Lent 2020 Day 24

Scripture Reading

Jeremiah 23:5-6

One of our professors in seminary would always tell us, "context, context, context...those are the three most important principles of properly interpreting a biblical text." This is certainly true with this passage. Jeremiah was a prophet who constantly reminded the Israelites of the future hope of Yahweh that was contained in the promises of the Messiah. 

The first four verses of Jeremiah 23 are Yahweh pronouncing his promise to gather his people back unto himself. It is important that we see the faithfulness of God in these verses. His purpose has always been to call a people to himself who would live in relationship with him. The Lord demonstrates his covenant commitment. Remember his covenant with Israel was always contingent on what he did, not what Israel did. So we also see in the context of this passage the overarching theme of God's faithfulness to his promises. 

Bound to God's covenant promises to David was the promise of his descendants who will sit on the throne and reign wisely. As we look at these verses today our immediate thought is Solomon. He was David's son. He was noted for his wisdom and justice. In one sense this is referring to Solomon and his reign as King of Israel. Solomon was a great king who spread the influence and territory of Israel throughout the Middle Eastern and Mediterranean worlds. However, there is a bigger context that we need to see in this passage and that is the messianic aspect of these verses. Jeremiah's prophecy through Yahweh is recording the nature of the Messiah's reign. The characteristics of "safety, salvation, being just, righteousness" are all things that characterize Jesus and his role as the Messiah, which was what God promised to David. So then the context of this passage is both immediate and future and as believers we must understand it for its implications for Israel during Solomon's reign and as Jesus Christ reigns eternally with God the Father and the Holy Spirit. 

As followers of the promised Messiah we are called to live lives that reflect the justice, righteousness, safety, and salvation of God. Are we doing that? Do we help people around us who are in desperate need? Do we as individuals and as the church offer a safe place to people who are broken, hurting, and desperate to experience the love of God? Are we telling people about the promise of salvation that is only found in Jesus?

Prayer: Father, help me to offer justice, righteousness, safety, and most of all salvation to people around me. I pray that I will learn more and more what it means to be a disciple of Jesus and to take up my cross daily. Amen. 

Lent 2020 Day 23

Scripture Reading

2 Samuel 7:1-29

Throughout Lent we have talked about God's covenant with Abraham that was fulfilled in Jesus Christ. We now turn our attention to God's covenant with David. This was not a new covenant; rather it was a renewal of God's eternal covenant with his people that he redeemed from Egypt. God's covenant with David was renewal for his people with specific details and promises to David. 

David's greatest desire was to build a place for the Ark of the Covenant, which represented God's presence with his people. David thought it was ridiculous that he should be living luxuriously while God's ark was still housed in a tent. God had other plans for David. God's plan for David's life was different than David's plan for his own life. God knew that the best thing for David was not what he wanted but what God had ordained for him. The Rolling Stones have a song that says, "You can't always get what you want but you just might find, you get what you need." That was true for David's life. That might also be true for you in your life. There may be something that you really wanted or wanted God to lead you to do but he has other (better) plans for your life.

God's promise to David was for an everlasting kingdom. This was realized through Solomon, David's son, who built the Temple as a place for the Ark of the covenant to reside. More importantly, God's promise to David (vs. 13) of a kingdom that will last forever is a foreshadowing of the promised Messiah who would come to deliver the children of Israel. This verse goes beyond Solomon and other descendants of David to Jesus of Nazareth, a descendant who would establish a kingdom to last forever through his life, death, and resurrection.

As you think about the promises of God to David and his descendants remind yourself of the promises of God to you as his child. He has promised you eternal life with him. He has promised that he will always be faithful to you even when you are not faithful to him. He has promised to provide for your needs. He has promised to love you unconditionally. Use David's prayer at the end of this chapter as your own today. 

Prayer: "O Sovereign Lord, you are God! Your words are trustworthy, and you have promised these good things to your servant. Now be pleased to bless the house of your servant, that it may continue forever in your sight; for you, O Sovereign Lord, have spoken, and with your blessing the house of your servant will be blessed forever." Amen.

