The Joy of Jerusalem

27 And at the dedication of the wall of Jerusalem they sought the Levites in all their places, to bring them to Jerusalem to celebrate the dedication with gladness, with thanksgivings and with singing, with cymbals, harps, and lyres. 28 And the sons of the singers gathered together from the district surrounding Jerusalem and from the villages of the Netophathites; 29 also from Beth-gilgal and from the region of Geba and Azmaveth, for the singers had built for themselves villages around Jerusalem. 30 And the priests and the Levites purified themselves, and they purified the people and the gates and the wall.

31 Then I brought the leaders of Judah up onto the wall and appointed two great choirs that gave thanks. One went to the south on the wall to the Dung Gate. 32 And after them went Hoshaiah and half of the leaders of Judah, 33 and Azariah, Ezra, Meshullam, 34 Judah, Benjamin, Shemaiah, and Jeremiah, 35 and certain of the priests' sons with trumpets: Zechariah the son of Jonathan, son of Shemaiah, son of Mattaniah, son of Micaiah, son of Zaccur, son of Asaph; 36 and his relatives, Shemaiah, Azarel, Milalai, Gilalai, Maai, Nethanel, Judah, and Hanani, with the musical instruments of David the man of God. And Ezra the scribe went before them. 37 At the Fountain Gate they went up straight before them by the stairs of the city of David, at the ascent of the wall, above the house of David, to the Water Gate on the east.

38 The other choir of those who gave thanks went to the north, and I followed them with half of the people, on the wall, above the Tower of the Ovens, to the Broad Wall, 39 and above the Gate of Ephraim, and by the Gate of Yeshanah, and by the Fish Gate and the Tower of Hananel and the Tower of the Hundred, to the Sheep Gate; and they came to a halt at the Gate of the Guard. 40 So both choirs of those who gave thanks stood in the house of God, and I and half of the officials with me; 41 and the priests Eliakim, Maaseiah, Miniamin, Micaiah, Elioenai, Zechariah, and Hananiah, with trumpets; 42 and Maaseiah, Shemaiah, Eleazar, Uzzi, Jehohanan, Malchijah, Elam, and Ezer. And the singers sang with Jezrahiah as their leader. 43 And they offered great sacrifices that day and rejoiced, for God had made them rejoice with great joy; the women and children also rejoiced. And the joy of Jerusalem was heard far away.

44 On that day men were appointed over the storerooms, the contributions, the firstfruits, and the tithes, to gather into them the portions required by the Law for the priests and for the Levites according to the fields of the towns, for Judah rejoiced over the priests and the Levites who ministered. 45 And they performed the service of their God and the service of purification, as did the singers and the gatekeepers, according to the command of David and his son Solomon. 46 For long ago in the days of David and Asaph there were directors of the singers, and there were songs of praise and thanksgiving to God. 47 And all Israel in the days of Zerubbabel and in the days of Nehemiah gave the daily portions for the singers and the gatekeepers; and they set apart that which was for the Levites; and the Levites set apart that which was for the sons of Aaron. – Nehemiah 12:27-47 ESV

 The joyous scene portrayed in these verses starkly contrasts the taunts of Sanballat and Tobiah recorded in Chapter 4. These two men were determined to undermine Nehemiah’s efforts to rebuild the walls, even resorting to biting sarcasm to demoralize the workers.

“What does this bunch of poor, feeble Jews think they’re doing? Do they think they can build the wall in a single day by just offering a few sacrifices? Do they actually think they can make something of stones from a rubbish heap—and charred ones at that?” – Nehemiah 4:2 NLT

Not to be outdone by his friend Sanballat, Tobiah added, “That stone wall would collapse if even a fox walked along the top of it!” (Nehemiah 4:3 NLT).

But both men were proven wrong. Not only had the wall been built, but it was sturdy enough to carry the weight of two choirs and a host of joyous celebrants who gathered for its dedication. Despite opposition and setbacks, the work had been completed and the day had come to thank God for making it all possible. This elaborate and meticulously staged ceremony was nothing less than a worship service designed to express gratitude to Yahweh for His goodness and greatness. He had kept His promise to return the people of Judah to their land and had divinely orchestrated the rebuilding of the city, its walls, and the Temple.

Years earlier, when the people were still reconstructing the Temple, God sent a message of hope through His prophet Zechariah.

“This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says: My love for Mount Zion is passionate and strong; I am consumed with passion for Jerusalem!

“And now the Lord says: I am returning to Mount Zion, and I will live in Jerusalem. Then Jerusalem will be called the Faithful City; the mountain of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies will be called the Holy Mountain.

“This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says: Once again old men and women will walk Jerusalem’s streets with their canes and will sit together in the city squares. And the streets of the city will be filled with boys and girls at play.

“This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says: All this may seem impossible to you now, a small remnant of God’s people. But is it impossible for me? says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.

“This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says: You can be sure that I will rescue my people from the east and from the west. I will bring them home again to live safely in Jerusalem. They will be my people, and I will be faithful and just toward them as their God.” – Zechariah 8:2-8 NLT

While Jerusalem remained relatively empty and more work needed to be done, this was a day of celebration. God had done the impossible. He had used a small remnant of former captives to complete a massive construction project in record time and against all odds. Nehemiah had provided the plan and oversight of the effort, but he knew God deserved all the glory. So, in preparation for the big day, he arranged for Levites from all over Judah to join him in Jerusalem for the dedication. This was going to be an all-hands-on-deck event requiring the presence of every priest and Levite to pull off. The day would feature music, singing, sacrifices, offerings, and a special dedication service. 

It all began with a massive purification ceremony.

The priests and Levites first purified themselves; then they purified the people, the gates, and the wall. – Nehemiah 12:30 NLT

Nothing could be done until the priests and the people had been consecrated. The worship of Yahweh would be useless if the proper cleansing ceremonies were neglected. The sequence of the purification ceremony is vital. First, the priests had to be cleansed so they could enter into God’s presence as mediators. Once purified, they were able to perform the necessary rites to cleanse the people. Finally, they purified the recently completed gates and walls.

For God to show up, the people and the place needed to be cleansed from sin. In essence, this elaborate ceremony was designed to decontaminate Jerusalem so that God could dwell there once more. This entire purification process began in the Temple. Leviticus 4 describes the steps necessary to remove corruption from the priests, people, and places so that God could dwell in their midst.

“If the high priest sins, bringing guilt upon the entire community, he must give a sin offering for the sin he has committed. He must present to the Lord a young bull with no defects. He must bring the bull to the Lord at the entrance of the Tabernacle, lay his hand on the bull’s head, and slaughter it before the Lord. The high priest will then take some of the bull’s blood into the Tabernacle, dip his finger in the blood, and sprinkle it seven times before the Lord in front of the inner curtain of the sanctuary. The priest will then put some of the blood on the horns of the altar for fragrant incense that stands in the Lord’s presence inside the Tabernacle. He will pour out the rest of the bull’s blood at the base of the altar for burnt offerings at the entrance of the Tabernacle. Then the priest must remove all the fat of the bull to be offered as a sin offering. This includes all the fat around the internal organs, the two kidneys and the fat around them near the loins, and the long lobe of the liver. He must remove these along with the kidneys,  just as he does with cattle offered as a peace offering, and burn them on the altar of burnt offerings. But he must take whatever is left of the bull—its hide, meat, head, legs, internal organs, and dung—and carry it away to a place outside the camp that is ceremonially clean, the place where the ashes are dumped. There, on the ash heap, he will burn it on a wood fire.” – Leviticus 4:3-12 NLT

While the Temple is not mentioned in Nehemiah 12, no cleansing ceremony could have taken place without the above-mentioned step occurring first. Sin was a barrier to God’s presence and Nehemiah knew that both he and his people were guilty and in need of cleansing. The past two months had been difficult and filled with every opportunity to violate God's commands. There is little doubt that some, if not all, of Paul’s list of sins of the flesh happened as they worked on the wall.

…sexual immorality, impurity, lustful pleasures, idolatry, sorcery, hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissension, division, envy, drunkenness, wild parties, and other sins like these. – Galatians 5:19-21 NLT

Tempers flared. Some escaped the drudgery through acts of sexual sin. Weary workers imbibed a bit too much alcohol at the end of the day to ease the pain and monotony of their labor. A lot can happen in two months. So, if the people wanted to enter into God’s presence and proclaim His goodness and greatness, they had to be cleansed. And because their sins infected anything and everything, the city and its walls also needed to be decontaminated.

Once all had been purified, the processional began. Nehemiah “led the leaders of Judah to the top of the wall and organized two large choirs to give thanks” (Nehemiah 12:31 NLT). These two groups began at the same place but then marched in opposite directions along the wall, singing and worshiping as they went. The plan was to meet again at a spot along the wall nearest the Temple.

The two choirs that were giving thanks then proceeded to the Temple of God, where they took their places. So did I, together with the group of leaders who were with me. We went together with the trumpet-playing priests—Eliakim, Maaseiah, Miniamin, Micaiah, Elioenai, Zechariah, and Hananiah—and the singers—Maaseiah, Shemaiah, Eleazar, Uzzi, Jehohanan, Malkijah, Elam, and Ezer. They played and sang loudly under the direction of Jezrahiah the choir director. – Nehemiah 12:40-42 NLT

What followed was a joyous and boisterous celebration, replete with sacrifices and loud singing. Nehemiah states that “the joy of Jerusalem was heard far away” (Nehemiah 12:43 ESV). Jerusalem was one big party as the people celebrated, sang, danced, and delighted in all Yahweh had done for them. The noise could be heard from miles around, and Sanballat and Tobiah must have been beside themselves with rage as they listened to the din rising from inside the newly constructed walls. Their worst fears had come true. The people of Judah had done the improbable and now they were celebrating their God who had made it all possible.

Inside the walls, the people were ecstatic. They could barely contain their joy as they considered what God had done. But it would have benefited them to consider the words spoken by God through Zechariah.

“For this is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says: I was determined to punish you when your ancestors angered me, and I did not change my mind, says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies. But now I am determined to bless Jerusalem and the people of Judah. So don’t be afraid. But this is what you must do: Tell the truth to each other. Render verdicts in your courts that are just and that lead to peace. Don’t scheme against each other. Stop your love of telling lies that you swear are the truth. I hate all these things, says the Lord.” – Zechariah 8:14-17 NLT

While the walls had been completed, their work was far from done. Jerusalem was once again a city and it would soon be populated with citizens. But one day of worship and celebration would not be enough. God wanted heart change. He expected His people to live set-apart lives every day of the year. As their ancestors had learned, the Temple, walls, and gates provided no protection from the wrath of God when His people refused to obey His commands. Whether they realized it or not, their most difficult days were ahead of them, not behind them.

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.

God Doesn’t Need Man’s Help

19 Then Nebuchadnezzar was filled with fury, and the expression of his face was changed against Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. He ordered the furnace heated seven times more than it was usually heated. 20 And he ordered some of the mighty men of his army to bind Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, and to cast them into the burning fiery furnace. 21 Then these men were bound in their cloaks, their tunics, their hats, and their other garments, and they were thrown into the burning fiery furnace. 22 Because the king's order was urgent and the furnace overheated, the flame of the fire killed those men who took up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. 23 And these three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, fell bound into the burning fiery furnace.

24 Then King Nebuchadnezzar was astonished and rose up in haste. He declared to his counselors, “Did we not cast three men bound into the fire?” They answered and said to the king, “True, O king.” 25 He answered and said, “But I see four men unbound, walking in the midst of the fire, and they are not hurt; and the appearance of the fourth is like a son of the gods.”

26 Then Nebuchadnezzar came near to the door of the burning fiery furnace; he declared, “Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, servants of the Most High God, come out, and come here!” Then Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego came out from the fire. 27 And the satraps, the prefects, the governors, and the king's counselors gathered together and saw that the fire had not had any power over the bodies of those men. The hair of their heads was not singed, their cloaks were not harmed, and no smell of fire had come upon them. 28 Nebuchadnezzar answered and said, “Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who has sent his angel and delivered his servants, who trusted in him, and set aside the king's command, and yielded up their bodies rather than serve and worship any god except their own God. 29 Therefore I make a decree: Any people, nation, or language that speaks anything against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego shall be torn limb from limb, and their houses laid in ruins, for there is no other god who is able to rescue in this way.” 30 Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in the province of Babylon. – Daniel 3:19-30 ESV

Nebuchadnezzar became enraged when he realized his death threat had not dissuaded Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego from refusing to bow down to his idol. He had warned them, “If you do not worship, you shall immediately be cast into a burning fiery furnace” (Daniel 3:15 ESV). Then he arrogantly challenged their God to do anything about it.

“And who is the god who will deliver you out of my hands?” – Daniel 3:15 ESV

But the three young men refused to compromise their convictions. They held their ground and refused to obey the king’s edict, choosing instead to place their faith in God’s power and providential care. They truly believed that Yahweh was fully capable of keeping them from the flames or rescuing them out of them.

“…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 3:17 ESV

They had no way of knowing the outcome of the day’s events. God had given them no verbal guarantee that their lives would be spared. They even displayed a willingness to suffer whatever fate God may have in store for them.

“…even if he doesn’t [rescue us], we want to make it clear to you, Your Majesty, that we will never serve your gods or worship the gold statue you have set up.” – Daniel 3:18 NLT

Nebuchadnezzar couldn’t comprehend their willingness to face death rather than to compromise their convictions. He took their refusal as a personal affront to his power and authority. They weren’t just refusing to bow down to his image, they were rejecting his right to rule their lives. As king of the world’s most powerful nation, Nebuchadnezzar had grown drunk on his own success. He was obsessed with his image and used to getting his way. Nations fell before him. Lesser kings bowed down in front of him. His own citizens feared and revered him. But when these three young Hebrew men dared to question his sovereignty and withhold their allegiance, it was more than he could stand. So, he ordered their immediate executions.

The text makes it clear that Nebuchadnezzar was not simply carrying out his own decree by ordering the deaths of three recalcitrant Hebrews. He was launching a personal attack on the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. This had become a personal battle between him and this dream-inducing, future-predicting God of Daniel and his three friends. Nebuchadnezzar was determined to come out the winner in this war of wills, so he ordered his “mighty men” to bind Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. He wasn’t leaving their arrest up to some low-level infantry soldiers who might allow them to escape. Next, he ordered the furnace to be super-heated and the three men to be clothed in layer after layer of flammable fabric. He was taking no chances. Nothing would prevent him from proving his power and asserting his authority over the meddling God of the Hebrews.

Nebuchadnezzar must have felt a perverse sense of joy as he watched his guards get consumed by the flames while throwing the three Hebrews into the furnace. There was no way of escape for Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, and there was no way their God could come to their aid. But Nebuchadnezzar was in for a shock. As he gazed into the furnace, he saw something that took his breath away.

“Look!” Nebuchadnezzar shouted. “I see four men, unbound, walking around in the fire unharmed! And the fourth looks like a god!” – Daniel 3:25 NLT

This was impossible. There was no way these men could have survived the flames of the furnace. Yet, they were walking about unharmed and accompanied by some kind of celestial being. To Nebuchadnezzar’s polytheistic mind, this fourth individual was “like a son of the gods.” The appearance of this being was not like that of the three men and the king concluded that it must be a divine manifestation.

Shocked and shaken by what he was witnessing, Nebuchadnezzar approached the mouth of the furnace and called out, “Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, servants of the Most High God, come out, and come here!” (Daniel 3:26 ESV). The king refers to their God as 'ĕlâ ʿillay – God most high. As a polytheist, Nebuchadnezzar was simply confessing that the Hebrew God was the greatest of all gods. He was not declaring Yahweh to be the one true God; he was admitting that no other gods could compare or compete with the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.

To the surprise of Nebuchadnezzar and his royal officials, the three men exited the furnace unharmed and untouched.

The hair of their heads was not singed, their cloaks were not harmed, and no smell of fire had come upon them. – Daniel 3:27 ESV

There was no logical way to explain their miraculous survival. The king’s magicians, sorcerers, and seers were dumbfounded by what they had witnessed. The Chaldeans who had maliciously accused Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego must have been stunned by the unexpected outcome of their efforts. Having hoped to eliminate their competition, they had to stand back and watch the three Hebrews receive further praise and adulation from the king.

“Praise to the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego! He sent his angel to rescue his servants who trusted in him. They defied the king’s command and were willing to die rather than serve or worship any god except their own God.” – Daniel 3:28 NLT

This was not the outcome the Chaldeans had expected. Rather than seeing their enemies burned alive, they watched as the three Hebrews were celebrated and elevated to even higher positions within the king’s administration.

But what happened next should not be overlooked or dismissed. It shouldn’t be misunderstood either. As a result of God’s miraculous deliverance of the Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, Nebuchadnezzar issued another rash and unnecessary edict.

“Therefore, I make this decree: If any people, whatever their race or nation or language, speak a word against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, they will be torn limb from limb, and their houses will be turned into heaps of rubble. There is no other god who can rescue like this!” – Daniel 3:28 NLT

At first glance, this appears to be a positive outcome. The king of a pagan, idol-worshiping nation is commanding that the God of the Hebrews be treated with honor and reverence. But look closely. This edict commands the worship of Yahweh under the penalty of death. It is devotion motivated by the threat of destruction. It was the same tactic Nebuchadnezzar used to coerce the worship of his statue. Bow down or die.

But God does not need men's help. He also does not desire worship that is motivated by abject fear or simply as a means of escaping death. During the days that Israel wandered in the wilderness on their way to the promised land, Moses commanded them, “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might” (Deuteronomy 6:4 ESV). "Worshiping" that is coerced or done out of a sense of obligation displeases God. It is meaningless, vain, and hypocritical. 

God despises heartless worship that is motivated by fear rather than true faith. The whole reason Daniel and his friends were in Babylon to begin with is because their forefathers had failed to worship God is spirit and in truth.

“I hate all your show and pretense—
    the hypocrisy of your religious festivals and solemn assemblies.
I will not accept your burnt offerings and grain offerings.
    I won’t even notice all your choice peace offerings.
Away with your noisy hymns of praise!
    I will not listen to the music of your harps.
Instead, I want to see a mighty flood of justice,
    an endless river of righteous living.” – Amos 5:21-24 NLT

Nebuchadnezzar was trying to manufacture worship, just as he had done with his statue. He thought he could force his people to have faith in Israel’s God. But that is not the kind of worship God requires or desires. God did not need Nebuchadnezzar’s help, and He did not desire the worship of those whose hearts were not in it. Worship done for the wrong reason and with an improper motivation is an affront to God.

Nebuchadnezzar’s edict was not going to produce true worshipers. It would only create the same kind of shallow, fear-induced worship that God accused the Israelites of displaying.

“…this people draw near with their mouth
    and honor me with their lips,
    while their hearts are far from me,
and their fear of me is a commandment taught by men…” – Isaiah 29:3 NLT

God didn’t want or need Nebuchadnezzar’s help. Manufactured worship is not worship at all. Faithfulness that is the fruit of fear and the byproduct of threats is a sham. It won’t last and it can’t withstand the heat of the furnace. The faith of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego wasn’t forced, it was from the heart.

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.

New English Translation (NET)NET Bible® copyright ©1996-2017 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. http://netbible.com All rights reserved.

Pride Comes Before the Fall

1 King Nebuchadnezzar made an image of gold, whose height was sixty cubits and its breadth six cubits. He set it up on the plain of Dura, in the province of Babylon. 2 Then King Nebuchadnezzar sent to gather the satraps, the prefects, and the governors, the counselors, the treasurers, the justices, the magistrates, and all the officials of the provinces to come to the dedication of the image that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up. 3 Then the satraps, the prefects, and the governors, the counselors, the treasurers, the justices, the magistrates, and all the officials of the provinces gathered for the dedication of the image that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up. And they stood before the image that Nebuchadnezzar had set up. 4 And the herald proclaimed aloud, “You are commanded, O peoples, nations, and languages, 5 that when you hear the sound of the horn, pipe, lyre, trigon, harp, bagpipe, and every kind of music, you are to fall down and worship the golden image that King Nebuchadnezzar has set up. 6 And whoever does not fall down and worship shall immediately be cast into a burning fiery furnace.” 7 Therefore, as soon as all the peoples heard the sound of the horn, pipe, lyre, trigon, harp, bagpipe, and every kind of music, all the peoples, nations, and languages fell down and worshiped the golden image that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up. – Daniel 3:1-7 ESV

It is impossible to know when the events of this chapter took place. The author’s inclusion of them immediately after the events of chapter two leaves the impression that they happened in quick succession. However, some biblical scholars believe Nebuchadnezzar’s construction of the golden image occurred years later. There is speculation that the statue was erected in the later part of 595 B.C. to celebrate a failed coup attempt. Others have suggested that the statue was erected in 585 B.C. to commemorate the Babylonian conquest of Jerusalem. But whatever the timing or the occasion, the golden image was intended to symbolize Babylonian supremacy over all the other nations of the earth. This image was a PR stunt designed to rally public opinion in the king’s favor and elevate his status as the king of all kings.

