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Merry heart does good

Written by LWOM Amsterdam on . Posted in Proverbs, What’s new?.

What does it mean that a merry heart does good (Proverbs 17:22)?

Family life and interpersonal relations are the focus of Proverbs 17—19. According to Proverbs 17:22, a joyful, positive mindset is key to experiencing healthy relationships and a fulfilling life:
“A merry heart does good, like medicine,
But a broken spirit dries the bones” (NKJV).

In the original Hebrew, the word for “merry” means “joyful, happy, full of cheer.” The “heart” is a person’s inner self, thoughts, emotions, and will. “A joyful heart is good medicine,” says Proverbs 17:22 in the English Standard Version. “Medicine” is something that treats or alleviates the symptoms of disease. One commentary suggests, “A cheerful heart causes good healing” as an appropriate literal translation. The NET Bible reads, “A cheerful heart brings good healing.” The Revised English Bible says, “A glad heart makes for good health.”

Scripture repeatedly testifies to the potent effects of the mind on the body: “A peaceful heart leads to a healthy body; jealousy is like cancer in the bones,” states Proverbs 14:30 (NLT). “A glad heart makes a happy face; a broken heart crushes the spirit,” declares Proverbs 15:13 (NLT).

“A merry heart does good” because it generates health and healing within one’s inner being. By contrast, “a broken spirit saps a person’s strength” (Proverbs 17:22, NLT). Proverbs 12:25 explains that “anxiety in the heart of man causes depression” (NKJV). These wisdom sayings agree with scientific studies from the American College of Cardiology, Harvard Medicine, and John Hopkins that demonstrate the mind’s powerful influence over the body. A cheerful, contented temperament not only fortifies our mental health but enables us to resist the attacks of physical disease.

Since the heart is the center of our inner life, its condition and tone reach the outermost parts of our existence, including our bodies and even our relationships with others. Jesus said, “What comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart, and this defiles a person” (Matthew 15:18, ESV). If our hearts are elevated, our bodies will be lifted up, our words will be uplifting, and our relationships will be enriched. If our hearts are crushed and broken, the condition of our bodies will break down, and we’ll have no strength to encourage others.

So, if a good medicine is a merry heart, how can we foster and promote internal joy? Scripture says that God’s laws, precepts, and statues refresh the soul and gladden the heart (Psalm 19:7–8; 119:111). Spending time in God’s Word, meditating on His promises, is a guaranteed way to do your heart some good. The prophet Jeremiah testified, “When your words came, I ate them; they were my joy and my heart’s delight” (Jeremiah 15:16).

Considering God’s works and His ways will also make our hearts glad. The psalmist sang, “For you make me glad by your deeds, LORD; I sing for joy at what your hands have done” (Psalm 92:4). When Barnabas saw the grace of God, his heart was filled with joy (Acts 11:23). When we take time each day to consider all that God has done for us and in the lives of all His people, we can’t help but “be glad now and rejoice,” like the prophet Joel, “for the LORD has done great things” (Joel 2:21, NLT). Countless Scripture passages give us cause to be joyful in God, who is the source of our joy (Psalm 43:4; Isaiah 61:10; Psalm 63:5; Luke 1:47).

The prophet Isaiah said, “With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation” (Isaiah 12:3). We can “rejoice and be glad” in the Lord’s salvation (Isaiah 25:9). Jesus told the disciples to “rejoice that your names are written in heaven” (Luke 10:20).

Perhaps the most excellent way to cultivate a merry heart that does good, like medicine, is to spend time in God’s presence. Both King David in the Old Testament and the apostle Peter in the New Testament found their greatest joy in the presence of the Lord (Acts 2:28; Psalm 16:9–11). In God’s company, we experience the fullness of joy.

Calm spirit

Written by LWOM Amsterdam on . Posted in Proverbs, What’s new?.

What does the Bible say about having a calm spirit (Proverbs 17:27)?

