosom.
[6] For the son dishonoureth the father, the daughter riseth up against her mother, the daughter in law against her mother in law; a man's enemies are the men of his own house.
[7] Therefore I will look unto the LORD; I will wait for the God of my salvation: my God will hear me.
[8] Rejoice not against me, O mine enemy: when I fall, I shall arise; when I sit in darkness, the LORD shall be a light unto me.
[9] I will bear the indignation of the LORD, because I have sinned against him, until he plead my cause, and execute judgment for me: he will bring me forth to the light, and I shall behold his righteousness.
[10] Then she that is mine enemy shall see it, and shame shall cover her which said unto me, Where is the LORD thy God? mine eyes shall behold her: now shall she be trodden down as the mire of the streets.
[11] In the day that thy walls are to be built, in that day shall the decree be far removed.
[12] In that day also he shall come even to thee from Assyria, and from the fortified cities, and from the fortress even to the river, and from sea to sea, and from mountain to mountain.
[13] Notwithstanding the land shall be desolate because of them that dwell therein, for the fruit of their doings.
[14] Feed thy people with thy rod, the flock of thine heritage, which dwell solitarily in the wood, in the midst of Carmel: let them feed in Bashan and Gilead, as in the days of old.
[15] According to the days of thy coming out of the land of Egypt will I shew unto him marvellous things.
[16] The nations shall see and be confounded at all their might: they shall lay their hand upon their mouth, their ears shall be deaf.
[17] They shall lick the dust like a serpent, they shall move out of their holes like worms of the earth: they shall be afraid of the LORD our God, and shall fear because of thee.
[18] Who is a God like unto thee, that pardoneth iniquity, and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of his heritage? he retaineth not his anger for ever, because he delighteth in mercy.
[19] He will turn again, he will have compassion upon us; he will subdue our iniquities; and thou wilt cast all their sins into the depths of the sea.
[20] Thou wilt perform the truth to Jacob, and the mercy to Abraham, which thou hast sworn unto our fathers from the days of old.

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May 13

Does God Hear Our Prayers?

Habakkuk 1

We have all prayed and wondered if God really did hear us, just like the prophet Habakkuk says in verse 2. There are certain things though, that we can do to help us know that God did hear us and we find these things in His Word. First of all, we understand that sin is what blocks our prayers unto God. Psa 66:18 If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me. How can we expect God to hear us when we have un-confessed sin in our lives? So we must make certain that we have confessed any and all sin first and foremost. Then we can pray as David did, Psa 19:14 Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O LORD, my strength, and my redeemer. Next of all, many of us usually try to fix things ourselves and we may go to the Lord, and we may not. But God says, Jer 33:3 Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and shew thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not.

Yes, just the simple act of calling on the Lord with a repentant heart will allow God to hear us. Jesus gave us the example of addressing our prayers unto God the Father. Have you ever heard someone pray without addressing God the Father. Then there are some who misuse Father as if it should be repeated every third of fourth word. We are to pray to God the Father, in the Name of the Lord Jesus, and in the power of the Holy Spirit. We need to address God with reverence and respect. We need to understand who it is we are talking with. This is our Maker and our Creator, our Savior and our Redeemer, not just some heavenly buddy that we can slap high five with.

...The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much. God will answer the prayers of a person who has confessed his sin and is praying for God's ways and purposes! This truly honors Him.

Hab.1
[1] The burden which Habakkuk the prophet did see.
[2] O LORD, how long shall I cry, and thou wilt not hear! even cry out unto thee of violence, and thou wilt not save!
[3] Why dost thou shew me iniquity, and cause me to behold grievance? for spoiling and violence are before me: and there are that raise up strife and contention.
[4] Therefore the law is slacked, and judgment doth never go forth: for the wicked doth compass about the righteous; therefore wrong judgment proceedeth.
[5] Behold ye among the heathen, and regard, and wonder marvellously: for I will work a work in your days, which ye will not believe, though it be told you.
[6] For, lo, I raise up the Chaldeans, that bitter and hasty nation, which shall march through the breadth of the land, to possess the dwellingplaces that are not theirs.
[7] They are terrible and dreadful: their judgment and their dignity shall proceed of themselves.
[8] Their horses also are swifter than the leopards, and are more fierce than the evening wolves: and their horsemen shall spread themselves, and their horsemen shall come from far; they shall fly as the eagle that hasteth to eat.
[9] They shall come all for violence: their faces shall sup up as the east wind, and they shall gather the captivity as the sand.
[10] And they shall scoff at the kings, and the princes shall be a scorn unto them: they shall deride every strong hold; for they shall heap dust, and take it.
[11] Then shall his mind change, and he shall pass over, and offend, imputing this his power unto his god.
[12] Art thou not from everlasting, O LORD my God, mine Holy One? we shall not die. O LORD, thou hast ordained them for judgment; and, O mighty God, thou hast established them for correction.
[13] Thou art of purer eyes than to behold evil, and canst not look on iniquity: wherefore lookest thou upon them that deal treacherously, and holdest thy tongue when the wicked devoureth the man that is more righteous than he?
[14] And makest men as the fishes of the sea, as the creeping things, that have no ruler over them?
[15] They take up all of them with the angle, they catch them in their net, and gather them in their drag: therefore they rejoice and are glad.
[16] Therefore they sacrifice unto their net, and burn incense unto their drag; because by them their portion is fat, and their meat plenteous.
[17] Shall they therefore empty their net, and not spare continually to slay the nations?

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May 14

Unfulfilled Prophecies Pointing to the Glorious Kingdom to Come

Habakkuk 2

Verses 2 and 3 refer to a vision of the future, to this day unfulfilled, but to be fulfilled when our Precious Saviour returns. The rapture of the church or the saints is not pictured here, but the Second Coming after the Tribulation and the Kingdom on earth in the Millennium. Verse 4 is Paul's famous sentence used as the basis of his great argument repeated in Romans 1:17 and Galatians 3:11. "The Just shall live by faith." Martin Luther remembered these words when he was climbing the glass imbedded, Apostles Stairs on his bloody knees in the City of Rome. Luther had put his body through many forms of self-flagellation to purify his body of sin, but to no avail. So too, we cannot improve this body of sin any more than Paul or Luther. We need the new birth or the new creation relationship with God through Christ.

Habakkuk was speaking to his generation, because they were a covetous people. They were using wine to uncover the nakedness of their neighbors. Israel was filled with lust and adultery. The idol makers were on street corners hawking these blind, deaf, and speechless idols. The pimps were standing outside the Temple gates offering harlots to the worshippers for a price. We have heard or read this many times that, "Americans are in love with their cars." This writer sees a car as but a vehicle to take him from point A to point B. We have never seen it as a status symbol. Every car we have owned has been dedicated to the Lord from the time of purchase and remained dedicated to Him until traded or sold.

There is a chorus in many of the hymnals that is found in verse 20, "The LORD is in His holy temple: let all the earth keep silence before Him." This is another of Habakkuk's prophecies of the future. It should apply to us today, according to Paul in I Cor. 3:16-17, we are the temple of God. God dwells in us; therefore, we should not defile this body-temple as the Jews did their Temple in Habakkuk's day.

Hab.2
[1] I will stand upon my watch, and set me upon the tower, and will watch to see what he will say unto me, and what I shall answer when I am reproved.
[2] And the LORD answered me, and said, Write the vision, and make it plain upon tables, that he may run that readeth it.
[3] For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry.
[4] Behold, his soul which is lifted up is not upright in him: but the just shall live by his faith.
[5] Yea also, because he transgresseth by wine, he is a proud man, neither keepeth at home, who enlargeth his desire as hell, and is as death, and cannot be satisfied, but gathereth unto him all nations, and heapeth unto him all people:
[6] Shall not all these take up a parable against him, and a taunting proverb against him, and say, Woe to him that increaseth that which is not his! how long? and to him that ladeth himself with thick clay!
[7] Shall they not rise up suddenly that shall bite thee, and awake that shall vex thee, and thou shalt be for booties unto them?
[8] Because thou hast spoiled many nations, all the remnant of the people shall spoil thee; because of men's blood, and for the violence of the land, of the city, and of all that dwell therein.
[9] Woe to him that coveteth an evil covetousness to his house, that he may set his nest on high, that he may be delivered from the power of evil!
[10] Thou hast consulted shame to thy house by cutting off many people, and hast sinned against thy soul.
[11] For the stone shall cry out of the wall, and the beam out of the timber shall answer it.
[12] Woe to him that buildeth a town with blood, and stablisheth a city by iniquity!
[13] Behold, is it not of the LORD of hosts that the people shall labour in the very fire, and the people shall weary themselves for very vanity?
[14] For the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea.
[15] Woe unto him that giveth his neighbour drink, that puttest thy bottle to him, and makest him drunken also, that thou mayest look on their nakedness!
[16] Thou art filled with shame for glory: drink thou also, and let thy foreskin be uncovered: the cup of the LORD's right hand shall be turned unto thee, and shameful spewing shall be on thy glory.
[17] For the violence of Lebanon shall cover thee, and the spoil of beasts, which made them afraid, because of men's blood, and for the violence of the land, of the city, and of all that dwell therein.
[18] What profiteth the graven image that the maker thereof hath graven it; the molten image, and a teacher of lies, that the maker of his work trusteth therein, to make dumb idols?
[19] Woe unto him that saith to the wood, Awake; to the dumb stone, Arise, it shall teach! Behold, it is laid over with gold and silver, and there is no breath at all in the midst of it.
[20] But the LORD is in his holy temple: let all the earth keep silence before him.

