He Day 15 El Gibhor

June 19, 2020 by Marietta Taylor Leave a Comment

Read His Words Before Ours!

Isaiah 9:6-7
Luke 23:44-24:8
Isaiah 53
Romans 8:1-4
1 Peter 3:17-22

He, Day 15

When I first began reading the Bible, I didn’t understand much of it (can you relate?). I thought Revelation was the “scary” book and Isaiah was the unnecessarily long one. I found Jesus’ death tragic.

I also wasn’t sure how, or if, all the different books fit together. And finally, I was confused by all the different names of God. Fortunately, God is teaching me a lot about His Word, and I’m honored to share some of what I’ve learned.

Throughout the Bible, God is referred to by many names, each revealing something about His character. One name, El Gibhor, or “Mighty God,” is found in Isaiah 9:6. We frequently hear this verse at Christmas, in reference to Jesus:

“He will be named Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.”

But Mighty God is not only found in this verse; the book I used to think was unnecessarily long, Isaiah, contains many prophecies about Jesus.

Isaiah 11:1-5 foretells of a mighty God who will come from the line of King David. He will be full of God’s Spirit, wisdom, strength, and the fear of the Lord (Father God). He will be a righteous judge for the oppressed and slay the wicked.

The theme of our mighty God as defender of the oppressed is echoed in Daniel. In chapter 3, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego were thrown into the fire because they would not worship false gods. And yet, they were not harmed.

Why? Because El Gibhor protected them by walking in the fire with them.
And then, all who witnessed this deliverance believed in Him and His mighty power. (Daniel 3:28-29)

Isaiah 42:1-16 speaks of a servant who will have God’s Spirit on Him. He will bring justice. He’s appointed to be a covenant to the people, a light bearer, and a rescuer of those imprisoned and in darkness.

Jesus refers to Himself as the light of the world in John 8:12-19. When the religious leaders question His authority, He tells the Pharisees that Father God testifies about Him. And God did, through Isaiah.

I can also personally testify Jesus is our light and rescuer. There was a time, not so many years ago, where I was deep in a pit of sin. I vacillated between wanting the sin and wanting to return to the Lord.

After months of turmoil, and feeling so broken and confused, I asked God to take it all from me if it wasn’t His will. My prayer seems crazy to me now, because of course sin wasn’t His will. But in the dark, you can’t see.

Within the week, I was back in that same sin, but it felt different. I started thinking about consequences and reasons why I was even in this pit. And suddenly, what I was doing made absolutely no sense to me. El Gibhor had shone His marvelous light into the dark prison of sin and pulled me out. Praise Him!

And now we come to my misunderstanding about the death of Jesus. I’ve come to realize it is so much more than just a tragic story; it is the story of our mighty God.

First, Jesus died because of us. Jesus was rejected by sin-filled humans, just like us (foretold in Isaiah 53:3-9, fulfilled in Luke 23:13-25).

Second, Jesus’ sacrifice was necessary, as payment for our sin. Isaiah 53:5-6 describes how He was pierced, crushed, and punished for my sin and my rebellion.

For all of our sin.
Romans 3:23-24 reiterates, “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. They are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.”

Third, it was voluntary. Isaiah describes how the Lord’s “own arm brought salvation” when “he willingly submitted to death.” And in the New Testament, we need only peek into the Garden of Gethsemane to hear Jesus say, “My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me. Yet not as I will, but as You will.” (Matthew 26:39, echoed in Matthew 26:42)

And so, Jesus chose death . . . death unto life. (Luke 23:44-24:8)
El Gibhor, our mighty God, conquered sin and the grave.

You see, the death and resurrection of Jesus was a precursor.

As outlined in Isaiah 61:1-2, Jesus’ redemption of His children foreshadows Christ’s return to earth for His people, the ultimate defeat of His enemies, and the establishment of a new heaven and earth.

In Revelation, we see our mighty God, our resurrected sinless sacrifice, ending the rule of sin on this fallen earth once and for all. El Gibor alone is capable and worthy of final victory, final authority, and final creation of a perfect eternity.

Friends, only Mighty God can accomplish these things. There is no person or thing who can do what Jesus, El Gibhor, can. May we live in anticipation of the glorious day when all prophecies will be fulfilled and we will live and reign with Jesus forever.

