We don’t know her, but since God described her as the “delight of your eyes,” one can only suspect that she was indeed a delight. The word is used in a variety of places to describe precious and good things. Not the least of which, it is used to describe the Temple and its treasures. Ezekiel had found a good thing and had obtained the favor of the Lord. And now, she would be, or so it seemed, prematurely taken from him. His remaining ministry would be carried out alone.

There is one story in the whole Bible that I still find staggering.  It’s the story of the death of Ezekiel’s wife (Ezekiel 24:15-27). One day the prophet woke up to the Word of the Lord. It came to him as it had come to him before. The Word was simple. The prophet did not need a Hebrew grammar or lexicon to understand. The Lord said, “Son of man, behold, I am about to take the delight of your eyes away from you at a stroke; yet you shall not mourn or weep, nor shall your tears run down” (Ez. 24:16). The words were numbingly clear.
As I thought about these words, I thought back to Ezekiel’s call. The Lord said to him, among other things, speaking of house of Israel, “Be not afraid of them, nor be afraid of their words…. Be not afraid of their words, nor be dismayed by their looks, for they are a rebellious house” (Ez. 2:6). And then in verse 8 the Lord said, “But you, son of man, hear what I say to you. Be not rebellious like that rebellious house.” I can only imagine Ezekiel. Perhaps the Word of the Lord frightened him more than all of the words of the house of Israel.
It was in chapter four that the Lord told him to symbolize the destruction of Jerusalem by laying on his left side for 390 days! That’s more than a year! And then, once that was completed the Word of the Lord came to him again commanding him to lay on his right side for another forty days! How could the prophet not tremble at the Word of the Lord?
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God, through the winter, is working grace in us, though now we may not see it. In this way we might liken winter to night. It is ominous because it is lightless.  But if you’ve ever sat near a field on a hot summer night you can hear the corn growing. We are growing in the night. But to grow we must stand. We must endure the night. We must face the blinding snow. And amid it we must look to Christ in whom we are rooted and grounded. 

In the fall I visited Lowe’s and spoke to the clerk about planting grass seed in a few places where my lawn is more dirt than turf.  His advice was simple; don’t waste your time or money. Planting in the cold season (or just before) is counterintuitive and counterproductive. Grass and plants don’t grow in the winter.  I left the store that day without seed but thinking to myself, there are some things that grow in winter. Several years ago, a friend sent me a book with Samuel Rutherford’s famous quip, “I see grace groweth best in winter.” Grace grows in winter, but what does that mean?
Life has ebbs and flows or seasons of summer and winter. Yes, there are transitions like spring and fall but they are just that, transitions. We are either moving into winter or out of it and into summer. These are the seasons of life. Some winters are hard. Some are harder than others. But God gives us winters in order that grace might grow. For that to happen we need to remain rooted during those months of bitter cold and biting snow. I like the tree analogy because we are prone to wander and seek the summer. A tree is rooted. Paul calls this withstanding and standing.[1] But standing or staying rooted is hard. It means facing the snow rather than turning from it. Not everyone is used to that sort of thing. But if you faint in the winter your strength is small.[2]
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We are in need of being a genuine family in these difficult days. We need one another and that need will only increase over time. Let me make a simple suggestion. I don’t need to help you love those you already love, but what about those who are like the Thessalonians, those less noble. How can I help you with them?  Let me urge you to pray a specific request. Pray that your love would abound toward the ignoble brother or sister in your life (Phil. 1:9). And if you are willing, your heart will enlarge for them and others. 

