April 15 IN THE CROSS OF CHRIST I GLORY John Bowring, 1792–1872 May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. (Galatians 6:14) The cross has been the most significant symbol of the Christian faith throughout church history. It is said that as many as 400 different forms or designs of it have been used—among them the usual Latin Cross, the Greek Cross, the Budded Cross. Regardless of design, the symbol of the cross should always remind us of the price that was paid by the eternal God for man’s redemption. “In the Cross of Christ I Glory” is generally considered one of the finest hymns on this subject. It was written by John Bowring, one of the most remarkable men of his day as well as one of the greatest linguists who ever lived. It is said that he could converse in over 100 different languages before his death. Some writers claim that John Bowring had visited Macao, on the South Chinese Coast, and was much impressed by the sight of a bronze cross towering on the summit of the massive wall of what had formerly been a great cathedral. This cathedral, originally built by the early Portuguese colonists, overlooked the harbor and had been destroyed by a typhoon. Only one wall, which was topped by the huge metal cross, remained. This scene is said to have so impressed Bowring that it eventually served as the inspiration for this hymn text. The writing of the tune for this hymn is also most interesting. It was composed 24 years after Bowring’s text by an American organist and choir leader of the Central Baptist Church of Norwich, Connecticut. The composer, Ithamar Conkey, was sorely disappointed at one Sunday morning service when only one choir member appeared, a faithful soprano by the name of Mrs. Beriah Rathbun. Before the evening service Conkey composed a new tune for this text and named it after his one faithful choir member. The preaching of the cross may be a foolish message to many “but unto us who are saved it is the power of God” (1 Corinthians 1:18 KJV). In the cross of Christ I glory, tow’ring o’er the wrecks of time; all the light of sacred story gathers round its head sublime. When the woes of life o’er take me, hopes deceive and fears annoy, never shall the cross forsake me: Lo! it glows with peace and joy. When the sun of bliss is beaming light and love upon my way, from the cross the radiance streaming adds more luster to the day. Bane and blessing, pain and pleasure, by the cross are sanctified; peace is there that knows no measure, joys that thru all time abide.
For Today: John 19; Romans 5:6–11; 1 Corinthians 1:17–19; Ephesians 2:16
Determine to allow the glory of Christ’s cross to be evident in all that you do. Sing this musical testimony as you go realizing that—
April 14 THERE IS A GREEN HILL FAR AWAY Mrs. Cecil Frances Alexander, 1823–1895 Finally Pilate handed Him over to them to be crucified. (John 19:16) The full understanding of the depth of suffering that our Savior endured at Calvary for our redemption is difficult to grasp. When Mrs. Cecil Alexander, one of England’s finest hymn writers, was attempting to explain to her Sunday school class the meaning of the phrase from the Apostles’ Creed, “suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead and buried,” she felt inadequate. She had always believed that one of the most effective ways to teach sound spiritual truths to children is through the use of appropriate hymns. She decided, therefore, to put the details of Christ’s suffering and death on the cross into a simply worded but appealing song that could be easily understood by the children in her class. Although the hymn with its direct style of wording and clearly expressed thoughts was originally intended for youth, it had an immediate appeal to adults as well. After the lilting melody was composed for the text in 1878 by George C. Stebbins, the hymn became widely used in the Moody-Sankey evangelistic campaigns, as it has been in church services since then. Friends of Mrs. Alexander said that her life was even more beautiful than her writing. After her marriage to William Alexander, archbishop and primate of the Anglican church for all of Ireland, she engaged herself in parish duties and charity work. Her husband said of her, “From one poor home to another she went. Christ was ever with her, and all felt her influence.” Mrs. Alexander had been active before her marriage in the Sunday school movement, and her love of children and interest in their spiritual instruction never diminished. Almost all of the 400 poems and hymns that she wrote were prompted by this concern. Adults as well as children have loved this particular hymn, written by a devoted woman who had a sincere desire to help others to truly appreciate the extent of Christ’s agony on the cross and the magnitude of His love. There is a green hill far away, outside a city wall, where the dear Lord was crucified, who died to save us all. We may not know, we cannot tell, what pains He had to bear; but we believe it was for us He hung and suffered there. He died that we might be forgiv’n. He died to make us good, that we might go at last to heav’n, saved by His precious blood. There was no other good enough to pay the price of sin; He only could unlock the gate of heav’n and let us in. Chorus: O dearly, dearly has He loved! And we must love Him too, and trust in His redeeming blood, and try His works to do.
