The Stone the Builders Rejected!!!
Ascension Day
Watchword for the Ascension - Christ says, "I, when I am lifted up from
the earth, will draw all people to myself." John 12:32
Psalm 66:1-7
For the director of music. A song. A psalm.
1 Shout for joy to God, all the earth!
2 Sing the glory of his name;
make his praise glorious.
3 Say to God, “How awesome are your deeds!
So great is your power
that your enemies cringe before you.
4 All the earth bows down to you;
they sing praise to you,
they sing the praises of your name.”
5 Come and see what God has done,
his awesome deeds for mankind!
6 He turned the sea into dry land,
they passed through the waters on foot—
come, let us rejoice in him.
7 He rules forever by his power,
his eyes watch the nations—
let not the rebellious rise up against him.
Reflections:
In spite of all the attacks by the enemy, the psalmist gives personal praise of being delivered. All this is set in the context of the major deliverance God gave to the people of Israel in delivering them from Egypt in the Red Sea. As he gives praise, notice the tone that God is sovereign over all things, and as he focuses on God’s power to deliver he can have an attitude of praise no matter what the situation. Do you spend time praising God daily? As you remember times in your life where God has delivered you from illness or other trial, you will be strengthened and encouraged to meet the challenges of the day!
Numbers 7:36-71
36 On the fifth day Shelumiel son of Zurishaddai, the leader of the people of Simeon, brought his offering.37 His offering was one silver plate weighing a hundred and thirty shekels and one silver sprinkling bowl weighing seventy shekels, both according to the sanctuary shekel, each filled with the finest flour mixed with olive oil as a grain offering; 38 one gold dish weighing ten shekels, filled with incense; 39 one young bull, one ram and one male lamb a year old for a burnt offering; 40 one male goat for a sin offering; 41 and two oxen, five rams, five male goats and five male lambs a year old to be sacrificed as a fellowship offering. This was the offering of Shelumiel son of Zurishaddai.
Reflections: We continue to see the organization of the 12 tribes of Israel around the temple. This passage today continues explaining how each tribe gave various kinds of offering according to how God had blessed them. We see each of the twelve tribes explained specifically in terms of what they gave back to the Lord. We see the precise measure of everything reminding us that whatever we give should be thought out prayerfully and not to just flip a “five dollar offering” into the plate and think that will appease God. 2 Corinthians reminds us from a New Testament standpoint the qualities of giving: cheerfully, prayerfully and setting aside a purposed amount in gratitude to what God has done for us in Christ! Consider what you give thoughtfully as part of your worship of God and all He has done for you in glorious riches in Christ! In Christ we have been given all things (see Ephesians 1).
Mark 11:27-12:12
The Parable of the Tenants
12 Jesus then began to speak to them in parables: “A man planted a vineyard. He put a wall around it, dug a pit for the winepress and built a watchtower. Then he rented the vineyard to some farmers and moved to another place. 2 At harvest time he sent a servant to the tenants to collect from them some of the fruit of the vineyard. 3 But they seized him, beat him and sent him away empty-handed. 4 Then he sent another servant to them; they struck this man on the head and treated him shamefully. 5 He sent still another, and that one they killed. He sent many others; some of them they beat, others they killed.6 “He had one left to send, a son, whom he loved. He sent him last of all, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’ 7 “But the tenants said to one another, ‘This is the heir. Come, let’s kill him, and the inheritance will be ours.’ 8 So they took him and killed him, and threw him out of the vineyard. 9 “What then will the owner of the vineyard do? He will come and kill those tenants and give the vineyard to others. 10 Haven’t you read this passage of Scripture:
“‘The stone the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone;
11 the Lord has done this,
and it is marvelous in our eyes’?”
12 Then the chief priests, the teachers of the law and the elders looked for a way to arrest him because they knew he had spoken the parable against them. But they were afraid of the crowd; so they left him and went away.
Reflection: Here we have another example of being accountable for what we have been given. Israel was to be the true vineyard of God, bearing fruit of glory to him and being an example that others could follow. But instead of bearing fruit and giving glory to God these tenants were selfish, and even when many of God’s prophets were sent they were denied what was God’s in the first place and even beaten and killed. This is in reference to the many Old Testament prophets that were sent to Israel before the fall of the Northern Kingdom based in Samaria at the hands of the Assyrians (722 BC); and the Southern Kingdom based in Jerusalem at the hands of the Babylonians (568 BC). Finally God sent His Son, Jesus and we all know what happened to him.
The question for today is: how do we treat modern day prophets who bring forth the Word of God and call us to repentance? Are they allowed in the church? Is there ministry celebrated and welcomed? What are the caveats of the prophetic voice in the church (I.e. someone saying thus sayeth the Lord!)? And importantly what is the role of Scripture in the prophetic voice in the Church? These are all important questions for us to consider as we allow the Living Voice of Scripture to speak to us today and more importantly obey it!
Maintain the right of the lowly and the destitute. Psalm 82:3
May our Lord Jesus Christ strengthen you in every good deed and word.
2 Thessalonians 2:16-17 (NIV)
Ascended Lord, on this day we remember your last appearance before the coming of the promised Spirit at Pentecost. As you are no longer limited to one time and place, may we not be limited in our welcome. Fill us with love and liberty. Amen.
