Nehemiah and Restoration

Nehemiah lived during a time when the people of God were attacked. They were taken as prisoners of war and their land was destroyed. Nehemiah went back to Judah to rebuild the wall of Jerusalem. The story of Nehemiah is an amazing story of restoration. It tells of the hardship he went through during the process and the provision and protection God provided.

Restoration takes time. God could have easily rebuilt His city overnight but instead He wanted His people to be part of the rebuilding process. Brick by brick they rebuilt. Their sweat and blood was in the wall of Jerusalem now. Their healing was not handed to them overnight but instead God wanted their DNA to be part of the story of restoration. They could now own their story of redemption. They could point at the restored wall and tell how they helped bring restoration. It was not just a story someone told about this thing that happened that one time. It was personal. There is something powerful about owning your story. 

Their past did not disqualify them from their future. Their sin did not disqualify them from restoration. Because they repented, God restored His city. Previously, Israel and Judah had turned from God. They sinned greatly and were even worse than some of the nations they displaced when they came to the Promised Land. They knew God’s laws and had stories of His provision yet they chose to ignore God. They were just distant stories bordering on fairy tales and myths. They did not own their history. God sent prophet after prophet to warn his people of the coming destruction if they did not repent. They did not listen and invading armies destroyed the two nations.

But God’s love is enduring, everlasting (Ps 100:5, Ps 136). His love does not end and does not change. Just as a loving father disciplines his children, so a loving Father disciplined His children. His children repented and God allowed them to rebuild their city walls in fifty-two days. “And when our enemies heard of it, all the nations around us were afraid and fell greatly in their own esteem for they perceived that this work had been accomplished with the help of our God” (Ne 6:16).

God longs to rebuild His people. This begins by spending time with Him. When we spend time with Him, He tells us who we are. He tells us who He is and how we are to respond out of that. Things change when they are restored. No longer is it weak and falling apart but whole.

Promises through Rest

In Isaiah 58 God talks about the kind of fast he desires: feeding the hungry, freeing the oppressed, taking care of the poor. In other words, the kind of fast God desires is a fast from self. God then gives a promise to those who choose this kind of fast:

“And the LORD will guide you continually and satisfy your desire in scorched places and make your bones strong; and you shall be like a watered garden, like a spring of water, whose waters do not fail. And your ancient ruins shall be rebuilt; you shall raise up the foundations of many generations; you shall be called the repairer of the breach, the restorer of streets to dwell in. “If you turn back your foot from the Sabbath, from doing your pleasure on my holy day, and call the Sabbath a delight and the holy day of the LORD honorable; if you honor it, not going your own ways, or seeking your own pleasure, or talking idly; then you shall take delight in the LORD, and I will make you ride on the heights of the earth; I will feed you with the heritage of Jacob your father, for the mouth of the LORD has spoken.” (Isaiah 58:11-14 ESV)

That first sentence is a great promise—“I will satisfy your desire in scorched places...” In a place of desolation, I will satisfy your desires. I will make you an oasis in the midst of brokenness. An oasis was a place of rest from the desert. Before this can happen though, God needs to rebuild what we thought was lost. He needs to raise up the foundations that crumbled and restore the ruins that were forgotten years ago. He wants to restore dreams and bring healing to the hurt places of our hearts.

As God begins this process we will begin to be known as a “repairer of the breach, the restorer of streets to dwell in.” In other words, as we are restored, God uses us to bring restoration in others so they in turn can bring restoration to others. This is true revenge against the devil. As we are healed in one area, we have special authority over it. We have a testimony. Revelation 12:11 says, “And they have conquered him [the devil] by the blood of the Lamb and the word of their testimony.” When we receive freedom, we get to go to others who are hurting in that area and we can tell them our story of redemption and walk with them through their story of redemption.

God promises insteads. Isaiah 61 gives a good list of instead. Instead of ashes, a beautiful headdress. Instead of mourning, gladness. Instead of a faint spirit, a garment of praise. Instead of shame, a double portion and everlasting joy. Where you were hurt, God wants to bring restoration and freedom. It does not mean the memory goes away but it does mean you are no longer controlled by the memory.