Whether Nebuchadnezzar ordered the image to be built immediately after hearing the interpretation of his dream or did so later in his reign, his motive seems clear. The term “image” is translated from the Aramaic word tselem and refers to an idolatrous figure. It is found nowhere else in the Hebrew Bible except chapter 3 of Daniel. The Hebrew equivalent is ṣelem, which is used throughout the Old Testament to refer to idols. The text does not provide a description of the image but the reader is led to believe that it was a physical representation of the “great image” (Daniel 2:31) Nebuchadnezzar saw in his dream. Despite the disturbing nature of that dream and the less-than-optimistic meaning Daniel assigned to it, the king found ample inspiration to order the statue’s construction. His primary takeaway from the interpretation appears to have been Daniel’s opening words

“You, O king, the king of kings, to whom the God of heaven has given the kingdom, the power, and the might, and the glory, and into whose hand he has given, wherever they dwell, the children of man, the beasts of the field, and the birds of the heavens, making you rule over them all—you are the head of gold.” – Daniel 2:37-38 ESV

He enjoyed hearing himself described as “the king of kings.” Discovering that Daniel’s God had given him power, might, and glory, Nebuchadnezzar’s overactive ego became more inflated than ever. But he was not satisfied with being “the head of gold.” He wanted more. While the dream portrayed an image comprised of different metals mixed with clay, Nebuchadnezzar commissioned a statue made of pure gold. When completed, it towered over the plain of Dura standing at a staggering height of nearly 100 feet. It only seems logical to assume that this statue bore the image of Nebuchadnezzar himself. This wasn’t an idol meant to represent Marduk, the primary god of the Babylonians; it was a tribute to one man’s obsession with his own self-importance.

There is little doubt that Nebuchadnezzar suffered from an overinflated ego and an overactive sense of self-worth. In the very next chapter, he will have yet another dream that symbolizes his struggle with pride and arrogance. Despite repeated warnings from God about his unjustified sense of self-importance, Nebuchadnezzar will stand on the balcony of his palace and proclaim, “Is not this great Babylon, which I have built by my mighty power as a royal residence and for the glory of my majesty?” (Daniel 4:30 ESV).

This man had every right to gloat over his own success because he ruled over the most powerful nation on earth. His might was unequalled and his kingdom was unmatched in size, wealth, and dominion. So, having erected this monument to his own success, he assembled all “the high officers, officials, governors, advisers, treasurers, judges, magistrates, and all the provincial officials” (Daniel 3:2 NLT) for its dedication. These men were there in an official capacity to demonstrate their allegiance to the king and to serve as representatives of the people.

As the leaders of the nation gathered in the shadow of this massive statue, a herald declared the king’s edict.

“People of all races and nations and languages, listen to the king’s command! When you hear the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipes, and other musical instruments, bow to the ground to worship King Nebuchadnezzar’s gold statue.” – Daniel 3:4-5 NLT

This image was not simply a monument to Nebuchadnezzar’s success and Babylonian supremacy, it was an idol to be worshiped. The king seems to have conveniently forgotten the statement he made when Daniel interpreted his dream.

“Truly, your God is God of gods and Lord of kings.” – Daniel 2:47 ESV

The golden statue towering over the plain of Dura was not a monument to Yahweh’s glory and might; it was a blatant tribute to Nebuchadnezzar’s accomplishments. Whether the image was made in his own likeness is irrelevant because its very presence robbed Yahweh of glory. The king’s command that all his citizens bow down and worship the image he made was an affront to the God of the universe. The same God who had graciously interpreted Nebuchadnezzar’s dream was being treated with contempt and displaced by an image made by human hands. Not only that, the worship Nebuchadnezzar demanded was coerced by the threat of death.

“Anyone who refuses to obey will immediately be thrown into a blazing furnace.” – Daniel 3:6 NLT

As will become clear, the king expected all people, regardless of nationality or religious affiliation, to worship his statue. Due to Nebuchadnezzar’s recent conquests and his penchant for taking captives, the population of Babylon would have been a diverse mixture of disparate people groups with their own deities and religious expressions. But they were each expected to show their unadulterated allegiance to the king and his kingdom by bowing down to his statue. This included Daniel and his companions. Despite Nebuchadnezzar’s glowing tribute to their God and their unexpected promotions, they would not escape the king’s edict and its penalty.

Nebuchadnezzar was not outlawing the worship of other gods; he was simply demanding the unwavering allegiance of his subjects – upon penalty of death. Everyone was free to worship their own gods, but they were also required to demonstrate the primacy of Nebuchadnezzar and the Babylonian state. Their allegiance was not optional. Their submission was not a matter of choice. It was a do-or-die proposition that left the people with little choice but to comply and, according to verse seven, “all the people…bowed to the ground and worshiped.”

Or did they? As the chapter unfolds, it will become clear that there were a few conscientious objectors. Not everyone was willing to obey the king’s edict and bow the knee to his statue. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego will refuse to comply and, as a result, suffer the consequences of their civil disobedience. These three Hebrew friends will stand their ground, refusing to compromise their convictions and welcoming the opportunity to trust in the faithfulness of their God.

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.

New English Translation (NET)NET Bible® copyright ©1996-2017 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. http://netbible.com All rights reserved.

Jehovah-Elyon

1 The LORD reigns, let the earth rejoice;
    let the many coastlands be glad!
2 Clouds and thick darkness are all around him;
    righteousness and justice are the foundation of his throne.
3 Fire goes before him
    and burns up his adversaries all around.
4 His lightnings light up the world;
    the earth sees and trembles.
5 The mountains melt like wax before the LORD,
    before the LORD of all the earth.

6 The heavens proclaim his righteousness,
    and all the peoples see his glory.
7 All worshipers of images are put to shame,
    who make their boast in worthless idols;
    worship him, all you gods!

8 Zion hears and is glad,
    and the daughters of Judah rejoice,
    because of your judgments, O LORD.
9 For you, O LORD, are most high over all the earth;
    you are exalted far above all gods. – Psalm 97:1-9 ESV

YHWH-ʿelyôn – “The LORD Most High.” Here, the Psalmist combines two names for God designed to set Him apart from all the other “gods” ('ĕlōhîm). This is not an admission of the existence of other gods, but a declaration that there is only one true God. All other gods are imposters, the fabrication of men's fertile imaginations.

The ancient Hebrews used one word, 'ĕlōhîm,  to refer to all gods, but they also used it to refer to their own deity, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. The ubiquitous nature of this name could make things confusing because the different variations of the word 'ĕlōhîm were widely used to refer to any and all gods. The name 'ĕlōhîm is the plural form of 'ĕlôha, which was commonly abbreviated to 'ēl. Each of these names originates from the Hebrew root 'ālā, which can be translated as “exalted one.” Two of these words are used in verse 9 alongside the personal name of Israel’s God, Yahweh or Jehovah. There is one other designation for God in this verse; elyôn or “the most high.”

For you, O LORD (Yahweh), are most high (ʿelyôn) over all the earth;
    you are exalted ('ālā) far above all gods ('ĕlōhîm). – Psalm 97:9 ESV

The first use of this name for God is found in Genesis 14, where Abram encounters  Melchizedek, the king of Salem. The text refers to him as a “priest of God ('ēl) Most High (ʿelyôn). This priest-king ended up pronouncing a blessing on Abram in the name of 'ēl ʿelyôn – God Most High.

“Blessed be Abram by God Most High,
    Possessor of heaven and earth;
and blessed be God Most High,
    who has delivered your enemies into your hand!” – Genesis 14:19-20 ESV

Melchizedek was affirming the superiority of the God who had called Abram out of Ur and led him to the land of Canaan. Prior to Abram's first encounter with this 'ĕlōhîm, he had worshiped other 'ĕlōhîm. Now, Melchizedek was letting Abram know that this deity was ʿelyôn – the supreme 'ĕlōhîm who had no equal and was worthy of Abram’s worship. According to Melchizedek, it was 'ēl elyôn who had given Abram the victory over Chedorlaomer king of Elam, Tidal king of Goiim, Amraphel king of Shinar, and Arioch king of Ellasar. In a sense, Melchizedek was declaring that 'ēl elyôn had defeated the 'ĕlōhîm of these pagan kings. Their gods had been no match for God Most High.

The Psalmist picks up on this name for God but adds another important distinction. He adds the name Yahweh. Five times in nine verses, he uses the personal name of Israel’s God, the name God used to refer to Himself when He spoke to Moses from the burning bush. On this momentous occasion, Moses received a commission from God, commanding him to return to Egypt and deliver the Israelites from their captivity and lead them to the land of Canaan. Upon hearing the details of this assignment, Moses replied, “If I come to the people of Israel and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ what shall I say to them?” (Exodus 3:13 ESV). Moses knew that the Israelites had long ago turned their backs on the 'ĕlōhîm of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. They had been in Egypt for four centuries and had gradually adopted the 'ĕlōhîm of their masters. Now, Moses was expected to show up and inform the Israelites that the 'ĕlōhîm of their fathers expected him to lead them out of Egypt and back to Canaan. So, he asked God for a name. If he simply used the term, 'ĕlōhîm, the Israelites might become confused and assume that he is talking about one of the many Egyptian gods they worshiped. 

God’s response was simple but not exactly clear. He told Moses, “I am who I am” (Exodus 3:14 ESV). In Hebrew it reads, hāyâ 'ăšer hāyâ. The word, “hāyâ” is where the name Yahweh comes from. The Hebrews did not include vowels when putting their language in writing. So, the name Yahweh became YHWH. The Latinized version became JHVH, from which the name Jehovah is derived.

When God called Himself, “I am,” He spoke of the nature of His being or existence. He is the “existing one,” which refers to His eternal, non-created state. God is, was, and ever shall be. He is self-existent, having no predecessor or creator. He is self-sufficient and dependent upon no one.

To further clarify His identity, God told Moses to inform the people of Israel, “The LORD (Yᵊhōvâ), the God ('ĕlōhîm) of your fathers, the God ('ĕlōhîm) of Abraham, the God ('ĕlōhîm) of Isaac, and the God ('ĕlōhîm) of Jacob, has sent me to you” (Exodus 3:15 ESV). In other words, this wasn’t just any 'ĕlōhîm, it was Jehovah-God, the one true God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. He was the intimate and personal God who had heard their cries and responded to their suffering by providing a means of deliverance.

This was the same God the Psalmist wrote about and each time He mentioned this God, he used the name Yᵊhōvâ or Yahweh.

The LORD (Yᵊhōvâ) reigns – vs 1

The mountains melt like wax before the LORD (Yᵊhōvâ),
    before the LORD (Yᵊhōvâ) of all the earth. – vs 5

Zion hears and is glad,
    and the daughters of Judah rejoice,
    because of your judgments, O LORD (Yᵊhōvâ).
For you, O LORD (Yᵊhōvâ), are most high over all the earth;
    you are exalted far above all gods. – vs 8-9

Yahweh is superior and supreme. He rules over all, and He does so with righteousness and justice (vs 2). The very heavens which He created declare His righteousness (vs 6). Yahweh is elevated high above all the gods ('ĕlōhîm) of the earth. These man-made gods are impotent and no match for YHWH-ʿelyôn – The LORD Most High. They stand no chance against the God of Israel, the 'ĕlōhîm of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Therefore, they are unworthy of man’s adoration and attention. That’s why the Psalmist closes with a call to worship.

O you who love the LORD, hate evil!
    He preserves the lives of his saints;
    he delivers them from the hand of the wicked.
Light is sown for the righteous,
    and joy for the upright in heart.
Rejoice in the LORD, O you righteous,
    and give thanks to his holy name! – Psalm 97:10-11 ESV

He is exalted. He is high and lifted up. He is superior and without equal. And He is worthy of honor, reverence, and worship.

In his gospel account, the apostle John records a heated exchange between Jesus and the Jewish religious leaders. It began with a simple statement that Jesus delivered to a group of Jews who had “believed in Him” (John 8:30 ESV).

“If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” – John 8:31-32 ESV

This led them to respond, “We are offspring of Abraham and have never been enslaved to anyone. How is it that you say, ‘You will become free’?” (John 8:33 ESV). Jesus, knowing that the Jewish religious leaders were in the crowd and sensing their growing animosity, responded, “I know that you are offspring of Abraham; yet you seek to kill me because my word finds no place in you. I speak of what I have seen with my Father, and you do what you have heard from your father” (John 8:37-38 ESV).

His words hit their mark, incensing His adversaries and sparking a heated interchange. What they didn’t know was that Jesus’ use of the term “father” was a reference to Satan. He was accusing them of being in league with the enemy and not with Yahweh. Unaware of His slight, they declared their status as the sons of Abraham; he was their “father.” By declaring their descendence from Abraham, they claimed their status as heirs to the promises God made to Abraham’s seed. But that’s when Jesus dropped the bombshell that left them reeling and enraged.

“You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father's desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies. But because I tell the truth, you do not believe me.” – John 8:44-45 ESV

Angered by His words, the religious leaders declared him to be demon-possessed. In doing so, they not only rejected His words but defamed His ministry. Yet Jesus calmly replied, “Your father Abraham rejoiced that he would see my day. He saw it and was glad” (John 8:56 ESV). This made no sense to them. Jesus was a young man and had not lived long enough to see or be seen by Abraham, who was long dead. 

This is when Jesus shocked them by making a claim that they would view as blasphemy and worthy of death.

Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am.” – John 8:58 ESV

It’s clear how angry this statement made them because they immediately attempted to stone Him to death. But what did Jesus say that escalated their anger to such a high degree? Why were they intent on killing Him? The answer is found in those two simple words: “I am.”

They knew exactly what Jesus was saying and claiming. He used the very words that God spoke to Moses at the burning bush. He claimed to be Yahweh and, in so doing, set Himself up as YHWH-ʿelyôn – The LORD Most High. He wasn’t just a man, an itinerant rabbi from the backwater village of Nazareth. He was Jehovah God, the self-existent one and the most high ('ĕlōhîm) of all.

Just minutes earlier, Jesus had made the claim, “If I glorify myself, my glory is nothing. It is my Father who glorifies me, of whom you say, ‘He is our God’” (John 8:54 ESV). With this statement, Jesus claimed His divine sonship and declared that God considered Him glorious and worthy of worship, honor, and obedience.

Everything the Psalmist said about Jehovah was true of Jesus.

…you, O LORD, are most high over all the earth;
    you are exalted far above all gods. – Psalm 97:9 ESV

When John the Baptist was preparing the Israelites for the coming of Jesus, he told them, “I am the voice of one crying out in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way of the LORD,’ as the prophet Isaiah said” (John 1:23 ESV). He claimed to be fulfilling the prophecy of Isaiah recorded in Isaiah 40:3-5.

A voice cries:
“In the wilderness prepare the way of the LORD (Yᵊhōvâ);
    make straight in the desert a highway for our God ('ĕlōhîm).
Every valley shall be lifted up,
    and every mountain and hill be made low;
the uneven ground shall become level,
    and the rough places a plain.
And the glory of the LORD (Yᵊhōvâ) shall be revealed,
    and all flesh shall see it together,
    for the mouth of the LORD (Yᵊhōvâ) has spoken.” – Isaiah 40:3-5 ESV

Jesus was the Son of God and the Lord Most High, and after His death, burial, resurrection, and ascension, He returned to His Father’s side where He sits enthroned and awaits His return. The Book of Revelation contains a vivid description of that day when Jesus, the LORD Most High, will make His appearance and set up His Kingdom on earth.

Then I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse! The one sitting on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he judges and makes war. His eyes are like a flame of fire, and on his head are many diadems, and he has a name written that no one knows but himself. He is clothed in a robe dipped in blood, and the name by which he is called is The Word of God. And the armies of heaven, arrayed in fine linen, white and pure, were following him on white horses. From his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron. He will tread the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty. On his robe and on his thigh he has a name written, King of kings and Lord of lords. – Revelation 19:11-16 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.

New English Translation (NET)NET Bible® copyright ©1996-2017 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. http://netbible.com All rights reserved.

Jehovah-Kenna

10 The Lord replied, “Listen, I am making a covenant with you in the presence of all your people. I will perform miracles that have never been performed anywhere in all the earth or in any nation. And all the people around you will see the power of the Lord—the awesome power I will display for you. 11 But listen carefully to everything I command you today.…12 Be very careful never to make a treaty with the people who live in the land where you are going. If you do, you will follow their evil ways and be trapped. 13 Instead, you must break down their pagan altars, smash their sacred pillars, and cut down their Asherah poles. 14 You must worship no other gods, for the Lord, whose very name is Jealous, is a God who is jealous about his relationship with you.”– Exodus 34:10-14 ESV

In Genesis 22, the story is recorded of Abraham preparing to offer up his own son as a sacrifice on a hastily constructed altar. This disconcerting tale makes for difficult reading, especially when you realize that Abraham was following the commands of Elohim, the God who had miraculously enabled his barren wife Sarah to give birth to Isaac years earlier. Yet, in obeying the command of God and trusting the future of his only son to the faithfulness of God, Abraham was given the privilege of seeing God work a miracle of redemption, delivering his son from certain death. Rather than requiring Abraham to go through with the sacrifice, God provided a ram to serve as Isaac’s substitute. This led Abraham to call the place upon which he built the altar, Jehovah-Jireh, which means something to the effect of “God sees and provides.”

Abraham had experienced this aspect of God’s character for the very first time and it led him to memorialize his newfound awareness of God’s foresight and gracious provision with an appellation worthy of God’s glory. In the Genesis account, Moses adds the note, “To this day, people still use that name as a proverb: “On the mountain of the Lord it will be provided” (Genesis 22:14 NLT). This indicates that Abraham shared this story and it was passed down from one generation to another. But, even more importantly, Moses’ aside also serves a prophetic role, foreshadowing another day when God the Father would offer up His sinless Son as the substitutionary atonement for the sins of mankind. That fateful event would take place on the very same mountain. God saw the helpless and hopeless state of humanity, enslaved and condemned by sin, and facing divine judgment, and He responded by providing a Savior. He sent His Son to serve as the Lamb of God who would take away the sins of the world (John 1:9). 

But how did humanity end up in such a sad and desperate state? It was the result of their own disobedience to God; their refusal to recognize Him as the one true God and worship Him alone. The apostle Paul describes humanity’s downward trajectory and its consequences.

…they knew God, but they wouldn’t worship him as God or even give him thanks. And they began to think up foolish ideas of what God was like. As a result, their minds became dark and confused. Claiming to be wise, they instead became utter fools. And instead of worshiping the glorious, ever-living God, they worshiped idols made to look like mere people and birds and animals and reptiles.

So God abandoned them to do whatever shameful things their hearts desired. As a result, they did vile and degrading things with each other’s bodies. They traded the truth about God for a lie. So they worshiped and served the things God created instead of the Creator himself, who is worthy of eternal praise! – Romans 1:21-25 NLT

In today’s passage, we have another name of God that describes an aspect of His character that gets often overlooked. It may even come across as an ungodly and unacceptable way to refer to God; yet, the Exodus 34 passage reveals that this is God’s self-revelation; His way of describing His divine nature to fallen mankind.

He is “the LORD, whose name is Jealous…” (Exodus 34:14 ESV). He is YHWH-qannā'. But this is more than just a name; it expresses His character. This self-designation is an extension of the commandment God gave that prohibits the worship of anyone or anything other than Himself.

“You must not make for yourself an idol of any kind or an image of anything in the heavens or on the earth or in the sea. You must not bow down to them or worship them, for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God who will not tolerate your affection for any other gods.” – Exodus 20:4-5 NLT

Yahweh is a jealous God. This thought may sound strange to us and leave us feeling uncomfortable. In part, this is a result of our own love-hate relationship with jealousy. We tend to view jealousy in a negative light, associating it with sin. Even the apostle Paul lumped jealousy in with a list of other egregious behaviors that are the byproducts of man’s sinful nature.

When you follow the desires of your sinful nature, the results are very clear: sexual immorality, impurity, lustful pleasures, idolatry, sorcery, hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissension, division, envy, drunkenness, wild parties, and other sins like these. Let me tell you again, as I have before, that anyone living that sort of life will not inherit the Kingdom of God. – Galatians 5:19-21 NLT

It’s difficult to associate such an unflattering character quality with our Holy God. Yet, God refers to Himself as being jealous and even designates it as one of His names. It is not a reaction or a temporary trait; it is an expression of His very nature.

We tend to associate jealousy with envy and covetousness. When we read God’s command, “You must not covet your neighbor’s house. You must not covet your neighbor’s wife, male or female servant, ox or donkey, or anything else that belongs to your neighbor” (Exodus 17 NLT), we substitute jealousy for coveting. But jealousy and covetousness are two different things. To covet is to wrongly desire that which belongs to someone else. It doesn’t belong to you and you have no right to possess it. It is closely associated with stealing. When King David saw Bathsheba bathing on a nearby rooftop, he lusted after her. When he was informed that she was a married woman, his lust turned to covetousness. He knew she was off-limits but it did not stop him from sending for her so that he might commit adultery with her.

