TODAY IN THE WORD

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: 1 Kings 8:22-53
The God who made the world and everything in it . . . does not live in temples built by hands. - Acts 17:24
TODAY IN THE WORD
A missionary couple in Japan prepared to celebrate their first Christmas on the field. They put up a Christmas tree in their living room and placed a small angel figurine at the top. Soon after they were finished there was a knock at the door. Two women from the village, eager to learn about the strange customs of these foreigners, asked if they could come in and see the tree. They gazed for several minutes in silence. Finally one of them pointed to the angel at the top and murmured, “Look, it is their god!”

One of the greatest offenses of idolatry is the way it diminishes God by equating the Creator with what has been created. Idolatry actually reduces God to something less than creation because the idol is itself a creation of one who has been created (cf. Isa. 40:18-20).

Solomon understood this danger when he dedicated the temple in Jerusalem. He acknowledged that nothing in creation could contain the creator (v. 27). God is omnipresent. He is not a localized deity who can be confined to a single nation, region, or temple. The temple was called God’s house because He revealed His presence there, not because He was confined within its walls.

In his prayer Solomon used language that sounded as if God watches the temple from a distance (v. 29). He did not picture Israel’s God as inhabiting the temple but as one who heard the prayers of His people in heaven. Heaven is described as God’s “holy dwelling place” elsewhere in Scripture (see Deut. 26:15). In this sense heaven might be described as God’s “proper” dwelling place.

Yet God is not limited to heaven any more than He was limited to the Holy of Holies in the tabernacle or the temple (see Ps. 139). The temple was the place where God caused His “name” to dwell (v. 29). The Lord identified Himself with the temple and manifested His presence there in a way that He did not elsewhere.

APPLY THE WORD
Are you in the midst of something that makes it difficult for you to experience the presence of God? If the highest heaven cannot contain Him, why should He be limited by our puny circumstances? The God who hears our prayers from heaven and made the temple His dwelling place will also manifest Himself in your life. Do not hesitate to call upon Him in Jesus’ name. He has promised to hear us (see 2 Chron. 7:14).

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: 1 Kings 9:1-9
All the nations will ask: “Why has the LORD done this to this land? Why this fierce, burning anger?” - Deuteronomy 29:24
TODAY IN THE WORD
When storms ravaged the South and Midwest this past spring leaving hundreds dead, some asked whether this devastation could be a sign from God. A few suggested that these disasters were evidence that the end of the world was near. The difficulty with drawing conclusions like this is that we have no sure way of testing whether our interpretation of events is correct. Without some clear indication from God, we cannot be certain whether a storm is just a storm, a result of natural weather causes, or something more. Every difficulty is a solemn reminder of our need for grace and forgiveness, but not every disaster is an act of divine judgment (see Luke 13:1-5).

After Solomon finished the temple the Lord appeared to him. This was the second time the Lord had appeared to Solomon. The first time He offered to grant the young king anything he wanted. Solomon asked for the wisdom to lead (1 Kings 3:7-10). The second time the Lord appeared with a warning. God’s choice to manifest His presence in the temple at Jerusalem would not excuse Israel from the consequences of their sin. In the same way, the Lord’s promise to grant David a dynasty did not relieve Solomon of the obligation to obey. If he or his sons chose to follow other gods, judgment would follow. Israel’s expulsion from the land and the desolation of the temple would be the proof that these things had been done by the hand of God.

Sadly these words were both a foreshadowing of the future and a warning to Solomon. Despite God’s gift of wisdom, Solomon chose to serve other gods (1 Kings 11:1-4). His unfaithfulness was the beginning of a long downward spiral that would culminate in Israel’s exile and the destruction of the temple.

As the Lord promised, this serves as a warning that we should not take the grace of God for granted. The Lord loves His own but He also disciplines them (Heb. 12:6). Although divine discipline is painful, it is proof of God’s abiding love; it is for our good, and His ultimate goal is to make us holy (Heb. 12:10).

