The Heaton File

Wednesday Morning Meditation – Psalms

Then He said to them, “These are the words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things must be fulfilled which were written in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms concerning Me.” (Luke 24:44)

The Hagiographa

When the Holy Spirit authored the sixty-six books of the Bible they were not sixty-six books. Moses wrote down the words of God contained in Genesis through Deuteronomy as the Law for the children of Israel. Over a period of 1400 years the Bible took shape into what we know today as “The Bible.” There have been some changes to the structure of the Bible over time. It will come as a surprise to most people the first effort to divide the Bible into chapters was in the year 1228 by Stephen Langton. The Old Testament was divided into verses by R. Nathan in 1448 and the New Testament by Roberts Stephanus in 1551. The entire Bible divided into chapters and verses first appeared in the Geneva Bible of 1560.

Jesus read out of the same Old Testament that you and I have today. However it did not have 39 books but three divisions of the same material. After His resurrection the Lord spent a lot of time teaching and preparing the disciples to “go into all the world” from the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms. The third division of the ‘Old Testament’ was called the ‘Hagiographa’ or ‘Holy Writings’ and “consisted of the Psalms, Proverbs, Job, Song of Solomon, Ruth, Lamentations, Ecclesiastes, Esther, Daniel, Ezra, and Nehemiah, and the two books of Chronicles” (Albert Barnes).

What is important about our study today on the Psalms is to see that the reference of Jesus to this portion of scripture is about Him. It is easy to get lost in the poetry of the Psalms but we should never lose sight of the will of the Holy Spirit to express the clear identity of the Son of God in Psalms. We can look at the Old Testament with a view of a law faded by the coming of Christ but it is rather the opposite. There is a misnomer in the language of ‘Old’ and ‘New’ Testament that can leave the impression the Christian only need to focus on the new revelation. Jesus affirms the Psalms (Hagiographa) are about Him.

When we look at a portion of the Hagiographa as the book of Psalms we must see Jesus on every page. Psalm 1-150 is a declaration of the character of Jesus Christ. Paul used this same material to explain the kingdom of God to the early Christians (Acts 28:23). The book of Psalms must be viewed with an investigative eye of uncovering who Jesus is and why He came to save man. It is not uncommon for brethren to have little knowledge of the Old Testament and by so doing have little knowledge of the full measure of Jesus Christ.

My friend Marty Pickup made a revealing application in a lesson when he reminded us that we must always look at the scriptures as if it is the first time in our lives. That has helped me tremendously. The Old Testament should not be viewed as a book of dark mystery hard to understand. The book of Psalms cannot be laid aside as simply a book of poetry. Our thirty-nine books of the Old Testament are saturated with the image of Jesus Christ. We have to look for Him to find Him – but He is there!

It could well be called a “little Bible’ since it contains, set out in the briefest and most beautiful form, all that is to be found in the whole Bible. (Martin Luther, Preface to the Psalms, 1528)

Tuesday Morning Early Start – Important Doctrines

And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment. (Hebrews 9:27)

Death

The greatest reality of life is the greatest denial. Man has faced the certainty of death since the blood of Abel cried from the ground but we act as if we will live forever. Death happens to other people not me. The vibrant chords of life flow through our veins in youthful splendor with little acknowledgment death hovers near. There is an appointment that all men will keep. Why is it we live in such a way that we deny death?

Death is real. That is not hard to understand because the touch of its hand is all around us. The news is filled with tragedies of planes crashing, chemical explosions, murder, wars and accidents taking young lives. Cemeteries are filled with marble reminders of the shadow of death. The old must die and the young can die. It matters not the age of a person or their station of life. Death is real.

Death is the equalizer. Many people live in squalor and die from starvation and disease. Those who live in sumptuous wealth die also. Jesus tells the story of a rich man and a beggar named Lazarus who had one thing in common: they both died. The rich man had a wonderful life and Lazarus knew nothing but misery and death came to both of them. The rich man may have been entombed in a lavish crypt but he was still dead. Good people die and evil people die. It matters not the education, influence, lifestyle or place in life death is an appointment all men face.

