Let all the earth keep silence

Monday 2021.09.27

For my OT reading today, I continue with my ongoing reading of the Minor Prophets, covering all three chapters of the book of Habakkuk.

Habakkuk chapter 2 contains three well known verses which I have come across over the years.

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The first is verse 4, a truth that is quoted in the New Testament, in Romans 1:17 and Galatians 3:11

Habakkuk 2:4 ESV
Behold, his soul is puffed up; it is not upright within him,
but the righteous shall live by his faith.

Romans 1:17 ESV
For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, “The righteous shall live by faith.”

Galatians 3:11 ESV
Now it is evident that no one is justified before God by the law, for “The righteous shall live by faith.”

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The second is verse 14, where the prophet Habakkuk speaks against the unjust who build their cities by violence and sin, and prophesies that one day the earth will be filled with the glory of the knowledge of Yehovah. This verse is used in a popular song of worship.

Habakkuk 2:12 - 14 ESV
12“Woe to him who builds a town with blood
and founds a city on iniquity!
13Behold, is it not from the LORD of hosts
that peoples labour merely for fire,
and nations weary themselves for nothing?

14For the earth will be filled
with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD
as the waters cover the sea.

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The third is verse 20, a verse that is found in the liturgy of worship in traditional churches, calling all who enter the sanctuary of God to be silent before His holy presence.

Habakkuk 2:19 - 20 ESV
19Woe to him who says to a wooden thing, Awake;
to a silent stone, Arise!
Can this teach?
Behold, it is overlaid with gold and silver,
and there is no breath at all in it.

20But the LORD is in his holy temple;
let all the earth keep silence before him.”

Trying times

Saturday 2019.09.25

As I was reading through Micah chapters 5 to 7 today, I came across a passage that foretells a time when children will hate their parents, when daughter-in-law will oppose her mother-in-law, and when a person's enemies come from the very members of his family.

Micah 7:5 - 7 ESV
5 Put no trust in a neighbour;
have no confidence in a friend;

guard the doors of your mouth
from her who lies in your arms;

6 for the son treats the father with contempt,
the daughter rises up against her mother,

the daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law;
a man's enemies are the men of his own house.

7 But as for me, I will look to the LORD;
I will wait for the God of my salvation;
my God will hear me.

When would this happen? What are these trying times that the prophet Micah of Moresheth was foretelling about? The answer is given by our Lord Iesous the Anointed One, recorded in the Gospel according to Luke, chapter 12:

Luke 12:51 - 53 ESV
Do you think that I have come to give peace on earth?
No, I tell you, but rather division.
For from now on in one house there will be five divided, three against two and two against three. They will be divided, father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law.

Such trying times were coming to the world, that the Gospel of Luke records for us two chapters later, in Luke 14:26 - 27, the warning given by our Lord Iesous to his disciples:

Luke 14:26 - 27 ESV
If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple. Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple.

Brothers and Sisters in Christ, we live in trying times when we may be opposed and even hated by our own family members for our faith in the Lord Iesous the Anointed One. Perhaps, one day some of us may even be called to choose between loving our Lord Iesous and holding fast to our faith in Him, or loving our family member who opposes us and abandoning our faith in the Lord.

If and when such a time of trial befalls us, let us say together with the prophet Micah in the passage above, "I will look to the LORD; I will wait for the God of my salvation."

P.S. Eleven years ago, I wrote a discussion on the words of our Lord in Luke chapters 12 and 14, in a devotional post, link below:

• The Course of Discipleship

What does the LORD require of you?

Saturday 20210925

This morning, as I was reading chapters 5 through 7 of the book of the prophet Micah, I was reminded of a well known passage where the Lord Yehovah asks the people of Israel to ponder over what He requires of them. In Micah 6 verses 6 through 8, the Lord Yehovah tells Israel that, instead of burnt offerings of thousands of rams or ten thousand rivers of oil, what He really requires from them is that they walk with Him in justice, in mercy, and in humility.

Micah 6:6 - 8 NIV
With what shall I come before the LORD
and bow down before the exalted God?

Shall I come before him with burnt offerings,
with calves a year old?

Will the LORD be pleased with thousands of rams,
with ten thousand rivers of oil?

Shall I offer my firstborn for my transgression,
the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?

He has shown you, O mortal, what is good.
And what does the LORD require of you?

To act justly and to love mercy
and to walk humbly with your God.