What is your impression of the church? When you think about the church what comes to mind? Think about the Old Testament church, the church underage and specifically that time after the Exodus but before the Conquest of the Promised Land. By all accounts, she was not in good shape.  In fact, on one occasion God had punished the Israelites by sending serpents throughout the camp. On another occasion a plague ravaged the people. And the hardships were the result of Israel’s disobedience. But God kept His promise.
And that obviously was a cause for consternation to the surrounding nations. It also explains why Balak, king of Moab, got scared and sent for Balaam. He wanted him to conjure a spell or curse the people of God. Balaam agreed to come. But instead of cursing Israel he couldn’t help but bless them! That may be the humorous side of the story but it’s not the most surprising element.
Notice what comes out of Balaam’s mouth by way of description. He doesn’t speak of Israel’s disobedience; he says that they are like a lion. As he looks down on them, he says, “How fair are your tents, O Jacob! Your dwellings, O Isreal!  Like valleys that stretch out, like gardens beside the river, like aloes planted by the Lord, like cedars beside the waters. Is that the description you would have given?
God’s perspective of the church is coming out of this unfaithful prophet and the words challenge us. How do we think of the church? How do we speak of the church? Perhaps you don’t think very well about the church, but you are repentant.  The first chapter of the letter to the Thessalonians might be a good letter to reflect on. You might start by remembering something vital.
The Church has her foundation in God.
I am quite sure that this doesn’t come as a surprise to you. Notice verse 4. Paul is speaking to the Thessalonians and this is what he says, “For we know, brothers loved by God, that he has chosen you.” The first thing that hits us is that Paul is speaking about a local church. Notice that Paul doesn’t say to this local body, “For we know, brothers loved by God, your credible profession.” No, he roots their existence as a church in the electing love of God.
Now, this leads us to a second point. God is said to have loved these people. Paul describes them as “loved by God.” Loved when they were yet sinners. In fact, the word translated “loved” or “whom God loves” is a verb form indicating that this love was initiated in the past. Now, think of that in light of Romans 5:8. Though God loved these people in eternity His love was demonstrated for them on a Roman cross.
However, this raises a third point. God chose us. Verse 4 of first Thessalonians parallels Ephesians 1:4, “He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world. In love He predestined us…” He chose us out of death. We were dead in our sins and transgressions, and He made us alive in Christ.
God set His love upon the undeserving Thessalonians in His eternal counsel and he displayed that love in Christ when they were unlovable. But there is a fourth and final thing I want you to notice. This love and choice of God did not lead to abstraction. It led to a local church in Thessalonica.
It is impossible to speak of loving the church in the abstract.
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The Spirit of God leads us to rest despite ourselves. Israel contributed nothing to their salvation. Israel’s greatest need was not geographical restoration or political savvy or military brilliance. Israel’s greatest need was deliverance from her own sins. And it was that very thing which was pictured in the Passover lamb and is fulfilled so beautifully in Christ wherein we find rest.

In Isaiah 63 we find a familiar word used twice. It’s the word hesed or lovingkindness. I say it’s familiar because we run across it in many different places in Scripture. It is a word pregnant with meaning and so translators often heap word upon word to give its sense. For example, it is sometimes translated as covenant faithfulness, loyal love, steadfast love to name a few.
But notice the text of Isaiah 63. Reflecting on the notion of hesed, the prophet is compelled to pull into his service words like goodness and compassion and abundance in order to describe it. But if we could boil it down to a single idea hesed is a word synonymous with covenant. It has to do with God’s gracious faithfulness toward His people.
And yet, for all of that, this text is not so much about the blessings as much as the Bless-er. In other words, this text has more to do with the One who is faithful to bless rather than the blessings He bestows. Now, having this background notice three things in this text with regard to God – the One who grants blessing upon blessing.
His Identity
First, notice the Identity of God in Isaiah 63. And if we look carefully, we notice that God is set forth in these verses as triune. In other words, all three persons of the Trinity are here in these verses. For example, in v. 7, Isaiah says, “I will make mention of the loving kindness of Yahweh.” Now, look over to v. 16. There Isaiah says, “You, O Yahweh, are our Father.” Clearly, God the Father is in these verses.
But notice also the Holy Spirit is mentioned no less than three times. He is in verses 10, 11, and 14. He is described as the Spirit of the Lord. Now, it seems fairly clear that the Father and Holy Spirit are here but what about the Son? Notice verse 9. There we find what is described as the “angel of His presence.” This is a reference to the Lord Jesus.
Perhaps you are thinking that this is a stretch. So, let’s look at this reference to the “angel of His presence” for a minute.
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We may never know why God brought a particular providence into our lives. But we do not need to know. What we need to know is that God is wise, righteous, and gracious. What we need to remember is that even hard providences work out for the good of those who love Him and are called according to His purpose. 