Watchword for the Ascension - Christ says, "I, when I am lifted up from
the earth, will draw all people to myself." John 12:32
Psalm 66:1-7
For the director of music. A song. A psalm.
1 Shout for joy to God, all the earth!
2 Sing the glory of his name;
make his praise glorious.
3 Say to God, “How awesome are your deeds!
So great is your power
that your enemies cringe before you.
4 All the earth bows down to you;
they sing praise to you,
they sing the praises of your name.”
5 Come and see what God has done,
his awesome deeds for mankind!
6 He turned the sea into dry land,
they passed through the waters on foot—
come, let us rejoice in him.
7 He rules forever by his power,
his eyes watch the nations—
let not the rebellious rise up against him.
Reflections:
In spite of all the attacks by the enemy, the psalmist gives personal praise of being delivered. All this is set in the context of the major deliverance God gave to the people of Israel in delivering them from Egypt in the Red Sea. As he gives praise, notice the tone that God is sovereign over all things, and as he focuses on God’s power to deliver he can have an attitude of praise no matter what the situation. Do you spend time praising God daily? As you remember times in your life where God has delivered you from illness or other trial, you will be strengthened and encouraged to meet the challenges of the day!
Numbers 7:36-71
36 On the fifth day Shelumiel son of Zurishaddai, the leader of the people of Simeon, brought his offering.37 His offering was one silver plate weighing a hundred and thirty shekels and one silver sprinkling bowl weighing seventy shekels, both according to the sanctuary shekel, each filled with the finest flour mixed with olive oil as a grain offering; 38 one gold dish weighing ten shekels, filled with incense; 39 one young bull, one ram and one male lamb a year old for a burnt offering; 40 one male goat for a sin offering; 41 and two oxen, five rams, five male goats and five male lambs a year old to be sacrificed as a fellowship offering. This was the offering of Shelumiel son of Zurishaddai.
Reflections: We continue to see the organization of the 12 tribes of Israel around the temple. This passage today continues explaining how each tribe gave various kinds of offering according to how God had blessed them. We see each of the twelve tribes explained specifically in terms of what they gave back to the Lord. We see the precise measure of everything reminding us that whatever we give should be thought out prayerfully and not to just flip a “five dollar offering” into the plate and think that will appease God. 2 Corinthians reminds us from a New Testament standpoint the qualities of giving: cheerfully, prayerfully and setting aside a purposed amount in gratitude to what God has done for us in Christ! Consider what you give thoughtfully as part of your worship of God and all He has done for you in glorious riches in Christ! In Christ we have been given all things (see Ephesians 1).
Mark 11:27-12:12
The Parable of the Tenants
12 Jesus then began to speak to them in parables: “A man planted a vineyard. He put a wall around it, dug a pit for the winepress and built a watchtower. Then he rented the vineyard to some farmers and moved to another place. 2 At harvest time he sent a servant to the tenants to collect from them some of the fruit of the vineyard. 3 But they seized him, beat him and sent him away empty-handed. 4 Then he sent another servant to them; they struck this man on the head and treated him shamefully. 5 He sent still another, and that one they killed. He sent many others; some of them they beat, others they killed.6 “He had one left to send, a son, whom he loved. He sent him last of all, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’ 7 “But the tenants said to one another, ‘This is the heir. Come, let’s kill him, and the inheritance will be ours.’ 8 So they took him and killed him, and threw him out of the vineyard. 9 “What then will the owner of the vineyard do? He will come and kill those tenants and give the vineyard to others. 10 Haven’t you read this passage of Scripture:
“‘The stone the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone;
11 the Lord has done this,
and it is marvelous in our eyes’?”
12 Then the chief priests, the teachers of the law and the elders looked for a way to arrest him because they knew he had spoken the parable against them. But they were afraid of the crowd; so they left him and went away.
Reflection: Here we have another example of being accountable for what we have been given. Israel was to be the true vineyard of God, bearing fruit of glory to him and being an example that others could follow. But instead of bearing fruit and giving glory to God these tenants were selfish, and even when many of God’s prophets were sent they were denied what was God’s in the first place and even beaten and killed. This is in reference to the many Old Testament prophets that were sent to Israel before the fall of the Northern Kingdom based in Samaria at the hands of the Assyrians (722 BC); and the Southern Kingdom based in Jerusalem at the hands of the Babylonians (568 BC). Finally God sent His Son, Jesus and we all know what happened to him.
The question for today is: how do we treat modern day prophets who bring forth the Word of God and call us to repentance? Are they allowed in the church? Is there ministry celebrated and welcomed? What are the caveats of the prophetic voice in the church (I.e. someone saying thus sayeth the Lord!)? And importantly what is the role of Scripture in the prophetic voice in the Church? These are all important questions for us to consider as we allow the Living Voice of Scripture to speak to us today and more importantly obey it!
Maintain the right of the lowly and the destitute. Psalm 82:3
May our Lord Jesus Christ strengthen you in every good deed and word.
2 Thessalonians 2:16-17 (NIV)
Ascended Lord, on this day we remember your last appearance before the coming of the promised Spirit at Pentecost. As you are no longer limited to one time and place, may we not be limited in our welcome. Fill us with love and liberty. Amen.
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