The Real Challenge

"She considers a field and buys it; from her profits she plants a vineyard."  (Proverbs 31:16)

Slowing down and looking at this passage (Proverbs 31:10-31) phrase by phrase has helped us to get to know this unnamed Proverbs 31 woman a little better and hopefully has helped us to find some principles to apply to our own lives in our quest to be all that God desires us to be.  So far we have seen a woman who does her work willingly, who is trustworthy, who goes shopping (!!!!!) and who gets up early.  Today we see a businesswoman.  Before we think about that, let's go back and review. 

This woman whose value is "far above rubies" has set quite an example for us, hasn't she?  Before we start beating ourselves up because we can never live up to this standard, let's take a step back and revisit the principles she illustrates for us.  No matter what our circumstances in life, what season of life we are in, whether we are married or single, have children or not.......there are some principles here that are important for us to consider.  This is an unselfish woman.  This is a woman who loves her family.  This is a woman focused on doing and being her best - not to call attention to herself but for the benefit of those she loves.

Today's verse shows us a businesswoman who makes a profit.  Does that mean we should all start our own businesses today?  I don't think so.  The principle here, I believe, is that she is not impulsive.  She considers the field before she buys it.  She thinks about it carefully to determine whether this purchase is a wise investment.  She reinvests her profits.  She manages her money well.

Consider these passages from the New Testament and how this woman measures up. 

• Philippians 2:5-8
• 1 John 4:7-11
• Colossians 3:23

Having considered how the Proverbs 31 woman measures up, let's get personal.  How do you measure up?  How do I?  That's the real challenge, isn't it?!

"Her virtue (verse 10) led to
          her willing heart (verse 13) which led to
                    her industry (verse 13) which led to
                              her savings (verse 11) which led to
                                        her investments (verse 16) which led to
                                                  her prosperity (verse 25).
                                                                          (from Beautiful in God's Eyes
                                                                                 by Elizabeth George)

A Little More Sleep

"She rises also while it is yet night, and gives food to her household and work to her maids." 
(Proverbs 31:15)

As I read this verse, I think there may be many of you out there who would like to join me in a collective groan!!!  The idea of "rising while it is yet night" is not one that appeals to me.  And fortunately (or unfortunately, depending on how you view this idea of getting older!!), I have arrived at a season of life where that is not generally required of me.

But once upon a time.........I was once a young mother with children to wake, feed and get to school on time.  And before that those children were even younger and not only did I "rise while it was yet night", I often spent much of the night awake with those precious children!!!  So......if you're younger than I, and you're still dealing with late-night feedings, or with children who don't want to wake up and go to school, or with all the other tasks of motherhood that often rob you of your sleep, don't think I am unsympathetic.  I do understand what it's like......I've been there.  And I'll give you the same advice that was given to me.......you can sleep when they are grown :) 

But back to the passage at hand.  I don't really think this is a verse about equating sleep deprivation with godliness!!!  Although the idea of rising in the night does make me think about being sleep deprived, which led me to the concordance to look up the word "sleep".  I found 10 verses in the book of Proverbs which use the word.  You might want to get your concordance (or go to http://www.blueletterbible.org/) and check that out.  Some interesting food for thought there.

The point I think we really need to get from this verse is that this is a disciplined, organized woman.  And, as we have noted before, she is unselfish!  She is focused on what is best for her family rather than on what is best for her.  That may be the biggest lesson we need to learn in our increasingly me-centered 21st century world!  Obviously back when this woman lived, the world was very different.  No alarm clocks, daylight-savings-time, 24 hour news channels, no central air or heat.  A lot was required to keep her household running smoothly that is not required of us.  We generally don't have to trim the lamps and light the fires when we get up. 