APPLY THE WORD
How can we tell whether our circumstances are divine judgment or simply the suffering common to all? It’s often easier to interpret Scripture than to interpret our experiences. It means that our focus should be on the certainties of God’s Word, not on our circumstances. We depend on wisdom from God’s Spirit, which we gain from spending time with Him in prayer and in His Word. No matter what our situation, it is always appropriate to turn to the Lord in prayer as His children.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: 2 Chronicles 34:14-33
The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God endures forever. - Isaiah 40:8
TODAY IN THE WORD
People who renovate old homes sometimes discover unexpected treasures. One family in Chester, Connecticut, discovered a century’s worth of trash in their crawlspace. Among the items that had been discarded there were an Old English Curve Cut Pipe Tobacco can, a bottle dating from the late 1800s, along with a variety of canned meats, spices, and powders.

Judah’s king Josiah discovered a treasure after he undertook a major repair of the temple. During the renovation Hilkiah the priest discovered a copy of the Law. It was not unusual to bury documents in a box in the foundation. Sometimes the purpose of these documents was merely to boast of the current ruler’s accomplishments. In other cases they provided guidelines for future rulers who might want to repair the structure.

The king’s reaction makes it clear that its contents were unfamiliar. Josiah was deeply convicted by what he read and sought guidance from the Lord as a result. The response, delivered through the Huldah the prophetess, included both good and bad news. Josiah would escape the promised destruction—but only through death. The Lord promised that Josiah would end his life in peace before disaster fell upon the city and its people.

Josiah responded appropriately to the discovery both as an individual and as the official representative of his people. He wept in sorrow and implemented sweeping changes in an effort to root out idolatry. His personal faithfulness was the key to a national revival that lasted his entire life.

The rediscovery of the Book of the Law in the temple testifies to the faithfulness of God and the permanence of His Word. God’s people may forget, but God will not. His Word “stands forever” (Isa. 40:8). Yet Josiah’s repentance was not enough to stem the judgment. Jerusalem’s eventual destruction along with its temple could not be prevented by Josiah’s genuine repentance. God’s plan was already set in motion. Despite the respite of Josiah’s reign, God would prove to be as true to His threats as He was to His promises.

APPLY THE WORD
As you listen to God’s Word preached today, consider that you are benefiting from a treasure that has been preserved for thousands of years. Our reaction should be the same as Josiah’s when we hear the Word: we respond to the conviction and we take action to align our lives with God’s commands. Read James 1:22-25 as another reminder to apply the truth of God to your own life. Thank God for providing this way to guide you!

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: 2 Kings 24:8-13
“The days are coming . . . when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch, a King who will reign wisely. - Jeremiah 23:5
TODAY IN THE WORD
William Henry Harrison had the shortest tenure of any American president. He was one of the oldest to be elected (only Ronald Reagan was older) and the first to die in office. Harrison died of pneumonia after being in office only 32 days. HIs greatest achievement was probably the resolution to the constitutional crisis regarding presidential succession that followed his death.

Jehoiachin was considerably younger than William Henry Harrison when he ascended to the throne of Judah, but his reign was even shorter. Jehoiachin served as king for three months and was deposed when the Babylonians laid siege to the city of Jerusalem. Jehoicahin was also called Coniah or Jeconiah, a name meaning, “Jehovah will establish.” Sadly, this turned out to be an ironic name.

The Babylonians likely were responding to the political intrigues of his father rather than something that Jehoiachin himself had done. But the Bible’s assessment of the moral character of Jehoiachin’s short reign is stark: “He did evil in the eyes of the LORD, just as his father had done” (2 Kings 24:9). Because of this, the Lord declared that Jehoiachin’s immediate offspring would not sit on the throne of Judah (see Jer. 22:29-30). Instead, as our key verse notes, God promised to raise up another King from the line of David. This is Jesus the Messiah.

Jehoiachin, along with his mother, attendants, nobles, and officials, surrendered to Nebuchadnezzar who came personally to take possession of the city. Troops looted both the temple and the palace, just as God had predicted (see 2 Kings 25:15). He also deported the strongest and wealthiest of Jerusalem’s citizens. Nebuchadnezzar then appointed Jehoiachin’s uncle to the throne as a puppet ruler.

The tragic story of Jehoiachin’s reign is a solemn reminder of the cost of sin. He not only suffered as a result of his own evil but also experienced collateral damage from the sinful choices of his forbears. Sin is personal, but it is also a family affair whose destructive impact is felt for generations.

