“Repent of your sins and turn to God, for the Kingdom of Heaven is near.” Matthew 3:2 NLT
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Those who need to make a valid point will, with emphasis, shout in delivering their message bringing home the main point. John the Baptist, known as the forerunner of Jesus the Messiah, had a message to bring to the people of his day. His message was, “Repent of your sins and turn to God, for the Kingdom of Heaven is near.” (Mt.3:1b, 2 nlt) His ministry and message were predicted in the Old Testament book of Isaiah, “Listen! It’s the voice of someone shouting, ‘Clear the way through the wilderness for the LORD! Make a straight highway through the wasteland for our God!’” (Is.40:3 nlt) The call is to repentance, preparing oneself by radically changing their life to live morally and spiritually in the sight of God.
John the Baptist shouted his message of repentance in the wilderness of Judea. Located a full day’s journey from Jerusalem along the western shore of the Dead Sea didn’t prevent those from coming to him to be baptized repenting of their sins. So many people were coming to him from the entire region that it prompted an investigation from the Pharisees and Sadducees. The religious leaders of the Jews had it figured they had no need of repentance due to their heritage as the children of Abraham. But, this repentance was of a personal nature which needed to be dealt with.
That message was something to shout about in John’s day as the Jewish people looked forward to the coming Messiah and the Heavenly Kingdom. There was a great need to get right with God and leave the traditions of men. That same message is something to shout in our day, “Repent of your sins and turn to God.” Some are following their own path which will lead to destruction. Many others are still following the traditions of men, feeling secure in their church attendance or membership. Our family heritage or church affiliation will not get us into the Kingdom of Heaven. There is only one way. “Repent of your sins and turn to God, for the Kingdom of Heaven is near.”
“Later, Matthew invited Jesus and his disciples to his home as dinner guests, along with many tax collectors and other disreputable sinners.” Matthew 9:10 NLT
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Tax collectors in New Testament times were the most despised and hated group of people. They were hated as a group in their work collecting taxes for Rome and also individually for lining their own pockets through extortion. It may seem a bit strange that Jesus would call Matthew, a tax collector, to follow Him and become one of His disciples. Jesus had a reputation to keep and asking Matthew to join Him in His ministry wouldn’t exactly fit that image. Even stranger would be the fact of Matthew giving up his lucrative business to follow Jesus. Matthew didn’t possess any moral qualities such as loving others or caring for the poor as he took advantage of them. Matthew most certainly was an unlikely candidate, but Jesus chose him.
The Bible says in Matthew’s gospel (yes, the unlikely candidate), “As Jesus was walking along, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at his tax collector’s booth. ‘Follow me and be my disciple,’ Jesus said to him. So Matthew got up and followed him.” (Mt. 9:9 nlt) Matthew left behind his position as a tax collector with the possibility of never returning. An opening in such a profitable business would not open for long but filled rather quickly. Matthew was convinced he was not going back, nor did he have a desire to return. Jesus’ call of Matthew is another example of His miraculous power. Matthew’s heart had changed. Just as Jesus healed the paralyzed, the blind, and the deaf physically, He transformed Matthew’s heart.
A true change of heart results in actions being taken. Matthew didn’t wait in following Jesus and learning from Him. He went right to work in his new calling by inviting his former co-workers and others of the same mind to dinner with Jesus. The change was real in Matthew going first to those closest to him and inviting them to meet the Lord and his new colleagues. Matthew’s conversion and new found zeal in righteousness would have caused bewilderment among those present, but it could not be denied.
The Lord is still in the conversion business. Changed hearts, changed minds, and changed lives are His specialty. You may think you are an unlikely candidate for the Lord to choose. You may feel you have failed Him too many times. You may not even have any interests in Jesus or spiritual things. But the Lord specializes in calling an unlikely candidate.
