Our day began with the phone alarming at 5:00 this morning! And an 11 1/2 hour trip ahead of us, from Newaygo, Michigan to Tunnel Hill, Georgia! After a precious week of Revival, I might add.

Ready to load!

Ready to leave!

Do you see the snow?

Not as much as some years, but still snow!

Surprisingly, this sight (the snow) triggered the thought for today’s Bible nugget.

God is the Speaker, questioning Job the old patriarch, godly man that he was. “Hast thou entered into the treasures of the SNOW? or hast thou seen the treasures of the hail?” Job 38:22

Now …

I’m writing you at 9:45 this evening, after the Lord has given us a safe trip home.

We drove several hours through that snow, heavy at times … heading south.

Which gave me plenty of time to consider it … the “snow.”

And what unique “treasures” God may have had in Mind.

The Hebrew noun translated “treasures” is “otzsar,” meaning “storehouse!”

Once in fact it is even translated (in the King James Version) “armoury!”

There’s no telling what value snow contributes to life on earth!

But for me tonight, as tired as I am, just knowing the Creator of that frozen powder (no two flakes ever alike) is enough to consider.

A meditation about “snow?”

Yes, and here is my favorite “snow verse” in all the Bible …

“Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as SNOW; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.” Isaiah 1:18

Amen!

— Dr. Mike Bagwell

 

I believe the Lord has laid upon my heart a series of sermons from the Book of Ezra. Either from the whole Book (chapter by chapter) or concerning the man himself, Ezra the Scribe. If this “tugging” at my heart continues, I will have our printer prepare me a “Bible Portion” Booklet, containing just the Book of Ezra, all 10 chapters, just 280 verses, if I have counted correctly. Then I shall (Lord willing) preach from Ezra for a complete Revival Meeting, challenging the people to read the chapters in Ezra, over and over again. No telling what God might do that week!

Here’s my favorite description of Ezra, the man of God. “For Ezra had prepared his heart to seek the law of the LORD, and to do it, and to teach in Israel statutes and judgments.” Ezra 7:10

Wow!

The verb “to seek” translates “darash” in Hebrew. It is an intense longing for something! In fact, 12 times it is rendered as “to require” in the Old Testament! Ezra HAD TO HAVE God’s Word in his life, an absolute necessity!

My second favorite designation for Ezra is found earlier in that 7th chapter where the man is called a “ready” scribe! “This Ezra went up from Babylon; and he was a READY scribe in the law of Moses, which the LORD God of Israel had given ….” Ezra 7:6

This word means “diligent, prompt,” even “skilled” according to one source!

Yes, that’s our “nugget” today. Meet and learn more about this gallant character of the Bible!

Who “hungered” for God’s Word!

Who then “obeyed” God’s Word!

Who then earnestly “taught” God’s Word!

“For Ezra had prepared his heart to seek the law of the LORD, and to do it, and to teach in Israel statutes and judgments.”

Mercy, what a man to emulate.

— Dr. Mike Bagwell

How much do WE love the Bible?

 

Our Lord, teaching His Disciples to pray, added these words to the “model” He gave … “Give us this day our daily bread.” Matthew 6:11 (And Luke includes the same command as well, “Give us day by day our daily bread.” Luke 11:3)

No doubt this can be seen as trusting God for all our groceries! He being the Creator, Provider, Sender of Rain, etc. over all the earth. That’s one reason why we Christians ask a “blessing” and give “thanks” over every meal we eat, we enjoy.

But, surely, “our daily bread” includes things spiritual too!

If so, are YOU gleaning from God’s Manna Book (also known as the Holy Bible) every single day?

I surely want to do so.

And have (sincerely) for years.

Last year (this very week in fact, exactly) I was preaching Revival in the Grand Rapids, Michigan area. And while here I visited a Ministry named “Our Daily Bread.”

It was founded by a godly old Preacher named Dr. Martin R. DeHaan. Born in Michigan (a city called Zeeland) in 1891 (March 23), Dr. DeHaan lived a long and productive life (to the Glory of God), having now gone to Heaven to be with the Lord he so loved. He died in 1965, December 13.)

He preached each Sunday on a program named “The Radio Bible Class.” He loved the great fundamentals of our Faith, the Word of God being his infallible Guide! Here’s one of his (precious to him) old Scofield Study Bibles, King James Version of course.

His motto for life was always displayed on his desk (you can see it in the background in the photo above) … “Perhaps Today,” obviously referring to the imminent Coming (Second Coming) of Jesus!

I can remember his distinctive (coarse) old voice even now as I type here many years later! I still have a few of the Bible Study Booklets he published and mailed to his supporters month after month!

