The Lord is Our Stronghold!

 

The LORD roars from Zion, and utters his voice from Jerusalem, and the heavens and the earth quake. But the LORD is a refuge to his people, a stronghold to the people of Israel. (Joel 3:16 ESV).

 

During the time when Joel wrote this prophetic book I’m sure there were many faithful members of God's covenant people who doubtless asked the question "What about us?" continually. Their former countrymen in the northern kingdom of Israel had already lost their land (cf. 2 Kings 17:7–23), and the prophets were predicting Judah's imminent fall to Babylon (cf. Habakkuk 1:5–11). Although faithful old covenant members knew that they had no righteousness in themselves but looked forward to the Messiah for their right standing before God, they also knew that the Lord promised to bless those whose lives conformed to His law (cf. Genesis 15:6; Deuteronomy 28:1–14; John 8:56). Yet because they lived in Judah, they were about to feel the effects of God's judgment upon the nation, where impenitent covenant-breakers vastly outnumbered penitent covenant-keepers. It must have been a time of uncertainty and doubt.

 

The prophets all give the same answer to this question of doubt and uncertainty: faithful members of God's covenant people will experience a full restoration in the day of the Lord. Joel closes his book with this message, looking forward to the day when God will "gather all the nations and bring them down to the Valley of Jehoshaphat" and "enter into judgment with them there" (v. 2). The exact location of this valley is unknown, although it has traditionally been associated with the Kidron Valley to the east of Jerusalem. However, Joel may not mean to identify a precise geographic location, for the term Jehoshaphat means "Yahweh has judged." Judgment, he says, will occur at "the Valley [where Yahweh has judged]."

 

Whether or not the Valley of Jehoshaphat is a literal, physical location, Joel foresees a final day of judgment for the nations and a vindication of God's faithful people. The nations had captured many believers and sold them into slavery, which was a capital crime for Israel under the old covenant (cf. Exodus 21:16; Deuteronomy 21:14). As if the kidnapping and selling of the people were not enough, these nations had used the proceeds wastefully on prostitutes and wine on which to get drunk (v. 3). Such wanton evil could not go unpunished, and though God's faithful old covenant people had suffered at the hands of the nations, this prophecy gave them hope that the Lord would avenge them.

 

Of course, we are able to look back on history, where they looked forward. That does not cast any dispersion or doubt in the truth Joel prophecies. It does however give us the benefit of seeing precisely how God would do this. Under the fuller revelation of the new covenant, the idea of God as our stronghold is simply seen more clearly. The Lord protects us from His final wrath by clothing us in the perfect righteousness of Christ, which means He can pass over us in His eternal wrath and provide us the greatest restoration of all in the new heaven and earth. This is the only safety from His eternal judgment that God provides. Our strong tower is the perfect righteousness of Christ.

 

I think far too often we forget that, “He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world” (1 John 4:4). Joel here reminds us that the Lord’s roar and voice is so powerful that it causes both the heavens and the earth to shake. Then we get that reassuring phrase, “But the Lord…” That mighty sovereign roar that unnerves the world is a comfort, a shelter, and strength to us, His people. So, when the enemy comes in like a flood, remember God is roaring and like a lion cub, we can have peace and confidence in our Father knowing that He is greater and on our side!

 

Standing Firm in Faith

 

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego answered and said to the king, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter. If this be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of your hand, O king. (Daniel 3:16–17 ESV).

 

Today, we come to one of the most familiar stories of the Old Testament. Daniel, chapter 3 is set during the Neo-Babylonian Empire under the reign of King Nebuchadnezzar II (who ruled 605–562 BC), anchored historically and biblically around 594–593 BC. The narrative takes place in the province of Babylon, specifically on the Plain of Dura, where King Nebuchadnezzar erects a massive golden image (roughly 90 feet high and 9 feet wide). The backdrop is the Babylonian captivity, following Nebuchadnezzar’s 605 BC military campaign against Judah that deported the Judean elite and royal court to Babylon. Nebuchadnezzar builds an all-gold statue to assert his empire's permanence and requires every inhabitant to bow before the statue and worship.

 

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego (who were high-ranking Jewish officials in the Babylonian administration) refuse to bow and worship the idol, choosing obedience to God over imperial command. As punishment they were cast into a super-heated fiery furnace, the three men are preserved unharmed alongside a fourth figure described as "like the Son of God", prompting Nebuchadnezzar to issue a decree respecting the God of Israel.