For Today: John 19; Romans 5:6–11; Ephesians 1:7, 8; Titus 2:13, 14
Express your gratitude for Christ’s “redeeming blood.” Let the truth of His great love motivate you to “try His works to do.”
April 13 IN THE GARDEN C. Austin Miles, 1868–1945 Mary Magdalene went to the disciples with the news: “I have seen the Lord!” And she told them that He had said these things to her. (John 20:18) It was in 1912 that music publisher Dr. Adam Geibel asked author and composer C. Austin Miles to write a hymn text that would be “sympathetic in tone, breathing tenderness in every line; one that would bring hope to the hopeless, rest for the weary, and downy pillows to dying beds.” Mr. Miles has left the following account of the writing of this hymn: One day in April, 1912, I was seated in the dark room, where I kept my photographic equipment and organ. I drew my Bible toward me; it opened at my favorite chapter, John 20—whether by chance or inspiration let each reader decide. That meeting of Jesus and Mary had lost none of its power and charm. As I read it that day, I seemed to be part of the scene. I became a silent witness to that dramatic moment in Mary’s life, when she knelt before her Lord, and cried, “Rabboni!” My hands were resting on the Bible while I stared at the light blue wall. As the light faded, I seemed to be standing at the entrance of a garden, looking down a gently winding path, shaded by olive branches. A woman in white, with head bowed, hand clasping her throat, as if to choke back her sobs, walked slowly into the shadows. It was Mary. As she came to the tomb, upon which she placed her hand, she bent over to look in, and hurried away. John, in flowing robe, appeared, looking at the tomb; then came Peter, who entered the tomb, followed slowly by John. As they departed, Mary reappeared; leaning her head upon her arm at the tomb, she wept. Turning herself, she saw Jesus standing, so did I. I knew it was He. She knelt before Him, with arms outstretched and looking into His face cried, “Rabboni!” I awakened in sun light, gripping the Bible, with muscles tense and nerves vibrating. Under the inspiration of this vision I wrote as quickly as the words could be formed the poem exactly as it has since appeared. That same evening I wrote the music.
I come to the garden alone, while the dew is still on the roses; and the voice I hear, falling on my ear, the Son of God discloses. He speaks, and the sound of His voice is so sweet the birds hush their singing; and the melody that He gave to me within my heart is ringing. I’d stay in the garden with Him tho the night around me be falling; but He bids me go—thru the voice of woe, His voice to me is calling. Refrain: And He walks with me, and He talks with me, and He tells me I am His own, and the joy we share as we tarry there, none other has ever known.
For Today: Matthew 20:28; Matthew 28:5–9; John 20; Romans 5:6, 10, 11
Let your mind join Mary and the disciples in the garden when Christ first appeared to them following His resurrection. Respond as did Mary—“Rabboni!” (my Master). Carry this musical truth throughout the day—
“The vision I saw was like the vision I had seen when He came to destroy the city and like the visions I had seen by the Kebar River, and I fell facedown. The glory of the Lord entered the temple” (Ezek. 43:3–4).The last chapters of Ezekiel describe the worship of a restored Israel, and a return of the glory of God. Here, Ezekiel looked ahead and assured the exiles, God’s glory will return.
Background
Puzzling prophecy.