Rest is a big part of restoration. God created a Sabbath for a reason. When we take time to rest and be restored, we can quiet our hearts and can readjust where needed. We can find joy despite our circumstances. We can hear God’s voice and follow his direction. We can take delight in the LORD. He loves it when His people spend time with Him. He wants to show us off to the world. When kings took over a land, they would ride on the heights of that land. It was a thing of honor. They would inspect the land as well as display their power for the conquered lands. The Father wants to give us an inheritance. All we need to do is accept it. He is offering it to us through Jesus. Jesus is the Way to the Father and He longs to know you and tell you how much He loves you. It does not matter what you have done. He will always accept you. He will always bring restoration to His people. He is just waiting for us to come to Him.

Do you know who you trust?

In Luke 4:14 Jesus is in Galilee and goes to His home church. He goes up front to read and the attendant hands him the scroll. However, instead of reading where they left off last week- as was customary- Jesus instead searches out one of His promise verses. He finds Isaiah 61 and begins reading his mission statement.

 

The Spirit of the LORD is upon me because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor, he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and the opening of the prison to those who are bound, to proclaim the year of the LORD's favour...

 

The rest of the chapter beautifully describes the healing and restoration He will bring and the restoration we get to bring because He has restored us.

 

When Jesus says He is coming to restore, it would remind them of the year of Jubilee. Jesus came to release us into the year of Jubilee. Take a look at Leviticus 25. The 50th year was a year of Jubilee. It was a year of celebration. You would not plant or harvest this year because it was a year of rest as well. God promised the 49th year would produce enought for three years.

 

You would also return property. If someone sold property, it was because of financial hardship. You did not move around in those days. You had your town and your family had been there for generations. When you sold land, you took away from your sons' inheritance. God wanted that returned to the seller so His people were not dispossesed and homeless.

 

Go back to Luke 4 and look at the power of Jesus' words. They create life. There are multiple times in chapter four where His voice and words are emphasized:

 

• 4:22- "All spoke well of him and marveled at the gracious words that were coming from his mouth."
• 4:32-"[the people] were astonished at his teaching for his words possessed authority."
• 4:36-"For with authority and power he commands the unclean spirits and they come out!"
• 4:41- In contrast, Jesus would not let the evil spirits speak. He only wanted His voice to be the one that speaks over us.
 

Jesus only needs to speak and things are created. He is, after all, His Father's Son. Back in Genesis the Father spoke and the world was created. Now, the Son is walking on Earth and His very words have healing power. another name for Jesus is the Word (Jn 1). Jesus follows His Father's example in this too:

 

John 14:10-14-- The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own authority, but the Father who dwells in me does his works. Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me, or else believe on account of the works themselves. Truly, truly I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am giong to the Father. Whatever you ask in my name this I will do that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it. If you love me, you will keep my commands. And I will ask the Father and He will give you another Helper to be with you forever, the Spirit of Truth...

 

John 15:7-12-- If you abide in me and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish and it will be done for you. By this my Father is glorified that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples. As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love. If you keep my commandments you will abide in my love just as I have kept my Father's commandments and abide in his love. These things I have spoken to you that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be full. This is my commandment that you love one another as I have loved you...

 

John 16:23-24-- Truly, truly I say to you, whatever you ask of the Father in my name, he will give it to you. Until now you have asked nothing in my name. Ask and you will receive that your joy may be full...

 

Take a look at those chapters. There is a lot of good stuff there.

 

 

 

Jesus came to bring us freedom. His words have creative power. Where do you need to ask Him to bring you into freedom?

Promises of Restoration in the Prophets

...Pt. III

Continuation of Redemption Promised

All throughout the OT, we see Israel turning from God and God imploring them to return. The books of the prophets are some of the most beautiful writings on this. They do contain warnings and list Israel’s offenses against God but they also have the most beautiful promises of restoration.

You have Hosea, whose life is a living picture of how God pursues his unfaithful bride. She continues to walk away and commit adultery but Hosea keeps seeking her out and bringing her back even when she has children by other men.

Isaiah has the most beautiful promises of what God will do for his people and how he sees his people—chapters 40-66 especially. He tells the end story there of how He will restore His people and restore to them more than what they lost.

Isaiah 43:4, 5—Because you are precious and honored in my sight and because I love you, I give men in return for you and peoples in exchange for your life. Fear not for I am with you.

Isaiah 57:18-19—I have seen his ways but I will heal him; I will lead him and restore comfort to him and his mourners, creating the fruit of the lips. Peace, peace to the far and to the near, says the LORD and I will heal him.