Following the above reproof, the prophet Micah of Moresheth goes on to rebuke the people of Israel of their sins of covetousness in making dishonest gains, of violence, of lies and deceit.

Micah 6:10 - 12 NIV
Am I still to forget your ill-gotten treasures, you wicked house,
and the short ephah, which is accursed?

Shall I acquit someone with dishonest scales,
with a bag of false weights?

Your rich people are violent;
your inhabitants are liars
and their tongues speak deceitfully.

This portion of the book of Micah reminds us of the words of our Lord Iesous in the NT, when he rebuked the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law of their hypocrisy in Matthew chapter 23, saying,

Matthew 23:23 NIV
‘Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices – mint, dill and cumin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law – justice, mercy and faithfulness. You should have practised the latter, without neglecting the former. 24You blind guides! You strain out a gnat but swallow a camel.

Brothers and Sisters in the Lord Iesou, the Anointed One, let us be careful always to pay attention to the "more important matters" of God's teachings. Let us live our lives each day walking in justice, in mercy and in faithfulness and humility before God our Father, Creator of the Heavens and Earth.

A Ruler from Ancient Times

Saturday 2021.09.25

Shabbat Shalom. Today is the Seventh Day of the biblical week. Lest us keep the Fourth Commandment by resting from all our work until sunset this evening.

This morning, my reading of the OT covers chapters 5 through 7 of the book of Micah.

In chapter 5 verse 2, Micah of Moresheth prophesies about someone whose origins are "from of old", from ancient times, who will arise from Bethlehem to rule over Israel for God.

Micah 5:2 NIV
‘But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah,
though you are small among the clans of Judah,
out of you will come for me
one who will be ruler over Israel,
whose origins are from of old,
from ancient times.’

This prophecy was eventually fulfilled when Iesous was born in the town of Bethlehem where Joseph and Mary had gone to register themselves under a census of the Roman Empire ordered by Caesar Augustus. At that time, Quirinius was the governor of Syria. (see Luke 2:1 - 7)

The prophecy of Micah 5:2 is quoted in the account of the chief priests and scribes telling King Herod in Matthew 2:1 - 6 that, based on Micah's prophecy, the Messiah will be born in Bethlehem.

Matthew 2:1 - 6 NIV
After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem 2and asked, ‘Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.’
3When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. 4When he had called together all the people’s chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Messiah was to be born. 5‘In Bethlehem in Judea,’ they replied, ‘for this is what the prophet has written:

6‘ “But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,
are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;
for out of you will come a ruler
who will shepherd my people Israel.”’

Locusts from the Bottomless Pit

Wednesday 2021.09.22

This afternoon, from the NT, I read Revelation chapters 9 through 11.

Revelation chapter 9 begins with the sounding of the Fifth Trumpet by the fifth angel in John's vision. It brought forth the first of Three Woes mentioned in verse 13 of the previous chapter.

In this first Woe, locusts emerged from smoke coming out of the Bottomless Pit and tormented those who do not have Seal of God on their foreheads. The torment lasted for five months and was so unbearable that verse 6 tells us that men would desire to die and would not find it:

Revelation 9:6 KJV
6And in those days shall men seek death, and shall not find it; and shall desire to die, and death shall flee from them.

Verses 7 to 11 describes the terrible fearsome appearance and power of these locusts that were ruled by the Angel of the Bottomless Pit. They had hair like women's, teeth like lions', and tails with stings like those of scorpions.

Revelation 9:7 - 11 KJV
7And the shapes of the locusts were like unto horses prepared unto battle; and on their heads were as it were crowns like gold, and their faces were as the faces of men.
8And they had hair as the hair of women, and their teeth were as the teeth of lions.
9And they had breastplates, as it were breastplates of iron; and the sound of their wings was as the sound of chariots of many horses running to battle.
10And they had tails like unto scorpions, and there were stings in their tails: and their power was to hurt men five months.
11And they had a king over them, which is the angel of the bottomless pit, whose name in the Hebrew tongue is Abaddon, but in the Greek tongue hath his name Apollyon.

Calamities from Heaven

Tuesday 2021.09.21

This afternoon I read from the OT the single-chapter book of Obadiah followed by the first two chapters of the book of Jonah.

In the NT, I read chapter 8 of the book of Revelation.

