“Therefore say to the Israelites, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: It is not for your sake, people of Israel, that I am going to do these things, but for the sake of my holy name, which you have profaned among the nations where you have gone. I will show the holiness of my great name, which has been profaned among the nations, the name you have profaned among them. Then the nations will know that I am the Lord, declares the Sovereign Lord, when I am proved holy through you before their eyes.

Chapter 10: Pages 133-145, Isaiah 37, Ezekiel

“Therefore say to the Israelites, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: It is not for your sake, people of Israel, that I am going to do these things, but for the sake of my holy name, which you have profaned among the nations where you have gone. I will show the holiness of my great name, which has been profaned among the nations, the name you have profaned among them. Then the nations will know that I am the Lord, declares the Sovereign Lord, when I am proved holy through you before their eyes. Ezekiel 36:22-23

This morning, I continued John Piper's book Providence (purchased from Amazon Kindle Store) and started Part 2 "The Ultimate Goal of Providence", starting with Section 2 "The Ultimate Goal of Providence in the History of Israel" - moving to chapter ten "The Protection, Destruction, and Restoration of Jerusalem". Here Piper starts by stating that Israel and Judah's protection and captivity, and Jerusalem's destruction and restoration were all for the sake of God's name.

He first describes how God "delivered Jerusalem from the hands of of Sennacherib and the prophet Isaiah tells us what God's purpose was in this amazing mercy: 'I will defend this city to save it, for my own sake and for the sake of my servant David' (Isaiah 37:35). Before going too far into God's providence during this period, Piper reminds us that there is a correlation between the faith of God's people, their obedience, and the many blessings they received - it's just that we are to be clear that it is "God's zeal for the glory of his name" that God's people experience mercy. Faithfulness as expressed through prayer demonstrates this as Piper uses Hezekiah's prayer (Isaiah 37:16-17, 20) and Isaiah's response (Isaiah 37:21-22, 25) to show how such prayers sought God's glory. Other examples in scripture include Psalms 25:11, 106:8, 143:11, and 23:3.  We even see this in the NT in Romans 4:20 and even Jesus' prayer in Matthew 6:9. Bottom line, God rescues "Jerusalem [both] because Hezekiah prayed and for [God's] own sake", and "these are the same motives."

Piper then moves to the end of God's patience for God's people and even this is for the glory of His name, now in justice and judgement.  Ezekiel is used as the key example and how seven-two times in the book "the prophet says that God does what he does "so that you might know that I am the Lord" and that terrible punishment is meted out and "rooted" in motivation "that you may know that I am the Lord."

Piper uses Ezekiel again to to demonstrate how the grounds for restoration after the exile was also "zeal for his holiness and his name" and "not owing to Israel's righteousness." Piper ends the chapter by ensuring that we know that the point is that "in restoring the fortunes of Jerusalem-and promising an even greater future for Israel than what they experienced in returning from Babylon-God was acting to vindicate the holiness of his name....[this] is not a threat to our joy but the basis of it."

Comment and discuss this post here.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God who loves me and who is full of grace not because of what I do but because of Your great name and for my joy in the praise of Your name.  Thank You Jesus for the rich mercies You have already poured out for me and continue to pour out for me.  I am undeserving.  I worry, and I am often distracted by the world - please forgive me Jesus.  Help me turn from my sin, overcome it, and turn towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo. Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

“Do not be afraid,” Samuel replied. “You have done all this evil; yet do not turn away from the Lord, but serve the Lord with all your heart. Do not turn away after useless idols. They can do you no good, nor can they rescue you, because they are useless. For the sake of his great name the Lord will not reject his people, because the Lord was pleased to make you his own.

Chapter 9: Pages 121-132, Judges 6-7, and 1 Samuel 12

“Do not be afraid,” Samuel replied. “You have done all this evil; yet do not turn away from the Lord, but serve the Lord with all your heart. Do not turn away after useless idols. They can do you no good, nor can they rescue you, because they are useless. For the sake of his great name the Lord will not reject his people, because the Lord was pleased to make you his own. 1 Samuel 12:20-22

This morning, I continued John Piper's book Providence (purchased from Amazon Kindle Store) and started Part 2 "The Ultimate Goal of Providence", starting with Section 2 "The Ultimate Goal of Providence in the History of Israel" - moving to chapter eight "The Time of the Judges and Days of Monarchy". Here Piper indicates that during the period of Judges when Israel had no king (end of Joshua's generation), we see "the unstoppable power of sin....Israel spiral[s] down into anarchy during [this] time...and [e]veryone did what was right in his own eyes (Judges 17:6, 21:25)." Piper uses Judges 2:16-19 as a key scriptural example of the spiral.

Yet Piper does use one example from this period to show God's "patience and mercy" - Gideon. In Judges 7:2-3, God makes it clear that it is Him who deserves the glory of any victory over the Midianites. Piper points to pride and arrogance and the need for self-exaltation (vs that of God exaltation) as a key issue for Israel at the time. Piper than points out how God's "ultimate goal in the period of the judges...[was] to point Israel beyond their anarchy and pride to the hope of humble, happy worship under the omnipotent, redeeming hand of God." 

Piper then moves beyond the period of the judges to the period of monarchy starting under Saul, David, and then subsequent kings, to describe how God's plan all along was that Israel be led by a king first of course an earthly one, then via the Messiah as the "final and eternal king-the King of kings (1 Timothy 6:15, Revelation 17:14, 19:16)." Piper describes the strangeness here as "the actual movement to install the first king was an act of rebellion against God, even though God had already prophesied that Israel would have a king....and further describes this strangeness by adding that God had even "warned that having a king would be trouble for Israel."  He uses multiple scriptural examples to illustrate the "God-ordained roots of the reign of man" by looking at Deuteronomy 17:14-20 and 1 Samuel 2:10. 1 Samuel 8:11-18 is used as an example to show how not all of the kings are going to be "as circumspect as Deuteronomy required." Piper uses Samuel's farewell speech in 1 Samuel 12 to continue reverence and love of the Lord in spite of an earthly king because if Israel does not turn away from the Lord, He "will not forsake his people, for his great name's sake."

This kingship "through sin" is then discussed by Piper to "show God's grace....and how every blessing that comes from this kingship is undeserved...is grace."  Piper then describes three great blessings that come from this kingship, including (1) David and the Psalms - and the overarching them of the Psalms is God's praise, (2) Solomon's building of the temple - and the temple exists for God's name - see 2 Chronicles 6, (3) the final kingship of Jesus the Messiah. Piper's description makes it clear that there is no disconnect between the reign of man and the reign of Christ - it is all part of God's plan and providence. 

Comment and discuss this post here.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an amazing God who loves me and who is so full of grace for me - time and time again, I sin, yet You forgive me, restore me, and even bless me.  I am so undeserving!  My sin continues...as it did with Israel, it does for me.  Worry, etc. Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.