O God, the nations have invaded your inheritance; they have defiled your holy temple, they have reduced Jerusalem to rubble. – Psalm 79:1

Today's Scripture Reading (September 15, 2026): Psalm 79

It seems like just yesterday that I watched in horror as the peace of a September day was crushed by hijacked planes crashing into symbolic and beloved landmarks. At the time, I was living a couple of thousand miles away, closer to the American West Coast than the East, where the horror was taking place, and yet, even there, the crashes changed things. One thing I remember was the eerie emptiness of the skies as governments tried furiously to figure out what was happening. All my life, I had watched the sky, infatuated with the flying machines that inhabited the spaces above my head. Still, on that day and for a few days after, the fantastic flying machines were no longer present, dominating the bright blue yonder. On that day, everything changed, and maybe for the first time in generations, North Americans understood a feeling that up until that day only our friends in Europe and Asia truly understood; we understood what it felt like to be vulnerable to terrorism. On that day we lost something that might have been more valuable than the Twin Towers or the possible loss of the Pentagon or even the White House. We lost our innocence, and that was something we just could not rebuild.

Psalm 76 is attributed to Asaph, but it is another of the Asaph Psalms which was probably written by a descendant of the revered Levite. The context of the Psalm appears to follow the destruction of Jerusalem in 586 B.C.E., but it was not just the city walls that were breached that day; it was also the day the temple was lost. Just like the significant losses that Americans suffered on 9/11, the temple was something that the people thought they would never lose.

The ultimate truth Israel needed to learn is that God loved them despite their losses. We seem to want to connect our losses and our hurts as evidence that God has turned his back on us, but that is not the truth. The reality that we need to understand is that God's presence during the good times is a good thing, but God's presence when planes are crashing around us and the enemy is destroying everything we hold dear is essential.

It could be argued that, at least in North America, 9/11 is the saddest day on the modern calendar. For our Jewish friends, they have another sad day. It is called Tisha B'Av, or the ninth of Av. And while on 9/11 we remember the attack on our economic (the Twin Towers), our military (the Pentagon), and an attempted attack on the political (The White House) identities, on Tisha B'Av Jews remember attacks that occurred across centuries, including the destruction of Solomon's Temple (586 B.C.E.), the destruction of Zerubbabel's Temple (70 C.E.), and the Roman Massacre of 100,000 Jews at Betar (132 C.E.) All of these events, and others, occurred on the ninth of Av. But while Tisha B'Av and 9/11 are days of great sadness, they should also be a celebration of the God who stays with us, even in the worst moments of our lives.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Psalm 137

But God is my King from long ago; he brings salvation on the earth. – Psalm 74:12

Today's Scripture Reading (September 14, 2026): Psalm 74

King Alfred ruled in Wessex (the southern portion of England) from about 871 to 899. Alfred holds the distinction of being the only English Monarch to have the suffix "the Great" added to his name, although admittedly he was not known as Alfred the Great until centuries after his death. Alfred earned the praise of the people over whom he ruled. Early in his reign, he successfully defended his kingdom from Viking invasions, and by the end of his reign he was the dominant ruler of all of England. He called himself the "King of the Anglo-Saxons," or the king of England. The people rejoiced in a king who could keep them safe.

However, his greatness did not stop on the battlefield. He was also an educated man who made great strides in advancing the social structures of his day. Alfred improved his nation's military structure, and this 9th-century king must have had a ruthless side, but he also strengthened the kingdom's legal structure and was known as King of Great Mercy. These characteristics made him "Great," but they also made him a true king. Many kings since Alfred have not understood that. Alfred seemed to understand that the office of king existed for the protection of the people. People needed someone to rule over them and create for them a world where they could flourish. Often, we, and most sovereigns, have gotten that wrong. These Royals have believed that the office was for their own pleasure. That has never been the point of a monarchy. To be a subject of the king and to see the king on the move was always supposed to mean only one thing; salvation was at hand.

So the Psalmist cries out to God that he has been his king from long ago, and that he has proclaimed him king because God brings Salvation to the earth. God perfectly fulfills the role of king. In the midst of all the darkness and all that can go wrong, it is God who will bring Salvation. The Psalmist realizes that God has done it before and is fully capable of doing it again. God has the power to save and, therefore, he will be proclaimed as king.

God is still a King who saves. God cares about all his people. In the midst of our rebellion, his mercy reigns and his concern is only for our safety and that we would prosper. For Alfred, it took historians 600 years to proclaim this King of Wessex "Great." For the people of God, we get to proclaim him as "Great" while he still sits on the throne.

