The Day of the Lord Is Near

15 For the day of the Lord is near upon all the nations.
As you have done, it shall be done to you;
    your deeds shall return on your own head.
16 For as you have drunk on my holy mountain,
    so all the nations shall drink continually;
they shall drink and swallow,
    and shall be as though they had never been.
17 But in Mount Zion there shall be those who escape,
    and it shall be holy,
and the house of Jacob shall possess their own possessions.
18 The house of Jacob shall be a fire,
    and the house of Joseph a flame,
    and the house of Esau stubble;
they shall burn them and consume them,
    and there shall be no survivor for the house of Esau,
for the Lord has spoken. – Obadiah 1:15-18 ESV

The text of the prophecy now turns from Edom to Israel, with the author conveying God’s plans to redeem and restore His chosen people. While the descendants of Esau would suffer judgment for their unjust treatment of the Israelites, God would bless the descendants of Jacob. The “day of the Lord” is a common prophetic phrase that refers to God intervening in human affairs to carry out His will and enact justice on Earth.

Declaring His intent to enact the law of lex talionis, God warns all of Israel’s enemies, including the Edomites, “As you have done to Israel, so it will be done to you. All your evil deeds will fall back on your own heads.” (Odadiah 1:15 NLT). No one will escape God’s wrath or avoid His coming judgment.

This coming day of the Lord was a future event but it would have present implications for the people of Edom. Their demise would come soon and swiftly. Because of the violence they had inflicted on Israel, they faced imminent destruction. God’s predictions concerning their fall were graphic and detailed.

“I will bring you crashing down…” – Obadiah 1:4 NLT

“…your enemies will wipe you out completely!” – Obadiah 1:5 NLT

“Every nook and cranny of Edom will be searched and looted.” – Obadiah 1:6 NLT

“Every treasure will be found and taken.” – Obadiah 1:6 NLT

“All your allies will turn against you. They will help to chase you from your land.” – Obadiah 1:7 NLT

“Your trusted friends will set traps for you…” – Obadiah 1:8 NLT

“I will destroy everyone who has understanding.” – Obadiah 1:8 NLT

God’s judgment would be complete and inescapable.

“…everyone on the mountains of Edom will be cut down in the slaughter.” – Obadiah 1:9 NLT

This devastating prediction of Edom’s fall was near rather than far away. Like all biblical prophecies, this one has a now-not-yet dimension. It is impossible to know what future event God had in mind but most biblical scholars generally agree that it has already been fulfilled. One option is the rebellion of the Edomites during the reign of King Jehoram.

During Jehoram’s reign, the Edomites revolted against Judah and crowned their own king. So Jehoram went with all his chariots to attack the town of Zair. The Edomites surrounded him and his chariot commanders, but he went out at night and attacked them under cover of darkness. But Jehoram’s army deserted him and fled to their homes. So Edom has been independent from Judah to this day. – 2 Kings 8:20-22

Others believe Obadiah’s prophecy concerns the Babylonian invasion of Judah in 586 B.C. As the people of Judah suffered defeat at the hands of Nebuchadnezzar’s forces, the Edomites took advantage of the confusion by attacking their blood brothers and enriching themselves with the spoils from their towns and villages. The prophet Ezekiel recorded God’s warning of the judgment they would face for their treachery.

“Your eternal hatred for the people of Israel led you to butcher them when they were helpless, when I had already punished them for all their sins. As surely as I live, says the Sovereign Lord, since you show no distaste for blood, I will give you a bloodbath of your own. Your turn has come! I will make Mount Seir utterly desolate, killing off all who try to escape and any who return. I will fill your mountains with the dead. Your hills, your valleys, and your ravines will be filled with people slaughtered by the sword. I will make you desolate forever. Your cities will never be rebuilt. Then you will know that I am the Lord.” – Ezekiel 35:5-9 NLT

Regardless of which event God had in mind, the prophecy contained in Obadiah would take place sooner rather than later. The Edomites were minor players in God’s end-times drama. They would disappear from the scene only to be replaced by other nations that would treat God’s people with the same scorn and disdain. But God warns that these nations will also “drink and stagger and disappear from history” (Obadiah 1:16 NLT).

The hatred for God’s people would continue with successive waves of attack being carried out by a seemingly endless stream of hostile forces aligned against the descendants of Jacob. This prophecy is still being fulfilled today as the nation of Israel and the Jewish people endure a never-ending onslaught of hatred and calls for genocide against them. Yet God informs His people that their elimination is not an option; He will not allow it. In His providence, He will bring about their protection and preservation as a nation. 

