Reading 1 – 2Ki 13:14

“Now Elisha was suffering from the illness from which he died. Jehoash king of Israel went down to see him and wept over him. ‘My father! My father!’ he cried. ‘The chariots and horsemen of Israel!’ ” (2Ki 13:14).

These are the same words uttered by Elisha himself about his predecessor, Elijah (2Ki 2:12). Even the wicked king Jehoash realizes that Elisha, as God’s prophet, is more powerful than chariots and horses, and expresses here something of his awareness of the presence of the Almighty. It is true enough, that wherever the word of the prophet is found, there is the power of the LORD! And that power is infinitely greater than all the “chariots” and “horses” of all the armies that ever were.

What the younger Elisha had seen earlier in the old prophet Elijah, as he was being taken away from him, is finally seen by another in the now older Elisha, as he also is being taken away. Elisha may scarcely have realized how and when it was happening, but over time the “mantle” of Elijah had truly come to rest on his shoulders, spiritually as well as literally. He had grown up to the office, and now — at the end — it was as though Elijah was once more taking his leave of men. In a similar way, many a young man has wondered if he might ever attain to the wisdom, and experience, and authority, and strength of his father — to find, one day years later, that he has indeed. It has happened even as Jesus’ parable suggests: “Night and day, whether he sleeps or gets up, the seed sprouts and grows, though he does not know how”… until finally “the grain is ripe” (Mar 4:27,29)!

Reading 2 – Eze 3:19

“But if you do warn the wicked man and he does not turn from his wickedness or from his evil ways, he will die for his sin; but you will have saved yourself” (Eze 3:19).

“God has committed to men such responsibility that Ezekiel and Jeremiah can warn and save, or refrain and be guilty of blood. And we know that this is true of us. In all our walks we can display Jesus or hide him; confess him or deny him. We can let our light shine as a light on a lightstand, that men may glorify our Father, or we can behave so that the way of truth is evil spoken of. In our own midst we can turn a sinner from the error of his way, or we can destroy him with our meat for whom Christ died. To hold forth the Word of Life is not therefore the voluntary pastime of a few of us; in some form it is the responsibility of us all” (Alfred Norris, “Preaching the Word” 8,9).

Reading 3 – 2Co 11:29

“Who is weak, and I do not feel weak? Who is led into sin, and I do not inwardly burn?” (2Co 11:29).

“The word Paul uses for ‘weak’ is one which features frequently in his writings, and it nearly always refers to the spiritually weak (Rom 4:19; 14:1,2,21; 1Co 8:9,11,12). He was so sensitive to his brethren that when he considered their spiritual weakness, he felt the same. He identified with them, he could put his arm round someone who was slipping away and say, ‘I’m with you’, and so evidently mean it. He had a genuine and obvious sense of solidarity with them. He wasn’t critical of them to the extent that he made a barrier between himself and them. They knew his disapproval of their ways, but yet it was so evident that his heart bled for them. And when Paul saw a brother being offended, he burnt. His heart burnt and bled as he saw someone drifting away with a chip on their shoulder. He didn’t just shrug and think, ‘Well, that’s up to them, their choice.’ He cared for them. That brother, that sister, and their future meant so much to him. If Paul had lived in the 21st century, he would have telephoned them, written to them, visited them, met with them week by week To be weak and to be offended are bracketed in Rom 14:21: ‘thy brother is offended, or is made weak’. And in 2Co 11:29 we have the same idea… The parallels imply that if the weak brother was offended, Paul himself was as it were offended, even though he himself did not stumble. He could identify with the spiritual weakness of others to the point of feeling that he himself had committed it or was in the shoes of the sinner — even though he himself was innocent” (Duncan Heaster).

Reading 1 – 2Ki 14

In 2Ki 14, “a last opportunity for the nation presented itself, as in Israel and Judah there reigned three able sovereigns in Amaziah, Uzziah, and Jeroboam II. The weakness of surrounding nations was their opportunity. A vigorous struggle broke out to raise the nations from the depression into which it had fallen. Syria and Edom were reduced. The borders were extended, the struggle partly successful. But it was frustrated by calamities beyond human power. The kings conquered their enemies, but not themselves, and thus failed in the struggle for complete independence. Those whose pride makes them too eager to fight may get enough of it in quick order. Many would have honour and wealth enough, if they but know when they had enough. But the prosperity of Israel under Jeroboam was a delusion and a snare. Two prophets raised their voices in warning and rebuke. Hosea and Amos, sounded forth their stern, harsh language, revealing the true state of the ecclesia. Hosea was a citizen of the north, for he speaks of the land (Hos 1:2) and ‘our king’ (Hos 7:5). The rough shepherd Amos was from Judah. He beheld with indignation the soft luxury and abandoned life in the northern kingdom. He gives a frightful picture of an apostate, licentious and decadent Israel. It was the ‘last days’ of the Davidic monarchy, and little time remained before the divine judgment came upon both northern and southern elements of the nation” (GE Mansfield).

