Friday Faithfuls Two: Ezra

 Posted by Lisa Laree to Beer Lahai Roi

Ezra always strikes me as one of the overlooked books of the Old Testament.  I'm not sure I've ever heard a sermon based on Ezra...  But it is an interesting book.  It's written in two parts; the first part being the historical record of the first return of the Jews to  Judea/ Jerusalem, and the second being the account of Ezra and his ministry.  Mr. Scofield tells me in the preface to Ezra that 50 years passed between part 1 and part 2.

Maybe it's because we're in the midst of our own corporate fast, but what caught my attention today was verse 8:21...

There, by the Ahava Canal, I proclaimed a fast, so that we might humble ourselves before our God and ask him for a safe journey four us and our children, with all our possessions.

On the brink of departing for Jerusalem (a journey that would take them four months, according to Ezra 7:9), Ezra proclaimed a fast that lasted three days, if I'm reading it right (from 8 :15).  Not only were they traveling with families, including small children, but they also had a small fortune in gold and silver and bronze that they had been given to take back.  It wouldn't do for them to fall into the hands of bandits, or even a local magistrate with a greedy nature.  So they fasted and prayed for safe journeying.

And, Ezra reports in 8:31, "The hand of our God  was on us, and he protected us from enemies and bandits along the way."  They arrived safely in Jerusalem, with the treasures for the house of God intact.

Now, Ezra *could* have requested an armed escort...but he felt it was important to show that the trust of the people was not in force of arms, but in the arm of God. (8:22-23).  The safe journey was not just a testimony to the king...but also to the people, who needed to know that they could trust God to take care of them.  It gave THEM a testimony to look back on; not just the testimony from the days of the Exodus.  They knew the dangers of their journey and they knew they needed...and received...protection from God.  The three days of fasting and prayer was as probably more to prepare the people to expect God's protection than it was to ask God to provide it.

Am I using the fast to prepare myself to see God move?

Friday Faithfuls Two: 2 Chronicles

 Posted by Lisa Laree to Beer Lahai Roi

If 1 Chronicles is a tedious read of lists and genealogies,  2 Chronicles is a roller coaster of reversals...this king served God, this one didn't...that one didn't...this one did until (something happened) and then he walked away...violence, murder, revival, apostasy...it's a wild ride.

So much in it caught my attention as I was skimming through; the construction and dedication of the temple made me want to weep.  So much good effort!  Such honor given to the Lord!  And...he responded with fire falling on the altar, just as it had in the wilderness when the tabernacle was dedicated. Can you imagine what that was like? And yet...Solomon lost his focus as he aged and allowed pagan worship into the country.  The nation divided and never again achieved the level of prosperity and favor it had under the prime years of Solomon.

But the verse that jumped out at me and made me pause is 2 Chronicles 31:1:

When all this had ended, the Israelites who were there went out to the towns of Judah, smashed the sacred stones and cut down the Asherah poles.  They destroyed the high places and the altars through out Judah and Benjamin and Ephraim and Manesseh.  After they had destroyed all of them, the Israelites returned their own towns and to their own property.

'This' that 'had ended' was actually an over-the-top celebration of Passover that went beyond its required time; they had an extra seven days of worship and consecration.

Y'all, they had a spontaneous revival meeting.  A REAL, Holy-Ghost revival meeting... and we know that because afterward, the people went out and destroyed their idols.

And as I read that, I realized that idol destruction is a hallmark of a changed life.  We can have incredible meetings where the atmosphere is electric and signs are manifesting and the prophetic word is flowing...but if we don't go out and destroy the idols, it was just a wild church service.  

The idols must be destroyed...not put away, not covered up, DESTROYED.    An idol cannot be toyed with...one can't tell oneself it's not that big a deal, keep it around because there are some fond memories of something associated with it or there has been too much money invested in it or it's popular or whatever; it will regenerate from whatever root left to it.

Was it a real revival?  Or just a good service?  

Are the idols gone?

Can I say...ouch?

The January Fast

 Posted by Lisa Laree to Beer Lahai Roi

Fasting wasn't something we practiced when I was growing up; it just wasn't on the radar of our little independent Baptist Church, which was primarily focused on evangelism. Plus, they were definitely dispensational and considered a lot of...um, stuff...to have been for the first century church and I rather think fasting was one of those things.

But we are in a different church, with a different tradition.  And although I miss the Christmas carols that started the Sunday after Thanksgiving I am glad to have an annual 'selah' after the holidays.  I never thought I'd say I was looking forward to fasting, but, surprise, surprise, I actually was looking forward to it this year.

