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During the days of Jesus’ life on earth, he offered up prayers and petitions with fervent cries and tears to the one who could save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission. 

In my second year in Bible College, I and my fellow-students began to study ‘Biblical Theology.’ Suffice it to say, for now, that I was struck by the idea of Jesus’ ‘religious life.’ As we have seen, in the incarnation He became fully human. As a pious, first century Jew, our Lord faithfully observed a pattern of public worship (in the synagogue) and private, personal prayer. His prayer life is such an example and encouragement to us. We note in today’s verse that Jesus’ prayer was:

• Fervent (intense and emotional);
• Specific: He asked that ”this cup” might pass from Him (Mt.5:29). But it was also
• Submissive. He who taught His disciples to pray, ”Your will be done” (Mt.6:10), Himself prayed: “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.” (Emphasis mine). Tom Hale makes this helpful point. Prayer is not always answered in the way we expect. He writes: ‘Jesus prayed that He might be saved from death on the cross (Mark 14:35-36), but God did not grant that prayer. God was able to save (Jesus) from death, but He chose not to. However, God certainly did hear Jesus’ prayer to be saved, because three days after Jesus’ death, God raised Him from the dead.’ (‘Applied New Testament Commentary’, p.857).

PRAYER: Holy Spirit, please help me to pray like Jesus: faithfully, consistently, and with passion, definite aim, and humble surrender to the will of God

 And no one takes this honor on himself, but he receives it when called by God, just as Aaron was.

⁵ In the same way, Christ did not take on himself the glory of becoming a high priest. But God said to him,

“You are my Son;
    today I have become your Father.”

⁶ And he says in another place,

“You are a priest forever,
    in the order of Melchizedek.”

Someone said, ‘If the Lord is going to raise you up, let Him raise you up; but whatever you do don’t raise yourself up!’

You don’t just decide to take up the pastoral ministry as a career option; at least, I don’t believe anyone should. Down that route may lie disaster for the church, and the individual concerned. Every believer is called into ministry, but we are not all called to the pulpit. I clearly remember the time when a sense of the call of God broke into my rather hazy plans for the future. I was still a teenager, but I heard the call. Through the years it has anchored me to the spot when I have felt tempted to run.

According to the early chapters of Hebrews, Jesus is:

• Greater than the prophets;
• Greater than the angels;
• Greater than Joshua;
• And we are now in a section showing Him to be greater than Aaron. His High Priesthood is greater. He is greater because He is God’s ”Son”, and because He is ”a priest forever in the order of Melchizedek.” But here is a point of similarity between Aaron and Christ: our Lord was ‘called’ to the office. Are you fulfilling the calling on your life?

Every high priest is selected from among the people and is appointed to represent the people in matters related to God, to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins. ² He is able to deal gently with those who are ignorant and are going astray, since he himself is subject to weakness. ³ This is why he has to offer sacrifices for his own sins, as well as for the sins of the people. ⁴ And no one takes this honor on himself, but he receives it when called by God, just as Aaron was.

As we have seen in a recent Bible reading, Jesus understands what it means to be human. Without ceasing to be fully God, He became fully man. It is as much a heresy to deny the complete humanity of Christ as it is deny His full divinity.

• Jesus understands our physical weakness: He knows intimately our tiredness and weariness; He feels our pain and shares our sorrows. On those days when it’s hard to get out of bed and face another 24 hours of life, He is fully aware of our heartache, and He cares; when you think, ‘I just can’t take another step’, He is right there with you.  ”For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin.” (4:15). So we can also affirm:
• Jesus understands our moral weakness: He comprehends the pressures leading to sin. He knows temptation inside out; He has been there. In fact, He has been tempted to a degree we do not know, because we tend to give way before we feel its full force. Knowing all this about our precious Lord should encourage us to run to God in prayer, knowing that Christ has opened the way, and ”help” is generously available (4:16). If you need help today, you know where to turn. You are not alone.

I simply wish to quote the last paragraph of Tom Hale’s commentary on Joel. I believe He provides an excellent summation and application:

‘As we think back on this small but very important book, let us keep Joel’s message in mind: a day of judgment – a ”day of the Lord” – is coming, and we do not know when. There may be a number of such ”days” coming – judgments upon our present nations and communities, and upon ourselves. Joel’s message to us is that we should repent and cry out to God for mercy before it is too late. God is patient; He will wait a long time, but He will not wait forever. The ”invasion of locusts” can come at any time. We need to be ready for the day of the Lord; it will come like a thief (2 Peter 3:10). In view of this, Peter asks:…what kind of people ought (we) to be? (2 Peter 3:11).’ (The Applied Old Testament Commentary’, p.1239.

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!

