Day 351: How to Read and Understand the Bible (Psalm 144:9-15, Revelation 8:1-9:12, Ezra 1:1-2:67)

Psalm 144:9-15

  ⁹ I will sing a new song to you, my God;
   on the ten-stringed lyre I will make music to you,
  ¹⁰ to the One who gives victory to kings,
   who delivers his servant David.

  From the deadly sword ¹¹ deliver me;
   rescue me from the hands of foreigners
  whose mouths are full of lies,
   whose right hands are deceitful.

  ¹² Then our sons in their youth
   will be like well-nurtured plants,
  and our daughters will be like pillars
   carved to adorn a palace.
  ¹³ Our barns will be filled
   with every kind of provision.
  Our sheep will increase by thousands,
   by tens of thousands in our fields;
   ¹⁴ our oxen will draw heavy loads.
  There will be no breaching of walls,
   no going into captivity,
   no cry of distress in our streets.
  ¹⁵ Blessed is the people of whom this is true;
   blessed is the people whose God is the Lord.

Commentary

Be real with God (poetry)

God wants us to be real with him. The Psalms are not prayers from nice people using polite language. They are often raw, earthy and rough; they are an honest, true and personal response to God.

The Psalms are written in the language of poetry. The poet, Robert Burns, wrote, ‘My love is like a red, red rose.’ He did not mean it literally.

Much of the language of theology involves comparison. When two things are compared it does not mean they are alike in all respects.

For example:

‘Make our sons in their prime
like sturdy oak trees,
Our daughters as shapely and bright
as fields of wildflowers’ (v.12, MSG).

The Psalms also express very human sentiments. For example, in our passage for today the psalmist writes, ‘Deliver me and rescue me from the hands of foreigners whose mouths are full of lies, whose right hands are deceitful’ (v.11).

Obviously, it is not true that all foreigners are liars and deceivers. But the Psalms sometimes express anger towards God and vindictiveness towards others. It does not mean that these feelings are right, but they are candid responses, which many of us also feel at different times in our lives.

David was in the midst of war and was being attacked regularly by foreign city states. Armed conflict was a fact of life for him, and it is against this backdrop that he thanks God for training his hands for war. Yet this does not imply that we should emulate these sentiments. Both in the New Testament and in the Old Testament we are supposed to have a special love for foreigners and outsiders.

However, there are other sentiments that you can be inspired to follow. For example, David’s words in verse 9 inspire us to worship. He goes on to speak of his longing for God’s blessing on his family, his work and the security of his nation. He ends, ‘Blessed are the people of whom this is true; blessed are the people whose God is the Lord’ (v.15).

Prayer

Lord, thank you that your blessing is on the church – the people whose God is the Lord. I worship you today and pray for your blessing on my family, work, ministry, city and nation.

Revelation 8:1-9:12

The Seventh Seal and the Golden Censer

8 When he opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour.

² And I saw the seven angels who stand before God, and seven trumpets were given to them.

³ Another angel, who had a golden censer, came and stood at the altar. He was given much incense to offer, with the prayers of all God’s people, on the golden altar in front of the throne. ⁴ The smoke of the incense, together with the prayers of God’s people, went up before God from the angel’s hand. ⁵ Then the angel took the censer, filled it with fire from the altar, and hurled it on the earth; and there came peals of thunder, rumblings, flashes of lightning and an earthquake.

The Trumpets

⁶ Then the seven angels who had the seven trumpets prepared to sound them.

⁷ The first angel sounded his trumpet, and there came hail and fire mixed with blood, and it was hurled down on the earth. A third of the earth was burned up, a third of the trees were burned up, and all the green grass was burned up.

⁸ The second angel sounded his trumpet, and something like a huge mountain, all ablaze, was thrown into the sea. A third of the sea turned into blood, ⁹ a third of the living creatures in the sea died, and a third of the ships were destroyed.

¹⁰ The third angel sounded his trumpet, and a great star, blazing like a torch, fell from the sky on a third of the rivers and on the springs of water — ¹¹ the name of the star is Wormwood. A third of the waters turned bitter, and many people died from the waters that had become bitter.