Proverbs 17:27 says, “He who has knowledge spares his words, And a man of understanding is of a calm spirit” (NKJV). This proverb emphasizes the wisdom of avoiding reckless speech by exercising self-control so as not to provoke hostility. Having a calm spirit describes someone with an even-tempered disposition. A contemporary paraphrase might be “a wise person keeps his cool.”

Bible translators render the phrase for “calm spirit” in various ways: “cool spirit” (ESV, NASB), “cool head” (CSB), “even-tempered” (NLT, NIV), and “excellent spirit” (KJV). The word spirit here refers to a person’s disposition or temperament.

The proverbs of Solomon often stress the importance of self-control, especially in the things we say. According to Proverbs 17:27, a prudent person uses few words and maintains a calm attitude by staying composed under pressure. By exercising self-control when speaking and not allowing oneself to be dominated by heightened emotions, a calm spirit diffuses anger and ill feelings: “A gentle answer deflects anger, but harsh words make tempers flare” (Proverbs 15:1, NLT).

In contrast to a hot-tempered person, someone with a calm spirit or an even-tempered nature is slow to anger: “A hot-tempered man stirs up strife, but he who is slow to anger quiets contention” (Proverbs 15:18, ESV; see also Proverbs 14:29).

Abigail is an excellent example of a wise person whose calm spirit deflected a volatile situation. First Samuel 25:3 tells us that Abigail was “discerning and beautiful,” but her husband, Nabal, was “harsh and badly behaved.” Nabal treated David and his men with surliness and disrespect, and David was bent on bloodshed. Without her husband’s knowledge, Abigail arranged a meeting with David. Humbly and calmly, she persuaded him not to harm Nabal. Afterward, David blessed Abigail for her excellent discernment and for keeping him from carrying out vengeance with his own hand (1 Samuel 25:32–34).

Ecclesiastes 10:4 gives a nugget of wisdom for maintaining a calm spirit at work: “If a ruler’s anger rises against you, do not leave your post; calmness can lay great offenses to rest.” The New Living Translation renders the verse like so: “If your boss is angry at you, don’t quit! A quiet spirit can overcome even great mistakes.”

Wise people are cautious with their words and think before they speak. They “bring calm in the end”; on the other hand, “Fools give full vent to their rage” (Proverbs 29:11). According to Matthew Henry, “A cool head with a warm heart is an admirable composition” (Matthew Henry’s Commentary on the Whole Bible, Hendrickson, 1994, p. 994).

If a cool, calm, and gentle demeanor dissolves anger and neutralizes a heated situation, then the opposite—acting like a hot head—charges it up. James teaches us that “human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires” (James 1:20). “Wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere,” says James 3:17. In other words, God’s wisdom endorses humility, gentleness, and self-restraint (2 Peter 1:5–8).

We discover in many proverbs that our words are like fruits that reveal the quality or disposition of our hearts. In Proverbs 17:27, a person’s restraint with words shows the heart of a peacemaker, as well as a wise and understanding nature. Having a calm spirit is also a sign that the Holy Spirit lives in us: “But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!” (Galatians 5:22–23, NLT).

Never seen the righteous forsaken

Written by LWOM Amsterdam on . Posted in Psalms, What’s new?.

How could the psalmist say, “I have never seen the righteous forsaken” in Psalm 37:25?

Psalm 37 is an encouraging passage for those who face trials and tribulations. Despite our present suffering, the psalmist knows that God will reward the righteous and punish the wicked (verses 1–6). This reassuring message allows the righteous to “be still before the Lord and wait patiently wait for him” (verse 7; cf. Psalm 46:10). As we wait for the Lord to deliver us from trouble, we should continue to commit our ways to Him.

In Psalm 37:25, the psalmist expresses a statement of faith and trust in God’s providential care for the righteous: “I have been young, and now am old, yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken or his children begging for bread” (ESV). This verse is a reference to the psalmist’s own observations. In all his life, the psalmist had never witnessed an instance when God forsook the righteous. This does not imply that the righteous are exempt from poverty and hardship. Rather, the point is that God will not abandon or leave them to fend for themselves in times of trouble (verse 24; cf. Deuteronomy 31:8 and Hebrews 13:5).

