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  • Bible Study Methods: Psalm 46

    Bible Study Methods: Psalm 46

    Introduction

    We have a few days “off” before we start the book of John next week. To help us all grow in reading the Word on a daily basis and to help us better study and apply the Bible, we’re taking the next three days to share a few tools for reading, understanding, and applying the Bible more effectively. For each of the next three days, we’ve picked three different Bible study methods and three psalms that we studied this summer during the Harris Creek “Soundtracks” sermon series. Our hope is that trying out these methods will help us be more effective in studying and living out God’s Word.

    Day Two

    It’s important to remember that there’s no one “right” way to study scripture. The most important thing is that you are studying it. God’s Word doesn’t return void (Isaiah 55:11), so just by engaging with Scripture, you are going to grow and benefit from it. Today’s method, similar to yesterday’s, involves another set of questions for us to ask ourselves after reading the passage. With a journal nearby, these five questions can help us explore each passage on a deeper level: 

    1. What do you like about this passage? What emotions does this passage stir up in you? What jumps off the page at you?
    2. What surprises you about this passage? Did you read anything you’d never thought about before? What makes you go, “huh” as you read it?
    3. What do you learn about God? What does this passage teach you about the character of God? Any attributes of God that this passage highlights?
    4. What do you learn about humanity? What does this passage teach you about human nature? Any patterns you see that are still repeated today?
    5. How do you apply these truths to your life? What can you take from this passage and apply to your life right now? How are these truths the same today as they were thousands of years ago?

    These questions give us a little bit of everything. They can help you categorize your thoughts, feelings, and convictions after reading a passage. It also gives you an opportunity to apply what you read and live out what it means. Take some time today and practice this method with the passage below.

    Read Psalm 46

    For the director of music. Of the Sons of Korah. According to alamoth. A song.

    1 God is our refuge and strength,
        an ever-present help in trouble.
    2 Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way
        and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea,
    3 though its waters roar and foam
        and the mountains quake with their surging.

    4 There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God,
        the holy place where the Most High dwells.
    5 God is within her, she will not fall;
        God will help her at break of day.
    6 Nations are in uproar, kingdoms fall;
        he lifts his voice, the earth melts.

    7 The Lord Almighty is with us;
        the God of Jacob is our fortress.

    8 Come and see what the Lord has done,
        the desolations he has brought on the earth.
    9 He makes wars cease
        to the ends of the earth.
    He breaks the bow and shatters the spear;
        he burns the shields with fire.
    10 He says, “Be still, and know that I am God;
        I will be exalted among the nations,
        I will be exalted in the earth.”

    11 The Lord Almighty is with us;
        the God of Jacob is our fortress.

    Practice

    Work through each of the five questions as it relates to Psalm 46. Answer in the comments below!

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  • Bible Study Methods: Psalm 1

    Bible Study Methods: Psalm 1

    Introduction

    We have a few days “off” before we start the book of John next week. To help us all grow in reading the Word on a daily basis and to help us better study and apply the Bible, we’re taking the next three days to share a few tools for reading, understanding, and applying the Bible more effectively. For each of the next three days, we’ve picked three different Bible study methods and three psalms that we studied this summer during the Harris Creek “Soundtracks” sermon series. Our hope is that trying out these methods will help us be more effective in studying and living out God’s Word.

    Day One

    Today’s method we’re sharing involves a three-step process. As we study a passage using this method, we’re like investigators doing a deep dive asking three sets of questions. We’ll share the three steps and some key questions and encourage you to study Psalm 1. 

    1. Observation: “What does it say?” or ”What do I see?”

    As you look at the verse, what words stick out? Are any words repeated? Look at the context of the verse and passage, specifically looking at the verse prior and following. Is the passage/verse a question, statement, or command? Is the writer describing something or recounting a story or narrative? What did the author see when they wrote the passage? Try to put yourself in their shoes and make some observations. Practically, you can mark anything you observe in your bible or in a journal.

    1. Interpretation: “What does it mean?”

    What do you think the author intends in this passage? This is where you can ask a bunch of questions of the text and where you seek to find answers to those questions. For example, if you studied John 11:35 (“Jesus wept”) you could ask: Why is Jesus crying? What led Him to start crying? Are there any other times Jesus wept? As you study the passage and its context, you put your questions and answers together as you attempt to interpret the verse/passage.

    1. Application: “How does it work?” or “What do I do?”

    Now that we’ve made some observations and made efforts to understand what the Scripture means, we need to figure out what we do with it. How does this passage apply to me? What do I do about it? How will this passage impact my life or the lives of those around me? James 1:22-25 describes a man who looks in the mirror and sees what he looks like and then turns around and forgets what he saw in the mirror. We don’t want to be people who look into God’s Word and forget what it says. Rather, we want to be people who allow God’s Word to change and transform us, so that we might become more and more like Jesus Christ.

    Read Psalm 1

    Psalm 1

    1 Blessed is the one
        who does not walk in step with the wicked
    or stand in the way that sinners take
        or sit in the company of mockers,
    2 but whose delight is in the law of the Lord,
        and who meditates on his law day and night.
    3 That person is like a tree planted by streams of water,
        which yields its fruit in season
    and whose leaf does not wither—
        whatever they do prospers.

    4 Not so the wicked!
        They are like chaff
        that the wind blows away.
    5 Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment,
        nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous.

    6 For the Lord watches over the way of the righteous,
        but the way of the wicked leads to destruction.

    Practice

    Quick summary: The first method we’re sharing with you this week is to take three steps with every passage you study.

    1. Observation: “What does it say?” or ”What do I see?”
    2. Interpretation: “What does it mean?”
    3. Application: “How does it work?” or “What do I do?”

    What do you observe, interpret, and apply from Psalm 1?

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  • Malachi 4

    Malachi 4

    Read Malachi 4

    Judgment and Covenant Renewal

    4 “Surely the day is coming; it will burn like a furnace. All the arrogant and every evildoer will be stubble, and the day that is coming will set them on fire,” says the Lord Almighty. “Not a root or a branch will be left to them.2 But for you who revere my name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its rays. And you will go out and frolic like well-fed calves. 3 Then you will trample on the wicked; they will be ashes under the soles of your feet on the day when I act,” says the Lord Almighty.

