DAILY DEVOTIONALS: 12.2.23

 TheSecond Remnant “And it shall come to pass in that day, that the Lord shall set his hand again the second time to recoverthe remnant of his people, which shall be left, from Assyria, and from Egypt, and from Pathros, and from Cush, and from Elam, and from Shinar, and from Hamath, and from the islands of the sea.” (Isaiah11:11) The great prophet Isaiah lived during the time when the 10 tribes of Israel were being carried into captivity by the Assyrians, and about a hundred years before his own nation of Judah would be carried into exile by the Babylonians. Yet, in one of the mostremarkable prophecies of the Bible (Isaiah44:28–45:6), Isaiah promised that his people would someday return and build Jerusalem and its temple again. Furthermore, he even named the future emperor of Persia (the nation that would succeed Assyria and Babylonia as the dominant world power), callinghim Cyrus. This great king fulfilled Isaiah’s prophecy about 175 years after it was given (note Ezra 1:1-4). But Isaiah not only prophesied this first return from exile, as noted in the key verse above; he foresaw that, in the distant future, God would also “set his hand again the second time to recover the remnant of his people.” The context of this passage is nothingless than the glorious future time of Messiah’s reign over all the earth (Isaiah11:9-10). The outcasts of Israel and Judah would return home, not only from the nations of the Middle East, which will evidently be active enemies of Israel again in that future day (note that Pathros, Cush, Elam, Shinar, and Hamath were the ancient namesof the nations now identified as Upper Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Iraq, and Syria, respectively), but even from “the four corners of the earth” (Isaiah11:12). Isaiah thus predicted an even greater exile and worldwide homecoming long beyond that of the Babylonian captivity. Such information could have come only from God Himself. HMM --------------------- Lightin the Darkness “The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light: they that dwell in the land of the shadow ofdeath, upon them hath the light shined.” (Isaiah 9:2) This beautiful verse is treated in the New Testament as a Messianic prophecy, fulfilled when Christ came into the world—growing up in Nazareth and then dwelling in Capernaum, both cities being located in “Galilee of the Gentiles” (Matthew4:15). This was in the region once occupied by the 10 northern tribes and then devastated by the invading Assyrians when they carried the Northern Kingdom away into captivity. This region had for centuries thereafter remained in spiritual darkness, even after the return of Judah from captivity in Babylon. But then Christ came, and “from that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Matthew4:17). Thus, His public ministry actually began in this land of darkness. “And the light shineth in darkness...the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world” (John1:5, 9). Wherever Christ comes, the light comes, for He is light. He left heaven for Earth, saying: “I come to do thy will, O God” (Hebrews 10:9). This great purposeof God “is now made manifest by the appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ, who hath abolished death, and hath brought life and immortality to light through the gospel” (2Timothy 1:10). And yet, tragically, “this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should bereproved” (John 3:19-20). To those who desire light, Jesus says: “I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shallhave the light of life” (John 8:12). HMM ----------------------- Creepingin Unawares “For there are certain men crept in unawares...ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness,and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ.” (Jude 1:4) The special word chosen by the Holy Spirit is most helpful in understanding this warning. The Greek term translated “crept in unawares” is pareisduno, a uniquely compounded word meaning to “sink down in alongside.” What could be more descriptive? These kinds of sneaky people have been written about before, Jude says, and are prime examples of those who transpose the grace of God intouncontrolled lust. Paul uses a similar word in his letter to Timothy to warn him about the ungodly men of the last days who “creep into houses” and undermine the lifestyles of “silly women” (2Timothy 3:6-7). The imagery implies the subtlety and cleverness of these “ungodly men,” but there is a horrible consequence of this replacement of God’s grace with “lasciviousness.” Jude lists the terrible judgment on the people of Israel who refused to believe the good report of Joshua and Caleb when the 12 spies returned from the land of Canaan. God “destroyed” those who embraced the fearful and faithless report of the 10 (Numbers14). Even the angels who led