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Here Day 14 Bethlehem: Digging Deeper

December 26, 2019 by Rebecca Adams 2 Comments

Digging Deeper Days

Finding the original intent of Scripture and making good application to our everyday lives as we become equipped to correctly handle the Word of Truth!

Yesterday’s Journey Study connects with today’s!
Check out Bethlehem!

The Questions

1) Such vivid imagery and dramatic beginning of this passage (verse 1)! What does this mean?

2) How does the promise in verse 2 connect with “therefore Israel will be abandoned….” in verse 3?

3) Why is “ruler of Israel” (verse 2) significant and how does it relate to the other benefits prophesied about that would come with the Messiah??

Micah 5:1-6

Now, daughter who is under attack,
you slash yourself in grief;
a siege is set against us!
They are striking the judge of Israel
on the cheek with a rod.
2 Bethlehem Ephrathah,
you are small among the clans of Judah;
one will come from you
to be ruler over Israel for me.
His origin is from antiquity,
from ancient times.
3 Therefore, Israel will be abandoned until the time
when she who is in labor has given birth;
then the rest of the ruler’s brothers will return
to the people of Israel.
4 He will stand and shepherd them
in the strength of the Lord,
in the majestic name of the Lord his God.
They will live securely,
for then his greatness will extend
to the ends of the earth.
5 He will be their peace.
When Assyria invades our land,
when it marches against our fortresses,
we will raise against it seven shepherds,
even eight leaders of men.
6 They will shepherd the land of Assyria with the sword,
the land of Nimrod with a drawn blade.
So he will rescue us from Assyria
when it invades our land,
when it marches against our territory.

Original Intent

1) Such vivid imagery and dramatic beginning of this passage (verse 1)! What does this mean?
The Jewish nation was struggling to maintain the title “nation”. They had suffered much already at the time of Micah’s prophecies, but would endure much more in the years ahead. The nation had split between Northern Kingdom (Israel) and Southern Kingdom (Judah) following King Solomon’s reign, which was immediately following King David. During Micah’s lifetime, the Northern Kingdom would fall and be dispersed, never to be a nation again. Still to come for Judah was a 70-year exile at the hand of Babylonian King Nebuchadnezzar. Micah’s short book is packed full of warnings to Judah of all the destruction that was still to come, while also woven through with hope that the punishment would one day end. The “daughter under attack” is the nation of Judah, or Zion, as also referenced in this book. So great was the devastation coming towards her as punishment, that Micah calls for her to “slash herself”. This isn’t intended to read like modern-day “cutting” or suicide, rather it was a call to awareness of how great Judah’s sin was in the eyes of God. A siege was coming (from Babylon), and there was nothing they could do to stop impending judgement from God. Babylon would strike the “judge (or king) of Israel on the cheek with a rod”, meaning it would be shameful for Israel to be conquered and taken captive.

2) How does the promise in verse 2 connect with “therefore Israel will be abandoned….” in verse 3?
The timing of the Lord is perfect, flawless, and wholly wise. He waited for “just the right time” in the grand timeline of history to send Jesus as an infant. (Romans 5:6) Nothing about His actions were either slow or rushed; they were precise and intentional. Micah had laid out the warning of judgment their sinful actions would bring about. He told of the coming, rightly deserved, punishment on Israel. He had also delivered the word of hope that one day, the Messiah, God wrapped in flesh, would come and rule and shepherd Israel, bringing about peace. Now, God would give space. God would wait. He would wait until the perfect time, for Mary and Joseph to be born and raised waiting for hope, engaged to be married with no expectation for what and how exactly God would intervene. God waited for Caesar Augustus’ call for census so Mary and Joseph would travel to Bethlehem, the prophesied about city of Jesus’ birth. He would wait for Rome to build roads across the eastern world so that missionaries like Paul and Peter could easily reach more people with the message of the cross. He would wait for Greek to be the common language so the gospel would spread quickly. Yes, it looked like God “abandoned” Israel, but He hadn’t, He was waiting. The Hebrew word used for “abandoned” in this verse literally means a setting aside for specific work. God intentionally set Israel aside, deferring their coming salvation, until that very moment when history would forever be divided.