    4 “Remember the law of my servant Moses, the decrees and laws I gave him at Horeb for all Israel.

    5 “See, I will send the prophet Elijah to you before that great and dreadful day of the Lord comes. 6 He will turn the hearts of the parents to their children, and the hearts of the children to their parents; or else I will come and strike the land with total destruction.”

    Go Deeper

    Malachi wraps up the Old Testament, and this chapter gives us God’s final words to His people before a period of 400 years of silence began. In the book of Malachi, we see God’s care for His people, God’s complaint against His people, and God’s future coming for His people. The book of Malachi begins with the Lord reminding the people of His love and faithfulness. Despite God’s unfailing love, Israel had over and over again had turned away from God and went their own way. This is the storyline of the Old Testament starting all the way back in the book of Genesis. God created man in His image and within a page of God creating man, man rebelled against Him. Man chose to sin and break a relationship with a good and holy God. Despite that, God promised that a rescuer would come to redeem and restore the broken world. 

    Malachi 4 begins telling us the result of the wicked and the result of the righteous. There will be a day where the wicked will not stand in God’s judgment. It says, “Surely the day is coming; it will burn like a furnace. All the arrogant and every evildoer will be stubble, and the day that is coming will set them on fire” (v. 1). In the coming day of the Lord, those who do not fear Him will have no hope. However, there is a promise for the righteous and those who do fear Him. Malachi says, “But for you who revere my name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its rays” (v. 2). This is considered by many scholars to be a prophecy of the coming Christ. Jesus’ death and resurrection will bring spiritual healing in the form of salvation and the means to be reconciled back to a holy God. This is the promise of redemption that we see woven throughout the Old Testament. God is coming for His people!

    In the concluding words of the Old Testament, the Lord calls them to “Remember the law of my servant Moses, the decrees and laws I gave him at Horeb for all Israel” (v. 4). This is not only a call to remember the Law but to obey it. This echoes the call throughout Scripture to remember the Word of God. We are to write God’s Word on our hearts, meditate on it day and night, and do everything it commands us to do. There would be 400 years of silence to come where they would not hear from the Lord. They were called to remember His faithfulness in the past as they await the coming Savior. Just as the people in the time of Malachi were looking forward to the hope of the future Messiah, we get to look back on the cross and look forward to His return. We can praise God today that despite our brokenness, He is faithful to heal, redeem, and restore His people back to Himself!

    Questions

    1. What prophecies in this chapter do you see fulfilled in the New Testament?
    2. What does it look like for you to remember the Word of God? Is there a verse you can memorize this week?
    3. Our God is a God of healing! What has the Lord healed you from?

    Keep Digging

    To learn more about the 400 year period of silence at the end of the Old Testament, click here to read this article from GotQuestions.org.

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  • Malachi 3

    Malachi 3

    Read Malachi 3

    3 “I will send my messenger, who will prepare the way before me. Then suddenly the Lord you are seeking will come to his temple; the messenger of the covenant, whom you desire, will come,” says the Lord Almighty.

    2 But who can endure the day of his coming? Who can stand when he appears? For he will be like a refiner’s fire or a launderer’s soap. 3 He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver; he will purify the Levites and refine them like gold and silver. Then the Lord will have men who will bring offerings in righteousness, 4 and the offerings of Judah and Jerusalem will be acceptable to the Lord, as in days gone by, as in former years.

    5 “So I will come to put you on trial. I will be quick to testify against sorcerers, adulterers and perjurers, against those who defraud laborers of their wages, who oppress the widows and the fatherless, and deprive the foreigners among you of justice, but do not fear me,” says the Lord Almighty.

    Breaking Covenant by Withholding Tithes

    6 “I the Lord do not change. So you, the descendants of Jacob, are not destroyed. 7 Ever since the time of your ancestors you have turned awayfrom my decrees and have not kept them. Return to me, and I will return to you,” says the Lord Almighty.

    “But you ask, ‘How are we to return?’

    8 “Will a mere mortal rob God? Yet you rob me.

    “But you ask, ‘How are we robbing you?’

    “In tithes and offerings. 9 You are under a curse—your whole nation—because you are robbing me. 10 Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse,that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,” says the Lord Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it. 11 I will prevent pests from devouring your crops, and the vines in your fields will not drop their fruit before it is ripe,” says the Lord Almighty. 12 “Then all the nations will call you blessed, for yours will be a delightful land,” says the Lord Almighty.

    Israel Speaks Arrogantly Against God

    13 “You have spoken arrogantly against me,” says the Lord.

    “Yet you ask, ‘What have we said against you?’

    14 “You have said, ‘It is futile to serve God. What do we gain by carrying out his requirements and going about like mourners before the Lord Almighty? 15 But now we call the arrogant blessed. Certainly evildoers prosper, and even when they put God to the test, they get away with it.’”

    The Faithful Remnant

    16 Then those who feared the Lord talked with each other, and the Lord listened and heard. A scroll of remembrance was written in his presence concerning those who feared the Lord and honored his name.

    17 “On the day when I act,” says the Lord Almighty, “they will be mytreasured possession. I will spare them, just as a father has compassion and spares his son who serves him. 18 And you will again see the distinction between the righteous and the wicked, between those who serve God and those who do not.

    Go Deeper

    Malachi 3 is full of applicable lessons for us to learn. First, verses 1-6 are prophecies of the two coming “messengers.” Even with Malachi’s name meaning “my messenger,” these verses refer to the prophecies of both John the Baptist and the messenger of the covenant, Jesus Christ. In the first verse, the first messenger is described as “clearing the way”, which points to John the Baptist making the way for Jesus. He spoke with authority to the Jewish people and leaders of that day and prepared them for who was to come. 

    The beauty in these prophetic books is the hope it gives to those who hear and believe what these prophets said hundreds of years before Christ. God’s people always had a choice in their response to these prophets, and the same is true for us today. Malachi 3:2-6 describes Christ’s purity and holiness that are offered to us as believers. Verse 6 exclaims God’s faithfulness to His people, reminding us God’s love for us never changes. He is always there. As we allow Him, God will manifest His divine nature within us, and this gives us wholeness, joy, and hope now and forever.

