# 03 2025 Dev. Ex.22:1. “Practical Applications!” Read all of chapter  twenty two first. We invite you into God’s space, to read His Word, to think on and interact with. This is God’s Story. Do you believe that this may also be part of our story, in our time? All passages are taken from the NIV.

Vs.1. “Whoever steals an ox or a sheep and slaughters it or sells it must pay back five head of cattle for the ox and four sheep for the sheep.”

Ex.22.  Chapter 21 expands on the fifth and sixth commandments. This is based on the culture of the time; parents are to be respected, people were bought and sold as slaves, murder and accidents are covered. Ch.22 expands on the eighth commandment as well as aspects of the seventh and the tenth commandments. 

Vs.1-15. “Protection of Property.” The eighth commandment: “You shall not steal”. In these verses several scenarios are presented that comprise of dishonesty. In that time it was a serous offense, if caught, a person must reimburse the owner four times, or be sold into servitude if he could not pay. If serious consequences were  applied today it may very well reduce the crime rate.

Vs.16-31 “Social Responsibility.” “If a man seduces a virgin who is not pledged to be married and sleeps with her, he must pay the bride-price, and she shall be his wife.” However if she is pledged to be married, he must be killed. If the woman was married, they both will be put to death. Jesus, in the “Sermon on the Mount” expands on that command: Mt. 5:27-28 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart.”’ We praise and thank God for His mercy and grace. Amen.

Witchcraft, bestiality and sacrifices to a false God are strictly forbidden and caries capital punishment. Exploitation is forbidden, especially of the poor. If you lend to the poor do not charge interest. “Do not hold back offerings”. In those days it meant produce and the first born. But today it means the blessings God has given us. Be generous. The bottom line, God says be holy, live as holy people in an unholy world. Thanks be to God!

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# 02 2025 Dev. Isa.8:18. Christ’s Children! Read all of chapter eight first. We invite you into God’s space, to read His Word, to think on and interact with. This is God’s Story. Do you believe that this may also be part of our story, in our time? All passages are taken from the NIV.

Isaiah 8:18 “Here am I, and the children the Lord has given me. We are signs and symbols in Israel from the Lord Almighty, who dwells on Mount Zion.”

Isa.8. God speaks to Isaiah three times. Jesus and His people are prophesied, as well as the destruction of Aram, Samaria and much of Judah by the king of Assyria. Also, about light and darkness.

Vs.1-4 “The Lord said to me, “Take a large scroll and write on it with an ordinary pen: Maher-Shalal-Hash-Baz.” This name means: “quick to the plunder, swift to the spoil;” This is Isaiah’s son  name as Isaiah and his children are signs. Before the child is able to speak, Damascus and Samaria will be plundered as the name suggests.

Vs.5-10 “The Lord spoke to me again.” Here God speaks metaphorically. “Because this people has rejected the gently flowing waters of Shiloh” meaning God’s love, grace  and peace. “therefore the Lord is about to bring against them the mighty floodwaters of the Euphrates—the king of Assyria.” The water will cover the land, a deluge “reaching up to the neck.” The neck (the head) is a metaphor for Jerusalem, that God (Immanuel) saved from Sennacherib. That is a comfort for all who continue to trust the Lord. If God is with us (Immanuel) who can stand against us?

V.11 “This is what the Lord says to me with his strong hand upon me, warning me not to follow the way of this people:” This is a warning for us as well. We live in a time where many people want to lead us astray. What God commands, hereunto, is understood as prohibitive, but now the world wants to deem that as normative, and some Christians insist what was prohibitive throughout history,  to be righteous in our time. It is a matter of culture after all. No! God’s precepts do not change with culture.

Vs.12-17 “Do not call conspiracyeverything this people calls a conspiracy; do not fear what they fear…” The Lord is the one to fear. “He will be a holy place; for both Israel and Judah he will be a stone that causes people to stumble and a rock that makes them fall.” Vs.14 is quoted both in the New and Old Test. Lk.2:34 “Then Simeon blessed them and said to Mary, his mother: ‘This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against…”’ Isaiah: “I will put my trust in him.” 