APPLY THE WORD
Jeremiah’s prophecy of Jesus the Messiah is a bright ray of hope in the midst of Jehoiachin’s gloomy story. During this season, there are a number of ways that you could focus on this hope. As you decorate with Christmas lights, give thanks for the ray of hope in Jesus, the light of the world. If you are using a Christmas tree or wreath, celebrate the truth of the Branch from the line of David that God provided.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: 2 Kings 25:1-21
The Lord has rejected his altar and abandoned his sanctuary. - Lamentations 2:7
TODAY IN THE WORD
People who have been in an automobile accident sometimes say that during the seconds before a collision everything seems to move in slow motion. You can see the other car coming and may brace yourself, but nothing can stop the impact. This must have been how the last days of Solomon’s temple felt to those who experienced its decline and destruction.

The temple suffered through periods of neglect and spiritual compromise, as some of Judah’s kings introduced elements of pagan worship into its practices (see 2 Kings 16:10-18). The temple was looted by several of Judah’s enemies (see 2 Kings 18:15-16). Finally, it fell to the Babylonians in two stages. The first stage was in 597B.C. when the Babylonians looted the temple of its treasures and deported King Jehoiachin. The second stage, described in today’s passage, occurred ten years later.

During the final siege of Jerusalem the prophet Jeremiah urged the people of Judah to surrender to the Babylonians. Zedekiah, Nebuchadnezzar’s designated ruler, seems to have been generally supportive of Jeremiah. He occasionally consulted him (Jer. 21:1-14). But he was not a strong enough leader to keep Jeremiah from being arrested and imprisoned (Jer. 37:11-21).

Zedekiah had hoped that God might deliver Jerusalem at the last minute. He ignored Jeremiah’s advice to submit to Babylonian rule and instead attempted to escape by night. He was captured and carried to the Syrian town of Riblah where Nebuchadnezzar was headquartered. After being forced to watch his sons’ execution, Zedekiah was blinded and imprisoned.

The Babylonian commander carried off what remained of the temple furnishings. In this way the Lord used the Babylonians to execute the death sentence He had pronounced on the city and on its temple many years before. The language of verse 21 not only alludes to God’s promise to give Abraham’s descendants the land (Gen. 12:7). It also points to Jehovah’s warnings that He would drive them from the land if they were unfaithful (see Josh. 23:13).

APPLY THE WORD
It is important to remember that God was just as much at work in the destruction of the temple as He was in its building. Are there areas in your life or church where you see can see evidence of God’s gracious demolition? We are often like Zedekiah in times like these, looking for a quick fix or fast way out. Pray for the grace to persevere in faith and hope, waiting for God to accomplish His purpose. Know that His painful mercy means that He has not abandoned you.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Jeremiah 7:1-16
“It is written,” he said to them, ‘My house will be called a house of prayer,’ but you are making it a ‘den of robbers’.” - Matthew 21:13
TODAY IN THE WORD
Some people carry a rabbit’s foot for good luck. Others hang a horseshoe over the door or look for a four-leaf clover. They rely on an inanimate object as a talisman against trouble to protect them from harm. This was also the mentality of many toward the temple in Jerusalem. They believed that the temple’s presence in Jerusalem would shield the city from the enemy. Nebuchadnezzar might lay siege to Jerusalem but they did not believe he would succeed.

This misconception was the result of false assumptions and selective memory. The temple was the dwelling place of the Ark of the Covenant. During their wandering in the wilderness the ark led the way, representing God’s powerful presence. Each time the ark set out Moses declared, “Rise up, LORD! May your enemies be scattered; may your foes flee before you” (Num. 10:35). During the battle of Jericho the ark preceded the army (Joshua 6). In more recent history, the Lord had miraculous spared Jerusalem in Hezekiah’s day after the Assyrians surrounded the city (2 Kings 18:17-19:36).

During the period of the judges, however, the Lord had demonstrated that the ark could not be handled like a weapon or treated as if it were a lucky charm. In Samuel’s day after the Philistines defeated Israel at Ebenezer, soldiers brought the ark from the city of Shiloh in Ephraim hoping that it would give them a military advantage. Instead, the Philistines defeated Israel again and captured the ark (1 Sam. 4:1-11). Shiloh was subsequently destroyed by the Philistines. Jeremiah refers to this defeat in verse 14 of today’s passage.