God is Good, God is Great, and God is King.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Psalm 79

In the thirty-seventh year of the exile of Jehoiachin king of Judah, in the year Awel-Marduk became king of Babylon, on the twenty-fifth day of the twelfth month, he released Jehoiachin king of Judah and freed him from prison. – Jeremiah 52:31

Today's Scripture Reading (September 13, 2026): Jeremiah 52

I am convinced that some people like to argue. If you pick a position, they will choose the opposing side. (If I am being transparent, I have been accused of that very thing.) Sometimes it is because the discussion is fun (my reason for arguing an opposing opinion), but other times it is because people's personalities clash. Agreeing with someone seems to validate their stance on a whole range of issues. This concept of validation describes our contemporary political saga: political groups take opposite sides on an issue for no other reason than that they oppose each other politically. If I am a conservative or right-leaning individual, by definition I must oppose everything that the political left does. If someone confronts me on the dangers of Christian Nationalism on the extreme right, my immediate response is prescribed to be about the dangers of antifa on the extreme left. However, if we are going to accomplish anything, we have to be able to admit when those we oppose politically do something correct. The reality is that I don't have to agree with everything to agree with something.

Sometimes history is shrouded; there are too many things that we don't know. And this is the case with the story of Awel-Marduk (or the man from Marduk). As far as we can tell, Awel-Marduk is the son of Nebuchadnezzar. Indications suggest that Father and Son did not get along well. Nebuchadnezzar and Awel-Marduk actually shared the throne for a while before Nebuchadnezzar died. Most reports suggest Awel-Marduk did not necessarily agree with his father's policies, though the reasons for the disagreements vary.

Jeremiah tells us that Awel-Marduk released King Jehoiachin from prison. Beyond the fact that the Judean King was released, we argue over why. Some argue that Awel-Marduk released Jehoiachin from prison for humanitarian reasons. He thought his father was wrong to imprison the King of Judah for so long, but little evidence suggests Awel-Marduk was a humanitarian. Most describe him as an evil egotist. It would be more in keeping with what little we know of Awel-Marduk to argue that he overturned his father's decision for no other reason than that he opposed everything his dad, Nebuchadnezzar, did.

In some stories, Awel-Marduk releases Jehoiachin from prison and is then thrown into prison himself by his father as the conflict between Father and son continues. However, this theory has problems. One of them arises right out of the biblical record itself. The question is, if this is true, would Nebuchadnezzar allow Jehoiachin to stay free and pay him an allowance for the rest of his life? The logic would be that Nebuchadnezzar would most likely throw Jehoiachin back into prison.

A more colorful possibility, but one with a ring of truth, places this event after Nebuchadnezzar's death. In this tale, the evil son digs up the bones of his god-fearing father and parades them through the streets of Babylon as he reverses all of his father's decrees. Jehoiachin, rather than being freed for humanitarian reasons, is freed only because Father Nebuchadnezzar imprisoned him.

The story stands as a strange example of what can happen when we make decisions for no better reason than personal opposition to another person. History records Nebuchadnezzar as an extremely successful king. At the same time, Awel-Marduk has almost disappeared from the pages of history, and it was probably his son (Nebuchadnezzar's grandson) who presided over the downfall of the Babylonian Empire. Opposing someone without good reason can never take us to a good place, and will never carry us to success.    

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Psalm 74

Say to them, 'Hear the word of the Sovereign LORD. This is what the Sovereign LORD says: Because you said "Aha!" over my sanctuary when it was desecrated and over the land of Israel when it was laid waste and over the people of Judah when they went into exile … - Ezekiel 25:3

Today's Scripture Reading (September 12, 2026): Ezekiel 25

After the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem in 586 B.C.E., Nebuchadnezzar appointed Gedaliah as governor in what was now the Babylonian province of Judah. The choice was probably a very good one. Gedaliah's heritage was solid; he came from a very well-respected Judean family. So Nebuchadnezzar chose Gedaliah, and the new Judean governor got to work immediately. His strategy was to gather the remnant in Judah, those who had not been carried into exile, and set them at the task of planting the fields so that once again the fields of Judah would begin to produce food. The strategy had two purposes. Most obviously, people still lived in the defeated territory and needed to be fed. So they needed to grow food. However, a secondary advantage was that agrarian activity would keep people busy, stopping them from plotting further resistance against Babylon. By putting the remnant to work growing food, Judah could gain some security. If they were willing to plant the fields, then Babylon would most likely leave them alone. And after three collisions with the superpower in the past decade, Judah needed the space.