V.18 “Here am I, and the children the Lord has given me. We are signs and symbols in Israel from the Lord Almighty, who dwells on Mount Zion.” This is Jesus (here am I) and the children the Lord has given me. (Jesus and the Old and the New Testament church) John 10:29 “My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than alI; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand.” Praise God!

Vs.19-22 Light and Darkness. Should someone “consult mediums and spiritists… should not a people inquire of their God?… If anyone does not speak according to this (His) Word, they have no light.” Apart from the Word, both the living Word and the written Word there will only be distress, darkness, fear and confusion when push comes to shove. But  for those of us walking in the light, we thank God and we trust Him for the blessings of our Savior in this New Year. Amen!

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# 01 2025 Dev. Ex.21: “The Commandments Details” Read all of chapter  twenty one first. We invite you into God’s space, to read His Word, to think on and interact with. This is God’s Story. Do you believe that this may also be part of our story, in our time? All passages are taken from the NIV.

Ex.21 Chapter 21 expands on the fifth and sixth commandments. This is based on the culture of the time; parents are to be respected, people were bought and sold as slaves, murder and accidents are covered. There is no slavery in our country today however, there is exploitation, sexual, economic and physical (discrimination). In fact there has been a large increase of this kind of slavery. But for working people these two rules also touch upon the relationship of employers to employees. 

Vs.1-6 “if you buy a Hebrew servant…” The rules were different, they had been slaves once and had no rights whatsoever but if one had bought a Hebrew servant, after six years of service he was free to go with his wife and children. But if he choses to stay with his master, that would be for life. Servitude often was to pay a debt or demanded by a judge for some indiscretion. Before this time Moses did all the judging and often asked God to adjudicate a difficult cases. 

V.7-11 “If a man sells his daughter as a servant, she is not to go free as male servants do.” They have intrinsic value that is in high demand and is subject to abuse. But if the owner was not happy with her she may be redeemed. If she was not redeemed, the owner  must continue to care for her, even if he buys another woman. If he does not provide for her she goes free. Today’s standards would consider that misogynistic but it was for their protection. In those days women could not be independent, often, their only option would be to sell their bodies. 

Vs.12-36 “Personal injuries. Anyone who strikes a person with a fatal blow is to be put to death.” But if one dies by accident  if “God lets it happen…” they are to flee to a place of refuge. Once they were in the land, cities of refuge were set up. “Anyone who attacks their father or mother is to be put to death. Anyone who kidnaps someone is to be put to death. Anyone who curses their father or mother is to be put to death.” Those who are aggressive will be held responsible and will pay restitution. Even if one beat a slave the owner responsible must compensate the slave/servant for the damage. Pregnant women are protected. 

“But if there is serious injury, you are to take life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot,  burn for burn, wound for wound, bruise for bruise.” What that means is that; “Consideration must be had of the nature, quality, and degree of the wrong done, that reparation may be made to the party injured, and others deterred from doing the like; either an eye shall go for an eye, or the forfeited eye shall be redeemed by a sum of money.” (Mathew Henry’s Commentary.) The punishment must be appropriate for the crime. Commuting the death sentence of murders violate any normal standard today and certainly God’s standard, and is a complete adulteration of justice, promoting more violence as we are experiencing right now.

Owners of livestock are responsible for any damage caused if the animal is not penned up. That goes for us as well. The issue here is accountability, we trust God and we expect accountability to be practiced in this land. May God bless you, your family, all people of this country  and the free countries of the world in this New Year. 

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# 00 2024 Dev. Isa.7:13. Rumors of War! Read all of chapter seven first. We invite you into God’s space, to read His Word, to think on and interact with. This is God’s Story. Do you believe that this may also be part of our story, in our time? All passages are taken from the NIV.

Isaiah 7:13 “Then Isaiah said, “Hear now, you house of David! Is it not enough to try the patience of humans? Will you try the patience of my God also?”

Isa.7 After the commissioning of Isaiah in chapter 6, sixteen years later, after the righteous King Jotham, Uzziah’s son dies and his son Ahaz is on the throne, Jerusalem was unsuccessfully attacked. Ahaz was not a righteous king. But God wanted to extend His grace to the house of David. A larger army was rumored to be on the way and “Ahaz and his people were shaken, as the trees of the forest are shaken by the wind.” God sent Isaiah and his son to meet Ahaz and tell him that this larger army would not prevail and he is told to ask God for a sign. “But Ahaz said, ‘I will not ask; I will not put the Lord to the test.”’ Verse 13 tells us what Isaiah thought of that answer. 