In his commentary on this passage, Philip Graham Ryken observes, “The people of Judah operated on the assumption that God neither saw nor cared what they did during the week.” Religious formalism will never please God and true repentance involves more than mere words. The only real remedy for their situation was reform. The demand that God’s people reform their ways was the shock treatment needed to make them aware of the depth of their spiritual hypocrisy. Repentance was the first step to real righteousness.

APPLY THE WORD
Jeremiah’s reproof provides important insight into the spiritual disease of hypocrisy. Hypocrisy is a result of spiritual compartmentalization. Whenever we separate our ordinary life from our religious life we make ourselves vulnerable to hypocrisy. God is interested in our behavior in the home, on the job, or in the neighborhood just as He is in our behavior in the place of worship. He doesn’t want us to go through the motions; He desires transformed lives that reflect His grace.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Ezekiel 11:16-21
Lord, you have been our dwelling place throughout all generations. - Psalm 90:1
TODAY IN THE WORD
John and his wife Jane were homesick when they moved from the Detroit area to a suburb of Philadelphia. They contented themselves with visits to the local mall. The uniformity of the chain stores gave the illusion of being in familiar territory. To this day, thirty years later, they still like to visit a favorite restaurant chain because it reminds them of home.

One of the most painful aspects of the Babylonian exile for God’s people was not only the unfamiliarity of their new surroundings but also a sense of separation from the land of the sanctuary. We hear an echo of the profound grief they felt in the first four verses of Psalm 137, where the psalmist says that the exiles wept when their captors demanded that they sing one of the songs of Zion. The writer laments: “How can we sing the songs of the LORD while in a foreign land?” (Ps. 137:4).

The fact that he describes these as “songs of Jehovah” suggests that these are songs of worship, not merely folk songs. In other words, not only was it hard for the exiles to rejoice in their new circumstances, they found it hard to worship.

The Lord provided in two ways. First, He promised to be a sanctuary to them in their exile. In verse 16, Ezekiel uses the same word the Lord used when He commanded Moses to build the tabernacle: “Then have them make a sanctuary for me, and I will dwell among them” (Ex. 25:8).

The second promise was to restore God’s people. This restoration involved more than gathering them from the lands where they had been scattered and returning their homeland to them. It included spiritual restoration as well. God promised to replace their stony hearts with a “heart of flesh” (v. 19). This new “undivided heart” would be inclined to obey God’s laws.

The kind of widespread obedience that Ezekiel describes remains to be fulfilled. But those who have trusted in Jesus Christ as their Savior can experience it through spiritual rebirth. They have been united with Christ in a way that enables them to live a new life (Rom. 6:4). They are now able to “put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness” (Eph. 4:24).

APPLY THE WORD
The key to successful Christian living is not only to live for Christ but also to live in Christ. To use Paul’s language, the secret is to recognize that Christ is alive in you. The apostle Paul calls this “the hope of glory” in Colossians 1:27. The One who inhabited the tabernacle and the temple also abides in us through the Holy Spirit! He is our sanctuary and we are His. We can rest in Him.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Isaiah 44:24-45:7
Do not be afraid, for I am with you; I will bring your children from the east and gather you from the west. - Isaiah 43:5
TODAY IN THE WORD
In the past few decades video games have become increasingly realistic. Advances in graphics, speed, and sound make virtual reality more than a label. Games are so realistic that the military sometimes uses this technology for training. One key difference remains between realistic games and true reality. When you die in the real world, you don’t normally get a “do-over.”

When God sent His people into captivity, He did not abandon them. The destruction of Solomon’s temple was not the end of the temple as a focal point for worship. Even before Jerusalem fell, the prophet Isaiah promised a “do-over” for God’s people. One hundred and fifty years before the Persian ruler Cyrus issued the command, Isaiah predicted that he would order Jerusalem to be rebuilt and lay the foundations of a new temple. Cyrus did not act on his own accord in this. The prophet’s language makes it clear that he was acting on God’s behalf.