Isaiah 61:7—Instead of your shame there shall be a double portion.

 

Isaiah 62:1-5— For Zion’s sake I will not keep silent, and for Jerusalem’s sake I will not be quiet until her righteousness goes forth as brightness and her salvation as a burning torch. The nations shall see your righteousness and the kings your glory and you shall be called by a new name that the mouth of the LORD will give. You shall be a crown of beauty in the hand of the LORD, and a royal diadem in the hand of your God. You shall no more be termed Forsaken and your land shall no more be termed Desolate but you shall be called My Delight is in Her and your land Married for the Lord delights in you and your land shall be married. For as a young man marries a young woman so shall your sons marry you and as the bridegroom rejoices over the bride, so shall your God rejoice over you.

Jeremiah talks about what will happen to God’s people if they do not turn back to Him.

It talks about how He will restore them even though they won’t repent.

Jeremiah 29:10-14 – For thus says the LORD: When seventy years are completed for Babylon, I will visit you, and I will fulfill to you my promise and bring you back to this place. For I know the plans I have for you declares the LORD, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon me and pray to me, and I will hear you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you declares the LORD and I will restore your fortunes and gather you from all the nations and all the places where I have driven you declares the LORD and I will bring you back to the place from which I sent you into exile.

Jeremiah 33: 8-9—I will cleanse them from all the guilt of their sin against me, and I will forgive all the guilt of their sin and rebellion against me. And this city shall be to me a name of joy, a praise and a glory before all the nations of the earth who shall hear of all the good that I do for them.

Then we have Ezekiel. God tells the story of Israel as a faithless bride in Ezekiel 16. He saw her cast out as an unwanted child left to die in the wilderness and he saved her. He gave her beautiful clothes and jewelry and food. But she trusted in her beauty and paid people to sleep with her. Because of this Israel was exiled but God promises to establish an eternal covenant with his people. He continues to list the things they have done but concludes with I will restore you. This is what you have done but I will restore you.

Ezekiel 36:24-30— I will take you from the nations and gather you from all the countries and bring you into your own land. I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean from all your uncleannesses, and from all your idols I will cleanse you. And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules. You shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers, and you shall be my people, and I will be your God. And I will deliver you from all your uncleannesses. And I will summon the grain and make it abundant and lay no famine upon you. I will make the fruit of the tree and the increase of the field abundant, that you may never again suffer the disgrace of famine among the nations.

Then right after this God brings Ezekiel to a valley of dry bones and tells him to prophecy over them life. The valley of bones would come from a great war. Man fought against God and lost and died. But God promises to bring life and to restore so he has Ezekiel be part of his picture example. He speaks life over the bones and restores the bones to people. No longer is it a valley of dead bones but now it is a valley of people restored to life. In the New Testament we get to see this more clearly with salvation. Jesus came to restore life to us. We fought against God and died. But Jesus came and raises us to life so that we may live in Him.

The amazing thing is that Jesus was never Plan B. Man’s sin did not surprise God. He did not have to scramble for a Plan B. 1 Peter 1:20 says Jesus was chosen before the foundation of the world. Before Genesis 1:1 the plan was already set to save mankind. Before Adam was even created God already had a way to restore him. Talk about amazing love!

Redemption Promised

... Pt. II. 

A continuation of A Tale of Two Kingdoms.

It is in this perfect paradise that Satan enters as a serpent. He sows deceit into the pure sanctuary and brings forth death. As a result, all of creation is cursed. The woman saw the fruit was pleasing and desirable. She was being tempted to find pleasure outside of God. She is being told she does not have full pleasure in God. They turned from the Pleasure-giver and tore from Him. They were no longer filled with Him. Instead, they feel shame. They both hide in the trees that were to bring them pleasure.

However, it is at this bitter time that God makes a promise to restore his people back into his kingdom made clear by the appearance of His Son. Imagine that moment. You are full of shame, God curses things, you watch God kill and skin an animal and you are kicked out of the Garden, your home, the place you know you are meant to belong because you are with God and in a right relationship with Him. God tells them to get in this dead and bloody thing and they will be okay. Their shame will be covered. Later, God tells us to get in a dead and bloody thing that is now risen and alive and our shame will be taken away. We get the upgrade, the new and improved. Just as a lamb was slaughtered in the Garden to clothe the man and woman and cover their shame, so the final Lamb was slaughtered to remove their shame.

