Men of the Bible — Judas

 

Judas

His name means: "Praised"

His work: As one of the twelve disciples, Judas's responsibility was to act as the group's treasurer.
His character: John's gospel indicates that Judas, though chosen by Jesus, was a thief, a man who regularly helped himself to the community purse. Though he would have been on intimate terms with the Lord, he betrayed Jesus by handing him over to the religious authorities, who then had him condemned to death. The motives for his act of treachery have never been clear. His name always appears last in the list of Jesus' disciples.
His sorrow: Regretting his decision to hand Jesus over to the religious authorities, Judas hanged himself.
His triumph: He was a member of Jesus' inner circle.
Key Scriptures: Matthew 26:6-16; John 12:1-8; 13:1-30; 18:1-11

A Look at the Man

Under cover of darkness, Judas led a detachment of soldiers and Jewish officials to an olive grove on the other side of the Kidron Valley. In this place, Jesus and his disciples had retired after the Passover meal. There he betrayed the Lord with a kiss, saying, "Greetings, Rabbi!" Then he watched as the soldiers bound Jesus and led him away.

If Judas intended his act of betrayal to be the spark that ignited the revolution, he must have been disappointed. There was no great uprising, no crowds clamoring for Jesus' release, no miracles from heaven to establish the Messiah on his throne. The next morning brought with it only the grim news that Jesus had been beaten, handed over to Pontius Pilate, and condemned to death. Suddenly Judas felt overwhelmed by a tide of grief so great it swept away his previous certainty. Flinging the thirty pieces of silver—blood money now—into the temple, he went out and hanged himself.

The story of Judas is one of the saddest and best known in Scripture. A man chosen by Jesus to become part of his inner circle, he was privy to God's wisdom, power, and love to an unprecedented degree. But Judas valued the privilege so little that he handed Jesus over to his enemies for the paltry sum of thirty pieces of silver, the price of a slave. Jesus himself commented on Judas's situation with a warning Judas failed to heed: "The Son of Man will go just as it is written about him. But woe to that man who betrays the Son of Man! It would be better for him if he had not been born."

Two thousand years later, Judas's name is still a synonym for betrayal. As one of the Twelve, Judas had been offered a place of honor in the kingdom Jesus promised to establish. But by serving his own vision rather than the Lord's vision, he became not an instrument of good but an instrument of evil in the story of salvation.

Reflect On: Romans 5:6–11
Praise God: For redemption and forgiveness through Jesus Christ.
Offer Thanks: For personal salvation and a community of believers to love and from whom to receive love.
Confess: Any tendency toward self-pity rather than true repentance.
Ask God: For a renewed love for his people and commitment to fellowship, transparency, and accountability. Ask him for the courage to speak the truth in love and the grace to receive the same.

Today's reading is a brief excerpt from Men of the Bible: A One-Year Devotional Study of Men in Scripture by Ann Spangler and Robert Wolgemuth (Zondervan). © 2010 by Ann Spangler. Used with permission. All rights reserved. Enjoy the complete book by purchasing your own copy at the Bible Gateway Store. The book's title must be included when sharing the above content on social media.
The story of Judas is one of the saddest and best known in Scripture.

Men of the Bible — The Prodigal Son and the Elder Brother

 

The Prodigal Son and the Elder Brother

Their work: These men worked for their father, a wealthy landowner.
Their character: Both of the brothers were sinners. One committed the sin of unrighteous living, and the other the sin of self-righteousness.
Their sorrow: Both men were alienated from their father. Geography separated the prodigal from his father, while pride separated the elder brother.
Their triumph: The father's open arms and homecoming feast welcomed the prodigal. There was no happiness for the elder brother except the misplaced belief that he was better than his wayward sibling.
Key Scriptures: Luke 15

A Look at the Men

This biblical account is one of Jesus' parables, often called "The Story of the Prodigal Son." But it's really the story of not one but three men: the prodigal son, the elder brother, and the waiting father. Each plays a critical role in the narrative.

What the younger son asked of his father was unthinkable. Inheritance was paid to a man's sons upon his death, so in prematurely requesting the birthright from his father, the boy was saying that he wouldn't care if his father were dead. His rebellion was open and shameless, a public embarrassment for the entire family. And what he did broke his father's heart.

The older boy was every father's dream. As an employee, his efforts were productive; his work ethic was flawless. Even his conduct was exemplary—and he did not hesitate to review all of these qualities in his father's hearing. He had every confidence that his virtuous behavior earned not only his father's respect and riches but his love as well.

But the elder brother carried a deep grudge. The audacity of his younger brother's words and the slack in his life ground away at the elder brother's soul like a millstone. And the special attention the young son drew from the father turned the older son's grudge into hatred.

As far as the elder brother was concerned, the moment the inheritance payment was made to his sibling, the boy's days as a member of the family were finished. Now the older son was his father's only son, and the benefits of his father's wealth would be exclusively his.

Unfortunately for the elder brother, this was not his father's disposition. The younger son, even with his inheritance paid in full, was still a member of the family. Neither open defiance nor running away would have any effect on his father's love for him. This infuriated the elder brother, but his simmering anger was about to be turned into a bubbling cauldron.

The father threw a party. It was bad enough for his absent little brother to keep their father in distress while he was in a faraway land, but to have his father throw a celebration when he returned home was more than the elder brother could bear. In his attempt to punish the father for his grace, he refused to attend the merrymaking, preferring to sulk instead.