After telling of the opening of the Six Seals in the Chapters 6 and 7, bringing upon earth calamities of war, killings, famine, death, martyrdom, and a great shaking of the heavens and earth, culminating in the sealing of the 144,000 from the 12 tribes of Israel, Chapter 8 of Revelation records the opening of the Seventh Seal that reveals seven angels who were given seven trumpets.

Each of these angels took turns to sound his trumpet, this time bringing great calamities from heaven. Verses 7 to 12 tells us what happens when the first four trumpets were sounded:

Revelation 8:7 - 12 KJV
7The first angel sounded, and there followed hail and fire mingled with blood, and they were cast upon the earth: and the third part of trees was burnt up, and all green grass was burnt up.
8And the second angel sounded, and as it were a great mountain burning with fire was cast into the sea: and the third part of the sea became blood; 9and the third part of the creatures which were in the sea, and had life, died; and the third part of the ships were destroyed.
10And the third angel sounded, and there fell a great star from heaven, burning as it were a lamp, and it fell upon the third part of the rivers, and upon the fountains of waters; 11and the name of the star is called Wormwood: and the third part of the waters became wormwood; and many men died of the waters, because they were made bitter.
12And the fourth angel sounded, and the third part of the sun was smitten, and the third part of the moon, and the third part of the stars; so as the third part of them was darkened, and the day shone not for a third part of it, and the night likewise.

After the fourth trumpet has sounded, an angel flew in the midst of heaven announcing loudly that the remaining three trumpets will bring Three Woes to the people on earth.

Revelation 8:13 KJV
And I beheld, and heard an angel flying through the midst of heaven, saying with a loud voice, Woe, woe, woe, to the inhabiters of the earth by reason of the other voices of the trumpet of the three angels, which are yet to sound!

Tomorrow I will continue reading about the sounding of the remaining trumpets - the fifth, sixth and seventh - from chapters 9 through 14, and see the prophecies about the Three Woes unfold.

A different kind of famine

Monday 2021.09.20

This morning I finished reading the last six chapters of the book of Amos in the OT.

In Amos chapter 8, the prophet prophesied against the great wickedness of the people of Israel who "trample the needy and do away with the poor of the land" (Amos 8:4), so much so that the time had come for Yehovah to send a different type of famine across the land of Israel. This will not be a famine of food or water. Instead, it will be a famine of the word of Yehovah.

Amos 8:11 - 12 NIV
11‘The days are coming,’ declares the Sovereign Lord*,
‘when I will send a famine through the land –
not a famine of food or a thirst for water,
but a famine of hearing the words of the Lord.
12People will stagger from sea to sea
and wander from north to east,
searching for the word of the Lord,
but they will not find it.

* Sovereign Lord : Adonai Yehovah, or the Lord Yehovah

The Lamb took the Scroll from the right hand of God

Sunday 2021.09.19

In the NT today, I continue with reading chapters 4 and 5 of Revelation. This portion of scripture records the Apostle John's vision of the throne of God in Heaven, of God seated on the throne holding in His right hand a scroll sealed with seven seals. The Apostle John wept uncontrollably when no one was found worthy to open the scroll and look inside it. However, one of the twenty-four elders who sat on thrones surrounding the throne of God said to John in Rev 5:5

Revelation 5:5 NIV
Then one of the elders said to me, ‘Do not weep! See, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has triumphed. He is able to open the scroll and its seven seals.’

Upon hearing the elder say that, the Apostle John saw a slain Lamb standing in the midst of the throne surrounded by the four living creatures and twenty-four elders. The Lamb took the scroll from the right hand of God. Immediately, the four living creatures and twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb with harps and golden bowls containing the incense of the prayers of God's people, singing:

Revelation 5:9 - 10 NIV
. . . ‘You are worthy to take the scroll
and to open its seals,
because you were slain,
and with your blood you purchased for God
persons from every tribe and language and people and nation.
10You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God,
and they will reign on the earth.’

After that, John heard the voices of thousands upon thousands of angels, encircling the throne saying:

Revelation 5:12 NIV
. . . ‘Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain,
to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength
and honour and glory and praise!’

This was followed by the voices of every creature "in heaven, on earth, under the earth, on the sea, and all that is in them:

Revelation 5:13 NIV
. . . ‘To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb
be praise and honour and glory and power,
for ever and ever!’

Finally, the four living creatures said, "Amen" and the twenty-four elders fell down and worshipped (Rev 5:14).

