For a description of the (Y2) reading plan, see the “About” page.
Rev. 12
What does John say about the devil? Spiritual warfare? Our role in the battle? The Bible Project’s video on the second half of Revelation talks about another one of the purposes of this book of Revelation. It is a message to encourage the churches to hold fast. The seven churches at the beginning of this book were either facing heavy persecution, being drawn away with false teachings, or growing complacent and apathetic. John reminds them that Jesus, as the fulfillment of God’s past and future promises, is both our hope for the future and the example by which we should live until that day comes.
John reminds the churches – and us – that those who follow God will always face persecution. The Devil has it out for us! He cannot destroy God, so He seeks to destroy God’s offspring. But be encouraged! “They triumphed over [the accuser] by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony; they did not love their lives so much as to shrink form death.” (Rev. 12:11). We will triumph by giving our lives to Jesus, just as He gave His life for us.
Neh. 7-8
Why did people weep when Ezra read the Law? What did Nehemiah tell them to do instead, and why? When God gave the Covenant of the Law to His people, it came with promises for blessings or curses. If the people kept the words of God’s law, the outlook was beautiful, prosperous, and desirable. Essentially, they would have everything they needed or wanted in abundance because their God would be with them and for them. But they chose the other path. Thus, when this remnant, who had lived firsthand the consequences of that cursed path heard what had been lost, my bet is that they were overwhelmed with regret for what might have been.
The problem with regret, though, is that it focuses on our failures and our loss. We need to recognize these things, sure. But the point is to turn from them, not dwell on them. We need to turn away from them so that we can turn back to God. When we turn to God there is no need to weep or mourn. He is the God who makes all things new and that truth is cause for celebration.
The fact that the remnant’s return to God’s law led into the Feast of Tabernacles is significant. This is the last of God’s seven ordained feasts, which give us a roadmap of His plan for the redemption of the world. Thus, it celebrates God as our salvation in every sense of the word. When we contemplate that and truly understand the Gospel – the good news of restoration into God’s Kingdom through the sacrifice and triumph of Jesus Christ, God’s son – we can’t help but do as the people did in Nehemiah 8. “Then all the people went…to celebrate with great joy, because they now understood the words that had been made known to them.” (Neh. 8:12b).
Ps. 89
Use this psalm (or parts of it) to offer your own praise to God. Worship Him! This is a fascinating Psalm. It starts out by stating God’s promise for a Messiah. “I have made a covenant with my chosen one…” (Ps. 89:3). “With”, here, does not mean God made a covenant between Him and His chosen one. Rather, His chosen one, Jesus Christ, was the vehicle with which He made the covenant. In other words, Jesus IS the covenant.
After then establishing who God is, the Psalm goes on to expound on that promise with a poetic image of a king whose enemies God will crush. God promises to exalt this king to an everlasting throne. “And I will appoint Him to be my firstborn, the most exalted of the kings of the earth. I will maintain my love to Him forever, and my covenant with Him will never fail.” (Ps. 89:25-28).
But then there’s a “but…”. At the end of this Psalm, we see God’s anointed one rejected, with His crown in the dust. He is scorned, mocked, and taunted by the nations. This sounds like a depressing end to the story. But it isn’t. Remember the Psalm started with declaring who God is. God cannot be unfaithful to His promise. So, the way I see it, God gave us this Psalm to show us that His promised Messiah would first come as the suffering servant we saw in Jesus. That was always the plan.
God also gives us a subtle sign by which we can know that what seems like the end of the story is really just the beginning. “Who can live and not see death, or who can escape the power of the grave?” (Ps. 89:48). As it turns out, someone did! And He gives us power to do the same. Jesus said, “Very truly I tell you, whoever obeys my word will never see death.” (John 8:51). And that is why this Psalm, with no transition whatsoever from what seems like a defeat, ends with “Praise be to the LORD forever!” (Ps. 89:52). Through Christ’s defeat, He gained eternal victory for all who abide in Him. Praise be to the LORD, indeed!!