Even so, we each have tasks that are necessary to keep our households - and our own hearts as well - running smoothly.  In that respect, the discipline of this Proverbs 31 woman is a great example to us.  If we were to somehow put her into our modern world, we would probably find that she gets up early enough to be sure the day gets off to a good start......for herself and her family.  How that works out in my "empty nest" situation is probably vastly different from how it works for those of you with children still at home.  The point is not that we all operate on some carbon-copy schedule, but that in whatever our particular situation, we are planning well for ourselves and our household, just as this woman did.  We need to make time......for the Lord, for planning our day, for getting everybody out the door on time, for __________.  You fill in the blank for your situation!

Those of you who know me at all know that I am definitely not a morning person.  In my empty nest, that's not a real big deal.  Back when I was a mother of school-age children and when I worked outside the home, it was a lot bigger deal.  Because I'm not a morning person, and because it really does take me a LONG time to get going in the morning, I had to build extra time into our morning schedules to give me time to wake up.  Did I enjoy getting up an hour earlier......no, I did not!!!  But that's how long it took to get me going, so that's what I did.  And I survived!!!  You will, too :)   Even though it may not feel like it right now!!

"A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the arms to rest, and your poverty will come like a robber, your need like a bandit."  (Proverbs 24:33-34  HCSB)

A Merchant Ship??? Seriously??!!!!

"She is like the merchant's ship; she brings her merchandise from afar."  (Proverbs 31:14)

Now that I've worked my way through doing my tasks willingly, and not just because they are there or because I'm supposed to or because......... (or at least, I am working on it!!!  After all, I'm still a work in progress!!!).....here comes a comparison I don't think I'm very excited about at all.  I mean really, what woman wants to be compared to a ship?  And a "merchant ship" at that!!!  I'm just sayin'............

So, once I got over being offended (just kidding!!) about being compared to a merchant's ship, I began to give some serious thought to what this comparison really means and how I, who live in the mountains where I haven't seen any merchant ships lately, am supposed to apply this to my life.  Since I wasn't getting very far with that pursuit, I decided to dig out my Elizabeth George book (Beautiful in God's Eyes) and see what she had to say about this verse.  Once I located the book (!!!), this is what I discovered......"This image may not seem too appealing at first, but consider for a moment how the woman who is beautiful in God's eyes is indeed like a merchant's ship.  We can easily imagine, for instance, how she scours the marketplace for goods that will enhance the quality of life of those under her roof.  She spares no cost in terms of money, time, or effort when it comes to the well-being of those she love.....As she sees it, her loved ones deserve nothing but the best.  So, motivated by a heart of love, she goes the extra miles to provide the best for those at home."

So........it's about shopping!!!  That's a topic I can relate to!!  But I suppose before we take this verse as a biblical mandate to become a shopaholic, we should step back, take a deep breath, and think it through carefully.  A key may be found in the passage I quoted from Elizabeth George's Beautiful in God's Eyes....
"motivated by love".  Motivated by love, this woman "sails forth" to search the market place, looking for bargains and seeking to enhance the quality of life of her loved ones. 

To become this kind of beautiful woman is more than just an awareness that our motivation and priority should be on our family and loved ones rather than ourselves.  We need to consider what practical steps we can take to become this kind of woman.  In other words, how do I do this?  Let's think about that for a minute.  If we're thinking specifically in terms of shopping, how about these practical steps:  focus on saving money rather than spending; look for bargains; become a coupon clipper; avoid impulse buying.  Perhaps you can think of others. 

Or how about approaching this topic from a different direction.  Instead of thinking simply in terms of shopping and spending money, think of yourself as tasked with bringing beauty to your home.  How can you use your creativity and abilities to enhance the quality of life in your home?

Look back at Proverbs 9.  There's a contrast in this chapter between verses 1-6 and verses 13-18. Read those verses and note the contrast.  Then think of these two passages as two homes, and think of yourself as looking through the window into each home.  What do you see?  How would you describe these two "homemakers".  Now......here's where we get personal.......if someone were looking through the window into your home, or mine, how would it be described?  How are we expressing our love for our families?  This Proverbs 31 woman made it a priority to seek the best and to provide well for her household.  How do we measure up?

