Category: Year C

1 Samuel 20:1-23, 35-42

On By Tim EhrhardtIn Daily Bible Reading Blog, Year CLeave a comment
            Sometimes you think you know somebody, and you find out you really didn’t know them well at all.  It even happens within families, not to mention churches.  Jonathan, the warrior son of King Saul, had to come to grips with the fact that his father was going down the path to the dark side and becoming Darth Saul.  Jonathan had to hear some hard truth from his best friend, David.  David confronted Jonathan with the reality that Saul was trying to kill him.
 
            Relationships must be based upon truth.  A true friend is willing to tell you your faults; will listen to the truth; and, is not concerned with trying to manipulate or take advantage of the relationship.  Jonathan, much to his credit, was willing to find out the truth about his Dad.  Once he determined the terrible realization of his father’s true intentions, Jonathan was willing to adjust his life to fit new information.
 
            There is some high level relational work going on in this Old Testament lesson for today.  It is truly tragic when people are willing to settle for superficial relationships.  Building relational intimacy takes time and effort, the kind of work that both Jonathan and David were willing to put into their friendship.  They found themselves in turbulent times, but the friends found their ultimate security in the Lord and continually reminded each other of God’s ability to sustain them.  Their relationship is a model for us all to emulate.
 

 

            Sovereign God, you are supreme over all your creation.  May the glue of truth hold all of my relationships together.  May they be centered fully and completely around the Lord Jesus, through the power of the Holy Spirit.  Amen.

Psalm 148

On By Tim EhrhardtIn Daily Bible Reading Blog, Year CLeave a comment
            Praise to the Lord is the recognition that God deserves praise from everyone, and the way to do that is to bow, yield, and submit to him.  “Praise the Lord” is the Hebrew word “hallelujah.”  Hallelujah literally means “to raise the hands.”
 
            We are told ten times in fourteen verses of Psalm 148 to praise the Lord, to raise our hands.  It is a symbol of submission and joy.  To have open hands lifted toward heaven is to convey to God that we will obey him and live for him in everything.  Praising the Lord, lifting the hands, is not only to occur in church; praising the Lord is to happen everywhere.  We are to lift our arms in reverent submission at our workplaces when we land a client or have a good day, as well as when we are overwhelmed and cranky people demean us.  It is always open season on praising the Lord, and it is not limited to a certain set of good circumstances.
 
            We are to raise our hands and praise the Lord when our neighbors care about us and look out for us, as well as when they make noise and irritate us with their less than kept up yards and houses.  Yielding to God’s purposes for our lives is not dependent upon whether we have good neighbors or not.  We are to praise the Lord and raise our hands when our marriages are life-giving and thriving, as well as when our relationship with our spouse is dry, dull, and going nowhere.  It is always open season on praising the Lord and reflecting his image through love.  We are to praise the Lord over our kids, not only when they do what is right but we are to raise our hands with hallelujah when they are complete stinkers and drive us nuts.  We are to use our hands to praise and enact obedience, not refuse to praise and use them for violence through finger pointing, fist pumping, and even hitting.  Let both our mouths and hands work in concert together to praise the Lord!
 

 

            Praise the Lord!  Praise Father, Son, and Spirit!  Today I join with all creation to praise the name of Jesus.  His name alone is exalted.  He has raised me to new life.  Thank you, gracious Lord Jesus.  May you be lifted high today in and through my life.  Amen.

Revelation 11:15

On By Tim EhrhardtIn Daily Bible Reading Blog, Year CLeave a comment


             I have done my share of weddings over the years.  Working with engaged couples anticipating marriage is both exciting and awkward.  It is in some ways a difficult time for the betrothed because they are committed to one another in a manner different from just dating, but are not yet in a marriage relationship.  The same is true for the church.  She is betrothed to the Lord Jesus.  They are both quite committed to each other.  But the marriage hasn’t yet happened.  
             The kingdom of God has been inaugurated, but not yet consummated.  That is a fancy way of saying that God’s rule and reign has come to this earth, but its fulfillment has not yet occurred.  This time between the two advents of Christ, his incarnation and his coming again, is a weird and awkward time of engagement where we are trying to figure out how to live in the world but not of it.  But there is a time coming, at the consummation of the ages, when Christ will return to take his bride.  It is then the church will celebrate in a great wedding feast.  “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Messiah, and he will reign forever and ever.”
             Just as marriage is designed for permanence, so our union with Jesus shall last forever.  His reign will never end.  Christ’s rule will be complete and extend over all the earth.  But until then we are to persevere with patience and fidelity to our Lord Jesus, who loved us and gave himself up for us.  Let this truth shape your life today and always.
             Loving Lord Jesus, I praise you for your initiating a beachhead of grace on this earth through your coming to us.  I look expectantly for your return.  May I found faithful when you come again.  Amen.

Ezekiel 2:8-3:11

On By Tim EhrhardtIn Daily Bible Reading Blog, Year CLeave a comment
            When I was a kid my brother and I watched All-Star Wrestling every Saturday.  One of our favorite wrestlers was Rufus R. Jones.  Like all wrestlers, he had a signature move, a lights-out-nobody-is-getting-up maneuver that would always end the match.  Rufus’ move was the head-butt.  Slamming his hard forehead into the head of his opponent always brought raucous behavior from us.  We would act out the head-butt scene over and over, always a bit fearful of smacking each other’s heads.  The hardest head always won.
 
            God gave a message to the prophet Ezekiel concerning the stubborn hearts and hard heads of the Israelites.  The Lord was looking for repentance, for the Jews to turn their hearts and minds back to true worship and a real humble relationship with their God.  The prospect of facing such a task, such an opponent, seemed daunting to Ezekiel.  So, the Lord assured him:  “Son of man, go to the house of Israel and speak with my words to them… Behold, I have made your face as hard as their faces, and your forehead as hard as their foreheads.  Like emery harder than flint have I made your forehead.  Fear them not, nor be dismayed at their looks, for they are a rebellious house.”
 
            Ezekiel was told by God to pull-out the signature wrestling move and do the lights-out head-butt maneuver.  The promise Ezekiel possessed was that God was going to give him the harder head – there was no way he was going to lose the match.  Like Ezekiel, we are to speak the Word of God with the promise that we will not lose.  Prideful ungodly stubbornness will get us knocked-out, but godly, gracious, and bold stubbornness which determines to do the will of God shall always win the day.
 

 

            Almighty God, you give strength to those in the wrestling matches of life.  Embolden my witness for you so that I will speak and act boldly in the name of Jesus, in the power of the Holy Spirit.  Amen.