    In verses 7-15 God spoke three things to His people. First, “return to me.” Second, “you rob me.” Third, “You have spoken against Me.” As we read in the first part of this chapter, God desired their hearts first above all else and their commitment would show in their lives and their temple practices. God convicted the Israelites of their prosperity and personal well-being superseding the laws of God. They were arrogant and self-centered, losing their awe of God and His law. Further, they were failing in their financial support of the temple. Thirdly, they were not trusting God in their current trials and oppression. 

    There is so much in this for us today. We must sincerely and honestly ask these same questions of ourselves and our families. God, are you first in my life above all else? Am I “robbing” You, God, in any way? Am I speaking against you? The best test of this is to look at our calendars to see how we are spending our time, and further, look at our check books on how we are using our God given resources. Finally, are we grumbling rather than doing our part and then trusting in His provision for us?  The conviction of God is good and kind because He offers forgiveness and the way to return. No matter the problem, He will open His arms to us as we repent and return. In Verse 7, God lovingly says, “return to Me and I will return to you.”  

    Finally, verses 16-17 show the heart of God for those who love and serve Him. His covenant promise to us is His faithfulness. The Lord listened and heard the cries and hearts of those who responded to the message of Malachi, and our Lord will listen, hear, and respond to our same cries. When Christ returns, we will see the difference between the children of God and those who have turned away. The offerings we bring include our money, our time, and our hearts. May we consider the promises of Malachi 3:10 and trust every word God says.

    Questions

    1. How did John the Baptist describe himself in relation to the coming Messiah? 
    2. Do any of the questions God asked the Israelites apply in your life? Answer honestly and God is there to offer his grace, love, and forgiveness, and direction.
    3. What hope and promises do you hear in Malachi 3:10?

    A Quote

    Matthew Henry’s commentary on Malachi 3 says, “The saints are God’s jewels; they are dear to him. He will preserve them as his jewels. In the end, all the world will confess that those were wise and happy, who served the Lord and trusted in Him.”

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  • Malachi 2

    Malachi 2

    Read Malachi 2

    Additional Warning to the Priests

    2 “And now, you priests, this warning is for you. 2 If you do not listen, and if you do not resolve to honor my name,” says the Lord Almighty, “I will send a curse on you, and I will curse your blessings. Yes, I have already cursed them, because you have not resolved to honor me.

    3 “Because of you I will rebuke your descendants; I will smear on your faces the dung from your festival sacrifices, and you will be carried off with it.4 And you will know that I have sent you this warning so that my covenant with Levi may continue,” says the Lord Almighty. 5 “My covenant was with him, a covenant of life and peace, and I gave them to him; this called for reverence and he revered me and stood in awe of my name. 6 True instruction was in his mouth and nothing false was found on his lips. He walked with me in peace and uprightness, and turned many from sin.

    7 “For the lips of a priest ought to preserve knowledge, because he is the messenger of the Lord Almighty and people seek instruction from his mouth. 8 But you have turned from the way and by your teaching have caused many to stumble; you have violated the covenant with Levi,” says the Lord Almighty. 9 “So I have caused you to be despised and humiliatedbefore all the people, because you have not followed my ways but have shown partiality in matters of the law.”

    Breaking Covenant Through Divorce

    10 Do we not all have one Father? Did not one God create us? Why do we profane the covenant of our ancestors by being unfaithful to one another?

    11 Judah has been unfaithful. A detestable thing has been committed in Israel and in Jerusalem: Judah has desecrated the sanctuary the Lord lovesby marrying women who worship a foreign god. 12 As for the man who does this, whoever he may be, may the Lord remove him from the tents of Jacob—even though he brings an offering to the Lord Almighty.

    13 Another thing you do: You flood the Lord’s altar with tears. You weep and wail because he no longer looks with favor on your offerings or accepts them with pleasure from your hands. 14 You ask, “Why?” It is because the Lord is the witness between you and the wife of your youth. You have been unfaithful to her, though she is your partner, the wife of your marriage covenant.

    15 Has not the one God made you? You belong to him in body and spirit. And what does the one God seek? Godly offspring. So be on your guard, and do not be unfaithful to the wife of your youth.

    16 “The man who hates and divorces his wife,” says the Lord, the God of Israel, “does violence to the one he should protect,” says the Lord Almighty.

    So be on your guard, and do not be unfaithful.

    Breaking Covenant Through Injustice

    17 You have wearied the Lord with your words.

    “How have we wearied him?” you ask.

    By saying, “All who do evil are good in the eyes of the Lord, and he is pleased with them” or “Where is the God of justice?”

    Go Deeper

    If you picked up on hints of God’s frustrations reading Malachi 1, in this chapter it is explicitly clear and inescapable. In short, God is frustrated with Israel’s priests and how lightly they are taking the covenants. The Merriam-Webster definition of a covenant is “a usually formal, solemn, and binding agreement.” All throughout the Old Testament we see examples of God establishing covenants with His people and when they fall short of their end of the bargain (which happens often), it breaks God’s heart. 

    In this chapter, the priests have fallen short of their covenant with God and the covenant of marriage (which is made between a man and woman before God) is being taken too lightly. The priests had stopped living up to their end of God’s expectations (v. 2). David Guzik of the Enduring Word commentary outlines the four characteristics God was looking for the in the priests, all based on the way Levi lived (v. 5-7):

    • Reverence
    • Knowing God’s word
    • Godly character
    • Preserving and promoting God’s word: God’s servant

    As they fell short of that standard, they caused others to stumble as well (v. 8-9). This passage serves as a reminder to anyone leading in any ministry context that your words, actions, and the living out of your faith can impact others, so it’s vital to live authentically and devoted to Jesus (James 3:1). 

    Finally, this chapter ends with a reminder of the importance of the covenant of marriage. God doesn’t like divorce. Unfaithfulness is dishonoring to God, so any time you look outside the of marriage for fulfillment in marriage (physically, emotionally, etc.), you’re dishonoring the covenant of marriage and the heart of God. For those reading that are (or will someday be) married, let’s be reminded today that a marriage that points others to Jesus is a great apologetic to the world around us.

    Questions

    1. What stuck out to you the first time you read through this chapter? Why?
    2. Why was God so hard on the priests? Why was it so important to Him that they lead well?
    3. What is a takeaway from this passage regarding marriage for you?