¹² The fourth angel sounded his trumpet, and a third of the sun was struck, a third of the moon, and a third of the stars, so that a third of them turned dark. A third of the day was without light, and also a third of the night.

¹³ As I watched, I heard an eagle that was flying in midair call out in a loud voice: “Woe! Woe! Woe to the inhabitants of the earth, because of the trumpet blasts about to be sounded by the other three angels!”

9 The fifth angel sounded his trumpet, and I saw a star that had fallen from the sky to the earth. The star was given the key to the shaft of the Abyss. ² When he opened the Abyss, smoke rose from it like the smoke from a gigantic furnace. The sun and sky were darkened by the smoke from the Abyss. ³ And out of the smoke locusts came down on the earth and were given power like that of scorpions of the earth. ⁴ They were told not to harm the grass of the earth or any plant or tree, but only those people who did not have the seal of God on their foreheads. ⁵ They were not allowed to kill them but only to torture them for five months. And the agony they suffered was like that of the sting of a scorpion when it strikes. ⁶ During those days people will seek death but will not find it; they will long to die, but death will elude them.

⁷ The locusts looked like horses prepared for battle. On their heads they wore something like crowns of gold, and their faces resembled human faces. ⁸ Their hair was like women’s hair, and their teeth were like lions’ teeth. ⁹ They had breastplates like breastplates of iron, and the sound of their wings was like the thundering of many horses and chariots rushing into battle. ¹⁰ They had tails with stingers, like scorpions, and in their tails they had power to torment people for five months. ¹¹ They had as king over them the angel of the Abyss, whose name in Hebrew is Abaddon and in Greek is Apollyon (that is, Destroyer).

¹² The first woe is past; two other woes are yet to come.

New Testament Commentary

Make a difference by your prayers (apocalyptic)

Apocalyptic literature is the literature of dreams and visions, of divine mysteries and the end of history. It is full of symbols that need to be decoded. In it we are given glimpses of things that are often at the very limits of human understanding; the complicated and fantastic imagery can help us begin to grasp things that are beyond comprehension.

Apocalyptic literature is notoriously difficult to interpret. Within the Bible it is found in several places – especially the books of Daniel and Revelation.

Typically, the reading from the apocalyptic writing for today is not easy to understand. It appears to be Christ calling the world to repentance and his warning of the coming judgment.

Before the judgment: ‘Heaven fell quiet – complete silence for about half an hour’ (8:1, MSG). During this period of trembling suspense, all of heaven is silenced, possibly symbolising the opportunity for the prayers of God’s people to be presented to and heard by God.

The seven trumpets (v.2) suggest he is doing everything in his power to bring us to repentance. God’s desire is to warn us of the inevitable consequences of our ways. The first four trumpets herald damage to nature (vv.6–13). There is environmental disaster (v.7), chaos in creation (vv.8–9), human tragedy (vv.10–11) and harm to the cosmos (v.12). Then the fifth and sixth angels herald damage to human beings (9:1–21).

In the midst of this, you can see the importance of your prayers. ‘Another angel… was given much incense to offer, with the prayers of all the saints… The smoke of the incense, together with the prayers of the saints, went up before God from the angel’s hand’ (8:3–4). The exact effect of the prayers is not clear, but what is clear is that your prayers are heard by God. Your prayers matter. They make a difference.

We live in the time between the first and the second coming of Christ. We see evidence of much of what is written about in these chapters happening in our world. Our response should be repentance and prayer.

Prayer

Lord, I want to examine my own life and repent of any known sins. Thank you that you hear my prayers and that they make a difference.

Ezra 1:1-2:67

Cyrus Helps the Exiles to Return

1 In the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, in order to fulfill the word of the Lord spoken by Jeremiah, the Lord moved the heart of Cyrus king of Persia to make a proclamation throughout his realm and also to put it in writing:

² “This is what Cyrus king of Persia says:

“‘The Lord, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth and he has appointed me to build a temple for him at Jerusalem in Judah. ³ Any of his people among you may go up to Jerusalem in Judah and build the temple of the Lord, the God of Israel, the God who is in Jerusalem, and may their God be with them. ⁴ And in any locality where survivors may now be living, the people are to provide them with silver and gold, with goods and livestock, and with freewill offerings for the temple of God in Jerusalem.’”

