A Vision of the Future

September 7, 2014 Background Scripture: Jeremiah 30 Lesson Passage: Jeremiah 30:1 – 3, 19 – 22 Jeremiah had foretold the seventy years of captivity of Israel in a foreign land. The false prophets capitalized on Jeremiah’s prophecy of doom and they predicted a very different outcome than Jeremiah’s prophecy. The false prophets claimed that disaster would be averted and Israel would come through the threat unscathed. The authorities had a choice and many chose to believe the false prophets and they in turn had Jeremiah imprisoned and made a public laughingstock. In today’s lesson, God had a message for His people and it was too important just to speak it. The Lord told the Prophet Jeremiah to write the message in a book (or on a scroll). This written message would be available so future generations would know that God had spoken about future conditions and it came to pass as God had said it would. It was a message of hope. This message of hope must have felt like a breath of fresh air to Jeremiah. In the former days, Jeremiah wept for the people of God because of what would befall them for their sinful ways. He was at that time the prophet of doom. His prophecy was not popular or well received but it was the word of God. But the text of today’s lesson takes a radical turn and Jeremiah becomes the prophet of consolation to Israel. In fact, today’s lesson text reminds me of the slogan “The future looks so bright that I have to wear shades.” There was good news following Jeremiah’s previous prophecies. All would be restored in the land of Zion. Israel would be punished for her sins but God’s punishment of Israel would not last forever. Israel would be restored to the land of Canaan. Although they would spend seventy years in captivity in a foreign land, freedom was on the way. Their freedom was as sure as their captivity. The “weeping prophet” now had a reason to rejoice. Israel would indeed suffer for her sins against God but afterwards her enemy would suffer greater at God’s hand. Israel’s enemy would receive what they had dealt. The one who had devoured would be devoured. The enemy that took Israel into captivity would in turn be captured. The enemy had spoiled Israel by plundering and taking all of her wealth. In the end, the spoilers would be spoiled. Their wealth would be taken from them and Israel would again be prosperous. The enemy had preyed on Israel but the predators would become prey. They would suffer greater than the suffering they had caused God’s people. God’s divine law of reciprocity is unrelenting. Israel’s enemy would reap exactly what they had sown. After Israel’s return to Zion, thanksgiving would again be heard from the lips of God’s people in their own land. The singers would lift up their voices and sing with joy and cause the people to make merry in exhortation to God. The joy of the Lord would be their strength. They would again establish their local government and resume being self-governed within the laws of God. They would no longer answer to foreign governors for they will no longer be oppressed by foreigners. The days of Israel’s captivity would be filled with grief and pain but the vision of her future was glorious and uplifting. Jeremiah prophesied a vision of Israel’s future. Robert C. Hudson August 26, 2014

Generosity in the Midst of Poverty

August 31, 2014 Background Scripture: 2 Corinthians 8, 9 Lesson Passage: 2 Corinthians 8:1 – 14 Extreme stewardship is how I define the actions of the Christians in Macedonia. Since the Apostle Paul referred to the “churches” of Macedonia, the group likely included the Philippians, Thessalonians, and Bereans. Paul declared that the level of giving they displayed was evidence of the grace of God upon them. In other words, some giving is so extreme that it speaks more of God than the giver. Paul would certainly have known that this was the case because of his knowledge of the Macedonian churches. It was there on his second missionary journey that the Holy Ghost used him mightily after summoning him there in a vision. Paul and Silas were beaten and imprisoned in Philippi, threatened and run out of Thessalonica, and finally run out of Berea. Although there were some of financial means such as Lydia of Philippi, Paul knew that many of the other Macedonians were poor. Paul boasted of the Macedonians’ willing attitude and determination to do their part although they could not afford it financially. They insisted that Paul receive their benevolent offering to help aid the poor Christians in Jerusalem. Even more, Paul stated that the Macedonians felt obligated to be a part of the fellow saints who were helping. Theirs is an attitude that the apostle James would have boast about had he known the fullness of their commitment. In other words, the Macedonians’ actions were a demonstration of their faith. God worked through them to liberate the minds of others in regard to stewardship. They were not materialistic but they were willing to share the material goods that they possessed. What led to such an attitude of generosity? According to Paul, before they gave what they had, they gave themselves to God first. Their relationship with God prevented them from becoming materialistic and selfish. It freed them to be liberal in their giving beyond what others would have found reasonable. So much so that Paul called their giving a gracious gift that God had given them. He described their poverty as deep. Perhaps this is what Paul had in mind in his letter to the church at Rome when he referred to giving as a spiritual gift that is graciously bestowed upon some Christians. Their giving was worth emulating so Paul instructed Titus to instruct the Corinthians in this manner of stewardship. Today, we call this level of stewardship sacrificial. To give out of one’s abundance is par for the course for Christians as well as those in the world who are not saved. To give beyond reasonable with joy and simplicity is motivated by the grace of God. Paul likened this to Jesus’ own actions in humbling himself for our sake. No one emulates Jesus without the grace of God upon them. Paul did not emphasize equal amounts but rather equal sacrifice. Paul was clear that the charity of the Corinthians would not lead to their poverty but to further blessings from God. They would be blessed according to their giving in faith and not out of compulsion. Since the Corinthians had already pledged to give and it had inspired others to follow suit, now they were being encouraged to fulfill their pledge so that the apostle’s testimony of their charity would not lead to embarrassment. If the Macedonians could give generously out of their poverty, surely the Corinthians could give out of their means. Robert C. Hudson August 19, 2014