    By the Way

    This passage is reminiscent of Amos 5:21-24 where God (through His prophet Amos) says this:

    ​​21 “I hate, I despise your religious festivals;
    your assemblies are a stench to me.
    22 Even though you bring me burnt offerings and grain offerings,
    I will not accept them.
    Though you bring choice fellowship offerings,
    I will have no regard for them.
    23 Away with the noise of your songs!
    I will not listen to the music of your harps.
    24 But let justice roll on like a river,
     righteousness like a never-failing stream!

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  • Malachi 1 + Introduction

    Malachi 1 + Introduction

    Malachi Introduction

    Malachi was a prophet, alive at the same time as Nehemiah. We don’t have a ton of the biographical information we often get about prophets (who his father was, etc.). Instead, Malachi jumps right in with the message that God has given him. At this point in time, morale was low amongst the Israelites. They were starting to question if God even loved them! God, through Malachi, wanted them to know that He did and that there were things in their hearts and lives that needed to change. 

    So, what’s the main idea of the book of Malachi? Pastor and scholar Chuck Swindoll describes it this way:

    “The people focused on their unfortunate circumstances and refused to account for their own sinful deeds. So God pointed the finger back at them, and through Malachi, God told the people where they had fallen short of their covenant with Him. If they hoped to see changes, they needed to take responsibility for their own actions and serve God faithfully according to the promise their fathers had made to God on Mount Sinai all those years before.”

    Following the book of Malachi, there was a period of silence for a few hundred years. The Israelites waited and waited, wondering when God would speak again. When the time was just right, God spoke again in a different way: by sending His son. 

    As we read the book of Malachi, take notes of what sticks out to you! Underline and highlight the words and themes that are repeated. Ask God each day to show you what He wants you to take away from this passage and ask that it would transform your heart as you follow after Jesus.

    Read Malachi 1

    1 A prophecy: The word of the Lord to Israel through Malachi.

    Israel Doubts God’s Love

    2 “I have loved you,” says the Lord.

    “But you ask, ‘How have you loved us?’

    “Was not Esau Jacob’s brother?” declares the Lord. “Yet I have loved Jacob,3 but Esau I have hated, and I have turned his hill country into a wastelandand left his inheritance to the desert jackals.”

    4 Edom may say, “Though we have been crushed, we will rebuild the ruins.”

    But this is what the Lord Almighty says: “They may build, but I will demolish.They will be called the Wicked Land, a people always under the wrath of the Lord. 5 You will see it with your own eyes and say, ‘Great is the Lord—even beyond the borders of Israel!’

    Breaking Covenant Through Blemished Sacrifices

    6 “A son honors his father, and a slave his master. If I am a father, where is the honor due me? If I am a master, where is the respect due me?” says the Lord Almighty.

    “It is you priests who show contempt for my name.

    “But you ask, ‘How have we shown contempt for your name?’

    7 “By offering defiled food on my altar.

    “But you ask, ‘How have we defiled you?’

    “By saying that the Lord’s table is contemptible. 8 When you offer blind animals for sacrifice, is that not wrong? When you sacrifice lame or diseased animals, is that not wrong? Try offering them to your governor! Would he be pleased with you? Would he accept you?” says the Lord Almighty.

    9 “Now plead with God to be gracious to us. With such offerings from your hands, will he accept you?”—says the Lord Almighty.

    10 “Oh, that one of you would shut the temple doors, so that you would not light useless fires on my altar! I am not pleased with you,” says the Lord Almighty, “and I will accept no offering from your hands. 11 My name will be great among the nations, from where the sun rises to where it sets. In every place incense and pure offerings will be brought to me, because my name will be great among the nations,” says the Lord Almighty.

    12 “But you profane it by saying, ‘The Lord’s table is defiled,’ and, ‘Its food is contemptible.’ 13 And you say, ‘What a burden!’ and you sniff at it contemptuously,” says the Lord Almighty.

    “When you bring injured, lame or diseased animals and offer them as sacrifices, should I accept them from your hands?” says the Lord.14 “Cursed is the cheat who has an acceptable male in his flock and vows to give it, but then sacrifices a blemished animal to the Lord. For I am a great king,” says the Lord Almighty, “and my name is to be feared among the nations.

     

    Go Deeper

    As we read through the opening chapter of Malachi, it is easy to pick up on the tone of God’s message he’s delivering through His prophet. This message, delivered to the former exiles about a hundred years after they returned, followed the messages of Zechariah and Haggai. Malachi, likely alive at the same time as Nehemiah, was there to deliver both a message of correction, but also to remind them of God’s love. 

    This passage begins with an opening reminder that God loves (and has loved) Israel all along, dating back to the days of Jacob and Esau (v. 2-5). The story that plays out time and time again throughout the Old Testament is God’s love for Israel, despite His people wandering and returning to their own wants and desires. Knowing the meta-narrative of the Old Testament helps us see just how loving God really is after He had given Israel chance after chance after chance to follow Him. Israel, however, had a hard time seeing it. 

    Throughout the rest of this chapter we read of God’s frustrations with how careless and thoughtless worship had become, including amongst the priests themselves (v. 6-14). What’s interesting is that the priests weren’t even aware of it themselves (v. 6) and God had to point out to them that they were sacrificing defiled animals to him, which went against the Levitical law (Leviticus 22:20-23). The priests (and Israel) had drifted into this place of going through the motions and thoughtlessly worshiping the God they claimed to follow. 

    God even goes as far as to say that it would be better to shut the temple doors than to keep doing what they had been doing! As we read this today, it’s an excellent reminder for us to not just show up and go through the motions of the Christian life. We can attend worship on Sunday mornings, meet with our Life Groups, and read the Bible each morning, but if we miss the heart of God in the process then we have missed the mark, just like Malachi’s intended audience. Let’s remember today that God wants our hearts and for us to offer our lives as a living sacrifice to Him (Romans 12:1). 

    Questions

    1. What stuck out to you most as you read this chapter? Why?
    2. Can you think of a time recently that you’ve gone through the motions? Maybe you drifted there over time. How did you get there?
    3. How can you best prepare your heart for worship each and every time you gather with the body of believers?

    Watch This

    For a comprehensive overview of the book of Malachi, check out this video from The Bible Project!