Vs.1-13 All of Jerusalem is disturbed, fearful, and had lost all hope. God sends Isaiah to meet with the king Ahaz. God tells Isaiah to take along his son, Shear-Jashub, his name meaning: “a remnant will return”. God is sending Ahaz and his people a message; there is grace and salvation but there also are consequences. Isaiah, speaking for God says, this attack “will not take place. It will not happen… Within sixty-five years”, within God’s timing , the people opposing you will no longer be a people to oppose you. “If you do not stand firm in your faith, you will not stand at all.”

Standing firm is a strong message for today, for us, for you! Faith is believing what you cannot see. Faith is a sure knowledge of God’s presence with us and the assurance of the Holy Spirit working in our lives. Ahaz is told to act on faith; “Ask the Lord your God for a sign”, any sign. Ahaz refuses, the spirit he has does not allow him to ask, “I will not put the Lord to the test.”  He is afraid to practice faith. How about us, how about you?

Vs.14-17 Ahaz lacked faith. Often we lack faith as well, but that does not stop God’s will in our lives, in our families or in our country. God Himself gives Ahaz a sign; like Isaiah son’s name, it contains a message to Ahaz and to us today. “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel. He will be eating curds and honey when he knows enough to reject the wrong and choose the right, for before the boy knows enough to reject the wrong and choose the right, the land of the two kings you dread will be laid waste.” The message is that God will be with us and that he is with  us now, Immanuel, God with us. We celebrated that 2 days ago. Ahaz and his people will be saved, saved from war. We are being saved, from sins, our short comings, and God, who is always in the eternal present, is with us now and always will be with us by faith. And in Ahaz’s case, still with him in his lack of faith. Faith is gift of the Holy Spirit.

Vs.18-25 “Assyria, the Lord’s Instrument.” God will save Jerusalem and Judea by sending the Assyrians to conquer Aram, Samaria and much of Judea, but not Jerusalem. At that time Hezekiah, a righteous man, was the King in Jerusalem. The rest of the chapter describes the devastation caused by the Assyrian invasion, allowed by God, to punish unrighteous governments and people. This is a warning to us as well, God has blessed our land and I believe He will continue to bless but only because we are on the cusp of a religious revival. Pray for that to accelerate in our lives, in our town and cities, in our country and in the world as well. We praise God! 

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# 52 2024 Dev. Ex.20:2 “Freedom!” Read all of chapter  twenty first. We invite you into God’s space, to read His Word, to think on and interact with. This is God’s Story. Do you believe that this may also be part of our story, in our time? All passages are taken from the NIV.

Ex.20:2 “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.”

Ex.20 At the end of Ch.19 God calls Moses and Aaron back up on the mountain. This chapter gives us the words of the Decalogue, Ten Words, The Ten Commandments. In many churches, these commands are read at the beginning of the service, followed by a time of confession and a passage  of assurance of forgiveness. Now different passages are used in place of the Ten Commandments, there are many of God’s precepts throughout Scripture. I have found that people pay more attention when the passage is changed up with the many passages of God’s law.

Vs.1-11 speaks to the expected relationship of the people to God. “I am the Lord your God.” He is God and He is our God, He sets us free from the slavery of sin. “You shall have no other gods before me.” This comes with a warning. Do we have other gods today? Yes! We do! Really? What is the most important thing in your life? The warning: “punishing the children for the sin of the parents…” The blessing: “but showing love to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commandments.” Amen! “You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God…” This law may be the one most abused ever; gee, gosh, dang.

“Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy.” This was enforceable in the Old Testament, but the New Test. gives us this advice: Rom 14:5-12 “One person considers one day more sacred than another; another considers every day alike. Each of them should be fully convinced in their own mind.  Whoever regards one day as special does so to the Lord.” One day to worship and to rest is good for our health and  glorifies God. Read all of the Rom. passage.

