Devotion.al

Tag: temple

  • Good Gone Bad

    Good Gone Bad

    Mark 12:1–17; Matthew 10:5–7; Matthew 17:24–27

    Within the context of Jesus’ earthly ministry, the primacy of the remnants of the Israelites cannot be denied. Jesus calls them the “lost ”. Their place is significant to God, for they are even called by God’s (2 Chronicles 7:14).

    The tragedy of it all is that while they are still children of God, Jesus identifies them as strangers (or foreigners) to God. We might use the word estranged.

    were truly foreigners to God, insofar as God did not choose them to bear the name of God. Due to choices and behaviors, it came to the point that the Jews were such, too.

    What’s interesting is the Tax. It was a tax from Exodus 30:11–16. Every man of the age of 20 or over was obliged to pay it annually. It was also called the “atonement” tax. It was used to take care of the tent of meeting (later the Temple). Its spiritual purpose was to remind the Israelites that their lives needed to be atoned for.

    What is also interesting is the backdoor way Jesus was asked…using Peter. There is also the that Jesus hadn’t paid it, or that they watched Jesus so closely that they knew he hadn’t yet paid it. Either presupposition leads to interesting conclusions. However, it is Jesus’ about strangers and sons that should catch our attention.

    Some commentators infer that Jesus paid the Temple Tax to fulfill all (tying language to the baptism of Jesus). Jesus, however, doesn’t seem to have that same understanding. He sounds more condescending (“just to not offend”), though it is more likely a battle that is not fighting, and it’s a simple barrier.

    Jesus’ response might imply that the tax was out of date. In Exodus, the tax seems tied specifically to the Tent of Meeting. So, once the Tent of Meeting was done with (i.e., the Temple was built), the tax was done with.

    This reminds me of the Maple Street Bridge in Spokane, WA. When it was built, there was a toll booth. The was that the booth would be removed when the bridge was paid for. It was. In comparison, other public toll bridges that I’m familiar with still have tolls, and those tolls are tossed into the public fund, not the bridge operating fund.

    This is not to pick on them, but to show that we have similar examples in our lives. The tolls, no longer needed for their original purpose, are now moved to other “needs”. The same about the Temple Tax perhaps. The implication is pretty strong, though, as this ties into Jesus’ declaration about the Temple Courts being a den of robbers (Matthew 21:13).

    ※Prayer※

    Jesus, us of anything we hold onto as good that has become bad in our lives. Amen.

  • What’s The Matter?

    What’s The Matter?

    Numbers 3:44–48; Numbers 18:20; Deuteronomy 10:8–9; 1 Peter 2:3–10

    Inheritance wars have long been a genre of popular fiction. Whether the fights were over business or titles of nobility or who will take over the family criminal enterprise. Sometimes, battles are fought over who gets what, or who got the most. That last one may even destroy family ties as one person feels loved least or loved most.

    In the agricultural world, inheritance what truly critical, as which land (or how much of it) could mean or death, with success often being just making it to the next season.

    The Levites were given cities and surrounding land, but that land and city was always within the domain of another tribe. In some respects, we can view them as embassies. Due to agreements and treaties, the land within an embassy is treated as if it belongs to the ambassadorial country.

    However, the embassy being another country is a matter of treaty. It is not absolute. The perpetual tension of an embassy is that it can be revoked. In fact, “breaking off” of diplomatic relations usually went along with embassies being closed. The land of that “country” returned to the holding of the host country.

    Upon the entrance to the Promised Land, the immediate response was fulfillment. In other words, there wasn’t an issue with the Levites and the allocations.

    God was the inheritance of the Levites. That’s a pretty big inheritance. When the people, however, don’t respect or love God and thus don’t bring the first fruits or monetary replacement, then what?

    From a modern , it seems that the goal was for the Levites (certainly of the service) to be sustained by the . The extended purpose of the Levitical cities was to guard against a people who forgot about God. At the Levites would have food.

    Did the Levites fulfill God’s intent for them? It would seem not, but to put all (or even most) of the blame on them would deny others’ choices.