The Hebrew word, qannā', which is translated as “jealous” is only used of God in the Bible, and it almost always associated with His judgment against the worship of false gods.

“Take care, lest you forget the covenant of the Lord your God, which he made with you, and make a carved image, the form of anything that the Lord your God has forbidden you. For the Lord your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God.” – Deuteronomy 4:23-24 ESV

“You shall not go after other gods, the gods of the peoples who are around you— for the Lord your God in your midst is a jealous God—lest the anger of the Lord your God be kindled against you, and he destroy you from off the face of the earth.” – Deuteronomy 6:14-15 ESV

These passages are not inferring that God is jealous of us. This does not describe the jealousy of a husband whose wife shows affection to another man. God’s jealousy is not about His need for our affection or adoration; it is about the integrity of His name. The people of Israel were His chosen possession. He had created them and they bore the responsibility of living as the children of God. Their actions and behavior were to reflect their position as His earthly representatives.

When Joshua was nearing the end of his life, he pleaded with the people of Israel to swear allegiance to Yahweh, stating, “as for me and my family, we will serve the Lord” (Joshua 24:15 NLT). The Israelites, eager to complete their conquest and occupation of the land of Canaan, declared their willingness to serve Yahweh only.

“We would never abandon the Lord and serve other gods. For the Lord our God is the one who rescued us and our ancestors from slavery in the land of Egypt. He performed mighty miracles before our very eyes. As we traveled through the wilderness among our enemies, he preserved us. It was the Lord who drove out the Amorites and the other nations living here in the land. So we, too, will serve the Lord, for he alone is our God.” – Joshua 24:16-18 NLT

But Joshua wasn’t buying what they were selling. He knew them all too well and voiced doubt in their sincerity. After having served as their leader for years, he was convinced they would continue to rebel against God and face future judgment as a result

“You are not able to serve the Lord, for he is a holy and jealous God. He will not forgive your rebellion and your sins. If you abandon the Lord and serve other gods, he will turn against you and destroy you, even though he has been so good to you.” – Joshua 24:19-20 NLT

When the people assured Joshua of their sincerity, he demanded proof, instructing them to, “destroy the idols among you, and turn your hearts to the Lord, the God of Israel” (Joshua 24:23 NLT). He was not suggesting that God needed their undivided attention and affection. Yahweh is not desperate for our attention. He isn’t jealous that we share our affection with other gods. He is jealous and protective of the holiness of His name.

“Thus says the Lord God: It is not for your sake, O house of Israel, that I am about to act, but for the sake of my holy name, which you have profaned among the nations to which you came. And I will vindicate the holiness of my great name, which has been profaned among the nations, and which you have profaned among them. And the nations will know that I am the Lord…” – Ezekiel 36:22-23 NLT

Our spiritual infidelity is not about unrequited love but about the unacceptable dishonoring of God’s name and character.  In the Exodus 34 passage, Noses reminds the Israelites that Yahweh is “a God who is jealous about his relationship with you” (Exodus 34:14 ESV). That relationship was to reflect their awareness of His glory, holiness, and worthiness of their undivided worship and attention. When they devoted their time and attention to false gods, it did nothing to diminish God’s self-esteem or worthiness; it dishonored His name among the nations.

He had set His name upon the people of Israel. In the Book of Isaiah, He refers to them as His children and promises to “bring my sons from afar and my daughters from the end of the earth, everyone who is called by my name, whom I created” (Isaiah 43:6-7 ESV). Their identity was based on their identification as children of God who bore the name of God. When they showered their affections on false gods, it was not their lack of love that brought down God’s anger and judgment; it was their lack of respect for His name. That’s why God demands that their affection be accompanied by allegiance to His glory and greatness.

“…if my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and restore their land.” – 2 Chronicles 7:14 NLT

As the bearers of God’s name, the Israelites bore the responsibility of loving and living in keeping with their status as the sons and daughters of God. And God makes it clear that their obedience and obeisance would demonstrate to the world that they belonged to Him.

“The Lord will establish you as a people holy to himself, as he has sworn to you, if you keep the commandments of the Lord your God and walk in his ways. And all the peoples of the earth shall see that you are called by the name of the Lord…” – Deuteronomy 28:9-10 ESV

God is YHWH-qannā' – Jehovah-Kanna. He is jealous and protective of His name and, as His name-bearers, we have a non-negotiable responsibility to preserve the integrity of His name as we dedicate the entirety of our lives to His glory alone.

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.

Worthy of Our Praise

1 David and the chiefs of the service also set apart for the service the sons of Asaph, and of Heman, and of Jeduthun, who prophesied with lyres, with harps, and with cymbals. The list of those who did the work and of their duties was: 2 Of the sons of Asaph: Zaccur, Joseph, Nethaniah, and Asharelah, sons of Asaph, under the direction of Asaph, who prophesied under the direction of the king. 3 Of Jeduthun, the sons of Jeduthun: Gedaliah, Zeri, Jeshaiah, Shimei, Hashabiah, and Mattithiah, six, under the direction of their father Jeduthun, who prophesied with the lyre in thanksgiving and praise to the Lord. 4 Of Heman, the sons of Heman: Bukkiah, Mattaniah, Uzziel, Shebuel and Jerimoth, Hananiah, Hanani, Eliathah, Giddalti, and Romamti-ezer, Joshbekashah, Mallothi, Hothir, Mahazioth. 5 All these were the sons of Heman the king’s seer, according to the promise of God to exalt him, for God had given Heman fourteen sons and three daughters. 6 They were all under the direction of their father in the music in the house of the Lord with cymbals, harps, and lyres for the service of the house of God. Asaph, Jeduthun, and Heman were under the order of the king. 7 The number of them along with their brothers, who were trained in singing to the Lord, all who were skillful, was 288. 8 And they cast lots for their duties, small and great, teacher and pupil alike.

9 The first lot fell for Asaph to Joseph; the second to Gedaliah, to him and his brothers and his sons, twelve; 10 the third to Zaccur, his sons and his brothers, twelve; 11 the fourth to Izri, his sons and his brothers, twelve; 12 the fifth to Nethaniah, his sons and his brothers, twelve; 13 the sixth to Bukkiah, his sons and his brothers, twelve; 14 the seventh to Jesharelah, his sons and his brothers, twelve; 15 the eighth to Jeshaiah, his sons and his brothers, twelve; 16 the ninth to Mattaniah, his sons and his brothers, twelve; 17 the tenth to Shimei, his sons and his brothers, twelve; 18 the eleventh to Azarel, his sons and his brothers, twelve; 19 the twelfth to Hashabiah, his sons and his brothers, twelve; 20 to the thirteenth, Shubael, his sons and his brothers, twelve; 21 to the fourteenth, Mattithiah, his sons and his brothers, twelve; 22 to the fifteenth, to Jeremoth, his sons and his brothers, twelve; 23 to the sixteenth, to Hananiah, his sons and his brothers, twelve; 24 to the seventeenth, to Joshbekashah, his sons and his brothers, twelve; 25 to the eighteenth, to Hanani, his sons and his brothers, twelve; 26 to the nineteenth, to Mallothi, his sons and his brothers, twelve; 27 to the twentieth, to Eliathah, his sons and his brothers, twelve; 28 to the twenty-first, to Hothir, his sons and his brothers, twelve; 29 to the twenty-second, to Giddalti, his sons and his brothers, twelve; 30 to the twenty-third, to Mahazioth, his sons and his brothers, twelve; 31 to the twenty-fourth, to Romamti-ezer, his sons and his brothers, twelve. – 1 Chronicles 25:1-31 ESV

David had a strong attention to detail. In his effort to make preparations for the future Temple, he left no matter unattended, carefully covering all his bases so that everything about the house of God was taken care of. As this chapter reveals, he even included the appointment of men who would ensure that the worship of God was accompanied by music. This was not a feature of the Tabernacle and does not seem to have been ordained by God but David, who was a musician himself, understood the power of musical instruments to enhance one’s worship of God.

This was not music for music’s sake but was intended to accompany those who prophesied in the name of the Lord.

David …appointed men from the families of Asaph, Heman, and Jeduthun to proclaim God’s messages to the accompaniment of lyres, harps, and cymbals. – 1 Chronicles 25:1 NLT

David appointed various men “who proclaimed God’s messages by the king’s orders” (1 Chronicles 25:2 NLT). This included Asaph, Jeduthun, and Heman, who was the king’s seer. As these men prophesied, they were to be accompanied by their sons who provided “music in the house of the Lord with cymbals, harps, and lyres for the service of the house of God” (1 Chronicles 25:6 ESV). Those who were chosen for this special service were accomplished musicians.

They and their families were all trained in making music before the Lord, and each of them—288 in all—was an accomplished musician. – 1 Chronicles 25:7 NLT

The Temple David had dreamed of building would be more than just a place to offer sacrifices; it would feature the perpetual worship of God. He would be the solitary focus within its walls 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The men listed in this chapter were worship leaders responsible for speaking the truth of God set to music. In essence, they formed a temple choir to praise God through music and song.  Music, always near and dear to David's heart, would play a significant role in the new Temple that Solomon would construct.

The Temple is most often associated with the sacrificial system and the Holy of Holies, that innermost room where the presence of God dwelt above the Mercy Seat. But as this passage indicates, there was so much more to Temple worship than animal sacrifices. The building was an incredible sight to behold with its magnificent gold overlays, tapestries, pillars, and ornate furnishings. But it was to be a feast for the ears as much as it was for the eyes. Music would fill the structure through the artful blending of musical instruments and human voices, and the music was to accompany the prophesying of God’s truth.

Visiting the completed Temple would have been a sensory overload – filled with sights and sounds designed to praise and bring glory to God. He was the focus. Walking into the temple would have left little doubt that God was the center of attention. The sacrifices were for Him, but so was the music. The entire structure was designed with Him in mind.

Consider the difference between then and now. Today, so much of what takes place within the typical "house of God" is about the worshipers and not the One being worshiped. Our churches are built with our comfort in mind and intended to accommodate our needs. In many ways, even the music is designed to entertain and encourage us. The sermons are written and delivered for our benefit. Rather than lifting up the name of God and celebrating the Word of God, many messages delivered from pulpits across our country have become little more than positive motivational speeches or Ted Talks filled with tips on living a better life. While the buildings themselves may be impressive architecturally, they do little to lift up and glorify God. Sadly to say, they have become man-centered, rather than God-honoring.

Yet David was not interested in building a place where men could feel encouraged and entertained. He wanted to create a house suitable for his God, where everything pointed to the glory and majesty of God. It was to be magnificent in every detail because David's God was transcendent and majestic. From the smallest brick laid to the highest note played, everything about the Temple was to be about God because He alone was worthy.

Psalm 150 declares the purpose behind David’s efforts to equip God’s house with a living sound system that would fill its corridors and rooms with music and messages that reflect God’s truth and worthiness.

Praise him with a blast of the ram’s horn;
    praise him with the lyre and harp!
Praise him with the tambourine and dancing;
    praise him with strings and flutes!
Praise him with a clash of cymbals;
    praise him with loud clanging cymbals.
Let everything that breathes sing praises to the Lord!

Praise the Lord! – Psalm 150:3-6 NLT

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 Lord Reigns

1 And they brought in the ark of God and set it inside the tent that David had pitched for it, and they offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before God. 2 And when David had finished offering the burnt offerings and the peace offerings, he blessed the people in the name of the Lord 3 and distributed to all Israel, both men and women, to each a loaf of bread, a portion of meat, and a cake of raisins.

4 Then he appointed some of the Levites as ministers before the ark of the Lord, to invoke, to thank, and to praise the Lord, the God of Israel. 5 Asaph was the chief, and second to him were Zechariah, Jeiel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Mattithiah, Eliab, Benaiah, Obed-edom, and Jeiel, who were to play harps and lyres; Asaph was to sound the cymbals, 6 and Benaiah and Jahaziel the priests were to blow trumpets regularly before the ark of the covenant of God. 7 Then on that day David first appointed that thanksgiving be sung to the Lord by Asaph and his brothers.

8 Oh give thanks to the Lord; call upon his name;
    make known his deeds among the peoples!
9 Sing to him, sing praises to him;
    tell of all his wondrous works!
10 Glory in his holy name;
    let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice!
11 Seek the Lord and his strength;
    seek his presence continually!
12 Remember the wondrous works that he has done,
    his miracles and the judgments he uttered,
13 O offspring of Israel his servant,
    children of Jacob, his chosen ones!

14 He is the Lord our God;
    his judgments are in all the earth.
15 Remember his covenant forever,
    the word that he commanded, for a thousand generations,
16 the covenant that he made with Abraham,
    his sworn promise to Isaac,
17 which he confirmed to Jacob as a statute,
    to Israel as an everlasting covenant,
18 saying, “To you I will give the land of Canaan,
    as your portion for an inheritance.”

19 When you were few in number,
    of little account, and sojourners in it,
20 wandering from nation to nation,
    from one kingdom to another people,
21 he allowed no one to oppress them;
    he rebuked kings on their account,
22 saying, “Touch not my anointed ones,
    do my prophets no harm!”

23 Sing to the Lord, all the earth!
    Tell of his salvation from day to day.
24 Declare his glory among the nations,
    his marvelous works among all the peoples!
25 For great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised,
    and he is to be feared above all gods.
26 For all the gods of the peoples are worthless idols,
    but the Lord made the heavens.
27 Splendor and majesty are before him;
    strength and joy are in his place.

28 Ascribe to the Lord, O families of the peoples,
    ascribe to the Lord glory and strength!
29 Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name;
    bring an offering and come before him!
Worship the Lord in the splendor of holiness;
30     tremble before him, all the earth;
    yes, the world is established; it shall never be moved.
31 Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice,
    and let them say among the nations, “The Lord reigns!”
32 Let the sea roar, and all that fills it;
    let the field exult, and everything in it!
33 Then shall the trees of the forest sing for joy
    before the Lord, for he comes to judge the earth.
34 Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good;
    for his steadfast love endures forever!

35 Say also:

“Save us, O God of our salvation,
    and gather and deliver us from among the nations,
that we may give thanks to your holy name
    and glory in your praise.
36 Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel,
    from everlasting to everlasting!”

Then all the people said, “Amen!” and praised the Lord. – 1 Chronicles 16:1-36 ESV

This passage provides evidence for why God considered David to be a man after His own heart. Despite his flaws, David was deeply committed to God and fully aware of his dependence upon the Lord’s love, mercy, and grace. Since his anointing by Samuel as a young boy, David had learned to rely upon the presence and power of God in his life. His journey from the sheepfold to the palace had not been an easy one, but God had been with him all along the way. He had experienced periods of extreme difficulty and moments of exhilarating victory. He had been able to survive the former and rejoice in the latter because of the sovereign hand of God.

As he celebrated his consolidated kingship and the successful placement of the Ark of the Covenant within the walls of Jerusalem, David expressed his immense gratitude to God for all He had done. By transferring the ark to his newly established capital city, David was reminding the people of Israel that God was going to be at the center of his reign. In fact, he wanted every Israelite to understand that it was God who was their true King.

"Let the heavens be glad, and the earth rejoice! Tell all the nations, 'The Lord reigns!'" ­– 1 Chronicles 16:31 NLT

This entire ceremony was intended to elevate Yahweh among the people by making Him the center of attention. The ark was nothing more than a symbol of God’s abiding presence. It possessed no magical powers and, on its own, could provide no benefits to the people of Israel. But it had been designed by God and deemed the seat on which His glory would descend and rest. When God gave Moses the plans for constructing the Tabernacle, He included the specifications for the ark and the Mercy Seat that served as its cover or lid.  

“Then make the Ark’s cover—the place of atonement—from pure gold. It must be 45 inches long and 27 inches wide. Then make two cherubim from hammered gold, and place them on the two ends of the atonement cover. Mold the cherubim on each end of the atonement cover, making it all of one piece of gold. The cherubim will face each other and look down on the atonement cover. With their wings spread above it, they will protect it. Place inside the Ark the stone tablets inscribed with the terms of the covenant, which I will give to you. Then put the atonement cover on top of the Ark. I will meet with you there and talk to you from above the atonement cover between the gold cherubim that hover over the Ark of the Covenant. From there I will give you my commands for the people of Israel.” – Exodus 25:17-22 NLT

In essence, the Mercy Seat served as God’s earthly throne. It was from there that He ruled and reigned over His chosen people during their days of wandering in the wilderness. David wanted his new subjects to understand that their allegiance was to be to God Almighty, not him. David served as a vice-regent under the one true King. It was God who was worthy of worship and reverence. Despite his crowning as king, David knew that his role was still that of a shepherd tasked with shepherding the flock of God. David had been chosen to care for sheep of God’s pasture, but they had proved to be particularly wayward and stubborn.

…he [God] led his own people like a flock of sheep,
    guiding them safely through the wilderness.
He kept them safe so they were not afraid;
    but the sea covered their enemies.
He brought them to the border of his holy land,
    to this land of hills he had won for them.
He drove out the nations before them;
    he gave them their inheritance by lot.
    He settled the tribes of Israel into their homes.

But they kept testing and rebelling against God Most High.
    They did not obey his laws. – Psalm 78:52-56 NLT

Over the years, the Israelites displayed a stubborn rebellious streak that repeatedly tested God’s patience. Their demand for a king had resulted in the appointment of Saul, who proved to be a bitter disappointment. But God graciously provided a replacement who would shepherd His flock well.

He chose his servant David,
    calling him from the sheep pens.
He took David from tending the ewes and lambs
    and made him the shepherd of Jacob’s descendants—
    God’s own people, Israel.
He cared for them with a true heart
    and led them with skillful hands. – Psalm 78:70-72 NLT

The chronicler knew that his audience of returned exiles longed for the day when God would give them a king like David. They suffered from the-good-old-days syndrome, dreaming of the moment when they would have their own king who would shepherd them with a true heart and lead them with skillful hands. But the chronicler wanted them to understand that God was their King and he still ruled and reigned among them.

By including David’s song of thanksgiving, the chronicler drove home the message that Yahweh sits on His throne ruling over all mankind and accomplishing His divine will as He sees fit. As David began his long-awaited reign as the king of Israel, he reminded his subjects that God was the ultimate king of their nation. David set up the ark in the capital city of Jerusalem to assure his subjects that this kingdom was a theocracy first and a monarchy second. David reigned on God's behalf and at His bequest. God had put him on the throne and God could just as easily remove him. Both David and the people were obligated to treat God with the dignity, honor, and reverence He deserved.

David led the people in a celebration of God's goodness and grace. The arrival of the Ark in the city of Jerusalem was a reminder that God was intimately involved in their lives. For that reason, He deserved their praise, worship, allegiance, and thanksgiving. David reminded them of all that God has done on their behalf. He recalled God's faithfulness and redemptive work in their lives over the years.

Remember the wonders he has performed,
    his miracles, and the rulings he has given… – 1 Chronicles 16:12 NLT

He wanted them to know that their God was good and worthy of praise.

Let the whole earth sing to the Lord!
    Each day proclaim the good news that he saves.
Publish his glorious deeds among the nations.
    Tell everyone about the amazing things he does.
Great is the Lord! He is most worthy of praise! – 1 Chronicles 16:23-25 NLT

It was the Israelites’ relationship with God that set them apart from all the other nations. He was the difference maker. It was their status as God’s chosen people that made them unique among all the other people groups that populated the planet at that time. God was real and not an idol. He was powerful and not just a figment of someone's fertile imagination, and He had been intimately involved in every aspect of their daily lives for generations.

They wandered from nation to nation,
    from one kingdom to another.
Yet he did not let anyone oppress them.
    He warned kings on their behalf:
“Do not touch my chosen people,
    and do not hurt my prophets.” – 1 Chronicles 16:20-22 NLT

For all that, He is to be worshiped, praised and obeyed.

Give to the Lord the glory he deserves!
    Bring your offering and come into his presence.
Worship the Lord in all his holy splendor.
   Let all the earth tremble before him.
    The world stands firm and cannot be shaken. – 1 Chronicles 16:29-30 NLT

The chronicler used these powerful words of David to remind the remnant of returned exiles that their God was still powerful and fully capable of meeting their needs. He knew that they were demoralized and doubting the goodness and greatness of God. As they surveyed the state of the city of Jerusalem, they saw its broken-down walls, its dilapidated houses, and the hastily restored Temple that was a sad shadow of the grand house that Solomon had built. To make matters worse, the Holy of Holies of this Temple was missing the Ark of the Covenant. The chronicler knew that they were questioning the presence and power of God, so he used this historical moment from the life of David to restore their confidence and trust in their ever-present, all-powerful God.

Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good!
    His faithful love endures forever.
Cry out, “Save us, O God of our salvation!
    Gather and rescue us from among the nations,
so we can thank your holy name
    and rejoice and praise you.”

Praise the Lord, the God of Israel,
    who lives from everlasting to everlasting! – 1 Chronicles 16:34-36 NLT

This passage also serves as a timely reminder to all those who call themselves the people of God. The words of David should convict us of the many times we doubt and become disillusioned with God’s seeming absence or apathy toward our circumstances. Both David and the chronicler would have us recall that our God is just as powerful today as He was then. He is timeless and tireless when it comes to His providential care for His people. He deserves our praise as much as He did theirs. He is worthy of our thanks, praise, honor, and obedience – because He alone is God and it is He alone who is to reign in the lives of His people.

Give to the Lord the glory he deserves!
    Bring your offering and come into his presence.
Worship the Lord in all his holy splendor. – 1 Chronicles 16:29 NLT

Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good!
    His faithful love endures forever. – 1 Chronicles 16:34 NLT

God is worthy of worship, deserving of praise, and fully owed our thanksgiving and honor for all that He has done for us.

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.

No Detail Left Out

1 The sons of Levi: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari. 2 The sons of Kohath: Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel. 3 The children of Amram: Aaron, Moses, and Miriam. The sons of Aaron: Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar. 4 Eleazar fathered Phinehas, Phinehas fathered Abishua, 5 Abishua fathered Bukki, Bukki fathered Uzzi, 6 Uzzi fathered Zerahiah, Zerahiah fathered Meraioth, 7 Meraioth fathered Amariah, Amariah fathered Ahitub, 8 Ahitub fathered Zadok, Zadok fathered Ahimaaz, 9 Ahimaaz fathered Azariah, Azariah fathered Johanan, 10 and Johanan fathered Azariah (it was he who served as priest in the house that Solomon built in Jerusalem). 11 Azariah fathered Amariah, Amariah fathered Ahitub, 12 Ahitub fathered Zadok, Zadok fathered Shallum, 13 Shallum fathered Hilkiah, Hilkiah fathered Azariah, 14 Azariah fathered Seraiah, Seraiah fathered Jehozadak; 15 and Jehozadak went into exile when the Lord sent Judah and Jerusalem into exile by the hand of Nebuchadnezzar.

16 The sons of Levi: Gershom, Kohath, and Merari. 17 And these are the names of the sons of Gershom: Libni and Shimei. 18 The sons of Kohath: Amram, Izhar, Hebron and Uzziel. 19 The sons of Merari: Mahli and Mushi. These are the clans of the Levites according to their fathers. 20 Of Gershom: Libni his son, Jahath his son, Zimmah his son, 21 Joah his son, Iddo his son, Zerah his son, Jeatherai his son. 22 The sons of Kohath: Amminadab his son, Korah his son, Assir his son, 23 Elkanah his son, Ebiasaph his son, Assir his son, 24 Tahath his son, Uriel his son, Uzziah his son, and Shaul his son. 25 The sons of Elkanah: Amasai and Ahimoth, 26 Elkanah his son, Zophai his son, Nahath his son, 27 Eliab his son, Jeroham his son, Elkanah his son. 28 The sons of Samuel: Joel his firstborn, the second Abijah. 29 The sons of Merari: Mahli, Libni his son, Shimei his son, Uzzah his son, 30 Shimea his son, Haggiah his son, and Asaiah his son.

31 These are the men whom David put in charge of the service of song in the house of the Lord after the ark rested there. 32 They ministered with song before the tabernacle of the tent of meeting until Solomon built the house of the Lord in Jerusalem, and they performed their service according to their order. – 1 Chronicles 6:1-32 ESV

This chapter marks the center point of the chronicler’s genealogical record. In it, he details the lineage of Levi, whose tribe had been set apart by God to serve as ministers in the Tabernacle. The Book of Numbers records God’s appointment of the Levites, along with Aaron, a grandson of Levi and the brother of Moses.

Then the Lord said to Moses, “Call forward the tribe of Levi, and present them to Aaron the priest to serve as his assistants. They will serve Aaron and the whole community, performing their sacred duties in and around the Tabernacle. They will also maintain all the furnishings of the sacred tent, serving in the Tabernacle on behalf of all the Israelites. Assign the Levites to Aaron and his sons. They have been given from among all the people of Israel to serve as their assistants. Appoint Aaron and his sons to carry out the duties of the priesthood. But any unauthorized person who goes too near the sanctuary must be put to death.” – Numbers 3:5-10 NLT

This one tribe had been given the sacred responsibility of caring for the Tabernacle, God’s earthly dwelling place. God had commanded Moses to build the Tabernacle and provided the plans for its construction.

“Have the people of Israel build me a holy sanctuary so I can live among them. You must build this Tabernacle and its furnishings exactly according to the pattern I will show you.” – Exodus 25:8-9 NLT

But this sacred space would require special care and attention, a duty given solely to the tribe of Levi. They alone had been chosen by God to serve as priests and caretakers of His house.

Then the Lord said to Aaron: “You, your sons, and your relatives from the tribe of Levi will be held responsible for any offenses related to the sanctuary. But you and your sons alone will be held responsible for violations connected with the priesthood. Bring your relatives of the tribe of Levi—your ancestral tribe—to assist you and your sons as you perform the sacred duties in front of the Tabernacle of the Covenant.” – Numbers 18:1-2 NLT

The sons of Aaron were designated to serve as priests and only they could interact with the holy objects located within the Holy Place and the Holy of Holies, They alone could “perform the sacred duties inside the sanctuary and at the altar” (Numbers 18:5 NLT). The rest of the Levites served as assistants to Aaron and his son, performing the various duties assigned to them by God.

The duties of the Levites continued all throughout the years Israel wandered in the wilderness on their way to the promised land. Even after conquering and occupying Canaan, the Tabernacle continued to serve as the central place of sacrifice and worship, where the Levites continued to perform their God-appointed duties. When Solomon constructed the Temple in Jerusalem, modeled after the Tabernacle, the Ark of the Covenant was moved into the Holy of Holies and the Levites transitioned their allegiance from the Tabernacle to the new-and-improved Temple.

The chronicler is reminding his audience of the sacredness of God’s house and the set-apart nature of the Levitical priesthood. When the remnant of Israelites returned to Jerusalem after their 70 years of bondage in Babylon, they found the city in a dismal state and the once-glorious Temple completely destroyed. Yet, under the leadership of Ezra and Nehemiah, they eventually restored the former capital and rebuilt the house of God. But without the Levitical priesthood, the newly reconstructed Temple would be of no use to the people of Israel. God had made it clear: “Any unauthorized person who comes too near the sanctuary will be put to death” (Numbers 18:7 NLT).

So, as the people of Israel stood once again on the land that God had promised and provided for them, the author of Chronicles wanted to remind them of two important facts: The role of the king and the importance of the priesthood to their lives. In his careful, if not boring, list of genealogies, he spent a great deal of time outlining the lineage of Judah, the tribe through which not only David the king and his descendants came, but through which the Messiah would come. In this chapter, he methodically presents the lineage of the tribe of Levi, the tribe appointed by God to serve as priests to Him. While the people were in exile, the priesthood had effectively been suspended. The Levites could serve only as long as Israel remained in the promised land and the Temple remained standing. The Holy of Holies within the Temple was the dwelling place for God’s Shekinah glory. When the Temple had been destroyed, the presence of God had vacated the premises.

At the dedication of the original Temple, God told Solomon, “I have set this Temple apart to be holy—this place you have built where my name will be honored forever. I will always watch over it, for it is dear to my heart” (1 Kings 9:3 NLT). But God also gave Solomon a solemn warning:

“But if you or your descendants abandon me and disobey the commands and decrees I have given you, and if you serve and worship other gods, then I will uproot Israel from this land that I have given them. I will reject this Temple that I have made holy to honor my name. I will make Israel an object of mockery and ridicule among the nations. And though this Temple is impressive now, all who pass by will be appalled and will gasp in horror. They will ask, ‘Why did the Lord do such terrible things to this land and to this Temple?’” – 1 Kings 9:6-8 NLT

And God kept His word. The day came when He sent the Babylonians to punish His people for their sins against Him. The returning exiles knew only too well the details of that sad story; they had lived it for seven decades. Now they were being given a God-ordained chance to begin again. But they would need to do everything God’s way, including reinstituting the Levitical priesthood and the sacrificial system.

This would serve as one of the most significant benefits of their return to the land. During their years in exile, the sacrificial system would have been suspended, which means they would have had no way of receiving atonement for sin. With their return to Israel and the rebuilding of the Temple, that would all change. But it was essential that they do things God’s way. The priesthood was essential to the restoration of community life and the people's covenant relationship with God. The priests and the Temple were central to life in Israel and had been missing for more than 70 years. This chapter reemphasizes their importance.

This list also reminds the people that it was God who had chosen Aaron and his sons to serve Him as priests. When God rescued the people out of captivity in Egypt, He claimed the firstborn son as His by right. They were to be dedicated to His service for their lifetimes. But instead, God had chosen to allow the Levites to serve in their place. They were His hand-picked representatives and this chapter clearly indicates their importance in the covenant community.

Remember, this book was written to a people returning from Exile. Many, if not most, had been born in Babylon and were ignorant of the history and unique relationship that God had with the people of Israel. This is the author's attempt to remind them of their uniqueness as God’s people. God had been intimately involved in the history and daily life of the people of Israel and these newly released exiles needed to be reminded of that fact. As they surveyed the landscape of Judah and the less-than-ideal nature of their circumstances, it would have been easy for them to lose hope. They would have been tempted to cut corners and make compromises. But when it came to God’s house and the sacrificial system that took place within its gates, there was no room for concessions and quick fixes. The Temple had always been intended to remind the people of God’s presence. He was never confined to a building or relegated to operating within the walls of the Holy of Holies, but He had agreed to provide them with tangible and visible proof of His presence so they would honor and obey Him. Now that they were back in the land, God was willing to renew His relationship with them but it would require that they recognize His power and remember the weight of their calling as His chosen people.

Sometimes we need a refresher course on just how unique we are as the people of God. Tainted by the world and numbed by constant contact with the things of the world, we lose sight of the reality of our unique position as God's chosen people. Christ is to serve as priest and king in our lives. He is our Savior and sovereign Lord. He is the one we are to worship and obey. We are not like any other people group on earth. We have a High Priest who has offered the ultimate sacrifice for our sins – His own life. We have a King who rules and reigns from His throne in heaven and who is one day going to return to reestablish His rule here on earth. Those two facts should change the way we live and think.

The Israelites had been given a second chance. God had graciously rescued them from captivity in Babylon and restored them to the land He had promised them. He had provided them with leadership, resources, and the assurance of His presence. He would be with them and He would continue to care for them. But they would need to live in accordance with His will.

Decades earlier, when Solomon dedicated the newly-constructed Temple, he prayed a prayer that was prophetic in nature. Speaking hypothetically, he spoke of a day when the people of Israel might so offend God with their sins that they incur His wrath and suffer defeat at the hands of their enemy. He describes a time of forced exile but then he portrays the people calling out to God in repentance.

“If they sin against you—and who has never sinned?—you might become angry with them and let their enemies conquer them and take them captive to their land far away or near. But in that land of exile, they might turn to you in repentance and pray, ‘We have sinned, done evil, and acted wickedly.’ If they turn to you with their whole heart and soul in the land of their enemies and pray toward the land you gave to their ancestors—toward this city you have chosen, and toward this Temple I have built to honor your name— then hear their prayers and their petition from heaven where you live, and uphold their cause. Forgive your people who have sinned against you. Forgive all the offenses they have committed against you. Make their captors merciful to them, for they are your people—your special possession—whom you brought out of the iron-smelting furnace of Egypt.” – 1 Kings 8:46-51 NLT

Little did Solomon know that his hypothetical scenario would become a painful reality. But his prayer had been answered. God had done exactly what Solomon had requested. He heard the cries of His people and showed them mercy. He graciously restored them to the land. He kept a remnant of the Levites alive. He allowed them to rebuild the Temple. Now, they would need to live in accordance with His will and worship Him in a way that honored His name and reflected their status as His chosen people.

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.

Awe-Struck By God’s Glory

1 And David spoke to the Lord the words of this song on the day when the Lord delivered him from the hand of all his enemies, and from the hand of Saul. 2 He said,

“The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer,
3     my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge,
my shield, and the horn of my salvation,
    my stronghold and my refuge,
    my savior; you save me from violence.
4 I call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised,
    and I am saved from my enemies.

5 “For the waves of death encompassed me,
    the torrents of destruction assailed me;
6 the cords of Sheol entangled me;
    the snares of death confronted me.

7 “In my distress I called upon the Lord;
    to my God I called.
From his temple he heard my voice,
    and my cry came to his ears.

8 “Then the earth reeled and rocked;
    the foundations of the heavens trembled
    and quaked, because he was angry.
9 Smoke went up from his nostrils,
    and devouring fire from his mouth;
    glowing coals flamed forth from him.
10 He bowed the heavens and came down;
    thick darkness was under his feet.
11 He rode on a cherub and flew;
    he was seen on the wings of the wind.
12 He made darkness around him his canopy,
    thick clouds, a gathering of water.
13 Out of the brightness before him
    coals of fire flamed forth.
14 The Lord thundered from heaven,
    and the Most High uttered his voice.
15 And he sent out arrows and scattered them;
    lightning, and routed them.
16 Then the channels of the sea were seen;
    the foundations of the world were laid bare,
at the rebuke of the Lord,
    at the blast of the breath of his nostrils. – 2 Samuel 22:1-16 ESV

It was A. W. Tozer who wrote, “What comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us. The history of mankind will probably show that no people has ever risen above its religion, and man’s spiritual history will positively demonstrate that no religion has ever been greater than its idea of God” (A. W. Tozer, The Knowledge of the Holy).

When studying any man's life, we can easily become obsessed with his accomplishments, failures, actions, and apparent attitudes about everything from life to leadership and family to financial success. David is no exception. In fact, when looking into David’s life, we are provided with so many painfully transparent details that we can assume to know him all too well. But the one thing we can never really know about any man is the true state of his heart. God had to remind the prophet Samuel of this fact when he was searching for the man to replace Saul as the next king of Israel. Seeing that the prophet was using external criteria as a means to determine the right man for the position, God told him: “The LORD doesn't see things the way you see them. People judge by outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart” (1 Samuel 16:7 NLT).

We can’t see into a man’s heart, but in the case of David, we are given a glimpse into his thoughts and feelings at different points in his tumultuous life. The closing chapters of 2 Samuel contain a literary gem from the pen of David that reads like a personal and very private journal. The words it contains are almost a verbatim recounting of Psalm 18, a psalm that bears the following description:

A Psalm of David, the servant of the Lord, who addressed the words of this song to the Lord on the day when the Lord delivered him from the hand of all his enemies, and from the hand of Saul.

It is important to keep in mind that the closing chapters of 2 Samuel serve as a kind of appendix to the entire book. They are not in chronological order, but function as a summation of David’s life, providing the reader with a more holistic image of David as a man, leader, father, husband, and servant of God.

Based on the description that accompanies Psalm 18, it can be assumed that this particular psalm was written early in David’s life. It clearly states that it was written after David had been delivered from the hand of Saul. So it is not a late-in-life exposé written as David lay on his deathbed, looking back in regret or in a fit of nostalgia. These are the words of a young man who found himself in the early days of his God-ordained role as the king of Israel. In those inaugural days of his reign, David faced a litany of difficult circumstances that seemed to contradict both God’s call and the promises He had made to David. And yet, these words, which prefaced the rest of his long and storied life were not negative or filled with complaints and fist-shaking diatribes against God. Yes, they are blunt and highly transparent because David was not one to mince words or attempt to hide his true feelings from God. He is open and transparent but also respectful and reverent in the way he talks with God. He was willing to tell God how he felt, but he didn’t let his feelings influence his thoughts about God. Notice how he starts out:

The Lord is my rock, my fortress, and my savior;
    my God is my rock, in whom I find protection.
He is my shield, the power that saves me,
    and my place of safety.
He is my refuge, my savior,
    the one who saves me from violence. – 2 Samuel 22:2-3 NLT

All throughout this psalm, he speaks to and about God with reverential awe and honor. He sees God for who He really is: His rock, fortress, deliverer, savior, shield, refuge, and the all-powerful, praise-worthy, transcendent God of the universe. David knew from personal experience that his God was almighty and yet all-loving. He was an ever-present God who was fully aware of David’s plights and heard his cries for help. His God was not distant and disinterested in the trials that David faced. His God was not unresponsive or unapproachable, even though His dwelling place was in heaven. David knew he could call out to God and not only be heard but receive help in his time of need. His God rescued and redeemed, and not in some passive way that left him wondering if it had really been Him at all.

David describes God’s actions in terms that appeal to the senses and leave little doubt as to His power and majesty:

…the earth quaked and trembled. The foundations of the heavens shook; they quaked because of his anger… – vs 8

Smoke poured from his nostrils; fierce flames leaped from his mouth. Glowing coals blazed forth from him. – vs 9

The Lord thundered from heaven; the voice of the Most High resounded. – vs 14

David’s descriptions of God are figurative and not meant to be taken literally. They are meant to convey an image of the Almighty that conveys His transcendence and incomparable power. David describes God in otherworldly, supernatural terms that evoke the one-of-a-kind aspect of His divine nature. His God is not only active and alive, but He is also awe-inspiring and fear-inducing. David’s verbal portrait of God is intended to inspire a sense of reverential respect and humble submission in all who read it. God is not to be taken lightly and His gracious involvement in the affairs of daily life should not be dismissed or treated carelessly.

David had never seen God face-to-face or witnessed His providential power firsthand. Yet, he knew that the Almighty's fingerprints could be found on every aspect of his life. God had delivered Goliath into David’s hands and had repeatedly rescued David from the threats of King Saul. God had orchestrated all of David’s victories over his enemies. David viewed these miraculous and inexplicable acts of salvation as the work of an all-powerful, fire-breathing, earth-shattering, voice-like-thunder God.

In a sense, David is attempting to describe the indescribable. Encumbered with the limits of human language to describe the invisible and incomprehensible God, David turned to the natural world for help. He uses creation to convey the greatness of the Creator. For David, using natural phenomena like thunder, lightning, wind, earthquakes, and fire was the best way to put God’s majesty and might into words. His attempt to somehow make the indescribable God visible and relatable was virtually impossible but he did the best he could do within the limits of human language.

A. W. Tozer describes the challenge faced by all the authors of the Holy Scripture when they attempted to make God known.

“The effort of inspired me to express the ineffable has placed a great strain upon both thought and language in the Holy Scriptures. These being often a revelation of a world above nature, and the minds for which they were written being a part of nature, the writers are compelled to use a great many ‘like’ words to make themselves understood.” - A. W. Tozer, The Knowledge of the Holy

David had never witnessed the parting of the Red Sea or the divine manifestation of God’s presence on Mount Sinai in the form of smoke, fire, thunder, and lightning. But he had heard the stories and he believed that God was still fully capable of revealing Himself in supernatural and inexplicable ways. For David, the lack of visible manifestations of God’s power was not a disappointment or a setback to his faith. He fully believed that his God could still shake mountains, divide the seas, rain down fire from heaven, and deliver His people through unprecedented acts of power and providence.

David had a high regard for God and it was this unique, personal relationship with God Almighty that set David apart from so many of his contemporaries. In reading this passage and so many of the psalms that bear his name, we are left with the inarguable conclusion that David really was a man after God’s own heart. As we work our way through the remainder of chapter 22 of 2 Samuel, we will see that David not only knew and understood who God was, but he was comfortable with who he was in his relationship with God. David had no delusions about his own sinfulness and God’s holiness, but he could say, “he rescued me because he delights in me” (2 Samuel 22:20 NLT).

David was a man at peace with his God but he never took his relationship with the Almighty lightly or treated it flippantly. He remained awe-struck by God’s glory but equally amazed by God’s goodness. David was confident, guiltless, content, joyful, grateful, free from fear, and happy to praise his God for who He was and all that He had done.

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.

Barren, But Not Forgotten

1  There was a certain man of Ramathaim-zophim of the hill country of Ephraim whose name was Elkanah the son of Jeroham, son of Elihu, son of Tohu, son of Zuph, an Ephrathite. 2 He had two wives. The name of the one was Hannah, and the name of the other, Peninnah. And Peninnah had children, but Hannah had no children. ­

3 Now this man used to go up year by year from his city to worship and to sacrifice to the Lord of hosts at Shiloh, where the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were priests of the Lord. 4 On the day when Elkanah sacrificed, he would give portions to Peninnah his wife and to all her sons and daughters. 5 But to Hannah he gave a double portion, because he loved her, though the Lord had closed her womb. 6 And her rival used to provoke her grievously to irritate her, because the Lord had closed her womb. 7 So it went on year by year. As often as she went up to the house of the Lord, she used to provoke her. Therefore Hannah wept and would not eat. 8 And Elkanah, her husband, said to her, “Hannah, why do you weep? And why do you not eat? And why is your heart sad? Am I not more to you than ten sons?” – 1 Samuel 1:1-8 ESV

The book of 1 Samuel is part of a two-book set that includes 2 Samuel. At one point, these two books were actually one book that was divided when the Hebrew Bible was translated into Greek. This Greek translation took place in the third and second century B.C. and was known as the Septuagint, which comes from the Latin word for “seventy.” Tradition holds that 70 Hebrew scholars translated the original book into Greek because it had become the dominant language in Israel during those days.

