Parents have often expressed concern about public schools. In their complaints they point to violence, unruly behavior, the availability of drugs, declining standards of discipline and teaching, the absence of spiritual principles, and the overt communication of material that they believe is either inappropriate or just plain wrong. Many parents have responded by withdrawing their children and teaching them at home. Home-schooling has grown remarkably in popularity during the late years of the twentieth and early years of the twenty-first centuries. Critics of this approach were surprised, therefore, when the first three places in the 2000 National Spelling Bee were won by home-schooled childrena"one of whom had placed second in the National Geography Compet.i.tion the previous week.
Spiritually-minded parents who home-school their children like to point out that when Moses instructed the children of Israel about life in the Promised Land he told parents not only to acommit yourselves completely to these words of minea but also to ateach them to your childrena (Deut. 11:18-19). Moses was referring, of course, to the things that the Lord had told him to tell the people. Not everybody applies these instructions in the same way that home-schooling parents do, but every responsible parent should be making serious application of them.
Mosesa point was that, in order for the children of Israel to live well in the Promised Land, they must honor the Lord with lives characterized by loving, trusting obedience. They were told to write out the Lordas instructions (11:20) and aTie them to your hands as a reminder, and wear them on your foreheada (11:18). This was a highly visual reminder that their thoughts and actions were to be in accordance with the Lordas wishes and expectations.
The Lord did not leave anything to chance as far as the teaching of divine principles to children was concerned. He told parents, aTalk about them when you are at home and when you are away on a journey, when you are lying down and when you are getting up againa (11:19). The Lord was pointing out to them that the disciplines of morning and evening instructiona"at breakfast and at bedtime, for examplea"are invaluable, and that life is full of teaching moments.
Whether at home or on a journey, wise parents should by word and example take the opportunity to answer childrenas questions, to provoke their curiosity, and to correct their misunderstandings. And the purpose of this kind of education? aSo that as long as the sky remains above the earth, you and your children may flourisha (11:21). That should be incentive enough!
July 6
TO READ: Daniel 7:1-14
The Winner
As my vision continued that night, I saw someone who looked like a man coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient One and was led into his presence. He was given authority, honor, and royal power over all the nations of the world, so that people of every race and nation and language would obey him. His rule is eternala"it will never end. His kingdom will never be destroyed.
Daniel 7:13-14
The Middle East is littered with the ruins of great civilizations. It is still possible, millennia later, to gain some idea of their long-lost magnificence. More recently, the twentieth century saw the rise and fall of the mighty Third Reich, and the tyrannical Soviet empire under Stalin collapsed in ruins. The lesson we learn from the ruins is this: Great empires pa.s.s away. Even the most fearsome human powers have their day and pa.s.s away.
Daniel, in one of his remarkable visions, saw the overthrow of four powerful, fearsome beasts representing four mighty empires. While this was going on, he awatched as thrones were put in place and the Ancient One sat down to judgea (Dan. 7:9). In contrast to the rulers whose empires pa.s.s away and who inevitably leave the scene of their triumphs, the afiery thronea was occupied by an aAncient Onea from whose presence flowed aa river of firea (7:9-10). Surely this is a symbolic representation of G.o.d himselfa"eternal, powerful, overwhelmingly magnificent, in control of everything, and ready to exercise judgment on the nations and the empires.
Possibly, Daniel wondered who would occupy the throne set up alongside the afiery throne.a If he did, he was not left in the dark for long. He asaw someone who looked like a man coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient One and was led into his presencea (7:13). Daniel did not say specifically that this person, awho looked like a man,a actually occupied a throne alongside the Ancient One. But he did say that the person awas given authority, honor, and royal power over all the nations of the worlda (7:14). So it is not unreasonable to a.s.sume the throne was set for him.
But who was the person received into the presence of the Lord, who on the one hand displayed the attributes of deity, in that he came awith the clouds of heavena (7:13), and yet at the same time alooked like a mana (7:13)? What was the ident.i.ty of the one who, having entered the divine presence, was granted a akingdoma whose arule is eternala"it will never enda (7:14)? Surely none other than the ascended Lord Jesus, who, having completed his earthly work of redemption, returned to the Father and was given the placed of highest honor!
Daniel teaches us that even in earthas darkest hour, the aAncient Onea and his partner on the throne are in control, quietly building the eternal akingdom that will never be destroyeda (7:14). We know who wins in the end!