Choosing between Good and Evil

Friday 2021.09.17

One of the NT passages I read this morning is the Third Epistle of John, a short epistle containing only fifteen verses. In verses 9 - 12, John wrote about two very contrasting persons in the assembly of believers under the care of the elder Gaius:

3 John 1:9 - 12 NKJV
9 I wrote to the church, but Diotrephes, who loves to have the preeminence among them, does not receive us. 10 Therefore, if I come, I will call to mind his deeds which he does, prating against us with malicious words. And not content with that, he himself does not receive the brethren, and forbids those who wish to, putting them out of the church.
11 Beloved, do not imitate what is evil, but what is good. He who does good is of God, but he who does evil has not seen God.
12 Demetrius has a good testimony from all, and from the truth itself. And we also bear witness, and you know that our testimony is true.

The first person, Diotrephes, loved preeminence in the assembly. He refused to receive the apostle John and the brethren into their midst but instead slandered them maliciously. He went to the extent of casting out from the assembly anyone who wanted to receive the brethren.

In contrast, the second person, Demetrius, had a good report from everyone, including John, having an undeniable good testimony "from the truth itself".

Between the reference to the evil Diotrephes in verse 9 and to the good Demetrius in verse 12 is a significant reminder in verse 11, calling upon the elder Gaius not to imitate what is evil, but to imitate what is good, because

• he who does good is of God
• he who does evil has not seen God

Brothers and Sisters in Christos, like the elder Gaius, today we may often stand between good Demetrius on one side and evil Diotrephes on the other. Let us diligently choose to do good like Demetrius and to depart from doing evil like Diotrephes.

The Spirit, The Water, and The Blood

Thursday 2021.09.16

In the NT, I finishing reading the last two chapters of the First Epistle of John.

In 1 John chapter 5, we come across a passage from verses 6 to 12 that tells us that our Lord Iesus the Anointed came by "water and blood". To me, this refers to His baptism in water (a baptism that was consequently made available to all of us) and the shedding of his blood in his sacrificial death.

This coming of the Son of God by water and blood is attested to by the Holy Spirit, a "witness" who is given to all who believe in the Lord Iesus, and who are baptised in water (see our Lord's parting words to the Disciples in Mark 16:16; and the baptism of the Philippian jailer in Acts 16:31).

The apostle John took it one step further in verse 8 by putting together the water of baptism, the blood of our Lord, and the testimony of the Spirit as three witnesses, saying that "these three agree". In verse 9, he writes that this testimony of God is greater than the testimony of men, and "this is the testimony of God that He has borne witness to His Son".

1 John 5:6 - 12 RSV
This is he who came by water and blood, Jesus Christ, not with the water only but with the water and the blood. 7And the Spirit is the witness, because the Spirit is the truth.

8There are three witnesses, the Spirit, the water, and the blood; and these three agree.

9If we receive the testimony of men, the testimony of God is greater; for this is the testimony of God that he has borne witness to his Son.

10He who believes in the Son of God has the testimony in himself. He who does not believe God has made him a liar, because he has not believed in the testimony that God has borne to his Son.

11And this is the testimony, that God gave us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. 12He who has the Son has life; he who has not the Son of God has not life.

Mark 16:15 - 16 RSV
15And he said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to the whole creation. 16He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned.

Acts 16:28 - 34 RSV
28But Paul cried with a loud voice, “Do not harm yourself, for we are all here.” 29And he called for lights and rushed in, and trembling with fear he fell down before Paul and Silas, 30and brought them out and said, “Men, what must I do to be saved?” 31And they said, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.” 32And they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all that were in his house. 33And he took them the same hour of the night, and washed their wounds, and he was baptized at once, with all his family. 34Then he brought them up into his house, and set food before them; and he rejoiced with all his household that he had believed in God.

Have you received the Anointing?

Wednesday 2021.09.15

From the NT today, I read the first three chapters of the First Epistle of John.

1 John chapter 2 verse 27 tells us of the anointing which we received from him (Christos, the Anointed One). This is the anointing of the Holy Spirit, the Spirit that Christos received from God His Father when he was raised to the right side of God. And this was the anointing that was first poured out on the disciples in the Upper Room on the Day of Pentecost, recorded for us in Acts chapter 2. (See Acts 2:33 below).

Acts 2:33 GNB
He has been raised to the right side of God, his Father, and has received from him the Holy Spirit, as he had promised. What you now see and hear is his gift that he has poured out on us.