“But in Mount Zion there shall be those who escape,
    and it shall be holy,
and the house of Jacob shall possess their own possessions.” – Obadiah 1:17 NLT

Mount Zion refers to the mountain range on which Jerusalem sits. Though the capital city of Israel will continue to come under siege and face ongoing opposition, God will spare a remnant of His people and ensure the city’s role as a refuge for the people of God. 

“But Jerusalem will become a refuge for those who escape;
    it will be a holy place.
And the people of Israel will come back
    to reclaim their inheritance.” – Obadiah 1:17 NLT

As the prophecy makes clear, the nation of Edom would eventually meet its demise. To this day, there is no nation of Edom. But their elimination would not end the persecution of God's people. Over the centuries, other nations have appeared on the scene whose goal has been the persecution and eventual eradication of God’s people. But God has promised to sustain His people and maintain His covenant commitments to them. 

“The people of Israel will be a raging fire,
    and Edom a field of dry stubble.
The descendants of Joseph will be a flame
    roaring across the field, devouring everything.
There will be no survivors in Edom.
    I, the Lord, have spoken!” – Obadiah 1:18 NLT

Edom serves as a stand-in for all the other antagonistic and godless nations that will dare to stand opposed to God’s chosen people. Their efforts will be thwarted by God Almighty. Any attempt to destroy Israel will be unsuccessful and, ultimately, futile. God has plans for His people and nothing will prevent Him from fulfilling those plans and carrying out His sovereign will. As He told the Israelites living in exile in Babylon, “When seventy years are completed for Babylon, I will visit you, and I will fulfill to you my promise and bring you back to this place. For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope” (Jeremiah 29:10-11 ESV).

English Standard Version (ESV)
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT)
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

The Message (MSG)Copyright © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene H. Peterson

The Journey from Merit to Mercy

18 For you have not come to what may be touched, a blazing fire and darkness and gloom and a tempest 19 and the sound of a trumpet and a voice whose words made the hearers beg that no further messages be spoken to them. 20 For they could not endure the order that was given, “If even a beast touches the mountain, it shall be stoned.” 21 Indeed, so terrifying was the sight that Moses said, “I tremble with fear.” 22 But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to innumerable angels in festal gathering, 23 and to the assembly of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven, and to God, the judge of all, and to the spirits of the righteous made perfect, 24 and to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel. – Hebrews 12:18-24 ESV

The author of Hebrews compares the Christian life to that of a long and arduous journey. Because of his Hebrew audience, he most likely had in mind the more than 40-year journey the people of Israel took to get to the land promised by God to their forefather, Abraham.

That trek had ended up being an ultra-marathon, covering thousands of miles and four decades, and it required incredible endurance and a constant awareness that there truly was a goal in mind. They were headed somewhere. The seemingly endless journey had an actual destination. Even on those days when it all felt pointless and mind-numbingly repetitious, they had to keep walking and trusting that God knew what He was doing and that Moses knew where he was going. At times, they had their doubts and felt free to make them known.

In these verses, the author contrasts Mount Sinai with Mount Zion. The first mountain was from their past. It was the place, early on in the Exodus story, where God had met with Moses and given him the Ten Commandments and the Book of the Covenant. That fateful day, when Moses prepared to ascend Mount Sinai had been a terrifying and life-changing moment for the people of God.

On the morning of the third day there were thunders and lightnings and a thick cloud on the mountain and a very loud trumpet blast, so that all the people in the camp trembled. Then Moses brought the people out of the camp to meet God, and they took their stand at the foot of the mountain. Now Mount Sinai was wrapped in smoke because the Lord had descended on it in fire. The smoke of it went up like the smoke of a kiln, and the whole mountain trembled greatly. And as the sound of the trumpet grew louder and louder, Moses spoke, and God answered him in thunder. – Exodus 19:16-19 ESV

The physical manifestations that accompanied the presence of God on the pinnacle of the mountain had left the people in a state of fear and anxiety. The Exodus account goes on to say, “when all the people saw the thunder and the flashes of lightning and the sound of the trumpet and the mountain smoking, the people were afraid and trembled, and they stood far off and said to Moses, ‘You speak to us, and we will listen; but do not let God speak to us, lest we die’” (Exodus 20:18-19 ESV).