I can imagine the widow of Nain walking beside the casket of her son, her only son. Her support now gone, she trembles from the aching loss and the fear of insecurity. Or think of Jairus. His daughter near death, his only aim in life was to bring Jesus to her bedside. But before that happy meeting could occur, she was gone. Scripture is succinct. Its descriptions are concise. The widow wept and Jairus was obviously ready to fear. The responses are not uncommon. We perhaps know them well.
But is there help for those who suffer a difficult providence? It may surprise some to discover that the chapter on providence in the Westminster Confession of Faith provides pastoral guidance for those who encounter difficulty along the way, and it is a wonderful word to those who have ears to hear. But before the balm can be applied the Divines are eager to help us answer one simple question, how far does the providence of God extend? (WCF 5.4)  The answer may unsettle the reader, however that is by design. By telling us that the providence of God extends to the first fall “and all other sins of angels and men” we are being told that nothing, whether good or ill, escapes God’s sovereign appointment.  But how does that help?
First, in section five, we are reminded of God’s character. Notice the way God is described: he is wise, righteous, and gracious. This is the first thing a person who endures a difficult providence must be told. Why? Because he may infer that God resembles his hard experience.  Such is not the case.
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Is Lazarus cursed?  Certainly not, Lazarus has a name. He may bear the humiliation of Christ in this world but he does not bear the curse, his Lord bore that for him. And if you are in Christ, the same is true of you. If He knows your name, then you are not cursed. You are known. I don’t know what could be more refreshing than to be known by the living God. Lazarus has a name.

The story of the rich man and Lazarus in Luke 16:19-31 is well-known. So well known is it that we read over the details without giving them much thought. So, let’s slow down. Let’s linger over a few details and in the process, we may find ourselves spiritually refreshed.  But how might we approach the text? Well, if we were going to look at the whole, we might break it up this way:
1. Ante-death (vv. 19-21)
2. At death (v. 22-23a)
3. After death (vv. 23b-31)
What is more, each part is worth an extensive look, and we may take that look over the next couple of posts. However, for this post, I would like to look at the first several verses or what I have called, Ante-death. Of course, this simply means that we are going to look at the rich man and Lazarus before or prior to their deaths.  But how? How shall we make such a comparison? The answer is in the text.  Luke nicely breaks down the comparison for us. For example, he compares these two men on the basis of life’s necessities: Clothes, food, and dwelling.
Clothes, Food, and Dwelling
It is the case that in the first century, whitened wool was exceedingly costly because it was time consuming to make. The same could be said for the purple worn by the rich man in the story. But he didn’t simply wear purple. He also wore fine-linen. Now, this is interesting because this word meant under-garments. In fact, this was the Calvin Klein of undergarments in the first century! In other words, the rich man was fantastically adorned and comfortable. By contrast, Lazarus’s clothes are not mentioned. Instead, we are simply told that the man was covered by or clothed with sores. He was not comfortable.
When it came to food, the rich man was not lacking in extravagance. The rich of the first century enjoyed occasional feasts but this man feasted sumptuously every day! However, by contrast Lazarus longed to eat what fell from the table of the rich man. Joachim Jeremias, in his book on the Parables, suggests that this was not crumbs that fell from the table, but a loaf of bread was kept on the table for guests to use as napkins. When finished with a piece, they would simply cast it to the floor.
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We are to be ready to open the door, whether on the second or third watch of the night.  We are to be ready to open to the Master no matter what time it is. So, again and put simply, we are to have our loins girded so that we might be ready to open the door for the Master!  Now, what is being said? What is being taught? The lesson is about saving faith. In other words, Jesus is telling us that we must have faith. Faith alone saves (Romans 3:22, 25; 10:30-32; Phil. 3:9). Now, this behooves us to ask about the nature of faith. What is it?

When the Lord says in Luke 12:35, “Stay dressed for action and keep your lamps burning…” we immediately begin nosing around the text looking for what it means to “stay dressed” and keep the “lamps burning.” In other words, what is the action we are looking for that requires us to steer clear of bedclothes and keep the energy bills high?  What are we being charged to do?  What is required of us in this text? Such questions deserve our mental energy.  So, take a minute to open your Bible to Luke 12:35-40 and ask yourself, “What is the action for which I am to be prepared?” What is the thing I must do?
Go ahead, I’ll wait.
Did you find it?  Yes, we are to “gird our loins” or tuck our robes into our belt so as to be ready to move and we are to keep the lights on so as to be ready, even in the night. But ready for what? Ready to do what? The fact of the matter is the text doesn’t say. So, Biblical scholars often go backward in their search for the action.  Thus, girding up our loins means ready to tackle anxiety (v. 22ff), being ready to fend off greed (v. 13ff), or having the boldness to acknowledge the Lord before men (v. 8ff). All of these things come earlier in chapter 12, but the fact is they are not part of the 12:35-40.  So, what does that text say about the action for which we are to be ready?
The answer is simple. We are to be ready to open the door, whether on the second or third watch of the night.  We are to be ready to open to the Master no matter what time it is.
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Those who lie for power, influence, and gain, hate the gospel of the Lord Jesus. It is that simple. What is more, this Psalm could and should be applied to the life of Christ. He, in his own country, was not received. Though he was in Jerusalem it was like he was sojourning in Meshech and dwelling in Kedar. He was for peace but surrounded by liars.  His peace is found in the truth of belief and repentance toward Him who is truth. And that is what our country needs today. It needs the peace of Christ through repentance and faith.