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May 15

Praying for Revival

Habakkuk 3

Habakkuk begins his prophecy deeply distressed because of the wickedness in the land. God tells the prophet of the coming invasion by Babylon. As Babylon is even more wicked than Israel, the prophet is distressed that this will not help the cause of righteousness. What is the distressed prophet to do? In chapter three, we find his response. He prays for God to bring spiritual revival.

The prophet's focus is on the greatness and goodness of God. This gives him hope in the middle of times of great spiritual decline. As he focuses on the greatness and goodness of God, he pleads for God's powerful intervention and mercy. As he thinks of the divine presence, he recounts various elements that surrounded God's appearance at Sinai. From there, he moves to God's work in his experience. In particular, he recounts God's power over water. (1) God's victory over Egypt's horsemen was pictured figuratively as if He Himself had trampled the sea with His own horses and chariots (cf. Hab. 3:8). In this victory God had churned the great waters (cf. v. 10). When God works in such powerful ways, it has a great impact on people. The prophet Habakkuk was no different. We read in verse 16 When I heard, my belly trembled; my lips quivered at the voice: rottenness entered into my bones, and I trembled in myself...

In spite of the impact of God's works in this earth, the prophet does not loose confidence and hope. (2) The prophet's weakened physical state contrasted with his incredibly strong spiritual state. Even in the midst of absolute ruin and abject famine (which came when the Babylonians captured Jerusalem, Lam. 2:12, 20, 4:4, 9-10; 5:17-18), the prophet was prepared to trust God. He realized that inner peace did not depend on outward prosperity. He describes his spiritual state in verses 17- 18, Although the fig tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines; the labour of the olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield no meat; the flock shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stalls: Yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will joy in the God of my salvation. In spite of desperate circumstances, the spiritual blessings of faith can be ours. I wonder, is this part of your experience?

Hab.3
[1] A prayer of Habakkuk the prophet upon Shigionoth.
[2] O LORD, I have heard thy speech, and was afraid: O LORD, revive thy work in the midst of the years, in the midst of the years make known; in wrath remember mercy.
[3] God came from Teman, and the Holy One from mount Paran. Selah. His glory covered the heavens, and the earth was full of his praise.
[4] And his brightness was as the light; he had horns coming out of his hand: and there was the hiding of his power.
[5] Before him went the pestilence, and burning coals went forth at his feet.
[6] He stood, and measured the earth: he beheld, and drove asunder the nations; and the everlasting mountains were scattered, the perpetual hills did bow: his ways are everlasting.
[7] I saw the tents of Cushan in affliction: and the curtains of the land of Midian did tremble.
[8] Was the LORD displeased against the rivers? was thine anger against the rivers? was thy wrath against the sea, that thou didst ride upon thine horses and thy chariots of salvation?
[9] Thy bow was made quite naked, according to the oaths of the tribes, even thy word. Selah. Thou didst cleave the earth with rivers.
[10] The mountains saw thee, and they trembled: the overflowing of the water passed by: the deep uttered his voice, and lifted up his hands on high.
[11] The sun and moon stood still in their habitation: at the light of thine arrows they went, and at the shining of thy glittering spear.
[12] Thou didst march through the land in indignation, thou didst thresh the heathen in anger.
[13] Thou wentest forth for the salvation of thy people, even for salvation with thine anointed; thou woundedst the head out of the house of the wicked, by discovering the foundation unto the neck. Selah.
[14] Thou didst strike through with his staves the head of his villages: they came out as a whirlwind to scatter me: their rejoicing was as to devour the poor secretly.
[15] Thou didst walk through the sea with thine horses, through the heap of great waters.
[16] When I heard, my belly trembled; my lips quivered at the voice: rottenness entered into my bones, and I trembled in myself, that I might rest in the day of trouble: when he cometh up unto the people, he will invade them with his troops.
[17] Although the fig tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines; the labour of the olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield no meat; the flock shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stalls:
[18] Yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will joy in the God of my salvation.
[19] The LORD God is my strength, and he will make my feet like hinds' feet, and he will make me to walk upon mine high places. To the chief singer on my stringed instruments.

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(1) (2) Walvoord, John F., and Zuck, Roy B., The Bible Knowledge Commentary, (Wheaton, Illinois: Scripture Press Publications, Inc.) 1983, 1985.

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May 16

Obedience in Building God's House

Haggai 1

As we look at the beginning chapter of Haggai, we see the clear command of God to rebuild His house, His temple. God always comes to the point and does not beat around the bush. He says in, Hag 1:4 Is it time for you yourselves to dwell in your finished houses, and shall this House lie waste? Solomon's temple laid in ruins while they sat in their fancy houses. The people had become fat and apathetic to spiritual things. Interesting! Isn't that where the church in America is today? Many church going people who profess to be "Christian," are little interested in Spiritual things as is evidenced by their daily and weekly activity. There are a lot of people who miss church who wouldn't miss work. There are many who take vacations to be relieved of work stress, but can't seem to find time for Christ's work to make disciples (The real stress reliever). Many people find time to go to movies and many different activities and are entertained for hours on end each week, but can't seem to sit under the teaching and preaching of God's Word for one hour on Sunday without finding fault with the service music, or the preaching of God's Holy Word. Folks, could this be you? What is most important in your life? You say you're a Christian, but if God looked at your daily activities, would there be any evidence of your profession? If God were to say to you, "It's time to build My house!" what would you do?

What we see in our text is that God did ask that question and the people responded favorably and got busy and went to work and rebuilt the temple. Oh, would to God that we, too, as God's people would respond with that same zeal out of a heart felt love for our Great God and Savior! We don't have to wonder what to do and when. In fact Jesus says, John 4:35 Say not ye, There are yet four months, and then cometh harvest? behold, I say unto you, Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest. Yes, the temple today is in the hearts of those who have repented of sin and turned to Christ. How much time have you committed to the Lord in obedience to His clear command to be witnesses for Him to others? Most people don't plan to fail, they just fail to plan. May our plan be to obey our Lord Jesus Christ!

Hag.1
[1] In the second year of Darius the king, in the sixth month, in the first day of the month, came the word of the LORD by Haggai the prophet unto Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua the son of Josedech, the high priest, saying,
[2] Thus speaketh the LORD of hosts, saying, This people say, The time is not come, the time that the LORD's house should be built.
[3] Then came the word of the LORD by Haggai the prophet, saying,
[4] Is it time for you, O ye, to dwell in your cieled houses, and this house lie waste?
[5] Now therefore thus saith the LORD of hosts; Consider your ways.
[6] Ye have sown much, and bring in little; ye eat, but ye have not enough; ye drink, but ye are not filled with drink; ye clothe you, but there is none warm; and he that earneth wages earneth wages to put it into a bag with holes.
[7] Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Consider your ways.
[8] Go up to the mountain, and bring wood, and build the house; and I will take pleasure in it, and I will be glorified, saith the LORD.
[9] Ye looked for much, and, lo, it came to little; and when ye brought it home, I did blow upon it. Why? saith the LORD of hosts. Because of mine house that is waste, and ye run every man unto his own house.
[10] Therefore the heaven over you is stayed from dew, and the earth is stayed from her fruit.
[11] And I called for a drought upon the land, and upon the mountains, and upon the corn, and upon the new wine, and upon the oil, and upon that which the ground bringeth forth, and upon men, and upon cattle, and upon all the labour of the hands.
[12] Then Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and Joshua the son of Josedech, the high priest, with all the remnant of the people, obeyed the voice of the LORD their God, and the words of Haggai the prophet, as the LORD their God had sent him, and the people did fear before the LORD.
[13] Then spake Haggai the LORD's messenger in the LORD's message unto the people, saying, I am with you, saith the LORD.
[14] And the LORD stirred up the spirit of Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and the spirit of Joshua the son of Josedech, the high priest, and the spirit of all the remnant of the people; and they came and did work in the house of the LORD of hosts, their God,
[15] In the four and twentieth day of the sixth month, in the second year of Darius the king.

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May 17

The Glory of Solomon's Temple and the

Greater Glory of the Millennial Temple

Haggai 2

Haggai is one of the post-exilic prophets and compares the Temple of Zerubbabel with the glory of Solomon's Temple. Haggai asks the question of those who had seen the first temple and the newly constructed temple after the return from captivity, verses 2-3. The new building was but a shadow of the former temple. However God says in verse 4 I am with you saith the LORD of hosts: According to the word that I covenanted with you when you came out of Egypt, so my spirit remaineth among you: fear ye not. This promise is of great value to the people as they return and rebuild the city of Jerusalem. They have been out of the land for 70 long years and now returning to their beloved land. Many is the Jewish emigrant coming from Europe and Russia who falls to the ground and kisses the soil of Israel as they deplane at Lod Airport in Tel Aviv. To them, they are home! We knew an elderly Jewish lady in Rock Springs, WY, who said,"I want to go home." And I replied "this is your home" to which she responded, "No, I mean to Israel."

