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³⁴ ‘We – the priests, the Levites and the people – have cast lots to determine when each of our families is to bring to the house of our God at set times each year a contribution of wood to burn on the altar of the Lord our God, as it is written in the Law.“NIV

At some point in the past, I wrote this note in the margin of my Bible, next to verse 34:

‘Let each worshipper bring his or her own contribution to the fire.’

Although, currently, there are limitations placed upon us with reference to physical gathering, we are still the church. The contribution of each one still matters. If you have the Holy Spirit (‘’…an anointing from the Holy One…and as that anointing is real…’’ 1 John 2:20, 27) you have something to bring, to offer, to give. You can still help to feed and fuel the fire in the local church.

‘There’s a work for Jesus only you can do.’

Don’t see this as time off because you can’t turn up ‘at church’ week by week. Your church needs you! Keep in touch with the Spirit. Be alert to His prodding. Listen for His promptings. Do what he shows you, however small.

I was impressed by this sentence in Arthur Paul Boer’s book, ‘The way is made by walking’:

‘If a few words lighten someone’s journey then I want to offer such a blessing. Small talk is not necessarily trivial.’

You have wood to contribute to the fire. Don’t store it up in your shed.

PRAYER: Lord, please show me how you would have me spend my days, my hours, my minutes. Help me to give whatever you ask.

³² ‘We assume the responsibility for carrying out the commands to give a third of a shekel each year for the service of the house of our God: ³³ for the bread set out on the table; for the regular grain offerings and burnt offerings; for the offerings on the Sabbaths, at the New Moon feasts and at the appointed festivals; for the holy offerings; for sin offerings to make atonement for Israel; and for all the duties of the house of our God.³⁴ ‘We – the priests, the Levites and the people – have cast lots to determine when each of our families is to bring to the house of our God at set times each year a contribution of wood to burn on the altar of the Lord our God, as it is written in the Law.³⁵ ‘We also assume responsibility for bringing to the house of the Lordeach year the firstfruits of our crops and of every fruit tree.” NIV

It concerns me that we increasingly seem to find ourselves in an age in which every other person is a victim. Don’t get me wrong. I know what it is to be wounded, and some hurts go very deep. I think we will all say the same. But if we’re not very careful, we can start to assume the role of the victim, in which we make excuses, and play the blame game, instead of taking responsibility for our own actions. Part of this may also mean facing up to the fact that we ourselves have hurt others. Maybe not intentionally, but the reality is that we probably have.

I am struck by these words in today’s passage: ‘’We assume the responsibility…We also assume responsibility…’’ (32,35). Here were people facing up to the fact that they’d gone wrong, and taking responsibility to put things right. They weren’t blaming heredity or environment or anything else for their sins. Here, they were taking responsibility to rectify their giving according to what they had seen in God’s Word. They weren’t making excuses for their previous behaviour, but they were determined to set things right. Matthew Henry makes the point that the people were not forced to do this by taxation, but they took themselves in hand. They ‘made it an ordinance for themselves,and charged themselves with it.’

Perhaps the first step we need to take towards financial responsibility is to commit to giving according to Biblical principles. As Jesus said:

‘’But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness and all these things will be given to you as well’’ (Matthew 6:33).

‘If everyone will act, and everyone will give, though but little, towards a good work, the whole amount will be considerable.’ Matthew Henry

“³⁰ ‘We promise not to give our daughters in marriage to the peoples around us or take their daughters for our sons.³¹ ‘When the neighbouring peoples bring merchandise or grain to sell on the Sabbath, we will not buy from them on the Sabbath or on any holy day. Every seventh year we will forgo working the land and will cancel all debts.“NIV

As we read the remainder of this chapter, it will be good to keep in mind these words from Tom Hale:

‘These verses list the specific commitments the people agreed to in writing. These commitments are only a tiny portion of all the commands of the Lord the people had promised to obey (verse 29). Probably these specific commitments are emphasised here because they had been badly neglected in the past; most of them relate to the services and upkeep of the temple. These commitments may not at first glance seem to apply to modern Christians, but indeed they do. They concern separating oneself from evil, cleansing one’s home, obeying the commandments, contributing to the church, and serving God with one’s tithes and offerings. Let us not simply sign a pledge to do these things; let’s actually do them!’ ‘Applied Old Testament Commentary’, p.764.

Bible people know where to draw the line. There may well be more grey areas in life than some Christians care to admit, but there definitely are clear boundary lines in Scripture, and we need to know where they are and choose in advance that we are not going to transgress. As we read the Bible, we will develop a number of core convictions about right and wrong, and there are times we have to be ready to say, ‘’We promise not to…we will not…’’ There will be moments when we have to say, like Luther, ‘Here I stand. I can do no other!’ It may be costly.