This is one of the most difficult of all Old Testament prophecies. For those who spiritualize biblical prophecy, the problem lies in the multitude of details provided concerning the construction of the new temple. It’s not just a question of what each detail might mean. The careful verbal blueprint reminds us of the instructions Moses was given for constructing the tabernacle—and those were intended to be literally carried out. The main detailed specifications offer no problem for the literalist. Yet for the person who views Ezekiel’s description here as a prediction of what will actually happen in the future, there are other difficulties. For instance, where do the scenes described here fit in Scripture’s overall vision of Israel’s future? And particularly, how does it relate to Revelation 21–22’s similar description of the eternal state. And, what about the sacrifices to be offered on the future altar? Doesn’t the New Testament teach that Christ’s one sacrifice of Himself did away forever with the need for animal offerings? (cf. Heb. 7:18; 9:12, 25–28) Such questions can, of course, be answered. The sacrifices of the Mosaic era were intended to simply portray redemption. Apparently the sacrifices of Ezekiel’s temple also serve as reminders of Christ’s work. Since several of the feasts of the Old Testament era are not mentioned in Ezekiel, it seems that he describes a whole new system of worship, to be conducted in the very presence of the Messiah. Though many delight to speculate on such issues when reading these chapters, our purpose is different. Rather than try to fit Ezekiel’s final vision of the future into any prophetic scheme, we want to see what that vision suggests to us for our lives today. And there is something here for us to apply.
Overview
Ezekiel gave details of a new temple to be constructed in Jerusalem (40:1–42:20). God’s glory will fill that structure (43:1–12), and commemorative sacrifices will be offered on its altar (vv. 13–27). Priests and Levites will again serve God (44:1–31) in sacred precincts (45:1–12). Israel will celebrate God’s festivals (46:1–24) as a river flowing from the sanctuary waters the land (47:1–12), which once again has been allotted to Israel’s tribes (v. 13–48:35).
Understanding the Text
“He took me to the land of Israel” Ezek. 40:1–5.
In the year 573B.C Ezekiel saw the last vision reported in his book. In it he was transported to Israel, and told to communicate everything he saw to the house of Israel. The very first thing that the prophet saw was a glorious temple. He was guided through it, and given every relevant dimension of what he saw. One day these words may serve as a verbal blueprint to be followed by God’s people. Many believe so. But to us today the immediate fixation on the temple reminds us that God is to have priority in our lives. As Ezekiel went on, his wondering gaze would shift to the king’s palace, the city, the changed geography of Jerusalem, and ultimately to the land itself, once more divided among the 12 tribes of Israel. But the most wonderful sight of all, the most compelling, the thing that demanded his initial attention, was the temple. You and I may be blessed in many ways, and the sights we see around us may be glorious. But there is nothing more beautiful, nothing more worthy of our attention, than God Himself. If God is the center of our lives, as the temple is the focal point of future Israel, everything else will fall into place. “I saw the glory of the God of Israel coming from the east” Ezek. 43:1–12. This is the most significant element in Ezekiel’s vision. In chapters 8–11 we have a report of Ezekiel’s vision of the departure of God’s glory. Now the prophet described a return. Once again the living, vital presence of the Lord Almighty would reside among His Old Testament people. What is the significance of God’s instruction to the prophet to “describe the temple . . . that they may be ashamed of their sins”? Simply that the description of future splendor will so powerfully demonstrate what Israel will become, that the very contrast would drive God’s people toward holiness. We find a similar thought in the New Testament. In 1 John 3 the apostle looked foward to Christ’s coming, and announced that though we do not now know what we will be, we know that when Jesus returns we will be like Him. And, John said, “Everyone who has this hope in him purifies himself, just as He is pure” (v. 3). To know what God intends for us, to realize what we are becoming, is a powerful motivation for holy living. This same theme is seen later in Ezekiel 45:9–12, a passage addressed to Israel’s current “princes” (leaders). Ezekiel had just described the land to be set aside for the city of Jerusalem and its ruler, bordering on the temple itself. The rulers of the people would be the closest of all to the Lord. Thus God said through the prophet, “Give up your violence and oppression and do what is just and right.” With a clear vision of what the future holds for us, the grip of selfish gain is relaxed, and we begin to act in harmony with who we truly are and will become in the Lord. “I am to be the only inheritance the priests have” Ezek. 44:1–26. The duties of priests and Levites mimic their responsibilities in the Mosaic era. But after outlining their duties, the Lord added the verse above. In past and future, Israel’s priests were not given tribal land. They had no earthly inheritance. They were to belong to the Lord, and the Lord Himself was to be their inheritance. What a blessing to be freed from the tyranny of possessions. How wonderful to focus only on God, to desire only to please Him, to know that while the material things we own are ours on loan, we do not possess them—and they do not possess us! “You are to divide it equally among them” Ezek. 47:13–48:35. The prophecy of Ezekiel ends with God’s people back in their land. There is an equal place set aside for each tribal group. In the time of Joshua the territories allotted the tribes were unequal. Some clans were larger than others, and had need for more space. But now, at history’s end, all such distinctions will be lost. None is greater, none smaller. And each has an equal place in the glorious kingdom of God. There are many distinctions that people make between themselves and others now. Distinctions of wealth, of education, of position or prestige. We even make such distinctions in our churches, mentally ranking our fellow believers as up or down the spiritual ladder. That is a mistake. A mistake that will never be repeated in eternity. There too God’s grace will be divided equally, for each of us will gladly stake a claim to fame on one thing, and one alone. We are sinners. Saved by grace.