“O my God, lean down and listen to me. Open your eyes and see our despair. See how your city—the city that bears your name—lies in ruins. We make this plea, not because we deserve help, but because of your mercy.” Daniel 9:18 NLT
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We have come to end of our short study of the book of Daniel covering the historical narrative of chapters 1-6. The rest of the book is apocalyptic material and eschatological in theological content. We will conclude with the main theme of our study ‘Living in Babylon’ a comparison of living in our world today with lessons we can learn from the Jewish captives living in ancient Babylon. In our final lesson we will learn from Daniel’s example of his prayer in chapter 9.
Daniel is in his 67th year of captivity with his Jewish brothers and sisters. Taken captive as a teenager, Daniel is now past eighty years old. He is keenly aware from reading the Old Testament scrolls of Jeremiah’s prophecy the captivity would last 70 years. The time was rapidly approaching for the nation to return to their homeland. Daniel offers up a powerful prayer of repentance not only for himself, but for the whole nation of Israel, fasting, covering himself with sackcloth and ashes. The nation is about to go back to the land they were driven from due to their sin towards the Lord God. Daniel’s pattern of prayer serves as a good model for us to follow in our daily prayers. It is filled with worship to God, humility, confession of sin, and making our requests known to Him.
Daniel begins his prayer by acknowledging how great and awesome God is. He always fulfilled His covenant with Israel keeping His promises as they obeyed Him. But then Daniel confesses, “But we have sinned and done wrong. We have rebelled against you and scorned your commands and regulations.” (Dan. 9:5nlt) The Jewish people refused to heed the many warnings God had given for many years through the prophets He sent them. Daniel furthers acknowledged God was in the right to punish them as He had. The guilty was not just a few or those only living in Jerusalem, but the entire nation was guilty. “All Israel has disobeyed your instruction and turned away, refusing to listen to your voice.” (Dan. 9:11nlt)
The confessions in Daniel’s prayer can easily be applied to the modern-day Babylon we are living in. Referring to ancient Israel Daniel confessed, “O LORD, we and our kings, princes, and ancestors are covered with shame because we have sinned against you.” (Dan. 9:8nlt) All one needs to do is to look around and review the news cycle over the last 50 years to wonder if Daniel wasn’t referring to many countries in our world today with the United States on top of the list. Israel had been warned many times throughout their history of the consequences of their disobedience and even suffered for it before the Babylon captivity, and still they refused to obey God. “Every curse written against us in the Law of Moses has come true. Yet we have refused to seek mercy from the LORD our God by turning from our sins and recognizing his truth.” (Dan. 9:13nlt) I’m afraid if the United States and other countries around the world continue this path of rejecting the Lord God of heaven and earth, a day of judgment is the horizon.
Daniel praises God for His blessings of bringing the nation Israel out of the bondage of slavery in Egypt. “O Lord our God, you brought lasting honor to your name by rescuing your people from Egypt in a great display of power. But we have sinned and are full of wickedness.” (Dan. 9:15nlt) Dismissing the Lord’s past blessings they continued to sin against God bringing judgment upon themselves. The United Staes of America has been richly blessed by God from its founding, but as with the nation of Israel, it has turned its back on God. If God had not spared His people from judgement, the United States and all other countries of the world will not be spared either.
Making his petition to God, Daniel knowing of God’s mercies asks Him to turn His anger away from them as they prepare to return to Jerusalem. Daniel doesn’t want God’s name to dishonored by the surrounding nations as Israel was a reproach to them. Daniel pleas for mercy for their restoration back in the Holy Land. “O my God, lean down and listen to me. Open your eyes and see our despair. See how your city—the city that bears your name—lies in ruins. We make this plea, not because we deserve help, but because of your mercy.” (Dan. 9:18nlt) Daniel is offering a prayer for repentance for the nation because God is merciful. May all of us pray for the country in which we live during our days in Babylon and be praying for each other, not that we deserve it, but because God is merciful.