PRAYER: Thank you Lord that your Word is liveable. As I read it, enable me to grow in understanding of the things I should and should not do. Help me to not just form convictions, but to also embody them.

³⁸ ‘In view of all this, we are making a binding agreement, putting it in writing, and our leaders, our Levites and our priests are affixing their seals to it.’ 10 Those who sealed it were:Nehemiah the governor, the son of Hakaliah.Zedekiah, ² Seraiah, Azariah, Jeremiah,³ Pashhur, Amariah, Malkijah,⁴ Hattush, Shebaniah, Malluk,⁵ Harim, Meremoth, Obadiah,⁶ Daniel, Ginnethon, Baruch,⁷ Meshullam, Abijah, Mijamin,⁸ Maaziah, Bilgai and Shemaiah. These were the priests.⁹ The Levites:Jeshua son of Azaniah, Binnui of the sons of Henadad, Kadmiel,¹⁰ and their associates: Shebaniah,Hodiah, Kelita, Pelaiah, Hanan,¹¹ Mika, Rehob, Hashabiah,¹² Zakkur, Sherebiah, Shebaniah,¹³ Hodiah, Bani and Beninu.¹⁴ The leaders of the people:Parosh, Pahath-Moab, Elam, Zattu, Bani,¹⁵ Bunni, Azgad, Bebai,¹⁶ Adonijah, Bigvai, Adin,¹⁷ Ater, Hezekiah, Azzur,¹⁸ Hodiah, Hashum, Bezai,¹⁹ Hariph, Anathoth, Nebai,²⁰ Magpiash, Meshullam, Hezir,²¹ Meshezabel, Zadok, Jaddua,²² Pelatiah, Hanan, Anaiah,²³ Hoshea, Hananiah, Hasshub,²⁴ Hallohesh, Pilha, Shobek,²⁵ Rehum, Hashabnah, Maaseiah,²⁶ Ahiah, Hanan, Anan,²⁷ Malluk, Harim and Baanah ²⁸ ‘The rest of the people – priests, Levites, gatekeepers, musicians, temple servants and all who separated themselves from the neighbouring peoples for the sake of the Law of God, together with their wives and all their sons and daughters who are able to understand – ²⁹ all these now join their fellow Israelites the nobles, and bind themselves with a curse and an oath to follow the Law of God given through Moses the servant of God and to obey carefully all the commands, regulations and decrees of the Lord our Lord.” NIV

Note especially these phrases:

‘’…for the sake of the Law of God’’ (28);

‘’…to follow the Law of God’’ (29a);

‘’…to obey carefully all the commands, regulations and decrees of the LORD our Lord’’ (29b).

As they surveyed their national history, and recognised their unfaithfulness and what it had cost them, the people made a life-defining commitment to be Bible men and women. Looking back over their shoulders, they realised they had repeatedly failed to be people of the Book. They had not simply strayed from it, but had often rebelled against it, and therefore against God. There was recognition of the need to make a solemn re-commitment to Him.

Throughout our Christian lives we may find that we need to come to moments of re-dedication. You may be in such a place right now. Thank God that because of His great mercy we can have a new beginning. But we must make any commitment in humble recognition that we will fall again and again if we try to do this in our own strength. We have to rely on God, and how wonderful it is that we can.

‘Today is the first day of the rest of your life.’

PRAYER: Lord I confess to you the ways in which I have gone astray and rebelled…I turn to you afresh, asking for forgiveness of sins through Jesus. I want to live fully and completely for you. Please help me by your Spirit to make good on this commitment. I need you Lord, every hour I need you.

“³⁶ ‘But see, we are slaves today, slaves in the land you gave our ancestors so that they could eat its fruit and the other good things it produces. ³⁷ Because of our sins, its abundant harvest goes to the kings you have placed over us. They rule over our bodies and our cattle as they please. We are in great distress.” NIV

‘He that is kind is free, though he is a slave; he that is evil is a slave, though he be a king,’ Augustine.

Jesus said, ‘’Very truly I tell you, everyone who sins is a slave of sin’’ (John 8:34).

Note in today’s reading:

Sin means slavery. It offers freedom, but when we indulge in it, we find ourselves ensnared;

Sin causes us to live below our possibilities; our lives become less than God-intended; we fail to enjoy what He intends for us. Promising to give, it instead takes. It burgles our souls. Like the tempter himself, it is a thief;

Sin may offer pleasure and fulfilment, but it leads to ‘’great distress’’.

