Category: Devotions

Who is Esli?

Luke 3: 25 “the son of Esli”

Esli means ‘reserved by Jehovah’.

God has set you apart. This is how important you are to Him.

In my younger days my relationship with God was quite insecure. I would often worry that I wasn’t in His will, that I wasn’t doing what He wanted me to do. Every end-time film of His return meant I would make a decision of conversion all over again simply because I didn’t think I would make it.

In the ancestry of Jesus there is a name which means that God wants His people to be profoundly secure in Him. The name means that God has done the work needed for a relationship with Him and a guaranteed eternity with Him. You are reserved by God. You belong to Him.

For those of us who know we are still works of His grace: Esli.

For those of us who know we need protection way beyond what we can provide ourselves: Esli.

For those of us who are wounded from the battle and we need someone to fight for us: Esli.

For those of us who are tired from the sicknesses of this world and the shadow of death: Esli.

For those of us who need our faith to be strengthened: Esli.

 

Let us live as Esli people today.

Who is Nahum?

Luke 3: 25 “the son of Nahum”

His name means ‘the God who comforts’.

The original meaning of this word we translate comfort literally means “to come alongside and help.”

Wherever you are today, there are people needing comfort.

Even the great people of God needed comforting. Moses wanted God to kill him. Jonah wanted to curl up and die. Elijah went into a cave of self-pity.

Charles Spurgeon, the great 19^th c. preacher wrote about himself and his colleagues, “Fits of depression come over the most of us … The strong are not always vigorous, the wise not always ready, the brave not always courageous, and the joyous not always happy …”

“We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about the hardships we suffered in the province of Asia. We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired even of life. Indeed in our hearts we felt the sentence of death.”  2 Corinthians 1: 8-9

Jesus lost His father, Joseph, sometime before His ministry began. Jesus lost His friend, cousin and partner in ministry, John the Baptist. Jesus also lost His close personal friend, Lazarus and Jesus wept.

But here is the thing. We can be a Nahum today. Look what Paul says, “For when we came into Macedonia, we had no rest, but we were harassed at every turn—conflicts on the outside, fears within.  But God, who comforts the downcast, comforted us by the coming of Titus.” (2 Corinthians 7:5-6)

Paul doesn’t say “Titus comforted us”? No – it’s God who comforted us by the coming of Titus. God brought someone. God provided the comfort. Titus was a Nahum to Paul.

Today we can be that Nahum for someone.

Who is Amos?

 

Luke 3: 25 “the son of Amos”

 

He is not one of the 12 Minor Prophets who lived in Tekoa and who prophesied in the days of Uzziah the King. Though he is unknown to us he does share the same name as the prophet. The name is a beautiful one. It means ‘burden bearer’.

Immediately our mind is drawn perhaps to the challenge of being weighed down by such negative situations of our life. We think of what Jesus said, “Come to me all you who are weary and burdened and I will give you rest.”

But there is a burden not to be lifted by Jesus nor is it to be carried by a friend. It is a burden we need to bear ourselves.

The Church is a local gathering of believers who carry His Name.

We are the Ark of the Covenant in the world today. (What I write can be found in 1 Chronicles 13 and 2 Samuel 6 and 7).

David consulted with his key people, “Where is the ark?” It was situated on a hill. The Message says that the ark was “out of sight out of mind.” How could the Presence be separated from His People? It was and it still can be.

David went to fetch the Presence from the hill and he used songs, harps, lyres, tambourines, sistrums + cymbals.

But the finest musicians, the top quality sound and all the equipment will not advance us to where we want to go.

David built a new cart. 100 years previously the Philistines had done the same thing. In many places there are new programmes and systems making a church effective by copying the schemes of the world.

Uzzah’s name means strength. He drove the new cart. Strength/money, more this and more that, know-how, business people will not take the church to where it should be.

Ahio is Proud. He is walking in front of it. There is no room for egotistical agendas.