Psalm 37:25, therefore, highlights the psalmist’s confidence that God is faithful and will not abandon the righteous. Again, there’s no promise that the righteous are immune from pain and suffering. Jesus said that God “causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous” (Matthew 5:45). Throughout the Bible, we find many examples of God sending rain on the righteous (Job 2:10; Isaiah 45:7; 2 Corinthians 1:8; 12:7–10). Amidst the turbulent waves of life, God promises to provide and care for the righteous.

While the psalmist’s words that “I have never seen the righteous forsaken” might seem fanciful or out of touch with reality, they are a powerful reminder of God’s steadfast love and faithfulness. Believers are therefore encouraged to hold on to God’s unchanging hand and trust that He will work all things for good (Romans 8:28).

Rather than viewing the psalmist’s words as a guarantee that the righteous will never face trials and tribulations, we should interpret Psalm 37:25 as an expression of hope and assurance. The psalmist’s personal experiences inform his testimony about God’s unwavering support for the righteous.

In our own lives, we will encounter instances when God’s providential care is evident, and we will have a testimony of our own. However, we must remember that our understanding is limited, and we cannot always fathom the ways that God works. Therefore, it is essential to approach this verse with humility and acknowledge that our understanding is incomplete. Although our experiences may not align with the psalmist’s observations, we can still draw encouragement from his experiences with a faithful God.

Ultimately, Psalm 37:25 invites us to reflect on our own relationship with God and to deepen our trust in Him. It also encourages us to seek righteousness and align ourselves with His will (cf. Matthew 6:33 and Romans 12:2), knowing that He will supply all our needs (Philippians 4:19).

As we navigate the highs and lows of life, let us remember the psalmist’s words in Psalm 37:25 and be encouraged by them. When we face obstacles and challenges, we can hold fast to the fact that God will never forsake the righteous. In Him, we have everything that we need.

Steps of a man ordered by the Lord

Written by LWOM Amsterdam on . Posted in Psalms, What’s new?.

The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord

How are the steps of a man ordered by the Lord (Psalm 37:23)?

In Psalm 37, David writes that the righteous can trust God to sustain them (Psalm 37:17) and that the inheritance of righteousness will never end (Psalm 37:18). The righteous are given righteousness and salvation from the Lord (Psalm 37:39). It is a psalm that reminds us of God’s faithfulness, and it encourages us that we can trust Him and that He is worthy of our trust. In Psalm 37:23 the psalmist observes that “the steps of a man are ordered by the Lord” (BSB). Earlier in the psalm, David explains that, when we commit our way to the Lord, He will bring about our righteousness. In Psalm 37:23 David proclaims that God orders or directs even the individual steps of the person, and God takes delight in that person.

The term translated as “ordered” or “established” in Psalm 37:23 is from a Hebrew verb that can also mean “to guide, direct, or make reliable.” In other words, the person who has committed his way to God will have his steps made sure by God. He will guard them and ensure that they are solid steps. How encouraging to know that even our small, seemingly inconsequential steps are not too insignificant for God! He loves and cares for us so much that He actually takes pleasure in guiding our steps. When we fall, we won’t fall to destruction because the Lord holds our hand (Psalm 37:24). Because the law of God is in our hearts, our steps or our path won’t be slippery (Psalm 37:31). What an incredible truth to know that God is right there, ready to establish our walk if we will simply commit our walk to Him! Even more incredible, perhaps, is that He delights in doing that. To think that God—the almighty Creator—takes pleasure in walking with each of His people in that way!