3) Why is “ruler of Israel” (verse 2) significant and how does it relate to the other benefits prophesied about that would come with the Messiah?
Where verse 1 mentioned “the judge of Israel”, meaning the human king, verse 2 speaks of One who would be “ruler over Israel for Me”. The “Me” here is God speaking through Micah. This would not be a human who would speak for God like a prophet, this Ruler would BE God whose “origin is from antiquity”, meaning, exactly like God, He had no beginning, but has simply always existed like John speaks of Jesus (the Word) in John 1:1. This ruler would “stand” with authority, He would “shepherd” Israel with tenderness and care, and all He would do would be done with the strength of Yahweh and all would be done in the Name of Yahweh, which would come to pass by Jesus’ own words of Himself, “So Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of His own accord, but only what He sees the Father doing. For whatever the Father does, that the Son does likewise.” (John 5:19) He would bring security without fear for His people, and His “greatness” or fame will be endless and known by all. (Isaiah 52:10, Isaiah 45:22) He would be Israel’s peace, their final victory, and mighty rescuer against strongest foes. No human king could attain such lofty goals. Even if someone was able to bring about peace and all these other wonderful things, there is no possible way it would last forever, yet that was exactly Micah’s prophecy. One human being who would come from Judah’s lineage, but was somehow also God, was intended to fulfill each of these incredible prophecies!

Everyday Application

1) Such vivid imagery and dramatic beginning of this passage (verse 1)! What does this mean?
Micah prophesied of an extremely grievous scenario for Judah, but at the time of prophesy, things didn’t seem that bad. They enjoyed relative wealth, and they felt they were “getting away” with their sinfulness. (Micah 2:8) Yet, every act was seen by God, and their debt against Him must be paid. We are not Judah, but the scenario is the same for us! How easy it is for us to justify our sin, to feel like we can get away with it, to ask forgiveness later, and ignore the reality of sin incurring a debt against a holy God. Like Micah warned Judah, telling her to grieve deeply, so should we grieve over our sin. Punishment for our sin must take place, but we could never pay it, which is why God planned to send the Promised One, the Messiah, Jesus Christ, to take our punishment for us! Babylon would attack Judah and take what was left of the divided Israeli nation into captivity just as Micah said they would. For us, without surrendering everything to Jesus and trusting Him to pay our debt caused by sin, we too will face a captivity. Ours will be eternal, however, and death will have the final word. There is only one hope, God wrapped in flesh, living our life perfectly for us without sin, and then sacrificing Himself as an atonement for sin, followed by a victorious rising from the dead so that life would have the final word for those who believe in Him! Don’t ignore the warning! Grieve over your sin, and let that grief bring you to repentance! (2 Corinthians 7:10)

2) How does the promise in verse 2 connect with “therefore Israel will be abandoned….” in verse 3?
We are quite familiar with waiting, in fact, it often feels as if that’s the majority of how we spend our lives. Waiting to grow up, waiting to graduate, waiting for the right spouse, waiting for children, waiting for achievement, waiting to be noticed for that position, waiting to be loved well, or waiting for that loved one to turn from their erring ways. Rarely do we consider how God also waits. He waited for just the right time for Jesus’ birth, and only He knew when that fullness of time had come, and all of the intricate reasons why that time was perfect. But that’s not the only time He has waited. Every single time someone turns from darkness, away from their sin, and chooses to walk in the light and love of Jesus, God has been waiting for that moment. He’s been waiting to pour out His Spirit into their hearts and fill them with knowledge of Him. As that person grows in understanding and takes more steps of obedience in Christ, God waits at every pause, holding every tear, celebrating every victory, and waiting patiently while we keep growing. We wait in line, we wait at the microwave, we wait in our relationships, but so does our God. While our waiting can seem pointless and frustrating, His is always intentional and pregnant with purpose. Next time you’re waiting for something, anything, remember God waits too, and He has a set aside, specific purpose for that wait!