1 John 2:27 KJV
But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you,
and ye need not that any man teach you:
but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things,
and is truth,
and is no lie,
and even as it hath taught you,
ye shall abide in him.

The Good News Bible removes some ambiguity from this verse by referring to the anointing "received of him" as "Christ has poured out his Spirit on you", as shown below.

1 John 2:27 GNB
But as for you, Christ has poured out his Spirit on you.
As long as his Spirit remains in you,
you do not need anyone to teach you.
For his Spirit teaches you about everything,
and what he teaches is true,
not false.
Obey the Spirit's teaching, then,
and remain in union with Christ.

Brothers and Sisters in the Lord Iesus, the Anointed One, have you received the Anointing of the Spirit from our Lord? Let us obey the teaching of the Spirit of God that we have received through the Anointing.

Grass withers, flower fades

Sunday 2021.09.12

Today is the first day of a new biblical week.

In my NT reading today, I begin reading the First Epistle General of Peter, going through the first two chapters. 1 Peter 1:24 reminds us of the scripture written in Isaiah 40:6 - 8 (Septuagint), that says:

1 Peter 1:24 - 25 KJV
24 All flesh is as grass,
And all the glory of man as the flower of grass.
The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away:
25 But the word of the Lord endureth for ever.
And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you.

Isaiah 40:6 - 8 LXX Brenton
6 The voice of one saying, Cry; and I said, What shall I cry? All flesh is grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass.
7 The grass withers, and the flower fades:
8 but the word of our God abides for ever.

A small member that makes great boasts

Saturday 2021.09.11

Shabbat Shalom. Today is the seventh day of the Biblical Week. Let us keep the Fourth Commandment, to remember the Sabbath and to rest from all our work until sunset this evening.

In my NT reading this morning, I finished the remaining three chapters of the Epistle General of James. Chapter 3 tells us of the danger of not guarding our tongue, a small part of our body that "makes great boasts" (3:5), that corrupts our body and sets our life on fire (3:6). No wonder James wrote two chapters earlier in 1:26 that people who think they are religious but fail to keep a tight reign on their tongues deceive themselve.

James 1:26 NIV
Those who consider themselves religious and yet do not keep a tight rein on their tongues deceive themselves, and their religion is worthless.

James 3:3 - 6 NIV
3When we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we can turn the whole animal. 4Or take ships as an example. Although they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are steered by a very small rudder wherever the pilot wants to go. 5Likewise, the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. 6The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole body, sets the whole course of one’s life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell.

Faith without deeds is dead

Friday 2021.09:10

We have arrived at the sixth day of the Biblical Week again. Today is Preparation Day. Let us finish all our tasks for the week and prepare to rest on the seventh day Shabbat which will begin at sunset this evening.

This afternoon I read Ezekiel chapters twenty-six through thirty in the OT, and the Epistle General of James chapters one and two in the NT.

James 1:27 and James 2:26 tells us that faith in God requires us to do good works in our lives. Faith without works is dead.

James 1:27 NIV
Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this:
to look after orphans and widows in their distress and
to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.

James 2:26 NIV
As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead.

God is well pleased with such sacrifices

Thursday 2021.09:09

This morning I read the last two chapters of the Epistle to the Hebrews in the NT.

Hebrews 13 verses 15 and 16 tells us of three ("such") sacrifices with which God is well pleased:

1. the sacrifice of praise,
2. the sacrifice of doing good, and
3. the sacrifice of sharing / fellowship ("communicate")

Hebrews 13:15 - 16 KJV
15 By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name.
16 But to do good and to communicate forget not: for with such sacrifices God is well pleased.

Faith: the evidence of things not seen

Wednesday 2021.09:08

In my NT reading today, I read Hebrews Chapter eleven. In this chapter, a discourse on faith, I came across two well known verses which I had memorised more than forty years ago.

Hebrews 11:1 - 2 KJV
1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
2 For by it the elders obtained a good report.

Hebrews 11:6 KJV
. . . without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.

As it is appointed unto men once to die

Tuesday 2021.09:07

This morning I read the Epistle to the Hebrews chapters nine and ten in the NT, along with Ezekiel chapters eleven through sixteen in the OT.

A well known verse, Hebrews 9:27 caught my attention. It was one of many bible verses I had memorised in those early days after becoming a Christian more than forty years ago. I have always understood this verse simply to mean that God has appointed all mankind to die and to face His judgment.