Reading 2 – Eze 4

In Eze 4, the total of 430 days (390 for Israel: v 5; and 40 for Judah: v 6) seem to represent a complete period of affliction, of 430 years (cp Gen 15:13; Exo 12:40).

The complete interpretation of these symbolic numbers and periods of time may yet elude us. However, there are some significant dates worth noting:

There is a period of 40 years for the Exodus: from the leaving of Egypt (approximately 1446 BC) to the entry into the Land of promise (c 1406).

And from thence, approximately 390 years would measure from the entry into the Land (1406) to the coming of the kingdom in the person of Saul (1016).

Then again, 390 years would be the time period from Saul (1016) to 13th Josiah (626 BC), and a remaining 40 years from the 13th Josiah to the actual fall of Jerusalem (586) at the hand of the Babylonians, which Ezekiel witnessed.

After the Kingdom of Judah, then, 390 years would take us from the fall of Jerusalem (586 BC) to 196 BC. And 40 more years (196 BC to 156 BC) would take us to the desecration of the Temple, and the ensuing Maccabean war.

After the dividing of the kingdom, between Israel and Judah, the North and the South, then, 390 years would measure from the 4th of Rehoboam (2Ch 12) to the time when the Temple was burnt in the 19th of Nebuchadnezzar (Eze 33:21). This would be approximately 982 to 592 BC.

Reading 3 – 2Co 13:5

“Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you — unless, of course, you fail the test?” (2Co 13:5).

To “fail the test” here comes from the Greek “adokimos” — which elsewhere is translated “reprobate” (Rom 1:28; 2Co 13:5-7, 2Ti 3:8; Tit 1:16), “castaway” (1Co 9:27), and “rejected” (Heb 6:8). It is used to describe a counterfeit coin, deficient as to weight or quality of metal. It is also used, figuratively, to describe a cowardly soldier who fails the test of battle; a candidate rejected for office; and a stone rejected by the builders. In each case, that which is “reprobate” has promised something by its outward appearance which it cannot deliver! It has, perhaps, a “name to live”, but it is dead — like clouds that promise rain, but give none; and like stars in the heavens that appear fixed, but prove to be “wandering stars”, or meteors.

Reading 1 – 2Ki 15:32-38

“In the second year of Pekah son of Remaliah king of Israel, Jotham son of Uzziah king of Judah began to reign. He was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem sixteen years. His mother’s name was Jerusha daughter of Zadok. He did what was right in the eyes of the LORD, just as his father Uzziah had done. The high places, however, were not removed; the people continued to offer sacrifices and burn incense there. Jotham rebuilt the Upper Gate of the temple of the LORD. As for the other events of Jotham’s reign, and what he did, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Judah? (In those days the LORD began to send Rezin king of Aram and Pekah son of Remaliah against Judah.) Jotham rested with his fathers and was buried with them in the City of David, the city of his father. And Ahaz his son succeeded him as king” (2Ki 15:32-38).

“The career of Jotham was relatively short but enormously successful. He came to the throne as a coregent with his father Uzziah who was forced out of public life through the leprosy contracted in the temple as a result of his presumption. It appears that Jotham’s sole reign lasted only about six years but throughout his short reign he followed the example of his father’s early years and sought Yahweh who in turn blessed him.

“The history of Jotham’s reign is very short but sufficient is recorded to clearly indicate that Jotham was one of Judah’s finest rulers. Like his father he was successful at home and abroad; his military campaigns and internal projects to fortify Judah were all divinely blessed until he ‘became mighty’. The only deficiency of his reign was that his dedication to Yahweh was not shared by the majority of the people of Judah. After the divine estimation of Jotham the record concludes ominously: ‘And the people did yet corruptly.’ Jotham’s personal integrity was beyond question but he appears to have been unaware of the desperate need for a reformation in the ecclesia. This had to wait till the reign of Hezekiah his grandson.