David knew better than most that there would be dark days in this life—it was David who wrote that, even though he walked through the valley of the shadow of death, he didn’t need to fear evil because His heavenly Shepherd was with Him (Psalm 23:4). From psalms like Psalm 23 and Psalm 37 we learn that God is with us, that He delights in fellowship with us, and that we can trust Him with our very lives. Even a simple observation that the steps of a man are ordered by the Lord represents an amazing truth that we matter to God. When we are encountering hardship or difficulty, or if we simply feel alone as if no one cares about our well-being, we can have confidence in knowing that He loves us and wants to walk with us and guide us through those difficulties we face.

He will give you the desires of your heart

Written by LWOM Amsterdam on . Posted in Psalms, What’s new?.

What does it mean that God will give you the desires of your heart (Psalm 37:4)?

Psalm 37:4 contains a great promise: “Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.” This verse invites us to have a deeply intimate relationship with God. As we delight in Him, He will give us the desires of our heart. To fully appreciate this promise, we must review the immediate context, unpack its meaning, and apply it to our lives.

Psalm 37, penned by King David, is a poetic meditation on the righteousness of God and the fulfillment of His promises. This psalm specifically addresses the struggles faced by the righteous in a world that is dominated by the wicked (verses 1–2). Despite these struggles, David encourages his readers to “trust in the Lord and do good” (verse 3). It is within this context that we find the promise of verse 4 that God will “give you the desires of your heart.”

To understand the promise in Psalm 37:4, we must first examine the meaning of delighting in the Lord. The word delight encompasses a profound sense of joy, satisfaction, and contentment. When we delight in the Lord, we seek His presence (Psalm 27:4), meditate on His Word day and night (Joshua 1:8 and Psalm 1:2), and align our will with His (Romans 12:2). This involves the heart, mind, and soul (Matthew 22:37).

When we delight in the Lord, we will experience a radical shift in our desires. In other words, we will no longer desire selfish and sinful things (Galatians 5:17–21). Instead, we will desire the fruit of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (verses 22–23). And, when we desire the same things God desires for us, our requests will be granted (Matthew 6:33 and John 14:14).

The promise in Psalm 37:4 does not imply that God is a cosmic genie who grants every fleeting whim or selfish request. On the contrary, the promise points to a definitive transformation within our heart as we draw closer to Him.

God’s response to our delight in Him is twofold. First, He shapes and molds our hearts to align our will with His. Through the work of the Holy Spirit, we are purged of selfishness, pride, and unrighteous desires. As we draw closer to Him, our desires will begin to mirror His desires for us, reflecting His goodness and righteousness.

Second, God will grant desires that accord with His will and glory (Romans 11:36). This does not mean that every request will be granted; rather, the desires of our heart will be fulfilled in ways that accomplish His purpose for our lives (Romans 8:28).

God’s response to our delight in Him may not always meet our expectations or occur immediately. His ways are higher than our ways (Isaiah 55:8–9), and His timing is beyond our comprehension. He may even use delays or redirections to refine our desires and strengthen our faith in Him. As we wait for God to answer our requests, we can trust that His timing is always perfect (Isaiah 40:31).

Psalm 37:4 prompts us to delight in the Lord and align our desires with His perfect will. As we cultivate a heart that finds joy, satisfaction, and contentment in Him, He will transform our desires to reflect His purposes. While the fulfillment of our desires may not always align with our expectations, we can trust in the faithfulness of God. By embracing the promise in Psalm 37:4, our lives become characterized by the fulfillment of desires that bring glory to Him.

Commit thy way unto the Lord

Written by LWOM Amsterdam on . Posted in Psalms, What’s new?.

Commit your way to the Lord

What does it mean to commit your way to the Lord (Psalm 37:5)?

In the 37th Psalm, David writes that God sustains the righteous (Psalm 37:17) and that their inheritance will be everlasting (Psalm 37:18). The salvation of the righteous is from the Lord (Psalm 37:39). It is a psalm of God’s faithfulness and an encouragement that the righteous do not trust Him in vain. Psalm 37:5 challenges the reader or listener to “commit your way to the Lord; trust in Him.”