Death is the judge. The finality of life is found in the moment of death. There is no changing. There is no coming back. There are no more chances to do something else. Life is only lived once and after this a judgment awaits. The sum total of a man’s existence is found in the moment of death because at that moment his eternal existence is forever unchanged. If there was a single part of life that is seldom considered it is the manner of life at the moment of death. This will shape the decision of where we will spend eternity. It does not matter whether we believe in eternity or not. Disbelieving there is life after death does not change the fact there is life after death. Man does not live for what he gains here but where he will find himself at the throne of God. Death is a judgment of the character of man. This decision is sealed at death. No going back. No second chance.

Death is life. The greatest lie Satan whispers in our ear is that death is not real. We live in our own way and do what we want to do because other people die, not me. Death becomes life when I see that life is but a vapor that appears for a little while and then is gone. I am that vapor. Living with the reality of death and what it means will change the way I serve the Lord. Our Creator did not give us death to fill us with fear but to help us see the clarity of life. Pain is the evidence that we are alive. Death is the reality we will live forever. Sin would have less appeal in our lives if we would accept the fact the dying is real, it comes to all men and our eternal fate is sealed in the embrace of death.

Are you ready to die today?

Men shun the thought of death as sad, but death will only be sad to those who have not thought of it. It must come sooner or later and then he who has refused to seek the truth in life will be forced to face it in death. (Francois Fenelon, Spiritual Letters of, c. 1700)

Monday Morning Coffee Break – Life With Jesus

From that time Jesus began to show to His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised the third day. (Matthew 16:21)

Jesus Knew

During the talk at the Lord’s Table, Sunday Rick Carlton made an observation about what Jesus went through on the cross that is often overlooked. There are many things to examine in the story from the garden of Gethsemane, the prayers to His Father, arrest and trials, scourging and then finally the crucifixion. But one thing that made His death so amazing is that Jesus knew when and how He would die.

Death for man is seldom with notice. It is fanciful to imagine knowing the day of death and even the means of death but no man can know. Knowing the character of man he would use it to his advantage to live unrighteous until the final moments of life. Regardless no man can know how he will die nor when as clearly as Jesus.

Jesus knew the plan for man’s redemption before coming to earth. God knew He must become man in the flesh and suffer as the created one. At the age of twelve Jesus knew He must be about His Father’s business. When He began His ministry at the age of thirty the Lord knew how His life would end. He only had about three years left. He knew He would suffer at the hands of His own people. He knew He would be delivered up the Romans and be crucified on a cross.

He knew why He came to earth. He knew He must be about His Father’s work. He knew He would be rejected by men. He knew He would suffer humiliation at the hands of men. He knew He would suffer emotionally. He knew He would suffer physically. He knew He would be scourged. He knew He would be beaten. He knew He would have to carry His cross. He knew they would nail His hands to a cross. He knew they would nail His feet to the cross. He knew they would laugh Him to scorn. He knew they would part His garments. He knew His mother would be there. He knew what His Father would do. He knew he would die. He knew.

He also knew He would be raised. Praise God for that!

Poor was His station, laborious His life, bitter His ending; through poverty, through labor, through crucifixion His majesty of nature more shines. (Gerald Manley Hopkins, Notebooks and Papers of, 1937)

Sunday Morning Starters – Worship

“Who, in the days of His flesh, when He had offered up prayers and supplications, with vehement cries and tears to Him who was able to save Him from death, and was heard because of His godly fear, though He was a Son, yet He learned obedience by the things which He suffered. And having been perfected, He became the author of eternal salvation to all who obey Him.” (Hebrews 5:7-9)

Six Hours That Changed The World

This morning we prepare ourselves to worship Jesus Christ. Two thousand years ago He prepared Himself to worship His Father.

We are in the comfort of our homes. Jesus was agonizing in grief in a garden.