    A number of years ago, I heard a quip, “Christianity is one generation away from vanishing.” In many respects, this is a true statement. If the is not passed down, it will not survive outside of the work of God. The same could be said of the Levites of the Jews.

    In many respects, what the Levites experienced (and continue to) is what Christians should expect, too. Now, this is not because we aren’t good enough sharing the of God. It’s not that we’re bad about talking about the love of God (though there are many loud people who are awful at it).

    We really need help at it out well. This is the muddle, though. We think we are. We might even be. The world, however, doesn’t see it that way.

    ※Questions※

    1) Do you think the world is more or less correct that we Christians (as a whole) do not live out the Christian life of love?

    2) Do you think the Priesthood of all Believers (1 Peter 2:3–10) is equivalent to the Levites?  Why or why not? If yes, what does that mean for you?

    3) Levites’ primary purpose was the work of the Temple. Families taught the faith. Today, our “priests” (pastors) seem to be expected to be the only teachers. What can the Levites’ place teach us about pastors and families in regards to faith and discipleship?

    ※Prayer※

    Father, you called a certain people to facilitate between you and your people. Help us to be facilitators of your dream for the world to reconcile itself to you. Amen.

  • Speed Check

    Speed Check

    Isaiah 56:1–8; Ezekiel 2:1–10

    When you’re driving, do you continue to check your speed? What do you do when you check a speed limit sign?

    A speed limit sign cannot make you stop speeding. A speed limit sign cannot make you speed up. A speed limit sign can only tell what the authorities have set as the maximum speed for the area.

    The law enforcement agency in charge of that area may have some about being a little over. If a lot of people are going over, they might let it go. If a person is weaving in and out of traffic and going over the speed limit, they may likely end up with a citation.

    While the are the word of God, they are also similar to speed limit signs. There is guidance and wisdom in the Scriptures. There are many warnings. People can (and do) choose to do their own thing.

    God is not looking for rote obedience, obedience for obedience’s sake, or obedience for a reward. God desires obedience out of love.

    Take the eunuchs. In Deuteronomy 23:1, eunuchs were banned from joining the assembly of God. That doesn’t mean that they could not (or did) not God, but that they could not participate in any aspect, including the sacrificial offerings.

    At the time, this was likely a response to the cultures (such as Egypt) that had eunuchs as ministers and in charge of harems. This would further the Israelites from other peoples.

    By the time of Isaiah, things hadn’t really changed in the surrounding cultures. Also, people would often seek power and influence or were sent (e.g., political hostages) to foreign powers and were made eunuchs. Isaiah overthrows the concept of Deuteronomy, insofar as relationship with God is primary.

    In Jewish , Isaiah is sometimes elevated over Moses and Isaiah (according to Jewish tradition) reduced the 10 Commandments to 2, justice and . A faithful eunuch who pursued justice and mercy would true life to others. The ability to produce children was outweighed by a faithful .

    The eunuchs, then, were those who saw the speed limit signs and obeyed, rather than those that Ezekiel (and Isaiah) spoke of/to that disregarded the ways of God.

    This is, in some small way, a foreshadow of the Gentiles. The Gentiles could not add to the tribe of Israel (for they weren’t of the blood). However, they could add to the Kingdom of God by living for God.

    ※Prayer※

    Holy , guide us into all Truth. Especially guide and guard us in regard to justice and mercy. Amen.

    ※Questions※

    1) Take any issue (not a person or political party) right now. What would be just and merciful in that situation? If there is more than one side to that issue, what would be just and merciful all sides?

    2) Taking that same issue, trying (and it’s hard) to look at it from God’s perspective, what might God’s idea of justice and mercy be? Which “side” of the above does that match? Which “side” are you on?

    3) Why is the concept of giving Godly/spiritual life—rather than biological life—rated so important?

  • Summary Path

    Summary Path

    Malachi 4:5–6; Matthew 17:10–13; John 1:19–28

    Jesus said that John was Elijah. John said he wasn’t Elijah. Who was right?