Wow!

It just might be that I have tried to spend some time in God’s Word (daily) since those pre-teen years. And I owe some of that propensity to old Dr. DeHaan!

Friends, may I urge you to also glean every 24 hour period in your life from the Book … The Inspired Word of God? Make it “YOUR DAILY BREAD” too!

— Dr. Mike Bagwell

 

Actually we’ve come to the end of another Book of Scripture. (I don’t know how many Bible Books we’ve either studied in some detail or surveyed totally in the twelve plus years our Website has existed.)

Here is Joshua’s closing paragraph: “And it came to pass after these things, that Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of the LORD, died, being an hundred and ten years old. And they buried him in the border of his inheritance in Timnathserah, which is in mount Ephraim, on the north side of the hill of Gaash. And Israel served the LORD all the days of Joshua, and all the days of the elders that overlived Joshua, and which had known all the works of the LORD, that he had done for Israel. And the bones of Joseph, which the children of Israel brought up out of Egypt, buried they in Shechem, in a parcel of ground which Jacob bought of the sons of Hamor the father of Shechem for an hundred pieces of silver: and it became the inheritance of the children of Joseph. And Eleazar the son of Aaron died; and they buried him in a hill that pertained to Phinehas his son, which was given him in mount Ephraim.” Joshua 24:29-33, five verses of historically accurate Scripture.

1. Joshua died at age 110 (that’s right), having lived his life in faithfulness to God! The man exited the earth victoriously! His life (and testimony) ended well! Not all Bible characters did so. Noah was drunk, after the Ark episode! Hezekiah made a grave mistake in showing the enemy (the Babylonians) all Judah’s assets! Gideon went bad as well! And this begins a list that could be much longer.

This reminds me of Jesus’ Words in Revelation 2:10. “Be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life.” Well done, Joshua!

And look how very well Joshua and his aides had “trained” Judah to live for God. “And Israel served the LORD all the days of Joshua, and all the days of the elders that overlived Joshua, and which had known all the works of the LORD, that he had done for Israel.”

Wow!

2. The “bones of Joseph,” as he had long ago requested (commanded) were brought by the Jews from Egypt … and finally buried in the Land of Canaan, the Promised Land!

This (at least) shows a nation keeping its word to its forefathers. In America today we are trying to erase history, obliterating the accomplishments (unless they are politically correct) of our forefathers!

These “bones of Joseph” are mentioned four different times in the Bible! (Genesis 50:25 and Exodus 13:19 and here in Joshua 24:32 and lastly in Hebrews 11:22) They must be important!

These bones also illustrated the faith of that old Patriarch! Joseph believed God’s pledges so deeply … he commanded his children (descendants) to NOT leave him behind in Egypt (a symbol of the “world” in Scripture) … but take him (his bones) with them to the Promised Land!

3. Then Joshua closes with a report of the death of the High Priest Eleazar (son of Aaron) and his proper burial. “And Eleazar the son of Aaron died; and they buried him in a hill that pertained to Phinehas his son, which was given him in mount Ephraim.”

Aaron’s death was also inscribed into the history books of Israel. (Twice, in fact! In Numbers 20:28 and again in Numbers 33:38-39.)

Thus I conclude that a High Priest’s Death was of great significance to God, in his Eyes. And that thought lets me close with a glance at the death of the greatest High Priest of All! Jesus Christ, God the Son!

“Seeing then that we have a great High Priest, that is passed into the heavens (via Death and Resurrection and Ascension), Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession.” Hebrews 4:14

“For we have not an High Priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; (Jesus)but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.” Hebrews 4:15

“For such an High Priest (Jesus) became us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens.” Wow, Hebrews 7:26!

“Now of the things which we have spoken this is the sum: We have such an High Priest, who is set on (after His Death and Resurrection and Ascension) the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens.” Hebrews 8:1

Oh, how glorious! “But Christ being come an High Priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building; neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by His Own Blood He entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us.” Hebrews 9:11-12

Our Great High Priest (Jesus) died indeed, but did not stay dead!

Having procured for us eternal salvation!

Praise be to Him forevermore!

— Dr. Mike Bagwell

 

Photo quickly made last night, at a rest stop …

Today is a heavy travel day. We’re driving to preach in Revival Services beginning tomorrow morning in Newaygo, Michigan. (I’ve slept a little too long here in the motel, and must get “on the road.”)

Pray for us as we travel, please.

The Lord willing, the final Joshua Lesson (in our current series) will be written Monday morning.

— Dr. Mike Bagwell