July 7
TO READ: Micah 4:1-13
When Wars Will Stop
The LORD will settle international disputes. All the nations will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. All wars will stop, and military training will come to an end.
Micah 4:3
In 1919, at the end of the First World War, the League of Nations was formed with a view toward preventing further hostilities. Sadly, the project failed to stop the outbreak of World War II in 1939a"and the League collapsed. At the end of World War II, the United Nations was created, with much the same purposea"ato save succeeding generations from the scourge of war, which twice in our lifetime has brought untold sorrow to mankind.a28 While the United Nations still exists and has done much good work, it, too, has failed to achieve its stated goal. When the Soviet regime collapseda"an event which President George Bush said heralded aa new world orderaa"it was only a matter of months before Saddam Hussein invaded Kuwait and the Gulf War broke out. Human history shows that even with the best intentions and the strongest will in the world, it has been impossible for man to stop war.
In light of this, the words of the prophet Micah take on special poignancy: aAll wars will stop, and military training will come to an enda (Micah 4:3). Micah was pointing to a time of unprecedented peace, which would take place after G.o.das people had suffered a time of desperate suffering and shame in exile. He was speaking about the restoration of a despised remnant, the rebuilding of the destroyed city of Jerusalem, and the establishment of a new kingdom.
In the time of Jesus the people of Israel were still looking forward to this restoration. Before Jesusa crucifixion, his disciples were confident that Jesus would go about fulfilling Micahas prophecy by ridding Israel of the Roman occupation and bringing them peace and prosperity. But their hopes were dashed when he died. However, after his resurrection from the dead, the disciples quickly resorted to their earlier hopes and asked Jesus, aLord, are you going to free Israel now and restore our kingdom?a (Acts 1:6). Jesus made it clear in his response that his kingdom was not that kind of kingdom. Instead, he indicated that Micahas prophecy would be fulfilled when his eternal kingdom, populated by the redeemed, is established.
This is the kingdom for which Christians pray repeatedly, aMay your kingdom come soona (Matt. 6:10) and about which Jesus said, aMy Kingdom is not of this worlda (John 18:36). Wars will cease one day, but only when Christas eternal kingdom comes. Until then, Paulas words speak loudly: aDo your part to live in peace with everybody, as much as possiblea (Rom. 12:18). We may not be able to stop wars. But by G.o.das grace we can obey this command and, aas much as possible,a live in peace with others.
July 8
TO READ: Genesis 49:1-28
What Is Going to Happen
The scepter will not depart from Judah, nor the ruleras staff from his descendants, until the coming of the one to whom it belongs, the one whom all nations will obey.
Genesis 49:10
Farmers would be delighted if they could accurately predict the weather. Investors would give anything to know in advance exactly how the market will behave. And leaders in all sectors, both public and private, do not hesitate to employ afuturistsa to foresee the megatrends of the future so that they can plan accordingly. Knowing the future can be decidedly advantageous.
The Old Testament patriarchs were, on occasion, blessed with this unusual ability. And they used it to pa.s.s on blessings to their sons that, among other things, conveyed information concerning the future. A cla.s.sic example of this occurred when aJacob called together all his sons and said, aGather around me, and I will tell you what is going to happen to you in the days to comeaa (Gen. 49:1). We can only imagine the mixed emotions with which Jacobas sons gathered to hear their fatheras wordsa"if their future was anything like their past, it was going to be a very mixed bag of experiences. One by one, in birth order, Jacob spoke to each of them in the hearing of all the brothers.
Jacobas words to Judah are particularly significant for us today. He started out by praising Judahas obvious leadership abilities, which his brothers also recognized, and which succeeding generations would acknowledge. aYour brothers will praise you. . . . All your relatives will bow before youa (49:8). Judahas no-nonsense leadership style would be strong and alike a lionessa"who will dare to rouse him?a (49:9). Then, looking much further into the future, Jacob foretold, aThe scepter will not depart from Judah . . . until the coming of the one to whom it belongsa (49:10).
Matthewas Gospel opens with a genealogical table that shows clearly that the great king David, who reigned over Israel at its peak, was a descendant of Judah (see Matt. 1:3-6). Given the subsequent history of the tribe of Judah, there can be little doubt that Jacob in his prophetic vision was aseeinga the reign of David when he said athe ruleras staff [will not depart] from his descendantsa (Gen. 49:10). But the words he added concerning the one to whom the scepter belongsa"athe one whom all nations will obeyaa"pointed far beyond David to his most famous descendant, Jesus (see Matt. 1:3-16).