    The question is, who is Elijah? The other question is, who’s asking?

    First of all, let’s talk about Malachi’s words. Malachi prophesied that Elijah would come back to Judah heralding a massive change. Malachi spoke to the Jews post-exile.

    Despite the of the , the people were overcome with and ennui. God didn’t meet their expectation of restoring everything to the way they perceived it having been before (even if its perfection was figurative). They were walking on the downward slope away from God, again.

    Malachi didn’t let them off the hook. God was coming, in God’s timing. People would come to God, or they wouldn’t, but something momentous would happen. The Day of the Lord was often synonymous with the end of the world. It was also used to indicate a God-driven cataclysmic change.

    Malachi’s words had transformed as the precursor to the Messiah. Elijah would come before the Messiah. This not a literal thing, as reincarnation was not part of Jewish thought. This “Elijah” would be “in the spirit of Elijah” meaning a prophet of God, but with a particular focus on restoring the relationship between the people and God.

    So, why did John deny being Elijah? Probably because he didn’t see himself that way. The problem with being compared to a legendary figure is that you know you’re not the legendary figure. There was a lot of weight and expectation, and John probably didn’t want to bear that burden.

    Also, as there was so much build-up regarding the Messiah, there was likely just as much build-up around Elijah, and much of it was probably wrong. Why would John want to be a part of that?

    There is also the last part of it, which is who Elijah was really couldn’t be evaluated until the Messiah completed the . John was dead before the fulfillment, and without himself seeing the fulfillment, he certainly would have questioned being “Elijah”.

    Jesus, on the other hand, knew what was coming, and knew what had gone before. He had the to be able to call John “Elijah”. In the spirit of Elijah, the Messiah (Jesus) did indeed reset the Day of the Lord. It was only through the , , and resurrection of Jesus that John could fully be called “Elijah.”

    Often, our own perspective of our lives is twisted and/or minimized, for we (like John) cannot really see what came before and what will come after. We do not know the hearts we’ve changed, the paths we’ve diverted. Only at the end will God let us see it all from an eternal perspective.

    That we are to God. That we pursue God. That we follow God. That we try to help follow God. This is what God will let us see at the end. For now, we can only put one step in front of the other.

    ※Prayer※

    Father God, help us to accept that we cannot see the eternal effect of our lives. Lord Jesus, help us to follow you that the eternal effect brings you glory. Spirit, guard and strengthen our hearts for those times when we are discouraged because we don’t see that we’ve made a difference. Amen.

    ※Questions※

    1) There are 2 kinds of eulogies. One that is written by the deceased for reading at the funeral, and the ones that are written in the hearts of others. Which one matters most? In what ways does the eulogy matter for both?

    2) What concepts and feelings come to mind when you hear the phrase, “The Day of the Lord”? Why might that be?

  • House Building

    House Building

    Psalm 127; Matthew 24:1–2; 1 Corinthians 3:1–11

    Unless the Lord is in it, it will fail. This is a common adage heard in the , and it is based on Psalm 127:1. Yet, the interpretation often is, if it is successful, God is in it. This spiritualizes (or over-spiritualizes) far too many things.

    The sun also rises on evil and good. The rain falls on the righteous and unrighteous. (Matthew 5:45)

    The vanity spoken of in Psalm 127:1 isn’t earthly success or failure necessarily. It’s about what it means for the . Striving to be the CEO at the of 25 (or even 65) is all well and good, but what’s the point?

    Is God in Amazon, Alphabet (Google), Microsoft, IBM, Apple, etc.? Yes, insofar as God is everywhere. Are they blessed by God? Insofar as they are made by people made in the image of God, yes.

    That isn’t the point, though. How do each of these affect one’s with God? That is the question. Whether it was the or it is the States of America, in the infinite eyes of God it all falls down.

    We are all called to be coworkers and laborers in God’s fields. We are called to be builders, maintainers, repairers, and even remodelers of God’s buildings. People are God’s fields. People are God’s buildings.