This morning, however, the next verse, Hebrews 9:28 jumped out at me just after I had finished reading 9:27. Seeing both verses together made me realise something I had missed all these forty plus years as a believer in the Gospel of Iesus the Anointed: that verse 27 is meant to be read together with verse 28 as a single statement.

Reading Hebrews 9:27 and 28 together as one statement brings out the meaning that just as God has appointed for everyone of us to die, and after that to face judgment, God has likewise appointed His Anointed to be offerred to bear our sins, and after that to appear a second time to bring salvation to those who wait for his return.

While verse 27 tells us that everyone of us will die and after this be judged for our sins, verse 28 tells us that the Anointed One has sacrificed himself for everyone of our sins, and after this will come back again a second time to bring us to be with him "unto salvation".

Hebrews 9:27 - 28 KJV
27 And as it is appointed unto men
once to die,
but after this the judgment:

28 So Christ was
once offered to bear the sins of many;
and unto them that look for him
shall he appear the second time without sin
unto salvation.

King of Righteousness, King of Peace

Monday 2021.09:06

Today, in the NT, I read Hebrews chapters seven and eight.

Hebrews chapter 7 explains that the Messiah, promised by the LORD with an oath in Psalm 110, is the eternal, unchangeable, holy, and undefiled High Priest of the Order of Melchisedek. This heavenly High Priest of Melchisedek Order is contrasted against the earthly high priests of Levitical Order in several ways:

Firstly, while the Levitical priests received tithes from the children of Israel, Melchisedek ("My King is Righteous"), the King of Salem, priest of the Most High God, brought bread and wine, blessed Abraham, and received tithes from Abraham (Genesis 14:18 - 20). Thus, it can be said that Melchisedek received tithes from the entire priesthood of Levi who descended from Abraham.

Hebrews 7:1 - 4; 9 - 11 KJV
1 For this Melchisedec, king of Salem, priest of the most high God, who met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings, and blessed him;
2 To whom also Abraham gave a tenth part of all; first being by interpretation King of righteousness, and after that also King of Salem, which is, King of peace;
3 Without father, without mother, without descent, having neither beginning of days, nor end of life; but made like unto the Son of God; abideth a priest continually.
4 Now consider how great this man was, unto whom even the patriarch Abraham gave the tenth of the spoils.

9 And as I may so say, Levi also, who receiveth tithes, payed tithes in Abraham.
10 For he was yet in the loins of his father, when Melchisedec met him.
11 If therefore perfection were by the Levitical priesthood, (for under it the people received the law,) what further need was there that another priest should rise after the order of Melchisedec, and not be called after the order of Aaron?

Secondly, while all Levitical high priests come only from the tribe of Levi, the High Priest of Melchisedek, our Lord Iesous the Messiah, descended from King David, of the tribe of Judah, a tribe that was never chosen for priesthood under the Law of Moses. (See: Branch of David, Jer 33:15; Righteous Branch, Jer 23:5,6; a king descended from David, 30:8,9). This is because the High Priest of Melchisedek is not made according to any commandment of the Mosaic Law but instead according to the power of eternal life.

Hebrews 7:13 - 17 KJV
13 For he of whom these things are spoken pertaineth to another tribe, of which no man gave attendance at the altar.
14 For it is evident that our Lord sprang out of Juda; of which tribe Moses spake nothing concerning priesthood.
15 And it is yet far more evident: for that after the similitude of Melchisedec there ariseth another priest,
16 Who is made, not after the law of a carnal commandment, but after the power of an endless life.
17 For he testifieth, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec (Psa 110:4).

Thirdly, while the Levitical high priests were appointed without any oath, the everlasting High Priest of the Order of Melchisedek was promised by the LORD with an oath in Psalm 110:4, that He will be a priest forever.

Hebrews 7:20 - 22 KJV
20 And inasmuch as not without an oath he was made priest:
21 For those priests were made without an oath; but this with an oath by him that said unto him, The Lord sware and will not repent, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec. (Psalm 110:4)
22 By so much was Jesus made a surety of a better testament

Fourthly, while the earthly Levitical High Priests had to be replaced after they die, the High Priest of the Order of Melchisedek lives forever in an unchangeable priesthood. In this way, anyone at any time who approaches Him can be saved by his intercession.

Hebrews 7:23 - 25 KJV
23 And they truly were many priests, because they were not suffered to continue by reason of death:
24 But this man, because he continueth ever, hath an unchangeable priesthood.
25 Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.