DEVOTIONAL
Worship the Lord(Ezek. 43–44)
As Ezekiel wandered in his vision through the future temple, he was amazed at its size and beauty. The careful detail in which he recorded every measurement tells us that. But there is one verse that tells us more—about the temple, about Ezekiel, and about ourselves. The verse, Ezekiel 44:4, describes the prophet coming to the front of the temple and there he said, “I looked and saw the glory of the Lord filling the temple of the Lord, and I fell facedown.” What do we learn about the temple? In his vision, Exekiel had been impressed by the temple. He had looked in wonder at the portico of the outer court. He’d wandered through the rooms set aside for the priests. But when he came around front, and caught a glimpse of the glory of the Lord, Ezekiel fell facedown, and worshiped. You and I may be impressed by the beauty of our churches. We may look in wonder at the crowds gathered there. We may be impressed by the qualifications of our ministers. But all such things are external; just the facade. What we need to do is figuratively come around to the front. We need to forget what we see looking at our faith from the back and side, and peer in the front door. When we do, everything else seems to disappear, for there, in the heart of the sanctuary, we too are able to see the glory of the Lord. Many things about our churches are important. But the only thing that is truly essential is that when we come to worship we see and respond to God. What do we learn about Ezekiel? That he was a searcher. He was impressed by the structure he examined. But he was not satisfied. Only when he was brought around to the front and saw the glory of the Lord did he fall down and worship. Ezekiel wanted God Himself, and finding Him worshiped. What do we learn about ourselves? Like Ezekiel we can’t be satisfied with the temple, however impressive it may be. Our destiny like Ezekiel’s, the end of our quest, is realized when we see the Lord, and worship Him.
Personal Application
In church and in personal devotions, seek to meet and worship God.
Quotable
“Some people praise God for the good feelings it gives them; they praise Him because they think it makes everyone else feel good; they praise Him because they think that is simply what every good Christian should do. They do not focus their minds on God. The result is that their false praise drives out the true. Praise becomes mere pleasant-feeling babble. “We need to speak directly to God, not to ourselves or our neighbors. As we look at Him, we will naturally praise Him for the real qualities we see. Our awkwardness will fade into the background as our attention is less and less on ourselves and more and more on Him.”— Tim Stafford
“I will attach tendons to you and make flesh come upon you and cover you with skin; I will put breath in you, and you will come to life. Then you will know that I am the Lord” (Ezek. 37:6). People who find it hard to believe warnings of divine judgment also find it hard to believe God’s good news.
Background
Prophetic overview.