In 2:7-9, the curtain is pulled back and we see into the future when Israel will be fully restored and the Millennial Temple will be filled with the Glory of the Lord. Haggai, in this prophecy pictures the Tribulation as history and the anti-christ and false prophet are in the lake of fire. Satan is chained and is cast into the bottomless pit. The nations of the world will come up to Jerusalem and worship. Those who teach that the millennium was the 1000 years from the years 400 to 1300 A. D. is already past history. They did not understand the teachings of the millennium, or the events taking place at that time. Christ shall return to the Mount of Olives and a great earthquake will split the Mount to the North and the South. A river will gush forth to the East and run to the Dead Sea and West to the Mediterranean Sea.

Lastly in verse 7, we see that Christ will become the desire of all nations. Americans will turn from their Anti-Christian philosophies and seek Christ as He sits in all His glory. Believers, we will reign with Him!

Hag.2
[1] In the seventh month, in the one and twentieth day of the month, came the word of the LORD by the prophet Haggai, saying,
[2] Speak now to Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua the son of Josedech, the high priest, and to the residue of the people, saying,
[3] Who is left among you that saw this house in her first glory? and how do ye see it now? is it not in your eyes in comparison of it as nothing?
[4] Yet now be strong, O Zerubbabel, saith the LORD; and be strong, O Joshua, son of Josedech, the high priest; and be strong, all ye people of the land, saith the LORD, and work: for I am with you, saith the LORD of hosts:
[5] According to the word that I covenanted with you when ye came out of Egypt, so my spirit remaineth among you: fear ye not.
[6] For thus saith the LORD of hosts; Yet once, it is a little while, and I will shake the heavens, and the earth, and the sea, and the dry land;
[7] And I will shake all nations, and the desire of all nations shall come: and I will fill this house with glory, saith the LORD of hosts.
[8] The silver is mine, and the gold is mine, saith the LORD of hosts.
[9] The glory of this latter house shall be greater than of the former, saith the LORD of hosts: and in this place will I give peace, saith the LORD of hosts.
[10] In the four and twentieth day of the ninth month, in the second year of Darius, came the word of the LORD by Haggai the prophet, saying,
[11] Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Ask now the priests concerning the law, saying,
[12] If one bear holy flesh in the skirt of his garment, and with his skirt do touch bread, or pottage, or wine, or oil, or any meat, shall it be holy? And the priests answered and said, No.
[13] Then said Haggai, If one that is unclean by a dead body touch any of these, shall it be unclean? And the priests answered and said, It shall be unclean.
[14] Then answered Haggai, and said, So is this people, and so is this nation before me, saith the LORD; and so is every work of their hands; and that which they offer there is unclean.
[15] And now, I pray you, consider from this day and upward, from before a stone was laid upon a stone in the temple of the LORD:
[16] Since those days were, when one came to an heap of twenty measures, there were but ten: when one came to the pressfat for to draw out fifty vessels out of the press, there were but twenty.
[17] I smote you with blasting and with mildew and with hail in all the labours of your hands; yet ye turned not to me, saith the LORD.
[18] Consider now from this day and upward, from the four and twentieth day of the ninth month, even from the day that the foundation of the LORD's temple was laid, consider it.
[19] Is the seed yet in the barn? yea, as yet the vine, and the fig tree, and the pomegranate, and the olive tree, hath not brought forth: from this day will I bless you.
[20] And again the word of the LORD came unto Haggai in the four and twentieth day of the month, saying,
[21] Speak to Zerubbabel, governor of Judah, saying, I will shake the heavens and the earth;
[22] And I will overthrow the throne of kingdoms, and I will destroy the strength of the kingdoms of the heathen; and I will overthrow the chariots, and those that ride in them; and the horses and their riders shall come down, every one by the sword of his brother.
[23] In that day, saith the LORD of hosts, will I take thee, O Zerubbabel, my servant, the son of Shealtiel, saith the LORD, and will make thee as a signet: for I have chosen thee, saith the LORD of hosts.

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May 18

A Call to Repentance

Zechariah 1

(1) In an often-quoted statement, George L. Robinson has called the Book of Zechariah "...the most messianic, the most truly apocalyptic and eschatological of all the writings of the Old Testament". Israel's relationship with God is of similar character to our relationships with one another. We get frustrated and angry with one another and God has an emotional response to the unfaithfulness of His people.

(2)Zechariah affirmed that the destruction of Jerusalem and the Exile experienced by the previous generations were an expression of divine anger. In fact the Lord was very angry (lit., "angry with anger"), a phrase indicating extreme displeasure. The Lord ("Yahweh"), who had entered into personal covenant relationship with the nation Israel, was intensely angry with their forefathers, especially the last generation before the Captivity (but cf. 2 Kings 21:14-15), because of their rebellion against Him.

We find that though God is angry, through the prophet, He calls upon the people to repent. We read in verse 4, turn ye now from your evil ways, and from your evil doings... God takes no pleasure in the destruction people bring into their lives. He desires good for them, thus, calls on them to do right.

(3) In a single night Zechariah saw a series of eight visions which were interpreted by an angel and which described the future of the nation Israel. God's program of spiritual blessing set forth in the visions bridges the centuries from the rebuilding of the temple in Zechariah's day to the restoration of the kingdom to Israel under the Messiah (still future in Acts 1:6, to be fulfilled at Christ's Second Advent; cf. Acts 15:16. This chapter includes two visions. One is of a red horseman. This pictures God's displeasure with the nations and determination to bless Israel. The other is of four horns and four workmen. This vision depicts God's judgment on the nations persecuting Israel. God is the prime moving force in the history of this world. He knows the beginning from the end, and He is bringing all to pass according to His plan and purpose. For this reason, all the blessings foretold for Israel will come to pass. Israel will repent.

Zech.1
[1] In the eighth month, in the second year of Darius, came the word of the LORD unto Zechariah, the son of Berechiah, the son of Iddo the prophet, saying,
[2] The LORD hath been sore displeased with your fathers.
[3] Therefore say thou unto them, Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Turn ye unto me, saith the LORD of hosts, and I will turn unto you, saith the LORD of hosts.
[4] Be ye not as your fathers, unto whom the former prophets have cried, saying, Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Turn ye now from your evil ways, and from your evil doings: but they did not hear, nor hearken unto me, saith the LORD.
[5] Your fathers, where are they? and the prophets, do they live for ever?
[6] But my words and my statutes, which I commanded my servants the prophets, did they not take hold of your fathers? and they returned and said, Like as the LORD of hosts thought to do unto us, according to our ways, and according to our doings, so hath he dealt with us.
[7] Upon the four and twentieth day of the eleventh month, which is the month Sebat, in the second year of Darius, came the word of the LORD unto Zechariah, the son of Berechiah, the son of Iddo the prophet, saying,
[8] I saw by night, and behold a man riding upon a red horse, and he stood among the myrtle trees that were in the bottom; and behind him were there red horses, speckled, and white.
[9] Then said I, O my lord, what are these? And the angel that talked with me said unto me, I will shew thee what these be.
[10] And the man that stood among the myrtle trees answered and said, These are they whom the LORD hath sent to walk to and fro through the earth.
[11] And they answered the angel of the LORD that stood among the myrtle trees, and said, We have walked to and fro through the earth, and, behold, all the earth sitteth still, and is at rest.
[12] Then the angel of the LORD answered and said, O LORD of hosts, how long wilt thou not have mercy on Jerusalem and on the cities of Judah, against which thou hast had indignation these threescore and ten years?
[13] And the LORD answered the angel that talked with me with good words and comfortable words.
[14] So the angel that communed with me said unto me, Cry thou, saying, Thus saith the LORD of hosts; I am jealous for Jerusalem and for Zion with a great jealousy.
[15] And I am very sore displeased with the heathen that are at ease: for I was but a little displeased, and they helped forward the affliction.
[16] Therefore thus saith the LORD; I am returned to Jerusalem with mercies: my house shall be built in it, saith the LORD of hosts, and a line shall be stretched forth upon Jerusalem.
[17] Cry yet, saying, Thus saith the LORD of hosts; My cities through prosperity shall yet be spread abroad; and the LORD shall yet comfort Zion, and shall yet choose Jerusalem.
[18] Then lifted I up mine eyes, and saw, and behold four horns.
[19] And I said unto the angel that talked with me, What be these? And he answered me, These are the horns which have scattered Judah, Israel, and Jerusalem.
[20] And the LORD shewed me four carpenters.
[21] Then said I, What come these to do? And he spake, saying, These are the horns which have scattered Judah, so that no man did lift up his head: but these are come to fray them, to cast out the horns of the Gentiles, which lifted up their horn over the land of Judah to scatter it.

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(1) International Standard Bible Encyclopedia. Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1956, 5:3136

(2) (3) Walvoord, John F., and Zuck, Roy B., The Bible Knowledge Commentary, (Wheaton, Illinois: Scripture Press Publications, Inc.) 1983, 1985.

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May 19

Does Your Life Measure up to God's Standard?

Zechariah 2

God used the prophet Haggai to start a revival in the hearts of the people, to rebuild God's temple, and then God used the prophet Zechariah to continue the revival, calling people to repentance and reassuring them of God's future blessings if they would be faithful.