The dramatic pyrotechnic display they witnessed that day left them terrified. None of them missed the significance or symbolism of it all. Their God was powerful, holy, transcendent, and not to be trifled with. The dramatic display on the top of Mount Sinai was intended to reinforce in their minds the holiness of God. It was also a reminder of their own sinfulness. That fact would be reinforced by God’s giving of the Ten Commandments to Moses.

But as the book of Exodus recounts, the first time Moses returned from the top of the mountain with the tablets in his hands, he found the people worshiping the golden calf. Just days after the dramatic and frightening display of God’s presence on the mountain that had left them trembling in fear, they had determined to make their own god. Moses had been gone for 40 days and the people began to doubt that he would ever return. So, in his absence, they convinced Aaron, Moses’ older brother, to fashion a false god out of their trinkets of gold.

When the people saw how long it was taking Moses to come back down the mountain, they gathered around Aaron. “Come on,” they said, “make us some gods who can lead us. We don’t know what happened to this fellow Moses, who brought us here from the land of Egypt.” – Exodus 32:1 NLT

Angered by the actions of His rebellious people, God informed Moses of His intentions to destroy them.

“I have seen how stubborn and rebellious these people are. Now leave me alone so my fierce anger can blaze against them, and I will destroy them. Then I will make you, Moses, into a great nation.” – Exodus 32:9-10 NLT

But Moses interceded on behalf of the people, pleading with God to remember the covenant He had made with Abraham.

“Change your mind about this terrible disaster you have threatened against your people! Remember your servants Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. You bound yourself with an oath to them, saying, ‘I will make your descendants as numerous as the stars of heaven. And I will give them all of this land that I have promised to your descendants, and they will possess it forever.’” – Exodus 32:12-13 NLT

But their sinful actions produced painful consequences. That very day, God used the Levites to execute 3,000 individuals who had instigated the rebellion. So, from that day forward, the remaining Israelites would always view Mount Sinai as a symbol of God’s holiness and their own unrighteousness, and the Law God gave them would prove to be a constant reminder of their own sinfulness and incapacity to live obediently.

But for the believer, Mount Zion is a radically different mountain that represents an altogether different encounter with God. Mount Sinai was physical in nature and could be seen and touched, albeit on pain of death. Yet Mount Zion is a spiritual mountain. There is no smoke, fire, thunder, lightning, or ban against drawing near. Mount Zion is not only approachable, it is preferable. It is our final destination. It represents “the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem” (Hebrews 12:22 ESV).

During the reigns of David and Solomon, Jerusalem was a powerful city, the capital of the Jewish empire. It was in Jerusalem that Solomon built the temple. It was there that the people came each year on the Day of Atonement to make sacrifices to God. As the people journeyed from the surrounding areas up to Jerusalem, they would sing the Songs of Ascent found in the Psalms. One of them says, “Those who trust in the Lord are like Mount Zion, which cannot be moved, but abides forever. As the mountains surround Jerusalem, so the Lord surrounds his people, from this time forth and forevermore” (Psalm 125:1-2 ESV).

Jerusalem, the royal city, sat on the top of Mount Zion, where it represented the presence of God. It was there that God dwelt in the Holy of Holies of the temple. It was to Zion that the people walked in order to celebrate the various feasts and festivals. It was to Mount Zion they ascended to receive forgiveness of sin and to have their relationship with God restored.

For those who have placed their faith in Jesus, Mount Zion is the final destination on their spiritual journey. It represents the believer’s heavenly home – “the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem.” Christ-followers are on a journey to a place where they will encounter God, but rather than experiencing fear and trembling, they will enjoy peace, acceptance, joy, and freedom from sin and sorrow. There will be no condemnation. There will be no need for the law to remind us of God’s holy expectations. We will be holy.

There will be no conviction of sin or any need for the law to expose our sin anymore because we will be sinless. In a sense, the Christian life is a journey from one mountain to another. It is a long, sometimes difficult trip away from the mountain where man’s relationship with God was marked by law, rule-keeping, disobedience, fear, and failure. It is a daily walk toward another mountain where we will find complete forgiveness, the redemption of our bodies, and our final glorification.

Paul reminds us, “But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body” (Philippians 3:20-21 ESV).

We are on our way to Mount Zion. That is our final destination. It is our home. And while the journey there may seem long and at times difficult, we must keep our eye on the prize. We must never turn back to Mount Sinai, marked by rules and a constant reminder of our guilt and sin. Mount Zion is our home, where we will be with all those who have gone before us and enjoy unbroken fellowship with God and “Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant” (Hebrews 12:24 ESV).

