The Preaching of the Word

7/10/2011 7:41:48 AM

SPIRITUAL DIARY

My Worship Time                                                                                          Focus:  Step Two:  The Work Resumed PT-1

                                                                                                                                       (God used preachers of the Word)

Bible Reading & Meditation                                                                         Reference:  Ezra 5:1-2

Message of the verses:  “1 ¶  When the prophets, Haggai the prophet and Zechariah the son of Iddo, prophesied to the Jews who were in Judah and Jerusalem in the name of the God of Israel, who was over them, 2  then Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel and Jeshua the son of Jozadak arose and began to rebuild the house of God which is in Jerusalem; and the prophets of God were with them supporting them.”

Today’s SD begins the second main point from Dr. Wiersbe commentary on Ezra and it will cover all of chapter five and the first twelve verses in chapter six.  The name of this chapter from Wiersbe’s book is “The Faithfulness of God,” and it is divided up into three main points that are the different stages that it took for the temple of the Lord to be finished.  The work had stopped and the people became more interested in building their own houses from 530-520, and now the Lord will use two prophets to preach to the exiles in order to motivate them to continue the work on the temple of God.

This first sub-point is all about the Word of God and how His Word affects those who hear and obey it.  According to Psalm 33:6-9 it was by the Word of God that the world was created:  “6  By the word of the LORD the heavens were made, And by the breath of His mouth all their host. 7  He gathers the waters of the sea together as a heap; He lays up the deeps in storehouses. 8  Let all the earth fear the LORD; Let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of Him. 9  For He spoke, and it was done; He commanded, and it stood fast.”  It is also by the Word of God that He governs His creation as seen in verses 10-11 of Psalm 33: “10  The LORD nullifies the counsel of the nations; He frustrates the plans of the peoples. 11  The counsel of the LORD stands forever, The plans of His heart from generation to generation.”  It was through the preaching of Martin Luther that brought about what was called “The Reformation” that had an effect on not only Germany, but the entire Christian world.

Charles Spurgeon, the famous Baptist preacher from England said “I cannot help feeling that the man who preaches the Word of God is standing, not on a mere platform, but on a throne.”  When one thinks about this subject Hebrews 4:12 has to come to mind:  “For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.”

The Lord brought two prophets to Jerusalem to get the exiles excited about the building of His temple in Jerusalem.  The prophets He sent were Haggai, and a young priest who was also a prophet named Zechariah.  Both men have books in the OT and there are five messages that Haggai preached to the exiles in the book that bears his name.  God used the preaching of the Word to accomplish His will that is the building of the temple.

Spiritual meaning for my life today:   It is because of my love for the Word of God that I take time to Study it and to write down some of the things that I have learned from the study of the Word of God.  Dr. Wiersbe writes “If we want to know the power of God, we must also know the Word of God (Matthew 22:29). 

My Steps of Faith for Today:

1.       Continue to learn contentment.

2.       Continue to “abide in the Vine.”

3.       Continue to read and study His Word.

7/10/2011 8:16:00 AM