God spoke to Zechariah through visions and this third vision in chapter two speaks of the coming Jerusalem, looking ahead to the Millennial reign of Christ. God wanted the people to open their spiritual eyes and look past themselves and their situations and circumstances and look at things from God's perspective. Maybe this is why so many people today are stuck on themselves. For sure we know that this is one of the major areas of sin in 1Jo 2:16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. But the test for a Real Christian is this; 1Jo 2:4,5 He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him. It is God who gives us our spiritual vision. That is probably the reason that so many people don't have this spiritual vision in that they don't really know God. Even as true Believers, we tend to get self-focused and can't see very well spiritually, but one day when Christ returns, if we have been faithful, we will see more clearly. 1Co 13:12 For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Who? Jesus Christ!

Say, friend shouldn't that be our hearts focus?! Paul said, 1Th 5:4 But you, brothers, are not in darkness, that the Day should overtake you like a thief. 1Th 4:15-18 For we say this to you by the Word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord shall not go before those who are asleep. For the Lord Himself shall descend from Heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ shall rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air. And so we shall ever be with the Lord. Therefore comfort one another with these words.

Are you Faithful?!

Zech.2
[1] I lifted up mine eyes again, and looked, and behold a man with a measuring line in his hand.
[2] Then said I, Whither goest thou? And he said unto me, To measure Jerusalem, to see what is the breadth thereof, and what is the length thereof.
[3] And, behold, the angel that talked with me went forth, and another angel went out to meet him,
[4] And said unto him, Run, speak to this young man, saying, Jerusalem shall be inhabited as towns without walls for the multitude of men and cattle therein:
[5] For I, saith the LORD, will be unto her a wall of fire round about, and will be the glory in the midst of her.
[6] Ho, ho, come forth, and flee from the land of the north, saith the LORD: for I have spread you abroad as the four winds of the heaven, saith the LORD.
[7] Deliver thyself, O Zion, that dwellest with the daughter of Babylon.
[8] For thus saith the LORD of hosts; After the glory hath he sent me unto the nations which spoiled you: for he that toucheth you toucheth the apple of his eye.
[9] For, behold, I will shake mine hand upon them, and they shall be a spoil to their servants: and ye shall know that the LORD of hosts hath sent me.
[10] Sing and rejoice, O daughter of Zion: for, lo, I come, and I will dwell in the midst of thee, saith the LORD.
[11] And many nations shall be joined to the LORD in that day, and shall be my people: and I will dwell in the midst of thee, and thou shalt know that the LORD of hosts hath sent me unto thee.
[12] And the LORD shall inherit Judah his portion in the holy land, and shall choose Jerusalem again.
[13] Be silent, O all flesh, before the LORD: for he is raised up out of his holy habitation.

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May 20

Satan standing beside the High Priest

Zechariah 3:1-10

The people have returned from the Babylonian Captivity and rebuilt the Temple. The angel of the LORD said unto Satan, "The LORD rebuke thee." The angel did not rebuke Satan, but the LORD did. It is true, "Angels fear to go where fools tread." The LORD'S rebuke paralyzes the hostile power. The Priest standing here is named Joshua; this is not the great leader found in the Book of Joshua, but a priest of the tribe of Levi. Joshua was wearing filthy clothing, totally unfit for his office. He should have been wearing clean white linen garments when ministering before the Lord.

The angel said unto Joshua, Thus saith the LORD of hosts; (The LORD of the Heavenly armies) If thou wilt walk in my ways, and if thou wilt keep my charge, then thou shalt also judge my house, and shalt also keep my courts, and I will give thee places to walk among these (people) that stand by, 3:7. Also, note in vs. 7, Joshua is instructed to walk in the ways of the LORD. (That is the same command given us in the New Testament, I Corinthians 6:11-20). In vs. 8, we see the "BRANCH" this name is first found in Isaiah 4:2; 11:l. Again in Jeremiah 23:5; 33:15, now here in Zech. 3:8; 6:12. The "BRANCH," when capitalized, as here, always refers to Christ.

Lastly, we see a prophetic picture of Israel in the remote future. This has not yet come to pass, but will in the millennium. ⁹For behold the stone that I have laid before Joshua; upon one stone shall be seven eyes: behold, I will engrave the graving thereof, saith the LORD of hosts, and I will remove the iniquity of that land in one day. ¹⁰In that day, saith the LORD of hosts, shall ye call every man his neighbour under the vine and under the fig tree. The seven eyes are to be compared with Revelation 5:6 ... in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth. It is amazing how many prophecies are found in the OT that refer to Christ and the consummation of all things as recorded in the Revelation.

Zech.3
[1] And he shewed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the LORD, and Satan standing at his right hand to resist him.
[2] And the LORD said unto Satan, The LORD rebuke thee, O Satan; even the LORD that hath chosen Jerusalem rebuke thee: is not this a brand plucked out of the fire?
[3] Now Joshua was clothed with filthy garments, and stood before the angel.
[4] And he answered and spake unto those that stood before him, saying, Take away the filthy garments from him. And unto him he said, Behold, I have caused thine iniquity to pass from thee, and I will clothe thee with change of raiment.
[5] And I said, Let them set a fair mitre upon his head. So they set a fair mitre upon his head, and clothed him with garments. And the angel of the LORD stood by.
[6] And the angel of the LORD protested unto Joshua, saying,
[7] Thus saith the LORD of hosts; If thou wilt walk in my ways, and if thou wilt keep my charge, then thou shalt also judge my house, and shalt also keep my courts, and I will give thee places to walk among these that stand by.
[8] Hear now, O Joshua the high priest, thou, and thy fellows that sit before thee: for they are men wondered at: for, behold, I will bring forth my servant the BRANCH.
[9] For behold the stone that I have laid before Joshua; upon one stone shall be seven eyes: behold, I will engrave the graving thereof, saith the LORD of hosts, and I will remove the iniquity of that land in one day.
[10] In that day, saith the LORD of hosts, shall ye call every man his neighbour under the vine and under the fig tree.

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May 21

The Light of This World

Zechariah 4

(1) The interpreting angel aroused Zechariah from . . . sleep and directed his attention (by a question; cf. vv. 5, 13; 5:2) to a solid gold lampstand, the exact appearance of which is subject to controversy. Appearing in a context of priestly temple ministry (cf. the previous vision), this lampstand was apparently similar to the lampstand placed in Israel's tabernacle (cf. Ex. 25:31-40), and the 10 lampstands of Solomon's temple (1 Kings 7:49). However, the tabernacle lampstand had to be filled with oil by the priests, but this lampstand was automatically filled with an endless supply of oil without human agency.

The spirit of God is what God uses to accomplish His work on this earth. The spirit of God is this endless supply of oil. In verse 6 we read, not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the LORD of hosts. In this case the workers lead by Zerubbabel would finish the work of the temple through the power of God. The two olive trees and anointed ones have double reference. One is a reference to the two offices of prophet and priests that were a part of God's work in the nation of Israel. Then there is also a reference to the two witnesses mentioned in the book of Revelation (Revelation 11:3-6). In the case of the latter, the witness is to all on this earth.

In this image, Israel is a lighthouse to the nations. This light flows from God's Spirit through His people. Human depravity is such that God works through those he chooses for His purpose. God is determined to redeem fallen humanity. All have the freedom and power of choice, but God has a way of influencing our choice.

We need to appreciate that though we have the freedom, power and responsibility of individual choice, others have great influence on our choices including God. God's choice of Israel is a means to influencing all nations on this earth. It is often said that everyone is doing a certain thing. This is simply not true. There are always those who choose to do right. God will see to it. The important question is, are we doing right?

Zech.4
[1] And the angel that talked with me came again, and waked me, as a man that is wakened out of his sleep,
[2] And said unto me, What seest thou? And I said, I have looked, and behold a candlestick all of gold, with a bowl upon the top of it, and his seven lamps thereon, and seven pipes to the seven lamps, which are upon the top thereof:
[3] And two olive trees by it, one upon the right side of the bowl, and the other upon the left side thereof.
[4] So I answered and spake to the angel that talked with me, saying, What are these, my lord?
[5] Then the angel that talked with me answered and said unto me, Knowest thou not what these be? And I said, No, my lord.
[6] Then he answered and spake unto me, saying, This is the word of the LORD unto Zerubbabel, saying, Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the LORD of hosts.
[7] Who art thou, O great mountain? before Zerubbabel thou shalt become a plain: and he shall bring forth the headstone thereof with shoutings, crying, Grace, grace unto it.
[8] Moreover the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,
[9] The hands of Zerubbabel have laid the foundation of this house; his hands shall also finish it; and thou shalt know that the LORD of hosts hath sent me unto you.
[10] For who hath despised the day of small things? for they shall rejoice, and shall see the plummet in the hand of Zerubbabel with those seven; they are the eyes of the LORD, which run to and fro through the whole earth.
[11] Then answered I, and said unto him, What are these two olive trees upon the right side of the candlestick and upon the left side thereof?
[12] And I answered again, and said unto him, What be these two olive branches which through the two golden pipes empty the golden oil out of themselves?
[13] And he answered me and said, Knowest thou not what these be? And I said, No, my lord.
[14] Then said he, These are the two anointed ones, that stand by the LORD of the whole earth.

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(1) (2) Walvoord, John F., and Zuck, Roy B., The Bible Knowledge Commentary, (Wheaton, Illinois: Scripture Press Publications, Inc.) 1983, 1985.

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May 22

Flying Scrolls and God's Purposes

Zechariah 5

This sixth vision of the flying scroll is the Word of God, which had been disobeyed by Israel and also the entire world. The vision given to Zechariah, calls for God's righteous judgment of sinners according to His Holy standard, which is clearly set forth in His Word. The flying scroll was unrolled for anyone to read on both sides and it measured 30' long and 15' wide, which interestingly is the exact size of the Holy Place in the tabernacle. The scroll represents God's divine standard that will be used by Him to measure each individual person's life.