God curses the serpent and says one day you will be crushed by the descendant of a woman. Jesus was the descendant of a woman. He did not have an earthly father. Romans 16: 20 says, “And the God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet.” We are one with Christ and get to take part in crushing Satan under our feet.

Fast-forward to Exodus. God brings His people out of the land of slavery and into the desert where He gives them a new identity as children of God. They are no longer slaves. It is in the desert that he washes away the identity of slavery and restores to them to their proper identity as children of God. They definitely don’t get it all the time and God gives them a picture example. He has them make the tabernacle. The tabernacle was made to look like the Garden of Eden—fruit everywhere, vines, cherubim covering the walls (Ex 36:8). He has them make the Ark of the Covenant. The base wood of the ark and the tabernacle is acacia, a thorn bush. It was not originally part of creation. God covers it with gold. The thing that was a curse is now covered in gold and used for something royal instead of firewood.

On top of the Ark of the Covenant are two cherubim, just like there are cherubim guarding the way to Eden. God will meet us between the two cherubim (Ex 25:22). Every year a priest was to put blood between the two cherubim on the ark on the Day of Atonement (Lev 16). This was when they offered a sin offering and a burnt offering and did the scapegoat. The amount of blood between them would look like someone tried to enter Eden and was slaughtered. Fast forward to the New Testament for a moment. Jesus did meet us between the cherubim and took the first blow to make a way. He was massively obedient and made a way.

The veil covered with cherubim was torn at crucifixion. Where cherubim once kept us from entering the garden of pleasure, the garden of fellowship, they could no longer do so. Before, only the high priest could only enter the Holy of Holies once a year. Jesus came to destroy the works of the devil (1 Jn 3:8). The first thing God does is remove the veils with the cherubim; a way to God and the tree of life in Eden is reopened. The Garden of pleasure is where people can fellowship with God. A way back into the kingdom of God was made.

A Tale of Two Kingdoms

The Bible is really a story of God’s kingdom. It’s almost like reading a history book meets a fantasy, sci-fi book with a little bit of poetry and some philosophy/theology thrown in. But they all talk about the same thing—kingdom.

Genesis 1-3 provides an intro to this kingdom. Back in the garden God created a perfect world. It was a place where He and man could commune and have relationship. God gives man a purpose and tells him to be fruitful and multiply and to rule over the earth. All is well in God’s kingdom.

But in the undertones of this world another kingdom is lurking, the kingdom of Satan, of darkness. Revelation 12:7-17 gives us a glimpse of what was happening. There was a war in heaven. Ezekiel 28 says that Satan desired to be God. He was originally a guardian cherub, the secret service. But he desired to be God and so Michael and his angels defeated him and threw him down to earth.

But then Genesis 1 happens. It says the earth was formless and void, full of darkness. Suddenly light enters. Satan hears God’s voice creating things. Then the unthinkable happens. God makes man in His image and tells him to rule over the earth. What was Satan exiled to earth for? Wanting to be God. Now God makes man in His image and tells them to rule over everything on earth. This is when the two kingdoms really come into a clash.

The ruler of the kingdom of darkness comes to the two made in the likeness of God and twists the truth just enough that they begin to doubt God’s goodness. They fear God is withholding from them good and out of fear choose the kingdom of darkness. By choosing sin man disobeys the kingdom of God and obeys the kingdom of Satan. We switched kingdoms. No longer were we under God’s kingdom but under the kingdom of sin. The rest of the book shows the out falling of that choice. Murder is introduced into the once-perfect world. Incest, abuse, rape, famine, poverty, self-promotion, lies, jealousy, rage. These are all things that are not of God’s kingdom.

However, look at Genesis 3. God is not going to let the kingdom of darkness take those who are made in His image. God goes out looking for Adam and Eve and finds them hiding. He didn’t let them hide from Him but looked for them. He loved them enough to look for them. They are full of shame and probably feeling pretty unworthy to be around God and wondering what is going to happen. Adam blames Eve, she blames the serpent and no one is willing to account for their actions.

God steps in and begins cursing things. I imagine God was crying as He did this. The serpent is cursed among living things and God promises that from the seed of the woman will come one who will destroy him. Then he gives the woman pain and curses the ground. Now thorns and thistles will cover the perfect creation and death is allowed. God then places cherubim and a flaming sword to prevent man from entering the garden where the tree of life is.