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  • Haggai 2

    Haggai 2

    Read Haggai 2

    2 1 on the twenty-first day of the seventh month, the word of the Lordcame through the prophet Haggai: 2 “Speak to Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, to Joshua son of Jozadak, the high priest, and to the remnant of the people. Ask them, 3 ‘Who of you is left who saw this house in its former glory? How does it look to you now? Does it not seem to you like nothing? 4 But now be strong, Zerubbabel,’ declares the Lord. ‘Be strong,Joshua son of Jozadak, the high priest. Be strong, all you people of the land,’ declares the Lord, ‘and work. For I am with you,’ declares the Lord Almighty.5 ‘This is what I covenanted with you when you came out of Egypt. And my Spirit remains among you. Do not fear.’

    6 “This is what the Lord Almighty says: ‘In a little while I will once more shake the heavens and the earth, the sea and the dry land. 7 I will shake all nations, and what is desired by all nations will come, and I will fill this housewith glory,’ says the Lord Almighty. 8 ‘The silver is mine and the gold is mine,’ declares the Lord Almighty. 9 ‘The glory of this present house will be greater than the glory of the former house,’ says the Lord Almighty. ‘And in this place I will grant peace,’ declares the Lord Almighty.”

    Blessings for a Defiled People

    10 On the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month, in the second year of Darius, the word of the Lord came to the prophet Haggai: 11 “This is what the Lord Almighty says: ‘Ask the priests what the law says: 12 If someone carries consecrated meat in the fold of their garment, and that fold touches some bread or stew, some wine, olive oil or other food, does it become consecrated?’”

    The priests answered, “No.”

    13 Then Haggai said, “If a person defiled by contact with a dead body touches one of these things, does it become defiled?”

    “Yes,” the priests replied, “it becomes defiled.”

    14 Then Haggai said, “‘So it is with this people and this nation in my sight,’ declares the Lord. ‘Whatever they do and whatever they offer there is defiled.

    15 “‘Now give careful thought to this from this day on—consider how things were before one stone was laid on another in the Lord’s temple. 16 When anyone came to a heap of twenty measures, there were only ten. When anyone went to a wine vat to draw fifty measures, there were only twenty. 17 I struck all the work of your hands with blight, mildew and hail, yet you did not return to me,’ declares the Lord. 18 ‘From this day on, from this twenty-fourth day of the ninth month, give careful thought to the day when the foundation of the Lord’s temple was laid. Give careful thought: 19 Is there yet any seed left in the barn? Until now, the vine and the fig tree, the pomegranate and the olive tree have not borne fruit.

    “‘From this day on I will bless you.’”

    Zerubbabel the Lord’s Signet Ring

    20 The word of the Lord came to Haggai a second time on the twenty-fourth day of the month: 21 “Tell Zerubbabel governor of Judah that I am going to shake the heavens and the earth. 22 I will overturn royal thrones and shatter the power of the foreign kingdoms. I will overthrow chariots and their drivers; horses and their riders will fall, each by the sword of his brother.

    23 “‘On that day,’ declares the Lord Almighty, ‘I will take you, my servant Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel,’ declares the Lord, ‘and I will make you like my signet ring, for I have chosen you,’ declares the Lord Almighty.”

    Go Deeper

    We saw in the previous chapter a message to the people to consider their ways. The Lord had called them to be faithful to complete the building of the Temple, but they had moved God’s command to the bottom of their to-do list. Instead, they had prioritized their own agenda and decided to make for themselves luxurious paneled houses while the Lord’s house was in ruins. They had been blinded by their own comfort, preferences, and sinful desires. However, the people heard this message through the prophet Haggai and responded. This rebuke produced revival. They obeyed the Lord, feared Him, and got to work! Haggai 1 ended by telling us that the Lord stirred up the spirit of the people, and they began work on the house of the Lord (1:14).  

    In Haggai 2, we see an encouragement and a blessing. Through the prophet Haggai, God told the people, “Be strong, all you people of the land,’ declares the Lord, ‘and work. For I am with you” (v. 4). The Lord repeats the phrase “be strong” multiple times. This task of building the temple was a mighty one and the people were feeling discouraged. This temple was less glorious than the previous, however it was just a preview of what was to come. There’s a reminder here for them to be strong, knowing that they couldn’t do what the Lord was calling them to do on their own strength. The hardships they are going through would be worth it. The Lord continues saying, “This is what I covenanted with you when you came out of Egypt. And my Spirit remains among you. Do not fear” (v. 5). God repeats a promise He made back in Exodus that His presence will be with them always. 

     There are many promises that the Lord makes to His people in this chapter. In verses 6-9, God explains why the temple is worth rebuilding. God tells the people, “I will shake all nations, and what is desired by all nations will come, and I will fill this house with glory” (v. 7). This is a key verse in the prophecy. Scholars have differing views on what the “desire of all nations” means, but most would attribute this to the return of Christ. He is the desire of the nations, whether they know it or not. God has set eternity in the hearts of man and there is a universal longing for hope and restoration, that is only found in Christ. We are commissioned with the great task of sharing the hope of salvation to all peoples of the earth. 

    The Lord encourages them that the “glory of this present house will be greater than the glory of the former house” (v. 9). This house is the temple of God. When Jesus returns, He will fulfill what this prophecy is referring to. The greater glory will come when every nation, tribe, people, and tongue will join Israel in the worship of the Lord. The best is yet to come for the people of God, and the best is yet to come for us. We have a hope that is like an anchor, firm and secure (Hebrews 6:19). We are heirs to a kingdom that cannot be shaken (Hebrews 12:28). We can be strong today in what the Lord has called us to do, because we know how the story ends. Jesus Christ, the desire of the nations, will one day return and reign forever. 

    Questions

    1. What is the Lord calling you to reprioritize in your own life? Is there an area in your life where you are placing your own comfort over obedience to the Lord? 
    2. What is something you are trying to do on your own strength? What does it look like to rely on the strength of the Lord? 
    3. God’s desire is that all nations would know and worship Him. He has commissioned us to be His witnesses to all the ends of the earth. What does it look like for you to be a part of making the gospel known amongst all peoples? 

    Keep Digging

    To learn more about the phrase “the desired of all nations” mentioned in verse 7, check out this article from GotQuestions.org! 