Gedaliah was successful in his plan. He gathered a core group around him, and they began to change the nation's culture. However, as Gedaliah put the people to work, the Ammonites planted seeds of doubt among some Jews about Gedaliah's motives. The Ammonites accused Gedaliah of being a puppet of the Babylonians, a Jew who had sold out his loyalty to Judah and the God of Israel to serve the interests of the Babylonian overlords. Such a man didn't deserve to live.

And so the Ammonites incited Ishmael and ten other men, all of whom were Jews, to murder Gedaliah. However, the motives of the Ammonites were not pure. They enlisted certain Jews to join them in their battle against Babylon, but what they really wanted was the Jews massacred. Because it was a group of Jews that had committed the murder of Gedaliah, the Ammonites argued that the wrath of the Babylonians would be directed against the Jews. The Ammonites hoped the Babylonians would finish the job and annihilate the Judean nation, a nation with whom they had never gotten along. However, they didn't want only Judah destroyed. With the destruction of both Israel by the Assyrians and now Judah at the hands of the Babylonians, they hoped that they would also kill the Jewish God once and for all.

So God speaks. The words of the prophecy were quite likely delivered to the diplomats who had gathered in Babylon. God was not amused, and he was not going anywhere. God would have the last word, not the children of Ammon. Because they had refused to bless the children of Abraham, they would pay the price of their arrogance. In the end, rather than the remnant of Israel, it would be Ammon that would suffer marginalization. Because Yahweh was not just the God of the Jews; He was the true God of the world.  

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Jeremiah 52

Ezekiel will be a sign to you; you will do just as he has done. When this happens, you will know that I am the Sovereign LORD. – Ezekiel 24:24

Today's Scripture Reading (September 11, 2026): Ezekiel 24

One of the best ways to lead is by setting the example. Some of the best leaders in my life have been the ones who walked with me. It isn't always easy. And it's part of what disappoints me about some secular leaders, whether they are sports stars, politicians, or even church leaders. Some seem to demand from their followers behavior they are unwilling to follow in their individual lives.

As you read this chapter of Ezekiel's life, the events don't match our sense of fairness. Why should Ezekiel have to pay the price? After all, he was the one who was following God; the one to whom God was speaking. And to top it off, he wasn't even allowed to mourn in a way that was fitting after losing the one that he loved.

One lesson that we need to take from Ezekiel's life is that our Christian lives will not always go smoothly. If Ezekiel went through these trials, why do we seem to believe that, as followers of God, our lives will be perfect? We are needed as leaders of our society. I still believe that the church is the hope of the world; we are perfectly situated to take care of this world's problems. However, we are only the hope of the world if we are willing to lead. And leading may mean paying the same price as the rest of our culture. We don't get a free pass, as much as we may wish we could.

I fear that we aren't leading; we are following. Most of the time, Christians aren't suffering because we are doing the right thing; we suffer because we have become the followers of a culture that isn't working. And there is a big difference.

Our nations need us to have the courage to be the leaders that we were created to be. All of us need to be ready to stand up for what is right instead of what is expedient. Our culture needs us as much as Ezekiel's culture needed Ezekiel. It won't be easy to stand up for what is right, especially when facets of our culture have deceived our friends. So we need to be prepared for what is happening next. Are you ready?

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Ezekiel 25

 

 

This is what the LORD says: 'I am going to deliver Pharaoh Hophra king of Egypt into the hands of his enemies who want to kill him, just as I gave Zedekiah king of Judah into the hands of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, the enemy who wanted to kill him.' – Jeremiah 44:30

Today's Scripture Reading (September 10, 2026): Jeremiah 44 & 45

The future is unexpected. Even predictions and prophecies that come true are often fulfilled in unexpected ways. The future is a mystery, and that is what makes trying to unwind the prophecies of the Bible, or any other prophecies, such a hard task. Those who think they see prophecies unwinding before their eyes throughout history have, most of the time, been deluding themselves.

When I was growing up, I remember predictions that Henry Kissinger was the Antichrist; that Kissinger fulfilled biblical prophecy. The argument was strong and multifaceted. I know that for many people in the 1970's, it must have seemed so obvious. The prediction has been persistent. Henry Kissinger died in 2023 after living 100 years, and at no point did the evidence of Kissinger's life support the prophetic allegations that some wanted to lay at his feet. Yet, every once in a while, I still run into somebody who has bought into the expectation. It is a hard task to convince these prophetic believers that they might have been wrong; that the way that they saw the future was not how the future turned out. Even now, some want to make excuses for their belief, and they still proclaim that, somehow, Henry Kissinger really was the Antichrist.

