Worship: From Exile to Restoration
Larry R Evans
Introductory Reflections
As we study this week’s lesson one principle becomes dominant: God only requires what He first gives – faithfulness. While one theme of this lesson might be apostasy, the first theme is God’s faithfulness to His promises. God is trustworthy; we are not. God’s love is without flaw; ours is not. God is willing to forgive; we often are not. God’s love calls us but ours hardly notices His anguish caused by our slowness to respond to His calls to return. The ultimate question arising from this lesson is this: “Where do we stand?” or better yet “For whom do we stand?” Perhaps the brightest light coming from this week’s lesson can be summarized in Philippians 1:6,“ . . . he who began a good work in you will carry it out onto completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”
This is only possible because of God’s faithfulness and His persistent calls to each one of us to return to Him.
Quiz
1. How we live while God’s house is in ruins can impact the welfare of the church. (Haggai 1:2-9) True or False?
2. The restoration of worship is a priority for God. (Hag. 1:9-11) True or False?
3. Worship is worship as long as one is sincere. (Ezek. 8:8) True or False?
4. What one does in the dark does not have an influence on others. (Ezek. 8:12) True or False?
5. Worshipping an “image” is still worship. (Dan. 3; Rev. 13) True or False?
6. When apostasy is discovered, God brings judgment upon the people or removes His presence or both. (Jer. 29:10-14; Mal. 4:5,6; Rev. 14:6-12) True or False?
7. The challenge with apostasy is to get God to return. (Jer. 3:11-13, 19) True or False?
8. The destroyed walls of Jerusalem were symbols of the political strength of Israel’s enemies. (Neh. 1:3-9) True or False?
9. False worship can cause one to be blotted out of the book of life. (Ex. 32:31-34) True or False?
10. One can worship falsely even if the day is right and images are not used. (1 Sam. 15:22-25; Micah 6:8) True or False?
Some Reflections
1. How we live while God’s house is in ruins can impact the welfare of the church. (Haggai 1:2-9) True
2 This is what the Lord Almighty says: “These people say, ‘The time has not yet come for the Lord’s house to be built.’ ”
3 Then the word of the Lord came through the prophet Haggai: 4 “Is it a time for you yourselves to be living in your paneled houses, while this house remains a ruin?”
5 Now this is what the Lord Almighty says: “Give careful thought to your ways . . .
9 “You expected much, but see, it turned out to be little. What you brought home, I blew away. Why?” declares the Lord Almighty. “Because of my house, which remains a ruin, while each of you is busy with his own house
10 Therefore, because of you the heavens have withheld their dew and the earth its crops.11 I called for a drought on the fields and the mountains, on the grain, the new wine, the oil and whatever the ground produces, on men and cattle, and on the labor of your hands.”
Haggai repeatedly charged his audience to reflect on how their current situation resulted from neglecting their relationship with God (1:5-7; 2:15-18). Prior to building a place of worship Haggai called for a greater awareness of God’s holiness in their hearts and hence the reason he saw in the natural disasters a call to repentance. Haggai, Zechariah and Malachi are linked with their themes of the need for spiritual renewal. It is fitting that the last message of the Old Testament ends on this note – a logical entreaty prior to the coming of the Messiah 400 years later.
2. The restoration of worship is a priority for God. (Hag. 1:9-11) True and False
Unqualified worship was a problem Israel had. It is a heart religion, not just a formal religion that God is calling for. God knows how we are made (Gen 1:26) and what it will take for us to find fulfillment in life. Worship is not only a recognition of who God is but who we are as well and false worship skirts either or both of these critical issues.
3. Worship is worship as long as one is sincere. (Ezek. 8:1-18) True
In fact it doesn’t even have to be “sincere” for the answer to be true! The issue isn’t if it is worship but is it true biblical worship. Idols can be worshiped, formalism can be worship but God is asking for a heart religion. Chapter 8 lists the leaders involved in all sorts of “detestable” worship leading God to conclude:
17 He said to me, “Have you seen this, son of man? Is it a trivial matter for the house of Judah to do the detestable things they are doing here? Must they also fill the land with violence and continually provoke me to anger? Look at them putting the branch to their nose! 18 Therefore I will deal with them in anger; I will not look on them with pity or spare them. Although they shout in my ears, I will not listen to them.”