3) Why is “ruler of Israel” (verse 2) significant and how does it relate to the other benefits prophesied about that would come with the Messiah?
With such wondrous promises at stake, it’s no wonder that Bethlehem kept holding onto the hope of being the birthplace of “the one”. As the years stretched into decades and centuries, I wonder how many people scoffed at the prophesies made by a long-ago prophet named Micah. But, then, I think about today, and my life, and our time. We wait for the same coming King. Yes, the Ancient One, the Word become flesh, has indeed arrived in insignificant little Bethlehem just as God foretold through Micah, but we wait for another coming Day. The same Jesus will come back again! “This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw Him go into heaven. (Acts 1:11) It’s been over 2,000 years since this Jesus was born in Bethlehem, and though no one knows the day or the hour when He will come back to “stand” with authority, to “shepherd” His people with kindness we’ve never imagined, and bring a “peace” that will last for eternity because He is God, we know He absolutely will. So, we, like Bethlehem of old, wait with anticipation!

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Digging Deeper is for Everyone!

1) Take this passage (or any other passage).
2) Read it, and the verses around it,
several times
3) Write down your questions
as you think of them.
4) Ask specific culture related questions and be ready to dig around for your answers. Google them, use www.studylight.org, or look them up in a study Bible and read the footnotes (click on the little letters next to a word and it will show you
other related verses!). (www.esvbible.org)
5) Check your applications with other trusted Christians that you are in community with and embrace the fullness of God
in your everyday!

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Why Dig Deeper?

Finding the original meaning is a huge deal when we study Scripture and can make all the difference in our understanding as we apply God’s truths to our everyday lives.

In our modern-day relationships, we want people to understand our original intention as we communicate; how much more so between God and humanity?!

Here’s a little bit more on why we take Digging Deeper so seriously.

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Here Day 13 Bethlehem

December 25, 2019 by Rebecca Adams Leave a Comment

Read His Words Before Ours!

Micah 5:1-6
Matthew 1:18-25
John 1:43-51
Luke 2:1-7

Here, Day 13

Bethlehem Ephrathah, you are small among the clans of Judah;….
Small indeed.
Truthfully, we barely make the map.
A few hundred people, maybe 300 during high feast times when we have an influx of people. And children? We can only boast less than 10 under the age of 12 months. We may be small, but at least we don’t have a poor reputation like…pfft, Nazareth. Nothing good comes from Nazareth. And I do mean nothing. Impoverished and despised, to come from Nazareth is like walking around with a sign reading “lowest of the low worthless nobody”. Yes, we are small, but we have reason to hold our head high with dignity, for we are the keepers of an ancient prophecy.

….one will come from you….
For 700 years we have protected this prophecy. For 700 years we have waited. For 700 years we have made it known to everyone that we, Bethlehem, would one day be the city of origin for the One. By the power of the Spirit of God, Micah the prophet, spoke these incredible words for all to hear and take to heart. One prophecy tucked into a scroll, foretelling of the One who would indeed come. Seeing as how it’s been seven-hundred years, there have been many who scoff that Micah’s prophecy cannot possibly be true. It’s been too long, they say. Critics, and even some faithful Jews, are wondering…. Will the One actually come? I can’t say I blame them. It’s been 400 years since the last prophetic words were even spoken to Judah. 400 years of silence from Almighty God. Even the most faithful student of the Torah would have reason to doubt the truth, right? But we, Bethlehem, hold fast to our special prophecy… one will come from you.

….to be ruler over Israel for me….
Not just any One. No, this coming One, this Promised One, He about whom rabbis utter in holy hushed whispers, “Messiah”, will be ruler over Israel. Hope spills in with this One. In Micah’s day, Samaria and Jerusalem (the capital cities of Israel and Judah respectively) enjoyed wealth and prosperity, but today, 700 years later, we are ruled by the iron fist of Rome. We are not the nation we once were. Assyrian conquest and Babylonian exile scattered our people, the Jews. Micah warned the Jews of coming destruction, as did his contemporaries, Isaiah and Hosea, but Israel turned a deaf ear. Surely not, they boasted, as they chased their sinful lusts for more. More wealth, more power, more wine, and more women. More of everything except Yahweh, the Lord of Lords.
For this trade of Sin for the Savior, history records their rightfully earned destruction, which brings us to here in Bethlehem. On any given day, shepherds can be spotted across the surrounding hills and plains. Small, dirt pathways are well-worn from calloused, bare feet trodding the same span of miles between shoddy home and meager field. We are poor. We are small. We have little, if anything, to offer, but we do have hope. Hope of the Messiah. Hope that Yahweh’s appointed Ruler will come and overthrow our enemies. Surely, Judah will be great and powerful again!