Jacobas vision foresaw a day yet to comea"when agreat Davidas greater sona will reign eternally.29 Jacob knew this three millennia ago! Wise men still know it todaya"theyave seen the future as revealed in Scripture concerning the ultimate triumph of the Lord Jesus and have committed their eternal well-being to Him. They have taken appropriate actiona"like a smart farmer or a savvy investor!
July 9
TO READ: Psalm 24
Ancient Gates
Open up, ancient gates! Open up, ancient doors, and let the King of glory enter. Who is the King of glory? The LORD, strong and mighty, the LORD, invincible in battle.
Psalm 24:7-8
The arch over the gates of the infamous n.a.z.i concentration camp Auschwitz to this day bears the slogan aARBEIT MACHTS FREIaa"aWork makes one free.a In that the intended fate of the unfortunate people who were herded into the camp was to be worked to death, the slogan is a sick joke about freedom through death, which exacerbates the horror of the scene. Itas hard to imagine a more hopeless entrance anywhere in the world. It reminds us of the entrance to h.e.l.l in Danteas Divine Comedy. According to Dante, the gates of h.e.l.l carry the sign, aAbandon hope, all ye who enter here.a Both thoughtsa"of people being herded into Auschwitz to their death and of the unrepentant being swept into the hopelessness of h.e.l.la"are chilling in the extreme.
These pictures of hopelessness stand in marked contrast to the tone of Psalm 24, which speaks about the gates to the amountain of the Lorda (24:3), the doors to the presence of G.o.d. The psalm was probably written to celebrate the day when David brought the ark of the covenant onto Mount Moriah, the eventual site of the temple (see 2 Sam. 6:12-19). Even as far back as the wilderness journey from Egypt to the Promised Land, the children of Israel marched behind the ark, which they believed guaranteed them victory over their enemies (see Num. 10:33-36). The children of Israel thought of the Lord as the aKing of glory . . . the Lord, strong and mighty, the Lord, invincible in battlea (Ps. 24:8). The entering of the ark into the temple signified G.o.das entering. It was, therefore, a great cause for rejoicing. These gates were welcoming athe King of glorya!
Mount Moriah had been set apart for the worship of the Lord to whom athe eartha and aeverything in ita rightfully belongs. (Ps. 24:1). Recognizing G.o.das sovereign rule required that men should come before him in worship. The question then became, aWho may climb the mountain of the Lord? Who may stand in his holy place?a (24:3). Such a glorious, mighty Creator and Redeemer could not be approached casually or flippantly. The would-be worshipers were told, aOnly those whose hands and hearts are pure, who do not worship idols and never tell liesa (24:4).
In other words, only those who know their impurities and deviousness and have sought and found forgiveness can enter through the gate and worship as they ought. Those who do so are promised that they will find athe Lordas blessing and have right standing with G.o.d their saviora (24:5).
A vision of the majesty of the Lord and a humble approach to him as aSaviora qualifies a man to enter and aworship the G.o.d of Israela (24:5-6). Those who enter through this gate do not abandon hopea"they discover glory!
July 10
TO READ: Revelation 5:1-14
A New Song
They sang a new song with these words: aYou are worthy to take the scroll and break its seals and open it. For you were killed, and your blood has ransomed people for G.o.d from every tribe and language and people and nation. And you have caused them to become G.o.das Kingdom and his priests. And they will reign on the earth.a Revelation 5:9-10
Throughout the long history of the Christian church, many things have changed, but none has changed more than musical styles in worship. Each succeeding generation and each differing culture has looked for styles of worship that are relevant and pleasing both to the worshipers and to the Lord. As a result, new songs have found their way into the ecclesiastical repertoire alongside old favorites. This is something that is clearly indicated in the standard Anglican hymnbook, which is called simply Hymns, Ancient and Modern.