The oxen stumbled. No one can drag the church. The weight of the church is too much. The burden is too great.

The Presence must be carried.

David became angry. Amplified says he became grieved and offended.

Christians are stuck in a moment of time when frustration came upon them. What they had expected to happen didn’t. What they didn’t expect did.

David asks: “How can the ark of the Lord ever come to me?”

He learnt about the ark and how it was made and how it was designed to be carried by the Levites, the priests.

He began to seek the Lord, he made a promise to prepare a place for the ark. Psalm 132:2-5.

The word ‘presence’ or ‘glory’ comes from the word Chabod meaning weight or burden. We are carriers of the presence of God. It is a burden we should be carrying, but many do not.

To carry the presence is to desire Jesus more and more. To be like David who wrote, “As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When can I go and meet with God?” (Psalm 42:1-2).

To carry the presence is to keep in step with the Spirit, to walk with Him, “So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh” (Galatians 5:16)

To carry His presence is also to love others, “If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you…If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father’s commands and remain in his love…My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you.” (John 15:7, 10, 12).

Who is Mattathias?

Luke 3: 25 “the son of Mattathias”

Matthan meant ‘gift’ as we have already seen. Whereas Mattathias means ‘gift of Yawheh’.

It sounds like Matthew and there are several derivatives of that name in the genealogy. One of the most famous is Mattathias. When Antiochus Epiphanes (a wicked Syrian king) invaded Israel in 168-165 BC, Mattathias was one of the priests serving just outside Jerusalem but who became a cult-hero at that time. The actions of this evil king knew no end:

• He ordered a pig to be sacrificed on the altar in the Jerusalem temple.
• Pig broth was poured over the Scriptures and then burned.
• A statue of Zeus with the face of Epiphanes was erected in the grounds.
• He ordered the killing of Jewish male babies.
• Slaughter was everywhere.

Epiphanes sent soldiers to the village of Mattathias and again erected a Zeus altar. Mattathias was ordered to sacrifice a pig in honour of Epiphanes, but he refused. Another priest stepped forward to do the act which was an abomination to the Jew. Mattathias grabbed the sword from the soldier and killed him and then killed the apostate priest before fleeing with his sons into the desert. They formed a band of brothers and became known as the Maccabees who would fight against the Syrian occupation for years to come.

It is difficult to be accurately suggesting that the Mattathias mentioned in this genealogy is this one told in the story. However, it would seem that this popular name with various derivatives was used by families to commemorate the heroism of this individual. Carrying such a name would definitely mean you and your family knew the heroic story.

Anyone of us can be a Mattathias.

There are many who are a ‘gift from Yahweh’ today, who become heroes to others. They are often unknown but who give themselves to fundraising, helping with food, clothes and all kinds of need. They passionately live to help others. They campaign, raise awareness of things we wouldn’t think about, they find solutions and become the solution to someone. They hold the hands of the dying, they risk their own lives for the rescue, they speak to those who are ignored and speak for the voiceless. They cross the road and nations, leaving comfort for chaos and realise they have been put here in this world to change it for someone. They stand against injustice and will not let evil win. Love is their motivation and fairness their scale. The poor, the widow, the sick and the marginalised become the central focus. It is their face we see not the face of the hero. They have become a gift from God.

May we live our lives in this way.

Who is Joseph?

You are a Joseph if you have learnt contentment.

Luke 3: 24 “the son of Joseph”

In brief it means ‘may God add’.

This is not Joseph, the 11^th of Jacob’s 12 sons.

This is not the husband of Mary.

Nor is he one of the other 5 well-known Old Testament Joseph’s and 5 other New Testament Joseph’s.

Like many of the names in this Luke’s genealogy of Jesus, they don’t seem to have any story that is known.

So who is this man named ‘may God add’?

How would you feel if your name means ‘may God add’ but others with that same name seem to have had far more than you? How would you feel if what ‘God added’ was so small there wasn’t anything to write about?

