Jeremiah ministered in the four turbulent decades preceding the fall of Jerusalem on March 15–16, 597 B.C. These decades were marked by the sudden collapse of Assyria, and a subsequent power struggle between the emerging Babylonian Empire and a resurgent Egypt. Caught in the middle, tiny Judah vacillated, alternately rebelling and submitting to one, then another of the great powers. Near the beginning of Jeremiah’s ministry, Josiah instituted a number of religious reforms. Despite the reformation, Jeremiah warned the nation that soon they would suffer invasion and exile. Boldly Jeremiah confronted Judah with the sins that cried out for divine judgment. But a hardened Judah refused to heed the prophet’s warnings. Jeremiah himself suffered persecution, and was rejected by his fellow countrymen. Yet he lived to see his predictions of disaster fulfilled, and his tormentors silenced. Despite his ministry of condemnation, Jeremiah also conveyed a message of hope. Judah would fall. But God would make a New Covenant with His faithless people. In a coming, though distant, day, Judah’s sins would be forgiven and her people given a new heart. Jeremiah’s powerful presentation of God’s New Covenant promise makes this book bright with hope, despite its repeated theme of judgment.
April 6 NEAR THE CROSS Fanny J. Crosby, 1820–1915 For God was pleased to have all His fullness dwell in Him, and through Him to reconcile to Himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through His blood, shed on the cross. (Colossians 1:19, 20) The cross was a superb triumph over Satan, death, and hell. Never was Christ more a king than when He shouted from the cross—“It is finished.” Out of the hideous suffering of Calvary He has carved His victory and His kingdom. The victory of the cross assures us that we no longer need to be kept separate from God—either in this life or for eternity. Even now we can enter into His presence “with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need” (Hebrews 4:16). And the best is yet to come—“the golden strand just beyond the river.” As God’s people, we should live daily with a sensitive awareness of Christ’s cross. We should review its scenes of suffering as well as revel in its triumph. “Near the Cross,” this simply stated hymn by Fanny Crosby, has been widely used by God to teach people this truth since its first publication in 1869. As she did with many of her 8,000 hymn texts, Fanny Crosby wrote this poem to fit an existing tune that had been composed by William H. Doane. Although she worked with a number of other gospel musicians, William Doane was Fanny Crosby’s principal collaborator. Doane was a very successful business man in Cincinnati, as well as a composer and publisher of numerous gospel songs. He was a very wealthy man when he died and he left much of his fortune to philanthropic causes, including the construction of the Doane Memorial Music Building at Moody Bible Institute in Chicago. Jesus, keep me near the cross—there a precious fountain, free to all, a healing stream, flows from Calv’ry’s mountain. Near the cross, a trembling soul, love and mercy found me; there the Bright and Morning Star sheds its beams around me. Near the cross! O Lamb of God, bring its scenes before me; help me walk from day to day with its shadows o’er me. Near the cross I’ll watch and wait, hoping, trusting ever, till I reach the golden strand just beyond the river. Chorus: In the cross, in the cross be my glory ever, till my raptured soul shall find rest, beyond the river.
For Today: John 6:47-51; 19:17, 18; Galatians 6:14; Ephesians 2:13
Determine that especially during this Lenten season you are going to review and revel more often in the cross of Christ and all that it means. Sing this musical prayer to help you remember—
April 5 I GAVE MY LIFE FOR THEE Frances R. Havergal, 1836–1879 And He died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for Him who died for them and was raised again. (2 Corinthians 5:15) A vivid painting of Christ, wearing His crown of thorns as He stands before Pilate and the mob, is displayed in the art museum of Dusseldorf, Germany. Under the painting by Sternberg are the words, “This have I done for thee; what hast thou done for Me?” When Frances Havergal viewed the painting during a visit to Germany, she was deeply moved. As she gazed at it in tears, she scribbled down the lines of this hymn text on a scrap of paper. After returning to her home in England, she felt the poetry was so poor that she tossed the lines into a stove. The scorched scrap of paper amazingly floated out of the flames and landed on the floor, where it was found by Frances’ father, Rev. William Havergal, an Anglican minister, a noted poet, and a church musician. He encouraged her to preserve the poem by composing the first melody for it. The present tune was composed for this text by the noted American gospel songwriter, Philip P. Bliss, and was first published in 1873. When Christ cried out on the cross, “It is finished,” victory over sin was won. All that is required of each of us is to personally appropriate that finished work. To show our gratefulness, however, our response should be, “Thank you, Lord, for giving your life for me. Now I want to live for You and serve You till the end of my days.” This was the reaction of Miss Havergal, known as the “consecration poet,” whose entire life was characterized by simple faith and spiritual saintliness. In spite of frail health, she lived an active life until her death at the age of 43. She wrote many beautifully phrased hymn texts, including “Take My Life and Let It Be” and “Like a River Glorious.” I gave My life for thee; My precious blood I shed that thou might’st ransomed be and quickened form the dead; I gave, I gave My life for thee—what hast thou giv’n for Me? I suffered much for thee, more than thy tongue can tell, of bitt’rest agony to rescue thee from hell; I’ve borne, I’ve borne it all for thee—what hast thou borne for Me? And I have brought to thee, down from My home above, salvation full and free, my pardon and My love; I bring, I bring rich gifts to thee—what hast thou brought to Me?