Vs.12-21 speaks to our relationships to each other. “Honor your father and your mother,” This is the only command that has a promise “so that you may live long in the land the Lord your God is giving you.”   The next five commands are self-explanatory. “You shall not murder.” Mt. 5:21-22 “You shall not commit adultery.” Mt. 5: 27-30 “You shall not steal.” Ex 22:1-15 “You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor.” Pr. 6:18-19 “You shall not covet.”Lk 12:15 Click on these passages for the deeper meaning of these relationship laws.

Vs.22-26. Idols and Altars. “Then the Lord said to Moses, ‘Tell the Israelites this: ‘You have seen for yourselves that I have spoken to you from heaven:” God, here, gives worship instructions; sacrifices that foreshadow the ultimate sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross. God also gives instruction on the kind of altar to build. Worship was as it is today; fellowship, rejoicing and receiving blessings,  in the presence of our God, particularly in this Christmas season.  Blessed Christmas!   _{© cgvanwyk, all rights reserved}

# 51 2024 Dev. Isa.6.1.8b ‘Here am I. Send me!” Read all of chapter six first. We invite you into God’s space, to read His Word, to think on and interact with. This is God’s Story. Do you believe that this may also be part of our story, in our time? All passages are taken from the NIV.

Isaiah 6:8 “Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, ‘Whom shall I send? And who will go for us? And I said, ‘Here am I. Send me!”’

Isa.6 records for us the commissioning of Isaiah. It is established in history, “In the year that King Uzziah died “(750BC). Isaiah sees God on his throne and he sees seraphim calling to each other: “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty; the whole earth s full of his glory. At the sound of their voices the doorposts and the thresholds shook and the temple was filled with smoke.” Isaiah is sanctified, called, and he answers the call. After all that the Lord tells Isaiah what to tell the people. The call of Isaiah foreshadows the call to all followers of Jesus. This call is the demand of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

V.1-7 At the sight of God on the throne and the sight of the flying seraphim, Isaiah responds, “Woe to me! I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips… one of the seraphim flew to me with a live coal…See, this has touched your lips, your quilt is taken away and your sin atoned for.”   

Vs.8-9a “Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?” And I said, “Here am I… Send me!” Our guilt has been taken away, we have been atoned for in Christ Jesus. Who will go for Him? Yes we will go! Will you?

Vs.9b-10 “Tell these people:” Hebrew; Septuagint ‘You will be ever hearing, but never understanding; / you will be ever seeing, but never perceiving.’ / This people’s heart has become calloused; / they hardly hear with their ears, / and they have closed their eyes. “(Footnote)

The New Testament enlightens us, only those who have the Spirit will understand. In Mt.13:13-15 Jesus says: “This is why I speak to them in parables: ‘Though seeing, they do not see; though hearing, they do not hear or understand. In them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah:”’ This is applied today, we could be speaking of our country, especially  at this time.

Vs.11-13 “Then I said, “For how long Lord?” God answered “Until; the cities lie ruined… until the Lord has sent everyone far away…But as the terebinth and oak leave stumps when they are cut down, so the holy seed will be the stump in the land.” There is hope and a part of that Prophecy has been realized today, see, Isaiah 11:1-16. That is what Christmas is all about, praise  be to God!

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# 50 2024 Dev. Ex.19:3. Face to Face! “Read all of chapter  nineteen first. We invite you into God’s space, to read His Word, to think on and interact with. This is God’s Story. Do you believe that this may also be part of our story, in our time? All passages are taken from the NIV.

Ex.19:3 “Then Moses went up to God, and the Lord called to him from the mountain and said,”

Ex.19 This chapter is the pre-amble to the giving of the Law at Sinai. It was the place where God called Moses out of the burning bush. It was given 50 days after leaving Egypt, as the Holy Spirit was given to the disciples 50 days after the death and resurrection of Jesus. Here, also, God claims the Israelites as “my treasured possession…you will be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.”

Vs.1-8  After camping before mount Sinai, “Then Moses went up to God, and the Lord called to him from the mountain…” God explained to Moses what he was to say to all the people, remember “how I carried you on eagles’ wings and brought you to myself.” Today, we are brought close to God in Christ, “Obey me fully and keep my covenant,” which still applies to the church today. “You will be my treasured possession.” The church is that today! “You will be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation”.  Scripture confirms that for us as well: 1Pt. 2:9 “But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.” Praise be to God!  The people answered to the affirmative, Moses told the Lord what the people had said. Of course God knew the answer but God used this method so that the poeple would trust Moses.