the world of Noah into corruption (Genesis 6:1-4) were chained in “darkness” for their disobedience (2Peter 2:4). Sodom and Gomorrah, Cain, Balaam, and Korah (Core) are all given as examples by Jude of God’s stern judgment on those who knew better but chose to lead a rebellion against the righteous lifestyles or leadership of God’s people. God does not take lightly themisuse of His instructions. Even the “least” of the commandments are important (Matthew 5:19). After all, “thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name” (Psalm 138:2). HMM III --------------------- TheMeaning of "Day" “And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And the evening and the morning were thefirst day.” (Genesis1:5) Many people today, professing to believe the Bible, have compromised with the evolutionary philosophy that dominates our society by accepting its framework of geological ages. This system interprets the rocks and fossils in terms of a supposed 4.6-billion-yearhistory of the earth and life culminating in the evolution of early humans perhaps a million years ago. In order to justify this compromise, they usually say that the “days” of creation really correspond to the geological ages, arguing that the Hebrew wordfor “day” (yom) does not have to mean a literal solar day. Oh, yes, it does—at least in Genesis 1! God, knowing that the pagan philosophers of antiquity would soon try to distort His record of creation into long ages of pantheistic evolution (as in the Babylonian, Egyptian, Greek, and other such ancient cosmogonies), was careful to defineHis terms! “God called the light Day,” and that was the first day with its evening and morning. All subsequent days have followed the same pattern—a period of darkness (night), then a period of light (day). One may quibble about the exact length of the day if he insists (e.g., equatorial days versus polar days), but there is no way this definition can accommodate a geological age. This is the very first reference to “day” (or yom) in the Bible, and this is given as an actual statement of the meaning of the word. This ought to settle the question for anyone who really believes the Bible. One may decide to believe the evolutionary geologists if he wishes instead of God, but he should at least let God speak for Himself. God says the days of creation were literal days,not ages. “In six days the LORD made heaven and earth” (Exodus31:17). HMM -------------------- TheDayspring from on High “Through the tender mercy of our God; whereby the dayspring from on high hath visited us.” (Luke1:78) This is an unusual, but beautiful, name of the coming Savior given Him by Zacharias when he was “filled with the Holy Ghost, and prophesied” (Luke 1:67).In that same prophecy, Zacharias also called that coming one “the Highest” and “the Lord” who would “give knowledge of salvation unto his people by the remission of their sins” (vv. 76-77). Just six months later, Jesus was born. The Greek word here translated “dayspring” is so translated only this one time. It refers to the metaphorical spring from which the sun springs forth each day, and so is usually translated simply as “the east.” It is interesting that it is used three timesin connection with the story of the wise men “from the east” who saw “his star in the east,” and then, when they reached Bethlehem once again, “the star, which they saw in the east,” led them to the one who was Himself “the dayspring” (Matthew2:1-2, 9). There is one other sunrise appropriately presaged here. Many years later, the women who had tearfully watched the Lord being crucified and buried came to His sepulcher to anoint Him with sweet spices “at the rising of the sun” (Mark16:2) immediately after He had risen from the dead. Here a closely related word is the word translated “rising.” There is another great sunrise coming, as promised in the last chapter of the Old Testament. “But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings” (Malachi4:2). He who is Himself “the light of the world” (John 8:12) will someday even replace the sun in the new Jerusalem. There will never be another sunriseafter that, for “there shall be no night there...neither light of the sun; for the Lord God giveth them light” (Revelation 22:5). HMM ------------------------- Light They Can�t Ignore - by Greg Laurie � www.dailyjot.com Be careful to live properly among your unbelieving neighbors. Then even if they accuse you of doing wrong, they will see your honorable behavior, and they will give honorto God when he judges the world. �1 Peter 2:12 https://harvest.org/resources/devotion/light-they-cant-ignore/- Listen A little salt will go a long way. Just a pinch of salt in your oatmeal or on your watermelon can enhance the flavor. And one Christian in a family, neighborhood, or workplacecan influence everyone. Jesus said of His church, �You are the salt of