The men who painstakingly translated the original Hebrew text into Greek made the determination to split the original book into two segments, calling them 1 and 2 Kingdoms. It wasn’t until 400 A.D. that Jerome used the designation “Samuel” when he provided a Latin translation of the entire Bible called the Vulgate. Since then, the two-book format has remained as well as the title of “Samuel,” a nod to one of the primary characters in the two books. While the lives of the first two kings of Israel will appear in these books, Samuel the prophet anointed them both, making him a central character in the narrative. For many centuries, it was believed that Samuel was also the author of two books, but that idea has come under fire because much of the content covers the time after Samuel’s death (1 Samuel 25-2 Samuel 24).

Both books chronicle a time that took place at the tail-end of the period of the judges. Eli, a priest of God, who will appear in verse 9, had judged Israel for 40 years (1 Samuel 4:18). As the story unfolds, this overweight and irresponsible man will come to represent all that is wrong with Israel.

The opening chapters of 1 Samuel provide the fascinating story of Ei’s downfall and his replacement by Samuel, the man whom God had divinely ordained to take his place. God steps into the scene of rampant disobedience and moral decay that was so clearly portrayed in the book of Judges and graciously provides a much-needed wake-up call to the people. The first two chapters of this book present a series of contrasts: Eli and Samuel, Hannah and Peninnah, and the sons of Eli and the son of Hannah. God seems to be setting the stage for change. After 350 years of moral decline and spiritual apathy, God is about to do something great.

Despite all the spiritual decadence that seemed to mark the people of God during the period of the judges, we see in these two chapters that not everyone had abandoned God. The first two verses introduce the reader to an unknown and unlikely character whose role in God’s plans for the nation of Israel may be difficult to comprehend or reconcile.

Hannah is the wife of a man named Elkanah, a Levite who still faithfully sacrifices to Yahweh each year at the Tabernacle in Shiloh. Elkanah is a direct descendant of Kohath, one of the sons of Levi (1 Chronicles 6:16-30), but he lives in one of the Levitical cities located within the territory allotted to the tribe of Ephraim.

This man, a member of the tribe of Levi and part of the clan of Kohath was responsible for caring for the objects associated with the Tabernacle.

“This is the service of the sons of Kohath in the tent of meeting: the most holy things.” – Numbers 4:4 ESV

During Israel’s days of wilderness wandering, when the Tabernacle had to be transported from one place to another, the Kohathites were tasked with carrying the Ark of the Covenant, the Table of Showbread, and other holy items. But once Israel entered the promised land, the Tabernacle was erected in Shiloh and the role of the Kohathites was greatly diminished. But the text tells us that Elkanah continued to travel to Shiloh once a year on the Day of Atonement to offer sacrifices at the Tabernacle. This man remained faithful to God and obedient to keep the designated feast days outlined in the Mosaic Law.

But Elkanah was a bigamist. This man of God had taken two wives, a not uncommon practice in that day, but one that was in direct violation of God’s ordained will.

Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh. – Genesis 2:24 ESV

Nowhere in Scripture does God condone the practice of bigamy and in almost all cases where God’s people engaged in it, the outcomes are less than ideal. The lives of the patriarchs give ample testimony to the risky nature of this worldly and purely sin-prone practice.

As this story shows, Hannah is a barren woman with a heavy heart. She cannot provide her husband with any offspring and finds herself in competition with her counterpart, Peninnah. The text makes the conflict abundantly clear: “Peninnah had children, but Hannah had no children” (1 Samuel 1:2 ESV). Hannah follows in the footsteps of other barren women, like Sarah, the wife of Abraham, and Rebekah, the wife of Isaac.

To make matters worse, Peninnah regularly flouted her fruitfulness in the face of Hannah.

…her rival used to provoke her grievously to irritate her, because the Lord had closed her womb. – 1 Samuel 1:6 ESV

This went on year after year, yet Hannah continued to worship God. She would accompany her husband and Peninnah to Shiloh each year to offer sacrifices at the Tabernacle. According to the Law of Moses, the Israelites were allowed to consume a portion of the meat associated with certain sacrifices. The text states the Elkanah gave “portions to Peninnah his wife and to all her sons and daughters” (1 Samuel 1:4 ESV). But to Hannah, he gave “a double portion, because he loved her, though the Lord had closed her womb” (1 Samuel 1:5 ESV). Yet, this generous expression of love did little to assuage Hannah’s feelings of uselessness due to her infertility. She was frustrated by her inability to return his love by providing him with a son. 

Therefore Hannah wept and would not eat. – 1 Samuel 1:7 ESV

She was unconsolable; her grief was unbearable. But Peninnah, despite his deep affection for Hannah, was unable to understand the depth or the source of her sorrow. But God did.

Peninnah and Hannah are provided as contrasts to Hophni and Phinehas, the two sons of Eli. Like their father, these two men represent everything that is wrong with Israel. As priests of God, they should have lived lives that were set apart for God but they lived immoral lives marked by greed, corruption, sexual promiscuity, and a total disregard for the laws of God. The text describes them as worthless men who did not know God (1 Samuel 2:12). As will soon become obvious, they were worthless in the eyes of God.  They obviously knew who God was but they did not recognize or acknowledge His authority over them. They operated according to their own will, with no fear of God, as evidenced by their blatant abuse of the sacrificial system. They used their positions as God's priests for personal gain and to satisfy their own desires. And their father Eli did nothing to stop them, probably because he enjoyed some of the benefits of their unethical practices.

But as is always the case, God steps in. He delivers. He takes an obscure woman named Hannah, who just happened to be barren and abused, and uses her to bring about His redemptive plan for the people of Israel. God reveals His strength through her weakness. He takes her moment of need and uses it to show His one-of-a-kind ability to provide for that need and so much more.

Verse 7 reveals Hannah as inconsolable and incapable of enjoying the gracious gift of for provided by her loving husband. But she has a loving God who hears her cries and feels her pain, and He will soon intervene on her behalf. He has a plan for her life that will overshadow the depth of her sorrow. Her life will stand in stark contrast to the two “men of God” who have been set apart for His service but who have chosen to serve themselves. The barren woman will become the fruit-bearer whose seed will begin a new chapter in God’s plans for His chosen people. The era of the judges is coming to a close and the time of the kings is near.

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.

Proper Priestly Protocol

8  The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 9 “Command Aaron and his sons, saying, This is the law of the burnt offering. The burnt offering shall be on the hearth on the altar all night until the morning, and the fire of the altar shall be kept burning on it. 10 And the priest shall put on his linen garment and put his linen undergarment on his body, and he shall take up the ashes to which the fire has reduced the burnt offering on the altar and put them beside the altar. 11 Then he shall take off his garments and put on other garments and carry the ashes outside the camp to a clean place. 12 The fire on the altar shall be kept burning on it; it shall not go out. The priest shall burn wood on it every morning, and he shall arrange the burnt offering on it and shall burn on it the fat of the peace offerings. 13 Fire shall be kept burning on the altar continually; it shall not go out.

14 “And this is the law of the grain offering. The sons of Aaron shall offer it before the Lord in front of the altar. 15 And one shall take from it a handful of the fine flour of the grain offering and its oil and all the frankincense that is on the grain offering and burn this as its memorial portion on the altar, a pleasing aroma to the Lord. 16 And the rest of it Aaron and his sons shall eat. It shall be eaten unleavened in a holy place. In the court of the tent of meeting they shall eat it. 17 It shall not be baked with leaven. I have given it as their portion of my food offerings. It is a thing most holy, like the sin offering and the guilt offering. 18 Every male among the children of Aaron may eat of it, as decreed forever throughout your generations, from the Lord’s food offerings. Whatever touches them shall become holy.”

19 The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 20 “This is the offering that Aaron and his sons shall offer to the Lord on the day when he is anointed: a tenth of an ephah of fine flour as a regular grain offering, half of it in the morning and half in the evening. 21 It shall be made with oil on a griddle. You shall bring it well mixed, in baked pieces like a grain offering, and offer it for a pleasing aroma to the Lord. 22 The priest from among Aaron’s sons, who is anointed to succeed him, shall offer it to the Lord as decreed forever. The whole of it shall be burned. 23 Every grain offering of a priest shall be wholly burned. It shall not be eaten.”

24 The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 25 “Speak to Aaron and his sons, saying, This is the law of the sin offering. In the place where the burnt offering is killed shall the sin offering be killed before the Lord; it is most holy. 26 The priest who offers it for sin shall eat it. In a holy place it shall be eaten, in the court of the tent of meeting. 27 Whatever touches its flesh shall be holy, and when any of its blood is splashed on a garment, you shall wash that on which it was splashed in a holy place. 28 And the earthenware vessel in which it is boiled shall be broken. But if it is boiled in a bronze vessel, that shall be scoured and rinsed in water. 29 Every male among the priests may eat of it; it is most holy. 30 But no sin offering shall be eaten from which any blood is brought into the tent of meeting to make atonement in the Holy Place; it shall be burned up with fire.” – Leviticus 6:8-30 ESV

At this point, God turns His attention to Aaron and his sons, focusing on their role as His priests and the mediators for the people of Israel. God outlines the five different offerings once again, but this time from the vantage point of the priestly family. These men had been given the weighty responsibility of making atonement for the sins of the people and God wanted them to take their role seriously. It was one thing for the sinner to offer the proper sacrifice for sin as ordained by God, but it would be of little value without a priest to perform the actual act of atonement. The sinner could bring the required sacrifice but only a priest was qualified to present the offering to God on the sinner’s behalf.

So, God provided Aaron and his sons with very specific instructions regarding the burnt offering, the grain offering, the ordination offering, and the sin offering. Each required a slightly different protocol that was to be observed down to the last detail. The priests were not allowed to improvise or alter the form of the sacrifice in any way. 

Every morning, one of Aaron’s sons would put on his official robes, enter the Tabernacle compound and remove the ashes from the previous day’s sacrifices. These “holy” garments were required before he could approach God’s altar. Once the ashes were collected, he was to remove his sanctified garments and replace them with ordinary clothing so that he could leave the compound and place the ashes in a predesignated location that had been ceremonially cleansed and prepared for this purpose. In accomplishing this task, it was essential that the priest ensured that the fire never went out on the bronze altar.

“…the fire on the altar must be kept burning; it must never go out. Each morning the priest will add fresh wood to the fire and arrange the burnt offering on it.” – Leviticus 6:12 NLT

The ashes had to be removed but the embers were to be kept alive and additional wood was to be added in order to maintain a perpetual flame on the altar. As long as the Israelites were encamped and the Tabernacle was open for business, the flame on the bronze altar was to be constantly kindled and perpetually ready for sacrifices to be made. And it was the responsibility of the priests to keep the fire burning at all times.

In chapter 9, Moses records the inauguration of the sacrificial system, when Aaron and his sons offered a series of sacrifices on behalf of themselves and the people. Once Aaron had completed the required offerings, officially opening the Tabernacle for business, God placed His seal of approval on the entire proceedings in a powerful and memorable way.

Then Aaron lifted up his hands toward the people and blessed them, and he came down from offering the sin offering and the burnt offering and the peace offerings. And Moses and Aaron went into the tent of meeting, and when they came out they blessed the people, and the glory of the Lord appeared to all the people. And fire came out from before the Lord and consumed the burnt offering and the pieces of fat on the altar, and when all the people saw it, they shouted and fell on their faces. – Leviticus 9:22-24 NLT

God created the initial fire that consumed those first offerings, and it was up to Aaron and his sons to preserve a remnant of those embers for perpetuity. The flame that God ignited was to never go out.

It was from this very same altar that the priests would remove coals to ignite the incense that was burned on the altar of incense. God was the source and sustainer of the purifying flame that made their sacrifices not only possible but effective. Even the grain offerings that were offered to God were a pleasing aroma to Him due to the flame that He Himself had initiated. And God graciously provided Aaron and his sons with a portion of the grain offering as payment for their services.

“I have given it to the priests as their share of the special gifts presented to me. Like the sin offering and the guilt offering, it is most holy. Any of Aaron’s male descendants may eat from the special gifts presented to the Lord. This is their permanent right from generation to generation.” – Leviticus 6:17-18 NLT

God provided all that the priests needed, from the robes they wore to the food they ate. They served on His behalf and, in return, He amply sustained and rewarded them for their faithful service.

God notes that if anyone or anything other than one of the priests came into contact with these sanctified offerings, they would be rendered holy. If a commoner happened to touch some of the grain offerings that had been reserved for the priests, he would be considered holy by virtue of transference and expected to maintain his purity in the same way as the priests.

“The layman who touched these most holy things became holy through the contact, so that henceforth he had to guard against defilement in the same manner as the sanctified priests.” – Keil and Delitzsch, Leviticus

It was essential that everything be done according to God’s exacting standards so that holiness might be maintained. Any variation from God’s script would result in the sacrifices being defiled and their atoning purpose thwarted.

Even Aaron and his sons, whom God had set apart for His service, were required to maintain their set-apart status by carefully following God’s commands. This included their twice-daily offering of two quarts of choice flour. These offerings were to be burned in their entirety on the altar as a form of worship to Yahweh. It was not only important that the priests served God on behalf of the people, but they were also to demonstrate their own reverence for God by offering these gifts as a pleasing aroma to Him. It was all to be consumed by fire and offered as a gift to God alone.

Holiness, humility, worship, and obedience. All of these things factored into the proper adherence to God’s sacrificial system. Everything had to be done according to God’s strict requirements and from a proper perspective. The right sacrifice offered in the wrong way or with improper motives would prove fruitless and counterproductive. Obedience was essential but so was obeisance. Seeking God’s forgiveness but without offering Him proper worship from a contrite and reverent heart was to risk incurring His wrath. Atonement was only possible if done in the right way and from a right heart.

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.

Getting to Know God

12 And the Lord said to Moses, 13 “You are to speak to the people of Israel and say, ‘Above all you shall keep my Sabbaths, for this is a sign between me and you throughout your generations, that you may know that I, the Lord, sanctify you. 14 You shall keep the Sabbath, because it is holy for you. Everyone who profanes it shall be put to death. Whoever does any work on it, that soul shall be cut off from among his people. 15 Six days shall work be done, but the seventh day is a Sabbath of solemn rest, holy to the Lord. Whoever does any work on the Sabbath day shall be put to death. 16 Therefore the people of Israel shall keep the Sabbath, observing the Sabbath throughout their generations, as a covenant forever. 17 It is a sign forever between me and the people of Israel that in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, and on the seventh day he rested and was refreshed.’”

18 And he gave to Moses, when he had finished speaking with him on Mount Sinai, the two tablets of the testimony, tablets of stone, written with the finger of God. – Exodus 31:12-18 ESV

It should be clear by now that God places a high priority on the observance of the Sabbath. He first introduced this holy day of rest when He gave the people manna in the wilderness. In response to their grumbling about the lack of food, God provided them with manna from heaven.

“This is what the Lord has commanded: ‘Tomorrow is a day of solemn rest, a holy Sabbath to the Lord; bake what you will bake and boil what you will boil, and all that is left over lay aside to be kept till the morning.’” – Exodus 16:23 ESV

Moses said, “Eat it today, for today is a Sabbath to the Lord; today you will not find it in the field. Six days you shall gather it, but on the seventh day, which is a Sabbath, there will be none.” – Exodus 16-24-25 ESV

The priority of the Sabbath had been established long before Israel arrived at Sinai and Moses had received the Ten Commandments. But God restated this holy observance when He gave the Decalogue to Moses.

“Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor, and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, you, or your son, or your daughter, your male servant, or your female servant, or your livestock, or the sojourner who is within your gates. For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.” – Exodus 20:8-11 ESV

Now, after a lengthy conversation with Moses on top of Mount Sinai, God gave His servant two tablets of stone on which He had inscribed the Ten Commandments with His own finger (Exodus 31:18). And then, in an obvious attempt to emphasize the importance of the Sabbath observance, God verbally restated its requirements to Moses. 

“Tell the people of Israel: ‘Be careful to keep my Sabbath day, for the Sabbath is a sign of the covenant between me and you from generation to generation. It is given so you may know that I am the Lord, who makes you holy. You must keep the Sabbath day, for it is a holy day for you. Anyone who desecrates it must be put to death; anyone who works on that day will be cut off from the community.’” – Exodus 31:13-14 NLT

Moses was about to descend back down to the valley with the tablets written by the hand of God and his own handwritten copy of the Book of the Covenant. He was to share all of this with the people of Israel but the one command that God highlighted was that concerning the Sabbath.

The Sabbath was more than just a command; it was to be a permanent sign of the covenant between God and His people.

“It is a permanent sign of my covenant with the people of Israel. For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, but on the seventh day he stopped working and was refreshed.” – Exodus 31:17 NLT

This weekly observance was designed to be a reminder of their unique relationship with their Creator-God. The purpose of the Tabernacle was to house the presence of God. That meant that the One who created the heavens and earth was going to dwell in their midst. When God had completed His creation of the universe and all it contains, He rested. He ceased from His labors because he had finished what He had set out to do. And by observing the Sabbath each week, the Israelites would be commemorating and sanctifying that one-of-a-kind day in history. Their great God had made all that their eyes could see and yet, He had chosen to dwell among them. Not only that, He had made a covenant with them – to be their God and to give them the privilege of being His chosen people. This covenant between God and the people of Israel was revealed to Moses in the wilderness of Sinai when he received his divine commission.

“Say therefore to the people of Israel, ‘I am the Lord, and I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and I will deliver you from slavery to them, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with great acts of judgment. I will take you to be my people, and I will be your God, and you shall know that I am the Lord your God, who has brought you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians…’” – Exodus 6:6-7 ESV

But that was not the first time God had spoken of the covenant. When Abraham, the patriarch of the people of Israel, had been chosen by God, he had received a similar promise concerning his future descendants.

“And I will establish my covenant between me and you and your offspring after you throughout their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and to your offspring after you.” – Genesis 17:7 ESV

Now, centuries later, that promise had been fulfilled. The people of Israel were the offspring of Abraham and God was making His covenant a permanent reality. The Tabernacle was designed to be the house of God so that the people might enjoy the blessing of His presence among them. But God did not need a place to stay; He wanted a people who desired a relationship with Him. The Sabbath was designed to be a day when the people made God their highest priority. Rather than working, they were to put all their energy toward knowing and serving God. He was to be their highest priority and greatest good.

The emphasis on rest has less to do with physical cessation from work than it does with the idea of reliance upon and trust in God for all their needs. With the Tabernacle, they would have a place to seek and find God. Located in the middle of their camp, this special structure would house God’s divine presence and assure His people that they were never alone. They had nothing to fear, except the holiness of their God, which is why God reiterates their need to observe the Sabbath or suffer the consequences.

“Anyone who works on the Sabbath must be put to death.” – Exodus 31:16 NLT

“This penalty seems harsh, but not when we realize what the Sabbath was intended to do. By not keeping the Sabbath, the Israelite was showing that he or she was not interested in knowing God.” – Peter Enns, Exodus

To work on the Sabbath was to exhibit a distrust in God’s presence and provision. It would be taken as a visual statement of self-sufficiency and a lack of reliance upon God’s word. That one day had been set aside by God and was intended to be a time when the people of Israel sought Him above all else. If you were working, you weren’t relying. If you were busy doing other things, you would have no time to set your mind on knowing the very One who created the heavens and the earth.

God knew His people well. When they heard Moses articulate the design of the Tabernacle, they would immediately want to begin the process of its construction. But God knew that, in their enthusiasm to build His house, they would run the risk of violating the Sabbath. Under the direction of Bezalel and Oholiab, and in the hopes of completing the Tabernacle in record time, they would attempt to work a seven-day week and violate God’s command. In their effort to build a house for God, they would neglect to take time to know God.

It is so important to remember that everything about the Tabernacle was intended to point back to the glory, greatness, holiness, majesty, and power of God. That structure in the wilderness was meant to be a constant reminder to the people of Israel about the wonder and awesomeness of the God who had chosen to have a relationship with Him. It sat in the middle of their camp for a reason. Among a sea of drab-looking tents, the Tabernacle would stand out and make a powerful statement about the transcendence of God. He was like no other. He was both attractive and awe-inspiring. He was accessible but also off-limits. He was approachable but so holy that entrance into His presence required purification and atonement.

