Category: Los Domingos

Doubting Zechariah

Luke begins his Jesus story by introducing us to an old man and an old woman. Zechariah and Elizabeth were faithfully serving God despite many obstacles to faith: barrenness, foreign occupation, national crisis, and the silence of God. It had been hundreds of years since Israel had heard or seen directly from God. In Zechariah’s day there was no glory cloud leading the way or manna falling from heaven. The walls of enemy cities were not crumbling, nor were there armies fleeing at the sight of angels. And there were no prophets bringing a fresh word from God for the contemporary moment. The evidences for God were in the distant past and his promises of an abundant future were beginning to fade from memory.

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The Chosen Ones

It is terribly easy to use the doctrine of election as a source of pride. Being called into a special relationship with the Almighty One is truly astounding. It really does set us apart from those who remain outside of this relationship. And it really does place us in a different category and gives us special access to our God. So how do we avoid the immense stumbling block of pride which so easily leaves us face-down in the muck?

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Waiting on Resurrection

“What misery is mine!”

So begins Micah’s lament for his nation. The prophet is miserable because he looks out on the people of God and can’t find anyone who is godly. It seems as if everyone has turned away from Yahweh and are descending deeper into wickedness. The light of God’s word had shone among them and they shut their eyes, turned their faces, and retreated into the dark.

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Careful Building

The New Testament employs the metaphor of building to convey what the church is and how it functions. One merely has to open their bible to the book of Ephesians to see a prime example of this. In this letter Paul speaks of how the church in Ephesus, and by extension all churches, are like a building which is built on a foundation (the teaching about Christ) with an immovable cornerstone (Christ himself) as the unifying factor giving stability and direction. This building rises up from the ground and becomes a place where the presence of God, through his Spirit, really and truly lives: in other words, it becomes a “holy temple”. Furthermore, Paul explains how God gives leaders in the church who are tasked with building up the believers into unity in faith and a deeper knowledge and maturity in Christ.

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The Rejoicing God

God is holy. It is a fearful thing to come into the presence of such a holy God – just ask Isaiah. And it is an even more terrible thing to come under the wrath of God. God compares himself to a lion who will rip the wicked to shreds. Clearly we cannot relate to God in a casual, relaxed way, but rather must come to him in reverence, awe, and humility. We must throw ourselves at his feet, confess our evil, and depend only on his mercy. The mercy and grace by which God saves us demands a life of piety, holiness, and sacrifice.

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Habakkuk and the Problem of Evil

The problem of evil is this: How can a good God allow evil to exist? This is not a new problem, but it remains both perplexing and complex. The prophet Habakkuk, like countless others, also wrestled with the seemingly contradicting realities of the goodness of God and the presence of evil. The difference with Habakkuk is that he was able to converse with God directly. As we listen in on their conversation, God’s answer gives us insight into how we should shape our thinking about the problem of evil.

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Nahum’s Good News

Nahum’s short prophecy is tucked away, often out of sight, in the middle of all the other minor prophets who are lumped together. The main focus of Nahum is a pronouncement of impending doom for the “great” city of Nineveh. Nahum writes, or speaks, with a captivating poetic style that makes his words come alive. But there is more to Nahum than a lyrical prophecy of doom. There is good news here. It is the good news of the just punishment of the wicked which results in lasting peace for the righteous.

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The Great Reversal

The prophecies of Joel revolve around a devastating locust plague. What do these locusts have to do with the gospel? Turns out, they provide a picture of what God will do through Jesus and they provide hope for those who turn to Jesus with repentant hearts. What happens on a relatively small scale in Joel, is going to happen on a world-wide scale sometime in the future.

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