    The of God is for people, not stuff or titles. People are to fill the Kingdom of God for only souls can fill an eternal kingdom.

    ※Prayer※

    Eternal God, help us to grasp even a little more of what it means to be part of your eternal kingdom, , and . Amen.

    ※Questions※

    1) How can we be both laborers/builders and fields/buildings? What does this tell you about God?

    2) Why is it important to acknowledge that while all success is God allowed, all success is not God blessed?

  • Wicks Asmoldering

    Wicks Asmoldering

    Isaiah 7:1–9; Philippians 4:4–9

    Ahaz received encouraging words from God through Jeremiah. Jeremiah, often called the weeping prophet, was not exactly known for positive words. Ahaz, not altogether , received a positive message.

    In many respects, Christians in the States are like Ahaz. Far too many are lukewarm. They think they do “enough”.

    Ahaz wanted enough of God to be safe, at the moment. Over the long-haul, however, Ahaz wasn’t so faithful, and in fact, destroyed much of the temple to worship another God.

    In the passage from Isaiah, the two powers fighting over Jerusalem (the ones that terrified Ahaz and the of Jerusalem) were called smoldering wicks. This was not a phrase of respect. There was plenty of smoke (blustering) from the two, but no fire (power).

    Ahaz took it for the moment, but he, like the rest of us, was overwhelmed by his immediate surroundings. His faith was not based on the sureness of God’s faithful . His faith was rocked to and fro by the strongest winds.

    Whether it is political parties, the media, social networks, rumors, the latest social fad, Christians are just as likely as to listen and follow the blowing smoke. In times like these, looking to Christ FIRST before a particular thought stream must be our first response.

    The fractures in US society in particular, but even the rest of the world, has come into focus with simultaneous events. There, sadly, has often been an immediate response based on our political beliefs or any other biases that we each have. And we all have them.

    The most saddening part is how this affects our . When we respond to the social waves rather than to Christ, we diminish Christ. Even worse, by our actions, we say that Jesus Christ is less than a smoldering wick.

    ※Prayer※

    Lord, help us keep the that surpasses all understanding. As the powers of the world try to influence us to follow them, rather than you, may you, , keep us firmly grounded in the faithful love of God. Amen.

    ※Questions※

    1) Who (more than one) are the smoldering wicks of today?

    2) When we follow people as they want, who are we showing the world (and ourselves) who we really have forefront in our hearts and thoughts?

    3) How does being lukewarm allow for listening to the “smoking wicks” rather than Jesus?

  • An Abomination

    An Abomination

    2 Kings 25:8–21; Matthew 24:1–22

    The fall of the First Temple had far-reaching consequences. It was the of the of Jerusalem. Granted, the Temple had long been stripped of its gold, yet the Temple was still central to Jerusalem

    With the burning of the Temple, the cultural center was gone. The religious center was gone. Even though they were unfaithful the Temple was still the religious center; it was just used to other gods.

    While the King’s palace was administratively important, and the homes were individually important, the loss of the temple was a loss of , even if they did not faithfully follow God. This is a conqueror mentality. Break down their identity, and build them a new one (military basic or boot camp has the same principle).

    As the Jews came back, they established a God-honoring life. No, it didn’t last long. It did, for a time, re-form them around God in a good way. However, over time human power and authority threw their earthly weight around, and there were a lot of overthrowing and wars.

    Eventually, the drama surrounding the Maccabean “revolt” and recovery of “right” worship in the Temple occurred. However, all the interplay amongst various Jewish actors and other parties (i.e., Romans, Syrians, etc.) eventually led to Roman rule.

    Finally, predicts another fall, with the implication of it being more permanent (though that could easily be being read into it). When Jesus talks about the abomination of the desolation, there was one before the Maccabean “revolt”, and there was one after the death of Jesus.

    Some Christians and Jews believe that the “true” desolation was when the Dome of the Rock (as Muslim mosque) was built on the site. It could be a third or fourth desolation or none at all.