The specific nature of Isaiah’s prophecy has prompted some to say that this prediction was added later by someone who lived near the end of the Babylonian exile. This suggestion emerges from the assumption that there’s no such thing as predictive prophecy. Yet why should we be surprised that the one who “made all things” and who “alone stretched out the heavens” would be able to identify Cyrus by name long before he was born (v. 24)?

Isaiah’s prophecy describes Cyrus as the Lord’s “anointed.” This term was associated with Israel’s kings (see 1 Sam. 16:6). Later it was used as a title for Israel’s messiah (see Acts 4:26). Cyrus was not the Messiah, but he did serve as a “deliverer” to God’s people. The Lord’s promise to “open doors” for Cyrus in Isaiah 45:1 is especially poignant. Cyrus’s army gained access to Babylon by way of the dry river bed after the water had been diverted, and they opened the city gates from the inside.

In the book of Revelation Jesus Christ, God’s true anointed, describes Himself as the one who holds the key of David: “What he opens no one can shut, and what he shuts no one can open” (Rev. 3:7).

APPLY THE WORD
The God who closes doors is equally adept at opening them. God can accomplish His purpose through those who do not know or acknowledge Him. This should inform the way that we pray for our leaders (see Rom. 13:1-7). We are instructed to pray, and we might not always know how God plans to use them to accomplish His perfect plan. Spend time today in prayer for your local, state, and national leaders, that God’s will might be done through them.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Haggai 1:1-11
I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty. - John 6:35
TODAY IN THE WORD
The classic film Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House describes the harrowing experience of New York advertising executive Jim Blandings and his wife Muriel as they attempt to renovate a 200-year-old Connecticut farm house. The combination of skyrocketing bills and unexpected problems put a strain on the Blandings’ marriage as well as their pocketbook.

The exiles who returned to Jerusalem to rebuild the temple found their task equally challenging. Although initially excited at the prospect of returning to their ancestral home, the former exiles were overwhelmed by the city’s state of disrepair and intimidated by the opposition of their neighbors. As a result, the building project, which had begun with rejoicing, halted after only five years. When Haggai uttered the prophecy in today’s passage the project had been on hiatus for ten years.

Through the prophet the Lord engaged in a dialogue with the returned exiles, voicing their objections to the prospect of beginning again. They explained their inaction by saying that the time was not right for rebuilding the temple. It’s unclear whether this is an appeal to prophetic timing or adverse circumstances. The nature of the Lord’s response suggests that it was the latter. The contrast between the opulence of their own homes (“paneled houses”) with the desolation of God’s house in verse 4 indicates the economic factors were at least partly to blame.

The Lord’s complaint that His house was in “ruin” is especially interesting when compared to His response to David in 2 Samuel 7:5-7 (see Dec. 10). It was not the absence of a “house” that bothered the Lord so much as what their unwillingness to invest in the project represented.

God grounds His appeal in reason, not guilt, in this passage. Instead of dwelling on the embarrassing contrast between their homes and his unfinished house, the Lord challenges them to carefully calculate the return on investment they have received from selfishness thus far. The reason for such a poor return was not the economic climate but God Himself (vv. 9-11).

APPLY THE WORD
This season of shopping and holiday merriment is a good time to “consider your ways” and calculate your investment. What does your checkbook say about your financial priorities? Do you resist giving to the Lord because you fear you won’t have enough resources for what you need (or want)? We serve a God who has promised to supply all our needs (Phil. 4:19) and give us a spiritual return on our investment (Mal. 3:10). It’s worth it to make Him a priority in our finances.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Ezra 3:1-13
Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done. - Luke 22:42
TODAY IN THE WORD
A small congregation purchased ground and saved for several years to build a new church building. Members cheered aloud the day the contractor put up the first wall. But once they began worshiping in their new building, a strange thing happened. The church experienced a collective sense of depression. They enjoyed the amenities of their new church but missed the intimacy of their old building, even though it had only been a storefront in town.

The exiles who returned to Jerusalem and saw the foundation of the second temple laid in Ezra’s day felt a similar ambivalence. Although Cyrus had issued the original decree that opened the way for the reconstruction of the temple in Jerusalem, the work did not begin in earnest until the time of Artaxerxes I. Ezra returned with about 5,000 exiles to complete the work Nehemiah had begun.