the earth. But what good is salt if it has lost its flavor? Can you make it salty again? It will be thrown out and trampledunderfoot as worthless� (Matthew 5:13 NLT). For example, Moses, through his personal integrity and godliness, influenced the Israelites for good. Imagine how hard it must have been for him. They were so full of unbeliefand whining and complaining. We need more people like this who will make a difference in this world. When you get together for family reunions and everyone wants to drink or smoke or party, you�re theodd one out. And you�re probably the person they always choose to do the token prayer at Thanksgiving. It is so uncomfortable. Or you might be at a workplace where all the others are nonbelievers. You�re the brunt of their jokes. And you want to get a new job. Maybe in your classroom you�re the one Christian who will disagree with the professor who�s promoting evolution or some other ungodly worldview. It�s tough, and we often want to get out of those types of situations. But do we ever consider that God put us where we are to be an influence? Take Moses, for example. God called him to Mount Sinai to receive the commandments. The Bible tells us, �When the people saw how long it was taking Moses to come back downthe mountain, they gathered around Aaron. �Come on,� they said, �make us some gods who can lead us. We don�t know what happened to this fellow Moses, who brought us here from the land of Egypt� � (Exodus 32:1 NLT). Moses was gone, and they needed something to worship. And instead of recognizing that it was the Lord working through Moses who led them out of Egypt, they thought it wasMoses himself. As soon as Moses was gone, they were looking for something to replace him. In effect, they were saying, �We need something tangible, something we can reach out and touch.� So the plans for the golden calf began, which ultimately led to sexual immoralityand idol worship. Moses� personal godliness and integrity kept them in check up to that point. And when he left, everything fell apart. In the same way, it�s the very presence of the church in the world today that keeps things from getting even worse. We think things are bad in our country now, and they are.But wait until the Lord calls His church home. We can imagine how quickly the whole scenario of the end times, inaugurated by the emergence of the Antichrist, will unfold. We are the salt of the earth. We are God�s representatives. And God can do a lot with a little. ------------------------------- Temporary Treasures - by Greg Laurie � www.harvest.org Give to the LORD the glory he deserves! Bring your offering and come into his presence. �1 Chronicles 16:29 https://harvest.org/resources/devotion/temporary-treasures/- Listen If you�ve ever played the game of Monopoly, then you�ve seen the various strategies people use to win. Some people buy every piece of property on the board and hope to puttheir opponents out of business. Others save up, hoping they�ll land on green or blue so they can buy up Boardwalk and Park Place and put hotels on them. They can make a lot of money that way. But when the game ends, so do their winnings. How accurate is the verse in Proverbs that says, �In the blink of an eye wealth disappears, for it will sprout wings and fly away like an eagle� (23:5 nlt). It�s amazing howquickly finances can disappear. We can�t take it with us, but we can send it on ahead. How? By investing in the work of the kingdom of God. In doing so, we�re storing treasures in Heaven. Money is neither good nor evil. Money is neutral. The Bible doesn�t say that money is the root of evil. Here�s what it does say: �For the love of money is the root of allkinds of evil. And some people, craving money, have wandered from the true faith and pierced themselves with many sorrows� (1 Timothy 6:10 NLT). The problem isn�t money itself. The problem is the love of it. If money is the most important thing in our lives, then it will be the root of all kinds of evil in our lives.But if we can put it in the proper perspective, it can be a force for good to help and touch others. And we honor God by bringing our offerings to Him. The Bible says, �O nations of the world, recognize the Lord, recognize that the Lord is glorious and strong. Give to the Lord the glory he deserves! Bring your offering andcome into his presence� (1 Chronicles 16:28�29 NLT). Jesus said that �it is more blessed to give than to receive� (Acts 20:35 NLT). There is so much joy that we can experience in giving. He also warned, �Don�t store up treasures here on earth, where moths eat them and rust destroys them, and where thieves break in and steal. Store your treasures in heaven,where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal. Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be� (Matthew 6:19�21 NLT ). Jesus didn�t say this because wealth might be lost. He said it because it always will be lost. In other words, we always will leave it behind. Either it leaves us while we�reliving, or we leave it when we die. There are no exceptions. Whatever is valuable on earth will have no value in Heaven. Is Jesus condemning those who are financially prosperous? No. Is He saying that it�s wrong to make and save money? Absolutely not. Rather, He�s saying that it�s wrong to putall our hope in temporary, earthly treasures and have nothing waiting for us in eternity. --------------------------- The Way God Sees Them - by Greg Laurie � www.harvest.org The next day Moses said to the people, �You have committed a terrible sin, but I will go back up to the Lord on the mountain. Perhaps I will be able to obtain forgivenessfor your sin.� �Exodus 32:30 https://harvest.org/resources/devotion/the-way-god-sees-them/- Listen It was a test for Moses. God told him that He was going to destroy the Israelites. And when we read Exodus 32, it would appear that Moses pleaded with God and brought Himaround. But God was testing Moses. He wanted to see if Moses was learning anything. Jesus sometimes tested His disciples. When the multitudes gathered and had nothing to eat, Jesus turned to Philip and said, �Where can we buy bread to feed all these people?� (John 6:5 NLT). The Bible goes on to say that Jesus said this to test Philip. Then there was the Syro-Phoenician woman. She came to Jesus and asked Him to touch her demon-possessed daughter. Being a non-Jew, she was coming to the Messiah of Israel andasking for His mercy. But Jesus seemed almost flippant in His reply, saying, �It isn�t right to take food from the children and throw it to the dogs� (Mark 7:27 NLT). The woman told Him, �That�s true, Lord, but even the dogs under the table are allowed to eat the scraps from the children�s plates� (verse 28 NLT). So Jesus commended herand granted her request. She passed His test. Jesus wasn�t turning her away; He was drawing her out. It was a test for her to rise to the occasion. And when she did, Jesus rewarded her for it. Moses passed God�s test as well. He interceded for the people, saying, �Why let the Egyptians say, �Their God rescued them with the evil intention of slaughtering them inthe mountains and wiping them from the face of the earth�? Turn away from your fierce anger. Change your mind about this terrible disaster you have threatened against your people!� (Exodus 32:12 nlt). God wants us to care about people who are separated from Him and intercede for them. He wants us to see them not as the enemy but as sheep without a shepherd�as people whoneed the Savior. In fact, Moses cared so much about these people that he said, �But now, if you will only forgive their sin�but if not, erase my name from the record you have written!� (verse32 NLT). Thankfully, no such thing is required. But it shows the heart of a true intercessor. The apostle Paul said something similar when he wrote, �For my people, my Jewish brothers and sisters. I would be willing to be forever cursed�cut off from Christ!�if thatwould save them� (Romans 9:3 NLT). That is the kind of heart that we need to have toward nonbelievers. That is standing in the gap. Speaking through the prophet Ezekiel, God said, �I looked for someone whomight rebuild the wall of righteousness that guards the land. I searched for someone to stand in the gap in the wall so I wouldn�t have to destroy the land, but I found no one� (Ezekiel 22:30 NLT). God is still looking for people to stand in the gap today to pray and proclaim His Word. --------------------------- Qualitiesof Glory �The glory of Lebanon shall come unto thee, the fir tree, the pine tree, and the box together, to beautifythe place of my sanctuary; and I will make the place of my feet glorious.� (Isaiah 60:13) The temples in Jerusalem showcased Yahweh�s glory. However, those glorious temples were swept away because the Israelites abandoned their God. The Lord Jesus may have been looking directly at the last temple when He told His disciples, �Verily I say unto you,There shall not be left here one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down� (Matthew 24:2). His prophecy was exactly fulfilled when that templewas destroyed in AD 70. Visitors can still see the huge stones jumbled below the Temple Mount. What qualities make an object �glorious�? Brightness and height help. In contrast, darkness and depth accompany the absence of the Lord. �And cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth� (Matthew25:30). The temple�s height of over 50 feet added to its glory, as did its elevation on a mount built atop a hill. One definition of glory is �celebrity� or �renown.