Biblical scholars tend to take one of two views of passages like the one we explore today. They either see the passage as a visionary’s use of highly symbolic language to affirm some spiritual reality, or they see the passage as a literal, though often obscure, description of events which will actually take place in the future. One who takes the first approach will see these chapters in Ezekiel as a symbolic affirmation of God’s power over all the forces of evil throughout history, and an affirmation of His ultimate victory. In God’s time evil will be put away, and only good will reign. One who takes the second approach sees these chapters in Ezekiel as a preview of history. The timetable may be obscure, and the exact sequence of events uncertain, but what the prophet describes—a regathering of God’s Old Testament people to Israel, invasion of the Holy Land, direct divine intervention, a national conversion of Israel, the rule of earth by a Descendant of David—all this is understood to lie ahead, perhaps just beyond the headlines of tomorrow’s news. Whichever view a person may hold today, there is no doubt that Ezekiel and the other Old Testament prophets expected a literal fulfillment of their visions of the future. Their belief was rooted in the conviction that the God of the covenant would be utterly faithful to His promises to Abraham, which included possession of a Jewish homeland as well as the spiritual blessing of intimate relationship with the Lord. And the prophets speak with a unified voice when describing the earthly future of God’s Old Testament people. They may have misunderstood the meaning of what they foresaw. But each prophet, whether crying out about the destruction of Jerusalem, the fall of Nineveh, or the restoration of scattered Israel, expected his words to be literally fulfilled. I don’t want to come down too hard on the literalist side. But it is fascinating to note. Just 60 years ago if anyone had suggested that the Jewish people might have a nation of their own in Palestine, all would have scoffed. Yet today that nation is firmly established: struggling, yes, but there. The dry bones have begun to come back together. Perhaps even tendons and flesh have appeared. But again using Ezekiel’s words, we might well say there is yet “no breath in them.” Still a secular state, still relying on the arm of flesh rather than on God, Israel awaits the miracle that Ezekiel said would then surely come. And then the dry bones will live. And we too will live. For these events, which the flow of history suggests may lie just beyond tomorrow, mean that Christ, David’s Successor and Son, will appear. Then God’s time for celebration by the redeemed of every age will at last have come.
Overview
The vision of a valley of dry bones emphasized God’s power to revitalize and restore Israel and Judah (37:1–14). There will again be a united nation under a Davidic king (v. 28). But the restoration was linked with invasion by a great northern power (38:1–17), whose destruction by God Himself (v. 18–39:21) would precipitate lasting national conversion (vv. 22–29).
Understanding the Text
“These bones are the whole house of Israel” Ezek. 37:1–14.
The text interprets Ezekiel’s vision of dry bones that come together at his command, are fleshed out, and finally come to life. The bones in the vision represent Israel, whose people are scattered and hopeless among the nations. Though devoid of hope, God will “bring you back to the land of Israel” (reassemble the bones). The graves (representing the nations to which the Jews have been scattered) will be opened, permitting the return, and God’s Spirit will be given to His people. Whatever the prophetic meaning, the application to our lives is clear. All too often we too give up. We feel deadened, dried up. All seems bleak; we feel utterly doomed. When those emotions come, we need to remember the dry bones. God can take our dead and scattered hopes, pull them together, and breathe life into them again. Because we know the Lord, and because He loves us dearly, we do have hope and a future. “They will never again be two nations” Ezek. 37:15–27. This powerful messianic prophecy again looks forward to a return of the Jews to their homeland, and establishment of a nation ruled by a Davidic King. Once united under David and Solomon, the Hebrew nation split into Northern and Southern Kingdoms in 931B.C The population of the north (Israel) was deported by the Assyrians in 722B.C, and scattered through many cities. The south (Judah) was crushed by the Babylonians, and its population taken in a series of deportations ending in 586B.C Now Ezekiel said that God intends to unite the scattered tribes of Israel, bring them back to the homeland, and establish a united kingdom to be ruled by a Descendant of David. To date this has not happened. There have been partial returns, and a kind of semi-independence under the Maccabees. But no independent, united