Ezra’s commission did not reflect genuine faith by Artaxerxes. Although the king expressed concern about the wrath of Israel’s God, his policy seems to have been driven more by motives of political expediency than by religious conviction. Persian rulers found it more effective to accommodate the religious customs of the nations they subjected than to disrupt and relocate them like the Babylonians had done. God used this more “enlightened” policy to accomplish His goals and fulfill His promise to restore Jerusalem.

The initial efforts of the returned exiles, led by Joshua the high priest and Zerubbabel the governor, begun three months after their arrival, reflected both faith and fear. According to Ezra 3:3 they built the altar on the foundation of the original “despite their fear of the peoples around them.” Faith is not incompatible with fear. The two often coexist.

When the time came to lay the foundation of the temple itself, the builders did so to the sound of trumpets and cymbals as the Levites sang a psalm. The people shouted in response—but not everyone cheered. The older priests who could still remember Solo-mon’s temple wept so loudly that it was impossible to distinguish the shouts of joy from the sound of weeping.

APPLY THE WORD
If fear is sometimes compatible with faith, so is ambivalence. Jesus’ prayer in the garden is proof of this. In His prayer Jesus speaks of two “wills.” One is His own, and the other is the will of His heavenly Father (Luke 22:42). Jesus’ confidence that the Father’s will was superior is what separated His understandable ambivalence from our sinful rebellion. If you are struggling with this, pray the words of Jesus and ask the Spirit to strengthen you to obey the leading of the Lord.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Haggai 2:1-9
Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests. - Luke 2:14
TODAY IN THE WORD
Some churches are more focused on the past than they are on the future. The importance of the past to a congregation is often in direct proportion to its age. The longer the history, the more likely a congregation will be tempted to think that its best days are behind them. This is especially true if the church has experienced numerical decline over the years. “I remember when these seats used to be filled,” older members may say. This kind of disappointment can be overcome, but it is difficult. It is hard to move forward when you are always looking backward.

Today’s message from the prophet Haggai is a response to the disappointment many expressed when the foundation of the second temple was laid. The assertion of verse 3 is more than a question, it is an admission. The eyes of those who were disappointed had not deceived them. Although some of the vessels that Nebuchadnezzar had looted from the Solomon’s temple had been returned, Zerubbabel’s temple did not compare with it in size or in beauty.

The “glory days” of Solomon were gone for good.

The glory days were gone—but not the glory. God had promised to manifest His presence to His people. The God who had gone before them in the wilderness and had been a sanctuary for them during the exile was still with them (v. 4). The Lord promised to “fill this house with glory” (v. 7). This seems to be an allusion to the cloud of glory that had filled the tabernacle and Solomon’s temple (Ex. 40:34-35; 1 Kings 8:10-11).

Verse 8 confirms that those who were disappointed with Zerubbabel’s temple were focusing on its external beauty. The second temple would also be adorned with silver and gold. Herod eventually renovated and expanded Zerubbabel’s temple in an attempt to match the dimensions and grandeur of its predecessor and partly succeeded. His improvements were impressive enough for Je-sus’ disciples to comment on the massive size of the temple’s stones and the magnificence of its buildings (Mark 13:1).

Haggai’s promise that the latter glory of God’s house would surpass the glory former, however, points to the one distinction that this second temple had that the first did not: God incarnate, Jesus, walked within its precincts, teaching, healing and proclaiming the gospel of peace.

APPLY THE WORD
During this season it can be hard to face the challenge of reduced circumstances. Perhaps economic reality has forced you to cut back on your spending. Compared to your former celebrations, your present plans “seem like nothing.” Lavishness isn’t required to worship Christ—or to celebrate His birth. There may be times when extravagance is warranted (John 12:3). In most cases, however, “only one thing is needed” (Luke 10:42). Offer Christ your devotion and it is enough.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Malachi 1:1-14
You cannot have a part in both the Lord’s table and the table of demons. - 1 Corinthians 10:21
TODAY IN THE WORD
In the weeks that followed the 9/11 tragedy, church attendance increased noticeably. Fox News reported that nearly half the adult population in the United States attended a religious service on the Sunday following the terrorist attacks. Our national trauma became an occasion for collective soul searching, and many swore that they “would never be the same.” Unfortunately, this proved to be only a temporary burst of religious fervor. As early as the following November church attendance started to drop, and within a year it had returned to the same level as before the attack.