What if others of your equal have far more exciting facebook statuses than you?

How do you respond?

The moment we think the race is about competing with others is the moment we lose.

This race is about you and your own walk with God.

A leader once told me that I had “nearly made it, I was in his top 12 for the job, but though I wasn’t chosen I should be pleased I nearly was.” How ridiculous! I quickly brushed it aside knowing that it could be really damaging to me.

Never compete with others for the story of God in your life.

This Joseph made it to the Bible.

This Joseph was in the genealogy of Jesus.

That alone shows that God had indeed added to his life.

Hold on to your story and do not compete for someone else’s.

Who is Jannai?

Luke 3: 24 “the son of Jannai”

In brief it is a derivative name of Janai which means ‘He answers’.

What a brilliant name?!

The silence of God.
The loudness of man.
The still small voice of God.
The shouting of man.
Heroic figures displaying their celebrity statuses.
This is the world we have come to know so well.
But the world of God is at times so much different.
Ask the Persecuted what God is like and they will say ‘He is quiet’.
There are many unknowns today, in prison, tortured, deprived of their human rights,. Many unknowns facing shame and lifelong battles with their families for becoming Christian. The unknown knows all too well unanswered prayers, the fear of worsening danger and the absence of courage.
What is God like?
He is quiet.
But he is still there!
Like a shimmering heat or a morning cloud of dew God can be seen even in the most strangest of ways.
Just because God is quiet today is no indicator He is not there.

He is watching you.

He is sat with you.

And this is His answer.

 

 

Who was Melki?

Luke 3: 24” the son of Melki”

In brief: his name means ‘Yawheh is my king’.

This morning I read this story from my news app:

“About 60 strangers turned up to the funeral of a man they had never met after an appeal from the vicar.

Terence Filer, 85, died at St Martin’s House Care Home in Camborne, Cornwall on 2 January.

The funeral directors and Cornwall Council attempted to find people who knew him but with no success.

This prompted the vicar to appeal for people to attend his funeral in Redruth.

Rev Caspar Bush said it was unusual.

“On the form from the funeral directors it said ‘this man had no friends or relatives, and nothing is known of his life’,” he said.

“It just struck me as incredibly sad so I thought we ought to try and do something to try and give him a good send off.”

One of the guests who attended, called Ann, said: “Even if he never married or had children he was still somebody’s son, somebody’s grandson.”

 

An incredible story of humanity.

We are in a world where the primary need is to let everyone know what we have achieved. We celebrate ‘me’. We want to be known.

Luke lists this genealogy of Jesus and we are in most cases only going to know their names and not if they ever achieved anything of note. So all we know is this man was called ‘Yawheh is my king’.

But isn’t this true for the majority of us? We live quiet lives and not many people know us. We wonder if we are on the right path of life at times. We battle through illnesses and difficulties. We live ordinary lives. All we know is ‘God is my King’.

Maybe that is all that is important?! That God and you know He is your King.

Be comfortable being a Melki today.

 

 

Who was Levi?

Luke 3: 24 “the son of Levi”

In brief: It means “to join, attach and adhesion”

I received a text 2 days ago saying that 21 people would be publicly joining a church membership this month. This came from a church that had gone through some difficult times recently. I rejoiced with them. Whenever I hear of such things I choose to slow the moment down and be thankful that even today with all of the challenges, people are still joining the Church.

When Saul came to Jerusalem, he immediately tried to “join” the disciples: “When he came to Jerusalem, he tried to join the disciples, but they were all afraid of him, not believing he really was a disciple.” Acts 9: 26

 

To “join” means “to glue, or cement together”. In other words, he wanted to do more than just attend meetings, he wanted to become “bonded” to the community of believers in definite commitment.

A moments thought will make us realise that, in nearly every sphere of life, commitment to others in meaningful relationship is absolutely vital. In marriage and family life, the world of work, and even in our recreation we need some form of togetherness. A team and its supporters need to be together if they have any chance of winning.