 

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego calmly refused to comply or debate the order. They declared that their God was able to save them from the furnace, adding the famous statement of unconditional faith: “But even if he does not, we want you to know, Your Majesty, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up.” (v. 18).

 

The encouragement from their courageous act of faith is very contemporary. There are so many subtle deceptions that abound in our culture. Standing firm in our faith means declaring the truth in grace. I’ve found that to be difficult as my grace tends to be less than my declaration of truth. The balance is important. As believers we do not need to compete with the world’s wrong-headedness; we simply need to graciously speak the truth and stand firm in our faith!

Receiving God's Grace

 

[The Lord said] “‘And I will give you shepherds after my own heart, who will feed you with knowledge and understanding. And when you have multiplied and been fruitful in the land, in those days, declares the LORD, they shall no more say, “The ark of the covenant of the LORD.” It shall not come to mind or be remembered or missed; it shall not be made again. At that time Jerusalem shall be called the throne of the LORD, and all nations shall gather to it, to the presence of the LORD in Jerusalem, and they shall no more stubbornly follow their own evil heart. In those days the house of Judah shall join the house of Israel, and together they shall come from the land of the north to the land that I gave your fathers for a heritage.’” (Jeremiah 3:15–18 ESV).

 

The Prophet Jeremiah records a word from the Lord that has enormous implications for us today. Our reading today is a part of this larger biblical prophecy about a future time of restoration when the Ark of the Covenant will no longer be needed or remembered. He writes: “… in those days, declares the LORD, they shall no more say, “The ark of the covenant of the LORD.” It shall not come to mind or be remembered or missed; it shall not be made again. (v. 16). Jeremiah’s ministry covered the years between 627 and 586 BCE. This would have been the time when the prophet’s ministry was unfolding from a massive geopolitical power shift. The Neo-Assyrian Empire was collapsing, and the Neo-Babylonian Empire was rising to dominance under Nebuchadnezzar. It was during this time (586-587 BCE) that the Kingdom of Judah and Jerusalem itself would be taken captive. The Ark of the Covenant was the supreme physical symbol of God's presence among the Israelites in the Old Testament. Yet during this time it was lost to the ages and has yet to be recovered.

 

As we look back at Jeremiah’s prophecy it is much easier to understand than for the people of his day. They were, after all looking forward with the historical events of Jesus’ coming and ministry. However, Jeremiah understood. He knew that in this future prophetic era, people would experience God's presence directly rather than needing a physical artifact or old ritual system. The clarity of this fulfillment took place when the curtain separating the Holy of Holies was torn from top to bottom at Jesus’ death.

Virtually every Christian theologian views this as pointing forward to the New Covenant, where Christ and God's dwelling with humanity replace the old shadow-forms of the temple and its relics.

 

We should be encouraged. The God of Israel was in the process of redeeming His people. Jeremiah’s message was that there was coming a day when the nation would repent and, consequently, God would not look upon them in anger, but He would show grace to them. This would also include all the nations, not just Israel. This is the final act of God to restore His creation. Oh what a day that will be! Until then, He has given us His presence in the Holy Spirit. We are not alone in our journey. God is always with us!

 

Our Only Real Hope

 

Moreover, I saw under the sun that in the place of justice, even there was wickedness, and in the place of righteousness, even there was wickedness. I said in my heart, God will judge the righteous and the wicked, for there is a time for every matter and for every work. (Ecclesiastes 3:16–17 ESV).

 

Again, we return to the wisdom of Solomon, though today we are in Ecclesiastes. In light of the current culture and the ever-widening gulf being created in our world, this passage is particularly important. Remember, the basic message of Ecclesiastes is that everything “under the sun” is vanity. Solomon is saying that if this world is all that there is, if we just die and that is the end of it all, then life is inherently futile. There is no transcendent purpose that gives meaning to creation. There is no right or wrong; everything just is, so there can be no lasting moral evaluation of it. Something that is wrong today might be right tomorrow and vice versa. No true judgments are possible; everything is relative, and if everything is relative, everything is meaningless. However, if there is a perfect Creator who defines the world and all that is in it, life is meaningful. The fleeting nature of life with all of its apparent absurdities will give way finally to eternity, when the plan of the Lord will be seen more fully, the meaning of apparent coincidences will be revealed, and all injustices will be rectified.