The Tabernacle was meant to declare the glory of God. The Sabbath was intended to as a day to focus one’s attention on that reality. Rather than working, the people of Israel were to spend their time worshiping the One who had made them His chosen possession. Instead of meeting their own needs, they were to meet with the One who had rescued and redeemed them from their captivity in Egypt. He had chosen them and had promised to live among them, but now He expected them to seek to know and worship Him – “throughout their generations, as a covenant forever” (Exodus 31:16 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.

The Altar of Incense

1 ““You shall make an altar on which to burn incense; you shall make it of acacia wood. 2 A cubit shall be its length, and a cubit its breadth. It shall be square, and two cubits shall be its height. Its horns shall be of one piece with it. 3 You shall overlay it with pure gold, its top and around its sides and its horns. And you shall make a molding of gold around it. 4 And you shall make two golden rings for it. Under its molding on two opposite sides of it you shall make them, and they shall be holders for poles with which to carry it. 5 You shall make the poles of acacia wood and overlay them with gold. 6 And you shall put it in front of the veil that is above the ark of the testimony, in front of the mercy seat that is above the testimony, where I will meet with you. 7 And Aaron shall burn fragrant incense on it. Every morning when he dresses the lamps he shall burn it, 8 and when Aaron sets up the lamps at twilight, he shall burn it, a regular incense offering before the Lord throughout your generations. 9 You shall not offer unauthorized incense on it, or a burnt offering, or a grain offering, and you shall not pour a drink offering on it. 10 Aaron shall make atonement on its horns once a year. With the blood of the sin offering of atonement he shall make atonement for it once in the year throughout your generations. It is most holy to the Lord.” – Exodus 30:1-10 ESV

Back in chapter 25, God gave instructions regarding the primary pieces of furniture to be contained in the Tabernacle. He includes the Ark of the Covenant, the Mercy Seat, the table for the bread of the presence, and the Golden Lampstand. Each of these intricately designed pieces was to be placed within the two inner chambers of the Tabernacle. But there was one item left off the list: The Altar of Incense. For some unexplained reason, God did not mention this piece until after He had outlined the ordination ceremony for the priests.

There has been much debate about this apparent “misplacement” of the altar’s description in the narrative. Some have argued that it provides proof that the book of Exodus was amended by outside editors. There is a long history among editorial critics of the Bible that the book of Exodus was not written by Moses but was compiled by a variety of authors and edited into its current form. But why would these editors have placed the design of the altar in chapter 30 rather than chapter 25? That makes no sense. If anything, the delayed introduction of the Altar of Incense was perfectly timed by God Himself. He revealed it to Moses at just the right moment.

The Altar of Incense would be a vital part of the worship of Yahweh performed by Aaron and his sons. The placement of the Altar of Incense reveals the nature of its importance. It was to be located within the Holy Place just in front of the veil that led into the Holy of Holies. On the other side of that veil was the Mercy Seat, which was intended to be the throne of God on earth. It was there that His divine presence would reside. So, this small wooden box, covered in gold, was to be placed before the entrance into God’s presence. God was very specific about its placement.

“Place the incense altar just outside the inner curtain that shields the Ark of the Covenant, in front of the Ark’s cover—the place of atonement—that covers the tablets inscribed with the terms of the covenant. I will meet with you there.” – Exodus 30:6 NLT

The incense altar was to be flanked by the Golden Lampstand and the Table of Showbread. But only it led into the Holy of Holies. And God gave Moses strict instructions regarding its use.

“Every morning when Aaron maintains the lamps, he must burn fragrant incense on the altar. And each evening when he lights the lamps, he must again burn incense in the Lord’s presence. This must be done from generation to generation. Do not offer any unholy incense on this altar, or any burnt offerings, grain offerings, or liquid offerings.” – Exodus 30:7-9 NLT

This helps to explain the delayed description of this particular piece of furniture. Its use required the presence of a fully consecrated high priest. While the Golden Lampstand and the Table of Showbread also required the services of the high priest, the Altar of Incense was different. Its entire purpose was for burning incense before the Lord, and this ritual was to be performed twice a day for perpetuity. God even provided Moses with the recipe for making the incense.

“Gather fragrant spices—resin droplets, mollusk shell, and galbanum—and mix these fragrant spices with pure frankincense, weighed out in equal amounts. Using the usual techniques of the incense maker, blend the spices together and sprinkle them with salt to produce a pure and holy incense. Grind some of the mixture into a very fine powder and put it in front of the Ark of the Covenant, where I will meet with you in the Tabernacle. You must treat this incense as most holy. Never use this formula to make this incense for yourselves. It is reserved for the Lord, and you must treat it as holy. Anyone who makes incense like this for personal use will be cut off from the community.” – Exodus 30:34-38 NLT

Even the spice itself was set apart for God’s use. Its proprietary formula was reserved solely for the worship of God, and Aaron and his sons were prohibited from replicating it for personal use. So, every morning and evening, Aaron would enter the Holy Place dressed in his priestly robes and offer up the incense to God.

According to the book of Leviticus, Aaron was only to use coals from the Bronze Altar to burn incense before the Lord.

“Aaron will present his own bull as a sin offering to purify himself and his family, making them right with the Lord. After he has slaughtered the bull as a sin offering, he will fill an incense burner with burning coals from the altar that stands before the Lord. Then he will take two handfuls of fragrant powdered incense and will carry the burner and the incense behind the inner curtain. There in the Lord’s presence he will put the incense on the burning coals so that a cloud of incense will rise over the Ark’s cover—the place of atonement—that rests on the Ark of the Covenant. If he follows these instructions, he will not die.” – Leviticus 16:11-13 NLT

God stressed the importance that Aaron use the Altar of Incense properly by threatening him with the possibility of death for any breach of protocol. And the book of Leviticus tells us that Aaron’s two sons, Nadab and Abihu chose to violate God’s commands and lost their lives in the process.

…each took his censer and put fire in it and laid incense on it and offered unauthorized fire before the Lord, which he had not commanded them. And fire came out from before the Lord and consumed them, and they died before the Lord. – Leviticus 10:1-2 ESV

It seems that rather than using coals from the Bronze Altar as God had commanded, they chose a different source. In doing so, the smoke from the incense became unacceptable to God, and they paid for this violation with their lives.

There is no explanation given regarding the real purpose behind the burning of the incense, but elsewhere in the Scriptures, it is tied to prayer. King David would write in one of his Psalms:

O Lord, I am calling to you. Please hurry!
    Listen when I cry to you for help!
Accept my prayer as incense offered to you,
    and my upraised hands as an evening offering. – Psalm 141:2 NLT

In the book of Revelation, the apostle John records his vision of the throneroom of God in heaven.

…the four living beings and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb. Each one had a harp, and they held gold bowls filled with incense, which are the prayers of God’s people. – Revelation 5:8 NLT

Then another angel with a gold incense burner came and stood at the altar. And a great amount of incense was given to him to mix with the prayers of God’s people as an offering on the gold altar before the throne. The smoke of the incense, mixed with the prayers of God’s holy people, ascended up to God from the altar where the angel had poured them out. – Revelation 8:3-4 NLT

So, as Aaron offered up incense each morning and evening, it represented the prayers of God’s people. Dressed in his sacred and sanctified robes, the high priest took coals from the Bronze Altar and lit the holy incense before the veil that led into God’s presence. The smoke, symbolizing the prayers of the people, would rise before God, whose divine presence resided on the Mercy Seat. This scene, repeated every day, twice a day, would foreshadow the role of the Holy Spirit after the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ.

And the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. For example, we don’t know what God wants us to pray for. But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words. And the Father who knows all hearts knows what the Spirit is saying, for the Spirit pleads for us believers in harmony with God’s own will. – Romans 8:26-27 NLT

God desires to intercede on behalf of His people. He hears and responds to their prayers. And, in offering up incense, Aaron would be symbolically presenting the desires of the people before the throne of God.

Centuries later, when Solomon dedicated the newly built temple in Jerusalem, God placed His seal of approval on it and made a solemn promise to hear and answer the prayers of His people.

“…if my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land. Now my eyes will be open and my ears attentive to the prayer that is made in this place.” – 2 Chronicles 7:14-15 ESV

The key to understanding this passage is the issue of holiness. God expected His people to live holy lives. He gave the Decalogue and the Book of the Covenant so that they might know exactly how to conduct themselves as His chosen people. The entire Tabernacle was built upon the foundation of holiness. Every aspect of its design and every facet of its functionality was tied to holiness. Everything, including the priest and his garments, had to be purified and sanctified so that God could be worshiped properly. There was no room for error. The prayers of the people had to be offered in the right way if they wanted to hear from God. And even the Altar of Incense itself had to be purified annually so that the holy incense and the prayers of the people would rise before God as a pleasing aroma. There were to be no shortcuts. No concessions or compromises were allowed. Holiness was and still is the only acceptable standard.

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.

Plague Number Four

20 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Rise up early in the morning and present yourself to Pharaoh, as he goes out to the water, and say to him, ‘Thus says the Lord, “Let my people go, that they may serve me. 21 Or else, if you will not let my people go, behold, I will send swarms of flies on you and your servants and your people, and into your houses. And the houses of the Egyptians shall be filled with swarms of flies, and also the ground on which they stand. 22 But on that day I will set apart the land of Goshen, where my people dwell, so that no swarms of flies shall be there, that you may know that I am the Lord in the midst of the earth. 23 Thus I will put a division between my people and your people. Tomorrow this sign shall happen.”’” 24 And the Lord did so. There came great swarms of flies into the house of Pharaoh and into his servants' houses. Throughout all the land of Egypt the land was ruined by the swarms of flies.

25 Then Pharaoh called Moses and Aaron and said, “Go, sacrifice to your God within the land.” 26 But Moses said, “It would not be right to do so, for the offerings we shall sacrifice to the Lord our God are an abomination to the Egyptians. If we sacrifice offerings abominable to the Egyptians before their eyes, will they not stone us? 27 We must go three days’ journey into the wilderness and sacrifice to the Lord our God as he tells us.” 28 So Pharaoh said, “I will let you go to sacrifice to the Lord your God in the wilderness; only you must not go very far away. Plead for me.” 29 Then Moses said, “Behold, I am going out from you and I will plead with the Lord that the swarms of flies may depart from Pharaoh, from his servants, and from his people, tomorrow. Only let not Pharaoh cheat again by not letting the people go to sacrifice to the Lord.” 30 So Moses went out from Pharaoh and prayed to the Lord. 31 And the Lord did as Moses asked, and removed the swarms of flies from Pharaoh, from his servants, and from his people; not one remained. 32 But Pharaoh hardened his heart this time also, and did not let the people go. – Exodus 8:20-32 ESV

As a result of Pharaoh’s stubbornness, the Egyptians have already had to endure rivers of blood, the stink of dead and rotting fish, an infestation of frogs, and the frustration of billions of irritating gnats. With each judgment, God increased the intensity of the suffering and pain, but Pharaoh remained unwaveringly committed to resisting the demands of Moses and the will of his God. He was not going to give in. Even when his magicians confessed to him that this latest affliction was “the finger of God” (Exodus 8:19 ESV), Pharaoh continued to dig in his heels like a spoiled toddler.

But Pharaoh’s heart remained hard. He wouldn’t listen to them, just as the Lord had predicted. – Exodus 8:19 NLT

Everything was going according to God’s preordained plan. Each of these devastating displays of God’s power was intended to demonstrate His status as Lord and the one true God. And it should not be overlooked that these signs were all direct attacks on the false gods of the Egyptians.

The Egyptians had a plethora of deities, most of whom were tied directly to the natural world. Many of their gods were displayed with animal features used to illustrate their particular power or area of domain. Egyptian deities, even those that featured human heads, often had animal-like characteristics. It was not uncommon for these hybrid images to appear on statues and in the hieroglyphics that adorned the walls of their palaces and burial places. Virtually every animal indigenous to Egypt was linked to one or more of their gods. And their deification of the animal and insect kingdom is in keeping with the assessment of fallen humanity that Paul gives in his letter to the Romans.

They traded the truth about God for a lie. So they worshiped and served the things God created instead of the Creator himself, who is worthy of eternal praise! – Romans 1:25 NLT

Even the lowly fly was afforded god-like status in Egypt.

Even the humble fly (called aff in Egyptian) was worn as a homopoeic amulet. Fly amulets were distinctly v-shaped, emphasizing the head and wings of the insect. They varied in size but most were 2cm or smaller and could be strung on a single necklace or bracelet, often interspaced by beads. Small fly amulets have been found in Egypt made from gold, silver, bone, lapis lazuli, faience, carnelian, and amethyst. Wearing a fly amulet was probably believed to protect the wearer from insect bites or ward off pesky flying creatures through apotropaic magic. – www.nilescribes.org

The Hebrew word translated as “flies” is ʿārōḇ, and it literally means “swarm.” It could refer to any of a number of swarming insects, including flies and mosquitos. But whatever it was, it was larger in size that a gnat and far more vicious in its attacks. The book of Psalms contains a description of these flying insects that reveals that they were far more than just a nuisance.

He sent swarms of biting insects against them,  as well as frogs that overran their land. – Psalm 78:45 NET

From stinging gnats to biting flies, the Egyptians were getting no rest from God’s judgment. And no amulet with the image of an insect was going to immunize the Egyptians against the wrath of God. Their magic was no match for Jehovah. But that didn’t phase the recalcitrant king of Egypt.

So, God ordered Moses to deliver a “stinging” message of His own to Pharaoh.

“Let my people go, so they can worship me. If you refuse, then I will send swarms of flies on you, your officials, your people, and all the houses. The Egyptian homes will be filled with flies, and the ground will be covered with them.” – Exodus 8:21 NLT

But this time, God added a rather novel addendum to His warning of pending judgment. When the flies came, they would somehow avoid the land of Goshen, where the people of Israel lived. In other words, God was going to supernaturally protect His own people. No amulets or good luck charms would be necessary.

“…this time I will spare the region of Goshen, where my people live. No flies will be found there. Then you will know that I am the Lord and that I am present even in the heart of your land.” – Exodus 8:22 NLT

God Almighty was going to put a hedge of protection around His children so that the flies would only affect the people of Egypt. Even the flocks and herds of the Israelites would be supernaturally spared when this judgment came upon the land of Egypt. And God lets Pharaoh know that this seemingly impossible dome of protection around Goshen will prove that He is not some regional deity relegated to the land of Canaan. No, He insists, “you will know that I am the Lord and that I am present even in the heart of your land” (Exodus 8:22 NLT). In a sense, God is stating that He will be the protector of His people. His presence will provide all the immunization they need from the coming judgment. And this miraculous display of divine differentiation between one group and another was meant to be a powerful reminder to the people of Israel that they belonged to God, and He was more than capable of caring for them.

And God delivered on His word.

“A thick swarm of flies filled Pharaoh’s palace and the houses of his officials. The whole land of Egypt was thrown into chaos by the flies.” – Exodus 8:24 NLT

Notice that God did this. There is no indication that either Aaron or Moses did anything to bring about this plague. No staff was raised. No words were spoken. Moses simply states, “And the Lord did so” (Exodus 8:24 ESV). This was all the handiwork of God. No help or assistance was necessary. Moses and Aaron simply stood back and watched as God did His thing.

And God’s actions brought about apparent results. Pharaoh finally gave in and gave his permission for the Israelites to offer sacrifices to their God, but with one caveat. They had to do so within the land of Egypt. He forbade them to cross the border.

But Moses rejected Pharaoh’s last-minute revision to the plan.

“That wouldn’t be right. The Egyptians detest the sacrifices that we offer to the Lord our God. Look, if we offer our sacrifices here where the Egyptians can see us, they will stone us. We must take a three-day trip into the wilderness to offer sacrifices to the Lord our God, just as he has commanded us.” – Exodus 8:26-27 NLT

Under great duress, Pharaoh finally caved into Moses’ demands, allowing them to make the 3-day journey into the wilderness to worship their God. But he insisted that they hurry and that they offer up a prayer for him before they go. Moses agreed to the terms and promised to bring the plight of Pharaoh and his Egyptians to the attention of God. Yet he warned him not to renege on his agreement.

“As soon as I leave you, I will pray to the Lord, and tomorrow the swarms of flies will disappear from you and your officials and all your people. But I am warning you, Pharaoh, don’t lie to us again and refuse to let the people go to sacrifice to the Lord.” – Exodus 8:29 NLT

And Moses kept his end of the bargain. Immediately after leaving the palace, he prayed and, within minutes, God removed every last fly from the land. It was yet another supernatural display of God’s power and authority. Yet while the people of Egypt must have breathed a sigh of relief when the flies finally disappeared, Pharaoh sank back into his dark and defiant black hole of arrogant intransigence.

But Pharaoh again became stubborn and refused to let the people go. – Exodus 8:32 NLT

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.

The High Cost of Commitment

24 At a lodging place on the way the Lord met him and sought to put him to death. 25 Then Zipporah took a flint and cut off her son’s foreskin and touched Moses’ feet with it and said, “Surely you are a bridegroom of blood to me!” 26 So he let him alone. It was then that she said, “A bridegroom of blood,” because of the circumcision.

27 The Lord said to Aaron, “Go into the wilderness to meet Moses.” So he went and met him at the mountain of God and kissed him. 28 And Moses told Aaron all the words of the Lord with which he had sent him to speak, and all the signs that he had commanded him to do. 29 Then Moses and Aaron went and gathered together all the elders of the people of Israel. 30 Aaron spoke all the words that the Lord had spoken to Moses and did the signs in the sight of the people. 31 And the people believed; and when they heard that the Lord had visited the people of Israel and that he had seen their affliction, they bowed their heads and worshiped. – Exodus 4:24-31 ESV

Having received his final instructions from God, Moses set off for Egypt with his wife Zipporah, and two sons, Gershom and Eliezer. Gershom, whose name means “sojourner there,” is mentioned in chapter two, but Eliezer’s name does not appear until chapter 18, and his name means “my God is helper.”

The long journey back to Egypt required many stops along the way so that Zipporah and their young boys could rest. On one of those occasions, Moses received another visit from Jehovah that would prove to be far from pleasant. Recording the details of that fateful evening, he records that they had stopped for the night, and “the Lord met Moses and sought to kill him” (Exodus 4:24 NLT). 

This statement is meant to shock the reader. It comes completely out of nowhere and provides no rationale or context for its existence. The reader is left to wonder why God would want to kill the very man He has called to be the deliverer of His chosen people. It makes no sense. It seems pointless and out of character for God. But there is a powerful lesson contained in this seemingly out-of-place sentence.

Moses had finally given in and obeyed God’s commission to return to Egypt as His deliverer, but he was doing so in a state of disobedience. Moses had failed to keep one of the most important commands that God had ever given His people. More than half a century earlier, God had visited Moses’ forefather, Abraham, and reiterated His promise to provide Abraham with a multitude of descendants. But as part of his covenant commitment, Abraham and his heirs were ordered to practice the rite of circumcision.

Then God said to Abraham, “Your responsibility is to obey the terms of the covenant. You and all your descendants have this continual responsibility. This is the covenant that you and your descendants must keep: Each male among you must be circumcised. You must cut off the flesh of your foreskin as a sign of the covenant between me and you. From generation to generation, every male child must be circumcised on the eighth day after his birth. This applies not only to members of your family but also to the servants born in your household and the foreign-born servants whom you have purchased. All must be circumcised. Your bodies will bear the mark of my everlasting covenant. Any male who fails to be circumcised will be cut off from the covenant family for breaking the covenant.” – Genesis 17:9-14 NLT

The penalty for not carrying out this sacred rite was death. That is what God meant when He said, “any male who fails to be circumcised will be cut off” (Exodus 17:14 NLT). This rather humorless wordplay was meant to convey the seriousness of the command. It was non-optional and binding on all generations of Abraham’s descendants.

Yet, Moses had failed to keep this command. It becomes readily apparent from the text that Gershom, Moses’ firstborn son, remained uncircumcised. We are given no reason for this oversight on Moses’ part, but the penalty for his failure to keep the covenant command was clear. Yet, rather than order the death of Gershom, God declares His intent to kill Moses.

It is no coincidence that this death sentence for Moses comes immediately after the record of God’s final words to Moses before he left Midian.

“…you shall say to Pharaoh, ‘Thus says the Lord, Israel is my firstborn son, and I say to you, “Let my son go that he may serve me.” If you refuse to let him go, behold, I will kill your firstborn son.’” – Exodus 4:22-23 ESV

If Pharaoh refused to obey God, the life of his firstborn son would be forfeited. But because Moses refused to obey God and circumcise Gershom, it would be Moses who died and not his firstborn son. God was holding Moses personally responsible for this blatant violation of His covenant command.

