Month: March 2011

Attentive to the Word

“The ears of all the people were attentive to the Book of the Law.” Nehemiah 8:3

Most events in Israel’s history have no direct implication to Christians today but there are certainly aspects from those events that give us understanding in approaching God and walking with the Lord Jesus Christ.

Israel had been in exile for seventy years and the return had been progressive under Zerubbabel, Ezra and Nehemiah. The temple and worship had been restored and the walls of Jerusalem made sound. It is fitting that the Lord should mark the occasion. Israel was returning to obedience.

As we read the first twelve verses of Nehemiah chapter eight we cannot miss that there is a supernatural motivation in the hearts of the people. They all came together in the open to hear the Word of God read and its understanding given. This would have taken several hours. They were motivated by a desire to please God.

Ezra the scribe (v 4) and priest (v 9) and those who stood with him read the Law and gave the understanding to the people. The people stood for the reading of the Word. As the understanding was given the bowed their heads in worship of the Lord and they mourned and wept over the nation’s sin. The accompanying confession of sin and repentance was a time to “rejoice greatly” (v 12). Their mourning was turned to joy after confession and repentance.

Truly this was a joyous moment in heaven as Israel’s worship of the Lord returned to Jerusalem after an absence of seventy years. It didn’t go unnoticed by the ungodly around the city.

As commendable as standing for the reading of God’s Word may be in our time, without the appropriate heart attitude it will not turn to confession, repentance and worship unless we have allowed the Lord to prepare our hearts before we arrive. This He does by the Holy Spirit through the Word of God as we read, meditate and study it and pray.

When Christians are led by the Spirit to come together for the reading and to be given the understanding of the Word of God there will be confession of sin and repentance from the outward performance to genuine heart worship and obedience. This too will be a joyous moment and it will not go unnoticed by the unbelieving world around us.

Taking Steps of Obedience

“How can we know the way?” John 14:5

The previous two articles have asked some life-changing questions and may have left some wondering what to do about it. The Bible has very direct and clear answers to many questions but this may not be one of them. The answer will have a different manifestation in ministry and life for each of us. But are there any guidelines? We will do well to see how Thomas responded to this very situation.

Jesus was explaining in more detail than before that He was going away for a time and that He would come back for them. He explained that they already knew where He was going and the way for them (v 4). Thomas was not the only disciple who did not understand what Jesus meant by this. It may be just that they did not want to display their ignorance. We are no different. We would rather remain proud and ignorant than humble ourselves and ask the question. Thomas should be commended for asking the unuttered question on the lips of all the disciples.

Can it be that after reading the last two articles you responded to the Lord with the same question that Thomas asked the Lord? “How can we know the way?” In your heart you have said to the Lord, “I will” but what now?

Having made an act of will to obey Jesus Christ and the Word of God the next step is to take steps of obedience but like the disciples you may think you do not know the way. Jesus told the disciples they did know the way but they just respond with, “Duhhh” except Thomas.

It would be spiritually foolhardy to wait for or ask for a sign. We would most likely get the same answer that the disciples received, “You know the way.”

Jesus Himself is the way. How that works out in our individual lives will vary according to several things. Each believer is unique and any attempt to make us uniform is like having all players in a sporting team play the same position.

Jesus is the way. The disciples will have walked with Him and learned from Him for more than three years by the time He departed. What they needed to do was keep on doing the same. That is what He expects of us as well. As we walk with Him and learn of Him He will lead and guide us in our way. Obedience to His word and the Holy Spirit’s leading is absolutely critical. Anything else is rebellion against the first commandment. “You shall have no other gods before me” (Exodus 20:3) making ourselves god just as Satan induced Adam & Eve to do (Genesis 3:5-6).

Fleeing The Lord

“Jonah arose to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord. He went down to Joppa and found a ship going to Tarshish; so he paid the fare and went down into it, to go with them to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord.” Jonah 1:3

In the previous article we noted how Nehemiah wept and mourned, prayed and fasted with concern for the glory of God. Jonah is quite different and unfortunately is typical of many Christians.

Jonah had been commanded by God to go and warn the Ninevites that judgment was pending. Though not stated in the first two verses the book reveals that Jonah’s message was intended to include a call to repentance.

In Jonah’s view the Ninevites were worthy of damnation. He seems to lack any practical concept of mercy but he knew enough theory to know that God is merciful (4:2). The Ninevites had been cruel and evil toward Israel, perhaps even to members of his own family, and he did not want God to show mercy to them. When God did show mercy to them “it displeased Jonah” (4:1). Actually that seems an understatement when one considers his actions.

Is it possible that our lack of concern for the lost in our society is because we consider them worthy of God’s wrath? Is it because they have in some way harmed or hurt us and we desire revenge? Are we excluding ourselves from the Great Commission on the grounds of hatred, anger or retribution? God forbid! Were we not also just as they are and still would be apart from Christ in us and the enabling of the Holy Spirit?

If God was able to bring a nation possibly more evil than our society to repentance and faith by means of a rebellious prophet surely He is able to draw people to Himself in our society through us.

Notice that refusing to be obedient to the Lord involves departing the presence of the Lord, going down hill, paying a price (1:3) and loss of joy and even depression (4:3-4, 9). The principle applies to Christians today just as to Jonah. Disobedience separates us from the special presence of the Lord, it will quickly lead to loss of joy and greater sin, and there will be an awful spiritual cost. Instead of gold, silver and precious stones to offer to Jesus Christ there will be the ashes of wood, hay and stubble (1 Corinthians 3:12-15).

Will we acknowledge that this is probably true of us and do nothing about it or will we receive it and confess our sin of disobedience and actively join in the Great Commission?

Falling Short of the Glory

“So it was, when I heard these words, that I sat down and wept, and mourned many days; I was fasting and praying before the God of heaven.” Nehemiah 1:4

What would it take for us to have similar concerns for the work, witness and ministry of the Gospel as Nehemiah had for Jerusalem? He wept, mourned, fasted and prayed many days.

Is it possible for Christians today to so have such a heart for the Lord Jesus Christ and His mission to lost people that they weep and mourn over sin and fast and pray for their salvation?

This passage possibly may raise more questions than it gives answers. Certainly we can follow Nehemiah’s process which includes worship, humble repentance, confession, reference to God’s Word and an appeal based on that Word, but it does not provide answers to the matter of the heart. Perhaps the only hint is in verse 11 where he prays, “… your servants who desire to fear your name …”

We cannot artificially manufacture this kind of care for the lost. It will come from Christ in us by the Holy Spirit. He will not provide this for us unless we seek it persistently in faith with genuine desire.

Nehemiah’s passion was for the walls and city of Jerusalem. This may seem trivial in our society but Jerusalem was the centre of Israel’s worship of the Lord, the place of the temple and the Covenant promises. In its fallen state it was a reproach on the Lord and His people giving the surrounding peoples cause to mock and despise the Living God (1:3; 2:17).

The same may be said concerning the fruitless state of the church in our day. Surely the ‘walls’ and the ‘city’ of God are in ruins and we go on as if all is well. It can only be because we are deceived or blind. Why are we not weeping and mourning for the unsaved and why do we not fast and pray for their salvation?

Until we do we cannot lay even a little claim to being obedient to the commandments that Jesus said were the greatest: “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind” and “You shall love your neighbour as yourself” (Matthew 22:37-39).