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  • Haggai 1 + Introduction

    Haggai 1 + Introduction

    Haggai Introduction

    The book of Haggai is focused on evaluating the priorities of the people. The Jews had finally returned from many years in exile and Jerusalem was in ruins. Haggai had a message and a mission for the people. The message was that they needed to think carefully about their ways. They had forgotten about God and decided to go their own way. The mission was to rebuild the Temple. The priorities of the people were twisted, and they became blinded by their own projects and possessions instead being obedient to what the Lord called them to do. They were living in paneled houses while the Lord’s house was in ruins. 

    God’s Temple served as a visible sign of their obedience to Him and their decision to put Him first. The outline of the book is the challenge to the people and the response to the challenge. Haggai reminded them of their need to be faithful to complete the building of the Temple. The people actually listened! They began working on the Temple once again. Haggai called the exiled generation to covenant faithfulness as they looked to the promise of the future coming of God’s Kingdom and the hope that the Messiah will come through the line of Zerubbabel. This book is a great reminder for us to consider our ways. Are we seeking to build God’s kingdom or seeking to build our own? What is the Lord calling us to reprioritize in our lives? Consider these questions and more as we journey through Haggai together! 

    If you’re interested in watching The Bible Project’s overview of Haggai, click here!

    Read Haggai 1

    A Call to Build the House of the Lord

    1 In the second year of King Darius, on the first day of the sixth month, the word of the Lord came through the prophet Haggai to Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua son of Jozadak, the high priest:

    2 This is what the Lord Almighty says: “These people say, ‘The time has not yet come to rebuild the Lord’s house.’”

    3 Then the word of the Lord came through the prophet Haggai: 4 “Is it a time for you yourselves to be living in your paneled houses, while this house remains a ruin?”

    5 Now this is what the Lord Almighty says: “Give careful thought to your ways. 6 You have planted much, but harvested little. You eat, but never have enough. You drink, but never have your fill. You put on clothes, but are not warm. You earn wages, only to put them in a purse with holes in it.”

    7 This is what the Lord Almighty says: “Give careful thought to your ways.8 Go up into the mountains and bring down timber and build my house, so that I may take pleasure in it and be honored,” says the Lord. 9 “You expected much, but see, it turned out to be little. What you brought home, I blew away. Why?” declares the Lord Almighty. “Because of my house, which remains a ruin, while each of you is busy with your own house. 10 Therefore, because of you the heavens have withheld their dew and the earth its crops.11 I called for a drought on the fields and the mountains, on the grain, the new wine, the olive oil and everything else the ground produces, on people and livestock, and on all the labor of your hands.”

    12 Then Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, Joshua son of Jozadak, the high priest, and the whole remnant of the people obeyed the voice of the Lord their God and the message of the prophet Haggai, because the Lord their God had sent him. And the people feared the Lord.

    13 Then Haggai, the Lord’s messenger, gave this message of the Lord to the people: “I am with you,” declares the Lord. 14 So the Lord stirred up the spirit of Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and the spirit of Joshua son of Jozadak, the high priest, and the spirit of the whole remnantof the people. They came and began to work on the house of the LordAlmighty, their God, 15 on the twenty-fourth day of the sixth month.

    The Promised Glory of the New House

    In the second year of King Darius,

    Go Deeper

    The book of Haggai was written around 520 B.C. At that time, Jerusalem had been taken over by the Babylonians and has laid in ruins since 587 B.C., making the Israelites exiles of Babylon for almost 70 years. However, the prophets of the Old Testament have been giving messages of hope, promising a New Jerusalem where a remnant of Israelites would reside in reconciliation with God. In 520 BC, Persia took over Babylon and allowed the Israelites to return to Jerusalem and begin rebuilding. So, the Israelites are thinking that the prophesied New Jerusalem and remnant of God’s people is ready to be rebuilt. Haggai, hearing from the Lord, has other thoughts. Which is where we begin in Haggai 1. 

    As we read, we see that the first order of business after being freed is restoring the luxuries the Israelites previously had. They focus on harvesting olive oil and paneling their new homes, with their new clothes and wages that they haven’t had in years. Everything seems great, except God hasn’t been a part of any of it. They’ve neglected to rebuild His temple and give thanks for being delivered from exile. While we aren’t in a situation where we’re being delivered from exile, our actions can often line up with the Israelites today. How easy it can be to focus on working overtime or enjoying our material lives instead of honoring God with our time. 

    The book of Ecclesiastes explores this same issue. King Solomon, one of the richest people to ever walk the earth, talks of all the things he tries to do to make himself happy, but how it’s meaningless without God. Ecclesiastes 2:11-12 says “I denied myself nothing my eyes desired; I refused my heart no pleasure. My heart took delight in all my labor, and this was the reward for all my toil. Yet when I surveyed all that my hands had done and what I had toiled to achieve, everything was meaningless, a chasing after the wind; nothing was gained under the sun.” We have the ability to take pleasure in this world and the things in it, but the only lasting joy will be joy found in honoring God! 

    Questions

    1. What stuck out most to you about the passage? Why? 
    2. In what ways are you prioritizing your own enjoyment over God’s? 
    3. How can you honor God with your day today?

    Pray This

    Father God,

    Thank you for speaking to me through your word and for the life you have blessed me with. Help me to remember all good things come from you and that my joy can only be found in you. Show me ways I can honor you at work, at home and everywhere I go. In Jesus’s name, Amen. 

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  • Joel 3

    Joel 3

    Read Joel 3

    The Nations Judged

    3 “In those days and at that time,
        when I restore the fortunes of Judah and Jerusalem,
    2 I will gather all nations
        and bring them down to the Valley of Jehoshaphat.
    There I will put them on trial
        for what they did to my inheritance, my people Israel,
    because they scattered my people among the nations
        and divided up my land.
    3 They cast lots for my people
        and traded boys for prostitutes;
        they sold girls for wine to drink.

    4 “Now what have you against me, Tyre and Sidon and all you regions of Philistia? Are you repaying me for something I have done? If you are paying me back, I will swiftly and speedily return on your own heads what you have done. 5 For you took my silver and my gold and carried off my finest treasures to your temples. 6 You sold the people of Judah and Jerusalem to the Greeks, that you might send them far from their homeland.

    7 “See, I am going to rouse them out of the places to which you sold them,and I will return on your own heads what you have done. 8 I will sell your sons and daughters to the people of Judah, and they will sell them to the Sabeans, a nation far away.” The Lord has spoken.

