Verse of the Day 6/11

Through the Bible - Ezra 1-2, John 20

 

Good morning,

I've received messages from a few of you recently that said that you had not been receiving some of the e-mails.  If you get this one, note that they can also be accessed by going to http://mikesvotd.blogspot.com .

 

With this economy, I'm sure most of you have seen commercials about investing in gold, one of them boldly says "it has never been worth zero".

 

In the Old Testament reading outlined above, we recently completed 2 Chronicles and have moved into the book of Ezra.

2 Chronicles started with King Solomon taking the throne and building the temple for the Lord.  He prayed for wisdom and this was God's answer.

2 Chron 1:11 God said to Solomon, "Because your greatest desire is to help your people, and you did not ask for wealth, riches, fame, or even the death of your enemies or a long life, but rather you asked for wisdom and knowledge to properly govern my people— 12 I will certainly give you the wisdom and knowledge you requested.   NLT

 

God also blessed him and the kingdom with more gold and riches than we can imagine.

 

By the end of 2 Chronicles we see a different picture.  The kings of Judah had turned their hearts and the hearts of the people away from God.  At the close of the book the wealth, the gold articles from the temple were taken away from them.  When the gold is taken away, it is worth zero to those that it is taken from.  The nation had not been observing their faith, were not observing the sabbath, they had rejected God.

2 Chron 36:21 So the message of the Lord spoken through Jeremiah was fulfilled. The land finally enjoyed its Sabbath rest, lying desolate until the seventy years were fulfilled, just as the prophet had said.  NLT

 

But God was faithful, he brought the gold and His people back as Jeremiah the prophet said He would.

2 Chron 36:22 In the first year of King Cyrus of Persia, the Lord fulfilled the prophecy he had given through Jeremiah. He stirred the heart of Cyrus to put this proclamation in writing and to send it throughout his kingdom:

23 "This is what King Cyrus of Persia says:
"The Lord, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth. He has appointed me to build him a Temple at Jerusalem, which is in Judah. Any of you who are the Lord's people may go there for this task. And may the Lord your God be with you!"   NLT

Today's verse comes from Micah 6 where we have timeless instructions on how we should live, how we should follow God. 

Mic 6:7 Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams,
Ten thousand rivers of oil?
Shall I give my firstborn for my transgression,
The fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?

 

8 He has shown you, O man, what is good;
And what does the Lord require of you
But to do justly,
To love mercy,
And to walk humbly with your God?   NKJV

I would encourage you to follow along in the Old Testament reading plan.  It will be moving through Ezra and Nehemiah where the temple is rebuilt as God rebuilds broken walls, hearts, and lives.  The temple would be rebuilt but what Ezra would weep over was that at the start, the peoples hearts were unchanged.  These books show how God can be found.  As pointed out in Micah 6:9, the Lord wanted a spiritual transformation of the heart which would lead to a commitment which would bring about right behavior, true worship.

 

As God was pleading for Israel then, I believe He is pleading with us today, to "hear what the Lord says". 

 

Don't worry about whether or not to invest in gold, invest in God, listen to His advice.

 

In Christ,
Mike
mikevw@bellsouth.net
More tools available at: http://mikesvotd.blogspot.com
Eph 1:7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace  NIV

Mic 6:1-9

 

God Pleads with Israel

 

6 Hear now what the Lord says:

 

"Arise, plead your case before the mountains,
And let the hills hear your voice.
2 Hear, O you mountains, the Lord's complaint,
And you strong foundations of the earth;
For the Lord has a complaint against His people,
And He will contend with Israel.

 

3 "O My people, what have I done to you?
And how have I wearied you?
Testify against Me.
4 For I brought you up from the land of Egypt,
I redeemed you from the house of bondage;
And I sent before you Moses, Aaron, and Miriam.
5 O My people, remember now
What Balak king of Moab counseled,
And what Balaam the son of Beor answered him,
From Acacia Grove to Gilgal,
That you may know the righteousness of the Lord."

 

6 With what shall I come before the Lord,
And bow myself before the High God?
Shall I come before Him with burnt offerings,
With calves a year old?
7 Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams,
Ten thousand rivers of oil?
Shall I give my firstborn for my transgression,
The fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?

 

8 He has shown you, O man, what is good;
And what does the Lord require of you
But to do justly,
To love mercy,
And to walk humbly with your God?

 

NKJV