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

A New King and a New Capital.

Then all the tribes of Israel came to David at Hebron and said, “Behold, we are your bone and flesh. In times past, when Saul was king over us, it was you who led out and brought in Israel. And the Lord said to you, ‘You shall be shepherd of my people Israel, and you shall be prince over Israel.’” So all the elders of Israel came to the king at Hebron, and King David made a covenant with them at Hebron before the Lord, and they anointed David king over Israel. David was thirty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned forty years. At Hebron he reigned over Judah seven years and six months, and at Jerusalem he reigned over all Israel and Judah thirty-three years.

And the king and his men went to Jerusalem against the Jebusites, the inhabitants of the land, who said to David, “You will not come in here, but the blind and the lame will ward you off”—thinking, “David cannot come in here.” Nevertheless, David took the stronghold of Zion, that is, the city of David. And David said on that day, “Whoever would strike the Jebusites, let him get up the water shaft to attack ‘the lame and the blind,’ who are hated by David's soul.” Therefore it is said, “The blind and the lame shall not come into the house.”And David lived in the stronghold and called it the city of David. And David built the city all around from the Millo inward. And David became greater and greater, for the Lord, the God of hosts, was with him. – 2 Samuel 5:1-10 ESV

“And they anointed David king over Israel.” The great day finally arrived. It had not been without its difficulties and delays. There had probably been moments when David felt like it would never happen. It was in those moments of doubt that David had been tempted to take matters into his own hands and speed up the process. But the will of God can’t be rushed. Our impatience and subsequent impulsive attempts to help God out, will never cause God to alter His timing or the outcome He has in mind. In most cases, it will simply complicate things, making our wait seem even longer and the circumstances surrounding our lives even harder. But the day finally arrived when David was crowned king over all of Israel – all 12 tribes. The elders of Israel, representing the 11 other tribes (because Judah had already anointed David king) went to Hebron and formally announced their recognition of David as the king of all Israel. It is interesting to note that they confessed that David had been the one who had really led Israel, even during the days of Saul. David had been the military leader. He is the one who had commanded the troops and brought about the victories over their enemies. Then they also acknowledged that they had known all along that David had been God’s choice to be the next king of Israel. “And the Lord told you, ‘You will be the shepherd of my people Israel. You will be Israel’s leader’” (2 Samuel 5:2 NLT). In the ancient Near East, the term, “shepherd” was a common term used to describe either a divinity, a king or ruler. So they were admitting that they had known all along that David had been the God-appointed ruler over Israel. But they had never done anything about it up until this point. This awareness on their part helps explain the reaction of Saul to David’s success. He feared David and was jealous of him. It wasn’t just that they sang songs about him, it was that he knew the rumors that David was to be the shepherd of Israel. So, he had set out to kill David.

A lesson to learn from this story is that it is possible to know the will of God and refuse to accept it. We can be completely aware of what it is that God wants us to do and then simply refuse to do it. If they had known all along that David was the God-appointed replacement for Saul, why had they not done anything to see that David was made king years earlier? Knowing God’s will is one thing. Obeying it is another.

But as the old saying goes: Better late, than never. They finally crown David king. The year was 1004 B.C. and David was 30-years old. He had already reigned seven years over Judah and he would reign an additional 33 years over the unified kingdom of Israel. So David would enjoy a four-decades-long rule and he would prove to be the greatest king Israel ever had. His reign would have its highs and lows, its moments of glory and its days of heart-crushing humiliation and defeat. Like any man, David would make mistakes. He would leave behind a legacy filled with all kinds of victories on the battle field as well as defeats in his own home. There was his affair with Bathsheba and the murder of her husband. There was the rape of his daughter, Tamar by her half-brother Amnon, followed closely by Amnon’s murder by Tamar’s brother, Absalom. David would prove to be a great king, but not always a great father. His reign would be marked by courage, wisdom and a willingness to serve God. But he would have his moments of self-inflicted pain and suffering because of his own impulsiveness and pride. David was not a perfect man, but he was a godly man. He had a heart for God. He had a desire to serve God. And the one thing that set David apart from Saul and so many of the other kings of Israel, was his heart of repentance. David messed up regularly and sometimes, spectacularly, but he was always quick to repent. He desired to be right with God. He even invited God to investigate his heart and expose anything in it that might be offensive to God but oblivious to himself.

“Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. Point out anything in me that offends you, and lead me along the path of everlasting life.” – Psalm 139:23-24 NLT

This chapter is really a snapshot of the true beginning of David’s reign as king, and it chronicles David’s capture of the city of Jerusalem. The passage rather matter-of-factly states, “the king and his men went to Jerusalem against the Jebusites” (2 Samuel 5:6 ESV). David was searching for a capital, a city from which to rule over his newly unified nation. He had been using Hebron in the south, but it would prove too distant from all the other tribes to make a good capital. Jerusalem was centrally located and was situated on a mountain top surrounded by valleys, which provided it easy to defend.

But there was something far more important about Jerusalem and the site on which it was located than its natural defensive capabilities. It was located on Mount Moriah. That is the same mountain top on which God commanded Abraham to offer his son, Isaac, as a sacrifice (Genesis 22). The city of Jerusalem itself has ties all the way back to Melchizedek, who was the king to which Abraham offered a tenth of his spoils taken in battle. The Genesis account lists Melchizedek as the king of Salem, which was to become the city of Jerusalem. The author of Hebrews would later compare Melchizedek with Jesus:

This Melchizedek was king of the city of Salem and also a priest of God Most High. When Abraham was returning home after winning a great battle against the kings, Melchizedek met him and blessed him. Then Abraham took a tenth of all he had captured in battle and gave it to Melchizedek. The name Melchizedek means “king of justice,” and king of Salem means “king of peace.” There is no record of his father or mother or any of his ancestors—no beginning or end to his life. He remains a priest forever, resembling the Son of God. – Hebrews 7:1-3 NLT

The mountain on which Jerusalem sits also contains the Mount of Olives, the very place from which Jesus ascended back into heaven after his death and resurrection. It is also the place to which He will return at His second coming. It was also on the very same mountain on which Jerusalem sits, that Jesus was crucified. The very location where Abraham had been commanded to offer up his son, his only son, would be the same place where God would offer up His one and only Son for the sins of the world. Jerusalem had great significance. It was to be David’s capital and eventually the home of the temple, built by David’s son, Solomon. Jerusalem would be where Jesus had His triumphal entry, but also His trials and condemnation to death for claiming to be the Son of God. It would be outside the walls of Jerusalem, the city of peace, that Jesus would be hung on a cross and left to die. Jesus would one day weep over the city of Jerusalem, saying:

“How I wish today that you of all people would understand the way to peace. But now it is too late, and peace is hidden from your eyes. Before long your enemies will build ramparts against your walls and encircle you and close in on you from every side. They will crush you into the ground, and your children with you. Your enemies will not leave a single stone in place, because you did not accept your opportunity for salvation.” – Luke 19:43-44 NLT

David was choosing Jerusalem, “the city of peace” to be his capital. But over the centuries, it would know times of peace and times of difficulty. It would contain the temple of God, but many of its inhabitants would act as if God did not exist. Even in the days of Jesus, He would recognize that their love for God had waned and the days of God’s judgment were coming. But Jerusalem still holds a special place in the heart of God and it will be from the city of Jerusalem that the second David, the King of kings and Lord of lords will rule and reign when Christ sets up His kingdom on earth.

English Standard Version (ESV)
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT)
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

The Message (MSG)Copyright © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene H. Peterson

Have Faith In God.

Matthew 21:20-22; Mark 11:19-26

Then Jesus said to the disciples, "Have faith in God. I tell you the truth, you can say to this mountain, May you be lifted up and thrown into the sea,’ and it will happen. But you must really believe it will happen and have no doubt in your heart." – Mark 11:22-23 NLT

This is one of those passages that gets used and abused on a regular basis. It gets lifted out of context and construed to mean just about anything people want it to mean. It has been used to justify all kinds of prayers, to inspire and encourage boldness in the lives of believers, and to support the name-it-claim-it theology of many groups. But what was Jesus really teaching that day? What was His point in cursing the fig tree, and then why did He turn that occasion into a lesson on prayer? As always, context is essential when unpacking this passage. Jesus is on His way back into Jerusalem with His disciples. The day before they had passed this very spot on their way from Bethany into the city. He had pronounced a curse on the fig tree and now, as they passed by it again, "the disciples noticed that it had withered from the roots up" (Mark 11:20 NLT). Peter, always eager to have his voice heard, pointed out this fact to Jesus, who then responds with a brief lesson on faith and prayer. It is important that this section of the passage be kept in context with everything else that has happened before it and that will come after it.