We enjoy a breakfast meal. Jesus will forgo eating.

Our day is planned with joy. His day is planned for horror.

We had a nights rest. He would have a restless sleep on Wednesday and find no sleep before death on Friday.

No one will betray us today. Judas betrayed Jesus.

No one will come to arrest us. Jesus was bound with chains and dragged away.

We will assemble with people who care about us. A huge mob will descend on Jesus to kill him.

We will sit for an hour in the comfort of a building. Jesus will be dragged from place to place in mock courts of shame.

We will fret about the sermon going to long. Jesus will be beaten, spit on, slapped, scorned, humiliated, taunted and mocked.

Our day is filled with naps, watching a movie or shopping. Roman soldiers will tie Jesus to a post and beat him with a whip shredding His back in ribbons of bleeding flesh.

We will decide not to attend an evening service this day. Jesus will be nailed to a cross.

Our day will quickly be over with an hour of church this morning and maybe an hour of church tonight. Plans will fill our minds as we think of what we want to do this week. Children will laugh, couples will enjoy a meal together, recreation will fill the hours of our day and life will be remembered as good.

Jesus will suffer for six hours on the cross. His body will writhe in agony for six hours. The back scourged earlier will scrape against the blood covered cross for six hours. He will cry out to His Father. He show love to His mother. His forgiveness will be uttered to the rabble below Him. He will endure a burning thirst. A fellow prisoner will receive grace. His mission will be finished. He will die.

Six hours. The world was created in six days. Jesus suffered for six hours to redeem the world from sin. God rested on the seventh day. Jesus rested in the seventh hour. His work was finished. Thank God for those horrible six hours that Jesus suffered for me. As I worship may I never forget the final six hours of the life of Jesus Christ. Thank you Lord.

In the Cross and Him who hung upon it, all things meet; all things subserve it, all things need it, it is their center and interpretation. For He was lifted up on it, that He might draw all men and all things to Him. (John Henry Newman, Parochial and Plain Sermons, VIII, 1843)

Saturday Morning Promises – Great Stories

Now therefore, here is the king whom you have chosen and whom you have desired. And take note, the Lord has set a king over you. If you fear the Lord and serve Him and obey His voice, and do not rebel against the commandment of the Lord, then both you and the king who reigns over you will continue following the Lord your God. However, if you do not obey the voice of the Lord, but rebel against the commandment of the Lord, then the hand of the Lord will be against you, as it was against your fathers.

Now therefore, stand and see this great thing which the Lord will do before your eyes: Is today not the wheat harvest? I will call to the Lord, and He will send thunder and rain, that you may perceive and see that your wickedness is great, which you have done in the sight of the Lord, in asking a king for yourselves. So Samuel called to the Lord, and the Lord sent thunder and rain that day; and all the people greatly feared the Lord and Samuel.

And all the people said to Samuel, “Pray for your servants to the Lord your God, that we may not die; for we have added to all our sins the evil of asking a king for ourselves.” Then Samuel said to the people, “Do not fear. You have done all this wickedness; yet do not turn aside from following the Lord, but serve the Lord with all your heart. And do not turn aside; for then you would go after empty things which cannot profit or deliver, for they are nothing. For the Lord will not forsake His people, for His great name’s sake, because it has pleased the Lord to make you His people. Moreover, as for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the Lord in ceasing to pray for you; but I will teach you the good and the right way. Only fear the Lord, and serve Him in truth with all your heart; for consider what great things He has done for you. But if you still do wickedly, you shall be swept away, both you and your king.” (1 Samuel 12:13-25)

When The People Demanded A King

Israel had a tumultuous past. Formed from the Hebrew slaves of Egypt they became a great nation of people wandering four decades through a wilderness because of rebellion against the Lord. They constantly murmured, complained, argued, and failed at every turn. The day finally came when they entered the land of promise dwelling in a place of milk and honey. This was not enough. They became filled with their own desires and forgot God. He punished them. They repented for a time before lapsing back into sin. The cycle continued throughout the time of the Judges ending with the final judge, Samuel. Now they want a king. Unsatisfied, jealous of the nations around them, they plead with Samuel to give them a ruler.