kingdom has emerged in the nearly 2,600 years since Ezekiel’s time. In fact, the only known lineal descendant of David who yet lives is Jesus Christ! Thus this prophecy, which links a restoration of Israel to the land (v. 21), spiritual renewal (vv. 23–24), rule by a Descendant of David (v. 24), and a rebuilt sanctuary (v. 26), is one of the many that makes those who take a literal view of prophecy to believe that what is described here still lies ahead, and will be fulfilled when Jesus returns. “Set your face against Gog, of the land of Magog” Ezek. 38:1–16. Now Ezekiel described an invasion force assembled from many nations about to strike a peaceful and unsuspecting Israel. Several Hebrew phrases woven into the message fix the time. What Ezekiel foresaw will happen “after many days” (v. 8), “in future years” (v. 8). Another phrase, translated “in days to come” (v. 16) helps locate the prophecy in the end times, near history’s end. Some see this as an attack to come just before the establishment of a Millennium of peace at Christ’s return; others place it after the Millennium and identify it with a Satan-stimulated, final rebellion of humanity against God (cf. Rev. 19:17–21). Etymologically “Gog” and “Magog”are impossible to identify, though many students of prophecy teach that these represent Russia. Of more significance is the fact that the enemy forces are drawn from nations at every point of the compass: the east (Persia), the southwest (Cush: Ethiopia), the west (Put: Libya, and the “islands of the sea”), the north (Gomer: Cimmerians?). You and I may at times feel, “Everybody’s against me.” What Ezekiel is saying is that at history’s end, “everybody” will be against God’s people. But the text shows something else. The Lord says to His enemies, “I will bring you against My land,” and then adds, “so that the nations may know Me when I show Myself holy through you.” God will use the evil intent of the wicked to bring them to a place where He can act openly against them. What a reminder for you and me. Everybody may actually be against us. But God isn’t against us. He has permitted our enemies to attack, only to put them in a position where they will be vulnerable to judgment. So the next time you feel a little persecuted, don’t feel sorry for yourself. Feel sorry for your persecutors! “In My zeal and fiery wrath” Ezek. 38:17–39:24. In a series of announcements (38:17–23; 39:1–16, 17–24) God told what He would do to the invading forces. He Himself would intervene and, with miracles that recall His acts for the Exodus generation, would utterly destroy the enemy. These acts will forever establish the Lord as God in the sight of both Israel and the nations (39:22). But is God fair to establish His identity at the cost of so many human lives? The text answers us. In all that God has done, to Israel and to the nations, He has “dealt with them according to their uncleanness and their offenses” (v. 24).
DEVOTIONAL
What to Forget(Ezek. 39)
My wife tells our nine-year-old that God has a video recorder focused on her. One day, when we meet the Lord, He’s going to show the tape, and give her her rewards. And, every once in a while when she does something especially nice, Sue tells her, “That’s on your video tape.” I like her emphasis. So many mom’s might turn this around, and when a child did something bad, shriek, “Now, that’s going on your video tape!” I couldn’t help thinking of Sue’s practice when I read Ezekiel 39. The passage so powerfully portrays God’s hatred of sin and the judgment that sin merits. Reading it, we almost cringe at the thought of our own faults and the memory of our failings. But then we read God’s summary, in the last paragraph. There, nestled in verses that express the compassion God will show when judgment is past, is a verse that says, “They will forget their shame and all the unfaithfulness they showed toward Me” (v. 26). What a wonderful promise! Yes, we’re weak. We stumble, and sometimes fall. And then what a burden of shame and guilt we bear. But God promises that when we see Him, when we truly “know that I am the Lord,” no shred of memory of our sins will remain to mar our joy.
Personal Application
Forgiven means forgotten! Even now we can put our past behind us, and live in joy.
Quotable
“One day a Christian visited a minister in his home. As he sat in the study, he began to read one of the minister’s books. Suddenly he cried, ’Glory! Praise the Lord.’ The minister hurried into the study, asking, ’What’s the matter?’ ” ’Why, this book says that the sea is five miles deep! The Bible says my sins have been cast into the depth of the sea, and if it’s that deep, I’m not afraid of their coming up again!’ “Nor do we need to bring them up!”—Walter B. Knight
This is my personal collection of thoughts and writings, mainly from much smarter people than I, which challenge me in my discipleship walk. Don't rush by these thoughts, but ponder them.
Milo 