� The exalted (high) and glorious (bright gold) temple declared the Lord�s renown. Imagine the greatnessthat a 1,500-foot-tall city of �pure gold, like unto clear glass� will portray (Revelation 21:18)! Not just high and shiny qualities count. Here in Isaiah, the Lord specified woods that will �beautify� the sanctuary upon which He will stand. Until then, �God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light ofthe knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ� (2 Corinthians 4:6). When we know Him, He shines through us. BDT ----------------------- Be a Moses - by Greg Laurie � www.harvest.org Fearing people is a dangerous trap, but trusting the LORD means safety. �Proverbs 29:25 https://harvest.org/resources/devotion/be-a-moses/- Listen Imagine the scene. Moses is descending from Mount Sinai, holding the commandments that God gave him. As he nears the Israelite camp, he sees the people dancing before a goldencalf. Outraged, he says to Aaron, �What did these people do to you to make you bring such terrible sin upon them?� (Exodus 32:21 NLT). Aaron�s excuse for the behavior of the people is so absurd that it should be permanently enshrined in the Excuse Hall of Fame. He replied, �You yourself know how evil these people are. They said to me, �Make us gods who will lead us. We don�t know what happened to this fellow Moses, who brought ushere from the land of Egypt.� So I told them, �Whoever has gold jewelry, take it off.� When they brought it to me, I simply threw it into the fire�and out came this calf!� (verses 22�24 NLT). Aaron should have drawn the line when the people came to him and demanded something to worship. He should have told them, �You just worship God, and wait until Moses getsback.� Instead, he caved in. Not only did Aaron go along with their plan, but he also facilitated it. He helped produce the problem. Let�s remember that when God spoke to Moses through the burning bush, He wanted Moses alone to go to Pharaoh. God promised to do miracles through Moses to confirm that Hehad sent him. However, Moses offered a series of excuses as to why he wasn�t the one for the job. He also complained that he�d never been a gifted speaker. So God said, �Aaron will be yourspokesman to the people. He will be your mouthpiece, and you will stand in the place of God for him, telling him what to say� (Exodus 4:16 NLT). But while Moses was away, Aaron made a mess of things. There are a lot of people like Aaron today. When they�re around committed Christians, they�re strong. But when they�re away from Christians, they blend into the woodwork. The story of Aaron�s spiritual demise serves as a warning to the vacillating, compromising person who always wants to go along with public opinion and is more concerned withwhat people think than with what God thinks. As we see in this story, the compromiser reaches no one. Maybe you think the way to reach your nonbelieving friends is to do what they do and simply blend in. You conclude that in doing so, you will win them over and they will cometo Christ. The reality is that no one has ever been won to Christ that way. The way people come to Christ is through Christians living godly lives. They come to Christ when Christianspractice what they preach. They come to Christ when Christians love them with compassion and share God�s Word with them. Don�t be an Aaron. Be a Moses. Be the person who stands up for what is right, because one person can make a big difference. ------------------------------ MakingLife Count �Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher, vanity of vanities; all is vanity.� (Ecclesiastes1:2) Solomon wrote Ecclesiastes through the lens of poor choices. �Vanity� expresses the futility of seeking satisfaction from living life �under the sun� apart from God. The panorama of earthly ambitions, when pursued as ends in themselves, produces emptiness. Did God originally create this world in a state of �vanity�? Absolutely not! �And God saw everything that he had made, and, behold, it was very good� (Genesis1:31). So, what happened? Adam disobeyed God�s command, and in response God said, �Cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life� (Genesis3:17). The apostle Paul underscored this consequence when he wrote, �For the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope� (Romans8:20). Believers must live life balanced between two extremes. First, we acknowledge that God provides the gift of life for us to enjoy. �There is nothing better for a man, than that he should eat and drink, and that he should make his soul enjoy good in his labour� (Ecclesiastes 2:24). On the other hand, we should firmly acknowledge life�s limitations. �For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth fora little time, and then vanisheth away� (James 4:14). How are we to live in light of this reality? Solomon urges us to fear God, keep His commandments, and �remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth, while the evil days come not, nor the years draw nigh� (Ecclesiastes12:1). Is this your worldview? CCM