She Works Willingly

"She seeks wool and flax and works willingly with her hands."  (Proverbs 31:13)

Works willingly.......that's a loaded phrase, isn't it?!!  I don't know about you, but I don't always willingly approach the tasks I have before me!!  There are some tasks that are routinely part of my life that I do without thinking and with no particular complaint......making the bed, for example.  But does the fact that I'm doing it almost by rote, without complaining, equal to doing it willingly???  And then there are some tasks that I am much less excited about (cleaning toilets, for example).  I definitely can't say I do that willingly.  And to take the rest of the verse literally, when was the last time you or I went out seeking wool and flax (in context, with the intent to dye it, spin it, weave it, etc.)??

What does all this have to do with you and me?  What can we learn from this Proverbs 31 woman?  I think she is setting an example of enthusiasm for us.  She willingly (enthusiastically) approached the tasks before her.  In her day, that involved weaving and dyeing wool, and working with flax, which involved hard work and lots of steps (peeling, drying, beating, spinning).  She did it all willingly for the benefit of her family.  And perhaps that's a key.  She was focused on her family's needs.  Some translators have dealt with this phrase "works willingly" in a different way, using words like merrily or joyfully to describe her work.  Again, that sounds a lot like enthusiasm to me.

And this leaves me feeling just a bit convicted about my own attitudes.  Whether in my current empty-nest situation, or in earlier years with children still at home and the additional activity involved, I wonder if my attitude toward my tasks would ever have been described as "enthusiastic"??!!  That's something I'm purposing to work on today.

"Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might."  (Ecclesiastes 9:10)

"Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord rather than for men."  (Colossians 3:23)

What's Your Plan?

"She does him good and not evil all the days of her life."  (Proverbs 31:12)

In some ways, this verse takes us back to a previous thought about adding value to the lives of those we love.  But this goes even farther.  This woman has a purpose in life!  Her goal is to benefit her husband with good, to brighten his life.  This is the ultimate in unselfishness.  This woman does not have a "what's in it for me" attitude, but rather has a goal, a life purpose of lifting up her husband, of making his life "good".  And she does this "all the days of her life".  How do you and I follow this example?  How do we take this picture of unselfishness and live it out in our everyday lives? 

Following the Proverbs 31 woman's example is in many ways the same as following Jesus' example.....doing good to others.  Examine Proverbs 3:27, Galatians 6:10 and Colossians 3:23.  What do you learn and what insight do these verses give in how to do good in your relationships?

A phrase that jumps out at me in today's verse is "all the days of her life".  If we view our relationships from this perspective, what difference would it make in how we treat others and how we respond to circumstances?  Hmmm......think about that! 

And finally, think about the contrast in this verse.......she does good and not evil.  Look at Proverbs 14:22 -
"Do they not go astray who devise evil?  But mercy and truth belong to those who devise good."  Another word for "devise" is "plan".  So here's the question.....what are you planning today?  How (and be specific) do you plan to do good to your spouse, your family, or those with whom you are in relationship. 

Here's an idea......as you are considering your plan, why not make a list?  (I'm a big list-maker!)  Maybe it could be an alphabetized list!!!  The A-B-Cs of "doing good"!!   It might start out as A - always encourage; B - be thoughtful; C - control my temper or control my spending or.........  You know your situation and your personality (and its flaws!!) better than I do.  My list will probably look different than yours.  That's not important.  The important thing is to purposefully follow the exhortation of this verse and "do him good and not evil all the days" of our lives.  The important thing is to have a plan and to carry it out.

So, what's your plan?

What I Want for Us

"He will have no lack of gain."  (Proverbs 31:11)

Good Morning!  Welcome to Monday!  We're continuing to get to know the woman of Proverbs 31 a little better as we journey phrase by phrase through this chapter of Proverbs.  Today we have arrived at verse 11 and are attempting to understand this phrase and how it applies to us in the 21st century.