Vs. 9-15 God told Moses to have the people consecrate themself, stay celibate during this time, keep everyone away from the mountain, Man or animal must not touch the mountain, “ Only when the ram’s horn sounds a long blast may they approach the mountain.”

Vs.16-25 “On the morning of the third day there was thunder and lightning, with a thick cloud over the mountain, and a very loud trumpet blast. Everyone in the camp trembled… Moses led the people out of the camp to meet God… Mount Sinai was covered with smoke, because the Lord descended on it in fire. The smoke billowed up from it like smoke from a furnace, and the whole mountain trembled violently. 19 As the sound of the trumpet grew louder and louder, Moses spoke and the voice of God answered him.” Here Scriptures confirms God’s voice: Heb.1:1-2 “In the past God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets at many times and in various ways, 2 but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom also he made the universe.” God has blessed us in these last days. Amen!  

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# 49 2024 Dev. Isa.5.1. Called to Account! Read all of chapter five first. We invite you into God’s space, to read His Word, to think on and interact with. This is God’s Story. Do you believe that this may also be part of our story, in our time? All passages are taken from the NIV.

Isa.5:1 “I will sing for the one I love a song about his vineyard:  My loved one had a vineyard on a fertile hillside.”

Isaiah 5 is a commentary on the short comings of God’s people that we today need to pay attention to. It lays out what God has and is now doing for His church. Further it lays out where the Israelites have gone wrong and where we can go wrong today. Yet, there is also hope of God extending His grace.

V.1-7 “The song of the Vineyard.” The first two verses look back at the Song of Songs “My beloved had a vineyard…” The bride is speaking of her beloved—the Christ. These verses are a parable in song, telling of God’s grace to His people, “but it yielded only bad fruit.” God asks a rhetorical question. What more could have been done for my vineyard? Today we ask: What more must God do after giving His Son, Jesus? We answer, nothing, what is being done is adequate!!! When we answer God’s call, and accept Jesus as Lord and Savior, heaven erupts in celebration! Praise the Lord! 

V.8-15 The excessive seeking after wealth God rejects. Excessive running after drinks, excessive banquets, every excess is unacceptable to God. There will be consequences, exile, hunger thirst and death. Today we understand that as the Second Death.  

V.16-17 There is hope! “But the Lord Almighty will be exalted by his justice, and the holy God will be proved holy by his righteous acts. Then sheep will graze as in their own pasture; lambs will feed among the ruins of the rich.” Those righteous, true followers of Jesus (sheep) and their children (lambs) will be blessed.

V.18-25 Four Woes. Woe to those who seek earnestly to sin and challenge God “who call evil good and good evil”, those “who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter, those who are wise in their own eyes…” woe to those who indulge in excessive alcohol and those who adulterate justice with bribes convicting the innocent. Vs .24-25 There will be a reckoning. These verses (18-23) we read here could be written today in our own country. When will we wake up? 

Vs.26-30 “He lifts up a banner for the distant nations, he whistles for those at the ends of the earth. Here they come, swiftly and speedily!” This chapter ends with God sending nations against Israel as punishment, nations that are powerful, confident, and intent on destruction. God is in control, He decides what will happen to Israel and He decides what will happen to us, here in this country. Are we getting back on track? I hope and pray. Happy Thanksgiving!!!                          

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# 48 2024 Dev. Ex.18:5. Wise Leadership! “Read all of chapter  eighteen first. We invite you into God’s space, to read His Word, to think on and interact with. This is God’s Story. Do you believe that this may also be part of our story, in our time? All passages are taken from the NIV.

Ex.18:5 “Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, together with Moses’ sons and wife, came to him in the wilderness, where he was camped near the mountain of God.” 

Ex.18 While the Israelites were camped near Mt. Sinai, Moses’ father in law came to visit him and returned his wife and sons, who Moses sent back to him before he entered Egypt. Jethro was the priest of Midian. Some commentators think Jethro was a Kenite, but others think he was a Midianite, which makes sense given his priesthood.  In passing he is also known as Reuel. It is commonly accepted that he was known by seven names and he is the main prophet of the Druze religion practiced in Syria, Lebanon, Jordan and Israel. Jethro offered advice to Moses that released him for the more important work of teaching the Israelites how to worship and how to live. 