In a perfect world, we wouldn’t need God to be our refuge, because there would be no threats. But in this fallen and broken world, we desperately need Him to be our refuge. The psalmist instructs that we not fret or be envious because of those who do evil (Psalm 37:1) because they will fade away quickly like the grass (Psalm 37:2). Evil has no staying power. Even though evil gains a foothold in the short term and may even appear to win the day, the reality is that it will not last. Because of that truth, we are encouraged to put our trust in the Lord and to do what He prescribes, which includes living faithfully (Psalm 37:3).

Our delight should not be in our circumstances; rather, our delight should be in the Lord. We should take pleasure in Him, and when we do that—when our desire is for Him—He provides that our desires are met (Psalm 37:4). The closer we get to Him, the more our desires begin to change from our own selfish wants to wanting what He wants for us. After presenting these thoughts, the psalmist exhorts that we commit our way to the Lord and trust in Him (Psalm 37:5). That commitment and trust does not come without reward, as God is faithful, “and He will do it” (NASB)—but what is it that He will do?

When we commit our way to the Lord and trust in Him, God is faithful to “bring forth [our] righteousness” (Psalm 37:6, ESV). When our way is committed to Him, He shapes us and grows us in His righteousness. Paul explained many years after the psalmist wrote that a person who is walking in the Spirit of God will see the fruit of the Holy Spirit in his life (Galatians 5:22–23). God will accomplish His work in our lives—He will transform us by the renewing of our minds (Romans 12:1–2) if we will simply be committed to allowing Him to do that.

Elsewhere, Paul reminds believers to set their minds on things above (Colossians 3:1–4). The mindset of the believer is important, and it involves commitment to allowing God to do His work in us. Paul provides another example in Ephesians 5:18. He says we should not be drunk with wine, but, instead, we should be filled with the Holy Spirit. When a person drinks wine excessively, that person is submitting to a process that will end in his having little or no control over his body. Instead of submitting our bodies to wine in that way, we should be submitting ourselves to the Holy Spirit of God—immersing ourselves in His Word so that we are controlled by Him and our desires are shaped by Him. When we are doing that, we are filled with His Spirit or are walking in His Spirit, and He is faithful to bear His fruit in us. When we commit our way to the Lord (Psalm 37:5), He will make sure that way is fruitful.

God is within her, she will not fall

Written by LWOM Amsterdam on . Posted in Psalms, What’s new?.

What is the significance of the statement “God is within her; she will not fall” in Psalm 46:5?

The book of Psalms—a collection of 150 poems intended to be sung—is packed with encouraging statements in times of trouble. Individual verses in the Psalms, however, are frequently subject to misinterpretation when taken out of context. This is particularly true of Psalm 46:5.

The statement “God is within her, she will not fall” is often used to encourage and uplift women facing challenging situations. When this verse shows up on social media, it is often taken as a direct message to women in adversity: “You will not fall, despite the hardship you endure, because God is in you, giving you power.” It is essential, however, to unpack the true meaning of Psalm 46:5.

The her in Psalm 46:5 is commonly assumed to refer to women in general, offering them a comforting message of resilience during troubling times. But we need to review the surrounding verses. In verse 4, the psalmist acknowledges that “there is a river whose streams make glad the city of God” (ESV). The her refers to the city of God. So, while it is appropriate to draw inspiration and encouragement from verse 5, we must not interpret that verse as a direct reference to women. Rather, we must see it as Israel’s collective praise for God’s deliverance, as depicted in Psalm 46:1–3 (cf. Psalm 48:1–3).

The heart of Psalm 46:5 is that the all-present God guarantees Jerusalem’s unshakable stability. God is always by her side, ensuring that she remains secure, even in tumultuous times. Because of God’s protection, the people of God have nothing and no one to fear: “The Lord is my light and salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?” (Psalm 27:1, ESV).

There are important parallels between Psalm 46 and the book of Kings. When the Assyrians besieged the city of God, the pagan field commander unleashed a series of taunts and threats upon the people of God. In doing so, he sought to prove that the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob was just as powerless as other gods in the lands conquered by the Assyrians (2 Kings 18:28–35).