Let's begin by thinking about what it meant in the culture of the Old Testament.  I did a little research and discovered that in those days, when one army went to battle and defeated another, the victorious army carried off the "spoils of war"......people, livestock, jewels, clothing, and treasures of silver and gold.  There were other ways as well that people obtained wealth without going to war.  These included hiring oneself out as a servant, borrowing, or the same pattern we often see in our culture.......lie, cheat, steal!
 
What does that have to do with being a woman of God, with being beautiful in His sight?  Maybe it has to do with determining that it will not be necessary for our spouse to lie, cheat or steal to gain wealth!  (Or, if you are single, to determine that you will not do that yourself!!)  Maybe it has to do with making a contribution to the household income.  Or maybe it has to do with being a good steward, a good manager, of whatever wealth or assets the household has.  It seems to me that this last point fits well into the overall context of the chapter.  This is a woman who is committed to the well-being of her household.

It's not my intent to make this a post about money or money management.  In fact, I'm probably the last person you want to take advice from when it comes to money!  My advice is......if you need help in this area, you should get it!!  My other advice is this (a quote I heard a couple of days ago from a well-known financial "guru" on a television news show)......"pay attention to the details"!  And I think that fits well into the context of today's Scripture passage.  I think this Proverbs 31 woman is one who paid attention!  And her household benefitted from it!

Without sharing any horror stories, let me just say that the lesson here is this......pay attention!  Be a good steward, a good manager, of what has been entrusted to you, whether it's a lot or a little.  In this way, God is honored and your family benefits as well.

This might be a good day to do some research on the topic of biblical stewardship.  What does the Bible have to say?  Use your word study tools, such as http://www.blueletterbible.org/ and see what you can learn.  Here are a few verses from Proverbs to get you started:

• Proverbs 14:1
• Proverbs 21:6, 17
• Proverbs 24:3-4
• Proverbs 27:23-24
• Proverbs 28:19

And here's an assignment from Elizabeth George's book Beautiful in God's Eyes......."glance again through those sacred verses, Proverbs 31: 10-31.  Ask God to open your eyes to the many references to this beautiful woman's thrifty and wise money management.  She was truly an unfailing prize to her husband and a tribute to her God.  And that's what I want for you."

And that's what I want for us as well.....

A Work in Progress

"The heart of her husband trusts in her."  (Proverbs 31:11)

Yesterday we focused on adding value to the lives of those we love.  We specifically focused our attention on our attitudes and on our verbal expressions.  Perhaps you thought of other ways you add value to your loved ones.

Today we move to verse 11 and to the issue of trust.  The verse tells us that our unnamed role model is trusted by her husband.  Which means she must be someone who is trustworthy.  And so I've been thinking about what that means and a couple of things have come to mind.  If I am to be a trustworthy woman, then I must be a woman of my word.  In other words, I should do what I said I would do when I said I would do it.  There should be no cause for people to wonder if, when I say I will do something, I will really follow through.

Another thing I thought of in the area of being trusted has to do with knowing when to keep my mouth shut!  When to speak and when to be silent! It seems to me that being trustworthy means that if someone shares a confidence with me, there should be no reason for them to wonder whether or not I will keep that confidence or if I will betray their trust.

The verse we're examining today says the Proverbs 31 woman is trusted.  And while what that means seems fairly obvious, I decided it would be worthwhile to get out my word study tools and see exactly what the word "trust" meant in the original language.  So I looked it up and found that the word translated here as "trusts" means to trust.  (I can see you rolling your eys and saying "duh!")   It also means to feel confident, to take heart and to be of good courage.  That sounds a lot like encouragement to me.  So, maybe it's not to be a stretch to say that one way I can apply this verse is to be an encourager!  How interesting that this is at the top of the list!  Yesterday's verse told us that a good wife (or a "virtuous woman", depending on which translation you are reading......in any event, these are truths that apply whether married or single!) is more valuable than rubies.  Today's verse begins to list qualities that make her so valuable.  And right here on top of the list..........she is trustworthy, she is an encourager! 