“The most important feature of Jotham’s life was that his success was directly related to his godliness. The account is explicit: ‘So Jotham became mighty, BECAUSE he prepared (established or fixed) his ways before Yahweh his God.’ The grounds upon which present and ultimate success are predicated have not changed: ‘To this man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my word’ (Isa 66:2)” (RA Cowie, “The Kings of Israel and Judah”).

Reading 2 – Eze 5

In contrast to the opening chapters of the glorious visions of cherubim, the prophecy of Ezekiel is now plunged into the dismal picture of divine judgment (Eze 5), as severe as any man might experience. As if receiving the message were not enough, the prophet Ezekiel had to demonstrate Yahweh’s grief at the apostasy of His people in his very person and actions. Being made dumb, it remained for him to demonstrate the judgment in a pictorial form. He had to remove hair and beard, and present a symbol of mourning (Lev 21:5).

In so doing it depicted the broken vow of the Nazarite, for if he had defiled his consecration, he was required to shave his head, and commence anew his vow of separation (Num 6:9).

The hair was placed on balances, divided into three, and let fly in the wind. But a few strands remained in his “skirts” (v 3), indicative of the remnant that would be permitted to remain in the Land under Gedaliah. Yet even that remnant would be consumed, as they argued among themselves, and defied Yahweh by going into Egypt (Jer 44:28).

So the prophecy of Ezekiel developed into a very absolute judgment (vv 5-11). Israel was worse than the nations, because they had a greater responsibility; they had received divine grace, and therefore their punishment was to fit the crime.

Reading 3 – Luk 1:38

” ‘I am the Lord’s servant,’ Mary answered. ‘May it be to me as you have said’ ” (Luk 1:38).

Mary knew the passages in the Psalms in which the Messiah is called the son of God’s maidservant (Psa 86:16; 116:16.) Immediately she makes the connection, and gives her consent to become the mother of His Son, a consent which is essential to His purpose. A veil is now modestly drawn over the scene. Of the actual conception Luke tells us nothing, and we must conclude that such knowledge is too sacred for mortals. How was this miracle accomplished? In the jargon of modern science, what was the “genetic code” begotten of such a union? Prudence counsels us to explore no further along these lines than Scripture expressly warrants. But perhaps Psa 139:13-17 gives us an insight into this greatest of all mysteries — God manifest in the flesh.

Mary gives her consent; that was essential too. Doing what God did without the consent of the young woman would have been equivalent to rape! (I say this in all seriousness, although it may seem offensive even to put the thought into words… but believe me, I am saying it with the greatest reverence I can produce, and with the highest regard for the monumental awe with which we should view this act of creation, or procreation. Could it have been any other way? Could God have forced Himself upon an unwilling woman, or one who didn’t understand what was happening?)

There may have been, shall we say, a dozen qualified couples at approximately the right time and place as Mary and Joseph. God chose the only woman who would, and could, agree… that meant a woman who had prepared herself in faith even before the divine approach. And Mary’s own song (in Luk 1:46-55) shows what an extraordinary young woman she was, and how well she knew the Scriptures.

So… Mary was in the right place at the right time — that was God’s providence. And she said, “Yes” — that was her faith. God’s providence and a woman’s faith… from this came the Savior of the World.

Reading 1 – 2Ki 16:10-12

“Then King Ahaz went to Damascus to meet Tiglath-Pileser king of Assyria. He saw an altar in Damascus and sent to Uriah the priest a sketch of the altar, with detailed plans for its construction. So Uriah the priest built an altar in accordance with all the plans that King Ahaz had sent from Damascus and finished it before King Ahaz returned. When the king came back from Damascus and saw the altar, he approached it and presented offerings on it” (2Ki 16:10-12).

The original “foundation stone” was the altar-rock of Zion — which was probably the site where Abraham prepared to offer Isaac (Gen 22: cp v 9 there with Psa 118:27), and which was probably also the threshing-floor of Araunah the Jebusite on mount Moriah (2Sa 24:18-25). The wicked Ahaz, infected with a zest for the worship of foreign gods, removed the altar of burnt-offering from its prominent place atop this foundation stone, and “hid” it away in a corner of the Temple enclosure (2Ki 16:14). Yet whilst the true altar might be set aside, there was no way to shift the massive outcropping of rock on which it had stood (it is still there today, in the center of the Dome of the Rock). Thus, in Ahaz’s day it remained — quite literally — a “stone of stumbling” (Isa 8:14,15) for priests walking across the temple court, and a “rock of offence” in a spiritual sense.