Lent 2020 Day 22

Scripture Reading

2 Samuel 5:1-5

David has the privilege of being the second king in Israel's history. He followed the reign of Saul. The text points out that even during Saul's reign that David proved that he was a might military leader which was absolutely necessary for a ruler during that time period. The interesting thing here is that the people recognized the leadership qualities of David and sought him out as their king. David was anointed king at Hebron and then the writer says that he ruled for forty years as king over Israel. 

This passage seems rather odd as we focus our attention on the cross of Christ, but we must read between the lines. Remember David was the person to whom God said that the Messiah will come from your lineage. He promised David that his descendants would rule Israel forever. What God meant was that Jesus Christ would be the eternal king to rule on David's throne. In many ways the life of David serves as an example to his peers of what the Messiah will be like. 

The anointing of David as king over Israel also serves to us as a reminder to Israel of the covenant promises of God. God renewed his covenant that he first made with Abraham. God reminded the people that he would always be faithful to his promises. His promises of hope, peace, security, and salvation. These promises can only be realized when we place our trust in Christ as our Lord and Savior. 

David was also a man after God's own heart. As you think about your own life, could people say that you are a person after God's own heart? Do you desire to love and serve God so much that nothing will stand in your way of doing that? This is certainly a radical call to obedience but it is the only option if we call ourselves a Christian. 

Prayer: Lord, I want to be like your servant David. Don't let anything keep me from loving and serving you with my whole heart. Thank you for using David and his descendants to bring about the wonderful Messiah. Please continue to use the life and words of David to draw people to you. Amen.

Top O' The Morning to You

Top O' the Morning to you! 

This was how my grandmother answered her phone every March 17th for years. There's not enough time to explain how the O'Pagliarullo clan came to celebrate St. Patrick's Day. The short version is if you live in Savannah, you are Irish even if your not on March 17. Some of my favorite memories from childhood and even as a parent with my own children are centered around this fabled day. Do people celebrate with too much Guinness or Jameson or Bushmills or some other alcoholic beverage? Yes, some do. Do people go crazy and forget that they have responsibilities the next day? Yes, some do. The parade, the floats, the people wearing a sea of green, the corned beef and cabbage, the green bread, green doughnuts, green grits, and just about everything else bring a smile to the faces of young and old. The tradition, the celebration, the friends, the family, and the recounting of what the weather was like for the last few years and where we watched the parade that year are all things that we will miss this year. No bumping into friends you haven't seen in years as you snake your way through the crowds to find that perfect spot to observe. No meeting up with others at their spot, in that square or that house to celebrate the day. This year, 2020, there will be no Mass, no parade, no party on the corner of 40th Street or an alternate location. 

Perhaps in the midst of the chaos that is Covid-19 pandemic, remembering Patrick, the man, the missionary, the faithful member of the body of Christ is what we need most this year. Patrick simply did what he felt called by God to do with his life. In his Confessions he writes, "It was not really I but Christ the Lord who commanded me to come here and to stay with them for the rest of my life." Patrick practiced contextualization in ministry before that was a popular concept. May we all be like Patrick and commit to do life and ministry in the context we find ourselves in this March 17 and each day. Patrick is a faith hero to me, because he was willing to obey God with his whole life...may I be as faithful, may we all be as faithful to the One who called us to follow him. 

Happy St. Patrick's Day!!

Lent 2020 Day 21

Scripture Reading

Matthew 5:17-20

The Sermon on the Mount from which these verses come from has been a source of constant controversy in terms of interpretation throughout the history of Christianity. The meaning of these verses is important because it helps to determine one's view of Jesus as Messiah and the role of the Law in the life of a Christian. 

Jesus' use of the Law and the Prophets applies to the entire Old Testament. He emphatically states that he has not come to tear down or do away with the Old Testament but to fulfill it. Jesus fulfilled the Old Testament in several ways: 1)he was the fulfillment of the promises of god to Israel, 2)he was the fulfillment of the prophecy that referred to the coming Messiah who would save God's children, 3)he lived a perfect life, never sinning, so he was the only person to ever keep all of the Law (there were only 613 commandments and restrictions). 