 

The key to understanding the book of Ecclesiastes is to recognize that the writer is making one very simple point—only God can make sense out of life. Today's passage indicates as much. In this “3:16,” he observes what we have all seen with our own eyes: in the very place where justice is supposed to be found, wickedness often reigns. Even in the best justice systems, criminals often go free because they are able to bribe an unjust judge. All too often, justice is bought and sold. Criminals escape justice and the innocent are punished. There is no better example of this than in the trial of Jesus. The false witnesses to His "crime" at His trial could not even agree with one another, but He was convicted anyway even though such testimony should have led the judges to throw His case out of court (cf. Mark 14:53–65). Miscarriages of justice are inevitable in our fallen world.

 

Honest atheists see this reality and are driven either to suicidal despair because they realize that goodness cannot prevail, or to Friedrich Nietzsche's "will to power," whereby they seize whatever power they can and use it to their own advantage. Their reasoning is that we might as well do all we want before we cease to exist. Thankfully, there are precious few consistent atheists, and the last verse of our reading explains why. Solomon understands that despite the fact that justice is not always done on earth, a day is coming in which God will judge both the righteous and the wicked. Such knowledge is planted deep in the human heart and is a consequence of our being made in His image (cf. Genesis 1:26–28). Even the most forthright unbelievers know that God will judge all, and this understanding keeps them from collapsing in despair or becoming tyrants.

 

For believers, the knowledge that there is a day of perfect judgment coming fills us with hope. We understand that on that day everything will be set right. Every injustice will be overturned, and people will receive their due. Believers will receive heaven because they are so closely united to Christ that His perfect obedience and its due reward is reckoned as theirs (cf. 2 Corinthians 5:21). Unbelievers will be condemned for their sin, for they are not covered by Jesus' blood and righteousness.

 

Our only real hope is Jesus… my prayer is that this is your hope!

 

Long Life - Riches and Honor

 

Blessed is the one who finds wisdom, and the one who gets understanding, for the gain from her is better than gain from silver and her profit better than gold. She is more precious than jewels, and nothing you desire can compare with her. Long life is in her right hand; in her left hand are riches and honor. Her ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace. She is a tree of life to those who lay hold of her; those who hold her fast are called blessed. (Proverbs 3:13–18 ESV).

 

Today’s “3:16” comes from Proverbs and the wisdom of Solomon. In order to fully grasp what Solomon says, we should understand the concept of the “Tree of Life.” The Tree of Life is not unusual in the ancient Near East, and archaeologists have uncovered many ancient depictions of what looks to be a tree brimming with life in that region. In many of these images, animals and people are clinging fast to the tree as a picture of how true life is impossible without the tree. Human beings everywhere are involved in a quest to regain access to this tree that was lost when our first parents broke God’s law in Eden (cf. Genesis 3:22–24). Our never-ending attempts to extend our lifespans and the search for salvation through various world religions represent some of the most easily identified ways that mankind is trying to eat of a Tree of Life once more. We all know that something is wrong and that we were not meant to suffer death and decay.

 

The only reliable reference for this concept is the Scripture. It is in the Scripture which tells us about the real Tree of Life, that we learn how we can get back to the eternal life of blessedness possible to those who lived in Eden. Since Adam’s fall resulted from his refusal to accept the Lord’s wisdom as he grasped for knowledge where God told him not to look (cf. Genesis 2:15–17; 3:6–7), only by submitting ourselves to divine wisdom shall we find the Tree of Life again.

 

Our reading today represents a further development of the Tree-of-Life theme that was first introduced in Genesis 2. Wisdom is likened to a “tree of life” to those who will cling to her (v. 18), which makes sense because those who hear and trust in God’s wisdom — who is Jesus Christ (cf. 1 Corinthians 1:24) — are those who will be granted the right to eat of the Tree of Life forever (cf. John 14:6; Revelation 22:14). Receiving and eating of the Tree of Life of God’s wisdom now will enable us to eat of it forever in the world to come. The eminent Reformed Old Testament scholar Bruce K. Waltke explains, “Human beings regain that tree [of life] by humbling themselves and receiving words of eternal life” (Proverbs, vol. 1, p. 260).