His origin is from antiquity, from ancient times.
Deity.
With eyes full of wonder, from studied priests to young Jewish boys, all who read Micah’s words are hushed to silence with the awesomeness of this description. This One is not ordinary, nor even merely a man full of wisdom beyond his years. No, this One is the One, The Only One. He is God. Only God has existed from antiquity. Only God Almighty is known as the “Ancient of Days” (Daniel 7:9). Yahweh alone exists from “everlasting to everlasting”. (Psalm 90:2) Dare we even put words to the thought racing wildly in our minds? God with us? Can it be? Might He dwell again with us as His presence rested in the Tabernacle in the days of Moses and David? Hope ignites in our hearts as we guard this precious prophecy seven-hundred years in the waiting. We wait for the unthinkable. Truly, the impossible. We are scattered. We are a broken nation. We are oppressed. Our sin weighs upon us. How could Yahweh come to us?!

Then, lo, a young girl’s scream of agony, blood splattering hay, animals defecting, a Jewish man turned midwife, a cold cave…our cave, Bethlehem’s cave.
A baby’s tiny fingers shaking in the cool air as his lusty cry is heard for the first time, echoing against the harsh walls and mixed amid the chords of animal noises.
He’s here.
The Promise has come.

Here, in our brokenness, our chaos, our long-awaitedness, in our doubt, in our grasping onto hope….Here.
He is here!

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The GT Weekend! ~ Here Week 2

December 21, 2019 by Rebecca Adams Leave a Comment

The GT Weekend!

At Gracefully Truthful, weekends aren’t for “checking out”.
Use this time to invite the Almighty’s fullness into you life in a deeper way!
Saturdays and Sundays are a chance to
reflect, rest, and re-center our lives onto Christ.
Don’t miss the opportunity to connect with other women in prayer,
rest your soul in reflective journaling,
and spend time worshiping the Creator who
longs for intimacy with each of us!

Worship Through Journaling

1) Think about those moments when you have been utterly caught off guard by the Holy One. You are living your mundane, breathing in and out, and suddenly, you realize it, He Is Here. He is speaking. He is calling. He knows your name, your face, and your story. Pause to reflect on how you have most recently encountered the God of the Universe. It probably wasn’t angels singing and a heavenly message delivered with swirls of light, but be assured, if you haven’t heard from the Lord lately, it’s not because He doesn’t want to speak to you. Draw near Him with a humble heart, bring all you have, offer it up, and let His Spirit speak to your heart through His powerful Word!

2) “I have no room for another” was Herod’s mantra. His perspective on Bethlehem and the coming Messiah gives me chills as I recede into the light of wanting to find myself at the manger with the shepherds. But, am I being honest? Can I find myself here as well, in the cold-hearted, clenched-fisted heart of King Herod? I am learning to love my Savior more every day, but I would be flat-out lying to you if I said there aren’t places where I throw my own gauntlet at the wall and scream in defiance, “I have no room for another!”. I want my way, apart from Christ, at various moments and in various seasons. Do you? Pray through some of those areas, as I do the same. May the true King soften our hearts and teach us to love Him most!

3) It’s easy to forget Simeon’s role in the Christmas story. Jesus is only 8 earth days old, yet the Timeless One had pre-determined to encounter one man in the temple that day. One man who had waited his entire life for God to prove faithful to His Word. Here, in the waiting, do you see your face in this mirror held up by Simeon? One glimpse, only a few moments, after waiting a lifetime, but it was more than enough because Simeon saw the faithfulness of God towards himself, and all peoples. Chances are pretty good that you’re waiting on something this Christmas. A relationship to heal, finances to turn around, a diagnosis to shift, a heavy sadness to lift, an ache to be filled. And oh, here we wait with Simeon. Turn your eyes of faith to the Timeless One who sees and knows and satisfies in His way and His time. Turn over your waiting to the One who waits for you to lean into Him!

Praying Scripture back to the One who wrote it in the first place is a great way to jump start our prayer-life! Pray this passage from Micah 7:7 back to the Lord and
let His Spirit speak to you through it!

But as for me, I will look to the Lord;
I will wait for the God of my salvation;
my God will hear me.