It was only when Hezekiah came into full control of the kingdom that he could remedy this sacrilege, and restore the Temple worship to its rightful setting. And so the “stone” rejected by the new “builders” of Judah became, once again, a precious stone and a sure foundation for the true worship of the Lord (Isa 28:16).

It is easy, then, to see how this foundation stone symbolized Hezekiah himself (and his faith in the Lord), upon which all true worship in Judah depended. While sick unto death, he had been “set aside” by other would-be “builders” and rulers, but when miraculously healed he would stand forth again as the chief prince of his people.

And all this incident, and its typical teaching — even in Isaiah’s day — may be seen, just as clearly, to point forward to the Lord Jesus Christ, and to find its ultimate fulfillment in him.

Reading 2 – Eze 6:3-5

“The evils foretold in previous chapters have been attributed to the general iniquities of the people, not to any specific breaches of particular commandments. Israel had changed God’s judgments and defiled His sanctuary. The charges have been more or less general. Now charges of a specific character are to be brought forward, and one particular charge is in this section…

“O mountains of Israel, hear the word of the Sovereign LORD. This is what the Sovereign LORD says to the mountains and hills, to the ravines and valleys: I am about to bring a sword against you, and I will destroy your high places. Your altars will be demolished and your incense altars will be smashed; and I will slay your people in front of your idols. I will lay the dead bodies of the Israelites in front of their idols, and I will scatter your bones around your altars” (Eze 6:3-5).

“That is the basis of the judgments to be denounced against the people in this section — high places, altars, incense altars, and idols. All these were associated with the religious customs of the people…” (WH Boulton, “Ezekiel” 44,45).

Reading 3 – Luk 2:6,7

“While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn” (Luk 2:6,7).

The baby in the manger uttered his first cry, and thereby his Father staked a claim upon our lives. Thereby the Mighty God of all creation became also “Abba” — the tender Father of a little child; and OUR Father as well!

The God whose son was born in that stable, amidst the simple farm animals, ceased being (if He ever was!) a God of remote abstractions and technical theories.

He is now, for us, a God who loves PEOPLE, a Father who is not willing that any should perish, who holds back no blessing from His “children”, who searches out and loves even the least worthy and most neglected.

A tiny cry in a manger. It was truly a miracle. It was the greatest of all miracles — the birth of God’s own son!

But isn’t every birth a “miracle”, and a mystery? Isn’t every child a “holy” child, because he or she receives life from the God who is holy? Isn’t every child a “gift” from God, showing His continuing love for man, showing that even yet He has not “given up” on us?

And shouldn’t every child be a special child — like Samuel or John or even Jesus — who should be dedicated by righteous parents to the service of God?

Like Mary and Joseph, many of us have been entrusted by God with future kings and queens — who will one day, by God’s grace, sit upon thrones and apply to the nations the lessons learned in their parents’ homes.

And, in fact, aren’t we ALL — from youngest to oldest — children of God, begotten by His love… children who manifest our “sonship” by our love for one another? If there is a lesson in the Christmas story, it is this: the preeminence of love. We love him, because He first loved us. For, after all, “sonship” is not what we do, but what we receive. Not what we earn, but a gift. Thanks be to the Father in heaven, that through His special Son we have received the gift of knowing what it means to be His children.

Reading 1 – 2Ki 17

In 2Ki 17, “Hoshea conspired against Pekah, and ascended the throne with the connivance of Assyria (2Ki 15:30). Thus he had to pay homage and tribute to the Assyrian Power. Having successfully conspired against Pekah, he also tried to doublecross Assyria, ignoring the warnings of the prophet (2Ki 17:4; Hos 10:14), and brought destruction on himself and the nation. He was attacked by Shalmaneser V, who died unexpectedly during the siege. Sargon (Isa 20:1), his successor, continued the attack. ‘In the first year of my reign,’ boasted Sargon in his annals, ‘I besieged and conquered Samaria.’ He claims to have led away into captivity 27,290 people. Sargon settled foreigners in Israel, and recorded: ‘People of the lands, prisoners my hand had captured, I settled there. My officials I placed over them as governors. I imposed tribute and tax upon them as Assyrians.’ Thus, by ruthless dictators, the Israelites were rooted out of their land and transported elsewhere. It was a grave time of apostasy in Judah as well as in the northern kingdom. So 2Ki 17:20 records that Judah followed the wicked example of Israel. Baal-worship under Jehoram, Ahab and Athaliah, were also the sin of Ahaz, Manasseh and Amon. Not only so, but there was a twisting of teaching and doctrine, instituted by those who deliberately misquoted and misapplied the Word (see v 32). There was a terrible perversion, in which the true religious was tainted by worldliness and tardiness in spiritual issues. Consequently ‘the nations feared Yahweh, and served their graven images’ (v 41). There is a great need to remain constant and true to our high and holy calling today” (GE Mansfield).