 

When we were outside the covenant God made with Israel and without hope in the world, we did not eat of the divine wisdom that is the Tree of Life. Having been transformed by the Spirit through faith, we may now feast on the riches of Christ and live according to the revealed wisdom of His Word. Abiding in Jesus and the way He has given us is how we reach the Tree of Life (cf. John 15:1–11).

 

Through the ages since Adma and Eve we have seen generation after generation reject God’s wisdom, but in His grace, He has made a way for mankind to know the treasures of Christ so that we might eat from the Tree of Life forever. All of us who trust in Jesus alone for salvation enjoy this wisdom that guarantees eternal life.

 

Solomon understood the value of wisdom. For a man's life to be redeemed for the Lord, he must embrace the wisdom He gives. The great encouragement here is in the fact that not only does God provide this wisdom, He makes a way possible to attain it. This is the way to long life, honor and riches!

 

Ruth and the Kinsman-Redeemer

 

So she lay at his feet until the morning, but arose before one could recognize another. And he said, “Let it not be known that the woman came to the threshing floor.” And he said, “Bring the garment you are wearing and hold it out.” So she held it, and he measured out six measures of barley and put it on her. Then she went into the city. And when she came to her mother-in-law, she said, “How did you fare, my daughter?” Then she told her all that the man had done for her, saying, “These six measures of barley he gave to me, for he said to me, ‘You must not go back empty-handed to your mother-in-law.’” She replied, “Wait, my daughter, until you learn how the matter turns out, for the man will not rest but will settle the matter today.” (Ruth 3:14–18 ESV)

 

While the central verse (v. 16) is only a small part of the entire story of Ruth and Boaz, it is very important to understand if we desire to know the fullness of Jesus and the rest He provides to all His followers. The story begins with a woman named Naomi, who lives with her husband and two sons in Bethlehem. One day there’s a famine in the land, which is ironic, because Bethlehem means “city of bread.” Because of the famine, Naomi and her family move to Moab, historically an enemy of Israel. Eventually her sons both marry Moabite women, Orpah and Ruth. Sadly, after about 10 years, Naomi’s husband and sons die.

 

The story continues. Having lost everything in Moab, Ruth and Naomi return to Bethlehem when they hear the famine has ended. But in the ancient world, there weren’t many ways for women to provide for themselves. They arrive at the beginning of the barley harvest, and Ruth is able to glean in the fields of their relative Boaz, who turns out to be generous toward them. But when the harvest ends, Naomi and Ruth are back where they started, in the same poverty they’ve been trying to overcome for ten years. It must have seemed hopeless.

 

It is at this point that Ruth seeks rest from her plight. Naomi asks Ruth, “My daughter, should I not seek rest for you, that it may be well with you?” (Ruth 3:1; cf. 1:8–9). Naomi has a plan for how to attain this rest. Having seen Boaz’s generosity, she hopes he will provide the rest they need. It turns out he is “a kinsman-redeemer” (a close relative who can provide), so Naomi tells Ruth to propose marriage to him.

 

Boaz accepts, but he first needs to ask permission from the “redeemer nearer” than he (Ruth 3:12). As a demonstration of his devotion to Ruth and perhaps even as a sort of pledge, Boaz sends off Ruth with a gift. He gives her six measures of barley, which might have been as much as 95 pounds. When Ruth returns home, Naomi affirms her faith in Boaz. She tells Ruth to wait. And the word used conveys the sense not only of waiting, but a worry-free attitude as she waits. Amid uncertainty, Ruth and Naomi wait for their redeemer to “settle the matter” and bring them rest (cf. Ruth 3:18). The book of Ruth shows us that deep soul rest is possible even now if we, like Ruth, wait for the day of our redemption, trusting our redeemer to finish what he started.

 

This part of the book of Ruth aptly describes the period in which we live our entire lives. Just as Boaz pledges to redeem Ruth, so God has promised to redeem us. In fact, Jesus secured our redemption on the cross. And just as Boaz sent Ruth away with a gift and pledge, so Jesus has sent us his Holy Spirit as a pledge (cf. Ephesians 1:14). But just as Ruth awaited final resolution, we still await the day when God will give complete rest.