In a desperate attempt to spare her husband’s life, Zipporah took matters into her own hands and immediately carried out the circumcision of Gershom. Then, in a rather strange display of frustration and disappointment, she took “her son's foreskin and touched Moses’ feet with it” ( Exodus 4:25 ESV). In a sense, she was laying the blame at the feet of her husband. He had failed to lead his family well and, in doing so, had put them all at risk. Moses’ refusal to circumcise Gershom had placed a target on the young boy’s back because he would spend his life as a covenant violator who was worthy of death. He would also spend his life as an outsider, separated from fellowship with God’s covenant people.

Zipporah’s actions reflect her frustration with Moses, and she gives full vent to her anger when she tells her husband, “Surely you are a bridegroom of blood to me!” (Exodus 4:25 ESV). In his commentary on the book of Exodus, the Italian Rabbi, U. Cassutto provides the following translation of Zipporah’s statement: 

“I have delivered you from death, and your return to life makes you my bridegroom a second time, this time my blood bridegroom, a bridegroom acquired through blood”

In a sense, she has paid the bridegroom price. She has sacrificed the blood of their firstborn son in order to save the life of her disobedient husband. And, in doing so, she spared the life of Gershom as well. He would no longer live under the condemnation of death for his uncircumcised state.

And what makes this scene so important is that it emphasizes just how seriously God takes sin in the life of His chosen people. Moses had finally chosen to obey God and take up the mantle as His deliverer, but he was doing so in a state of disobedience. The one whom God chose to lead the circumcised sons of Abraham out of their bondage in Egypt, was leading an uncircumcised son into Egypt. This was unacceptable, and God was willing to kill the messenger rather than allow him to tarnish the entire mission with his own disobedience. Moses needed to be in a right relationship with God if he was going to serve as a messenger from God. What God had demanded of Abraham was true of Moses as well.

“I am God Almighty; walk before me, and be blameless…” – Genesis 17:1 ESV

There could be no hidden areas in Moses’ life. He could not afford to have any undisclosed indiscretions or secret sins. He was to stand before Pharaoh as God’s representative. When he spoke, he was to speak on behalf of God. So, his character would be integral to the carrying out of his commission.

As all this was going on, God was working behind the scenes to keep His promise to enlist Aaron, Moses’ brother, as his assistant. When Moses had expressed his reticence to act as God’s mouthpiece, God offered to let Aaron take up that responsibility.

“You shall speak to him and put the words in his mouth, and I will be with your mouth and with his mouth and will teach you both what to do. He shall speak for you to the people, and he shall be your mouth, and you shall be as God to him. And take in your hand this staff, with which you shall do the signs.” – Exodus 4:15-17 ESV

So, God arranged for the two to meet on the outskirts of Egypt, where Moses brought his brother up to speed on all that God had said and done back at Mount Horeb. We are given no insight as to how Aaron received all this news from his brother. But it must have been like drinking from a firehose. Aaron didn’t have the benefit of seeing the burning bush or hearing the voice of God. He simply had to take all that his brother said at face value and trust that this was a divinely ordained mission. And, by all indications, he heard his brother out and decided to join him in this rather Quixote-lie quest.

They eventually arrived in Egypt, made their way to the land of Goshen, and gathered all the elders of the people of Israel.

Aaron spoke all the words that the Lord had spoken to Moses and did the signs in the sight of the people. – Exodus 4:30 ESV

This God-ordained tag team went right to work, carrying out the commands of God and launching the providential plan that He had ordained. And probably much to Moses’ surprise, “the people believed; and when they heard that the Lord had visited the people of Israel and that he had seen their affliction, they bowed their heads and worshiped” (Exodus 4:31 ESV).

Early on, Moses had questioned the feasibility of this plan. He wondered whether the people of Israel would even remember the name of Jehovah, let alone accept the far-fetched idea of Him orchestrating their deliverance from Egypt. But when he and Aaron faithfully did what God had told them to do, the people believed. They were desperate for someone to deliver them from their suffering and when they discovered that Jehovah had heard their pleas for help, they responded in worship. Suddenly, the gods of Egypt were out of sight, out of mind. Jehovah, the God of Israel, had returned and they were ready to give Him the glory and reverence He deserved. But their newfound faith was about to be severely tested.

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 Habitat of Holiness

1 “When you allot the land as an inheritance, you shall set apart for the Lord a portion of the land as a holy district, 25,000 cubits long and 20,000 cubits broad. It shall be holy throughout its whole extent. 2 Of this a square plot of 500 by 500 cubits shall be for the sanctuary, with fifty cubits for an open space around it. 3 And from this measured district you shall measure off a section 25,000 cubits long and 10,000 broad, in which shall be the sanctuary, the Most Holy Place. 4 It shall be the holy portion of the land. It shall be for the priests, who minister in the sanctuary and approach the Lord to minister to him, and it shall be a place for their houses and a holy place for the sanctuary. 5 Another section, 25,000 cubits long and 10,000 cubits broad, shall be for the Levites who minister at the temple, as their possession for cities to live in.

6 “Alongside the portion set apart as the holy district you shall assign for the property of the city an area 5,000 cubits broad and 25,000 cubits long. It shall belong to the whole house of Israel.

7 “And to the prince shall belong the land on both sides of the holy district and the property of the city, alongside the holy district and the property of the city, on the west and on the east, corresponding in length to one of the tribal portions, and extending from the western to the eastern boundary 8 of the land. It is to be his property in Israel. And my princes shall no more oppress my people, but they shall let the house of Israel have the land according to their tribes.

9 “Thus says the Lord God: Enough, O princes of Israel! Put away violence and oppression, and execute justice and righteousness. Cease your evictions of my people, declares the Lord God.

10 “You shall have just balances, a just ephah, and a just bath. 11 The ephah and the bath shall be of the same measure, the bath containing one tenth of a homer, and the ephah one tenth of a homer; the homer shall be the standard measure. 12 The shekel shall be twenty gerahs; twenty shekels plus twenty-five shekels plus fifteen shekels shall be your mina.

13 “This is the offering that you shall make: one sixth of an ephah from each homer of wheat, and one sixth of an ephah from each homer of barley, 14 and as the fixed portion of oil, measured in baths, one tenth of a bath from each cor (the cor, like the homer, contains ten baths). 15 And one sheep from every flock of two hundred, from the watering places of Israel for grain offering, burnt offering, and peace offerings, to make atonement for them, declares the Lord God. 16 All the people of the land shall be obliged to give this offering to the prince in Israel. 17 It shall be the prince's duty to furnish the burnt offerings, grain offerings, and drink offerings, at the feasts, the new moons, and the Sabbaths, all the appointed feasts of the house of Israel: he shall provide the sin offerings, grain offerings, burnt offerings, and peace offerings, to make atonement on behalf of the house of Israel.

18 “Thus says the Lord God: In the first month, on the first day of the month, you shall take a bull from the herd without blemish, and purify the sanctuary. 19 The priest shall take some of the blood of the sin offering and put it on the doorposts of the temple, the four corners of the ledge of the altar, and the posts of the gate of the inner court. 20 You shall do the same on the seventh day of the month for anyone who has sinned through error or ignorance; so you shall make atonement for the temple.

21 “In the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month, you shall celebrate the Feast of the Passover, and for seven days unleavened bread shall be eaten. 22 On that day the prince shall provide for himself and all the people of the land a young bull for a sin offering. 23 And on the seven days of the festival he shall provide as a burnt offering to the Lord seven young bulls and seven rams without blemish, on each of the seven days; and a male goat daily for a sin offering. 24 And he shall provide as a grain offering an ephah for each bull, an ephah for each ram, and a hin of oil to each ephah. 25 In the seventh month, on the fifteenth day of the month and for the seven days of the feast, he shall make the same provision for sin offerings, burnt offerings, and grain offerings, and for the oil.” – Ezekiel 45:1-25 ESV

This chapter provides detailed dimensions for Christ’s Millennial Kingdom. Notice how many times God uses the term “holy” to describe this future realm. It was essential that Ezekiel understand that this future Kingdom will be like no other kingdom that has ever existed on earth.

There is a predetermined and precise layout for this Kingdom to come and there will be non-negotiable requirements for all those who inhabit it. Justice and righteousness will reign throughout the land, and God will expect His leaders to set an example.

“Enough, you princes of Israel! Stop your violence and oppression and do what is just and right. Quit robbing and cheating my people out of their land. Stop expelling them from their homes, says the Sovereign Lord. Use only honest weights and scales and honest measures, both dry and liquid.” – Ezekiel 45:9-10 NLT

God seems to be going out of His way to ensure that Ezekiel understands that things will be different in this future Kingdom. Jerusalem will be under the reign and rule of the Messiah. He will sit on the throne of David and rule with righteousness and integrity. He will have a prince who rules under him and will be in charge of the city of Jerusalem and the temple grounds. This prince will be holy, righteous, and just. He will be honest and above-board, ethical in his behavior, and just in the administration of his duties – unlike the princes that had ruled in Jerusalem in the years leading up to the nation's fall to Babylon.

For hundreds of years, the leadership in Judah had been characterized by greed, corruption, immorality, unfaithfulness, dishonesty, and disobedience to the laws of God. Even in Ezekiel's day, the pattern continued. So God tells them, "I've put up with you long enough, princes of Israel! Quit bullying and taking advantage of my people. Do what's just and right for a change" (Ezekiel 45:9 MSG).

They were guilty of embezzlement, fraud, graft, and all kinds of corruption. They had been taking advantage of the helpless and hopeless. And the corruption of the leadership had infected the people. Amos describes conditions among the people of Israel this way:

How you hate honest judges! How you despise people who tell the truth! You trample the poor, stealing their grain through taxes and unfair rent. Therefore, though you build beautiful stone houses, you will never live in them. Though you plant lush vineyards, you will never drink wine from them. For I know the vast number of your sins and the depth of your rebellions. You oppress good people by taking bribes and deprive the poor of justice in the courts. So those who are smart keep their mouths shut, for it is an evil time. – Amos 5:10-13 NLT

Corruption is contagious. It spreads like cancer and ends up infecting everyone it touches. Violence, greed, oppression, and injustice go hand-in-hand. A nation with lousy leadership is toxic to its people. And God points out that there is a day coming when Israel’s poor leaders will be replaced with righteous and godly men. No longer will the leaders take advantage of the people. Righteousness will reign. And God's point to Ezekiel and the leaders of his day seems to be, if that is the way it is to be in God's Millennial Kingdom, why not pursue righteous leadership now?  Why not rule justly, honestly, and righteously in the present if that is the standard for the future?

God's vision of His future kingdom here on earth provides a glimpse into His heart. It shows us what He desires. It reveals what is important to Him. Holiness, righteousness, honesty, order, compassion, obedience, responsibility, justice – all these things will exist in His future kingdom, but they are just as important to God in the here and now. And while sin and the influence of the enemy make it impossible to practice these things perfectly, we are to pursue them passionately. We are to "do what is just and right" each and every day within those areas over which we have responsibility.

Our lives, as believers, are to be little kingdoms of righteousness in the middle of a very dark world. We of all people should be attempting to live holy and set-apart lives, doing what is just and right, so that the world might get a glimpse of what true justice, love, and mercy look like. What is important to God in the future is important to God now. So let's make His priorities our priorities.

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.

Sickness of Heart

15 “But you trusted in your beauty and played the whore because of your renown and lavished your whorings on any passerby; your beauty became his. 16 You took some of your garments and made for yourself colorful shrines, and on them played the whore. The like has never been, nor ever shall be. 17 You also took your beautiful jewels of my gold and of my silver, which I had given you, and made for yourself images of men, and with them played the whore. 18 And you took your embroidered garments to cover them, and set my oil and my incense before them. 19 Also my bread that I gave you—I fed you with fine flour and oil and honey—you set before them for a pleasing aroma; and so it was, declares the Lord God. 20 And you took your sons and your daughters, whom you had borne to me, and these you sacrificed to them to be devoured. Were your whorings so small a matter 21 that you slaughtered my children and delivered them up as an offering by fire to them? 22 And in all your abominations and your whorings you did not remember the days of your youth, when you were naked and bare, wallowing in your blood.

23 “And after all your wickedness (woe, woe to you! declares the Lord God), 24 you built yourself a vaulted chamber and made yourself a lofty place in every square. 25 At the head of every street you built your lofty place and made your beauty an abomination, offering yourself to any passerby and multiplying your whoring. 26 You also played the whore with the Egyptians, your lustful neighbors, multiplying your whoring, to provoke me to anger. 27 Behold, therefore, I stretched out my hand against you and diminished your allotted portion and delivered you to the greed of your enemies, the daughters of the Philistines, who were ashamed of your lewd behavior. 28 You played the whore also with the Assyrians, because you were not satisfied; yes, you played the whore with them, and still you were not satisfied. 29 You multiplied your whoring also with the trading land of Chaldea, and even with this you were not satisfied.

30 “How sick is your heart, declares the Lord God, because you did all these things, the deeds of a brazen prostitute, 31 building your vaulted chamber at the head of every street, and making your lofty place in every square. Yet you were not like a prostitute, because you scorned payment. 32 Adulterous wife, who receives strangers instead of her husband! 33 Men give gifts to all prostitutes, but you gave your gifts to all your lovers, bribing them to come to you from every side with your whorings. 34 So you were different from other women in your whorings. No one solicited you to play the whore, and you gave payment, while no payment was given to you; therefore you were different. – Ezekiel 16:15-34 ESV

The city of Jerusalem stood as a symbol of God’s blessings upon the people of Israel. It was a magnificent walled city filled with beautiful homes, stunning palaces, and the renowned temple Solomon had built for Yahweh. When the Queen of Sheba made a royal visit to Jerusalem, she had been blown away by all that she had seen.

…when she saw the palace he had built, she was overwhelmed. She was also amazed at the food on his tables, the organization of his officials and their splendid clothing, the cup-bearers and their robes, and the burnt offerings Solomon made at the Temple of the Lord.

She exclaimed to the king, “Everything I heard in my country about your achievements and wisdom is true! I didn’t believe what was said until I arrived here and saw it with my own eyes. In fact, I had not heard the half of your great wisdom! It is far beyond what I was told. How happy your people must be! What a privilege for your officials to stand here day after day, listening to your wisdom! Praise the Lord your God, who delights in you and has placed you on the throne as king to rule for him. Because God loves Israel and desires this kingdom to last forever, he has made you king over them so you can rule with justice and righteousness.” – 2 Chronicles 9:3-8 NLT

Yet, God did not share the Queen of Sheba’s glowing assessment of the city. He found it to be a moral and spiritual cesspool filled with people who were more than happy to enjoy all the physical benefits He provided, but who refused to keep His commands. They were so unfaithful that God was forced to describe them as little more than spiritual prostitutes.

These people had committed the very crime that Moses had warned them about long before they ever entered the land of Canaan.

“The Lord your God will soon bring you into the land he swore to give you when he made a vow to your ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. It is a land with large, prosperous cities that you did not build. The houses will be richly stocked with goods you did not produce. You will draw water from cisterns you did not dig, and you will eat from vineyards and olive trees you did not plant. When you have eaten your fill in this land,  be careful not to forget the Lord, who rescued you from slavery in the land of Egypt. You must fear the Lord your God and serve him. When you take an oath, you must use only his name.

“You must not worship any of the gods of neighboring nations, for the Lord your God, who lives among you, is a jealous God. His anger will flare up against you, and he will wipe you from the face of the earth.” – Deuteronomy 6:10-15 NLT

Now, generations later, God was declaring their guilt and describing the abysmal spiritual conditions within the city of David. They had grown perversely proud of their vaunted position as God’s chosen people. They had allowed their set-apart status as God’s prized possession to go to their heads and give them the misguided impression that they could do no wrong. In their minds, they were invincible and immune to failure. Their status as descendants of Abraham and heirs of God’s covenant promises had made them overconfident and cocky.

The brazen nature of their crimes against God is difficult to comprehend. All that they enjoyed had been given to them by God and yet they turned around and used those resources to manufacture idols to which they offered sacrifices. And not only did they offer these false gods the very gifts God had given them, but they also practiced child sacrifice, offering up their own children as tributes to their pagan deities. 

“Then you took your sons and daughters—the children you had borne to me—and sacrificed them to your gods. Was your prostitution not enough? Must you also slaughter my children by sacrificing them to idols?” – Ezekiel 16:20-21 NLT

One of the greatest gifts God had given the people of Israel was their offspring. The psalmist declares, “Behold, children are a heritage from the LORD, the fruit of the womb a reward” (Psalm 127:3 ESV). And yet the unfaithful and ungrateful citizens of Jerusalem were guilty of having treated God’s precious gift of children with blatant disregard. They had dared to deem the offspring promised by God as a sign of His covenant commitment as expendable and disposable.

But as egregious as child sacrifice may be, God also accuses them of spiritual adultery. They had erected idols, high places, altars, and shrines to their false gods all over the city. They had become equal opportunity idolaters, willingly bowing their knees to any and all false gods that came along. And when God brought judgment upon them for their unfaithfulness, they turned to foreign powers for rescue. Rather than acknowledging their sin and returning to Him in humble contrition, they sought the aid of the superpowers of their day. In an attempt to escape God’s judgment for their unfaithfulness, they made things worse by seeking help from countries like Egypt, Assyria, and Babylon.

“You have prostituted yourself with the Assyrians, too. It seems you can never find enough new lovers! And after your prostitution there, you still were not satisfied. You added to your lovers by embracing Babylonia, the land of merchants, but you still weren’t satisfied.” – Ezekiel 16:18-19 NLT

And it’s interesting to note that God used the Assyrians as His instruments of destruction when punishing the northern kingdom of Israel. And, eventually, He would use the Babylonians to destroy the rebellious southern kingdom of Judah. The allies the people of Israel turned to for help would become their enemies and the means of their destruction.

The situation in Jerusalem was far worse than Ezekiel could have imagined. God discloses that the citizens of the city suffer from a deadly heart condition.

“What a sick heart you have, says the Sovereign Lord, to do such things as these, acting like a shameless prostitute. You build your pagan shrines on every street corner and your altars to idols in every square. In fact, you have been worse than a prostitute, so eager for sin that you have not even demanded payment.” – Ezekiel 16:30-31 NLT

They suffered from a compulsive disorder that made them far worse than spiritual prostitutes. Rather than selling themselves for whatever benefit they could get in return, they were guilty of paying others for the privilege of committing adultery.

“Prostitutes charge for their services—but not you! You give gifts to your lovers, bribing them to come and have sex with you. So you are the opposite of other prostitutes. You pay your lovers instead of their paying you!” – Ezekiel 16:33-34 NLT

The false gods they worshiped were incapable of bestowing any favors or blessings, but the people of Judah worshiped them anyway. The nations they turned to for rescue were powerless to deliver any aid, but the citizens of Jerusalem repeatedly sought their help. And all the while, they spurned God’s calls to repent and be restored to their former condition as His chosen people. And, as Ezekiel was about to discover, God’s long-suffering patience had finally run out. They suffered from a fatal heart condition and the remedy was as deadly as the disease.

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.

Just Do It

1 Guard your steps when you go to the house of God. To draw near to listen is better than to offer the sacrifice of fools, for they do not know that they are doing evil. 2 Be not rash with your mouth, nor let your heart be hasty to utter a word before God, for God is in heaven and you are on earth. Therefore let your words be few. 3 For a dream comes with much business, and a fool’s voice with many words.

4 When you vow a vow to God, do not delay paying it, for he has no pleasure in fools. Pay what you vow. 5 It is better that you should not vow than that you should vow and not pay. 6 Let not your mouth lead you into sin, and do not say before the messenger that it was a mistake. Why should God be angry at your voice and destroy the work of your hands? 7 For when dreams increase and words grow many, there is vanity; but God is the one you must fear. – Ecclesiastes 5:1-7 ESV

Up to this point, Solomon has provided us with a somewhat autobiographical and deeply personal look at life. He has revealed a perspective on life as seen from his unique vantage point as an aging monarch whose reflections are filled with regret and remorse. Yet, he sees himself as a preacher or teacher, whose responsibility as a leader of his people is to share his mistakes and the insights he has gleaned from them.

In this section, Solomon’s writing style becomes less autobiographical and more proverbial, similar to that of the book of Proverbs, which he wrote and edited. Proverbs are succinct, simple statements designed to teach powerful truths using few words, but in a memorable and impactful manner. Typically, proverbs are gathered in collections, with what appears to be little or no rhyme or reason as to their order or flow. They appear as isolated and seemingly unrelated thoughts, with each operating as a stand-alone truth claim.

In chapter five, we have a series of these proverbs, and the first few all have something to do with making vows before God. As has been the case before, Solomon appears to be writing from personal experience. These are not simply words of wisdom he has run across and deemed worthy of inclusion in his book. They are practical life lessons that he has experienced firsthand. And the very first one he shares has to do with the attitudes one should bring into the house of God. They concern one’s worship of God.