The scroll also symbolized the law of God and it is a figure for a curse or a punishment on any person who disobeys it and it is also for a blessing on all who will obey it. This same picture is also given in Revelation 5. The scroll, more than likely, had written on both sides of it, the 10 commandments, and these two that were mentioned in Verse 3 are probably representative of all the commands of God's law, and they were what Israel was guilty of violating. It had an immediate message to those folks during Zechariahs time that God will root out and destroy the sinners who reject His Word, but is also has the same future message for Israel and also the world prior to Jesus Christ, the Messiah's kingdom. We need to understand that there is no escape from the judgment of God in verse 4. His Word will enter the place of all sinners and it will remain there until it has accomplished its purpose which will be even truer in the kingdom in purging sinners from the land.

Then in the next vision, the 7^th one, is a wickedness system, represented by a woman in a basket under a heavy lid, the materialistic sin that had followed them from Babylon. Interestingly, we see this in our own country today and it will also be a part of the one world system in Revelation 18. Say, folks, are you too involved in the materialism of this world? Our country is one of the richest and we have never had life better. We don't even know what it is like to go without. Are you fulfilling the purposes of God in your life and your family and in your church? If not, you are choosing to miss the blessings of eternity in exchange for the momentary pleasures of this old world that is passing away and will be burned up in the end. We need to place our whole life and spiritual focus on living for Jesus Christ in obedience to Him.

Zech.5
[1] Then I turned, and lifted up mine eyes, and looked, and behold a flying roll.
[2] And he said unto me, What seest thou? And I answered, I see a flying roll; the length thereof is twenty cubits, and the breadth thereof ten cubits.
[3] Then said he unto me, This is the curse that goeth forth over the face of the whole earth: for every one that stealeth shall be cut off as on this side according to it; and every one that sweareth shall be cut off as on that side according to it.
[4] I will bring it forth, saith the LORD of hosts, and it shall enter into the house of the thief, and into the house of him that sweareth falsely by my name: and it shall remain in the midst of his house, and shall consume it with the timber thereof and the stones thereof.
[5] Then the angel that talked with me went forth, and said unto me, Lift up now thine eyes, and see what is this that goeth forth.
[6] And I said, What is it? And he said, This is an ephah that goeth forth. He said moreover, This is their resemblance through all the earth.
[7] And, behold, there was lifted up a talent of lead: and this is a woman that sitteth in the midst of the ephah.
[8] And he said, This is wickedness. And he cast it into the midst of the ephah; and he cast the weight of lead upon the mouth thereof.
[9] Then lifted I up mine eyes, and looked, and, behold, there came out two women, and the wind was in their wings; for they had wings like the wings of a stork: and they lifted up the ephah between the earth and the heaven.
[10] Then said I to the angel that talked with me, Whither do these bear the ephah?
[11] And he said unto me, To build it an house in the land of Shinar: and it shall be established, and set there upon her own base.

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May 23

The Four Chariots, Four Horses and Four Spirits

Zechariah 6:1-8

These 4 chariots, 4 horses and 4 Spirits are explained in Revelation and all have to do with the visions of John as he is caught up into heaven to see things that are to come. Remember, Revelation is divided into three main divisions and John, was commissioned to write in Rev. 1:19: 1. Write the things which thou hast seen, 2. the things which are, 3. and the things which shall be hereafter. The curtain was pulled back for Zechariah to see into the future and the glory of Israel to come. No human writer, on his own, could write these things. Oh, he might have a thought or concept that some great event is going to happen, but we have no ability to predict the future as God does, because He knows the future or end from the beginning. God is timeless. Therefore, He sees the whole picture as one unfolding panorama at once. Some day, we too, shall live in a timeless environment, in glory with Him.

The Man and The Branch are Visions of The Christ

Zechariah 6:9-13

This chapter had two definite divisions; therefore, we have two titles in today's devotion. Messiah is to build the millennial Temple and be the Priest-King in it (Ezekiel 40:1-43:7) of which Joshua and the restored temple were only types of that which is to come. It would be good if you would read the above passage in Ezekiel. Note the "MAN" in verse 12 and compare with I Timothy 2:5, For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus. There is only one mediator, not two, as some teach. Mary is not a co-mediatrix. We only have access to the throne of mercy through Christ. He is our High Priest and He alone can forgive sins. It was Christ's blood shed on the cross that washed away our sins and gave us access to the Father. In the new birth, "we are new creations or new creatures in Christ." Christ is Prophet, Priest and King, but He is also the Counselor of Peace. (Zech. 6:13) Christ is the source of true peace. ...Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid John 14:27. In these troubling days He will lead us by the hand into true Peace.

Zech.6
[1] And I turned, and lifted up mine eyes, and looked, and, behold, there came four chariots out from between two mountains; and the mountains were mountains of brass.
[2] In the first chariot were red horses; and in the second chariot black horses;
[3] And in the third chariot white horses; and in the fourth chariot grisled and bay horses.
[4] Then I answered and said unto the angel that talked with me, What are these, my lord?
[5] And the angel answered and said unto me, These are the four spirits of the heavens, which go forth from standing before the Lord of all the earth.
[6] The black horses which are therein go forth into the north country; and the white go forth after them; and the grisled go forth toward the south country.
[7] And the bay went forth, and sought to go that they might walk to and fro through the earth: and he said, Get you hence, walk to and fro through the earth. So they walked to and fro through the earth.
[8] Then cried he upon me, and spake unto me, saying, Behold, these that go toward the north country have quieted my spirit in the north country.
[9] And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,
[10] Take of them of the captivity, even of Heldai, of Tobijah, and of Jedaiah, which are come from Babylon, and come thou the same day, and go into the house of Josiah the son of Zephaniah;
[11] Then take silver and gold, and make crowns, and set them upon the head of Joshua the son of Josedech, the high priest;
[12] And speak unto him, saying, Thus speaketh the LORD of hosts, saying, Behold the man whose name is The BRANCH; and he shall grow up out of his place, and he shall build the temple of the LORD:
[13] Even he shall build the temple of the LORD; and he shall bear the glory, and shall sit and rule upon his throne; and he shall be a priest upon his throne: and the counsel of peace shall be between them both.
[14] And the crowns shall be to Helem, and to Tobijah, and to Jedaiah, and to Hen the son of Zephaniah, for a memorial in the temple of the LORD.
[15] And they that are far off shall come and build in the temple of the LORD, and ye shall know that the LORD of hosts hath sent me unto you. And this shall come to pass, if ye will diligently obey the voice of the LORD your God.

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May 24

Hard, Hateful Hearts and Minds

Zechariah 7

In this chapter, we find the case for judgment. We find that God had sent His prophets to warn the people about the consequences of their sin. This message is occasioned by as delegation from Bethel that wanted to know whether or not they should continue to fast in memory of Jerusalem's destruction.

(1) The question raised by the Bethelites implied a desire to discontinue the self-imposed religious observance of fasting in the fifth month (July-August, the month Ab), which commemorated the burning to the ground of the city and the temple by Nebuchadnezzar (2 Kings 25:8-10).

God's response is a rebuke for corrupt worship.

(2) ... the rebuke was against empty formalism devoid of spiritual reality, for whether fasting or feasting, they were doing it not for the Lord (Zech. 7:5) but for themselves (v. 6). We would do well to realize that when it comes to spiritual things there is only darkness and light. The essence of light is love for God and love for others. The nature of fallen humanity is that the highest value is self preservation. We must rise above and beyond this in order to find salvation. Sadly, it is possible to engage in the worship and honor of God from corrupt motives. There is nothing more spiritually corrupt than darkness masquerading as light. Their religious observances were corrupt.

(3) This seventh-month fast was not the divinely instituted fast on the annual Day of Atonement (Lev. 16:29, 31; 23:26-32), which was also in the seventh month, but a fast commemorating the murder of Gedaliah, governor of Judah, during a time of civil strife after the fall of Jerusalem (Jer. 41:2).

More important than how we worship and when we worship, is why we worship. In spite of all this outward faithfulness in worship, God's people hardened their hearts to the truth to the point that they refused to even hear it. When people are ignorant and blind to important spiritual truth, it is primarily a work of their hearts and minds. It is important to note here that people want the form of truth without the substance. How about your heart today? Is your heart open to important spiritual truth?