‘Sin attracts with its offer of pleasure, but in the end he who indulges finds that he has no pleasure at all.’ (David H. Wheaton).

‘’…a man is a slave to whatever has mastered him’’ (2 Peter 2:19b).

Thank God that in John 8 Jesus goes on to say: ‘’…if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed’’ (36). True freedom can be found in Him. He is the only way out of sin’s slavery.

“³² ‘Now therefore, our God, the great God, mighty and awesome, who keeps his covenant of love, do not let all this hardship seem trifling in your eyes – the hardship that has come on us, on our kings and leaders, on our priests and prophets, on our ancestors and all your people, from the days of the kings of Assyria until today. ³³ In all that has happened to us, you have remained righteous; you have acted faithfully, while we acted wickedly. ³⁴ Our kings, our leaders, our priests and our ancestors did not follow your law; they did not pay attention to your commands or the statutes you warned them to keep. ³⁵ Even while they were in their kingdom, enjoying your great goodness to them in the spacious and fertile land you gave them, they did not serve you or turn from their evil ways.” NIV

It seems to me that verse 35 is a succinct summary of much that we have read in this prayer. As we come towards its culmination we can see that it’s an honest prayer (33). No-one is making excuses or complaining they have been unfairly treated. There is a recognition that God has acted justly.

Someone said that confession means ‘to speak the same thing.’ It is to agree with God about sin. We share His opinion of it.

These words of Matthew Henry prepare us for what we are to read next: ‘Those that would not serve God in their own land were made to serve their enemies in a strange land, as was threatened, Deu. 28:47, Deu. 28:48 . It is a pity that a good land should have bad inhabitants, but so it was with Sodom. Fatness and fulness often make men proud and sensual’.

I read an article today about Charles Spurgeon’s preaching in times of disaster. It included this paragraph:

‘This leads to the second major theme of Spurgeon’s preaching in calamity: clearly calling people to repentance. Reflecting on Jesus’ words in Luke 13:1­–5, Spurgeon believed that in every disaster, the appropriate response wasn’t to try to find its root cause, but to repent, turning away from sin and turning to God in humble dependence. This isn’t to say that we should ignore any practical lessons from the suffering. Spurgeon warned his people against foolish investments after the Great Panic. He reminded his people of the importance of proper hygiene during outbreaks. He spoke against oppressive governmental policies in the colonies. Ultimately, however, his preaching aimed at the individual’s repentance before God. Earthly sufferings only pointed to the greater judgment of God to come. Therefore, all suffering doubled as a warning to repent.’

We may not be able to dogmatically say that the current ‘plague’ is a judgment from God. But we do know we deserve His judgment. May this be a day of confession – of agreeing with God about sin – a day of radical repentance. This is the only way to true healing (2 Chronicles 7:14).

PRAYER: Lord, in these days, help us to search our hearts and repent of all sin. Thank you that we know ‘’you are a gracious and merciful God’’ (31).

“²⁹ ‘You warned them in order to turn them back to your law, but they became arrogant and disobeyed your commands. They sinned against your ordinances, of which you said, “The person who obeys them will live by them.” Stubbornly they turned their backs on you, became stiff-necked and refused to listen. ³⁰ For many years you were patient with them. By your Spirit you warned them through your prophets. Yet they paid no attention, so you gave them into the hands of the neighbouring peoples. ³¹ But in your great mercy you did not put an end to them or abandon them, for you are a gracious and merciful God.” NIV

The man was ‘a vital repository of goodwill’ (Arthur Paul Boers, writing about a fellow ‘pilgrim’ on the ‘Camino’).

Yesterday’s passage probably referred to the days of the ‘Judges’. But today’s reading sums up subsequent years of Israelite history, leading to the captivity. During this time, the cycle continued, but the rebellion only deepened and intensified. However, what stands out is the Lord’s immense patience (30a): ‘’For many years you were patient with them.’’ God’s patience did not mean that judgment was prevented; but it was delayed. He gave the people ample time to repent. Even when the judgment finally fell, there was still mercy combined with it (31).

Peter, writing in the New Testament, about ‘last things’ – the winding up of history as we know it – says this:

‘’The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.

But the day of the Lord will come like a thief…’’  (2 Peter 3:9,10a).

Peter acknowledges that the merciful God is long-suffering. He is giving people lots of time to turn to Him. But the end will come. We should be in no doubt about this and be prepared.