In Johnas dramatic vision of heaven, athe twenty four elders . . . sang a new song with these words: aYou are worthy to take the scroll and break its seals and open it. For you were killed, and your blood has ransomed people for G.o.da a (Rev. 5:9-10). In biblical parlance, aa new songa heralded a new insight or a new discovery of truth, and this was no exception. The eldersa praise was augmented almost immediately with athe singing of thousands and millions of angels around the thronea (5:11). The reason for all this singing and praising was that, finally, a man had stepped forward to break the seals and open the scroll ain the right hand of the one who was sitting on the thronea (5:1). This securely sealed scroll, which was asealed with seven sealsa (5:1), contained the story of human history. It had remained sealeda"not understooda"until this man stepped forward to open it and make known the eternal purposes of the Lord, who was seated on the throne. This was cause for great praise, thanksgiving, and jubilation! It was a new experience, meriting a new song.
The only man aworthy to take the scroll and break its seals and open ita was identified as athe Lion of the tribe of Judah, the heir to Davidas thronea (5:5). This is the same one foreseen by Judahas father Jacob as he p.r.o.nounced blessings on Judah shortly before dying (Gen. 49:9-10). The description of the aLiona is unusuala"as a aLamb that had been killed but was now standing,a possessing aseven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of G.o.da (5:6). Yet this description is deeply and richly symbolic of Jesus, who laid down his life as a willing sacrifice, and who is now risen from the dead and invested with the sevenfold (symbolizing aperfecta and acompletea) authority of G.o.d and the sevenfold wisdom and insight of the Spirit. He is, in other words, the central figure of human history and the only one who can make sense of it.
New songs of worship should reflect fresh insights into the wonder of G.o.das purposes and should be expressions of worship to him. Style is not unimportant, but substance is vital.
July 11
TO READ: Revelation 11:1-19
Judgment and Reward
aThe nations were angry with you, but now the time of your wrath has come. It is time to judge the dead and reward your servants. You will reward your prophets and your holy people, all who fear your name, from the least to the greatest. And you will destroy all who have caused destruction on the earth.a Revelation 11:18
Viewed from s.p.a.ce, planet Earth looks small and fragile. An infinitesimal fragment in the vastness, it is apparently an idyllic planet, the scene of peace and tranquility. But we know that its history is one of unending tension and hostility, fragmentation and conflict, both petty and cataclysmic. How could something so small and beautiful be so full of ugly dissension and huge heartbreak? And where will it all end? Will the fragile planet itself become a victim of its inhabitantsa unruliness?
Speculation on such questions has gone on down through the centuries. But in more recent times, as manas penchant for self-destructive behavior has been matched by his technological expertise, predictions of the planetas demise at manas intentional or inadvertent hand have grown in volume and intensity. But while speculations say one thing, revelation says another.
The book of Revelation, Johnas vision of heaven, included insights into the future. At one point he describes aloud voices shouting in heaven, aThe whole world has now become the Kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he will reign forever and everaa (Rev. 11:15). The Lord is further identified as athe Lord G.o.d Almighty, the one who is and who always wasa (11:17). This designation, which speaks of G.o.das almightiness and his eternalness, suggests that during the unruly history of planet Earth, the all-powerful Lord has not been exercising his power and authority as he might havea"otherwise, he would have put down all insurrection and banished all dissension and fragmentation. But things are not always as they appear. John sees into heaven and into the future, where it is said of the Lord, aNow you have a.s.sumed your great power and have begun to reigna (11:17). G.o.das people have prayed for centuries, aMay your kingdom come soona (Matt. 6:10). This grand universal kingdom will come, and aHe will reign forever and ever.a But what of the unruly powers that be? John says, aThe nations were angry with you, but now the time of your wrath has comea (Rev. 11:18). The Lord G.o.d Almighty will execute judgment and awill destroy all who have caused destruction on the earth.a But the message for G.o.das people is positive and encouraging: aLord G.o.d Almighty, . . . you will reward your prophets and your holy people, all who fear your name, from the least to the greatesta (11:18).
G.o.d is in control. While at times that does not seem to be the case, he truly is the aLord G.o.d Almighty.a When he is ready, he will a.s.sume his great power and bring judgment and reward. Be sure you know which will be in your future.
July 12
TO READ: Revelation 19:1-21
The White Horse
Then I saw heaven opened, and a white horse was standing there. And the one sitting on the horse was named Faithful and True. For he judges fairly and then goes to war. . . . He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and his t.i.tle was the Word of G.o.d. . . . On his robe and thigh was written this t.i.tle: King of kings and Lord of lords.
Revelation 19:11, 13, 16