So then the questions for us as Christians in the year 2020 trying to be obedient to God and live out our faith is "What role does the Old Testament Law play in our spiritual journey?" Obviously since Jesus was the fulfillment of the Old Testament and kept all of the Law then it must have some role in our lives. Jesus tells us in these verses that as believers we are to keep the commandments and teach others to keep them as well. Then we read that unless our righteousness surpasses the pharisees we won't inherit the Kingdom of Heaven. In his death on the cross, Jesus has become our righteousness. He has made us right with God. He had kept the sum of the Law and the Prophets so that we don't have to in order to be declared right with God. As Christians the Holy Spirit dwells in us so that we are able to keep the Law not as a way of obtaining our salvation or earning favor with God, but as evidence of the change that has taken place in our heart when we accepted Christ as Lord and Savior. The comparison of the righteousness of the pharisees refers to the danger of only keeping the Law externally rather than allowing the truth of the Gospel to change us from the inside out. It is the same as going through the motions of church and Christianity, because that is what is expected of us. The real challenge for us is for our hearts to be softened towards the things of God. 

Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank you for Christ who fulfilled the Law for me. Help me to live my life in such a way that the people around me see Jesus, not me. May my keeping of the Law be motivated by gratitude for my salvation rather than legalism. Amen. 

Lent 2020 Day 20

Scripture Reading

Luke 1: 67-79

Zechariah, the father of John the Baptist, was a voice of hope in the midst of despair for the Jewish people. His story started with doubt when he was told he was going to be a father even though he was very old. Because of his doubt he was not able to speak until his son was born. Then he began to praise God for his faithfulness to his covenant with his people (verses 67-75). 

We can never be reminded enough that the story of God and his people began with Abraham, was renewed with Moses and David, and fulfilled in Jesus of Nazareth. This fact, this hope in the promises of God, was what sustained the Israelites through years of difficulty, hardship, and persecution. This hope is what Zechariah was so excited about. 

The words of Zechariah turn to a more personal note as he rejoices over the wonder that God has chosen to use his son as part of the great salvation story! Zechariah's prophecy reminds us of the choice of Almighty God to use frail, weak, sinful human beings to accomplish his purposes. God still chooses to use you and me to tell others about him, not because he has to depend on humans but because he desires to work through us, so that all people of the world might hear the wonderful news that God loves them and has a plan for their lives. Are you allowing God to use you to accomplish his purposes in your life? Who can you talk to about Jesus this week? Pray for that person right now and ask God to give you the courage to boldly proclaim his message. 

Prayer: God, may your name be praised and exalted high above all other names because you have redeemed your people. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to serve you by telling others about your love in spite of my faults and failures. Amen.

Lent 2020 Day 19

Scripture Reading

Hebrews 13:14-21

The writer of Hebrews reminds us that the life we now live will not last but that our hope is in the heavenly city that awaits us when we die. As Christians we know that our hope is only in God and the miracle of sending his son to die on the cross for our sin. What then should our response be to God? "Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise--the fruit of lips that confess his name" (Hebrews 13:15). Our only proper response is to praise God and thank him for his love and grace that made it possible for us to have a relationship with him. How often do you thank God for saving you? How can your whole life become a sacrifice of praise to our God? 

The author of Hebrews reminds us that part of our gratitude to God for our salvation is to "do good." By this he means that we should live godly lives. Everyday we need to remind ourselves that as Christians we are to live lives that reflect Christ in what we say, think, and do. When we live for God and do good to other we are being Christ to the people around us. Their interaction with us may be the only exposure to the love of God that person ever has. 

The last two verses are the writer's prayer for the original recipients of the letter. My prayer for you today is the same as his. I pray that God will strengthen you to live for him everyday, so that he might be glorified and people might come to know our Lord and Savior through our own lives and testimonies. 

Prayer: Holy and might Lord, I ask that you help me to stay focused on the heavenly city that awaits me as a follower of Christ. Thank you for strengthening me to live for you each day. Help me to do good to others, that I might be a witness for you. Amen.