This was not a surprise to the Lord as He knew they would eventually call for a man to rule over them. Sadly the greatest king they would ever have would be the protection and benevolence of the Lord but they lacked faith to see Him. Samuel was heartbroken because of their rejection of him. He granted them what the Lord approved – their own king. He warned them of the responsibility to accept a man as king. The faithfulness to the Lord God as King did not diminish with the coronation of Saul. They still must be obedient to God.

This is a great story because Samuel proves to them how serious their choice will be. He calls for God to send thunder and rain that day and He did. It must have been some kind of thunder and rain because they got the message. It would be easy to assume any thunder storm after that reminded the people of what Samuel said to them about serving a man as king rejecting the Lord Jehovah God. The lesson was simple: obey God and He will bless you; disobey God and He will punish you.

We should not miss the message of a rain storm or thunder storm. The ‘Samuel Lesson’ is still powerful today reminding us whom we serve. We can serve man and turn from God or we can serve God alone and find blessing. When it rains it should remind us who is in charge of the world. As the thunder and lightning blasts through the heavens we should remember the One who commands the elements by the power of His voice. We are puny compared to His might. Remember what Samuel said: “Only fear the Lord, and serve Him in truth with all your heart; for consider what great things He has done for you. But if you still do wickedly, you shall be swept away, both you and your king.” I hope it rains today! That will be a great story!

The greatest question of our time is not communism vs. individualism, not Europe vs. America, not even the East vs. the West; it is whether men can bear to live without God. (Will Durant, On The Meaning Of Life, 1932)

Friday Morning Reflections – Wisdom Literature

Do you know the time when the wild mountain goats bear young? Or can you mark when the deer gives birth? Can you number the months that they fulfill? Or do you know the time when they bear young? They bow down, they bring forth their young, they deliver their offspring. Their young ones are healthy, they grow strong with grain; they depart and do not return to them.

Who set the wild donkey free? Who loosed the bonds of the onager [swift donkey], whose home I have made the wilderness, and the barren land his dwelling? He scorns the tumult of the city; he does not heed the shouts of the driver. The range of the mountains is his pasture, and he searches after every green thing.

Will the wild ox be willing to serve you? Will he bed by your manger? Can you bind the wild ox in the furrow with ropes? Or will he plow the valleys behind you? Will you trust him because his strength is great? Or will you leave your labor to him? Will you trust him to bring home your grain, and gather it to your threshing floor?

The wings of the ostrich wave proudly, but are her wings and pinions like the kindly stork’s? For she leaves her eggs on the ground, and warms them in the dust; she forgets that a foot may crush them, or that a wild beast may break them. She treats her young harshly, as though they were not hers; her labor is in vain, without concern, Because God deprived her of wisdom, and did not endow her with understanding. When she lifts herself on high, she scorns the horse and its rider.

Have you given the horse strength? Have you clothed his neck with thunder? Can you frighten him like a locust? His majestic snorting strikes terror. He paws in the valley, and rejoices in his strength; he gallops into the clash of arms. He mocks at fear, and is not frightened; nor does he turn back from the sword. The quiver rattles against him, the glittering spear and javelin. He devours the distance with fierceness and rage; nor does he come to a halt because the trumpet has sounded. At the blast of the trumpet he says, “Aha!” He smells the battle from afar, the thunder of captains and shouting.

Does the hawk fly by your wisdom, and spread its wings toward the south? Does the eagle mount up at your command, and make its nest on high? On the rock it dwells and resides, on the crag of the rock and the stronghold. From there it spies out the prey; its eyes observe from afar. Its young ones suck up blood; and where the slain are, there it is. (Job 39)

The Animals Testify Of God

The animal kingdom is one of the greatest testimonies of the creative power of God. Job has tried to understand the nature of the Lord challenging the reasons for his awful condition. There is justification for his questions merited by the agony he feels physically, spiritually and emotionally. Elihu has finished his rebuke of the friends of Job and the patriarch himself. The Lord God now takes up the mantle of wisdom declaring to this most humble man that it is not in man to understand the infinite wisdom of the Creator. He challenges Job to consider the animals of His kingdom.