 

Are you a Levi? Do you willingly join?

I am a sucker for joining. I’ve ended up joining things I never thought I would! I became chairman of Stop the War campaign once because I reluctantly agreed to go and just sit on the back row of a Town Hall meeting. I signed up to sponsor Bernie the Dog when walking through an airport simply because of the wilful approach of the promoter and the picture of Bernie being just lovely. We need to be careful when joining.

Some won’t join a church because of their past experiences. There are some who are Christians outside of Church because of the abuse they have suffered, the mishandling of their lives and their finances by so called leaders of the Church.

Some won’t join a Church because they simply want to be independent of any accountable structures that are needed for discipleship.

However, we need to put our roots down somewhere.

We need to allow those roots to bear fruit and that takes time.

We need to do all that we can to resist being uprooted.

Being rooted means I commit myself, finances, gifts and time sacrificially for the work of God.

We join.

We become a Levi.

Who is Matthat?

 

Luke 3: 24 “the son of Matthat”

In brief: Some say different people but he could be the same chap as Matthew’s genealogy ‘Matthan’.

His name means ‘gift’.

Thank God for those who are Matthat type people!

Who walked into your life and left their footprint of blessing?

Who inspired you?

Who carried just what you needed at the right time?

Who gave themselves unreservedly?

When you accidentally dropped the heavy things you were carrying, who stopped to pick them up for you?

When you couldn’t see which way to take, who found where you were on the map of life and directed you to where you needed to go?

When everyone seemed to walk out, who walked in?

When you became frozen with fear, whose laughter thawed the ice?

When you were in the heat of the battle, who stood alongside you and fought as hard as you?

It was Matthat.

Let’s all try and be a Matthat today.

Who is Heli?

Luke 3: 23 “He was the son, so it was thought, of Joseph, the son of Heli”

In brief: some say he was the grandfather of Joseph and others say he was actually Mary’s father (the belief that Luke’s genealogy follows Mary’s line).

He is not mentioned anywhere else in the Bible, just here.

His names means “Yahweh is high”.

Psalm 113: 4-5 “God is higher than anything and anyone, outshining everything you can see in the skies. Who can compare with God …”

Psalm 113-118 is known as the Egyptian Hallel because of its connection to the Passover celebrations. Its significance is seen in that they sung by Jesus and the disciples on his night of betrayal and death.

There are dark nights of the soul moments when we need to be with Heli people. Those who know God is high! Who know that no one can be compared to Him!

Are you:

Feeling weakened? ….Heli people say –“who is like the Lord our God?”
Jehovak-m’kaddesh (Lev 20:8 The Lord who sanctifies) = He lives within us to empower us to live holy lives.

 

Feeling away from God? … Heli people say –“who is like the Lord our God?”
Jehovah-Shalom (judges 6:24 God is Peace) = God has brought peace and contentment and satisfaction between Himself and us.

 

In sickness? … Heli people say –“who is like the Lord our God?”

Jehovah-Rophe (Isaiah 53 God heals) = He cures or heals not only in physical terms but spiritual and moral)

 

Needing provision? … Heli people say –“who is like the Lord our God?”

Jehovah-Jireh (Genesis 22:14 The Lord who sees) = He knows our needs and makes provision.

 

Weary from battling? … Heli people say –“who is like the Lord our God?”

Jehovak-nissi (Exodus 17:18 God my banner) = God is our battle deliverer.

 

Not knowing what to do? … Heli people say –“who is like the Lord our God?”

Jehovah-rohi (Psalm 23 God my Shepherd) = He feeds, leads, protects and cares for us.

 

Who is like Him and where is He? 1 John 4:4 He that is in you is greater than He that is in the world!!

Sometimes we live our lives like He just has the edge over the devil. He’s just a little greater.
But God in you is much more significant, far superior, cannot be compared to the god of this world.

Be a Heli person today!