⁵ Then the family heads of Judah and Benjamin, and the priests and Levites—everyone whose heart God had moved —prepared to go up and build the house of the Lord in Jerusalem. ⁶ All their neighbours assisted them with articles of silver and gold, with goods and livestock, and with valuable gifts, in addition to all the freewill offerings.

⁷ Moreover, King Cyrus brought out the articles belonging to the temple of the Lord, which Nebuchadnezzar had carried away from Jerusalem and had placed in the temple of his god. ⁸ Cyrus king of Persia had them brought by Mithredath the treasurer, who counted them out to Sheshbazzar the prince of Judah.

⁹ This was the inventory:

  gold dishes 30
  silver dishes 1,000
  silver pans 29
  ¹⁰ gold bowls 30
  matching silver bowls 410
  other articles 1,000

¹¹ In all, there were 5,400 articles of gold and of silver. Sheshbazzar brought all these along with the exiles when they came up from Babylon to Jerusalem.

The List of the Exiles Who Returned

2 Now these are the people of the province who came up from the captivity of the exiles, whom Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon had taken captive to Babylon (they returned to Jerusalem and Judah, each to their own town, ² in company with Zerubbabel, Joshua, Nehemiah, Seraiah, Reelaiah, Mordecai, Bilshan, Mispar, Bigvai, Rehum and Baanah):

  The list of the men of the people of Israel:

  ³ the descendants of Parosh 2,172
   ⁴ of Shephatiah 372
   ⁵ of Arah 775
   ⁶ of Pahath-Moab (through the line of Jeshua and Joab) 2,812
   ⁷ of Elam 1,254
   ⁸ of Zattu 945
   ⁹ of Zakkai 760
   ¹⁰ of Bani 642
   ¹¹ of Bebai 623
   ¹² of Azgad 1,222
   ¹³ of Adonikam 666
   ¹⁴ of Bigvai 2,056
   ¹⁵ of Adin 454
   ¹⁶ of Ater (through Hezekiah) 98
   ¹⁷ of Bezai 323
   ¹⁸ of Jorah 112
   ¹⁹ of Hashum 223
   ²⁰ of Gibbar 95

  ²¹ the men of Bethlehem 123
   ²² of Netophah 56
   ²³ of Anathoth 128
   ²⁴ of Azmaveth 42
   ²⁵ of Kiriath Jearim, Kephirah and Beeroth 743
   ²⁶ of Ramah and Geba 621
   ²⁷ of Mikmash 122
   ²⁸ of Bethel and Ai 223
   ²⁹ of Nebo 52
   ³⁰ of Magbish 156
   ³¹ of the other Elam 1,254
   ³² of Harim 320
   ³³ of Lod, Hadid and Ono 725
   ³⁴ of Jericho 345
   ³⁵ of Senaah 3,630

  ³⁶ The priests:

  the descendants of Jedaiah (through the family of Jeshua) 973
   ³⁷ of Immer 1,052
   ³⁸ of Pashhur 1,247
   ³⁹ of Harim 1,017

  ⁴⁰ The Levites:

  the descendants of Jeshua and Kadmiel (of the line of Hodaviah) 74

  ⁴¹ The musicians:

  the descendants of Asaph 128

  ⁴² The gatekeepers of the temple:

  the descendants of
   Shallum, Ater, Talmon,
   Akkub, Hatita and Shobai 139

  ⁴³ The temple servants:

  the descendants of
   Ziha, Hasupha, Tabbaoth,
   ⁴⁴ Keros, Siaha, Padon,
   ⁴⁵ Lebanah, Hagabah, Akkub,
   ⁴⁶ Hagab, Shalmai, Hanan,
   ⁴⁷ Giddel, Gahar, Reaiah,
   ⁴⁸ Rezin, Nekoda, Gazzam,
   ⁴⁹ Uzza, Paseah, Besai,
   ⁵⁰ Asnah, Meunim, Nephusim,
   ⁵¹ Bakbuk, Hakupha, Harhur,
   ⁵² Bazluth, Mehida, Harsha,
   ⁵³ Barkos, Sisera, Temah,
   ⁵⁴ Neziah and Hatipha