And it starts today...for 21 days.  We have been challenged to read through all four gospels during the three weeks, which is about 4 chapters a day.  I decided I'd do it a little differently and dug up our Narrated Bible, which is a Bible in which the text has been edited to be in chronological order. 

 

 The gospels are all mixed up together into what, as best as can be determined, is chronological.

But since it's all mixed up I can't pace myself by chapters.  It runs from pages 1349 - page 1484; a total of 136 pages...roughly six and a half pages a day.  It does include some commentary, which I quickly found broke up the continuous feel of the narrative so I decided I *could* skip the commentary and just read the listed scripture.  Not that the commentary wasn't worth reading...it's just that my desire was to read the continuous scripture narrative.

Which, surprisingly, the editor began with Mark 1:1 and not John 1:1.  But after the initial surprise...I agree with him.  It does flow better that way.

The first day's reading is the combined accounts through the presentation of the newborn Jesus at the Temple, with the accompanying testimony of Simeon and Anna.  

I've always found that reading Scripture in a way that's different from how I've read it before puts a little different light on it and I notice things I'd not seen before, so I think this could be interesting.

Happy 2022!

Friday Faithfuls Two: 1 Chronicles

 Posted by Lisa Laree to Beer Lahai Roi

My little skim through the Bible, looking for a verse that resonates for the moment, has brought us to First Chronicles...the test of someone who is 'reading through the Bible', because it is a retelling of previous stuff plus a bunch of lists, lol.  But there is gold there, too.

Today, I landed on the psalm of praise David wrote to commemorate the installation of the ark of the covenant in the tabernacle he'd constructed for it...

Ascribe to the LORD, O families of nations, ascribe to the LORD glory and strength, ascribe to the LORD the glory due his name.

Bring an offering and come before him; worship the LORD in the splendor of his holiness.

Tremble before him, all the earth!

The world is firmly established; it cannot be moved.

Let the heavens rejoice, let the earth be glad; let them say among the nations, "The LORD reigns!"

-- 1 Chron. 16: 29-31, NIV 84

That just struck me as I read it as a good instruction for the New Year...

Ascribe to the Lord the glory of which he is worthy

Bring an offering to him

Be humble and recognize his authority

Rejoice before him

Proclaim 'The Lord reigns!'

But this ain't about looking around and telling everyone else what they should do...this is what I need to do.

Today, tomorrow, and every day after.

Here's to fresh starts and renewed vision!

Dec 24th....

 Posted by Lisa Laree to Beer Lahai Roi

And there were in the same country, shepherds abiding in the fields, keeping watch over their flocks by night.

 And lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them, and they were sore afraid.

And the angel said unto them, Fear not; for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.  For unto you is born this day, in the city of David, a savior, which is Christ the Lord.  And this shall be a sign unto you:  Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.

And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth, peace, good will toward men.

- Luke 2: 8 - 14, KJV

Not a Friday Faithfuls post...but the passage that is the theme of the day.  Most of us can quote this, thanks to Linus....and Charles Shultz, who stood up to the network executives who were reluctant to include scripture in their Christmas special.  Shultz was adamant, the powers that be reluctantly agreed, and now a whole generation...or even two, at this point...recognizes that passage as 'That's what Christmas is all about, Charlie Brown.' 

Even though we know that Jesus likely wasn't actually born on Dec 25...but probably in the spring.  And the Wise Men from the east (Persia?)  didn't show up at the manger at all but came to town about two years later.  The important thing...Jesus was born.  Wise men from the east saw the signs...but I think the Holy Spirit gave them the conviction that what they saw was worth investigating so that they did show up, giving another validation to the story later on...maybe when Mary and Joseph were caught up in parenting and...surviving...and the night of Jesus' birth and the wonder of the shepherds felt rather unreal.  Because their lives were upended again with the sudden flight into Egypt.  The wise men were both the reason Herod was a threat and, I believe,  the warning that protected the toddler from his murderous actions. They no doubt told the little family of Herod's interest in them, and their plans to avoid him on the return trip...so Joseph took the warning in the dream seriously and they left before the soldiers came with their swords.

All of that came later.  But on that night...angels sang and shepherds marveled.

God had come to us.

And that's what Christmas is all about.

Wishing all my friends a blessed Christmas full of His Presence.