The mountain goat, wild donkey and ox, ostrich, horse and majestic hawk are not dependent upon man for their existence. There are thousands of species of creatures roaming the earth created by the word of God on the fifth and sixth days of creation. They were created before man. It is important for Job to remember that man did not create the beasts of the field. How the wild goat survives is not because of man’s wisdom. The wild donkey lives in its own world searching for every green thing to eat. One of most curious animals is the ostrich who seems to be a dumb creature leaving her eggs to be crushed by the others. She treats her young harshly. Man has tamed the horse but what a magnificent creature he is with his beauty and might. Flying high above the earth the hawk cares for its young. This happens every day and has continued from the beginning of time.

Job wants to understand the nature of God. The Lord reminds him he has yet to understand the mysteries of the animal kingdom. With all the scientific knowledge of man today there are still deep mysteries to why animals do what they do. Often when men come in contact with animals there is tragedy because they forget these animals live in a wild world governed by their own laws. Man can domesticate different animals but the majority of creatures are not tamed by man. This should remind man that God’s infinite wisdom is greater than man’s knowledge; and the animals prove the contrasts.

As you go about your day today take note of the animals. Remember they are fed by the hand of the Creator. They give birth and survive without the wisdom of men. Why? Because we are not as smart as we like to think we are. God takes care of the animals. The good news is that Jesus tells us we are of greater value than the animals. He died for man to save man. Thank God for His beautiful creation. They testify!

To assert that a world as intricate as ours emerged from chaos by chance is about as sensible as to claim that Shakespeare’s dramas were composed by rioting monkeys in a print shop. (Merrill C. Tenney, Science and Religion, ed. J. C. Monsma, 1962)

Thursday Morning Thankfulness – Epistles of Paul

Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, according to the promise of life which is in Christ Jesus, To Timothy, a beloved son: Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord. (2 Timothy 1:1-2)

What Would Be My Final Letter?

Facing death is one of the strongest emotions a person can experience. The untold story of dying is lost with those who pass the vale of darkness into eternity. Few have truly experienced the sensation of death returning only by the hand of God (as found in scripture). Our Savior is the only one who died and lives today. Looking death face to face is the real story of a man’s character. Paul leaves an extraordinary testimony of faith and courage when death looms before him from a Roman sword.

Two letters are addressed to Timothy, traveling companion of the aged apostle. The book of 2 Timothy is the final chapter in the preserved writings of Paul. As he faced death the tone of his letter was not despair or feelings of regret. There are many ways men approach death especially if they are writing their final thoughts to a close friend or loved one. Paul’s letter to a young preacher was filled with a positive message of hope. An unknown writer prefaced the book of 2 Timothy, “Paul wrote this letter as he awaited execution. Despite all that Paul was facing – death, the end of his ministry, abandonment by most of his friends for fear of persecution – he faithfully directed his spiritual son Timothy to the hope that is in Christ. As he exhorted Timothy to boldness, endurance, and faithfulness in the face of false teaching, Paul showed his customary concern for sound doctrine.” What an amazing individual. The apostle knew his life was short but he spent his final days not regretting but reminding and teaching with exhortation the spirit of those faithful few who would carry on the work of God.

Take time today to read the book of 2 Timothy. It takes longer to drink a cup of Starbucks coffee than reading this wonderful letter. Embrace the message of hope. Feel the warmth of Paul’s spirit as he languished in a Roman jail cell. See through his eyes the true spirit of living for Christ even as death is near. He knows Timothy needs encouragement because the day will soon come when his faithful son will hear the news of his death. How agonizing this will be for Timothy but there is much work to do. Paul’s final words ring with clarity. “The Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Grace be with you. Amen.” The words of a man who loved his God and looked forward to eternal redemption. I pray that I will have this spirit when death comes to me.

