Tag: come out
“Lazarus! Come out!”
Scripture reading for November 1: John 9-12
My son Marshal and I visited Bethany as a part of our Bible history and geography study class that spent three weeks in Israel, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt. At Bethany one morning, we visited a place that was a probably like the tomb that Lazarus was laid in. Marshal and I went down a narrow passageway carved out of the rock and entered the musty cave where there were some niches carved in the wall as places to lay the bodies. The tomb was illuminated by an electric light. After reading the Scriptures about this incident, I turned to leave first and right after I got out, I took my camera and called out, “Marshal, come out!” I got real visual of what that might have looked like to those gathered around that tomb with Jesus!
Jesus often stayed at Lazarus’ home in Bethany, less than two miles from the Temple in Jerusalem. (John 11:18) Lazarus had two sisters, Mary and Martha, who also loved Jesus and loved their brother. They had sent word to Jesus that their brother was deathly sick, but Jesus purposely delayed coming. (John 11:3-6) When Jesus arrived, Lazarus was already dead and entombed for four days. Martha came to meet Jesus and told Him that if He had been there, Lazarus would not have died. She also made another key statement, “But I know that even now God will give You whatever You ask.” (John 11:22)
Jesus gave her a Word of knowledge: “Your brother will rise again.” (John 11:23) Martha’s understanding of the resurrection had come from studying the Old Testament Scriptures. (Possibly Daniel 12:1-3, 13) Jesus spoke again to her prophetically, “I am the Resurrection and the Life. He who believes in Me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in Me will never die. Do you believe this?” (John 11:25-26) This time Martha confessed that she believed that Jesus was the Christ, Son of God!
Jesus went to the tomb and wept! (John 11:35) What compassion Jesus showed for this man that He loved! The One Who was the “Resurrection and Life” was about to demonstrate the power of faith. Jesus was deeply moved a second time and ordered the stone taken away from the mouth of the tomb. Martha protested, but Jesus reassured her faith! After thanking His Father that He always heard Him, Jesus spoke, “Lazarus, come out!” Lazarus came out, grave clothes and all!
We are encouraged to simply believe that whatever Jesus said or says will be heard by the Father! He is praying for us now and listening! Why not ask Him for what He has promised? Faith is always rewarded!
“Flee from Babylon!”
Scripture reading for August 15: Jeremiah 46-52
“Flee from Babylon! Run for your lives! Do not be destroyed because of her sins. It is time for the Lord’s vengeance; He will pay her what she deserves. Babylon was a gold cup in the Lord’s hand; she made the whole earth drunk. The nations drank her wine; therefore they have now gone mad. Babylon will suddenly fall and be broken. Wail over her.” Jeremiah 51:6-8a
God has promised to watch over His Word to perform it. Jeremiah ended his book with the story of God’s dealing with Babylon because of her treatment of the people of God. Babylon was to be destroyed suddenly and the people who would do it are named by Jeremiah seventy years before it happens. The Medes and Persians would carry out God’s purposes and be His war club! (Jeremiah 51:11, 20) Jeremiah had earlier told the people that the captivity would last seventy years! (Jeremiah 25:11-12)
Through Jeremiah God called to His people to flee from Babylon. Although they would live there for seventy years, they must be ready to return to Jerusalem. The end of Babylon would come suddenly. Jeremiah foretold how Babylon would fall. In Jeremiah 51:36-40, he stated that God would dry up the sea or springs. The officials of Babylon would be aroused and drunk at a feast. They would be shouting with drunken laughter and suddenly they would die! This Word was known by Daniel and likely helped him interpret the handwriting on the wall the night that Babylon fell! The Babylonian officials were drinking from the golden goblets from God’s House in Jerusalem when the handwriting of God appeared on the wall. (Daniel 5) Daniel was called to interpret and God’s judgment fell before morning! (Daniel 5:30) It is said that the Medes damned up the river and came in under the wall, taking the city from within!
This prophecy about the destruction of Babylon was to be read aloud to the captives in Babylon by Seraiah, an aid to King Zedekiah. When he was finished, he was to tie a rock on it and throw it into the Euphrates River. It would sink to the bottom as a symbol of how Babylon would sink at the appointed time! (Jeremiah 51:59-64) For a real rush of adrenaline, turn to Revelation 18 and read the whole chapter in light of Jeremiah’s prophecy.
“Then I heard another voice from heaven say: “Come out of her, my people, so that you will not share in her sins, so that you will not receive any of her plagues; for her sins are piled up to heaven, and God has remembered her crimes. . . .Therefore in one day her plagues will overtake her; death, mourning, and famine. She will be consumed by fire, for mighty is the Lord God who judges her.” ” Revelation 18:4-5,8