    9 Proclaim this among the nations:
        Prepare for war!
    Rouse the warriors!
        Let all the fighting men draw near and attack.
    10 Beat your plowshares into swords
        and your pruning hooks into spears.
    Let the weakling say,
        “I am strong!”
    11 Come quickly, all you nations from every side,
        and assemble there.

    Bring down your warriors, Lord!

    12 “Let the nations be roused;
        let them advance into the Valley of Jehoshaphat,
    for there I will sit
        to judge all the nations on every side.
    13 Swing the sickle,
        for the harvest is ripe.
    Come, trample the grapes,
        for the winepress is full
        and the vats overflow—
    so great is their wickedness!”

    14 Multitudes, multitudes
        in the valley of decision!
    For the day of the Lord is near
        in the valley of decision.
    15 The sun and moon will be darkened,
        and the stars no longer shine.
    16 The Lord will roar from Zion
        and thunder from Jerusalem;
        the earth and the heavens will tremble.
    But the Lord will be a refuge for his people,
        a stronghold for the people of Israel.

    Blessings for God’s People

    17 “Then you will know that I, the Lord your God,
        dwell in Zion, my holy hill.
    Jerusalem will be holy;
        never again will foreigners invade her.

    18 “In that day the mountains will drip new wine,
        and the hills will flow with milk;
        all the ravines of Judah will run with water.
    A fountain will flow out of the Lord’s house
        and will water the valley of acacias.
    19 But Egypt will be desolate,
        Edom a desert waste,
    because of violence done to the people of Judah,
        in whose land they shed innocent blood.
    20 Judah will be inhabited forever
        and Jerusalem through all generations.
    21 Shall I leave their innocent blood unavenged?
        No, I will not.”

    The Lord dwells in Zion!

    Go Deeper

    Each chapter in the amazing book of Joel has references to “the Day of the Lord.” Charlies Ryrie, a well-known Bible scholar and teacher, defines this day as God’s special intervention in the affairs of human history. God had three ways He intervened in the Old Testament:

    • God’s obvious intervention in the affairs of Israel and its effects on their enemies
    • Partial fulfillment of prophecies
    • Full prophecies of the second coming of Christ and the promises to believers in that time

    The stories of Abraham, Moses, and Joseph are full of interventions of God’s grace and mercy to His chosen people. For example, providing the promised son Isaac to Abraham and Sarah in their 90s. Moses led Israel out of Egyptian captivity with God holding back the Red Sea and then destroying the powerful Egyptian army with that same sea. Joseph survived his own brother’s betrayal to become second in command in Egypt with God’s purpose to save His people. 

    Through these stories and others, we must think about our own stories of God’s intervention in our lives to redeem us, move us, fill us, grow us, and glorify Himself to an unbelieving world. We serve a living God who is with us every moment. Joel’s name means “Yahweh is God” which puts the emphasis upon us, through Joel, that we serve the King of Kings who loves, redeems, and restores us today as well as into eternity. What a mighty God we serve!

    This chapter also details this prophetic “Day of the Lord” referring to the second coming of Christ. The first 17 verses are during His return and describe the gathering and restoration of Israel, and the avenging judgment of all the nations that have persecuted them. In Joel 3:2,12, and 24, the gathering is prophesied to take place in the valley of Jehoshaphat which is located 11 miles east of Jerusalem.  When something is mentioned three times in the same chapter, it must be important. Jehoshaphat in Hebrew means, “God has judged.” 

    All prophecy in scripture shows the coming tribulation period to be one of suffering, hardship, and trials unlike ever in human history. Our God is a loving merciful God, but He will also right the suffering of Israel, humanity, and all those who are His. We must respond to His love and mercy with a desire to live His ways in loving service to Him and all people along our path. When we rightly understand the Gospel, we are then free to live and breathe in the freedom of forgiveness from eternal judgment described here because of Jesus. God will reign in the New Jerusalem and we, as believers, will be with Him forever. 

    Let’s bring many people with us by being the hands and feet of Jesus proclaiming His love and mercy and grace everywhere we go. Our promise in Joel 3:16, for us as His children, is joyous and clear: “And the Lord roars from Zion and utters His voice from Jerusalem, and the heavens and the earth tremble. But the Lord is a refuge for His people and a stronghold to the sons of Israel.” May He be your refuge and stronghold today and forever.

    Questions

    1. Describe a time when God intervened in your life and how it has made a difference for you. Tell your Life Group or a friend about this significant part of your story.
    2. Why do you think God intervenes in history in the ways you have read?
    3. Discuss your thoughts with your Life Group about the “Day of the Lord” mentioned above and what it will look like?

    A Quote

    Matthew Henry, a well-known Bible commentary writer says, “Most of the prophets foretell the same final victory of the church of God over all that oppose it. To the wicked it will be a terrible day, but to the righteous it will be a joyful day. What cause have those who possess an interest in Christ, to glory in their Strength and Redeemer!”

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  • Joel 2

    Joel 2

    Read Joel 2

    An Army of Locusts

    2 Blow the trumpet in Zion;
        sound the alarm on my holy hill.

    Let all who live in the land tremble,
        for the day of the Lord is coming.
    It is close at hand—
    2     a day of darkness and gloom,
        a day of clouds and blackness.
    Like dawn spreading across the mountains
        a large and mighty army comes,
    such as never was in ancient times
        nor ever will be in ages to come.

    3 Before them fire devours,
        behind them a flame blazes.
    Before them the land is like the garden of Eden,
        behind them, a desert waste—
        nothing escapes them.
    4 They have the appearance of horses;
        they gallop along like cavalry.
    5 With a noise like that of chariots
        they leap over the mountaintops,
    like a crackling fire consuming stubble,
        like a mighty army drawn up for battle.

    6 At the sight of them, nations are in anguish;
        every face turns pale.
    7 They charge like warriors;
        they scale walls like soldiers.
    They all march in line,
        not swerving from their course.
    8 They do not jostle each other;
        each marches straight ahead.
    They plunge through defenses
        without breaking ranks.
    9 They rush upon the city;
        they run along the wall.
    They climb into the houses;
        like thieves they enter through the windows.