And finally, our Lord Iesous, the High Priest of the Order of Melchisedek who "became us" is holy and undefiled by sin. Unlike the Levitical high priests who have personal weaknesses, our Lord does not need to make any daily sacrifice for his own sins before he intercedes for the people, for he has offered up himself once for all as a sacrifice for all sin.

Hebrews 7:26 - 28 KJV
26 For such an high priest became us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens;
27 Who needeth not daily, as those high priests, to offer up sacrifice, first for his own sins, and then for the people's: for this he did once, when he offered up himself.
28 For the law maketh men high priests which have infirmity; but the word of the oath, which was since the law, maketh the Son, who is consecrated for evermore.

The Throne of Sapphire

Sunday 2021.09:05

My OT reading today begins with the first four chapters of the book of the prophet Ezekiel

The priest Ezekiel ben Buzi was called by Yehovah to prophesy to the children of Israel and Judah exiled in the land of the Chaldeans, in the city of Tel-abib by the river Chebar, on the 5th day 4th month, during the 5th year of exile of King Jehoiachin, the 19th King of Judah. (Ezekiel 1:1 - 3; 3:15)

In chapter one, Ezekiel records a vision of the throne of God which he saw, placed over a dome covering the heads of four living creatures, each with four wings and four faces, and each standing on a "wheel within wheel" (Ezekiel 1:4 - 21)

The following verses describe the vision of the dome and the throne of God which appeared like sapphire to Ezekiel. On the throne was a human form that gleamed like amber from the loins upwards, enclosed by fire The throne was surrounded by a splendour like a rainbow.

Ezekiel 1:22 - 25 NRSV
22Over the heads of the living creatures there was something like a dome, shining like crystal, spread out above their heads. 23Under the dome their wings were stretched out straight, one towards another; and each of the creatures had two wings covering its body. 24When they moved, I heard the sound of their wings like the sound of mighty waters, like the thunder of the Almighty, a sound of tumult like the sound of an army; when they stopped, they let down their wings. 25And there came a voice from above the dome over their heads; when they stopped, they let down their wings.

Ezekiel 1:26 - 28 NRSV
26And above the dome over their heads there was something like a throne, in appearance like sapphire; and seated above the likeness of a throne was something that seemed like a human form. 27Upwards from what appeared like the loins I saw something like gleaming amber, something that looked like fire enclosed all round; and downwards from what looked like the loins I saw something that looked like fire, and there was a splendour all round. 28Like the bow in a cloud on a rainy day, such was the appearance of the splendour all round. This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the LORD.

The four Let Us . . .

Saturday 2021.09.04

Shabbat Shalom. Today is the Seventh Day of the Biblical Week. Let us rest from all our work.

This morning, as I was reading through chapters three and four of the Epistle general to the Hebrews, I came across four instances of "Let us . . ." where we are enjoined by the Apostle to be vigilant and to endeavour in Godly living. These four verses are as follows:

Hebrews 4:1 KJV
Let us therefore fear, lest, a promise being left us of entering into his rest, any of you should seem to come short of it.

Hebrews 4:11 KJV
Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief.

Hebrews 4:14 KJV
Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession.

Hebrews 4:16 KJV
Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.

The Branch of David: an unbreakable covenant

Friday 2021.09:03

Today for my OT reading, I read chapters thirty-two through thirty-five of the book of Jeremiah.

Chapter 32 of this portion contains an account of the prophet Jeremiah ben Hilkiah receiving the words of Yehovah that Jeremiah's cousin Hanamel would visit him (at that time Jeremiah was imprisoned in the courtyard of the royal palace by King Zedekiah, Jer 32:2, 3). Yehovah told Jeremiah that Hanamel would ask him to buy over Hanamel's field at his home town of Anathoth in the territory of Benjamin. Eventually, the words of Yehovah came true.