For Today: Psalm 116:12-14; John 19:30; Romans 12:1, 2; Galatians 2:20
Allow your soul to respond in a new and fresh dedication to God as you reflect on all that Christ has done for you. Allow these musical questions to motivate your thinking—
April 4 WOUNDED FOR ME W. G. Ovens, 1870–1945 (verse 1) Gladys W. Roberts, 1888–? (verses 2-5) To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in His steps. (1 Peter 2:21) Death by crucifixion was one of the worst forms of dying. No Roman citizen was ever crucified; this horrible death was reserved only for Rome’s enemies. The Roman scourge was a most dreadful instrument of torture and suffering. It was made of sinews of oxen, and sharp bones were inter-twisted among the sinews so that every time the lash came down upon a body, these pieces of bone inflicted fearful lacerations and literally tore off chunks of flesh from the person’s bones. This is what Christ endured in accomplishing our redemption. But the physical suffering was not the worst. Rather, the weight of human sin and the separation from God the Father because of His wrath against sin were the real causes of the Savior’s death. But simply knowing about Christ’s suffering and death is not enough. We must personally appropriate this to our own lives. We must say, “It was for me!” We must allow the Holy Spirit to do in us subjectively all that Christ has done for us objectively. Then, after we have experienced this redemptive work in our own lives, we must humbly, lovingly, and thoughtfully “follow in His steps” and seek to restore others. The five stanzas of this thoughtful hymn cover the whole story of redemption, from the Savior’s suffering to His second coming. When this hymn is sung, then, all of the verses must be used; none can be deleted. Start softly and slowly and gradually build to a thrilling climax—“O how I praise Him—He’s coming for me!” Wounded for me, wounded for me, there on the cross He was wounded for me; gone my transgressions, and now I am free, all because Jesus was wounded for me. Dying for me, dying for me, there on the cross He was dying for me; now in His death my redemption I see, all because Jesus was dying for me. Risen for me, risen for me, up from the grave He has risen for me; now evermore from death’s sting I am free, all because Jesus has risen for me. Living for me, living for me, up in the skies He is living for me; daily He’s pleading and praying for me, all because Jesus is living for me. Coming for me, coming for me, one day to earth He is coming for me; then with what joy His dear face I shall see; O how I praise Him—He’s coming for me!
For Today: Psalm 65:3; 103:12; Isaiah 53; Ephesians 2:5
Let your soul rejoice as you review the complete redemption Christ has provided for you. Sing this hymn as you go realizing that He was—
” ‘As the new heavens and the new earth that I make will endure before Me,’ declares the Lord, ‘so will your name and descendants endure’ ” (Isa. 66:22).Beyond the judgment at history’s end lies endless peace and joy. Just as beyond the cross, peace awaits the person who comes to Jesus.
Overview
A vision of God’s apocalyptic day of vengeance (63:1–6) moved Isaiah to desperate prayer for his people (v. 7–64:12). God replied. Sinners must be punished, but a remnant of Israel would survive (65:1–16). God will then create a new heaven and new earth (vv. 17–25). After the judgment, Zion will suddenly be repopulated (66:1–17), and all peoples will worship as brothers before God’s throne (vv. 18–24).
