The readings for days 21 to 25, from Monday 3rd March, are:
Genesis 12:1-9
Jeremiah 23:1-9
Micah 5:1-5
Zechariah 9:9-17
Zechariah 12 - 13
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7 comments:
What strcuk me about todays reading is the way alot happens in a very few lines. Abram's obedience to God is rightly the focus of these lines and I agree with EJ in that it provides a great challenge for us.How set in my ways am I? How open am I to God's will? Would I leave the comfort of all I know? Abram was 75 some 37 years older than me and in this text he doesn't bat an eye lid.
What also struck me was Lot and sarai. They two were equally obedient to God. What would have become of the future nation if Sarai hadn't come along too?Also in the speed to demonstrate Abrams obedience we don't get to appreciate whether it was Abrams persuasive skills or the depth of her and Lots beliefs that prompted them to follow Abram. In any case they too should be remembered as heroes of the faith as whatever teir motivation the Bible doesn't note their scepticism in the face of such an unexpected move on Gods part. That they recieved this information second hand as it where from Abram and yet still believed makes them more readily identifiable with ourselves than Abram.
The Jeremiah passage is a challenge to all those in pastoral leadership; ministers, deacons, small group leaders, youth group leaders of all varieties etc etc to be good shepherds. It's a great privilege but also a huge responsibilty. The shepherds in Jeremiah's passage had stoppedm looking to God for his help and direction. As long as we allow God to direct our leadership then there is no reason why we can't be "good shepherds". I certainly examining my role as shepherd in the light of these verses.
It is interesting to see how the secular world can get the prophets so wrong. Refering to someone as a 'Jeremiah' means that they only think negatively. Yet although Jerimiah is not afraid to face up to the realities of this world I find this weeks passage to be a great message of hope. It is saying to me that although mankind messes up his world God has a solution.
I was encouraged by the words of Micah today that under Jesus' care, the 'shepherd' in this reading, people will 'live securely'. It struck me how relevant this is to our need of a Saviour, of Jesus, now. And the world needs him too.
How insecure the lives of many are now, and most of our daily news reflects this: physical dangers, disease, financial hardship or failings, war, violence, domestic issues, legal disputes, loss of hope, health and social care concerns, etc.. These are all real issues, and were real in Micah's day too, but in the midst of these God can enable people to 'live securely', to know peace, God's peace, in Jesus.
God doesn't remove all the problems (sometimes he does), typically he strengthens us, comforts us, cares for us in the midst of them: in Micah's words, he is a good shepherd, strong and majestic, and he is our peace.
Some of Micah is hard-hitting and uncomfortable, but this is great news for everyone!
I thought it was about time I blogged again!
I was drawn to the fact today, that Micah wasn't "trying to be popular; he was trying to be faithful to the message he had been given" (1:1)
to be faithful may not mean being popular amongst our friends, but we are to be pleasers of god not men,a tough call
I found todays Zechariah reading alot more helpful than the one used earlier in the week.This one was more clearly linked to Jesus. Chapter nine after our selected reading goes on to describe the Lord as being a military leader a role Jesus did not take.This was the role contemporary Jews expected their Messiah to take and it led me to wonder if anyone knows how Jewish people interpret these same verses that we see as definitely refering to Jesus?
Also does anyone know the context of the prophets Zech is seemingly condeming at the end of todays reading?
I wonder how much the prophets knew themselves about their own prophecies. to what extent are they 'looking though a glass darkly' as the AV has Paul write. When Micah inserted his oracle of ch. 5 amongst others relating to the Assyrian conquest did he understand that it refered to the coming Messiah some 600 years later.
Zech. was writing at time of the return from exile by the beneficence of the dictator Darias. It may be that Zech. was sounding a note of caution about making propecies that were not true.
This must also be true for today that we need wisdom and pray in our understanding of prophecy
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