During the siege, King Hezekiah sought the Lord. After receiving a menacing letter from the Assyrian king Sennacherib, Hezekiah took the letter to the house of Lord and fervently prayed for deliverance (2 Kings 19:14–19). As dawn broke, the Assyrian army found that they had lost 185,000 soldiers. During the night, an angel of the Lord had descended upon the Assyrians, putting a swift and decisive end to their terror (2 Kings 19:35). Jerusalem was saved.

God had predicted the defeat of the Assyrians through the prophet Isaiah: “This is what the Lord says concerning the king of Assyria: ‘He will not enter this city or shoot an arrow here. . . . I will defend this city and save it’” (2 Kings 19:32, 34). In other words, God is within her, she will not fall.

The Assyrian invasion of Israel provides the historical backdrop for Psalm 46:5. Amid perilous circumstances, the psalmist’s words take on new significance. The vindicated faith of Hezekiah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem is a testament to the almighty power of God. God is an impenetrable fortress, a divine shield against evil forces:

I love you, O Lord, my strength. The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. I call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised, and I am saved from my enemies. (Psalm 18:1–3)

Psalm 46:5 is a powerful reminder that God’s power and protection are not confined to a specific gender or individual. He is with His children. Psalm 46:5 refers to the city of Jerusalem, and today we can trust that God has the same protective love for the church of God, redeemed by the blood of Jesus. When we are besieged by various trials and tribulations, we can remain hopeful, knowing that God will never leave or forsake us (Romans 8:31; Hebrews 13:5).

The Levite and his concubine

Written by LWOM Amsterdam on . Posted in Judges, What’s new?.

What can we learn from the story of the Levite and his concubine?

The concluding chapters of Judges highlight the fact that everyone did what was right in his own eyes (Judges 17:6; 21:25). One of the stories that demonstrate the chaos and lawlessness of the time is the account of the Levite and his concubine, which begins in Judges 19. The Levite had a concubine who had run away and been unfaithful to him. From the very start, there is the problem of a Levite (of the priestly tribe) having a concubine, and then there is the problem of the woman being involved in a sexual relationship with someone not her husband.

The Levite found his concubine back at her parents’ home. As the Levite was bringing the concubine back to his own home, he stopped for the night in Gibeah, a town of the Benjamites. An older man insisted, for safety, that the Levite and his concubine stay at his home instead of in the town square. That night, “some of the wicked men of the city surrounded the house. Pounding on the door, they shouted to the old man who owned the house, ‘Bring out the man who came to your house so we can have sex with him’” (Judges 19:22). The host tried to reason with them, but they would not listen. To spare himself, the Levite sent his concubine outside. The degenerate mob abused her all that night (verse 25). When the man opened the door in the morning, the mob had departed, and the concubine’s dead body lay “in the doorway of the house, with her hands on the threshold” (verse 27).

The Levite picked up the concubine’s body and placed it on his donkey and traveled home. He then cut up her body into twelve pieces—one for each tribe of Israel—and sent the pieces throughout the land. The macabre packages provoked the intended response; everyone who learned of the crime began talking: “Such a thing has never been seen or done, not since the day the Israelites came up out of Egypt. Just imagine! We must do something! So speak up!” (Judges 19:30).

The tribes of Israel (minus Benjamin) came together and decided to have the men who raped and murdered the Levite’s concubine put to death. But when they confronted the people of Benjamin, the Benjamites chose to protect the guilty parties and refused to turn them over for justice (Judges 20:12–14). A civil war erupted, and the tribe of Benjamin was eventually defeated. All but 600 men of Benjamin were killed (Judges 20:47–48).

Judges 21 records the aftermath of the war over the Levite and his concubine. After a period of mourning, the leaders of the other eleven tribes sought to find a way to keep the tribe of Benjamin alive. Their solution was to punish the city of Jabesh Gilead, who did not respond to the call to gather against the Benjamites. The punishment was that the 600 Benjamite men were allowed to steal young women from Jabesh Gilead to take as their wives. They were able to find 400 young women there, and the rest of the wives they stole from Shiloh.