Jeremiah speaks of the fall of Judah and the subsequent fall of Egypt. Egypt's fall was predicted because the people of Judah had fled to Egypt, a place that Jeremiah had said they should not go. So, as Jeremiah draws his prophecy to a close, one of his final prophecies concerns the death of Hophra, the Pharaoh of Egypt. It would be really easy to read this prophecy and assume that Hophra died valiantly at the hands of Nebuchadnezzar. But Jeremiah doesn't actually say that. He says Hophra will be delivered into the hands of his enemy, just as Zedekiah of Judah was handed over to Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon.

History records Hophra under a different name: Apries. Apries was Pharaoh of Egypt during this tense moment in world history. Unfortunately, Apries was a man out of his time. While Egypt needed a warrior to survive in a world dominated by the Babylonian Empire and with the dawn of the Greek Empire on the horizon, Apries was more of a builder; his great intellect was geared more toward producing great buildings than fighting great wars. Apries' attempt to help Judah was ill-considered. Apries was not only unable to come to the aid of his northern neighbor, but in the process he lost the confidence of his army, resulting in mass defections. Later, Apries attempted to come to the aid of his Libyan neighbors against the Greeks. But Apries fared no better in Libya than he did in Judah. It was at this moment that Egypt turned to a successful general of the army for help, a man who had led the Egyptian army to success in Nubia during the reign of Apries father; the general's name was Amasis. And in 570 B.C.E., Amasis declared himself Pharaoh in the place of Apries.

It turns out that Jeremiah was speaking of Amasis as the enemy of Hophra, not Nebuchadnezzar. In fact, Amasis killed Apries (Hophra) in battle when Apries attempted to regain his kingdom. As unexpected as this might have seemed when Jeremiah wrote the prophecy, Apries died with the Babylonian army fighting at his side. Nebuchadnezzar, instead of being the enemy who would kill Apries, was the ally attempting to help him regain his throne at the time of his death.

The future often seems to work that way. Even when it is expected, it is unexpected. Confining our future to our expectations limits the way we allow God to move. God's moves are usually unexpected and always undeserved.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Ezekiel 24

There in the temple of the sun in Egypt he will demolish the sacred pillars and will burn down the temples of the gods of Egypt. – Jeremiah 43:13

Today's Scripture Reading (September 9, 2026): Jeremiah 43

I sometimes wonder about the way, or the sequence of events, that things seem to happen in the Bible. I have to admit that I am not convinced that the future is fixed. I really believe that it is fluid and that we serve a passionate God who is moved by all of our actions, both our obedience and our disobedience, and because of these moments, the future changes. It is not that I do not believe that God knows the future. I actually believe the reverse. God knows all possible futures and outcomes, but what actually happens is a joint decision between our actions and God's movement. I know that's a radical thought, but for me, the proof is in texts like this one.

Jeremiah tells the people that God has spoken, and he does not want them to run to Egypt; the safest place for them to live was right where they were in Judah, the land God had promised to His people. But the people were convinced that safety was found in Egypt. That belief was not without merit. Nebuchadnezzar had already tried to defeat Egypt, and Egypt had won the battle. At this moment of loss, Nebuchadnezzar turned his eyes to securing Asia and the Middle East for his empire, and to the many building projects he hoped would allow him to be remembered, and we do remember him 2500 years later.

But this was one of the moments (admittedly there were many of them) when the people disobeyed. Actually, the people decided they were smarter than God; they thought they knew better than God what the truth was regarding the Babylonian-Egyptian conflict. God, we know Egypt has already won, and we believe we will be safe in the African nation. So, the people ran to Egypt, carrying the reluctant prophet Jeremiah with them, and every step of the way, Jeremiah talked to the people about the folly of the action in which they were engaged.

And as you read history, you get a sense that the people were right. In this moment of Nebuchadnezzar's life, it made sense for Nebuchadnezzar to tidy up conflicts, secure his borders, and concentrate on the peaceful building projects that he already had in his mind to complete. By this time, Nebuchadnezzar was starting to be influenced by the Judean captives, especially leaders like Daniel. Babylon's position in the world made this a good stopping point.

However, the Judean rebellion against God also needed to be handled. I almost get the sense that as the people of God rebelled, plans changed. Instead of actions dedicated to securing the borders, Nebuchadnezzar began planning a second attempt to move into Africa. Part of me wonders if the people of Israel had obeyed God, if just maybe Nebuchadnezzar would have stopped and history would be different. But the history that we know tells the story of Nebuchadnezzar's defeat not only of Egypt, but of Liberia and the north coast of Africa as well. And the people who had run to Egypt hoping to be safe realized that they, much like Jonah, could not run from the presence and the purposes of God.  

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Jeremiah 44 & 45