Zech.7
[1] And it came to pass in the fourth year of king Darius, that the word of the LORD came unto Zechariah in the fourth day of the ninth month, even in Chisleu;
[2] When they had sent unto the house of God Sherezer and Regem-melech, and their men, to pray before the LORD,
[3] And to speak unto the priests which were in the house of the LORD of hosts, and to the prophets, saying, Should I weep in the fifth month, separating myself, as I have done these so many years?
[4] Then came the word of the LORD of hosts unto me, saying,
[5] Speak unto all the people of the land, and to the priests, saying, When ye fasted and mourned in the fifth and seventh month, even those seventy years, did ye at all fast unto me, even to me?
[6] And when ye did eat, and when ye did drink, did not ye eat for yourselves, and drink for yourselves?
[7] Should ye not hear the words which the LORD hath cried by the former prophets, when Jerusalem was inhabited and in prosperity, and the cities thereof round about her, when men inhabited the south and the plain?
[8] And the word of the LORD came unto Zechariah, saying,
[9] Thus speaketh the LORD of hosts, saying, Execute true judgment, and shew mercy and compassions every man to his brother:
[10] And oppress not the widow, nor the fatherless, the stranger, nor the poor; and let none of you imagine evil against his brother in your heart.
[11] But they refused to hearken, and pulled away the shoulder, and stopped their ears, that they should not hear.
[12] Yea, they made their hearts as an adamant stone, lest they should hear the law, and the words which the LORD of hosts hath sent in his spirit by the former prophets: therefore came a great wrath from the LORD of hosts.
[13] Therefore it is come to pass, that as he cried, and they would not hear; so they cried, and I would not hear, saith the LORD of hosts:
[14] But I scattered them with a whirlwind among all the nations whom they knew not. Thus the land was desolate after them, that no man passed through nor returned: for they laid the pleasant land desolate.

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1.      (1) (2) (3) Walvoord, John F., and Zuck, Roy B., The Bible Knowledge Commentary, (Wheaton, Illinois: Scripture Press Publications, Inc.) 1983, 1985.

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May 25

Jerusalem, Holy City of the Future

Zechariah 8

Yes, the practical results of obedience towards God was laid out in the first 8 verses and as they were then able to see the future things that God had in store for them, the people were excited and were exhorted to renew their energy in obedience and in righteous living. Zechariah could remember the previous years as folks had taken their ease and comfort including indifference toward God's ways and the result of God's punishment. But as they began to obey, it was also obvious that God would fulfill His promises and would bring more than anyone could even imagine. 1Co 2:9 But as it is written, "Eye has not seen, nor ear heard," nor has it entered into the heart of man, "the things which God has prepared for those who love Him." Say friend, do you love God and are you willing to obey Him?!

Zech.8
[1] Again the word of the LORD of hosts came to me, saying,
[2] Thus saith the LORD of hosts; I was jealous for Zion with great jealousy, and I was jealous for her with great fury.
[3] Thus saith the LORD; I am returned unto Zion, and will dwell in the midst of Jerusalem: and Jerusalem shall be called a city of truth; and the mountain of the LORD of hosts the holy mountain.
[4] Thus saith the LORD of hosts; There shall yet old men and old women dwell in the streets of Jerusalem, and every man with his staff in his hand for very age.
[5] And the streets of the city shall be full of boys and girls playing in the streets thereof.
[6] Thus saith the LORD of hosts; If it be marvellous in the eyes of the remnant of this people in these days, should it also be marvellous in mine eyes? saith the LORD of hosts.
[7] Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Behold, I will save my people from the east country, and from the west country;
[8] And I will bring them, and they shall dwell in the midst of Jerusalem: and they shall be my people, and I will be their God, in truth and in righteousness.
[9] Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Let your hands be strong, ye that hear in these days these words by the mouth of the prophets, which were in the day that the foundation of the house of the LORD of hosts was laid, that the temple might be built.
[10] For before these days there was no hire for man, nor any hire for beast; neither was there any peace to him that went out or came in because of the affliction: for I set all men every one against his neighbour.
[11] But now I will not be unto the residue of this people as in the former days, saith the LORD of hosts.
[12] For the seed shall be prosperous; the vine shall give her fruit, and the ground shall give her increase, and the heavens shall give their dew; and I will cause the remnant of this people to possess all these things.
[13] And it shall come to pass, that as ye were a curse among the heathen, O house of Judah, and house of Israel; so will I save you, and ye shall be a blessing: fear not, but let your hands be strong.
[14] For thus saith the LORD of hosts; As I thought to punish you, when your fathers provoked me to wrath, saith the LORD of hosts, and I repented not:
[15] So again have I thought in these days to do well unto Jerusalem and to the house of Judah: fear ye not.
[16] These are the things that ye shall do; Speak ye every man the truth to his neighbour; execute the judgment of truth and peace in your gates:
[17] And let none of you imagine evil in your hearts against his neighbour; and love no false oath: for all these are things that I hate, saith the LORD.
[18] And the word of the LORD of hosts came unto me, saying,
[19] Thus saith the LORD of hosts; The fast of the fourth month, and the fast of the fifth, and the fast of the seventh, and the fast of the tenth, shall be to the house of Judah joy and gladness, and cheerful feasts; therefore love the truth and peace.
[20] Thus saith the LORD of hosts; It shall yet come to pass, that there shall come people, and the inhabitants of many cities:
[21] And the inhabitants of one city shall go to another, saying, Let us go speedily to pray before the LORD, and to seek the LORD of hosts: I will go also.
[22] Yea, many people and strong nations shall come to seek the LORD of hosts in Jerusalem, and to pray before the LORD.
[23] Thus saith the LORD of hosts; In those days it shall come to pass, that ten men shall take hold out of all languages of the nations, even shall take hold of the skirt of him that is a Jew, saying, We will go with you: for we have heard that God is with you.

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May 26

Great Prophecies Fulfilled and to be Fulfilled

Zechariah 9:9-17

Zechariah 9:9 Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, thy King cometh unto thee: he is just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt the foal of an ass. I don't think there is another verse in the Old Testament that identifies the coming of Israel's King any better than this one. Let us analyze the verse:

1.      It is addressed to the people who were gathered in Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover.

2.      It identifies their King and His attributes,

1.      He is just,

2.      He has the words that lead to salvation.

3.      He is lowly, (humble)

4.      He rides into Jerusalem on a colt, the foal of an ass.

On that Palm Sunday as He rode into the city, they recognized Him as King and three short days later they cried out for His crucifixion. What they did not know was that the only way He could secure theirs and our salvation was the cross. He, the perfect sinless One, had to die as was planned before the foundation of the world for the sins of the world.

Events preceding His Second Advent are also mentioned in this passage. We now turn to Matthew 24 to find the events listed:

1. Deceptions - vvs. 4, 5, 11, 24.

2. False Christs - 5, 23-26.

3. Wars and rumors of wars - 6-7.

4. Famines - 7, Rev. 5:6-7.

5. Earthquakes - 7, Rev. 6:12-17.

6. Anti-semitism - 9, Mark 13:9, 13.

7. Betrayals - 9, Mark 13:12.

8. False Prophets - 11, 24, Rev. 13.

9. Lawlessness abounding -12

10. Love decreasing - 12-13, 2 Timothy 3.

11. Increased satanic powers. 2 Thess. 2:8-12.

12. Sex crimes 38, Luke 13:27.

13. Procrastination and lethargy - 39. We could continue these signs, but we have listed enough for you to get the picture. We are admonished that when we see these things coming to pass, and when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh. And Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass away, till all be fulfilled. Heaven and earth shall pass away: but my words shall not pass away, Luke 21:28, 32-33.

Zech.9
[1] The burden of the word of the LORD in the land of Hadrach, and Damascus shall be the rest thereof: when the eyes of man, as of all the tribes of Israel, shall be toward the LORD.
[2] And Hamath also shall border thereby; Tyrus, and Zidon, though it be very wise.
[3] And Tyrus did build herself a strong hold, and heaped up silver as the dust, and fine gold as the mire of the streets.
[4] Behold, the Lord will cast her out, and he will smite her power in the sea; and she shall be devoured with fire.
[5] Ashkelon shall see it, and fear; Gaza also shall see it, and be very sorrowful, and Ekron; for her expectation shall be ashamed; and the king shall perish from Gaza, and Ashkelon shall not be inhabited.
[6] And a bastard shall dwell in Ashdod, and I will cut off the pride of the Philistines.
[7] And I will take away his blood out of his mouth, and his abominations from between his teeth: but he that remaineth, even he, shall be for our God, and he shall be as a governor in Judah, and Ekron as a Jebusite.
[8] And I will encamp about mine house because of the army, because of him that passeth by, and because of him that returneth: and no oppressor shall pass through them any more: for now have I seen with mine eyes.
[9] Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, thy King cometh unto thee: he is just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt the foal of an ass.
[10] And I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim, and the horse from Jerusalem, and the battle bow shall be cut off: and he shall speak peace unto the heathen: and his dominion shall be from sea even to sea, and from river even to the ends of the earth.
[11] As for thee also, by the blood of thy covenant I have sent forth thy prisoners out of the pit wherein is no water.
[12] Turn you to the strong hold, ye prisoners of hope: even to day do I declare that I will render double unto thee;
[13] When I have bent Judah for me, filled the bow with Ephraim, and raised up thy sons, O Zion, against thy sons, O Greece, and made thee as the sword of a mighty man.
[14] And the LORD shall be seen over them, and his arrow shall go forth as the lightning: and the LORD GOD shall blow the trumpet, and shall go with whirlwinds of the south.
[15] The LORD of hosts shall defend them; and they shall devour, and subdue with sling stones; and they shall drink, and make a noise as through wine; and they shall be filled like bowls, and as the corners of the altar.
[16] And the LORD their God shall save them in that day as the flock of his people: for they shall be as the stones of a crown, lifted up as an ensign upon his land.
[17] For how great is his goodness, and how great is his beauty! corn shall make the young men cheerful, and new wine the maids.

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May 27

A Message of Hope

Zechariah 10

In this chapter, we find the nation of Israel scattered as a result of their sin and its consequential judgment.