Reading 2 – Eze 7:23

“Prepare chains, because the land is full of bloodshed and the city is full of violence” (Eze 7:23).

The chains suggest restraint, slavery, bonds, and yokes (Jer 27). It was the practice of the victorious invader to chain the captives together, so as to transport them away to their places of slavery: “Lots were cast for her nobles, and all her great men were put in chains” (Nah 3:10). In making chains, Ezekiel would be reminding his countrymen that this would be the fate of those in the land of Judah who had ignored Yahweh.

Reading 3 – Luk 3:19,20

“But when John rebuked Herod the tetrarch because of Herodias, his brother’s wife, and all the other evil things he had done, Herod added this to them all: He locked John up in prison” (Luk 3:19,20).

“From a certain point of view, it is saddening to think of such a man as John the Baptist in the hands of such creatures as Herod and his paramour; and sadder to think that his life should be sacrificed to the feminine malice created by John’s upright attitude as a preacher of righteousness. But the sadness is only for a moment. It is the lot of divine things and divine men to be under the heel of wickedness in the day of sin’s ascendancy. We can comfort ourselves with the thought that they do not come under the heel by chance, or before the appointed time. It is part of the process by which they are prepared for, and ultimately introduced to ‘an eternal weight of glory’. And there is the further consolation that to the victims of the oppression, the triumph of the enemy is ‘but for a moment’. Death is the best thing that can happen to them. Their trials and distresses are annihilated at a stroke: and in a moment, they are face to face with the glory for which their distresses prepare them, for the simple reason that in death there is no knowledge of time, and therefore no conscious interval to the resurrection” (Robert Roberts, “Nazareth Revisited” 25,26).

Reading 1 – 2Ki 18:5

“Hezekiah trusted in the LORD, the God of Israel. There was no one like him among all the kings of Judah, either before him or after him” (2Ki 18:5).

“Most apparent contradictions are easily resolved by a careful reading of the passages in question in their contexts, and by clearly defining what is, and what is not, said. For example, it is written of both Hezekiah and Josiah that ‘after him was none like him among all the kings of Judah, nor any that were before him’ (2Ki 18:5; 23:25). As these statements read, they appear contradictory until it is noted in what respect ‘after him was none like him… nor any that were before him.’ It will be seen that Hezekiah was commended because he trusted, and Josiah because he turned to the LORD. Since mutually exclusive statements are not made, the two statements are not contradictory. The problem is resolved by merely noting precisely what the records do say” (Ron Abel, “Wrested Scripture” 238).

Reading 2 – Eze 8:8-10

“He said to me, ‘Son of man, now dig into the wall.’ So I dug into the wall and saw a doorway there. And he said to me, ‘Go in and see the wicked and detestable things they are doing here.’ So I went in and looked, and I saw portrayed all over the walls all kinds of crawling things and detestable animals and all the idols of the house of Israel” (Eze 8:8-10).

“As the prophet stood there God said to him, ‘Son of man, dig in the wall’. He did so, and through the wall he saw a door. Then he was told to go in and see what vile abominations were being committed. When he went in he saw portrayed on the wall all kinds of creeping things and loathsome beasts, and all the idols of the house of Israel… The description of these gods suggests that the people had adopted some of the gods of Egypt. For some time Israel had been looking to Egypt for assistance in their conflict with Babylon” (WH Boulton, “Ezekiel” 52).

Reading 3 – Luk 4:1-13

IT IS WRITTEN!

Over the course of the 40 days temptation in the wilderness, Jesus resisted the allurements of sin by continual resort to quotations from the Scripture — specifically, in the instances given, from the book of Deuteronomy: Deu 8:3; 6:13; 6:16. Here is a profound lesson for us: while the power of will demonstrated by Jesus is surely extraordinary — even miraculous — and while the Holy Spirit received from his Father must also have played a significant part… nevertheless, there is nothing mysterious about his resorting to the comfort and encouragement of the Bible. This account tells us that the PRIMARY means by which Jesus resisted sin was… the word of God!