This grotesque and alarming series of events concludes with the fitting words of Judges 21:25: “In those days Israel had no king; everyone did as they saw fit.” Readers reeling from the immoral activities of these closing chapters of Judges can take some comfort in the fact that Scripture clearly condemns these activities. Crimes such as befell the Levite’s concubine are what happens when the law is spurned and everyone does as he sees fit.

This dark period of Israel’s history would soon lead to the demand for an Israelite king, an act that would help to some degree yet would also reveal the need for a perfect King and Messiah—Jesus Christ.

Babylonian captivity

Written by LWOM Amsterdam on . Posted in What’s new?.

What was the Babylonian captivity/exile?

The Babylonian captivity or exile refers to the time period in Israel’s history when Jews were taken captive by King Nebuchadnezzar II of Babylon. It is an important period of biblical history because both the captivity/exile and the return and restoration of the Jewish nation were fulfillments of Old Testament prophecies.

God used Babylon as His agent of judgment against Israel for their sins of idolatry and rebellion against Him. There were actually several different times during this period (607-586 B.C.) when the Jews were taken captive by Babylon. With each successive rebellion against Babylonian rule, Nebuchadnezzar would lead his armies against Judah until they laid siege to Jerusalem for over a year, killing many people and destroying the Jewish temple, taking captive many thousands of Jews, and leaving Jerusalem in ruins.

As prophesied in Scripture, the Jewish people would be allowed to return to Jerusalem after 70 years of exile. That prophecy was fulfilled in 537 B.C., and the Jews were allowed by King Cyrus of Persia to return to Israel and begin rebuilding the city and temple. The return under the direction of Ezra led to a revival among the Jewish people and the rebuilding of the temple.

Under the reign of King Nebuchadnezzar II, the Babylonian Empire spread throughout the Middle East, and around 607 B.C., King Jehoiakim of Judah was forced into submission, becoming a vassal to Nebuchadnezzar (2 Kings 24:1). It was during this time that Nebuchadnezzar took many of the finest and brightest young men from each city in Judah captive, including Daniel, Hananiah (Shadrach), Mishael (Meshach) and Azariah (Abednego). After three years of serving Nebuchadnezzar, Jehoiakim of Judah rebelled against Babylonian rule and once again turned to Egypt for support. After sending his army to deal with Judah’s revolt, Nebuchadnezzar himself left Babylon in 598 B.C. to deal with the problem. Arriving in Jerusalem around March of 597 B.C., Nebuchadnezzar laid siege to Jerusalem, taking control of the area, looting it, and taking captive with him Jehoiakim’s son, Jehoiachin, his family, and almost all of the population of Judah, leaving only the poorest people of the land (2 Kings 24:8-16).

At that time Nebuchadnezzar appointed King Zedekiah to rule as his representative over Judah, but after nine years and still not having learned their lesson, Zedekiah led Judah in rebellion against Babylon one final time (2 Kings 24–25). Influenced by false prophets and ignoring Jeremiah’s warnings, Zedekiah decided to join a coalition that was being formed by Edom, Moab, Ammon and Phoenicia in rebellion against Nebuchadnezzar (Jeremiah 27:1-3). This resulted in Nebuchadnezzar again laying siege to Jerusalem. Jerusalem fell in July 587 or 586 BC, and Zedekiah was taken captive to Babylon after seeing his sons killed before him and then having his eyes plucked out (2 Kings 25). At this time Jerusalem was laid to waste, the temple destroyed and all the houses burned. The majority of the Jewish people were taken captive, but, again, Nebuchadnezzar left a remnant of poor people to serve as farmers and vinedressers (2 Kings 25:12).