The act of dying is also one of the acts of life. (Marcus Aurelius, Meditations, c. 170)

Wednesday Morning Meditation – Psalms

To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of the Sons of Korah. A Song For Alamoth.

God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, even though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea; though its waters roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with its swelling. Selah

There is a river whose streams shall make glad the city of God, the holy place of the tabernacle of the Most High. God is in the midst of her, she shall not be moved; God shall help her, just at the break of dawn. The nations raged, the kingdoms were moved; He uttered His voice, the earth melted. The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah

Come, behold the works of the Lord, who has made desolations in the earth. He makes wars cease to the end of the earth; He breaks the bow and cuts the spear in two; He burns the chariot in the fire. Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth! The Lord of hosts is with us; The God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah (Psalm 46)

Be Still

It is hard for many of us to sit still for very long. The hustle and bustle of life is filled with this and that and going and coming and doing. There is so much on the plate and often little is accomplished and off we go the next day filled with a list of things to do. We are busy people. How can we take time to be still? The psalmist is not suggesting that we need to slow down and not fill our lives with activity. God is not looking for lazy people to work. He calls people that are busy. The psalm is reminding us that we should remember who is our strength in life and upon whom we must depend.

Be still and know that trusting in earthly possessions is futile. Our only hope is in God and Him alone. Life can be fueled by the American dream leaving us little time to serve the Lord. We can trust in our own strength for security leaving the Lord as a secondary choice. When the storms of life consume us the only one we can trust is the Lord. Be still and know this.

Be still and know that God is the only hope we have in a world of turmoil. It can be a frightful thing to witness what goes on in the news. There are concerns for the nation, the economy, safety, peace, and happiness – uncertainty for what will happen tomorrow. Fear can grip the mind. People of God understand that He still is in control and His will is accomplished every day. The nations can rage and the world can seem to be falling apart but the Lord is still greater than anything man can do. Be still and know this.

Be still and see the hand of God. History is the most important lesson we can learn. The Bible is a book describing the work of the Creator from the beginning of time. Reading the stories of God’s deliverance time and again will refresh our souls with the knowledge that God will deliver us. When has the Lord ever been defeated? Has man been able to accomplish what the Lord does not control? Look at the works of God and know that His power and might are greater than anything man can do today. My God is greater than the puny efforts of man. Be still and know how big God is.

Today is the middle of the week. Life is going at a fast pace. Be still and know that God still rules in the affairs of men. More importantly He still rules in my life. Take time to be holy. Learn from His word that He rules. Be still.

The imagery of the heavens as being two thousand million light-years in diameter is awesome when compared to the tiny earth, but trivial when compared to the imagery of the “hand that measured the heavens.” (Fulton J. Sheen, Old Errors and New Labels, 1931).

Tuesday Morning Early Start – Important Doctrines

Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. (Hebrews 11:1)

The Hall Of Faith

The Bible is a wonderful book of stories telling the lives of the people of God from Adam to John’s revelation. These are real people. They lived in a real time experiencing the challenges of life just like you and I face every day. It is easy to think of these heroes of scripture as only stories without considering the battles we fight are no different than what they fought. Their faith was tested. Sometimes they would win and sometimes they would fail miserably. The key in the lives of the saints of old is singular: they never gave up.

Faith is an amazing thing. Think about it for a minute. There are many ways the Creator could reveal Himself to man dismissing any doubts that He is real. While there are myriads of ways God has revealed Himself to man it still comes down to a need for faith on the part of man. Why? Could it be that there is a need for our Father to see our hearts in how much we love Him? We are not robots programmed in a certain way to do the bidding of an unloving Creator. The spirit of man begins from a heart that devotes itself to the glory of God.

