Reformation Life

BIBLICAL | REFORMED | THEOLOGICAL | HISTORICAL | DEVOTIONAL

General

We Built The Wall

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“So we built the wall. And all the wall was joined together to half its height, for the people had a mind to work.” (Nehemiah 4:6)

The accomplishment of the rebuilding of the city walls of Jerusalem by Nehemiah and the people was a remarkable instance of faith and trust in God. It was done in the midst of great hostility and open opposition. It was done in the midst of devious and subtle opposition. There were times of frustration and hardship. It was largely due to the leadership of Nehemiah that the wall was finished in breath-taking time – 52 days (Neh. 6:15). His leadership was not just his physical presence among the returned exiles, but his spiritual leadership was exemplary.

Nehemiah’s spiritual stature did not happen overnight. It began when he was an exile in captivity. He was cupbearer to the King of Persia, Aratxerxes in the city of Susa. It was an important position. Nehemiah could forfeit his life if someone tried to poison the king, since he tasted the wine first. As cupbearer, it is obvious that Nehemiah considered the state of his country, his city and his people.

Nehemiah 1 points out this interest and concern of Nehemiah as he eagerly seeks for information from Jerusalem concerning the conditions of the city. He knows that some exiles have already returned under Zerubbabel and Ezra and he is anxious to hear first-hand accounts of what was happening. Nehemiah’s brother, Hanani had recently returned and the news was not good. Jerusalem’s walls and gates were in ruins (1:3). [Read more…] about We Built The Wall

Calvin’s Confession

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I love Calvin’s statements to Sadolet regarding true faith and the burdens of his past life under the Roman Church. (Vol 1. Tracts and Letters, p. 61, 62)

“Thou, O Lord, knowest, and the fact itself has testified to men, that the only thing I asked was, that all controversies should be decided by thy word, that thus both parties might unite with one mind to establish thy kingdom; and I declined not to restore peace to the Church at the expense of my head, if I were found to have been unnecessarily the cause of tumult. But what did our opponents? Did they not instantly, and like madmen, fly to fires, swords, and gibbets? Did they not decide that their only security was in arms and cruelty? Did they not instigate all ranks to the same fury? Did they not spurn at all methods of pacification? To this it is owing that a matter, which might at one time have been settled amicably, has blazed into such a contest. But although, amidst the great confusion, the judgments of men were various, I am freed from all fear, now that we stand at thy tribunal, where equity, combined with truth, cannot but decide in favor of innocence.” [Read more…] about Calvin’s Confession

Sin – An Incendiary Assault on God

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When we sin it’s as if we have charged up to heaven, called God to come forth and then hurled at him the filthiness that our sin is. And then, God appeared on the battlements of heaven in full majestic regalia, and called up his siege engines and catapults with smoldering weapons of hell-fire (as it appeared to you), and then they started firing one after another, and you backed off and cowered down (the noise was earth-shaking) and waited to be destroyed, except nothing happened. You looked up and saw that God was firing his weapons off to the side at an unobtrusive hill. You could make out an execution in progress. So, you snuck over to see as heaven’s lightnings and thundering sounded in your ears. One of the victims cast his eyes upon you and you ventured to ask, “what are you doing here?” He replied, “This is for you, I’m taking your place.”

God’s Two Judgments

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Calvin points out the differences in the judgment of God.

“One judgment we call, for the sake of teaching, that of vengeance, the other, of chastisement.

Now, by the judgment of vengeance, God should be understood as taking vengeance upon his enemies; so that he exercises his wrath against them, he confounds them, he scatters them, he brings them to nought. Therefore, let us consider this to be God’s vengeance, properly speaking: when punishment is joined with his indignation.

In the judgment of chastisement he is not so harsh as to be angry, nor does he take vengeance so as to blast with destruction. Consequently, it is not, properly speaking, punishment or vengeance, but correction and admonition.

The one is the act of a judge; the other, the act of a father.”

(Inst. 3.4.31)

The Key To The Seventy Weeks

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Daniel’s seventy-weeks resolve around one simple issue. Here it is.

We know that the promised Messiah came at the end of the 69 weeks (Dan. 9:25) and he was cut off within the next week of years (the 70th) and that in that ensuing 70th week he fulfilled all the predictions of Daniel 9:24 and 27.

There is absolutely no reason to insert any period of time between the 69th and the 70th week for the simple reason – none of us think of time in this way. We go from 7 weeks and then the next 62 weeks (Dan. 9:25) consecutively and then to the 70th week consecutively. To add anything in-between is a travesty of interpretation.