So, once again, I've scanned through Proverbs for more verses than support this thought.  Here are some I discovered and am meditating on today.  You may find others.  If so, please share them in the comments section and be an encourager to the rest of us!!

• Proverbs 19:14
• Proverbs 11:22
• Proverbs 14:30
• Proverbs 31:12,25, 28-29

Here's the challenge I'm giving myself today......and I invite you to take the challenge as well.  Consider some specific steps to take toward being this kind of woman.......trustworthy and encouraging.........not just some of the time, but all of the time!

When I think about the attributes of this Proverbs 31 woman and how I measure up, I realize that some days I do a pretty good job.  Some days, not so much!  As I said yesterday, I'm still a work in progress.  How about you?

Value Added

"Her price is far above rubies."  (Proverbs 31:10)

Some translations render that verse as "much higher than jewels".  But whether rubies.....or diamonds or emeralds or pearls......whatever the jewel is, it's clear that this woman, whoever she is, is valuable.  And so the questions becomes for us, what does that have to do with me? 

One of the things I enjoy in my leisure time is watching HGTV.  I particularly enjoy shows that focus on renovating older homes, or on getting an outdated home ready to sell.  In the latter case, the emphasis is always on adding value to the home.  There's also a show about couples who have done significant renovations to their homes, then having a designer/realtor team come in and determine who got the biggest "bang" for their buck.  In other words, who added the most value to their home.

As we begin looking at the list of characteristics that make this Proverbs 31 woman someone to model ourselves after, the first quality of her life listed has to do with value.  As I was thinking about that this morning, it occurred to me that what the verse is really telling us is that this woman adds value to her husband, to her family.  And I think that's an important point for us to consider, regardless of our marital status or our personal life situations. Are we adding value to the people in our circle of influence....to our spouse, to our family, to our friends.  And how exactly do we do that?

I took a quick trip through Proverbs this morning searching for verses that might give me some guidance in this area.  How do I add value to my spouse, my loved ones?  I've listed a few verses here.......you might want to check them out.  And give some thought today to how your words, your attitudes, your actions are adding value to the important people in your life.

• Proverbs 12:4
• Proverbs 21:9, 19
• Proverbs 19:11
• Proverbs 10:19
• Proverbs 16:21, 24
• Proverbs 15:28

You might also want to go to the New Testament and check out Ephesians 5:29-32.

And one more thought about being more valuable than a jewel.  Have you ever been to one of those gem mines where you get the bucket full of dirt and then wash all the dirt off the rocks hoping for some special treasure to be discovered in your bucket?  Think about a jewel in its natural state......just a rock!  The beauty is revealed when the gem is cut and polished, when it goes through a "process" that reveals its true beauty.  Life is like that.  It's a process.  Our sparkle, our true beauty is revealed as we are "processed" by our Master Jeweler, when we submit our lives to Him, when we commit to doing life His way.

I know that I'm still "in process".  How about you? 

Beautiful in God's Eyes

I recently came across a book about all the remarkable women of the Bible (although I confess I can't remember the exact title right now). And I've been reading a book titled "Beautiful in God's Eyes" by Elizabeth George. It's based on one of the best known (and perhaps least liked!) women in the Bible, the unnamed woman of Proverbs 31.

Since we finished our journey through the names of God last week, I've been wondering where we would journey together next. And since my reading lately has me focused on women in the Bible, it seems fitting that we go in that direction. How long will this journey take? I honestly have no idea! But I do know that I am intrigued by all the women we will meet along the way.

Just think about the title of Elizabeth George's book.....which I borrowed to title this post....."Beautiful in God's Eyes". Isn't that what we want to be? I know it's what I want. Think about all the time and effort (and money!) we spend to be beautiful on the outside! And believe me, it's a good thing that I spend at least some time and effort on physical appearance......that's probably true for all of us. But how much more important that we put time and effort into being beautiful on the inside, that we spend time on our inner selves.....developing that "imperishable quality of a gentle and quiet spirit which is precious in the sight of God" (1 Peter 3:2).