Prayer Journal
The shepherds waited. The Jews waited. Simeon waited. Mary and Joseph waited. Even the angels waited for this moment in time when You would announce Your arrival and bring hope that would last. Lord, let me not scoff the waiting. Remind my feeble faith to trust. Surely, You who drew the poorest and the most outcast in close as You announced the arrival of Your Son, will not overlook my wait. Teach me to come near, to trust, to wait because I know You hear.

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Here Day 10 Simeon

December 20, 2019 by Briana Almengor Leave a Comment

Read His Words Before Ours!

Isaiah 52:13-53:1
Luke 2:22-35
Isaiah 25:1-9

Here, Day 10

Though I often stumble as I amble because I am an old man,
today I could run like the youth and fly like an eagle. (Isaiah 40:31)

I have seen the salvation of my people!
He came in flesh, wrapped in linen, carried by a virgin.
Oh, the miraculous grace of my Lord!
Oh, His kindness that He gave sight to my faith.
Oh, the wonder of how this baby will save my people and more than I can imagine.
Oh, the heartache his mother will bear, his father will not be able to spare her from.

I endured a fitful night of sleep, woke early, and felt I must go to the temple right away as the Spirit led me. As I watched precious parents parade into the temple with lambs, or turtledoves and pigeons for those of meager means, I spotted Him and my heart quickened as God’s Spirit moved within me, opening my eyes to see His Promised One.

I stood for a few moments, taking in the scene before me. So long have I waited. So long have I prayed. Shamefully I recall my doubt when the years stretched on without answer. Yet, despite my doubt, the Lord has proven faithful. Tears stream unabashedly down my beard as my eyes drank in the long-awaited sight of the Messiah.
His mother so attentive to His cry, His father so attentive to His mother, and I marveled at the miracle of it all.

The Messiah!
How many have waited for this day right along with me, and yet, as I looked around at the crowd, my heart broke with agony.
They do not know! The ONE we have waited generations for is here, in our midst! Yet, they carry on. Oh Lord, make them see, I breathed.

The priest accepted their offering, 2 turtledoves, the offering marked out for the poorest of the poor. (Leviticus 12:8) Emotion flooded me as I realized Yahweh’s powerful grandeur lay before me wrapped in peasant flesh. Here. He was here with us.

And suddenly, overwhelmed by the Spirit, I moved forward with eyes only for the small, poor, sacred family of three as they left the altar. I approached, gently inquiring if I might prophesy over their child. They eagerly handed Him over as though they knew already what I was going to say. Had they been visited, too? Did they know Whose tiny fingers gripped theirs? Did they see how the One who held all things together was now being held by them? Unfathomable!

Nevertheless, I took this boy, just eight days old, raised him in the air and proclaimed by the Spirit,
Now, Master, you can dismiss your servant in peace, as you promised. For my eyes have
seen your salvation. You have prepared it in the presence of all peoples—a light for
revelation to the Gentiles and glory to your people Israel.

I returned the boy to His parents, having held the Author of Life in my hands. Though my tongue had now stilled from the Spirit’s work, my heart continued in prayer as my soul lifted to heights I’d never experienced.
The wait was over, Hope was here!

Yes, this baby will bring joy, peace, and salvation, but His life will also perplex, anger, and confuse others. He will not rise on the accolades of all, nor fall from the targeted anger of those He offends, but He will live out His destiny.

And now I have lived out mine.
You promised, my God, that my faith would be given sight. You promised I would see Your Salvation.
You promised I would see the Messiah.
You promised, and though it felt like I might have misheard you at times for the longing of it, and the waiting for it, You have kept your promise. You have kept Your word.
You are faithful!

Here I am, an old man fulfilled in your kept word.
Here I am, a man whose life has been devoted wholly to you, satisfied and finding it all worth it.
The questioning, the doubting, the mocking at times by my own?
All worth it.
You kept your word.
You are worthy.

For those who have yet to experience You and Your faithfulness,
may Your grace be upon them.

For sweet Mary, whose heart will near break in two at the fulfillment of your word,
may Your grace be upon her.

For Joseph, just a man called to raise the Son of Man,
may Your grace be upon him.

For all those who will question the life of this baby, the far-reaching grace of His life,
may Your grace be upon them to believe.