    Regardless, after each desolation a significant change occurred. Historians and theologians may whether these changes were good or bad or just were.

    The “hidden” reality is that the desolations were merely signs of a preexisting problem…an ineffective or nonexistent with God. This might seem overreach, especially to modern ears and hearts. Yet, both the Old Testament and Jesus (at least for the two desolations of which they speak) tie that in.

    If any subsequent “desolations” were that, we don’t have a revelation about that, but it seems to fit.

    Perhaps we should also draw parallels between this temple history and the church. The church—especially in the US, yet also in early 20th Century Europe—has been comfortable for too long.

    Familiarity, as the saying goes, breeds contempt. Contempt toward and in the church is running rampant. It’s not new. The tipping point is coming, it seems.

    Yet familiarity can also breed safety, security, and . These are not something the church and Christians are stereotyped as. Right or wrong, this is the reality of the church.

    The abomination of the desolation is not (yet) the buildings. It is that the world does not know the church by its love.

    ※Prayer※

    Lord, you have called us to be known by our love. Lord, help us love as you love. Amen.

    ※※

    1) Besides the snow one, what do you think of regarding “abominable”? How about “desolation”?

    2) How else might an “abomination of the desolation” look today? Would it be country, state, church?

    3) How do familiarity and play out in our lives: family, professionally, community, church? What are the positive and negative results of familiarity?

  • Holy Grounding

    Holy Grounding

    Exodus 3:2–6; Exodus 20:22–26; 2 Chronicles 3:1–2 (read online ⧉)

    The concept of “ ground” has a long-standing history. In popular imagination, church buildings and their lands are—by their very nature—holy ground. Whether it was vampires (or other unholy creatures) or Immortals (e.g., Connor MacLeod) or something else, the concept was powerful.

    While popular imagination puts holy ground more in the realm of something magical (or a convenient plot device), it does not deny or invalidate the reality of holy ground.

    So, what could holy ground be? The simplest one is where God says so. The only place where holy and ground are together in this way is here in Exodus (This passage is quoted in Acts, so that mention doesn’t count). However, the concept of a place set apart as holy is not unique to this verse.

    Sometimes, as later in Exodus 20:22–26, is a place set aside as holy (in this case, an altar), but it is not, in and of itself, holy ground. Yet, it is.

    The burning bush in Exodus is pretty simple. However, this holy ground, that God said was holy ground…we don’t even know where it is. Perhaps, then, it wasn’t so holy.

    David had a confrontation with God. The place where he offered a to remove his , which was causing the destruction of the people, was a threshing floor. It was a place of work.

    Using it, though, for a holy , it became a holy place. So holy, in fact, that the temple was built there. We know where that place is right now. It wasn’t called holy ground, though.

    What made the former threshing floor holy ground was the acts that would occur there. It wasn’t just praising and worshiping God. It wasn’t just praying to God. It was the place where God “set his foot”. This was the formal Godly residence on earth.

    Just as the (not-so) burning bush (miracle notwithstanding) was holy ground, so were the uncut rocks, or piles of dirt, or a beautiful temple. It wasn’t the place per se that was holy, but the encounters with God that made that space, for a time, holy.

    For generations, for example, the sanctuary of the church was holy ground. As the megachurch rolled in, however, it transformed into a center. It’s not that God was not encountered, it was just a in the understanding of how it worked.

    Even now, as we “gather” online, there are places (hopefully) of Godly encounters. They just happen to be rooms, dining rooms, bedrooms, other rooms, cars, even backyards. This is one of those things that Christian mystics can teach us…any place is holy when we are knowingly, purposefully, seekingly in the presence of God.

    ※ Prayer ※
    Lord, help us to seek your presence so that we are overwhelmed by your . Help us to find holy ground wherever we are. Amen.

    ※ ※
    1) Other than a church building, what are some other “holy grounds” for you?
    2) What makes a place consistently a holy ground?
    3) Why is it critical to our theology, our with God, and our Christian growth to understand that holy ground is not just at a church building (especially right now)?