March 29, 2015
Hymn 327 - When mothers of Salem
Prayer
Nehemiah 9:1-3
The children of Israel wanted to spend more time reading the law. However, they didn’t have very many copies; in fact, there was only the one at the temple. So everyone had to come together to hear it being read; and that’s what they did, on the 24th day of the month. The Lord didn’t ask them to put that day aside, but it was what the people wanted.
The people humbled themselves that day. They were sorry for their sins, they fasted, and they wore sackcloth. They even put earth on their heads, instead of ashes, as were used in other parts of the Bible. They even separated themselves from the strangers, the heathens among them. We may have to do this as well, severing relationships that are hindering us spiritually.
1 John 1:9
This is what they were doing: they were confessing and God was forgiving them. I read a story about a family who was having trouble with mice on their farm. Dad made a deal with the two sons: they would each get a nickel for every mouse they caught. Early one morning, before his brother got up, the older one checked their traps. Of his two traps, one of them had a mouse. He checked his brother’s two traps, and there was one mouse there. He had been saving for a football, and only needed 10 more cents. An idea came to him: he could switch his brother’s mouse with his empty trap. So he changed them quickly and then went to help his father with the chores. His father tried to talk to him, but the boy just avoided him. His conscience was working. Soon, Mother called for breakfast, but the boy said he wasn’t hungry. His father realized that something was wrong. Soon, the whole story was out and the father forgave the son. When we do wrong, we must confess it and we will receive forgiveness.
So the children of Israel came together and read the law for a quarter of the day. Another quarter day was spent confessing their sins and worshiping the Lord. I’ve heard it said that worship is the overflow of the heart. They were thankful for all the Lord did for them. What a marvellous day that must have been for the children of Israel. We can take example from the children of Israel to read and understand the Bible, and to confess our sins, and to worship.
Acts 27
In one place in the epistles, Paul lists the perils that he had been through. Sometimes we wonder when all those things happened to him, but we probably get details on a few here in this chapter. Maybe that’s why Luke recorded the detail that he did.
We got Paul’s mission statement in verse 18 of chapter 26, and he did what he was commanded to do. He preached the gospel to many and established assemblies. You can preach the gospel from this chapter, especially starting from verse 11. The centurion didn’t listen to Paul’s advice, but by the end of the story Paul saved everyone. The sailors took the easy route, the south wind blew softly, and life was good. They floated along with that until they hit the tempestuous Euroclydon. After that, they tried to use helps to undergird the ship; just like men use morality—don’t do this, and don’t do that—to try to earn heaven. They eventually lost all hope, and it was at that point that Paul came with the message of hope.
It’s also been suggested that this chapter 27 parallels the journey of the church to glory, or the seven letters to the churches in Revelation. They had left harbour, like Ephesus leaving their first love. They ran into the troubles of Smyrna. Then came the period where Constantine made Christianity popular—Pergamos. Thyatira followed, with the invention of the popery. Paul finally spoke to the sailors and took charge of the situation; which was like Philadelphia and the reformers. Part of the church came out of Sardis—the Protestant system—and can go into either Philadelphia or Laodicea. May we seek to be in Philadelphia, not Sardis or Laodicea!
Many of the names in the Bible have meanings that we can learn from, and maybe some of these places do. For instance, we are told to set our minds on things above. But what is above? Our inheritance is. Reading in Joshua, the conquest of Israel’s inheritance, Canaan, we come across some interesting thoughts. Caleb—wholeheartedness—received Mount Hebron—communion—as his inheritance. Wholeheartedness got communion. That’s something to ponder.
Paul was under a Roman centurion named Julius. God gave Paul favour in the sight of this man, and he allowed Paul to go and visit friends. They refreshed Paul, which is precious to see.
Luke was apparently on this journey, for he uses the pronoun “we.” It wasn’t just Paul’s journey, or Luke’s journey, though. It’s the journey of all who follow Christ. If we look at history and the present, we see that the Church is in a state of shipwreck. Paul’s doctrine has been left behind. May we remain faithful.
Hymn 234 — Saviour lead me lest I stray
Prayer