And the same will be true of us. Knowing the Bible — its commandments and its promises — and knowing that it IS the word of God, which may effectively work in us… this is the best means to resist all the enticements to evil that come our way. We may pray to our heavenly Father to help us in times of stress and weakness, but surely He will not help us if we have ignored the greatest means of resistance against sin and of growth in righteousness — which we have right here in our hands all the while! — the holy Bible.

Reading 1 – 2Ki 19:14

“Hezekiah received the letter from the messengers and read it. Then he went up to the temple of the LORD and spread it out before the LORD” (2Ki 19:14).

Here is an example of a person who made a special effort to bring his problem to God. He didn’t just stop and pray where he was. He went up to the House of the Lord, and he took the letter with him and presented it before God. He made a special effort to arrange circumstances that he felt God would accept. God is there for those who arrange their hearts in humility, and make the effort to present themselves a living sacrifice before Him. Our ‘House of the Lord’ is embodied in Jesus. This is where we must meet with God.

Reading 2 – Eze 9:4

“Go throughout the city of Jerusalem and put a mark on the foreheads of those who grieve and lament over all the detestable things that are done in it” (Eze 9:4).

All those who had remained faithful in opposition to the detestable idolatries of their countrymen were to be symbolically “marked out” in their foreheads; they would be saved from the coming destructions. The similarity with the original Passover, and the exodus from Egypt, is obvious. The mark was to be placed on the forehead as a statement that their differentiation from the other Jews was to be found, firstly and importantly, in their minds.

This procedure is echoed also in Rev 7:3, where the faithful 144,000 are sealed in their foreheads… because the Father’s name was written there (Rev 14:1; Mal 3:16).

Reading 3 – Luk 5:27

“After this, Jesus went out and saw a tax collector by the name of Levi sitting at his tax booth. ‘Follow me,’ Jesus said to him” (Luk 5:27).

This calling of a new type of disciple — a publican, not a fisherman — emphasizes the broadening appeal of Christ’s call — and also that aspect of his ministry that brings him into conflict with the Pharisees: “When the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, ‘Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and “sinners”?’ ” (Mat 9:11; Mar 2:16; Luk 5:30).

Reading 1 – 2Ki 20

” ‘Thou shalt die, and not live!’ This solemn, terrifying message must have been received by King Hezekiah with fear. It was not merely the end of life, but the fact that he had not provided a seed for the throne of David, as was the responsibility of the monarch. The line of David was threatened by the neglect of Hezekiah. He was ‘sick unto death,’ a physical malady that was in a very virulent and incurable form, implying the living death of leprosy (v 7). It typified the cause of mortality in mankind: the ‘law of sin and death’ which afflicts all mankind, and from which there is no cure apart from the divine redemption. It was clearly ‘a sign’ (2Ch 32:34), foreshadowing the death and resurrection of the Lord.

“It was this condition that drove the king to prayer (v 3). He was without a successor, and his death would weaken the attitude of the people in resistance of the Sin-power Sennacherib. It would mean the end of all hopes to establish the fulness of the divine worship (cp Isa 38:9-20). But a wondrous answer was received: vv 4-6; it answered the five-fold blessing of grace. Within three days he would be restored, as Christ came from the darkness of the earth in three days. Hezekiah’s miraculous restoration was hailed by the nations round about. Congratulations were received from Merodach-Baladan, but Hezekiah’s folly in sharing such things with Babylon was condemned by Isaiah: vv 14,15. The king was shown the folly of putting confidence in the flesh, and thereby strengthened the instrument of divine punishment against his people. Thus, though typical of the Lord Jesus, he did not manifest the purity and righteousness of Yahshua, in whose great strength we trust” (GEM).

Reading 2 – Eze 10

“Divine glory cannot bear the presence of sin (Hab 1:13). Therefore coals of fire are scattered over the guilty city, and the Glory makes ready to depart therefrom. It is a sad moment for Ezekiel, for, like his faithful companions, he sought for the peace of Jerusalem. Instead he saw only the spirit of compromise and deviant teachings among its people that augurs its destruction. Thus the vision reveals: [1] Coals of fire ready to consume: vv 1-7. [2] The re-appearance of the cherubim: vv 8-22.

“The coals glowed and ran up and down between the living creatures. They were but one; thus individually they were the Cherub, whilst collectively they were the Cherubim. In scattering the coals over the city, the man in linen had completed his work of sealing (Eze 9:11), and now passes over to judgment. Then the vision concentrates again on the cherubim, now revealing a man’s hand under the wings (vv 8,14,21). Thus it is identified with the Adamic race, for the cherubim of glory was developed from the work of Christ, a man of like nature as his people, taken from among mankind, and constituted the Lord of glory by the resurrection from the dead. Christ as the Ark, is seen in the singular cherub; the multitudinous Christ is seen in the cherubim who convey the glory away from the presence of sin (cp Acts 1:9). The glory awaits the new Age when the cherubim will again be seen shining from the Ark” (GE Mansfield).