And so, our journey begins with the unnamed Proverbs 31 woman.  I think it is likely that she was an actual woman, not just some ideal that we feel we can never measure up to.  If you go to Proverbs 31 and look at the first verse, you'll see that this Proverb is from King Lemuel (and I confess I have no idea who he is!) who is sharing the words his mother taught him.  And apparently this list beginning in verse 10 is a list of qualities she thought he should look for in a wife!  I read somewhere (maybe in Elizabeth George's book, although I confess I don't remember where I read it......) that if we were to read this in Hebrew we would find it to be an alphabetized list.  In other words, it's like an "alphabet of character"......a listing of character qualities.  Since I don't read Hebrew and have only a very, very basic knowledge of the Hebrew alphabet, I can't confirm that.  But it's an interesting idea, don't you think?  We'll be spending the first part of our journey learning more about this woman, and about the character qualities that make her such a worthy example for us.

Your first assignment will be to read about her.........Proverbs 31:10-31.   If you would like to share your first impressions, please leave a comment.

"Charm is deceitful and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the LORD, she shall be praised."
(Proverbs 31:30)

A final thought as we conclude this journey.......

We're concluding our study of the names of God today by taking a brief look at one more attribute of God's character.  We turn our attention today to El Olam, the Everlasting God.  Our God has no beginning, no end; He is not confined to time and space.  Charles Spurgeon put it this way:  "God was, when man was not."  Even before the universe came into being, God was.  How awesome is that thought?!!

Today I just want to point you to a couple of Scripture references for you to consider, to ponder, to meditate on.  You might want to use your word study tools to find others.  But let this truth wash over you today.....our God is El Olam, the Everlasting God!

Isaiah 40:28......."Do you not know?  Have you not heard?  The Everlasting God, the LORD, the Creator of the ends of the earth does not become weary or tired.  His understanding is inscrutable."

Psalm 90:1-2....."LORD, You have been our dwelling place in all generations.  Before the mountains were born, or You gave birth to the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, You are God."

Daniel 11:32b tells us that "the people who know their God will display strength and take action."  I hope that these weeks together studying the names of God have helped you to know God better, and that as a result you have been strengthened, that you will live in light of what you have learned, and that you will always know that His name is a "strong tower" to which you can run.

And so this journey comes to an end.  A new journey begins next week.  I hope you'll journey with me!  Until then......

"To Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to make you stand in the presence of His glory blameless with great joy, to the only God our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion and authority, before all time and now and forever.  Amen." (Jude 24-25)

The End of the Story

 In our brief review of the history of Israel, we learned that the glory of the Lord departed the temple and that the people of Israel went into captivity.  There was always, however, the hope and promise of the Lord's return.  And after seventy years of captivity, a remnant returned to Jerusalem.  The temple was rebuilt.  (You can find this in the book of Ezra.)  The wall of Jerusalem was rebuilt under Nehemiah's leadership.  But none of this was the complete fulfillment of Ezekiel 48:35 ("the name of the city from that day shall be, the LORD is there".)

The promised return to Jerusalem was confirmed through the prophet Zechariah (see Zechariah 2:10-13).
God spoke again through Malachi (see Malachi 3:1), who was the last of the Old Testament prophets.  After Malachi, there would not be another word from God for four hundred years.  During those years, the people of God had two things to cling to:  His name, Jehovah-Shammah, and His promise (see Ezekiel 39:25-29).

And God kept His promise!  He did return to Jerusalem, although most did not recognize Him.  Read the following passages and see what happened.