But this isn’t the end of the story. God continues to promise restoration for his people.

More to follow....

Restoration

God is a Restorer. He loves to redeem and bring to wholeness. These past few weeks I’ve been reading the book of Ruth over and over again. I can’t seem to get enough of it. There is an overwhelming theme of restoration surging through the words of this book so I thought I’d share a few of my observations about the book.

 

The setting for the book of Ruth is in the time of the judges during a famine. In Deuteronomy we find a list of blessings for following the law and curses for breaking the law. One of the curses is God will bring famine for breaking the law and turning to other gods (Dt 28:17-18). We immediately find Naomi and her husband trying to escape the curse of famine by going to a neighboring country.

 

It is always interesting to look at the names of people in the Bible. There is a disparity between the two generations and their outlooks. We can see Naomi and Elimelech’s parents had hope by the names of their children (Naomi means My Delight and Elimelech means My God is King); however, by the time Naomi and her husband had children, they lost hope. My God is King and My Delight gave birth to Sick and Pining. They are depressed and oppressed by the famine. Soon My God is King and Sick and Pining die and My Delight takes on the name Bitter.

 

It is to this backdrop we are introduced to Ruth (friendship). Friendship stays by My Delight even when she becomes Bitter and followers her to a foreign land. Ruth gives up everything to follow Naomi to Israel. She gives up family and her culture to live as a widow and a foreigner in a country where she has no rights and no possibility of marriage (it was highly unusual for a foreigner to marry an Israelite) to survive on the generosity of others.

Once the author of Ruth establishes this, we then meet Boaz, “a worthy man” (2:1). Boaz immediately notices Ruth gleaning in his field. However, he doesn’t see her as others would see her. He sees her as a woman of worth and value. By his actions he restores to her identity and begins to free her from shame.

 

Boaz tells her to continue with his workers and glean in his fields throughout the harvest season. He tells her she can drink from the water drawn for the workers. Ruth asks why he is doing this for her and he proclaims a blessing over her: “All that you have done for your mother-in-law since the death of your husband has been fully told to me, and how you left your father and mother and your native land and came to a people that you did not know before. The LORD repay you for what you have done, and a full reward be given you by the LORD, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to take refuge!”

 

At mealtime he invites her to join the reapers and gives her more than enough food. Widows were allowed to glean behind the workers and pick up what they dropped. However, Boaz tells his workers not to embarrass her if she started gathering with them. He did not want to bring shame upon her and begins to restore good standing to her.

 

Toward the end of the harvest season Ruth goes down to the threshing floor at night and asks Boaz to redeem her. The next day he meets with the elders of the town and restores her from a widow to a wife. We then learn that she is the great-grandmother of King David. Ruth’s previous husband died after 10 years of marriage and without children. It was a disgrace to not have children when you were married. But now, God has restored her in the eyes of man and added her to the lineage of David and Jesus. She has gone from widow to wife, from shame to joy, from destitution to prosperity. In the matter of a harvesting season, Ruth is restored to a better standing than she had when she was married and living in Moab.

 

Stories of restoration are not just for ancient times. God wants to restore us. He wants to bring healing to our lives, rest from our past, joy for our present and dreams for our future. As he gives us rest and healing he restores to us dreams for the future. We begin to believe we are created for more. We begin to believe we change nations and cities. We begin to believe the biggest dream we have in our hearts can be a reality.

 

We begin to see the value we have. God values us so much. His love for us is so deep. He valued us so much that He paid a high price for us. We have great worth. He gave His Son Jesus to die in our place. He believes we have so much value that He gave His Son as our price. Jesus rose so we could be with Him and have peace and joy restored. He frees us from shame and guilt and anger and hate. He instead gives us love and dreams and hope.

 

Begin to ask God how He sees you; then take time to listen. You may not hear anything at first but keep asking and keep looking. He won’t leave you no matter what you’ve done. He wants to free you from the past that haunts you. He wants to give you an amazing story of restoration and hope. He wants to show you how great His love is for you. Ask Him to show you. He will answer.

 

How precious are your thoughts concerning me, O God! How vast is the sum of them! Were I to count them, they would outnumber the grains of sand—when I awake, I am still with you (Ps 139:17-18 NIV).