BETTER DAYS ARE AHEAD

“Thus says the Lord: I will return to Zion, and dwell in the midst of Jerusalem. Jerusalem shall be called the City of Truth, the Mountain of the Lord of hosts, the Holy Mountain” (Zech. 8:3 NKJV).

This prophecy here in Zech. 8:3 promises better days ahead for Israel. In this promise we want to note the return of Jehovah, the righteousness of Jehovah, and the rule of Jehovah.

Return of Jehovah – “I will return to Zion, and will dwell in the midst of Jerusalem.” Although the promise of “I will return” is future, the promises of God are so certain they can safely be made in the present tense. The fact that God is going to return to Jerusalem indicates that He had left them. Israel had forsaken God and went after idols. When God is not wanted by man, He will oblige and leave. And when God leaves, a terrible void is created that only God Himself can fill. Many lives are like that today. Folks have left God out of their thoughts, plans, and activities; and He in turn has left them. The void in these folk’s lives is so great that they try to fill it will pleasure and business and other things but there is no substitute for God.

Righteousness of Jehovah – “Jerusalem shall be called the City of Truth.” When God is present, righteousness reigns. The wickedness that abounds in much of our society today indicates that folks have pushed God out of the lives. On the other hand, when the Lord Jesus Christ is trusted for salvation, righteousness is one of the first evidences of redemption. The great influence of God is that of righteousness. The influence of godly people is righteousness. What sort of influence do you have upon people?

Rule of Jehovah – “The Mountain of the Lord of hosts the Holy Mountain.” The word “mountain” is sometimes used in Scripture to speak of rule or government. This is the case here. When God returns to Jerusalem, He will govern. And note that His government is “holy,” for it is described as a “holy mountain.” Unlike the governments of our world today, this government will not be plagued by corruption, but will be characterized by holiness. Then peace will fill the land.

(Adapted from Butler’s Daily Bible Reading 3)

Soli Deo Gloria (To God Alone Be The Glory)

Quotation of the Week

“God’s faithfulness means that God will always do what He has said and fulfill what He has promised!”

Wayne A. Grudem (1948 -)

American New Testament Scholar, Theologian, Seminary Professor, and Author

Word Study

Erred

In 2 Tim. 2:8 we read, “Who concerning the truth have erred, saying that the resurrection is past already; and overthrow the faith of some!” (KJV).

Erred is the Greek word astochéō (ἀστοχέω =as-tokh-eh'-o). It is made up of two words: “a” the negative particle, and “stóchos” which means aim or target. Thus, the word means to miss the mark, deviate from truth, swerve. In a figurative and spiritual sense, it is to err or deviate. In classical Greek astochéō meant to miss the mark. In the Septuagint, astochéō carries the idea of to fail, forget, overlook or miss. In the New Testament, astochéō was used by the apostle Paul to describe those who had wandered from the faith. The false teachers and their followers had clearly demonstrated by their deviation from apostolic truth and that they had left the straight path of sound doctrine.

“Fear Nots” Found in the Bible

“And He led them on safely, so that they feared not: but the sea overwhelmed their enemies” (Psalm 78:53 KJV).

Did You Know…

Like his father Abraham who lied to king Abimelech saying that his wife Sarah was his sister (Gen. 20:2), Isaac also lied about Rebekah being his wife (Gen. 26:6-7).

Bible Quiz

What happened to the soldiers who were commanded to throw Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego into the fiery furnace?

**Answer to last week’s Bible Quiz: Which father came to the Lord Jesus to seek help for his little daughter who lay at the point of death? Jairus, a ruler of the synagogue (Mark 5:22-23).

Names For the Lord Jesus in the Bible

“EVERLASTING FATHER”

"And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us an understanding, that we may know Him who is true; and we are in Him who is true, in His Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God and eternal life!” (1 John 5:20 NKJV).

1. Meaning – EVERLASTING FATHER or “Father of Eternity” speaks of the Lord Jesus as the One who is the author and creator of time.

2. Insights – “Everlasting Father” does not suggest that the Son is also the Father, for each Person in the Godhead is distinct. Being the second Person of the Trinity, the Lord Jesus in His essence, is God. Therefore, He has all the attributes of God including eternality. The title “Everlasting Father” is an idiom used to describe the Messiah’s relationship to time, not His relationship to the other Members of the Trinity. The Messiah will be a fatherly Ruler. “Everlasting” reminds us of the permanence that He gives to the unstable and consistency to the inconsistent. “Father” reminds us of His love, care, and protection for us. He will never leave or forsake us. He is the Shepherd of our lives.

Did You Know – Christian History

Austen Henry Layard was born March 5, 1817 in Paris, France. He was a British amateur archaeologist, cuneiformist, art historian, collector, author, and diplomat.

Much of Layard’s youth was spent in Italy, England, France, and Switzerland, where he received parts of his education, and acquired a taste for fine art and a love of travel. Layard was a restless young man and he longed to travel to Arab lands. In preparation, he taught himself bits of language and all sorts of things that he thought might help him make his dream come true. Finally, at twenty two, with almost no money in his pocket, he decides to leave the law office of his uncle Benjamin, and headed east. After touring Palestine and Syria, he ventured across the Euphrates. His enthusiasm prompted a British ambassador to fund him.

In 1845 Layard found himself in Mosul, a city in what is now Northern Iraq. Under pretense that he was hunting wild boar to deflect suspicion, Layard continued south down the Tigris River. He landed near Tell Nimrud, hired workers, and began digging. After digging one long trench without finding anything, he was out of money and faced retreat. But within a period of 24 hours, he stumbled across two major finds. To the amazement of the Arabs, his excavation turned up the palace of Asurnasirpal, complete with man-headed lions and a host of similar archaeological treasures. He wrongly thought they were remains of Nineveh, but the site was eventually identified as Calah. One of his early finds was later deciphered as referring to tribute bought to Assyria by a king of Israel.

To Christians, the significance of Layard’s findings shone light, and confirmed much of the stories of the Bible. He unearthed the palaces of several despots mentioned in the Bible, including Sennacharib. He dug at Nineveh and found an account of the brutal siege of Lachish, a city in Israel. He also found the inscription which spoke of Jehu of the House of Omri. Layard also discovered ruins from ancient Sumeria, a civilization even older than Babylon. After seven years of digging, Layard returned in triumph to England where he entered Parliament and rose to prominent positions in government.

A Little Humor

A driver got a speeding ticket and went to pay the fine. The police clerk issued a receipt for payment and the annoyed driver said, “What am I supposed to do with this?” “Keep it,” the clerk advised. “If you collect enough of them, you get a bicycle!”

Thought Provoking Church Sign

“Pictures of doom: Knowledge without wisdom, a ship without a port, and a man without Christ!”