Psalms:130,131, 133 Meditation Acts: Barnabas and Paul have returned to Jerusalem just in time for the Church’s first Council. They spoke of all the wonders God had performed among the Gentiles; this served as a confirmation of their calling to go to the Gentiles. Still, Jewish Christians had intimated that Church membership depended upon the …
Tag: Jerusalem
Wednesday, December 6
Epiphany Psalm 97 Meditation: Matthew –Israel had been expecting a mighty warrior to ride into Jerusalem one day and kick all of the Romans and non-Jewish people out of the city. Apparently, they had forgotten that Isaiah had prophesied that the Messiah would not be noticeable until he established justice on earth. “…a smoldering wick …
Wednesday, December 23
Psalms: 72 Meditation Titus: Titus was a young pastor in Paul’s charge. Paul entrusted him in many assignments not the least was to collect for the destitute in Jerusalem He was later appointed elder (bishop) on the Isle of Crete. This epistle contains in it some instructions for whomever would seek to be an elder. …
Tuesday, December 15
Psalm: 45 Meditation Zechariah: Cyrus, the Persian king, issued a decree in 538 B.C. allowing any and all Jews to return to Jerusalem. They had been led captive some 50+ before while Jeremiah was prophesying telling those Jews to settle in Babylon and to build houses and families and communities. Some of them became quite …
Monday, November 30
Psalm: 1, 2, 3 Meditation Matthew: This is Matthew’s account of Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem. He rode upon a donkey (ass – KJV) which has some significance. while this verse (5) is fulfillment of Zechariah 9:9 virtually verbatim, the import finds itself footed in the Book of Judges (5:10). The judge and later the …
Wednesday, November 11
Psalms: 78:40-72 Meditation Nehemiah: The “Book of the Law of Moses” spoken of here are the first 5 books of the bible AKA the Pentateuch. Nehemiah and Ezra had positioned the priests and Levites in the whole assembly of Israel in Jerusalem (maybe 50, 000 not counting women and children) to help explain what Ezra …
Thursday, November 5
Psalm: 74 Meditation Ezra: Ezra was commissioned by King Artaxerxes (or Xerxes) to return to Jerusalem to rebuild the Temple; to make it ready for worship. This letter is Ezra’s bona fides (his credentials or authorization) and Artaxerxes’ endorsement. He is to get as much gold and silver as needed and any free-will offerings as …
Monday, November 2
Psalm: 65 Meditation Nehemiah: Jerusalem had been leveled by Nebuchadnezzar. Dust and rubble. Nehemiah and his volunteers managed to rebuild the city walls in 52 days. Apparently the history of Jerusalem itself struck fear into the locals such that they sent threatening letters to ward of Nehemiah and those with him. His worried friends suggested …
Friday, October 30
Psalms: 20 Meditation Nehemiah: Nehemiah and Ezra should have been twins except that Ezra was a priest (thus of the tribe of Levi, a son of Aaron and Nehemiah was of the tribe if Judah. Ezra had returned to Jerusalem ahead of Nehemiah. Nehemiah was an official sent by Artaxerxes (or Xerxes the king) to …
Saturday, October 24
Psalms: 30 Meditation Ezra: The story of Ezra, priest and scribe, traces the history of the rebuilding of the Jerusalem after the exile. Seventy years after Nebuchadnezzar conquered Judah, his successor and conqueror Cyrus of Persia (see Daniel chapter 2) had granted to any and all Jews who were so inclined to return to Jerusalem …