    10 Before them the earth shakes,
        the heavens tremble,
    the sun and moon are darkened,
        and the stars no longer shine.
    11 The Lord thunders
        at the head of his army;
    his forces are beyond number,
        and mighty is the army that obeys his command.
    The day of the Lord is great;
        it is dreadful.
        Who can endure it?

    Rend Your Heart

    12 “Even now,” declares the Lord,
        “return to me with all your heart,
        with fasting and weeping and mourning.”

    13 Rend your heart
        and not your garments.
    Return to the Lord your God,
        for he is gracious and compassionate,
    slow to anger and abounding in love,
        and he relents from sending calamity.
    14 Who knows? He may turn and relent
        and leave behind a blessing—
    grain offerings and drink offerings
        for the Lord your God.

    15 Blow the trumpet in Zion,
        declare a holy fast,
        call a sacred assembly.
    16 Gather the people,
        consecrate the assembly;
    bring together the elders,
        gather the children,
        those nursing at the breast.
    Let the bridegroom leave his room
        and the bride her chamber.
    17 Let the priests, who minister before the Lord,
        weep between the portico and the altar.
    Let them say, “Spare your people, Lord.
        Do not make your inheritance an object of scorn,
        a byword among the nations.
    Why should they say among the peoples,
        ‘Where is their God?’”

    The Lord’s Answer

    18 Then the Lord was jealous for his land
        and took pity on his people.

    19 The Lord replied to them:

    “I am sending you grain, new wine and olive oil,
        enough to satisfy you fully;
    never again will I make you
        an object of scorn to the nations.

    20 “I will drive the northern horde far from you,
        pushing it into a parched and barren land;
    its eastern ranks will drown in the Dead Sea
        and its western ranks in the Mediterranean Sea.
    And its stench will go up;
        its smell will rise.”

    Surely he has done great things!
    21     Do not be afraid, land of Judah;
        be glad and rejoice.
    Surely the Lord has done great things!
    22     Do not be afraid, you wild animals,
        for the pastures in the wilderness are becoming green.
    The trees are bearing their fruit;
        the fig tree and the vine yield their riches.
    23 Be glad, people of Zion,
        rejoice in the Lord your God,
    for he has given you the autumn rains
        because he is faithful.
    He sends you abundant showers,
        both autumn and spring rains, as before.
    24 The threshing floors will be filled with grain;
        the vats will overflow with new wine and oil.

    25 “I will repay you for the years the locusts have eaten—
        the great locust and the young locust,
        the other locusts and the locust swarm—
    my great army that I sent among you.
    26 You will have plenty to eat, until you are full,
        and you will praise the name of the Lord your God,
        who has worked wonders for you;
    never again will my people be shamed.
    27 Then you will know that I am in Israel,
        that I am the Lord your God,
        and that there is no other;
    never again will my people be shamed.

    The Day of the Lord

    28 “And afterward,
        I will pour out my Spirit on all people.
    Your sons and daughters will prophesy,
        your old men will dream dreams,
        your young men will see visions.
    29 Even on my servants, both men and women,
        I will pour out my Spirit in those days.
    30 I will show wonders in the heavens
        and on the earth,
        blood and fire and billows of smoke.
    31 The sun will be turned to darkness
        and the moon to blood
        before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord.
    32 And everyone who calls
        on the name of the Lord will be saved;
    for on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem
        there will be deliverance,
        as the Lord has said,
    even among the survivors
        whom the Lord calls.

    Go Deeper

    We read in the previous chapter about the locust invasion as a warning to Judah to repent quickly. Joel symbolically describes locusts as a human army. They destroyed every plant, tree, vine, and fruit, to the point where the land was desolate. The imagery here is sobering. This was just a shadow of what was to come on the day of the Lord. Joel called the people to humble themselves, fast, and seek God’s forgiveness. This chapter addresses the day of the Lord by means of a foreign army, which did happen when Israel was defeated by its enemies and taken into exile. The Lord declares, “Return to me with all your heart. There is still time. Do not eat any food. Weep and mourn. Don’t just tear your clothes to show how sad you are. Let your hearts be broken. Return to the Lord your God” (NIrV v. 12-13). There is a call to wake up and to take sin seriously. To not be casual about it, but to go to war with it. 

    During this time, it was a custom to tear your clothes as a response to a serious situation. We see this displayed in the book of Job. When Job lost everything, he tore his robe and fell to the ground. Verse 13 is telling the people to not only tear their clothes but to tear their hearts over their sin. To be broken hearted over their transgressions. Repentance is a change of direction. God is gracious and compassionate and promises that the repentant will be redeemed. This is really great news! Would we be a people who run from our sin and radically pursue holiness. God promises restoration for His people, both physically and spiritually. He says, “I will repay you for the years the locusts have eaten….my great army that I sent among you” (v. 25). God is going to restore all things, so that people may know that He is the Lord and there is no other. 

    After the physical restoration will come the spiritual restoration. God declares, “I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions” (v. 28). This promise brings hope! Joel was the first prophet to teach that the Holy Spirit was not just for certain individuals or Jews, but for all people who have trusted in Christ. This prophecy was fulfilled in Acts 2. After Jesus ascended into Heaven, the Holy Spirit came to Pentecost and people “began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them” (Acts 2:4). 

    People were confused as to what was happening, so Peter got up and quoted from the prophet Joel and explained what the Lord had promised. The same Spirit that came at Pentecost and rose Jesus from the dead dwells within us today. We are empowered when we depend on the Holy Spirit, knowing His power is so much greater than ours! Second Peter 1:3 tells us that, “His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life.” With the Holy Spirit in us, we can have great confidence in knowing that we are equipped to fight sin, stand firm against the schemes of the enemy, and pursue a life of holiness God calls us to.

    Questions

    1. What is a sin in your life that you have been casual about? What does it look like to be broken-hearted over your sin, and to run away from it to pursue holiness? 
    2. God calls His people to consecrate a fast in this chapter and in the previous one. Fasting is a reminder to us that we need God more than we need anything else. When was the last time you fasted? How can you integrate fasting more often as a spiritual discipline in your life? 
    3. This chapter is known for the promise of the Holy Spirit! How do you know when the Holy Spirit is guiding you? What does it look like for you to walk in step with the Spirit? (Galatians 5:16)

    Watch This

    To learn more about the Holy Spirit throughout the Bible, check out this video from The Bible Project! 

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