Understanding the Text
“This is how You guided Your people” Isa. 63:7–19. Like the psalmists and the other prophets, Isaiah looked to history in an effort to understand God. In his prayer Isaiah recalled God’s kindness in the past, and realized that Israel’s rebellion caused God to turn against them. Yet the image of God as a tender and compassionate Redeemer persisted. Where was the God of love that His people had known? Why are enemies permitted to trample down God’s inheritance and His holy place? Similar conflicts between the God we know and present experience have troubled saints throughout the centuries. We can ask, “Why, O Lord?” But we need to remember at such times that revelation has priority over experience. Our feelings and our experiences provide no certain knowledge of God. That is reserved for history and Scripture. Only if we hold fast to these two sources of certainty will we live in hope. “How then can we be saved?” Isa. 64:1–12 Isaiah asked, “Why?” But in the case of ancient Israel, he knew the answer. Israel continued to sin against God, and evoked His anger. Will reform help? Will God relent if His people repent? Isaiah’s belief was, in Israel’s case, no. “All of us have become like one who is unclean,” Isaiah says, “and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags.” God hid His face from (that is, turned away from) His people “and made us waste away because of our sins.” So what can a sinner do when he at last realizes that his best is less than nothing. That even his “righteous acts are like filthy rags”? Isaiah went back to the beginning, to God’s intention. God is “our Father.” He is the source of Israel’s existence as a people. As a potter, God shaped these descendants of Abraham. Isaiah’s hope was that God would not abandon the work of His hands, and would not “remember our sins forever.” You and I give the same answer when asked, “How then can we be saved?” Nothing we can do can help us. Man’s most righteous acts are like filthy rags. But we too can go back to the beginning! We can realize that God created human beings in His image, to be loved and to love Him. Our hope is rooted in the belief that God will not abandon the works of His hands, but will act to redeem us despite our sins. This is the very heart of the Gospel’s glorious good news. God did act, in Jesus Christ, to redeem us. Gladly we abandon all pretense of righteousness, and then we accept the salvation that He has so graciously chosen to give us despite our sins. Hebrew farmers hitched their robes up around their waists when trampling ripe grapes. Even so, the rich juices stained their legs and their garments. In one of Scripture’s most vivid images, Isaiah 63:1–6 pictures God on the day of judgment, terrifying in His strength, trampling the world as the farmer stomps on ripe grapes, stained with the blood of the wicked. “Behold, I will create” Isa. 65:17–25. After the judgment God will “create Jerusalem to be a delight and its people a joy.” Set on a new earth that is spinning in new heavens, we will at last realize what original earth might have been had man not sinned. The classic description so captivates man’s yearning that it is repeated not only in Isaiah but also in the world’s great literature. “They will not toil in vain or bear children doomed to misfortune; for they will be a people blessed by the Lord, they and their descendants with them. Before they call I will answer; while they are still speaking I will hear. The wolf and the lamb will feed together, and the lion will eat straw like the ox, but dust will be the serpent’s food. They will neither harm nor destroy in all My holy mountain,” says the Lord (vv. 23–25). “The new heavens and new earth that I make will endure” Isa. 66:1–24. Today everything changes. In our area one well-known financier is building himself a $15-million home. It has swimming pools, a bowling alley, and other features, all controlled by a complicated computer system. Even the “guest house” is larger than the homes in which most Americans live. Ironically, he may never live in this private palace he’s building for himself. He has been indicted for insider trading, fraud, and a number of other crimes. What a contrast with God’s New Jerusalem. The “house” God plans is designed to be inhabited by joyous people gathered from every nation and tongue. And the new heavens and earth God designs, will endure.
DEVOTIONAL
That’s the Gospel Truth(Isa. 65)
The concept of hell troubles many people. How could a good and loving God ever destine anyone to an eternity in what Revelation calls a “lake of fire”? The fact is, God doesn’t! Chapter 64 contains Isaiah’s plea for a salvation that must somehow be rooted in God, since man’s best efforts are but filthy rags in the Lord’s sight. In this chapter God responded to Isaiah’s prayer. He told the prophet that He has always been eager to save. But obstinate Israel rejected His grace. Even so “descendants of Jacob, and from Judah” will “possess My mountains; My chosen people will inherit them.” People who seek God will be saved, despite their sins. But then God speaks of individuals who continue to “forsake the Lord and forget My holy mountain.” Such persons are destined for the sword; they are marked for slaughter. But note. It is not that God chose their fate. God did everything He could to save them. He called to them, but they did not answer. He spoke, but they did not listen. Instead they chose what displeased God (65:12). It’s an important truth to grasp. And it is part of the Gospel. Yes, some will go away to eternal punishment. But it is not God who fixes a man’s destiny. It is the man himself. The only way a person can be condemned to hell is to condemn himself, by refusing to respond to God’s revelation of His power and His love. So if you know anyone who is worried that God might send him to hell, share the Good News. God won’t send him to hell. The only person who can do that is the person himself. Instead, God is standing between human beings and eternal punishment, still calling, still speaking, still promising forgiveness. All anyone has to do is reach out and take salvation as a free gift. And that is good news indeed.
Personal Application
Heaven or hell. It really is our choice.
Quotable
“Amos Gbaa from Liberia taught me quite a bit even though I was his tutor. Amos’ job was to translate each section [of Scripture] and identify the parts that needed improvement. When he came to a sentence where I had used the word ’offer,’ Amos had used the word ’gift.’ “I explained the importance of the distinction. The Gospel is not ’given’ but ’offered.’ The person hearing must make a choice. “Amos said I was missing his point. ’In Liberia we do not make offers,’ he said. ’We only give gifts. If I come to your house and say, Here is a pineapple from my field, that is not an offer. You had better accept it. If you don’t, you would be giving me a terrible insult.’ “I thought about it more. With an offer, the buyer is completely free to decide for or against the product or to simply ignore it. The hearer of the Gospel, on the other hand, can accept it or reject it, but not ignore it, because it is a gift. Amos was right. God is giving you the gift of life through the Gospel.”—Stan Nussbaum
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 