Despite their longing to return to Jerusalem and worship at the temple again, God’s people similarly lost interest. Fifteen years after the completion of Zerubbabel’s temple God sent the prophet Malachi to rebuke the people of Jerusalem for neglecting the temple. One of the most shocking features of this reprimand was its target. In verses 6 and 7 the Lord accuses the priests of showing contempt for His name by placing “defiled food” on His altar. This may have been a result of economic pressure. When Persian funds ceased to be available, some tried to cut costs by offering animals that would not normally have been acceptable by Levitical standards.

Just how far they had lowered the bar is evident from verse 8: “When you bring blind animals for sacrifice, is that not wrong? When you sacrifice crippled or diseased animals, is that not wrong? Try offering them to your governor! Would he be pleased with you? Would he accept you?” This was not simply a case of the poor offering the best that they had. It was a matter of cutting corners (v. 14).

The phrase “the Lord’s table” in verse 12 refers to the altar, not to the communion table of the New Testament. But the church’s observance of communion has something in common with these Old Testament feasts. Both involved food and provided the worshiper with an opportunity to fellowship with God. God expects both the Lord’s table of the temple and the Lord’s Supper in the church today to demonstrate our commitment to holiness.

APPLY THE WORD
Do we come to the Lord’s Supper with the same careless disregard of Malachi’s contemporaries? None of us would say that the Lord’s Supper is contemptible, but we rush through the Communion service or participate in an unthinking manner. The apostle Paul warned the Corinthians to examine themselves first and then partake of the Lord’s Supper. It is not too soon to begin preparing your heart for the next time you go to worship the Lord through the Lord’s Supper.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Luke 1:26-43
The Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel. - Isaiah 7:14
TODAY IN THE WORD
English poet Richard Crashaw’s beautiful phrase expresses the mystery of the virgin birth and the wonder of the incarnation of Christ: “Welcome, all wonders in one sight! Eternity shut in a span.” This was literally the case where Mary was concerned. The angel’s greeting in verse 28, “the Lord is with you,” must have taken on an entirely new significance for her as he explained God’s plan. God would not only be with her but in her, as the narrow confines of her womb carried the child who was also the Son of God. Eternity shut in a span!

It seems likely that Mary did not immediately grasp the full implications of what was being promised. What was immediately clear was that the angel had promised she would bear a son who would be the Messiah. Her question focuses primarily on the mechanics of the pregnancy, since she was betrothed but still a virgin (v. 34). Elizabeth’s prophetic statement in verse 43 made it clear that this child would be like no other. Mary was to be the mother of Elizabeth’s Lord.

The angel’s description of Jesus’ future reign was a further indication of the remarkable nature of Mary’s child. Born in the line of David, he would reign as king. Yet while David had been promised an everlasting dynasty, the angel promised that the child born to Mary would exercise an everlasting reign. It is not Jesus and His descendants who will rule forever. It is Jesus Himself who will “reign over the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end” (v. 33).

The magnitude of this miracle involved all three members of the Trinity. The overshadowing power of the Most High was exercised as the Holy Spirit came upon Mary and God the Son took human form in her womb. The Greek term translated “overshadow” in verse 35 is used elsewhere in the New Testament to refer to the cloud of God’s presence (see Matt. 17:5; Mark 9:7; Luke 9:34). This is the same glory that filled the tabernacle and the temple. The unity of the Trinity, who created all things, joins each divine participant to enact an even greater miracle. Thanks be to God!

APPLY THE WORD
Prepare for your celebration of Christ’s birth by reflecting on the mystery of the Incarnation. You can find the text of Richard Crashaw’s poem on the Internet at http://shakespeareauthorship.com/xmas/crashaw.html. Or look in a hymnal for the traditional Christmas carol “Of the Father’s Love Begotten.” These Christian poets from centuries past capture the depth and beauty of the divine work of the Incarnation, making it possible for the perfect Son of God to become Mary’s child.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Luke 2:21-40
God sent his Son, born of a woman . . . to redeem those under the law, that we might receive adoption to sonship. - Galatians 4:4-5
TODAY IN THE WORD
Some people say that “timing is everything.” But in most instances our “good timing” is accidental. We happen to fill out a job application on the same day that someone quits. We go somewhere on a whim and meet a person in a chance encounter who becomes a lifelong friend or a spouse. We happen to be “in the right place at the right time”—but not because we had planned it. God is at work behind the scenes, rolling out the details of His grand design for our lives. But to us the whole thing feels like a coincidence.