Reading 3 – Luk 6:42

“How can you say to your brother, ‘Brother, let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when you yourself fail to see the plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye” (Luk 6:42).

“Those things that one cannot improve in himself or in others, he ought to endure patiently, until God arranges things otherwise. Nevertheless when you have such impediments, you ought to pray that God would help you, and that you may bear them kindly.

“Endeavor to be patient in bearing with the defects of others, whatever they are; for you also have many failings which must be borne by others. If you cannot make yourself be as you would like to be, how can you expect to have another person be to your liking in every way? We desire to have others perfect, and yet we do not correct our own faults. We would allow others to be severely corrected, and will not be corrected ourselves. We will have others kept under by strict laws, but in no case do we want to be restrained. And so it appears that we seldom weigh our neighbor in the same balance with ourselves” (Thomas a’ Kempis).

Reading 1 – 2Ki 21:13

” I will stretch out over Jerusalem the measuring line used against Samaria and the plumb line used against the house of Ahab. I will wipe out Jerusalem as one wipes a dish, wiping it and turning it upside down” (2Ki 21:13).

As one wipes a dish clean, turning it over so that no drop is left, so Jerusalem’s destruction would be total. None would remain. Yet the dish is not destroyed, “signifying hereby the emptying of Jerusalem of its palaces and houses, wealth and riches and of all its inhabitants; and yet the empty dish being preserved, seems to denote the restoration of Jerusalem after the seventy years’ captivity” (John Gill).

Or… — an alternative: ” ‘I will blot out Jerusalem as tablets are wont to be blotted out’ [Vulgate]. This is a metaphor taken from the ancient method of writing: they traced their letters with a stylus on boards thinly spread over with wax; for this purpose one end of the stylus was sharp, the other end blunt and smooth, with which they could rub out what they had written, and so smooth the place and spread back the wax, as to render it capable of receiving any other word. Thus the Lord had written down Jerusalem, never intending that its name or its memorial should be blotted out. It was written down The Holy City, The City of the Great King; but now God turns the stylus and blots this out; and the Holy Jerusalem, the City of the Great King, is no longer to be found! This double use of the stylus is pointed out in this ancient riddle: ‘I am flat at the top, but sharp at the bottom; I turn either end, and perform a double function: One end destroys what the other end has made’ ” (Adam Clarke).

This may be contrasted with Rev 14:1; 3:10-12: God’s name written on the foreheads of the righteous. Also a contrast with Rev 3:5: “I will never blot out his name from the book of life.”

Reading 2 – Eze 11:23

“The glory of the LORD went up from within the city and stopped above the mountain east of it” (Eze 11:23).

The Cherubim of the Glory of God is seen departing from the Temple and its precincts, in several stages:

“Now the glory of the God of Israel went up from above the cherubim, where it had been [that is, in the Most Holy Place], and moved to the threshold of the temple” (Eze 9:3). “Then the glory of the LORD rose from above the cherubim and moved to the threshold of the temple. The cloud filled the temple, and the court was full of the radiance of the glory of the LORD” (Eze 10:4). “Then the glory of the LORD departed from over the threshold of the temple and stopped above the cherubim. While I watched, the cherubim spread their wings and rose from the ground, and as they went, the wheels went with them. They stopped at the entrance to the east gate of the LORD’S house, and the glory of the God of Israel was above them” (Eze 10:18,19). “The glory of the LORD went up from within the city and stopped above the mountain east of it” (Eze 11:23).

This, apparently, is the last time the Glory of God was seen in Ezekiel’s day. Thus, in preparation for the judgments soon to fall on the city, Yahweh was — by stages — removing the Glory of His Presence from the doomed city. The stages of removal, and the intervening periods of waiting, were surely intended to offer a final witness to the people.

The final time Ezekiel sees this Glory is in his vision of the restoration: “The glory of the LORD entered the temple through the gate facing east. Then the Spirit lifted me up and brought me into the inner court, and the glory of the LORD filled the temple” (Eze 43:4,5).

