Tag Archives: heard

Chief cornerstone

 

Cornerstone – Hillsong Worship

 

I ran across these verses in Zechariah and cannot say I fully understand what they mean but there is a stone, seemingly an important one. There would seem to be an allusion in these words to the chief cornerstone of the temple.

For behold, on the stone that I have set before Joshua, on a single stone with seven eyes,[f] I will engrave its inscription, declares the Lord of hosts, and I will remove the iniquity of this land in a single day. In that day, declares the Lord of hosts, every one of you will invite his neighbor to come under his vine and under his fig tree. – Zechariah 3:9-10  ESV

In verse eight, Jesus is clearly identified as the Branch, the rod out of the stem of Jesse and right away in verse nine the stone is cleary Jesus as well.

It’s the eyes that mess me up a bit. I think of the Father’s eyes as key – taking care and protecting Him. I think of the prophets and the Old Testament faithful, like Abraham. I think of myself and other followers of Jesus who put their eyes on Him as they follow, similar to the brazen serpent in the desert when all of Israel looked upon it and were saved. I also think of the eyes on the wheels in Ezekiel’s vision. Maybe it signifies knowledge and wisdom found in Jesus and His ever watchful eye over us. I could even go as far as the various gifts and graces of the Holy Spirit, something out of Revelation involving the seven spirits of God, as well as the seven stars. Revelation talks about His eyes piercing through my fakeness, searching my heart. Jesus is the searcher of hearts.

One thing is for certain, only the Messiah prophesied from the prophets like Zechariah, could die on the cross and have God remove the iniquity of the land in one day. Only God could create that peace which extended to every neighbour in the land.

While the invitation is there, Jesus’ words still need to be addressed. His words create crisis for us because we find them hard to follow.

When many of his disciples heard it, they said, “This is a hard saying; who can listen to it?” But Jesus, knowing in himself that his disciples were grumbling about this, said to them, “Do you take offense at this? Then what if you were to see the Son of Man ascending to where he was before? It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh is no help at all. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life. But there are some of you who do not believe.” (For Jesus knew from the beginning who those were who did not believe, and who it was who would betray him.) And he said, “This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted him by the Father.”

After this many of his disciples turned back and no longer walked with him. So Jesus said to the twelve, “Do you want to go away as well?” Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life, and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God.” – John 6:60-69  ESV

Who else can be the foundation of my life – only Jesus – the one I have believed and have come to know, the Holy One of God.

 

 

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“Whatever He says to you, do it”

 

Whatever He Says

 

The people who wanted to trap Daniel knew they could count on him to be consistent in his walk with God. They knew he would rather be thrown to the lions than conform to sin. When will I learn to do the same because that is what it means to be a disciple. The same message comes to the servants in the first miracle where Mary leaves her final statement – “whatever He says to you, do it.” [I shared some of this in my guest blog, 66Books. Look under Daniel 7-9; John 2; Psalm 137 or my name evanlaar 1922.]

Then these men said, “We shall not find any ground for complaint against this Daniel unless we find it in connection with the law of his God.” – Daniel 6:5  ESV

These other leaders who were jealous of Daniel searched for dirt but he was found to be clean. Daniel walked as a faithful disciple in an unfaithful land. What a challenge to me to walk faithful no matter what land I live in but especially if I am in a place where there are those who seek to discredit me, where people have to go after the God I serve. I ask myself this question – if someone set out to find a complaint about me, how hard would they have to look? What would they find?

The goal is clear – eliminate Daniel’s influence, pivot from assassinating his character to attacking his relationship to God and His law. The lion’s den becomes the consequence of a choice – I have a choice and there are consequences too.

When Daniel knew that the document had been signed, he went to his house where he had windows in his upper chamber open toward Jerusalem. He got down on his knees three times a day and prayed and gave thanks before his God, as he had done previously. Then these men came by agreement and found Daniel making petition and plea before his God. Then they came near and said before the king, concerning the injunction, “O king! Did you not sign an injunction, that anyone who makes petition to any god or man within thirty days except to you, O king, shall be cast into the den of lions?” The king answered and said, “The thing stands fast, according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which cannot be revoked.” Then they answered and said before the king, “Daniel, who is one of the exiles from Judah, pays no attention to you, O king, or the injunction you have signed, but makes his petition three times a day.”

Then the king, when he heard these words, was much distressed and set his mind to deliver Daniel. And he labored till the sun went down to rescue him. Then these men came by agreement to the king and said to the king, “Know, O king, that it is a law of the Medes and Persians that no injunction or ordinance that the king establishes can be changed.”

Then the king commanded, and Daniel was brought and cast into the den of lions. The king declared[l] to Daniel, “May your God, whom you serve continually, deliver you!”  And a stone was brought and laid on the mouth of the den, and the king sealed it with his own signet and with the signet of his lords, that nothing might be changed concerning Daniel.  Then the king went to his palace and spent the night fasting; no diversions were brought to him, and sleep fled from him. – Daniel 6:10-18  ESV

Not the same as what his three friends went through earlier, but the tension and tempation to simply compromise and conform to the changing culture was still there. If I were Daniel I might be thinking these thoughts:

  • Exile is almost over – another ten years and I am going home – why rock the boat – fit in, stay low, it’s almost over.
  • I am in line for some heavy promotions, even Presidency, why mess such a good thing up. It will make the next ten years go by quickly and I will have more money to set myself up back home.
  • Imagine what I could do as a leader – with so many years of credibility and faithfulness I can take a break when it really matters and when I can be of most use to my people.

A friend and I were having coffee this morning and this was our thought and we backed it up with five verses quite easily:

” My faith isn’t something I deposit, it is something deposited into me by God.”

What is Daniel teaching me? To be less concerned with my personal comfort or ambition than to keep my relationship with God strong. I like the fact that he did not lead a protest or rebellion, he does not even seek to get the law changed. He simply continues to pray – regular intentional prayer. He is a disciplined disciple. Questions I have to ask myself – how easy is it for me to abstain from regular spiritual disciplines, how do I define my current pattern of prayer, bible reading, gathering with the church, serving?

My heart skips a beat right here – with all the Christians who hardly practice any of these disciplines, when they become outlawed or we are called to obstain from them by the government, are they all going to stand up and be faithful to them when it is something we have never put into practice? Faithfulness doesn’t begin when things are difficult – it is revealed during times of trial. Daniel’s model revealed that when he prayed, he was thanking God. For what – for being ready to be thrown into the lion’s den? No, for the fact that God does not change and at the same time he is asking God to engage in the situation, for Him to display His power and faithfulness to His people.

So thankful for Daniel – he makes a difference in how I see what a follower of Jesus looks like.

 

 

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