(1) As a result of the deception by the false (and apparently foreign) prophets and diviners, God's people wander like sheep. Therefore, God announced that He would bring wrath and judgment on the false shepherds and victory to His flock (cf. Micah 5:4). The remedy for the nation's deception focuses on the coming of the Messiah who is described in a fourfold way as the Cornerstone (cf. Isa. 28:16), the Tent Peg . . . the Battle Bow (cf. Ps. 45:5), and the Ruler (cf. Gen. 49:10; Micah 5:2). These terms emphasize the strong, stable, victorious, and trustworthy nature of Messiah's rule.

The situation is desperate, but God will turn things around. Because of His promise to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, He will simply not allow this terrible circumstance to stand.

(2) Israel will be regathered from present worldwide dispersion. God announced, I will signal for them. The term "signal' means "whistle" (as in gathering a swarm of insects; cf. Isa. 7:18) or "pipe" (as a shepherd using a reed pipe to gather his flocks; cf. Jud. 5:16). On the human side their return will involve the fact that they will remember God. On the divine side God said, I will bring them back. Egypt and Assyria are representative of all the countries of Israel's dispersion (cf. Hosea 11:11; Zech. 10:11).

It is simply not possible for sin to take us where God's grace cannot reach us. Faith, hope and love are important spiritual forces. There is no question that sin is a terribly destructive force in this world. However, God's grace is a force more powerful than all the hosts of sin and darkness. Regardless of our situation, if we look to God in faith and hope, if we open our hearts to His love and let it flow in and through us, we will find great blessing. The mass murder of Jews during the holocaust is still difficult to accept and understand. Yet, those who open their hearts to God and His grace will come to see that goodness and grace is a force more powerful than the darkest hatred and evil. For this reason, in the end, the wrong will fail and goodness and truth will prevail.

Zech.10
[1] Ask ye of the LORD rain in the time of the latter rain; so the LORD shall make bright clouds, and give them showers of rain, to every one grass in the field.
[2] For the idols have spoken vanity, and the diviners have seen a lie, and have told false dreams; they comfort in vain: therefore they went their way as a flock, they were troubled, because there was no shepherd.
[3] Mine anger was kindled against the shepherds, and I punished the goats: for the LORD of hosts hath visited his flock the house of Judah, and hath made them as his goodly horse in the battle.
[4] Out of him came forth the corner, out of him the nail, out of him the battle bow, out of him every oppressor together.
[5] And they shall be as mighty men, which tread down their enemies in the mire of the streets in the battle: and they shall fight, because the LORD is with them, and the riders on horses shall be confounded.
[6] And I will strengthen the house of Judah, and I will save the house of Joseph, and I will bring them again to place them; for I have mercy upon them: and they shall be as though I had not cast them off: for I am the LORD their God, and will hear them.
[7] And they of Ephraim shall be like a mighty man, and their heart shall rejoice as through wine: yea, their children shall see it, and be glad; their heart shall rejoice in the LORD.
[8] I will hiss for them, and gather them; for I have redeemed them: and they shall increase as they have increased.
[9] And I will sow them among the people: and they shall remember me in far countries; and they shall live with their children, and turn again.
[10] I will bring them again also out of the land of Egypt, and gather them out of Assyria; and I will bring them into the land of Gilead and Labanon; and place shall not be found for them.
[11] And he shall pass through the sea with affliction, and shall smite the waves in the sea, and all the deeps of the river shall dry up: and the pride of Assyria shall be brought down, and the sceptre of Egypt shall depart away.
[12] And I will strengthen them in the LORD; and they shall walk up and down in his name, saith the LORD.

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1.      (2) Walvoord, John F., and Zuck, Roy B., The Bible Knowledge Commentary, (Wheaton, Illinois: Scripture Press Publications, Inc.) 1983, 1985.

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May 28

Desolation, A Direct Result of Apostasy

Zechariah 11

Our great country was founded on God's Word and upon godly living and upon godly principles. Because of men and women who chose to live according to God's Word, we are a nation that has been blessed by God. But that is coming to a quick end, as many, many people are turning away from God, are not obeying God, have little or any thought of God, and are living their lives for self. This too, is what we see in our text from Zechariah. The people, God's chosen people, had turned away from God and would not obey Him. God had to bring desolation upon the nation of Israel. Are we as Americans next?

Sadly too, we see that this apostasy started with the leaders in Israel and yes, today it is the leaders of our families that are failing, (Dads and moms) leaders in our churches, (pastors and teachers) leaders in our country clear on up to the president himself. Leadership is God's ordained method of teaching the next generation of people. As parents, if we fail to train our children in the way that they should go, our children will not know God and will not be able to teach their children. It is interesting to watch families. The children, almost without exception, turn out just like their parents, but with a more liberal bent. There is a true saying, "What parents allow their children to do, the children will end up doing in excess." If we allow our children to go to PG_13 movies, they will eventually take the next step and begin to watch R rated movies. Evil and sin WILL take its downward course. We MUST, as parents, train our children in godly standards and principles, in SEPARATION from the world and TOWARD godliness, if we even hope that our children will follow in our steps toward godly living.

This also applies to all other leaders. Pastors must lead the people towards God by His standards and His methods. They must preach the truth, ALL of the truth including the consequences of sin. They must lead by example. As God's people we have the responsibility to OBEY God. Otherwise, whether children, parents, or professing Christians, many are mistakenly walking in the path of Apostasy and sadly, they don't know it, nor do they realize it. God will bless those who obey Him and He must punish those, who choose of their own free will, to disobey Him. Where do you stand before God? Apostate or Obedient?

Zech.11
[1] Open thy doors, O Lebanon, that the fire may devour thy cedars.
[2] Howl, fir tree; for the cedar is fallen; because the mighty are spoiled: howl, O ye oaks of Bashan; for the forest of the vintage is come down.
[3] There is a voice of the howling of the shepherds; for their glory is spoiled: a voice of the roaring of young lions; for the pride of Jordan is spoiled.
[4] Thus saith the LORD my God; Feed the flock of the slaughter;
[5] Whose possessors slay them, and hold themselves not guilty: and they that sell them say, Blessed be the LORD; for I am rich: and their own shepherds pity them not.
[6] For I will no more pity the inhabitants of the land, saith the LORD: but, lo, I will deliver the men every one into his neighbour's hand, and into the hand of his king: and they shall smite the land, and out of their hand I will not deliver them.
[7] And I will feed the flock of slaughter, even you, O poor of the flock. And I took unto me two staves; the one I called Beauty, and the other I called Bands; and I fed the flock.
[8] Three shepherds also I cut off in one month; and my soul lothed them, and their soul also abhorred me.
[9] Then said I, I will not feed you: that that dieth, let it die; and that that is to be cut off, let it be cut off; and let the rest eat every one the flesh of another.
[10] And I took my staff, even Beauty, and cut it assunder, that I might break my covenant which I had made with all the people.
[11] And it was broken in that day: and so the poor of the flock that waited upon me knew that it was the word of the LORD.
[12] And I said unto them, If ye think good, give me my price; and if not, forbear. So they weighed for my price thirty pieces of silver.
[13] And the LORD said unto me, Cast it unto the potter: a goodly price that I was prised at of them. And I took the thirty pieces of silver, and cast them to the potter in the house of the LORD.
[14] Then I cut asunder mine other staff, even Bands, that I might break the brotherhood between Judah and Israel.
[15] And the LORD said unto me, Take unto thee yet the instruments of a foolish shepherd.
[16] For, lo, I will raise up a shepherd in the land, which shall not visit those that be cut off, neither shall seek the young one, nor heal that that is broken, nor feed that that standeth still: but he shall eat the flesh of the fat, and tear their claws in pieces.
[17] Woe to the idol shepherd that leaveth the flock! the sword shall be upon his arm, and upon his right eye: his arm shall be clean dried up, and his right eye shall be utterly darkened.

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May 29

Zechariah 12:4-9

This chapter records these three words "In that day" sixteen times. When something is said so often in so few verses, it demands our attention, because something great is about to happen.

The Angel of the Lord, in most references, refers to Christ and here he is the Lord of the heavenly hosts, "Jehovah Sabaoth.' Rev. 19:11-14 And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war. His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself.³And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God. And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean.

"In that day" Verse 11 ...there shall be great mourning in Jerusalem... Comparing Matthew 24:30, this mourning is because for two thousand years Israel has rejected her Messiah and now He returns and they see the awfulness of their rejection and sins. If there was a time when Israel will fall on its knees and repent, it will be in this future event. This will be a time of national repentance and contrition. In that day, Israel will build booths and sit in sackcloth and ashes as she realizes what a terrible sin she has committed! Sixty generations of lost souls because Israel refused to accept her Messiah two thousand years ago. It breaks my heart to think of the lost souls in hell because not only Israel, but the Gentiles, who have gone into an eternal hell rejecting the most wonderful gift from God, SALVATION! A few weeks back, we were celebrating the first advent of Christ with gifts to each other, but they were few and far between that remembered it was Christ's birthday and we should have given Him a gift also. Some years ago in Africa a small boy attended missionary meetings in his compound. The missionary was telling about the great gift God had sent to all humanity. The little boy thought about it and thought he should give a gift to God for what God had given to him. He searched his pockets and finally found a small bit of paper and a piece of charcoal, and wrote on the paper, "I have nothing to give you God, so I will give you myself."

