Yahweh announces a new covenant with Israel that includes
all creation, "the beasts of the field, the birds of the
heavens, and the creeping things of the ground." The new covenant also includes the heavens
and the earth which will produce the grain, the wine and the oil that was
promised in the original covenant with the nation. In order to enter that covenant, the name,
"My Baal" must be gone from their lips, replaced with "My
Husband", a far more intimate phrase.
The bride is to be made new by the love of her husband. The wife that was a whore is now the bride of
righteousness, justice, steadfast love, mercy and faithfulness, forever. Do we dare take Him at His word and enter
that wilderness with Him in order that we may emerge as this bride? He is calling the church today to the same
thing if we will but forsake all others for Him.
Jesus calls His first disciples. There is a crowd so great that Jesus needs to
get some distance on them in order to teach them all and so asks Peter to take
Him into his boat and then push out a bit from the shore. After the teaching, Jesus instructs Peter to
go out into the deep water and let down his nets for a catch. Fishermen didn't fish in the day and they didn't
fish in the deep water because the nets were heavy and had to be hauled by
hand. Peter objects, saying they had
already fished all night with no luck but in obedience he will do as Jesus
commanded. The result is an enormous
catch of fish, so large they need help from James and John in their boat. Peter's reaction is to recognize Jesus as
Lord and beg Him to go away from him for he is a sinful man (sounds like Isaiah
in the temple doesn't it?). Peter has a
glimpse of who this man might be and instead of Jesus walking away, He calls
Peter to follow. Peter shows that his
belief isn't just words, it has legs as well.
Paul calls together the elders of the
church to charge them with responsibility for shepherding the flock after he
has gone. He knows in the Spirit that
imprisonment and afflictions await him in Jerusalem and that these men will
never see him again and yet he goes forward into this future. Paul says that he is innocent of the blood of
these people because for three years he has preached to them, a reference to
Ezekiel who was charged with telling the truth, warning those who have gone
astray. The prophet will be innocent of
the blood of others if he reproves them but guilty of their sin and answerable
for their blood if he fails to do so.
Paul takes the responsibility of a shepherd seriously, a shepherd would
take every risk necessary to restore a wayward sheep. These elders are now charged with doing the
same. It is a somber parting, and Paul
is clear with them on their sacred responsibility. The rewards are great for faithfulness in the
duties.
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