• Isaiah 9:6
• John 1:1-14
• Luke 2:22, 28-32
• Luke 3:23
• John 8:59
• Matthew 13:13-15
• John 6:66
• Matthew 23:37-24:1
• John 16:7

Jesus was on earth for thirty-three years.  He went in and out of the temple. And then one day, the glory of the Lord again departed the temple (Matthew 23:37-24:1).  Jesus was arrested, tried and crucified.....
Jehovah-Mekoddishkem paying the price for our sanctification so that we might have "peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ" (Jehovah-Shalom) according to Romans 5:1.  Jesus died for our sins, died so that we might be healed (He is Jehovah-Rapha) from our sin-sickness.  But He didn't stay dead!  He rose from the grave and has ascended back to the Father.  But even now, He is Jehovah-Shammah to those of us who have blieved on His name.  He dwells within us in the person of the Holy Spirit.  (Read John 16:7 again, along with 1 Corinthians 3:16, Colossians 1:27 and Hebrews 13:5).

But that isn't the end of the story!  We have the promise of His return! God promised through Ezekiel (see Ezekiel 27:21-28) that He would return to Jerusalem and that the name of Jerusalem would be Jehovah-Shammah, the Lord is there.  When He returns, this promise to His people Israel will be fulfilled.  But before that happens, He will fulfill His promise to His church.  Read John 14:2-3 today and rejoice! 

Exactly when will that promise be fulfilled?  We don't know.  What if it were today?  Are you ready?

"For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men, instructing us to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself a people for His own possession."  (Titus 2:11-14)

Are You Ready?

Yesterday we began considering the name Jehovah-Shammah, the LORD is there.   We found this name in the book of Ezekiel, in a prophecy of a time yet future.  We also looked at some Scriptures to help us understand how to live now with confidence as we look forward to that future day.

Today let's dig a little deeper.  Ezekiel wrote to Jews who had been taken captive into Babylon.  As the book of Ezekiel opens, Jerusalem had not yet been destroyed.  There were three invasions of Jerusalem before it fell.  Daniel was taken captive in the first invasion, and Ezekiel was taken captive in the second and he had been in captivity for about 5 years before he wrote.  Ezekiel prophesied the fall of Jerusalem and the glory of the Lord departing the temple in Ezekiel 10-11.  News of the fall of Jerusalem is found in Ezekiel 33:21, the verse viewed by many as the turning point of the book.  It must have been really difficult for God's people to believe that He would allow Jerusalem to be destroyed.  For them, Jerusalem had been the place where they went to meet with God.  And so, Ezekiel points them to the future Jerusalem, the city that will not be destroyed. 

I wonder if Israel and Judah had perhaps taken God's presence for granted.  God had always manifested Himself to them in one way or another.    Did they take His presence so for granted that they didn't really believe He would do what He said?  That they didn't really believe He would really let Jerusalem be taken captive by the ungodly Babylonians?  Did they just assume they could continue to just go through life however they wanted to without really paying attention to God?  Can you see any parallels here to our culture today???  Hmmmm.........Something to think about! 

Let's look today at some Scriptures that show how God had always been present with His people.  Note the form that His presence took.  As usual, this is not an exhaustive list.  You can use your word study tools to find additional references.

• Exodus 13:20-22
• Exodus 33:12-16
• Joshua 1:1-5
• 1 Samuel 4:6-7
• Psalm 132:8, 13-14
• Ezekiel 8:3-6, 17-18
• Ezekiel 10:3-4, 18-19
• Ezekiel 11:22-23

Although the Lord's presence left the Temple, left Jerusalem, here's the important point........He will come back!!  He is Jehovah, a covenant-keeping God!  Look at Ezekiel's question to God in Ezekiel 11:13, and Jehovah's response in Ezekiel 11:16-19.  Can you get a sense of how much it must have meant to God's people to hear "the city shall be", "that day shall be."    The Lord is there.  He will return.  Don't you think that would bring them immense comfort?! 

And what about you?  Are you comforted by that thought.....He WILL return.  Are you expecting Him?  Are your ready?

Looking to the Future

Have you ever felt alone?  Discouraged?  Abandoned?  Forgotten?  How do you deal with those feelings?  Where do you turn?