  ⁵⁵ The descendants of the servants of Solomon:

  the descendants of
   Sotai, Hassophereth, Peruda,
   ⁵⁶ Jaala, Darkon, Giddel,
   ⁵⁷ Shephatiah, Hattil,
   Pokereth-Hazzebaim and Ami

  ⁵⁸ The temple servants and the descendants of the servants of Solomon 392

  ⁵⁹ The following came up from the towns of Tel Melah, Tel Harsha, Kerub, Addon and Immer, but they could not show that their families were descended from Israel:

  ⁶⁰ The descendants of
   Delaiah, Tobiah and Nekoda 652

  ⁶¹ And from among the priests:

  The descendants of
   Hobaiah, Hakkoz and Barzillai (a man who had married a daughter of
    Barzillai the Gileadite and was called by that name).

  ⁶² These searched for their family records, but they could not find them and so were excluded from the priesthood as unclean. ⁶³ The governor ordered them not to eat any of the most sacred food until there was a priest ministering with the Urim and Thummim.

  ⁶⁴ The whole company numbered 42,360, ⁶⁵ besides their 7,337 male and female slaves; and they also had 200 male and female singers. ⁶⁶ They had 736 horses, 245 mules, ⁶⁷ 435 camels and 6,720 donkeys.

Old Testament Commentary

Fulfil God’s purpose for your life (history)

God has a purpose for your life. You are called to do something special for him. The book of Ezra shows us that even when it is God’s plan, there will be plenty of opposition and resistance. But God is with you (1:3) and God’s plans will ultimately succeed.

In the book of Ezra, we find ourselves in the more familiar territory of history. The historical books of the Bible are not simply records of what happened, they also provide interpretations of the events they describe. Historical writing was seen as a prophetic activity, both recording the facts and explaining or revealing how God was at work through the events that are described.

The opening verse of Ezra is an excellent example of this bringing together of fact and interpretation: ‘In the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, in order to fulfil the word of the Lord spoken by Jeremiah, the Lord moved the heart of Cyrus king of Persia to make a proclamation throughout his realm and to put it in writing’ (v.1). (Contemporary inscriptions show that Cyrus king of Persia allowed other captive nations to return home as well.)

At the same time the writer explains the significance of these historical events. He highlights how they fulfilled the earlier prophecy of Jeremiah that the exile would last approximately seventy years (Jeremiah 25:12 and 29:10). This is not just a lesson in ancient history; it is a revelation of God. It shows us God’s faithfulness to his people; it reminds us that he is a saving God, and it demonstrates how he is in command and control of history.

The events Ezra describes in these chapters took place in 536 BC. After seventy years of decline, defeat and exile there was a new beginning as God’s people were allowed to return home.

Cyrus’ decree allowed the Jews to return and to rebuild the temple in Jerusalem. Ezra focuses on rebuilding the temple, and Nehemiah on the rebuilding of the walls of Jerusalem. However, their underlying motives were exactly the same. They were concerned for God’s glory and God’s people. Both, in their different ways fulfilled God’s purpose for their lives.

Today, it is the same for you. You have a unique purpose for your life. We all have different projects, depending on our different jobs, passions and giftings, but your underlying motive should be the same – a concern for God’s glory and God’s people. God will fulfil his purpose for you.

Prayer

Lord, I want to be available for you to fulfil your purpose for me. May my life bring glory to your name.

Pippa adds

I have just waded through the long list of names returning from exile in Ezra 2. They counted people because people count.

Verse of the Day

Psalm 144:15

‘… blessed are the people whose God is the LORD’

References