 

Boaz meets with the other relative who says he cannot redeem Ruth, “lest I impair my own inheritance” (4:5). So, Boaz redeems Ruth through a costly marriage, and Ruth gives birth to a child in Bethlehem. The baby’s name is Obed, which comes from the Hebrew word “to serve.” The women of Bethlehem say to Naomi, “Blessed be the LORD, who has not left you this day without a redeemer, and may his name be renowned in Israel! He shall be to you a restorer of life and a nourisher of your old age” (Ruth 4:14–15).

 

Well, generations later, the women’s prayers were answered. This son was the grandfather of King David (4:22), who secured rest for Israel against her enemies. And the ultimate answer to their prayer came a thousand years later, when another son was born to another poor woman traveling to Bethlehem. This child was from the line of Ruth and David. And as he was about to be born, a priest in Israel named Zechariah, filled with the Holy Spirit, cried out, “Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, for he has visited and redeemed his people and has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David” (Luke 1:67–68).

 

Jesus is the promised redeemer, the true Servant of the Lord, whose costly marriage to his people—a marriage that cost him his life—restores our life and brings us rest. He gives us rest from our sin and striving, and he welcomes us into the security of his family. One day he will also remove every trial from our lives. He will transform our weak and weary bodies into new, glorious bodies. He will satisfy all our deepest needs and desires.

 

When you trust in him, you can experience rest even now. If you place your confidence not in your own ability to control your life, but in this Redeemer—if you seek peace not in your circumstances, but in this Redeemer—then you can sleep at night no matter what the day ahead has in store, because your Redeemer has given you rest.

Ehud - the Left-Handed Deliverer

 

Then the people of Israel cried out to the LORD, and the LORD raised up for them a deliverer, Ehud, the son of Gera, the Benjaminite, a left-handed man. The people of Israel sent tribute by him to Eglon the king of Moab. And Ehud made for himself a sword with two edges, a cubit in length, and he bound it on his right thigh under his clothes. (Judges 3:15–16 ESV).

 

Today may be one of those passages that you have rarely, if ever, read. It describes the deliverance of God through Ehud, who is one of the Judges called by God for the task of redeeming Israel after they have fallen into the hands of their oppressors. The story takes place 18 years after the cruel oppression under King Eglon of Moab. It is a story that is often repeated in the history of Israel. They turn away from God, begin to worship other pagan gods, fall into the hands of their enemies, and finally repent and cry out to God for deliverance. Despite Israel's recurring cycle of sin and rebellion, God answers with mercy by providing a rescuer, a Judge.

 

In this case God chooses Ehud, a man from the tribe of Benjamin—ironically meaning "son of the right hand", though he is described as left-handed (literally restricted or bound in his right hand). We should understand the tactical advantage of what appeared to be a weakness of Ehud. In the ancient world, being left-handed or having a handicapped right hand was often viewed as a physical defect or social disadvantage. However, Ehud turns this trait into a strategic weapon. The guards would have inspected the left side of visitors for hidden daggers, allowing Ehud to conceal a double-edged blade on his right thigh undetected.

 

Ehud made himself a sword which had two edges, a cubit in length, and he bound it on his right thigh under his cloak. This unlikely left-hander was used by God to kill Eglon, the king of Moab, who was "a very fat man." Moab was subdued that day, as God continually redeemed His people from the hand of their enemies. The verse highlights that God does not rely on conventional expectations or societal standards of strength to accomplish His purposes, choosing a seemingly flawed or unusual candidate to overthrow tyranny.

 

Do you see the picture of Jesus, our ultimate and final deliverer in this story? Jesus is the Son of God, the King of Israel, and yet He is born in a stable, attended only by His mother and His earthly father, surrounded by the common animals of the land. Only the lowly shepherds nearby were told of His birth. It was a particularly inauspicious birth for a king! This theme was consistent throughout Jesus’ earthly ministry. While He was the Creator of all, He served all; while He could command all the angels of heaven, He commanded no army on earth; while He was eternal and immortal, He died in the cruelest of means. In fact, all of His disciples were shaken to their core when He died, thinking all was lost.

 

God doesn’t always follow the conventional wisdom of men. He writes wisdom and carries out His perfect plan according to His will and purpose. Even when your circumstances would scream your defeat, trust in the Lord! He has already delivered us by the work and grace of His Son, Jesus!