Category: Year B

Psalm 96

On By Tim EhrhardtIn Daily Bible Reading Blog, Year BLeave a comment
            It was the Dutch theologian and statesman, Abraham Kuyper, who famously said over one hundred years ago, “There is not a square inch in the whole domain of our human existence over which Christ, who is Sovereign over all, does not cry, Mine!”  That sentiment perfectly expresses the vision of the psalmist concerning God’s rightful place over all creation.  “Ascribe to the LORD the glory due his name” is both the believer’s duty and delight.
 
            All of God’s good promises are ultimately fulfilled in the person and work of Jesus Christ.  The New Testament focuses the praise to King Jesus, the great Sovereign over all.  It is in Christ that all creation finds both redemption and restoration. 
 
            As we move near to Christmas and the birth of the Christ child, the biblical witness testifies along with the psalmist that not just Israel will have a king – all kinds of people will come to believe and submit with joyful abandon to the Lord of the universe.  Since God reigns over every square inch of creation and our lives, he will continue to bring more and more people under the gracious and benevolent rule of Jesus.  This is to God’s glory, and our praise.
            Mighty God, your gracious rule extends to all the world.  May your kingdom come and your will be done on earth as it is in heaven so that all creation shall rightly praise your holy name, through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

2 Samuel 6:1-11

On By Tim EhrhardtIn Daily Bible Reading Blog, Year BLeave a comment
            God really cares about the manner in which we worship him.  In today’s Old Testament lesson, David and the Israelites are celebrating before the LORD and having a whopper of a worship service.  The reason for the big jubilation was the moving of the ark of God to Jerusalem.  However, there was one problem:  God was angry about it to the point of striking down Uzzah the Levite and killing him.
 
            The issue that prompted such a reaction was that the LORD had given specific instructions in the Law about how to carry the ark – with poles specially designed for the task.  But David and the Levites were transporting the ark not with poles, but on a cart.  And God was not okay with it.  The thing that is important for every believer and church to grasp is that when our pragmatism and human ingenuity trump the plain instructions of Holy Scripture, God’s anger is quite likely to be kindled.  The fact of the matter is that David and the Levites should have known better – it was their job to know how to go about moving the ark.  Their negligence cost a person his life.
 
            We, too, have a responsibility to know how to worship the Lord our God.  Worshiping God in whatever way seems best to us might make a lot of sense in our heads, but it just may offend the Lord.  It would be a very good thing to re-examine the Bible on the subject of worship.  In the current evangelical church climate of worshiping in whatever manner gets results, giving this biblical story a fresh examination in light of our own context is a place to start.
            Holy God, who cares about how people approach you, lead your people into the proper way of worship to the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit so that you might be pleased and glorified and your church blessed.  Amen.

Malachi 3:16-4:6

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            According to the U.S. Census Bureau, 24 million children in America — one out of every three — live in biological father-absent homes. The National Fatherhood Initiative reports that nine in ten American parents agree this is a “crisis.”  Consequently, there is a “father factor” in nearly all of the social issues facing America today. Yet there is hope in the fact that children with involved fathers do better across every measure of child well-being than their peers in father-absent homes.
            From a biblical perspective, the relationship between fathers and children is hugely important not only for the well-being of family and society, but for God’s people.  Fathers in ancient Israel were the primary instructors of God’s covenant to their children.  This responsibility was critical to ensuring success in Israel obeying their God.  The fact of the matter is that fathers as a whole blew it.  The very last verse of the Old Testament ends on a note of coming judgment.  But that is not the end of the story because the prophet Elijah will come to turn the hearts of the fathers to their children and vice versa.
 
            John the Baptist, Jesus said, was the Elijah to come.  Jesus, then, is the fulfillment of God’s covenant promises to his people.  Dads have a sacred responsibility today to point their kids to Jesus.  We must take up the mantle of teaching our children the ways of God especially as expressed by Jesus.  God is on a mission of restoration, and the place to begin is with restoring relationships between fathers and children.  It behooves all us Dads to step away and slow down enough to consider what the nature of our family relationships are really like.  Then, take action to instruct our kids with both words and with actions.
            Gracious God, thank you for the gift of children.  Teach me your ways of grace so that I might pass them on to my children in Jesus’ name through the power of the Spirit.  Amen.

Habakkuk 3:13-19

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            Tucked away in the Old Testament is the little prophecy of Habakkuk.  Yet it packs a punch of a message.  The prophet, Habakkuk, was distressed over the corruption of his people, Israel.  So, he complained to God about it.  God responded by informing Habakkuk that judgment was coming to sinful Israel through the pagan Babylonians.  This was not what Habakkuk expected.  The prophet grumbled even more about the fact that the Babylonians were much more evil than the Israelites.  The Babylonians needed judgment, too!  The rest of this little book then unpacks Habakkuk’s struggle to come to terms with what God was doing.
 
            The conclusion that Habakkuk finally came to was this:  “Though the fig tree should not blossom, nor fruit be on the vines, the produce of the olive fail and the fields yield not food, the flock be cut off from the fold and there be no herd in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the LORD; I will take joy in the God of my salvation.”  Even though the circumstances were bad, even dire, yet the prophet chose to rejoice in the Lord.
 
            One of the most significant faith experiences we can ever have is to come to the point of complete trust in God so that our happiness is not dependent upon good circumstances.  The truth is that the Christian’s joy and spiritual security is independent of what is going on around us.  Even though situations might be difficult and even evil, believers can still rejoice because we do not need everything to go our way in order to experience happiness.
 
            Joy is neither cheap, nor easy.  Total trust in God can only really come through a serious and open engagement, even argument, with God.  The place of contentment comes from a consistent, persevering, and constant interaction with God in his Word and through prayer – just like Habakkuk.
            Gracious God, bring me to the point of joy despite my circumstances so that my soul is not divided and unable to praise you.  May I delight in Jesus every day through the fellowship of the Spirit.  Amen.