Paul writes to the Galatians about how the Holy Spirit produces in the Christian the very character of Christ (and so the character of God). He calls this ‘’the fruit of the Spirit’’. Someone referred to it as a ‘nine-flavoured fruit’, and we see that ‘’patience’’ is one of the ‘flavours’ (Galatians 5:22). I understand the Greek word used can be translated ‘patience’ or ‘longsuffering’. It means to suffer long with trying circumstances or people. Something of God’s own astounding patience can grow and develop in Christian people by the Holy Spirit.

PRAYER: Lord, how can I thank you enough for your long-suffering with me? Please cause your own patience towards others to grow in me, for your glory.

“²⁶ ‘But they were disobedient and rebelled against you; they turned their backs on your law. They killed your prophets, who had warned them in order to turn them back to you; they committed awful blasphemies. ²⁷ So you delivered them into the hands of their enemies, who oppressed them. But when they were oppressed they cried out to you. From heaven you heard them, and in your great compassion you gave them deliverers, who rescued them from the hand of their enemies.²⁸ ‘But as soon as they were at rest, they again did what was evil in your sight. Then you abandoned them to the hand of their enemies so that they ruled over them. And when they cried out to you again, you heard from heaven, and in your compassion you delivered them time after time.” NIV

Where is your Bible? As you are reading these notes I assume it is not ‘behind your back’ (26). It certainly is of little use to you there. It needs to be where you can see it on a regular basis, and no-one has eyes in the back of his/her head. This passage speaks, of course, not merely about the ignoring of God’s truth, but wilful rebellion against it.

I remember Sid with great appreciation and fondness. He was a very ordinary working man who led the men’s Bible study at Wigan ‘Elim’ church when I was there in my teens. Only a handful attended this pre-morning service gathering, held in a small side room. Sid was not really a Bible teacher, but I do remember something he did and something he said.

Someone said ‘kindness is a language the deaf can hear and the blind can see.’ Well, Sid was kind. He passed on to me his own copy of the ‘New Bible Commentary’. That action was a powerful sermon. It left a deep mark on my soul. It probably touched me more than anything he said. He could have spoken about kindness, and maybe he did, but how powerful is the memory of an act of kindness.

But I also remember him observing how Old Testament history is repetitive; it is cyclical in nature. The Israelites kept falling at the same fences. These verses demonstrate the point. They may refer mainly to the period of the ‘Judges’.

Here are a few timeless lessons from them:

• God answers prayer. Note especially how He answers the heartfelt cries of the truly repentant. No matter how many times we have messed up, we can return to God if we genuinely want to. Mercy there is great, and grace is free. Never forget it;
• God is full of compassion. He is the Father who is always scanning the horizon for the return of the prodigals;
• Human nature is weak. We also know what it is to repeatedly turn away from the God who is so generous towards us. F.B. Meyer writes helpfully: ‘What a picture this is of our own lives, and how often have all these experiences been repeated in us! Fortunately for us we are represented now, not by our promises and prayers, but by Jesus Christ, in whom we stand and are accepted and kept.’ Devotional Commentary, p.207.

‘’Who can tell the pleasure,

Who recount the treasure

By thy Word imparted

To the simple-hearted?’’ (From ‘Lord thy Word abideth).

²² ‘You gave them kingdoms and nations, allotting to them even the remotest frontiers. They took over the country of Sihon^[a] king of Heshbon and the country of Og king of Bashan. ²³ You made their children as numerous as the stars in the sky, and you brought them into the land that you told their parents to enter and possess. ²⁴ Their children went in and took possession of the land. You subdued before them the Canaanites, who lived in the land; you gave the Canaanites into their hands, along with their kings and the peoples of the land, to deal with them as they pleased. ²⁵ They captured fortified cities and fertile land; they took possession of houses filled with all kinds of good things, wells already dug, vineyards, olive groves and fruit trees in abundance. They ate to the full and were well-nourished; they revelled in your great goodness.“NIV

‘’Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power’’ (Ephesians 6:10).

In addition to further displaying God’s abundant provision to His people, this section highlights what has been called ‘the 100% principle’. The idea is that in order to live the Christian life it will take 100% of God’s effort and 100% of ours. Possibly the classic expression of it is found here in the words: ‘’You subdued before them…’’ (24). The children of Israel did it, but really it was God doing it. But they had their part to play. They had to do what they did for God to do what He did.

Someone said, ‘Without Him we cannot; without us He will not.’ That may not always be so, but it generally true. Sometimes God may choose to work without us, but we can never operate without Him.

In this spiritual battle we are so aware of, the key to victory is to fight in God’s strength.

Prayer: Lord, I sometimes feel so discouraged. I keep doing what I shouldn’t do and don’t want to do. But I thank you that not only is there forgiveness with you; there is also power to fight and overcome. All that I need is in you Lord, and I am in you. Thank you.