Friday Faithfuls Two - 2 Kings

 Posted by Lisa Laree to Beer Lahai Roi     

So, our little weekly skim looking for a verse that resonates has brought us to 2 Kings...some amazing stores, some appalling stories, and Israel and Judah going into exile; a very sad ending.

But there is something that caught my eye as I read through...in the story of Naaman.  Naaman was THE commander of the army of the king of Aram....kinda the equivalent of Joab in David's day.  He was a Somebody in the Aramean kingdom...and he contracted leprosy, which was a slow, miserable death sentence.  He had a slave serving girl who told him that the prophet in Israel (Elisha)  would be able to pray to his god and cure him.  So Naaman got permission to go to Elisha, with a letter to the King of Israel.  Naaman went to the king of Israel and gave him the letter...which caused the King of Israel to tear his robes, because he knew HE couldn't cure him and he didn't know what to do.   Elisha heard about it and sent a message to him, saying 'Send him to me...and he will know that there is a prophet in Israel' (2 Kings 15:8)  So Naaman, his expectations undoubtedly high, went down to see Elisha.

Who wouldn't even come out and greet him, but just sent his servant to the door, who simply said, 'My master says for you to go wash yourself in the Jordan seven times and you'll be healed,' then shut the door in his face.  Which leads us to the passage that jumped out at me...

 2 Kings 5:11-15

But Naaman went away angry and said, "I thought that he would surely come out to me and stand and call on the name of the LORD his God, wave his hand over the spot and cure me of my leprosy.  Are not Abana and Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than any of the waters of Israel?  Couldn't I wash in them and be cleansed?"  So he turned and went off in a rage.

Naaman's servants went to him and said, "My father, if the prophet had told you to do some great thing, would you not have done it? How much more, then, when he tells you, 'Wash and be cleansed!"  So he went down and dipped himself in the Jordan seven times, as the man of God had told him, and his flesh was restored and became clean like that of a young boy.

Then Naaman and all his attendants went back to the man of God.  He stood before him and said, "Now I know that there is no God in all the world except in Israel.  Please accept now a gift from your servant."

 Here's the thought...we all have preconceived notions of how God is going to work in our lives, and we tend to get angry if he doesn't move when and how we expected.  Often we write it off completely...God didn't act right, we didn't get the recognition we felt we deserved (just the servant delivering the message!  Not even a personal greeting!)  so there must not be anything to this crazy stuff anyway!

Fortunately, Naaman had some good thinkers with him, who reasoned that he might as well  do the stupid thing...it was simple, it would cost him nothing...why not try it?

So he did, rather petulantly, I expect,  and found himself cured.

And what was his conclusion then?  "Now I know that there is no God in all the world except in Israel!"

He was now a believer in the true God.

Your attitude doesn't have to be perfect...but your obedience does.  Just do the stupid thing that doesn't make sense...it will do what God has said.

If you let your personal opinions determine your obedience...you'll never know what God could've done for you...

Friday Faithfuls Two: 1 Kings

 Posted by Lisa Laree to Beer Lahai Roi

Back again after  a crazy weekend; we had a great Christmas production run but that was ALL I DID, lol.

But now I've perused 1 Kings in my little flying skim through the Bible looking for verses that resonate and tonight the one that had me doing a 'Hmm....' pause was 1 Kings 19:18

"Yet I have reserved seven thousand in Israel -- all whose knees have not bowed down to Baal and all whose mouths have not kissed him."

 Elijah had just had his run in with Jezebel after the slaughter of the priests of Baal at Mount Carmel.  He'd traveled all the way to Mt Horeb (Sinai?) and complained to God that he was the only one left of the prophets, and those in power were after his life, too.

God spoke to Elijah's concerns and gave him instructions about where to go next...and then declared  that there are 7,000 folks in Israel who have not bowed down to Jezebel's god.

Elijah was not alone.Now, maybe if there had been social media back then, he'd've had online groups with likeminded folks and known that there were others out there.  But I'm guessing that Ahab would've found a way to cancel those folks anyway.  It's rough, when you feel like you are alone.  

But you know...we never are.  God knows were all his people are, and he's always ready to deploy them when needed.  He was, in fact, about to send Elisha alongside Elijah.

Elijah was not alone ever again after that moment.  Even when he wanted to be.  Elisha was with him like stink on a dog....and there were 6,999 others who were just as faithful to the command of God.

Some of those would become the school of prophets that Elijah and Elisha taught.

It's never as bad as it looks; God knows where his people are.