The Psalms are an invitation to experience the Psalmist’s experience. That must be clarified. The Psalmist often provides us with just enough information so that we cannot locate the Psalm in any given geography or time in history. Yes, there are those Psalms that set us down by the streams of Babel or in the courts of Jerusalem’s temple but then there are those Psalms, like Psalm 120, which provide us with little to nothing by way of sitz im leben. They invite us into the experience of the Psalmist.
For example, in Psalm 120, is the Psalmist saying that he sojourns in Meshech (Asia Minor) and dwells in Kedar (North Arabia)? Well, it would be impossible to do both. So perhaps he has something else in mind.  Likely, he is describing his current location, unknown to the reader, as Meshech and Kedar to help the reader understand the religious and moral climate he is experiencing.  This latter idea is best.
The opening of the Psalm gives even more insight. The Psalmist is in distress. Why? Because he is surrounded by lying lips and deceitful tongues (v. 2). Apparently, Meshech was known for being a warring people and Kedar for belligerence. They were difficult people.  Most belligerent people are! Thus, he feels himself to be among enemies and treated as such in return.
Does that description invite you into the Psalmist’s experience? For me, it certainly does. An evening this past week, I watched President Biden tell the media gathered around him at an ice cream shop that the “economy is as strong as H–.”[1]What is more, the President tried to blame our inflation on other countries instead of acknowledging that his administration printed money like there was no tomorrow! This is not the first time Joe Biden has mislead the public. And these are not the only lies that have come from his administration. Remember how NBC News anchor Chuck Todd asked the Vice President Harris, “We’re going to have 2 million people cross this border for the first time ever. You’re confident this border’s secure?” Her answer? “We have a secure boarder.” These examples of the current administration are not isolated.  They could be multiplied endlessly.
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The magic of literature’s influence can only come to realization in the life of the reader when the reader leaves the book behind. This may be true of literature, but it is not true of the Bible. The power of Scripture resides in an abiding presence, a presence which is neither imagined nor sentimental but a presence which is none other than He who is the subject of the biography. The Lord be with you. And, indeed, He is.

Recently, I have been reading Terry Eagleton’s book, How to Read Literature. Eagleton is as entertaining as he is insightful. He reminds us readers, for example, that Heathcliff does not exist outside of the pages Wuthering Heights or that if Ishmael is only a literary name, then he doesn’t have a real one, because Melville chose not to give it. Again, it’s not that we don’t know it. He does not have it!
But it’s another observation that caught my imagination. He cautions a reader not to confuse fiction with reality. Certainly this is something of a danger for the best of readers. There are women who long to recreate the culture of Pride and Prejudice within their home school coop while wistfully wishing such a thing could be extended even further. This is not to mention the men who sneak the “thee” and the “thou” into their prayers.
Into this context Eagleton reminds us of Prospero, the hero of Shakespeare’s, The Tempest, who comes forward at the end of the play to caution the audience of making a mistake.  Listen to Prospero,
Now my charms all o’erthworn,
And what strength I have’s mind own,
Which is most faint. Now, ‘tis true,
I must be here confined by you,
Or sent to Naples. Let me not,
Since I have my dukedom got
And pardoned the deceiver, dwell
In this bare island by your spell,
But release me from my hands
With the help of your good hands.
What is Prospero doing? He is asking the audience to applaud. Certainly that is what he means when he asks for release “with the help of your good hands.” But he is not simply asking for praise. Prospero is pleading with the audience not to confuse the play with reality. Why?  If they fail to do so they will diminish the effect of the play on the real world.  In other words, says Eagleton, the spell must be broken if the magic is to work.
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