4. What one does in the dark does not have an influence on others. (Ezek. 8:12) True
12 He said to me, “Son of man, have you seen what the elders of the house of Israel are doing in the darkness, each at the shrine of his own idol?
Sin in the camp impacted the whole nation and the only way left was for God to bring judgment and “respond in fury.” (v.18) A similar response and rationale to the second angel’s message of Rev. 14.
5. Worshipping an “image” is still worship. (Dan. 3; Rev. 13) True
True but not true worship of God. It has been said that he who loves less controls more. This was the experience when false worship was introduced to Daniel and his companions and prophesied in Rev. 13:15.
6. When apostasy is discovered, God brings judgment upon the people or removes His presence or both. (Jer. 29:10-14; Mal. 4:5,6; Rev. 14:6-12) True and False
False because in the references cited God first calls for His people to return to him – asking them to repent. This is the invitation that is to be given to the world prior to Jesus’ coming –Rev. 14:6-12. It is true because as in times gone by with the refusal to accept God’s invitation judgment does come and God removes his protective hand.
7. The challenge with apostasy is to get God to return. (Jer. 3:11-13, 19) False
Not at all! It is we who struggle with returning and this is why Jeremiah is called the weeping prophet. He saw the tragedy of rebellious hearts.
12 Go, proclaim this message toward the north:
“ ‘Return, faithless Israel,’ declares the Lord,
‘I will frown on you no longer,
for I am merciful,’ declares the Lord,
‘I will not be angry forever.
13 Only acknowledge your guilt—
you have rebelled against the Lord your God,
you have scattered your favors to foreign gods
under every spreading tree,
and have not obeyed me,’ ”
declares the Lord.
“The Lord always remained faithful to His covenant commitment, but the Israelite people repeatedly broke the covenant as Canaanite polytheism lured them away from the Lord. They broke the laws banning the worship of idols, engage in immoral sex rituals, and ignored God requirements for righteousness.” NLT Study Bible, p.1213.
8. The destroyed walls of Jerusalem were symbols of the political strength of Israel’s enemies. (Neh. 1:3-9) False
Note how Nehemiah received the word about the walls of Jerusalem being torn down and the gates burned.
4 When I heard these things, I sat down and wept. For some days I mourned and fasted and prayed before the God of heaven. 5 Then I said:
“O Lord, God of heaven, the great and awesome God, who keeps his covenant of love with those who love him and obey his commands, 6 let your ear be attentive and your eyes open to hear the prayer your servant is praying before you day and night for your servants, the people of Israel. I confess the sins we Israelites, including myself and my father’s house, have committed against you. 7 We have acted very wickedly toward you. We have not obeyed the commands, decrees and laws you gave your servant Moses.
“The destroyed wall was a shameful reminder that God had destroyed the city, fulfilling the covenant curses because of the people’s sin (1:2, 6-8; 2:17). Consequently, the rebuilt wall would be a sign of God’s blessing and proof that God was bringing the promised restoration to his covenant people.” NLT Study Bible, p.814
9. False worship can cause one to be blotted out of the book of life. (Ex. 32:31-34) True
Sin is terrible and there is a terrible price to pay. God knows this and hence the reason for His pleading for His people to return – it is a call for life over death. Moses recognized the tragic consequences as well.
31 So Moses went back to the Lord and said, “Oh, what a great sin these people have committed! They have made themselves gods of gold. 32 But now, please forgive their sin—but if not, then blot me out of the book you have written.”
10. One can worship falsely even if the day is right and images are not used. (1 Sam. 15:22-25; Micah 6:8) True
22 But Samuel replied:
“Does the Lord delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices
as much as in obeying the voice of the Lord?
To obey is better than sacrifice,
and to heed is better than the fat of rams.
23 For rebellion is like the sin of divination,
and arrogance like the evil of idolatry.
Because you have rejected the word of the Lord,
he has rejected you as king.”
Micah also speaks of obedience coming from the heart.
8 He has showed you, O man, what is good.
And what does the Lord require of you?
To act justly and to love mercy
and to walk humbly with your God.
Concluding Thought
A familiar Bible verse summarizes quite well the main thrust of this lesson. It is found in Rev. 14:12 – a passage following the last gospel message to be given to the world.
12 This calls for patient endurance on the part of the saints who obey God’s commandments and remain faithful to Jesus.
Jesus must first become our substitute and then our example. We can never imitate Jesus whether it be in worship, in the home or in the work place without Jesus within.
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