Notes from my Bible Study for March 21, 2010

Today's Reading: Psalm 80, Exodus 25, Nehemiah 6, Romans 15:14-33

Psalm 80 - 19 Restore us, O Lord God of hosts! Let your face shine, that we may be saved! Restoration is a beautiful thing and a difficult process. I was at a couple of antique shops yesterday, and the difference between the two shops was like night and day. The first shop was full of rather cheap looking antiques. I'm not sure that there was much in the store that cost more than $100. The second shop was a different picture altogether. When I walked in, I was blown away at the beauty of the pieces on display. Many of the pieces commanded a price in excess of $10,000. The second shop featured many items that had been restored to their original pristine condition.

As Asaph wrote Psalm 80, he spoke of a nation that needed restoration. The Children of Israel had strayed from God. They had been punished. Asaph sought forgiveness and restoration. God would bring that restoration, but the process would be difficult. When someone becomes a Christian, God restores. We are seen in His eyes as forgiven and restored, holy image bearers of Christ.

Exodus 25 - The Lord gave Moses specific instructions for the furnishings that were to go into His sanctuary. It's interesting to read the detail that God went into with Moses. It's clear that God wanted His sanctuary to be beautiful, and He wanted the people to treat it with reverence and honor. I believe that God ordained these furnishings to help the people better understand Him.

Nehemiah 6 - 15 So the wall was finished on the twenty-fifth day of the month Elul, in fifty-two days. 16 And when all 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. When you think about all that Nehemiah accomplished and the short time it took him to do so, you would think that he did it without opposition. That couldn't be further than the truth. Nehemiah continually endured opposition from him enemies as he sought to do what God called him to do. One of the beautiful parts of Nehemiah's story is that when God is in something, it doesn't matter how tough the opposition, God will accomplish it! Look how the enemies of Nehemiah responded when the wall was completed! They were afraid and their esteem fell greatly. Nehemiah's enemies knew that God had worked on behalf of Israel. (Remember, Israel was coming off a long captivity.) If the people of Israel could rebuild the walls in 52 days, what couldn't they accomplish with the help of God?

Romans 15:14-33 - The Apostle Paul is nearing the end of his letter to the Romans. He takes this time to share with them his calling as an apostle of Christ, and talks about his ministry to the Jewish and Gentile believers. Paul was excited about visiting the church at Rome, but it would have to wait until after a visit to Jerusalem to bring a gift of aid to the poor in Jerusalem from Gentile Christians around the region. How beautiful to see the infant Gentile church reaching out in love to the poor of Jerusalem. This is the church acting as God has called us to act; taking care of the widows and orphans in their distress (see James 1:27).