We're beginning today to consider another name of God.....Jehovah-Shammah, which means the LORD is there.  We find this name in Ezekiel 48:35, the last verse of Ezekiel's prophecy, in a passage which is a reference to Jerusalem, the city which our Lord Jesus Christ will inhabit when he returns to earth to reign as King of Kings and Lord of Lords.  Ezekiel prophesied during a time of captivity for the Hebrew people.  And it was during this time of captivity, when they perhaps were feeling alone, discouraged, abandoned, forgotten, that the Lord revealed this name to them, and in doing so, revealed another truth about Himself.

Let's think about that.  Remember that in the culture in which the Bible was written, a name revealed something about the character of the person named.  So, in this case, when God reveals His name as Jehovah-Shammah, He is giving assurance, encouragement, to His people that he would be there!  He was giving them a future and a hope, to borrow a phrase from Jeremiah.   Is there perhaps some level on which you can relate?  We are living in difficult, uncertain days.  We could easily become discouraged and feel hopeless if we only considered the immediate circumstances, if we only looked at today.  When we lose sight of our hope in Christ, it is easy to live in discouragement, to be apathetic about life.  How can we keep our vision of the future?  How do we hold on to our hope?  Let's look at some Scripture today to see if we can find some answers. 

Carefully read these passages.  Think about the instructions given.  Then consider how, in a practical way, you can put these instructions in to practice, how you are going to live according to the truth of the passage.

• Colossians 3:1-2
• Philippians 3:7-8
• 2  Corinthians 4:11, 16-18
• Psalm 73:25-28
• Titus 2:11-13

Study well, and we'll continue tomorrow!

"For our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ."  (Philippians 3:20)

It's Monday Again!

Welcome to a new week!  It's Monday again already!  Where did last week go???  I hope you had a good week.  I did.....in spite of the fact that it was a very busy, meet myself coming and going kind of a week!  I had opportunity to spend a couple of days with a dear friend from my Florida days......some great girlfriend time (and retail therapy!!).  Had a great time of Bible study with my Thursday morning Bible Study Gals as we focused on who God is and that He is able to do exceedingly abundantly beyond and beyond (check out the last two verses of Ephesians chapter 3).  Experienced answered prayers.  My husband was actually in town for a few days (this last month began a busy travel season for him), so it was great to just spend some time together!  It was a good week!  And today I'm looking forward to what God has in store for this week!

And as I look forward to this new week, I'm focusing my attention on the name of the LORD as my strong tower and anticipating what He will teach me and how He will work in my life this week!  What about you?
If your thought processes haven't taken you there yet this morning, let's go there together.  And let's begin by reviewing what we have learned so far as we have studied the names of God and as we are continuing to get to know our God better by knowing His names.

We have learned that "the name of the LORD is a strong tower; the righteous runs to it and is safe," (Proverbs 18:10).  One of our goals in this study is to fully "trust in the name of the LORD" and rely on Him (Isaiah 50:10).  Why not go back and review the names we have learned and what they mean, and then spend some time reflecting on how you are experiencing the truth of that name, on how that name has been or is becoming a strong tower for you to run to.  For example, we began with the name Elohim.  Do you remember what that name means?  And knowing what it means, how does that make a difference in your life?

Do the same for all the names we have learned.  It's good to review!  Our goal is not just to have read a lot of  verses, made some lists, maybe even have a nice journal, but for what we learn to be sealed into our memory banks so that we can "withdraw" when we need to!  So that it makes a difference in our everyday lives!  So think back......what have you learned and what difference has it made?  All the way from what you learned about Elohim to what we learned last week about Jehovah-Tsidkenu, and everything in between!

If you have just discovered this study, don't panic!  All the previous lessons are archived, and you can work at your own pace!  And if you are just joining us, welcome!

We're nearing the end of this particular journey.......just a couple more names that we will consider.  Tomorrow (after you have had time for today's review!) we'll begin to consider the name found in Ezekiel chapter 48.  If you can't wait to find out what the name is, look at verse 35.

"Some boast in chariots and some in horses, but we will boast in the name of the LORD our God."  (Psalm 20:7)