It is remarkable that, 600 years later, when the Lord Jesus Christ (who was the Glory of Yahweh in human form: John 1:14; 17:6,22) addressed his farewell to the city of Jerusalem, he said: “Look, your house is left to you desolate” (Mat 23:38). The glory was departing from Israel, again, in anticipation of another destruction of a city and a temple which had turned its back on its God. And this it did, in reality, when Jesus took his leave from his disciples and was taken up from the Mount of Olives, on the east side of the city (Acts 1:9; cp Eze 11:23).

But, of course, as with the final vision seen by Ezekiel in Eze 43 — the Glory embodied in Jesus Christ will also return to its city in the Last Days: “This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven” (Acts 1:11). “Then the LORD will go out and fight against those nations, as he fights in the day of battle. On that day his feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, east of Jerusalem…” (Zec 14:3,4).

Reading 3 – Luk 7:3-6

“The centurion heard of Jesus and sent some elders of the Jews to him, asking him to come and heal his servant. When they came to Jesus, they pleaded earnestly with him, ‘This man deserves to have you do this, because he loves our nation and has built our synagogue.’ So Jesus went with them. He was not far from the house when the centurion sent friends to say to him: ‘Lord, don’t trouble yourself, for I do not deserve to have you come under my roof’ ” (Luk 7:3-6).

The Jewish elders had said, “This man DESERVES to have you do this” (Luk 7:4). But of course he did not deserve it on merit, and HE knew it: “I do not deserve…”

Yet, by a strange but Biblically explainable paradox, he became worthy in the very act of declaring his “unworthiness”! The one who thinks himself worthy is NOT worthy, and the one who thinks himself unworthy IS worthy!

The Jews clearly believe that a man is justified by his works, but they are wrong. The centurion seems to understand that a man is justified only by his faith! And he is right.

Reading 1 – 2Ki 23:3

“The king [Josiah] stood by the pillar and renewed the covenant in the presence of the LORD — to follow the LORD and keep his commands, regulations and decrees with all his heart and all his soul, thus confirming the words of the covenant written in this book. Then all the people pledged themselves to the covenant” (2Ki 23:3).

“We shall not be judged, at the judgment seat of Christ, for how much we know, or how much we have done. But we shall be judged for how much effort and interest and desire we have put into knowing, and how faithfully and wholeheartedly we have tried to do. The widow’s mite is equal to the rich man’s abundance. The mite’s value lay in the fact that it was her all. So it must be with us. Anything less than our all is a mockery and a dishonouring of God, Who freely and lovingly promises us all. But how few really respond with all their heart! They are His jewels among the common clay; today unknown, tomorrow, resplendent forever” (GV Growcott).

Reading 2 – Eze 12:12,13

“The prince among them [Zedekiah] will put his things on his shoulder at dusk and leave, and a hole will be dug in the wall for him to go through. He will cover his face so that he cannot see the land. I will spread my net for him, and he will be caught in my snare; I will bring him to Babylonia, the land of the Chaldeans, but he will not see it, and there he will die” (Eze 12:12,13).

In this prophecy, Ezekiel implies that Zedekiah’s eyes will be put out. This ought to be compared with Jer 34:3: “You will see the king of Babylon with your own eyes, and he will speak with you face to face. And you will go to Babylon.”

Perhaps Zedekiah, in comparing the two prophecies, believed they represented a contradiction, and chose to believe neither. But both were in fact fulfilled: Zedekiah did see the king of Babylon at Riblah, and then his eyes were put out, after which he was carried away to Babylon (2Ki 25:6,7).

Reading 3 – Luk 8:24,25

“The disciples went and woke him, saying, ‘Master, Master, we’re going to drown!’ He got up and rebuked the wind and the raging waters; the storm subsided, and all was calm. ‘Where is your faith?’ he asked his disciples. In fear and amazement they asked one another, ‘Who is this? He commands even the winds and the water, and they obey him’ ” (Luk 8:24,25).

A seagoing captain commanded a passenger ship that was sailing from Liverpool, England, to New York. His family was on board with him. One night when everyone was asleep, a squall unexpectedly swept over the waters and tossed the ship violently, awakening the passengers. They were all terribly afraid because of the storm. The captain’s little 8-year-old girl was also awakened. “What’s the matter?” cried the frightened child. Her mother told her that a sudden storm had struck the ship. “Is Father on deck?” she asked. “Yes, Father’s on deck,” came the encouraging answer. Hearing this, the little girl snuggled back into her bed and in a few moments was sound asleep. The winds still blew and the waves still rolled, but her fears were calmed because her father was at the helm.