For those who will be questioned in their belief because they do not fit the mold of your Promised people,
may Your grace be upon them to persevere in hope.

For those who will condemn and betray this Messiah because He is not who they want Him to be, may Your grace be upon their souls.

Have mercy, dear God, upon all
just as You have had mercy on me.

And, now, I am at peace.
However much longer my days, I know a peace that nothing can pierce for my hope has been realized. Give this peace to all who may look upon the eyes and life of this baby and hope as I have, now, and for all time to come. Amen!

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Here Day 8 King Herod

December 18, 2019 by Merry Ohler Leave a Comment

Read His Words Before Ours!

Matthew 2:1-18
Micah 5:1-6
Jeremiah 31:15-25

Here, Day 8

“WISE men?” I laughed mirthlessly as I swirled the ruby liquid in my goblet. Without warning, I hurled the heavy object across the room as I roared in anger. Wine sprayed across the white marble floor as the goblet shattered with a crash. The dark color reminded me of blood. High priests and scholars who had been sharing whispered information with me only moments ago scurried from the throne room like frightened children, eager to escape my wrath. A servant hurried silently to clean the spill and restore order.

My thoughts churned, an equal mixture of fury and disgust. They couldn’t be THAT wise! How dare they show up in my kingdom, unannounced, to inquire about the newborn king of the Jews?! I am the King of the Jews. There is no other. I rule with the support of Rome and most of Jerusalem.

Did they truly think this course of action could possibly end well for them? If they had any sense or skill at all, their stars and signs would have forewarned them what a mistake it would be to come here! I’ll make sure it’s a mistake they won’t make again. They won’t be doing anything once I’m through with them.

Although… Perhaps there’s a way I can use their idiocy to my advantage. I stood and took a few steps toward the opposite wall before turning to pace back the other way. The whispers of an idea were beginning to take shape.

The prophecy plainly states the Messiah will come from Bethlehem. Of that, everyone seems certain. If it is true, and he is here, I know that’s the region where he’ll be. He is only an infant. He is weak and defenseless…for now.

I am the only king of the Jews. I will not allow him to become my successor. A darker thought took root and began to grow. He will never make it to adulthood; I won’t allow it.

“Simeon!” I barked, fists clenched, robes rustling behind me.

He appeared at once and bowed. “Yes, my king?”

“I want you to arrange a meeting with the men from the East. Tell no one. I want to meet with them at once!”

Simeon bowed again. “Yes, my king.” He left as silently as he had appeared.

Yes. This will work, I can feel it!

I will convince them that I, too, want to worship the newborn king.
I will convince them that my motives are pure.
Then, I will find him.

I will find him, and I will kill him.

I felt a cold smile curve my lips. The prophecy was good for something, after all. God may have intended it to inspire hope, but instead, it would serve to secure my reign against His “Messiah.”

I retrieved the new goblet a servant had placed on the table beside my throne and poured a generous helping. What kind of God sends His Messiah as a baby, anyway? Kings are powerful. They command armies, and respect. They deal with rulers, and other authorities. Nothing about this makes any sense.

Lost in my thoughts, I sat on my throne and studied the gems adorning one hand, swirling the wine with my other hand. The sound of someone clearing their throat brought me back, and I noticed Simeon had returned.

“It is done, my king. They will be here soon.” He bowed, never once making eye contact.

I chuckled with dark delight. “Well done, Simeon! Leave me, I need to be alone with my thoughts.”

He strode quietly from the room as I stood and began to pace once more.

“Thank you so much for coming to meet with me! Yes, I too, am thrilled that the prophecy is fulfilled and am eager to…” I snorted aloud as an unsolicited bout of laughter overtook me. “…worship the newborn king!”

Yes. This will work splendidly…if only I can keep from laughing outright!

No one will take my kingdom from me.
No one will take my power, my position, my status.
No one will bow to any other king of the Jews.

I ALONE determine my fate, and the fate of all I rule.
I will NEVER allow this infant Messiah to survive, to fulfill the prophecy.

And once I kill him, I will kill these foolish “wise” men, too. They will rue the day they dared set foot in my kingdom to seek to worship my successor.

I am the King. I am Herod. I have no room for another.

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Thanks for joining us today as we journeyed into Here Week Two! Don’t miss out on the discussion below – we’d love to hear your thoughts!

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