“I looked for someone who might rebuild the wall of righteousness that guards the land. I searched for someone to stand in the gap in the wall so I wouldn’t have to destroy the land, but I found no one. So now I will pour out my fury on them, consuming them with the fire of my anger. I will heap on their heads the full penalty for all their sins. I, the Sovereign LORD, have spoken!” Ezekiel 22:30-31 NLT
The United States of America is still the greatest, most prosperous nation in the world today. Cemented on Judeo-Christian values from the pages of Holy Scripture by the founding Fathers, the United States has been blessed as no other nation for the undivided attention given to God’s commands and the truth given to us from our creator. But, I’m afraid those days may be coming to an end. The United States as a country has abandon God and we are starting to see the beginning of the end of our freedom unless radical change back to God is made very soon.
It is impossible for anyone to not be aware of the deterioration of the very fabric of our nation. Even the casual observer of the news is confronted with, political turmoil, ever increasing crime, hatred towards others, racism, scandals within our government institutions, attempts to silence free speech, discrimination, churches turning away from the truths of God’s Word, and the spending of the Federal government causing the rising debt ceiling. The hard fact is, although being aware of the crisis in in our country, many are either uninterested or simply don’t care, others are too busy with their own concerns, some are part of the problem, and then there are others who do care but only complain and never take the initiative of getting involved to help in any way they can, even praying for the country.
The Lord speaking through the prophet Ezekiel was looking for someone to intercede on behalf of the people of Jerusalem who was about to be taken captive and the city destroyed. Their continued sinning by turning their back on God, who had blessed them overwhelmingly, is about to unleash the consequences. Sadly, the Lord found no one to ‘stand in the gap’ rebuilding the wall of righteousness. There was no one to teach repentance and return to the Lord their God. Jerusalem was destroyed and the people were taken to Babylon in captivity.
The United States must heed this warning from the Old Testament book of Ezekiel. If the Lord God did not spare His own people from destruction due to their sin, what makes us think He will spare the United States of America? “So now I will pour out my fury on them, consuming them with the fire of my anger. I will heap on their heads the full penalty for all their sins. I, the Sovereign LORD, have spoken!” (Ez. 22:31 NLT) Who will help rebuild the wall of righteousness, the sacred Judeo-Christian values that established the United States of America, and stand in the ‘stand in the gap?’ Will it be you? Will it be me?
“Repent of your sins and turn to God” Matthew 3:2 NLT
Those who need to make a valid point will, with emphasis, shout in delivering their message bringing home the main point. John the Baptist, known as the forerunner of Jesus the Messiah, had a message to bring to the people of his day. “His message was, Repent of your sins and turn to God, for the Kingdom of Heaven is near.” (Mt. 3:1b, 2) His ministry and message was predicted in the Old Testament book of Isaiah, “Listen! It’s the voice of someone shouting, ‘Clear the way through the wilderness for the LORD! Make a straight highway through the wasteland for our God!’” (Is. 40:3) The call is to repentance, preparing oneself by radically changing their life to live morally and spiritually in the sight of God.
John the Baptist shouted his message of repentance in the wilderness of Judea. Located a full day’s journey from Jerusalem along the western shore of the Dead Sea didn’t prevent those from coming to him to be baptized repenting of their sins. So many people were coming to him from the entire region that it prompted an investigation from the Pharisees and Sadducees. The religious leaders of the Jews had it figured they had no need of repentance due to their heritage as the children of Abraham. But, this repentance was of a personal nature which needed to be dealt with.
That message was something to shout about in John’s day as the Jewish people looked forward to the coming Messiah and the Heavenly Kingdom. There was a great need to get right with God and leave the traditions of men. That same message is something to shout in our day, “Repent of your sins and turn to God.” Some are following their own path which will lead to destruction. Many others are still following the traditions of men, feeling secure in their church attendance or membership. Our family heritage or church affiliation will not get us into the Kingdom of Heaven.
Word for the Soul 