prophecy – Be Still…

Isaiah 61:1-11 – Joy

Our Advent journey continues, and we’ll be encountering more prophecies this week. Did you recognize the first few verses of Isaiah’s prophecy? When Jesus preached in his hometown of Nazareth, he was given the scroll of Isaiah, and the text he read was the first two verses of our reading (see Luke 4:16-21).

How profound it must have been for Jesus to read those words, speaking about himself. This prophecy is another example of a refreshing message speaking about both Jesus’ first coming and his return. In other words, it speaks of restoration, both spiritual and physical. The physical has yet to happen completely, but the spiritual was our awakening or transformation into followers of Jesus. Continue reading “Isaiah 61:1-11 – Joy”

Zephaniah 3:14-20 – Jesus’ Promise

Read Zephaniah 3:14-20

The entire book of Zephaniah is only three chapters, so it’s a quick read. Zephaniah paints a harsh, maybe even terrifying, picture of how the people in Judah are facing doom. The tone of messaging changes in today’s reading to bring hope. It’s time to “be glad and rejoice with all your heart, O daughter of Jerusalem!” It’s a good reminder for us to rejoice amidst our temporary pain and affliction.

Oh, how wonderful those words would have sounded. At last, a prophecy the people would want to hear. Imagine hearing that your dread and fear would be taken away. The people who had suffered so long had something to hold on to—their hope for a savior. This prophecy even tells them to “cheer up!” Continue reading “Zephaniah 3:14-20 – Jesus’ Promise”

Ezekiel 36:16-38 – Thy Holy Name

Read Ezekiel 36:16-38

God means what he says. For those that don’t believe, I mourn for them. This message that the LORD gave Ezekiel makes it clear that his “naughty” people did not deserve to be rescued. Their sins had been detestable, and the LORD punished them just like he said he would.

Here, he is letting the people know that they would be restored. They could place their hope and trust in these words because God does what he says he will do. God’s mercy would be revealed so that his name could be “cleared.” It seems God believed his own reputation had been marred because of the behavior of his children. Continue reading “Ezekiel 36:16-38 – Thy Holy Name”

Ezekiel 34:1-10 – Not Really Shepherds

Read Ezekiel 34:1-10

I don’t think I’ve ever met a shepherd, or one who herds sheep, in person. I’ve commonly seen goat herders and cow wranglers here in Mexico, but never a shepherd. They would have been a lot more common in Ezekiel’s day. The Bible uses the shepherd metaphor in other places as well. The 23^rd Psalm begins, “The LORD is my shepherd, I have all that I need.”

Shepherds were some of the first people to meet Jesus face to face. That tells me that God thinks highly of shepherds, perhaps because of their devotion to their flocks. God’s expectations for a shepherd’s behavior is clearly set out here. Feeding the sheep, tending to the weak, caring for the sick, and certainly searching after any sheep that get lost. Continue reading “Ezekiel 34:1-10 – Not Really Shepherds”

Ezekiel 28:25-26 – Happily Ever After

Read Ezekiel 28:25-26

Amidst all of God’s plans to discipline Israel’s neighbors, Ezekiel inserts these two verses of promise. While the verses don’t seem to fit in with the other messages, the hope they bring is like a breath of fresh air. Ezekiel had to be feeling especially heavy with all these judgment messages he’d been hearing from God.

Hallelujah! There was a light at the end of the tunnel. The judgment of Judah has already come. The reality Ezekiel and his people were living in was captivity in exile. Others had run for the hills ahead of Jerusalem’s fall. What a wonderful message to know God is going to make all things right in the world. Continue reading “Ezekiel 28:25-26 – Happily Ever After”