Week Five: Return and Future
"Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness." Isaiah 41:10
The call is not to only unite Israel but to show the people and it's nations the one true Lord and to turn them to His words and laws. Just when they lost hope and had disbelief, God kept His promise to release the Jews from captivity. It should encourge us that no matter what happens in our life, how bad things get, what is taken away from us, God will always be there for us. He is the first this in our lives and will be the last thing in our lives. No matter if we stray - He will draw us back and keep His promises.
We also find the prophey of our Christ and how we will be forgiven of our sins.
Isaiah 53:3-11
He was despised and rejected by people. He was a man of sorrows, familiar with suffering. He was despised like one from whom people turn their faces, and we didn't consider him to be worth anything. He certainly has taken upon himself our suffering and carried our sorrows, but we thought that God had wounded him, beat him, and punished him. He was wounded for our rebellious acts. He was crushed for our sins. He was punished so that we could have peace, and we received healing from his wounds. We have all strayed like sheep. Each one of us has turned to go his own way, and the LORD has laid all our sins on him. He was abused and punished, but he didn't open his mouth. He was led like a lamb to the slaughter. He was like a sheep that is silent when its wool is cut off. He didn't open his mouth. He was arrested, taken away, and judged. Who would have thought that he would be removed from the world? He was killed because of my people's rebellion. He was placed in a tomb with the wicked. He was put there with the rich when he died, although he had done nothing violent and had never spoken a lie. Yet, it was the LORD's will to crush him with suffering. When the LORD has made his life a sacrifice for our wrongdoings, he will see his descendants for many days. The will of the LORD will succeed through him. He will see and be satisfied because of his suffering. My righteous servant will acquit many people because of what he has learned through suffering. He will carry their sins as a burden.
During the last class, we had a couple discussions that really brought back a couple times in my life where I had wondered if it was really worth all the trouble of the whole church thing. Mainly because I was lead to believe that God loves all His children and loves them the way they are. The first time was as a teenager. I wanted to get communion in the church that I went to weekly with my grandmother for the past few years. This was a very strict Catholic church and I was told that I had to be confirmed in order to get communion. Ok, but then I was told that unless I was baptized and my parents belong to that church, I couldn't get confirmed there. That was the start of my walk away from not only from the church but from God.
Then again, about 6 years ago, I was starting to find my way back only to be turned away again. I had started going to church again and about a month into going, I was sent a packet in the mail from the church. In the packet I had found the "rules" of the church along with a several page application to join their church. You got to be kidding me - an application to join a church? I ended up not ever going back to that church and again turned my back.
At one time you were separated from God. You were God’s enemies in your minds, because the evil things you did were against God. But now Christ has made you God’s friends again. Christ did this by his death while he was in his body. Christ did this so that he could bring you before God. He brings you before God as people who are holy, with no wrong in you, and with nothing that God can judge you guilty of. Christ will do this if you continue to believe in the Good News you heard. You must continue strong and sure in your faith. You must not be moved away from the hope that Good News gave you. That same Good News has been told to all people in the world. I, Paul, help in telling that Good News. (Colossians 1:21-23)
Saint/Devotional of the Week: Blessed Jerome
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Week Four: From Kingdom to Exile
This week we find evil kings, false prophets (we see that evil kings and false prophots seem to go hand in hand as the kings believe the false prophets over the true prophets), and a king (Josiah) who was committed to ridding his land of immoral behavior and idolitay because of his fear for the Lord and the wrath that could come to his people and his land if they didn't abide by the laws set fourth by the Lord for his people to follow. Josiah found favor in God for his work and God promises that Josiah will have a curseless land and a peaceful death.
I found the most fascinating book in the Old Testament to be Ezekiel. God saw fit to use Ezekiel to deliver his message to the Israelites. God gave to Ezekiel visions to help Him spead His word which Ezekiel did. Ezekiel worked very hard for the Lord and found his strength through the Lord while dealing with difficult matters. The visoins of Ezekiel would make a person today wonder about this man, is he on drugs or does he have schizophrenia? But this was God's way to open up Ezekiel's eyes, ears, and heart - so he could pass on God's messages - all of this while in excile.