Today’s passage is full of meetings that look like chance encounters but are actually divine appointments. Eight days after Christ’s birth, Mary and Joseph had Jesus circumcised and gave Him the name that the angel had commanded. Thirty-three days after that they traveled to Jerusalem to consecrate Him to the Lord and make an offering for Mary’s purification.

The timing of Jesus’ circumcision was determined by the Law of Moses (Lev. 12:3). The Law also required that the firstborn male of every family be consecrated to God (Ex. 13:2, 12). This act of consecration involved offering a sacrifice. The ordinary purification offering was a year-old lamb and a pigeon or a dove. Those who could not afford it were allowed to offer two pigeons or two doves instead. The fact that Luke 2:24 mentions “a pair of doves or two young pigeons” indicates the economic status of Joseph and Mary.

While visiting the temple, Joseph and Mary met a man called Simeon. Although he is not explicitly called a prophet in the text, Simeon played a prophetic role in these events. He was “righteous and devout” and had been told by Holy Spirit that he would see the Messiah (vv. 25-27). He was “moved by the Spirit” to visit the temple just in time to encounter Joseph and Mary. His benediction was further confirmation for Joseph and Mary of what God had done in their lives. They also met the prophetess Anna who “spoke about the child to all who were looking forward to the redemption of Israel” (Luke 2:38).

APPLY THE WORD
We do not need to be anxious about placing ourselves in the right place at the right time. We need to trust in God’s perfect timing and respond to the prompting of the Holy Spirit. Often we cannot discern the details of God’s plan in advance. Only afterward, as God brings seemingly random circumstances together in a meaningful way, it becomes clear. If you struggle to make sense of events in your life now, remain faithful and trust that one day God will reveal His work to you.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: John 1:1-18
That which was from the beginning, which we have heard ... this we proclaim concerning the Word of life. - 1 John 1:1
TODAY IN THE WORD
Every holiday season there seems to be at least one news story about a nativity scene that has been vandalized. This is especially true of those displayed by municipalities. Often the damage is a matter of theft. Someone has stolen the baby Jesus!

These thefts do show the emphasis we place upon the infancy of Christ. The Bible speaks of the fact of Christ’s infancy, but interestingly does not devote much of the biblical record to it. With the exception of one brief story (Luke 2:42-52), the Bible is silent about the details of Jesus’ childhood. Scripture is less interested in the details of His infancy than it is in the fact of His humanity.

This is the theme of today’s passage and the reason we celebrate Christmas. It is the astonishing news that in the person of Jesus Christ God drew near to us and lived in our midst. This text emphasizes the reality of Jesus’ humanity along with His true deity. Jesus was not a God who simply appeared to be human. Neither was He a man who was elevated to divine status. Before creation existed, Jesus was. He was with God and He was God. In the Incarnation, Jesus became flesh and blood without ceasing to be divine. He is God come to us in our own form.

The language John uses in verse 14 alludes to the manifestation of God’s presence in the tabernacle by using the Greek term that means “to live in a tent.” The God who told David that He was not ashamed to make a tent His dwelling, and who “didst not abhor the virgin’s womb,” was not too proud to dwell in our midst as a man. Because He humbled Himself in this way, He was able to display the glory of God.

Jesus is the true tabernacle. He not only displayed the glory of God, He is Himself the God of glory. And He has made it possible for God to indwell us through His Spirit when we trust in the person and work of Jesus. God’s presence reached its full manifestation through Jesus (see Colossians 1).

APPLY THE WORD
At Christmas we celebrate the fact that Jesus was an infant. But we also celebrate the fact that He grew to full manhood. As we remember His birth, we also recall that He suffered and died for our sins. The God who became flesh was the man who died and rose again. He is the glory of God come to earth. Through Him “we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we boast in the hope of the glory of God” (Rom. 5:2).