The books of 2 Chronicles and 2 Kings deal with much of the time leading up to the falls of both the Northern Kingdom and Judah. They also cover the destruction of Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar and the beginning of the Babylonian captivity. Jeremiah was one of the prophets during the time leading up to the fall of Jerusalem and the exile, and Ezekiel and Daniel were written while the Jews were in exile. Ezra deals with the return of the Jews as promised over 70 years before by God through the prophets Jeremiah and Isaiah. The book of Nehemiah also covers the return and rebuilding of Jerusalem after the exile was over.

The Babylonian captivity had one very significant impact on the nation of Israel when it returned to the land—it would never again be corrupted by the idolatry and false gods of the surrounding nations. A revival among Jews took place after the return of the Jews to Israel and the rebuilding of the temple. We see those accounts in Ezra and Nehemiah as the nation would once again return to the God who had delivered them from their enemies.

Just as God had promised through the prophet Jeremiah, God judged the Babylonians for their sins, and the Babylonian Empire fell to the armies of Persia in 539 B.C., once again proving God’s promises to be true.

The seventy-year period of the Babylonian captivity is an important part of Israel’s history, and Christians should be familiar with it. Like many other Old Testament events, this historical account demonstrates God’s faithfulness to His people, His judgment of sin, and the surety of His promises.

Promised messenger

Written by LWOM Amsterdam on . Posted in Malachi, What’s new?.

Who is the promised messenger of Malachi 3:1?

Malachi 3:1 begins with the promise of a future messenger important in the plan of God: “‘See, I will send my messenger, who will prepare the way before me. Then suddenly the Lord you are seeking will come to his temple; the messenger of the covenant, whom you desire, will come,’ says the LORD Almighty.” This prophecy reveals a significant detail regarding the coming of the Messiah, namely, that His arrival in the temple would be preceded by another messenger sent by God.

The Hebrew phrase for “my messenger” is the same as the meaning of Malachi’s name (Malachi 1:1). Yet Malachi is predicting a future individual. Malachi 4:5 further identifies this special messenger as “Elijah the prophet.” The New Testament shows how this prediction is fulfilled. The Gospel of Mark begins by declaring John the Baptist as this messenger (Mark 1:2-4; cf. Isaiah 40:3-5; Luke 1:17; 7:27). In Matthew 11:13-14 Jesus states, “For all the Prophets and the Law prophesied until John, and if you are willing to accept it, he is Elijah who is to come.”

In Matthew 17, Jesus was transfigured on a mountaintop and met with Moses and Elijah. Peter, James, and John saw this event and asked Jesus about it afterwards. Jesus again noted that John the Baptist was the awaited Elijah, stating, “I tell you that Elijah has already come, and they did not recognize him, but did to him whatever they pleased. . . . Then the disciples understood that he was speaking to them of John the Baptist” (verses 12-13). In announcing the birth of John to Zechariah, the angel Gabriel had said, “He will go on before the Lord, in the spirit and power of Elijah” (Luke 1:17). Thus, John’s association with Elijah was based on similar power and message; Malachi had predicted a metaphorical Elijah, not the literal one.

Malachi 3:1 is of great importance in understanding the nature of the Son of God. In the verse, Yahweh God is speaking, and He says that the messenger would prepare the way “before me.” So, it is the LORD God Himself who was coming. Then, God says it is “the Lord” who will come, “the messenger of the covenant.” So, Yahweh is equated with the Lord who was to come, and as we know, the prophecy was fulfilled by Jesus. Therefore, “Yahweh” and “the Lord” are equated with Jesus. It is one of many occasions Jesus is called “God” (Matthew 18:20; 28:20; John 1:1; 8:58; 17:5).

John the Baptist is the only person who fits the description of the promised messenger. John fulfilled his role through his preaching the need for repentance (Matthew 3:2), his prediction of the soon-coming Messiah (Acts 19:4), and his baptisms (John 1:31). John also baptized Jesus, at which event both the Father and the Holy Spirit gave evidence that Jesus was indeed the Christ (Matthew 3:16-17). As God’s messenger sent to prepare the way for the Lord, John was faithful to his calling and became one of the greatest prophets (Luke 7:28).