Vs.1-6  Here we learn that Moses had sent his wife and children back home from their trip to Egypt. We also learn the meaning of the names of Moses’ children. The first born Gershom, “I become a foreigner in a foreign land.” The second son was named Eliezer, “My father’s God was my helper; he saved me from the sword of Pharaoh.” Moses led Israel out of a foreign land and he is leading them into a foreign land. Hebrews 11:9-10 teaches us what Israel’s situation foreshadows and sets direction for us, the church today. Abraham; “By faith he made his home in the promised land like a stranger in a foreign country; he lived in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise. 10 For he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God.” What Hebrews is talking about is the “New Heaven and the New Earth.”

Vs.7-12 “Moses went out to meet his father-in-law and bowed down and kissed him… Jethro was delighted to hear about all the good things the Lord had done for Israel in rescuing them from the hand of the Egyptians. 10 He said, “Praise be to the Lord, who rescued you from the hand of the Egyptians and of Pharaoh, and who rescued the people from the hand of the Egyptians… Then Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, brought a burnt offering and other sacrifices to God, and Aaron came with all the elders of Israel to eat a meal with Moses’ father-in-law in the presence of God.” 

Vs.13-27 “The next day Moses took his seat to serve as judge for the people, and they stood around him from morning till evening.” The problem with Moses’ method is that all of his time was taken up with people with problems or disagreements. If a leader or pastor spends all his time with people with chronic problems less assertive people with problems will fall through the cracks. Jethro gives Moses the method of distributing the responsibility of leadership that does not overwhelm the leaders. Jethro gives this advice but he defers to God, ‘If you do this and God so commands, you will be able to stand the strain, and all these people will go home satisfied. Moses listened to his father-in-law and did everything he said. He chose capable men from all Israel and made them leaders of the people, officials over thousands, hundreds, fifties and tens.”’ A word to the wise, thanks be to God!  

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# 47 2024 Dev. Isa.4.2.The Branch! “Read all of chapter four first. We invite you into God’s space, to read His Word, to think on and interact with. This is God’s Story. Do you believe that this may also be part of our story, in our time? All passages are taken from the NIV.

Isa.4:2 “In that day the Branch of the Lord will be beautiful and glorious, and the fruit of the land will be the pride and glory of the survivors in Israel.” 

Isaiah 4 continues the vision of chapters 2 and 3 the encouragement of the “Mountain of the Lord”, the vision of the future Church in the last days that began with Jesus’ birth and “the judgment on Jerusalem and Judah.” And now also restoration.

V.1 Ends the judgment on Jerusalem. The results of judgment is highlighted in vs. 18-26 in Chapter 3. There is devastation of the land, removal of all the finery they are used to, there is war, “Your men have fallen by the sword.” The problem was that they worshiped, they sacrificed as the law required in those days but their hearts were far from God. It was a pretense, worship was insincere, they had confidence in themselves, in their possessions. With the disruption of war and so many men killed, normal life was no longer possible. 

What about today? How do you see worship and church attendance? Is our country subject to judgment?

Vs.2-6 “The Branch of the Lord”. “In that day the Branch of the Lord will be beautiful and glorious, and the fruit of the land will be the pride and glory of the survivors in Israel.” There will be a cleansing. “The Lord will wash away…” every stain “by a (the) Spirit of judgment and a (the) Spirit of fire.” Who or what is the “Branch” Zachariah 6:9-14 “Tell him this is what the Lord Almighty says: ‘Here is the man whose name is the Branch, and he will branch out from his place and build the temple of the Lord.” This foreshadows Jesus, the two men mentioned in Zachariah are named Josiah, meaning God heals and Joshua, meaning God is salvation. Jesus’   name means God saves. 

Verse 5 defines God’s grace;  “Then the Lord will create over all of Mount Zion and over those who assemble there a cloud of smoke by day and a glow of flaming fire by night; over everything the glory[c] will be a canopy.” This harks back to God’s people coming out of Egypt and traveling in the desert. God led them and protected them, Jesus was and is in the cloud and in the fire. It is the glory of heaven, the power of the Holy Spirit that hovers over the church today, those who are the true followers of Jesus. Amen! Praise be to God.

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