Zech.12
[1] The burden of the word of the LORD for Israel, saith the LORD, which stretcheth forth the heavens, and layeth the foundation of the earth, and formeth the spirit of man within him.
[2] Behold, I will make Jerusalem a cup of trembling unto all the people round about, when they shall be in the siege both against Judah and against Jerusalem.
[3] And in that day will I make Jerusalem a burdensome stone for all people: all that burden themselves with it shall be cut in pieces, though all the people of the earth be gathered together against it.
[4] In that day, saith the LORD, I will smite every horse with astonishment, and his rider with madness: and I will open mine eyes upon the house of Judah, and will smite every horse of the people with blindness.
[5] And the governors of Judah shall say in their heart, The inhabitants of Jerusalem shall be my strength in the LORD of hosts their God.
[6] In that day will I make the governors of Judah like an hearth of fire among the wood, and like a torch of fire in a sheaf; and they shall devour all the people round about, on the right hand and on the left: and Jerusalem shall be inhabited again in her own place, even in Jerusalem.
[7] The LORD also shall save the tents of Judah first, that the glory of the house of David and the glory of the inhabitants of Jerusalem do not magnify themselves against Judah.
[8] In that day shall the LORD defend the inhabitants of Jerusalem; and he that is feeble among them at that day shall be as David; and the house of David shall be as God, as the angel of the LORD before them.
[9] And it shall come to pass in that day, that I will seek to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem.
[10] And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications: and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn.
[11] In that day shall there be a great mourning in Jerusalem, as the mourning of Hadadrimmon in the valley of Megiddon.
[12] And the land shall mourn, every family apart; the family of the house of David apart, and their wives apart; the family of the house of Nathan apart, and their wives apart;
[13] The family of the house of Levi apart, and their wives apart; the family of Shimei apart, and their wives apart;
[14] All the families that remain, every family apart, and their wives apart.

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May 30

Defeating Bitterness

Jonah Chapter 2

Jonah was a very bitter man. Bitterness is a terrible thing. Someone has noted that bitterness is like drinking poison and waiting for your enemy to die. Before we judge Jonah too harshly, we need to appreciate that Jonah probably saw some of his family abused by these people. They were terribly cruel. The experience of Jonah was no better than that suffered by our soldiers at the hands of the Japanese, Chinese or Iraqis. It was unthinkable and terrible. We would be wise not to judge others until we have walked in their shoes, because that is the very standard that God will use to judge us at the judgment seat.

In chapter two, we find Jonah in the belly of the fish for three days and nights. The chapter opens with these words, then Jonah prayed unto the LORD his God out of the fish's belly...Think of it. He is in darkness. Stomach acids are burning him. Seaweed wraps his head. The stench is unbearable. It is as close to hell as you could imagine. No wonder Jonah says, he cried out of the belly of hell in verse 2. I think Jonah was ready to go to heaven. To him going to heaven was preferable to preaching in the camp of such a hated enemy who might repent. I understand Jonah. There was a time when I would have rather died than be a preacher of the gospel. I even wondered if God might kill me. God does take people to heaven in chastisement. In the warnings surrounding the Lord's table in the book of Corinthians, we read that many sleep. Many believers died for their carnality at Corinth That is why I understand Paul's words about preaching given in 1 Corinthians 9:17. if I do this thing willingly, I have a reward: but if against my will, a dispensation of the gospel is committed unto me. I often say that I was drafted when it comes to ministry. To my shame, I am not a volunteer, but then neither was Paul.

From my soul I can cry out with Jonah 2:8 They that observe lying vanities forsake their own mercy. 9 But I will sacrifice unto thee with the voice of thanksgiving; I will pay that that I have vowed. Salvation is of the LORD. I can testify with the apostle Peter that it was not anything but the love of God that broke my heart to submission. My call to ministry, came through Jesus' question to Peter, do you love me? I wonder today, do you love Jesus? If you do, serve Him with all your heart.

Jonah.2
[1] Then Jonah prayed unto the LORD his God out of the fish's belly,
[2] And said, I cried by reason of mine affliction unto the LORD, and he heard me; out of the belly of hell cried I, and thou heardest my voice.
[3] For thou hadst cast me into the deep, in the midst of the seas; and the floods compassed me about: all thy billows and thy waves passed over me.
[4] Then I said, I am cast out of thy sight; yet I will look again toward thy holy temple.
[5] The waters compassed me about, even to the soul: the depth closed me round about, the weeds were wrapped about my head.
[6] I went down to the bottoms of the mountains; the earth with her bars was about me for ever: yet hast thou brought up my life from corruption, O LORD my God.
[7] When my soul fainted within me I remembered the LORD: and my prayer came in unto thee, into thine holy temple.
[8] They that observe lying vanities forsake their own mercy.
[9] But I will sacrifice unto thee with the voice of thanksgiving; I will pay that that I have vowed. Salvation is of the LORD.
[10] And the LORD spake unto the fish, and it vomited out Jonah upon the dry land.

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May 31

The Day of the Lord

Zechariah 14

The Day of the Lord! What an exciting thought for Christians! Yes, verse one says, Zec 14:1 Behold, the day of the LORD cometh... The question is, "Are you ready?" For True Christians this means glorified bodies and being in glory with Christ. 1Co 15:52-57 In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Sadly, for unbelievers and those who only professed Christ but never really knew Him, it will be a terrible day! Mat 13:41, 42, 49, 50 The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather...all things that offend, and them which do iniquity; And shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth. So shall it be at the end of the world: the angels shall...sever the wicked from among the just, And shall cast them into the furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth. Luk 13:23-28 "Lord, are there few that be saved?" Strive to enter in at the strait gate: for many, ...will seek to enter in, and shall not be able. When once the master of the house is risen up, and hath shut to the door, and ye begin to stand without, and to knock at the door, saying, Lord, Lord, open unto us; and he shall answer and say unto you, I know you not whence ye are: Then shall ye begin to say, We have eaten and drunk in thy presence, and thou hast taught in our streets. But he shall say, I tell you, I know you not whence ye are; depart from me, all ye workers of iniquity. There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when ye shall see Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, and all the prophets, in the kingdom of God, and you yourselves thrust out. Friend, do you know Him?

Zech.14
[1] Behold, the day of the LORD cometh, and thy spoil shall be divided in the midst of thee.
[2] For I will gather all nations against Jerusalem to battle; and the city shall be taken, and the houses rifled, and the women ravished; and half of the city shall go forth into captivity, and the residue of the people shall not be cut off from the city.
[3] Then shall the LORD go forth, and fight against those nations, as when he fought in the day of battle.
[4] And his feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east, and the mount of Olives shall cleave in the midst thereof toward the east and toward the west, and there shall be a very great valley; and half of the mountain shall remove toward the north, and half of it toward the south.
[5] And ye shall flee to the valley of the mountains; for the valley of the mountains shall reach unto Azal: yea, ye shall flee, like as ye fled from before the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah: and the LORD my God shall come, and all the saints with thee.
[6] And it shall come to pass in that day, that the light shall not be clear, nor dark:
[7] But it shall be one day which shall be known to the LORD, not day, nor night: but it shall come to pass, that at evening time it shall be light.
[8] And it shall be in that day, that living waters shall go out from Jerusalem; half of them toward the former sea, and half of them toward the hinder sea: in summer and in winter shall it be.
[9] And the LORD shall be king over all the earth: in that day shall there be one LORD, and his name one.
[10] All the land shall be turned as a plain from Geba to Rimmon south of Jerusalem: and it shall be lifted up, and inhabited in her place, from Benjamin's gate unto the place of the first gate, unto the corner gate, and from the tower of Hananeel unto the king's winepresses.
[11] And men shall dwell in it, and there shall be no more utter destruction; but Jerusalem shall be safely inhabited.
[12] And this shall be the plague wherewith the LORD will smite all the people that have fought against Jerusalem; Their flesh shall consume away while they stand upon their feet, and their eyes shall consume away in their holes, and their tongue shall consume away in their mouth.
[13] And it shall come to pass in that day, that a great tumult from the LORD shall be among them; and they shall lay hold every one on the hand of his neighbour, and his hand shall rise up against the hand of his neighbour.
[14] And Judah also shall fight at Jerusalem; and the wealth of all the heathen round about shall be gathered together, gold, and silver, and apparel, in great abundance.
[15] And so shall be the plague of the horse, of the mule, of the camel, and of the ass, and of all the beasts that shall be in these tents, as this plague.
[16] And it shall come to pass, that every one that is left of all the nations which came against Jerusalem shall even go up from year to year to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, and to keep the feast of tabernacles.
[17] And it shall be, that whoso will not come up of all the families of the earth unto Jerusalem to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, even upon them shall be no rain.
[18] And if the family of Egypt go not up, and come not, that have no rain; there shall be the plague, wherewith the LORD will smite the heathen that come not up to keep the feast of tabernacles.
[19] This shall be the punishment of Egypt, and the punishment of all nations that come not up to keep the feast of tabernacles.
[20] In that day shall there be upon the bells of the horses, HOLINESS UNTO THE LORD; and the pots in the LORD's house shall be like the bowl's before the altar.
[21] Yea, every pot in Jerusalem and in Judah shall be holiness unto the LORD of hosts: and all they that sacrifice shall come and take of them, and seethe therein: and in that day there shall be no more the Canaanite in the house of the LORD of hosts.

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