I wrote briefly on this account in my devotional blog about eight years ago, in the following link:

• So I knew

Further on in Chapter 33 of today's reading, Jeremiah ben Hilkiah prophesied that a Branch of Righteousness ("a righteous descendant", Jer 33:15 GNB) will rule over the land. In those days, Jerusalem will be called "Yehovah our Righteousness". This is an unbreakable covenant that Yehovah had made with King David, comparable to the unbreakable covenant that God had made "with the day and with the night" that day and night will always arrive at their proper times. (Jeremiah 33:14 - 22)

Jeremiah 33:14 - 22 GNB
14The LORD said, “The time is coming when I will fulfil the promise that I made to the people of Israel and Judah. 15At that time I will choose as king a righteous descendant of David. That king will do what is right and just throughout the land. 16The people of Judah and of Jerusalem will be rescued and will live in safety. The city will be called ‘The LORD Our Salvation’. 17I, the LORD, promise that there will always be a descendant of David to be king of Israel 18and that there will always be priests from the tribe of Levi to serve me and to offer burnt offerings, grain offerings, and sacrifices.”

19The LORD said to me, 20“I have made a covenant with the day and with the night, so that they always come at their proper times; and that covenant can never be broken. 21In the same way I have made a covenant with my servant David that he would always have a descendant to be king, and I have made a covenant with the priests from the tribe of Levi that they would always serve me; and those covenants can never be broken. 22I will increase the number of descendants of my servant David and the number of priests from the tribe of Levi, so that it will be as impossible to count them as it is to count the stars in the sky or the grains of sand on the seashore.”

The time of restoration is coming

Thursday 2021.09:02

This afternoon for my OT reading, I read Jeremiah chapters twenty-nine through thirty-one.

This portion of scripture contains a prophecy by Jeremiah ben Hilkiah about the restoration of the people of Israel and Judah from their exile back to the promised land. When this prophecy was given, King Jehoiachin ben Jehoiakim, the 19th king of Judah, along with the leaders and the skilled craftsmen of Judah, were already taken into exile by King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylonia. Most of the treasures of the Temple of Jerusalem were also taken away, leaving behind some columns, a bronze tank, and some carts (Jeremiah 27:19,20; 2 Kings 23:10 - 16).

Also, during the reign of King Zedekiah ben Josiah, the 20th and last king of Judah, Jeremiah had written a letter of hope and encouragement to the people of Judah who were in exile in Babylonia , promising them that the LORD would restore them to their homeland (Jeremiah 29:1 - 23). This letter was brought to the exiles in Babylon by Elasah ben Shaphan and Gemariah ben Hilkiah who were being sent by King Zedekiah ben Josiah as messengers to King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylonia.

In Jeremiah chapter 30, we read of his prophecy about the promise of the LORD to restore Israel and Judah to their homeland under the rule of the Messiah, a descendant of David whom the LORD will enthrone as King.

Jeremiah 30:1 - 3 GNB
1The LORD, the God of Israel, 2said to me: “Write down in a book everything that I have told you, 3because the time is coming when I will restore my people, Israel and Judah. I will bring them back to the land that I gave their ancestors, and they will take possession of it again. I, the LORD, have spoken.”

Jeremiah 30:8 - 9 GNB
8The LORD Almighty says: “When that day comes, I will break the yoke that is round their necks and remove their chains, and they will no longer be the slaves of foreigners. 9Instead, they will serve me, the LORD their God, and a descendant of David, whom I will enthrone as king.

Jeremiah 30:21b GNB
They will be my people, and I will be their God. I, the LORD, have spoken.

The grace of God has appeared

Wednesday 2021.09:01

For this afternoon's NT reading I read through all three chapters of the pastoral epistle of Paul the Apostle to Titus. I came across two instances where the apostle wrote that the grace and kindness of God has appeared.

First, in Titus 2:13, we read that God's grace has appeared, bringing salvation to all mankind, and that we who are saved now wait in hope for the appearing of Iesus Christos, who is the glory of our great God and Saviour.

Titus 2:11 - 14 NIV
11 For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people.
12 It teaches us to say ‘No’ to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age,
13 while we wait for the blessed hope – the appearing of the glory of our great God and Saviour, Jesus Christ,
14 who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good.

Later, in Titus 3:4, it is written that God our Saviour saved us when His kindness and love appeared, not by any of our righteous deeds, but by His mercy, through baptism in water and renewal in the Holy Spirit. God has poured on us His Holy Spirit through Iesus Christos our Saviour.

Titus 3:4 NIV
3 At one time we too were foolish, disobedient, deceived and enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures. We lived in malice and envy, being hated and hating one another.
4 But when the kindness and love of God our Saviour appeared,
5 he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit,
6 whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Saviour,
7 so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life.

Note that God is called "our Saviour" in Titus 2:13 and 3:4, whilst Iesous the Anointed is called "our Saviour" in Titus 3:6.