Ezekiel 1:3-28
"3: The word of the LORD came expressly unto Ezekiel the priest, the son of Buzi, in the land of the Chaldeans by the river Chebar; and the hand of the LORD was there upon him. 4: And I looked, and, behold, a whirlwind came out of the north, a great cloud, and a fire infolding itself, and a brightness was about it, and out of the midst thereof as the colour of amber, out of the midst of the fire. 5: Also out of the midst thereof came the likeness of four living creatures. And this was their appearance; they had the likeness of a man. 6: And every one had four faces, and every one had four wings. 7: And their feet were straight feet; and the sole of their feet was like the sole of a calf's foot: and they sparkled like the colour of burnished brass. 8: And they had the hands of a man under their wings on their four sides; and they four had their faces and their wings. 9: Their wings were joined one to another; they turned not when they went; they went every one straight forward. 10: As for the likeness of their faces, they four had the face of a man, and the face of a lion, on the right side: and they four had the face of an ox on the left side; they four also had the face of an eagle. 11: Thus were their faces: and their wings were stretched upward; two wings of every one were joined one to another, and two covered their bodies. 12: And they went every one straight forward: whither the spirit was to go, they went; and they turned not when they went. 13: As for the likeness of the living creatures, their appearance was like burning coals of fire, and like the appearance of lamps: it went up and down among the living creatures; and the fire was bright, and out of the fire went forth lightning. 14: And the living creatures ran and returned as the appearance of a flash of lightning. 15: Now as I beheld the living creatures, behold one wheel upon the earth by the living creatures, with his four faces. 16: The appearance of the wheels and their work was like unto the colour of a beryl: and they four had one likeness: and their appearance and their work was as it were a wheel in the middle of a wheel. 17: When they went, they went upon their four sides: and they turned not when they went. 18: As for their rings, they were so high that they were dreadful; and their rings were full of eyes round about them four. 19: And when the living creatures went, the wheels went by them: and when the living creatures were lifted up from the earth, the wheels were lifted up. 20: Whithersoever the spirit was to go, they went, thither was their spirit to go; and the wheels were lifted up over against them: for the spirit of the living creature was in the wheels. 21: When those went, these went; and when those stood, these stood; and when those were lifted up from the earth, the wheels were lifted up over against them: for the spirit of the living creature was in the wheels. 22: And the likeness of the firmament upon the heads of the living creature was as the colour of the terrible crystal, stretched forth over their heads above. 23: And under the firmament were their wings straight, the one toward the other: every one had two, which covered on this side, and every one had two, which covered on that side, their bodies. 24: And when they went, I heard the noise of their wings, like the noise of great waters, as the voice of the Almighty, the voice of speech, as the noise of an host: when they stood, they let down their wings. 25: And there was a voice from the firmament that was over their heads, when they stood, and had let down their wings. 26: And above the firmament that was over their heads was the likeness of a throne, as the appearance of a sapphire stone: and upon the likeness of the throne was the likeness as the appearance of a man above upon it. 27: And I saw as the colour of amber, as the appearance of fire round about within it, from the appearance of his loins even upward, and from the appearance of his loins even downward, I saw as it were the appearance of fire, and it had brightness round about. 28: As the appearance of the bow that is in the cloud in the day of rain, so was the appearance of the brightness round about. This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the LORD. And when I saw it, I fell upon my face, and I heard a voice of one that spake. "
"God's words - even when it means destruction - are words of Love"
Saint/Devotional of the Week: Sergius of Radonezh
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Week Three: The Classical Prophets
Again we find that God has an alternative to judgement. The prophets show us that God can test and warn those who think they know what is best for the people or nation. They are given chances to correct and have obedience for the laws He has written. God sets fourth plans of judgement against the non-believers, and those who showed greed and injustice towards God's people.
Let them know that thou alone, whose name is the LORD, art the Most High over all the earth. (Psalm 83:18)
Saint/Devotional of the Week: Birgitta of Sweden
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Week Two: Becoming Kingdom(s)
It is amazing how the stories of Joshua, Judges, Samuel 1 and 2, and Kings 1 and 2 mimic the news of today with the way leaders of thw world act and the wars that are being waged.
I wonder what God thinks of our world today as He watches the leaders in their countires and the wars being fought and the sins and breaking of the Laws. The stories we read this week I found interesting - as how the chosen listened and obeyed God with all that He asked.
"Always remember what is written in the Book of the Teachings. Study it day and night to be sure to obey everything that is written there. If you do this, you will be wise and successful in everything" (Joshua 1:8).
But, then there are the effects and consequences when they didn't obey and follow His word. Being ruled by a king/leader isn't always for the best of a country. Greed and lust can take precedence over what matters most to the people and to God. God had the power to show those people what will happen when you obey His ways.
Saint/Devotional of the Week: Saint John Chrysostom
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Week One: Creation; God of the Ancestors; Another Beginning
This being the first class, I went in very nervous knowing that I don't know the Bible as well as I should. This journey has me very excited as well too though, opening up new feelings in me as I uncover the glory of God.
I knew about the stories that are in Genesis, but as we dig further into the other books of Exodus and Numbers, I find it very interesting to learn of the deliverance of Israel and the Laws set forth for all of us to abide by. Sure, I knew of the Ten Commandments, but it goes so much further then just ten rules we should follow. Learning how we got the Laws, the reasons for such Laws, the man (Moses) chosen to become a leader of many, the consequences of not following the Laws, the miracles of following the Laws.......... When they needed Him the most, God revealed His presence.
"So now if you obey me and keep my agreement, you will be my own possession, chosen from all nations" (Exodus 19:5).
Saint/Devotional of the Week: Saint Augustine of Hippo
Note: Some one had asked me last week that this class must be pretty important to me if I am willing to give up one of two afternoons that I get off from my job - my answer was YES - because I firmly believe that I will grow more in my faith as I uncover the stories and words in the Bible, as I have a better understanding of God's words, laws, and promises.