When entering into the presence of God, attitude and actions should not be separated. He warns against offering sacrifices to God in a flippant and disrespectful manner. For Solomon, it was a dangerous thing to go through the motions of worship while showing no reverence or fear for God. He describes a form of worship that is self-motivated and manipulative, offering sacrifices and making rash vows to God in order to get something from Him. He recommends listening over sacrificing.

Guard your steps when you go to the house of God. To draw near to listen is better than to offer the sacrifice of fools, for they do not know that they are doing evil. – Ecclesiastes 5:1 ESV

The Hebrew word translated as “listening” is shama` and it carries with it the ideas of hearing and obeying. Solomon knew that there was a real risk of showing up at the temple to offer the required sacrifices and failing to hear what God might be trying to say. You could end up going through the motions of worship while ignoring the very one to whom you were offering the sacrifice. There is little doubt that Solomon was very familiar with the words that the prophet Samuel spoke to Saul, the first king of Israel.

"What is more pleasing to the LORD: your burnt offerings and sacrifices or your obedience to his voice? Listen! Obedience is better than sacrifice, and submission is better than offering the fat of rams.” – 1 Samuel 15:22 NLT

Solomon’s own father, David, had discovered this same truth.

“You take no delight in sacrifices or offerings.
    Now that you have made me listen, I finally understand—
    you don’t require burnt offerings or sin offerings.
Then I said, “Look, I have come.
    As is written about me in the Scriptures:
I take joy in doing your will, my God,
    for your instructions are written on my heart.” – Psalm 40:6-8 NLT

And after the Pharisees accused the disciples of breaking the law by harvesting grain on the sabbath, Jesus responded, “I want you to show mercy, not offer sacrifices” (Matthew 12:7 NLT).

Jesus was condemning these men for placing a higher priority on the sacrificial system than on the God to whom the sacrifices were being offered. And Solomon warns his readers: “Don’t make rash promises, and don’t be hasty in bringing matters before God. After all, God is in heaven, and you are here on earth. So let your words be few.” (Ecclesiastes 5:3 NLT).

Solomon is not simply spouting a clever-sounding maxim, but revealing a painful, yet valuable lesson learned from real life. He reminds us that God is transcendent. He is in heaven and we are on earth, and there is a great gulf that separates us, both literally and figuratively. God is holy and we are not. God is sinless and completely righteous in all He does. We are just the opposite. And we cannot afford to enter into His presence with a sense of dishonor or disrespect.

And one of the areas in which we can get ourselves into trouble with God is through the making of vows or commitments to Him. Vows were commonplace in Solomon’s day. They were verbal commitments made to God. A vow was a solemn promise to do something for God or to offer a sacrifice to God in the hopes of receiving blessings from Him in return. And Solomon warns, “When you vow a vow to God, do not delay paying it, for he has no pleasure in fools. Pay what you vow” (Ecclesiastes 5:4 ESV).

There is little doubt that Solomon had made many rash vows to God, promising to do something for God in return for His blessings. But Solomon knew the truth. He had failed to keep his side of the bargain, and he had learned the valuable lesson that God does not suffer fools lightly. The kind of vows to which Solomon refers could have been free-will offerings that were not part of the normal sacrificial requirements. When going through a time of difficulty or trial, it would be easy to promise to offer God a free-will offering in return for His rescue or relief. But it’s nothing more than a form of bargaining with God., and the book of Judges records just such a rash vow.

And Jephthah made a vow to the Lord and said, “If you will give the Ammonites into my hand, then whatever comes out from the doors of my house to meet me when I return in peace from the Ammonites shall be the Lord's, and I will offer it up for a burnt offering.” – Judges 11:30-31 ESV

And the story goes on to record that God gave Jephthah victory over the Ammonites, but it also reveals the tragic outcome of Jephthah’s rash vow.

Then Jephthah came to his home at Mizpah. And behold, his daughter came out to meet him with tambourines and with dances. She was his only child; besides her he had neither son nor daughter. And as soon as he saw her, he tore his clothes and said, “Alas, my daughter! You have brought me very low, and you have become the cause of great trouble to me. For I have opened my mouth to the Lord, and I cannot take back my vow.” – Judges 11:34-35 ESV

Solomon wants his readers to know that God takes vows seriously, which is why he states, “It is better to say nothing than to make a promise and not keep it” (Ecclesiastes 5:5 NLT). Keep your mouth shut. Don’t be hasty. Treat God as holy and don’t be too quick to make promises you have no intention of keeping. Because God will hold you to your word. Again, Solomon seems to speak from experience when he writes:

Don’t let your mouth make you sin. And don’t defend yourself by telling the Temple messenger that the promise you made was a mistake. That would make God angry, and he might wipe out everything you have achieved. – Ecclesiastes 5:6 NLT

And it would seem from this verse, that Solomon has widened the application to include vows or promises made to other individuals. If you make a commitment to someone, keep it. You can’t get out of it by stating your original promise was a mistake.

In His Sermon on the Mount, Jesus had some serious things to say about the matter of vows.

“You have also heard that our ancestors were told, ‘You must not break your vows; you must carry out the vows you make to the Lord.’ But I say, do not make any vows! Do not say, ‘By heaven!’ because heaven is God’s throne. And do not say, ‘By the earth!’ because the earth is his footstool. And do not say, ‘By Jerusalem!’ for Jerusalem is the city of the great King. Do not even say, ‘By my head!’ for you can’t turn one hair white or black. Just say a simple, ‘Yes, I will,’ or ‘No, I won’t.’ Anything beyond this is from the evil one.” – Matthew 5:33-36 NLT

Don’t miss what Jesus is saying. The prevalent perspective in His day was to keep any and all vows made to God. But Jesus warns not to make any vows at all. His reason for this was that the Jewish religious leaders had developed a variety of loopholes and workarounds that would allow people to make vows without having to keep them. And Jesus lists just a few. They had developed a system by which you could make a vow that was legally breakable because you made it based on something that was non-binding. Through clever use of words, you could make a vow that sounded binding but wasn’t. It gave the impression that you would follow through on your commitment, but with no intention to do so. These kinds of vows were little more than lies, and Jesus warned His followers not to make them. Instead, they were to say “Yes, I will!” or “No, I won’t!”

Solomon wraps up this short section with a somewhat enigmatic verse.

For when dreams increase and words grow many, there is vanity; but God is the one you must fear. – Ecclesiastes 5:7 ESV

The New Living Translation sheds some light on what Solomon may have been trying to say. “Talk is cheap, like daydreams and other useless activities. Fear God instead.” Someone who experiences an abundance of dreams ends up struggling with whether what they have dreamed has true significance or meaning. What are they to believe? The same is true when we use too many words and make too many vows. No one knows whether what we are saying is true or to be believed. Dreams mean nothing unless they are put into action. And words are of little value if they are not accompanied by follow-through. Remember what Solomon said: Let your words be few. Verbosity is no substitute for integrity. Why waste your time making promises? Just do it.

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.

Obedience Proceeds Blessing

7 “Thus says the Lord of hosts: Consider your ways. 8 Go up to the hills and bring wood and build the house, that I may take pleasure in it and that I may be glorified, says the Lord. 9 You looked for much, and behold, it came to little. And when you brought it home, I blew it away. Why? declares the Lord of hosts. Because of my house that lies in ruins, while each of you busies himself with his own house. 10 Therefore the heavens above you have withheld the dew, and the earth has withheld its produce. 11 And I have called for a drought on the land and the hills, on the grain, the new wine, the oil, on what the ground brings forth, on man and beast, and on all their labors.” – Haggai 1:7-11 ESV

God doesn’t mince any words. He had waited 16 years for the returned exiles to do what they were supposed to do. He had prearranged their return from exile in Babylon long ago and one of the main objectives behind their return was the reconstruction of the destroyed temple in Jerusalem. Long before the southern kingdom of Judah had fallen to the Babylonians, God had used the prophet, Isaiah to warn the people of the judgment that was coming for their disobedience. But He also foretold of their eventual return to the land and their task of rebuilding the temple.

Thus says the Lord, your Redeemer,
    who formed you from the womb:
“I am the Lord, who made all things,
    who alone stretched out the heavens,
    who spread out the earth by myself…
who confirms the word of his servant
    and fulfills the counsel of his messengers,
who says of Jerusalem, ‘She shall be inhabited,’
    and of the cities of Judah, ‘They shall be built,
    and I will raise up their ruins’…
who says of Cyrus, ‘He is my shepherd,
    and he shall fulfill all my purpose’;
saying of Jerusalem, ‘She shall be built,’
    and of the temple, ‘Your foundation shall be laid.’” – Isaiah 44:24, 27, 28 ESV

And hundreds of years later, when the people of Judah found themselves living as exiles, just as God had predicted, they were given remarkable news that the Persian king, Cyrus, was going to allow them to return to their homeland. And he was very specific about the purpose behind their return.

“Thus says Cyrus king of Persia: The Lord, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth, and he has charged me to build him a house at Jerusalem, which is in Judah. Whoever is among you of all his people, may his God be with him, and let him go up to Jerusalem, which is in Judah, and rebuild the house of the Lord, the God of Israel—he is the God who is in Jerusalem. And let each survivor, in whatever place he sojourns, be assisted by the men of his place with silver and gold, with goods and with beasts, besides freewill offerings for the house of God that is in Jerusalem.” – Ezra 1:2-4 ESV

God used this pagan king to accomplish His sovereign will concerning Judah. The Almighty divinely inspired this powerful monarch to release a sizeable portion of his nation’s slave labor so they might return to Jerusalem and rebuild the temple. That had always been God’s plan. He had brought about their fall and the destruction of their capital city and its glorious temple. But He had also made plans for their eventual return. God had clearly foretold His intentions to discipline His disobedient and rebellious people, but He had declared His plan to restore them. The prophet, Jeremiah had communicated God’s sovereign plan hundreds of years before it ever came to fruition.

“For thus says the Lord: 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. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you. You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you, declares the Lord, and I will restore your fortunes and gather you from all the nations and all the places where I have driven you, declares the Lord, and I will bring you back to the place from which I sent you into exile.” – Jeremiah 29:10-14 ESV

But their return to the land was to be marked by a renewal of their relationship with God. It was to be a time of repentance and a realignment of their priorities. They would be expected to rededicate themselves to God and honor His glory and goodness by rebuilding Jerusalem and its temple. With the completion of the temple, they would be able to reinstitute the sacrificial system and restore their spiritual purity as a people.

Yet, 16 years later, the temple was still a heap of rubble because the people had procrastinated and put off their God-given responsibility to reconstruct His house. And as Ezra makes clear, the king of Persia had made an official proclamation concerning the rebuilding of the temple. He had even funded its construction out of the royal treasury.

“Concerning the house of God at Jerusalem, let the house be rebuilt, the place where sacrifices were offered, and let its foundations be retained. Its height shall be sixty cubits and its breadth sixty cubits, with three layers of great stones and one layer of timber. Let the cost be paid from the royal treasury. And also let the gold and silver vessels of the house of God, which Nebuchadnezzar took out of the temple that is in Jerusalem and brought to Babylon, be restored and brought back to the temple that is in Jerusalem, each to its place. You shall put them in the house of God.” – Ezra 6:3-5 ESV

But despite the royal decree, the financial backing, and the divine mandate from God, the people of Judah had chosen to build their own homes while leaving the house of God in a state of perpetual ruin. So, God responded, “Consider your ways” (Haggai 1:7 ESV). He wanted them to take serious stock of their behavior. What they were doing was unacceptable and He was no longer going to tolerate it. Speaking through His prophet, Haggai, God made His demands known.

“Go up to the hills and bring wood and build the house, that I may take pleasure in it and that I may be glorified, says the Lord.” – Haggai 1:8 ESV

They had the money to fund the construction. They had even set the foundation in place. But now they were going to have to complete the project and it would require effort on their part. And God was very clear about the purpose behind the reconstruction of the temple. They were to accomplish this take for God’s pleasure and glory. This wasn’t going to be about them. It was all about the God who had set them apart as His own and who had graciously returned them to the land. This house was to be a monument to His goodness and glory.

They had missed the whole point of their return to the land. The main reason they had been cast out of the land in the first place was that they had defiled and defamed God’s name. They had failed to live in obedience to their covenant commitment to God. Rather than worship Him alone, they had chosen to commit spiritual adultery by bowing down to the false gods of the nations that surrounded them. But God had chosen to restore the integrity of His name by returning His disobedient people to the land He had given them as their inheritance. But, as the prophet, Ezekiel makes clear, God was not doing this because they deserved it.

“Therefore, give the people of Israel this message from the Sovereign LORD: I am bringing you back, but not because you deserve it. I am doing it to protect my holy name, on which you brought shame while you were scattered among the nations. I will show how holy my great name is—the name on which you brought shame among the nations. And when I reveal my holiness through you before their very eyes, says the Sovereign LORD, then the nations will know that I am the LORD. For I will gather you up from all the nations and bring you home again to your land.” – Ezekiel 36:22-24 NLT

Despite God’s promise, their time back in the land had been far from productive or fruitful. In fact, God pointed out that their efforts to rebuild their former lives had been cursed.

“You hoped for rich harvests, but they were poor. And when you brought your harvest home, I blew it away. Why? Because my house lies in ruins, says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, while all of you are busy building your own fine houses.” – Haggai 1:9 NLT

Their sixteen years of disobedience had resulted in God’s judgment. He had brought drought to the land so that their grain, grapes, and olives withered in the fields. They longed for fruitfulness but reaped misery instead. They had expected to fill their homes with the fruit of the land but found themselves suffering from hunger and starvation. All because they had chosen to disregard the will of God. They wanted His provision but didn’t seem too concerned about building a house for His presence. They wanted God on their side but were far less interested in having Him in their midst. So, they had to be reminded that unless they obeyed the will of God by rebuilding the temple of God, they could forget about enjoying the blessings of God.

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.

New English Translation (NET)NET Bible® copyright ©1996-2017 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. http://netbible.com All rights reserved.

False Gods = False Hope

1 When Ephraim spoke, there was trembling;
    he was exalted in Israel,
    but he incurred guilt through Baal and died.
2 And now they sin more and more,
    and make for themselves metal images,
idols skillfully made of their silver,
    all of them the work of craftsmen.
It is said of them,
    “Those who offer human sacrifice kiss calves!”
3 Therefore they shall be like the morning mist
    or like the dew that goes early away,
like the chaff that swirls from the threshing floor
    or like smoke from a window. – Hosea 13:1-3 ESV

Hosea continues to give the tribe of Ephraim a special designation as the premier tribe among the other nine that made up the northern kingdom of Judah. And this was appropriate considering the words of Jacob, spoken when he had blessed his two grandsons, Ephraim and Manasseh, the sons of Joseph.

“Manasseh will also become a great people, but his younger brother will become even greater. And his descendants will become a multitude of nations.”

So Jacob blessed the boys that day with this blessing: “The people of Israel will use your names when they give a blessing. They will say, ‘May God make you as prosperous as Ephraim and Manasseh.’” In this way, Jacob put Ephraim ahead of Manasseh. – Genesis 48:19-20 NLT

The tribe of Ephraim was the largest of the tribes within the northern kingdom and it played a significant leadership role within the nation. In fact, the very first king who ruled over the northern kingdom of Israel had been Jeroboam, a member of the tribe of Ephraim (1 King 11:26). And it was Jeroboam who, after being given the responsibility by God to rule over the ten northern tribes, had made the fateful decision to create his own gods and religion. He had created two golden calf idols and decreed them to be the gods of Israel, even setting up temples for their worship in Dan and Bethel.

So on the advice of his counselors, the king made two gold calves. He said to the people, “It is too much trouble for you to worship in Jerusalem. Look, Israel, these are the gods who brought you out of Egypt!”

He placed these calf idols in Bethel and in Dan—at either end of his kingdom. But this became a great sin, for the people worshiped the idols, traveling as far north as Dan to worship the one there. – 1 Kings 12:28-30 NLT

The ten northern tribes had not gotten off to a great start, and their downward spiritual trajectory never fully recovered. Jeroboam had created a fertile environment in which apostasy and idolatry could grow, and his successors continued to lead the people away from worshiping Yahweh as the one true God. Eventually, this led to the worship of Baal, the god of the Canaanites. And Jezebel, the wife of Ahab, one of Israel’s future kings, would aggressively promote Baal as the primary god of the northern kingdom.

Ahab son of Omri did what was evil in the LORD’s sight, even more than any of the kings before him. And as though it were not enough to follow the sinful example of Jeroboam, he married Jezebel, the daughter of King Ethbaal of the Sidonians, and he began to bow down in worship of Baal. First Ahab built a temple and an altar for Baal in Samaria. Then he set up an Asherah pole. He did more to provoke the anger of the LORD, the God of Israel, than any of the other kings of Israel before him. – 1 Kings 16:30-33 NLT

It should not be surprising to learn that Ahab was also a member of the tribe of Ephraim.

The seventh king of Israel, Ahab (reigned c. 874–c. 853 bc), was also an Ephraimite. His generally peaceful reign was marred by the worship of the Canaanite god Baal by his wife, Jezebel. From about 745 bc, the northern kingdom was often referred to as the Kingdom of Ephraim, a reflection of the tribe’s importance. – Britannica, The Editors of Encyclopaedia. "Ephraim". Encyclopedia Britannica, https://www.britannica.com/topic/Ephraim-Jewish-tribe. Accessed 19 June 2021.

So, Hosea’s calling out of this particular tribe was well deserved. They had played a major role in Israel’s spiritual decline and would be held responsible.

the people of Ephraim sinned by worshiping Baal
    and thus sealed their destruction. – Hosea 13:1 NLT

They used their access to the throne to promote idolatry and, in doing so, led the people of Israel to forsake God. And according to Hosea, this one tribe encouraged a spirit of unfaithfulness among the other nine tribes.

Now they continue to sin by making silver idols,
    images shaped skillfully with human hands. – Hosea 13:2 NLT

The practice of idolatry became prolific and profitable. The making of idols became a cottage industry, providing a lucrative business opportunity for many in Israel. And it wasn’t long before the Israelites added a host of new gods to their growing pantheon of false gods. One could find shrines, altars, and high places dedicated to these deities all over the kingdom of Israel. And each was served by its own priests and warranted its own set of rules and rituals to regulate proper worship and to ensure its adherents received a favorable response.

But in order to worship these false gods, the Israelites had to turn their backs on the one true God. In bowing down before the idols they had made with their own hands, they were abandoning their hope and trust in Yahweh. They were seeking help from pieces of stone and metal that were incapable of hearing or responding to their requests. And the prophet Isaiah recorded God’s sarcastic assessment of idolatry’s absurdity.

You are my witnesses—is there any other God?
    No! There is no other Rock—not one!”

How foolish are those who manufacture idols.
    These prized objects are really worthless.
The people who worship idols don’t know this,
    so they are all put to shame.
Who but a fool would make his own god—
    an idol that cannot help him one bit?
All who worship idols will be disgraced
    along with all these craftsmen—mere humans—
    who claim they can make a god.
They may all stand together,
    but they will stand in terror and shame. – Isaiah 20:8-11 NLT

Later on, in Isaiah’s book, there is another unflattering statement by God that reflects the sheer stupidity behind the practice of idolatry. Yahweh paints a ridiculous-looking portrait of a craftsman cutting down a tree and going through the process of creating his god.

…he uses part of the wood to make a fire.
    With it he warms himself and bakes his bread.
Then—yes, it’s true—he takes the rest of it
    and makes himself a god to worship!
He makes an idol
    and bows down in front of it!
He burns part of the tree to roast his meat
    and to keep himself warm.
    He says, “Ah, that fire feels good.”
Then he takes what’s left
    and makes his god: a carved idol!
He falls down in front of it,
    worshiping and praying to it.
“Rescue me!” he says.
    “You are my god!” – Isaiah 44:15-17 NLT

And the prophet Jeremiah provides yet another one of God’s stinging indictments against the absurd practice of idolatry.

“Their ways are futile and foolish.
    They cut down a tree, and a craftsman carves an idol.
They decorate it with gold and silver
    and then fasten it securely with hammer and nails
    so it won’t fall over.
Their gods are like
    helpless scarecrows in a cucumber field!
They cannot speak,
    and they need to be carried because they cannot walk.
Do not be afraid of such gods,
    for they can neither harm you nor do you any good.” – Jeremiah 10:3-5 NLT

But while these false gods can do neither harm nor good, Yahweh can. And Hosea points out the unsettling fact that all those who choose to worship other gods will be judged by the one true God.

Therefore, they will disappear like the morning mist,
    like dew in the morning sun,
like chaff blown by the wind,
    like smoke from a chimney. – Hosea 13:3 NLT

They were about to learn a painful but invaluable lesson. When the wrath of Yahweh fell, their false gods would be proven helpless and defenseless. Their sacrifices would accomplish nothing. Their cries for deliverance would go unheard and unanswered. While Yahweh was a “refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble” (Psalm 46:1 ESV), their false gods would be exposed as worthless and, ultimately, totally unreliable.

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