When the disciples see the fig tree in its withered state, they surely thought back to the day before when Jesus cursed it saying, "May no one ever eat your fruit again!" (Mark 11:14 NLT). Mark tells us the disciples clearly heard Jesus pronounce the curse on the tree. But apparently, it was not until the next day that it had fully withered and died. The disciples are amazed at all of this and Jesus uses this as a teaching moment. His main point has to do with faith. But notice that it has to do with the focus of our faith. There are those who would use this passage to teach that if you have faith that you can do something, you can do it. In other words, the focus of our faith needs to be in what it is that we want accomplished. But Jesus did not say, "Have faith in your efforts." He didn't encourage the disciples to "believe it hard enough and you will have it." No, He said, "Have faith in God." It would be easy to make this teaching by Jesus all about "moving mountains," or accomplishing mighty things for God. But what Jesus really seems to be trying to communicate is that all things are possible with God. He is unlimited in His strength. He is unstoppable and all powerful. So place your faith in Him. If God wants you to move a mountain, He will not only tell you, He will provide the power to make it possible. This is not about me determining what it is that I want to do or have done. This is about trusting God for His will and relying on His power to accomplish that will.

One of the significant details in this story is the location of Jesus and disciples when He tells it. They are standing somewhere between Bethany and Jerusalem. More than likely, they are somewhere on the Mount of Olives and across the Kidron Valley lies Mount Zion, the mountain range upon which Jerusalem sat. I believe Jesus is continuing to make a point about the state of affairs in Jerusalem. Oftentimes, the references to Mount Zion and Jerusalem are interchangeable in Scripture. The entire capital city of the Hebrew nation occupied this area. As in His cursing of the fig tree, Jesus is making a point about the judgment of God against the people of God for their fruitlessness and unfaithfulness. Have faith in God. He will deal with Jerusalem, and in just a few short years from this point in time, the city would be destroyed. When it comes to dealing with unfaithfulness and fruitlessness, have faith in God – He will act. Yes, Jesus is teaching His disciples to pray and to do so without doubt. They are to ask, believing that God will answer. But it is essential that when they pray, that they ask according to God's will. Our faith should be in Him, not in the nature of our request or the unbelievability of our expectations. Jesus says, "I tell you, you can pray for anything, and if you believe that you've received it, it will be yours" (Mark 11:24 NLT). So is Jesus telling me that I can pray for a new Mercedes, and actually receive it, as long as I believe hard enough that I already have it? I don't think so. And yet, that is what some people try to twist this passage to mean. This isn't about us using God as some sort of cosmic Genie in a bottle. He does not exist to grant our wishes or fulfill our wildest dreams. Jesus did not curse the fig tree on a whim or as some sort of personal vendetta against the tree for failing to meet His needs. His cursing of the fig tree was a visual lesson for the disciples meant to teach them about God's intentions for the hypocritical religious leaders of the Jews. The object of our faith is to be God, not the outcome for which we are praying. If we focus on God, we can ask, fully believing that He will answer – as if it has already been done.

But it's interesting that Jesus closes out His teaching on prayer with a kind of disclaimer. He seems to try to tone down any enthusiasm the disciples might be feeling at the thought of having that kind of power available to them through the means of prayer. He tells them that "when you are praying, first forgive anyone you are holding a grudge against, so that Your Father in heaven will forgive your sins, too" (Mark 11:25 NLT). In other words, before you start asking God to move mountains, ask Him to move in your own heart, confessing your sins and forgiving those who might have sinned against you. There seems to be a not-so-subtle hint from Jesus that we are to do some personal housecleaning before we attempt to move mountains for God. A right heart was going to be essential to having right motives when asking God to act on our behalf. God will not honor prayers prayed in anger, selfishness, pride, or aimed at accomplishing our will in place of His. We are to have faith in God. It is not the intensity or fervor of our prayers, the size of our requests, or the shocking nature of our expectations that God is interested in. It is the focus of our faith that concerns Him. Do we trust Him? Will we trust Him?

Father, I want to accomplish great things for You, but too often it for my own glory and so that I might be seen as a powerful resource in Your toolbox. But I know that I am to make You the focus, not me. I am to trust in Your power, not mine. Continue to teach me to have faith in You, and in nothing and no one else, but You. Amen.