The final section of this book seems to look beyond the last great battle of history, to the blessings of the Millennial reign of Christ. (In fact, the picture seems to almost merge with what comes after that, according to the book of Revelation: the ”new heaven” and ”new earth”; see Rev.21). In the final expression of the Kingdom of God, He will be in the midst of His people and it will be a time of lavish and overflowing blessing (18).

I venture to suggest, however, that even now, where Jesus reigns over a human life/over a church community, we can expect to see an outflowing of life into the world:

”On the last and greatest day of the festival, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. ³⁸ Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.”³⁹ By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive.” (John 7:37-39a; see also Ezekiel 47:1-12).

“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.

Joel chapter 3 describes a future day of judgment for ”all nations.” They will be gathered into ”the valley of decision” (14). This is about God’s decision on them, not their decision on Him. On that great day of assize, when the peoples are in the dock, a major factor will be, ‘How did they treat Israel?’

The whole idea of judgment has become unfashionable (and certainly diluted) in many parts of the church. But you would have to disembowel the Bible in order to remove the doctrine. In the face of this great and fearful reality, we are comforted by the word ”But” in verse 16, and what comes after it. The good news of the gospel is that all who trust in the Lord will find a refuge in Him. He is the only place of safety.

Someone said God is not an Employer looking for employees. He is an Eagle looking for people to taker refuge under His wings.

¹⁴⁵ I call with all my heart; answer me, Lord,
    and I will obey your decrees.
¹⁴⁶ I call out to you; save me
    and I will keep your statutes.
¹⁴⁷ I rise before dawn and cry for help;
    I have put my hope in your word.
¹⁴⁸ My eyes stay open through the watches of the night,
    that I may meditate on your promises.
¹⁴⁹ Hear my voice in accordance with your love;
    preserve my life, Lord, according to your laws.
¹⁵⁰ Those who devise wicked schemes are near,
    but they are far from your law.
¹⁵¹ Yet you are near, Lord,
    and all your commands are true.
¹⁵² Long ago I learned from your statutes
    that you established them to last forever.

There is a spiritual intensity about this section of Psalm 119.

It’s been pointed out that it corresponds to the two halves of James 4:8. Verses 145 -148 could be entitled, ”Come near to God”; while verses 149-152 could bear the title, ”and he will come near to you.”

In ‘the Ruthless elimination of hurry’ John Mark Comer wrote: ‘If you want to experience the life of Jesus, you have to adopt the lifestyle of Jesus.’ Jesus rose to pray in the early morning; what about us? Jesus sometimes prayed in the night hours; what about us? Jesus prayed earnestly; what about us? Jesus prayed in accordance with the Scriptures; what about us?

PRAYER: Lord God, please pour upon us the Spirit of prayer. Enable us to pray like Jesus.

Thought: ‘The church’s underground atheism in our time is that we will busy ourselves with almost anything except prayer.’ Tyler Staton in ‘Praying like monks, Living like fools.’

¹² For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. ¹³ Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account.

¹⁴ Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has ascended into heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. ¹⁵ For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin. ¹⁶ Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.

It might be possible to read Hebrews 4 and feel a little discouraged, when we consider how possible it is to fall short of fully entering into our inheritance in Christ. But although there is a clear warning running throughout this chapter, this is balanced with great encouragements. We can ‘keep on keeping on.’ How? We should:

• Submit to the scalpel (12,13): As God’s Word exposes sin, it will be painful. But if we surrender to the work of the loving Divine Surgeon we will be able to maintain (or regain) spiritual health. As the Bible exposes dark areas of our interior world let’s be quick to repent. Keep ‘short accounts’ with God;
• Hold firmly to the faith (14): In a day when many professing believers are edging towards the shifting sands of liberal theology (and some have already pitched their tents there), determine to stay on ‘the Rock’. It is our only place of safety. On the stormy days to come, the sandy foundation will prove hopelessly inadequate;
• Cling to our Priest (15): to Jesus the ”great high priest”. He is fully conversant with our human experience – including our temptations. The only thing He doesn’t share, thankfully, is our experience of sin. If He did, He wouldn’t be able to act for us in Heaven. But as the sinless One He totally meets our needs – and He can empathise like no other;
• Come boldly to the Throne (16): Whatever the need, there is help from on High.

PRAYER: Lord God, help me to avail myself of all the resources I have in you to live this Christian life.

For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. ¹³ Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account.

I often think about the words attributed to Spurgeon: ‘You need no more defend the Bible than you do a lion. Just let it out of its cage!

Apparently Martin Luther said, ”The Bible is alive, it speaks to me; it has feet, it runs after me; it has hands, it lays hold of me.”

Our text reads like this in ‘The Message:

 God means what he says. What he says goes. His powerful Word is sharp as a surgeon’s scalpel, cutting through everything, whether doubt or defense, laying us open to listen and obey. Nothing and no one can resist God’s Word. We can’t get away from it—no matter what.

It is by believing and obeying this Word that we fully enter into our inheritance in Christ.

PRAYER: Lord help me to never neglect your Word