Faith is the seed of hope and the vision of the invisible. That is almost contradictory. But found in the kernel of faith’s character is the making of a man of God. No one was present when the world was created but we believe it by faith. Adam and Eve could look on the new world after it was created and believe it came into being by the mouth of God. Abel understood early the importance of obedient faith. Enoch lived so fully in faith he was taken by God before death. Noah acted on the word of grace showing his faith by hearing, believing and preparing an ark for something he did not understand. Faith moved him saving not only him but also his household. Abraham embraced a faith that did not have answers but because He trusted in the word of God he obeyed. First he was tested when told to leave his people and then to offer his son. Faith won. Moses turned his back on the greatest riches of his day to serve a complaining people wandering in a wilderness of doubt. A non-Hebrew woman who was a prostitute showed her faith in the true God when she gave shelter to the spies of Israel.

Faith could be told in the lives of so many more people like Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel and the prophets. If you have not taken the time to read about these people please do so. It will increase your faith. Often faith delivered the people of God from harm but just as many times it did not. Faith gives hope. Faith opens the eyes to trust in the Lord no matter what. Faith does not suggest that all promises are found here. The deepest character of faith is believing that life is not about the here and now but the life that is to come. Faith is about looking for a city whose builder and maker is God. Faith is about seeing beyond this life and looking forward anxiously to a life with God. Turn your eyes away from this world and by faith look to that which is unseen. Heaven is waiting for faith filled followers desiring a better country.

You can keep a faith only as you can keep a plant, by rooting it into your life and making it grow there. (Phillips Brooks, Perennials, 1898)

Sunday Morning Starters – Worship

Then the heads of the fathers’ houses of Judah and Benjamin, and the priests and the Levites, with all whose spirits God had moved, arose to go up and build the house of the Lord which is in Jerusalem. (Ezra 1:5)

The First Thing To Build

Babylon had long disappeared and Persia ruled the world. Cyrus king of Persia made a decree freeing the Jews from the bondage begun seventy years earlier by the Babylonians through the hand of God. As a nation Israel had been decimated because of their rebellion to the will of the Lord suffering punishment by divine will. The time had come for the nation to return as promised by God.

What is amazing about the book of Ezra in contrast to the book of Nehemiah is what was built first. The city of Jerusalem lay in ruin. Its walls were torn down and gates burned. The Temple had been ransacked left to crumble with each passing year. As a whole the spirit of the nation of God was in mourning. But now a renewed feeling had blessed the new generation of captives as they were permitted to return to the land of promise. From a military stand point the first thing to build in Jerusalem would be the walls and gates. This afforded protection from enemies and would give a sense of security to the people to see the city return to its early glory. But this would not be the case.

The first major undertaking was the building of the Temple. It would not be an easy task and would take many years but the lesson is found in what is important to build first. The walls would be the logical answer but while the walls lay in ruin the Temple was the first thing built. Why? Protection from God was paramount. The walls were secondary. Under the leadership of Nehemiah and others the walls would be rebuilt in 52 days but the people understood the protection of God was more important than the protection offered by walls of stone. Seventy years earlier the walls were breached and the nation taken captive because the protection of the Lord had been withdrawn. How could the Babylonian army march into the Temple entering the Holy of Holies without God’s will being done? The Lord had withdrawn His protection.

Today is a day of worship. What is important today is the spirit of the heart more than the trappings of wood and stone. The walls of Jerusalem were necessary and would be built one day but first it was the heart of the people that needed to turn back to God in the days of restoration. We live in the days of restoration where the call of the heart is still directed toward the Lord. Our worship today must be in building the Temple of God in our lives to worship and adore Him first. Before we have Bible study, before we lift our voices in song, before we make pleadings to the Lord, before we commune in the supper of the Lord and before we open the manna of life in His word – we must build the Temple of God to prepare our hearts to worship in spirit and truth. First things call for first things first.

God is of no importance unless He is of supreme importance. (A. J. Heschel, Man Is Not Alone, 1951)