In this parable, Jesus was declaring all of humankind "sinners," and he divided them into two groups: prodigals and elder brothers—the unrighteous and the self-righteous. And he underscored the fact that the heavenly Father—the living God—loved both and was willing to forgive both.

Contrition for his blatant sinfulness earned the younger brother full forgiveness and a party in his honor. But the older son's inability to see his self-righteousness as sin kept him from receiving the forgiveness his father would have freely extended. So he spent the night alone, overhearing the joyous celebration but experiencing none of it himself.

Reflect On: Luke 15:20–31
Praise God: For his mercy.
Offer Thanks: For the picture of the waiting father and how it tells us of the loving heavenly Father who is eager to forgive our sins of unrighteousness and self-righteousness.
Confess: Any tendency to believe that good deeds earn us a place in the kingdom.
Ask God: To change your attitude, to give you a compassion for the lost, and to make your obedience to him a response to his love rather than treating it as a way to earn his love.

Today's reading is a brief excerpt from Men of the Bible: A One-Year Devotional Study of Men in Scripture by Ann Spangler and Robert Wolgemuth (Zondervan). © 2010 by Ann Spangler. Used with permission. All rights reserved. Enjoy the complete book by purchasing your own copy at the Bible Gateway Store. The book's title must be included when sharing the above content on social media.
These men worked for their father, a wealthy landowner.

Men of the Bible — Lazarus

 

Lazarus

His name means: “God Helps”

His work: Lazarus was the brother of Martha and Mary, the family who hosted Jesus in their home when he traveled through Bethany.
His character: Little is known about Lazarus other than that he was one of Jesus’ close friends.
His sorrow: Lazarus had a terminal illness and eventually succumbed to it.
His triumph: Very few have had the experience of hearing Jesus’ voice from the tomb. Lazarus was such a person.
Key Scriptures: John 11

A Look at the Man

The story of Lazarus’s resurrection is filled with ironies.

We know where Lazarus lived—Bethany—and the names of his two sisters—Mary and Martha—but we have no record of a single word he spoke or even a mention of what he was like. We don’t know his occupation, who his parents were, or, if he was married, the names of his wife and children.

If it hadn’t been for his special friendship with the Savior, Lazarus’s death wouldn’t even have merited a footnote in the gospel account. Yet his story is one of the most well-known in all of Scripture.

When word reached Jesus that Lazarus was deathly ill, Jesus seemed unaffected—almost cavalier—about it. Of course, people bringing bad news to Jesus would have been a nonstop event during his waking hours, but Lazarus was his friend—his good friend. Jesus suggested that he and his disciples should visit Bethany—in two days!

Like a wife kindly taking her husband aside to challenge his bad manners, we can imagine the disciples suggesting that Jesus might want to reconsider his decision. “How will this look to the family?” they may have counseled.

“I’m doing this for you,” was Jesus’ perplexing response.

At the same time, the disciples were not eager to travel west to Bethany. No doubt, they would have to go through Jerusalem, where, just a few days before, a handful of Jewish leaders had threatened to stone Jesus. He had said, “My Father and I are one,” and these people weren’t willing to accommodate a man who claimed to be equal with God.

Two days later, the disciples were willing to take their chances. Helping a desperate friend like Lazarus was more urgent than any danger they may have encountered. As they reached the outskirts of Bethany, first Martha and then Mary ran to meet Jesus, reporting the news he already knew. Once again, Jesus did not seem eager to help—at least not within Martha and Mary’s time frame.

Jesus asked where Lazarus’s body was entombed and made his way to the site along with a cadre of curious—and a few cynical—onlookers. At no point in this story, however, did he seem to be in a hurry.

Soon he arrived at the cemetery. Can you envision Jesus standing in front of his friend’s burial cave? It had been four days since Lazarus had died. His two sisters, now standing at Jesus’ side, were in a quandary. They were hoping for a miracle, but they were just as concerned about how much their decaying brother’s body would smell. The people who had come, standing behind Jesus and Lazarus’s sisters, completed the picture.

Everyone stopped talking as Jesus lifted his head to the heavens to pray. “Father,” he began, “I thank you that you have heard me. I knew that you would. But for the benefit of these people standing here, I especially thank you for listening this time.”

People shifted nervously in their places, but no one spoke. Those in the back of the crowd craned their necks to see what might happen next.

“Lazarus, come out!” Jesus said in a voice much louder than anyone had ever heard him use. The living God had just spoken. If he hadn’t identified his friend by name, every crypt in the entire cemetery would have emptied.

And then Lazarus appeared. In his own time and with only the sound of his voice, the Messiah had brought a corpse to its feet.

The final irony was that the Savior raised Lazarus from the dead with his voice but didn’t speak the removal of Lazarus’s grave clothes. He certainly could have finished the job, but he didn’t. Instead, a man wrapped tightly from head to foot stood there in front of his own burial cave—and in front of everyone. “Take off the grave clothes and let him go,” Jesus ordered the gawking crowd.

The last act of this incredible miracle—the unbinding and releasing of the man—was left to his family and friends.

Reflect On: John 11:38–42
Praise God: For his resurrection power.
Offer Thanks: For God’s love for you, for calling you by name and redeeming you from darkness into the light of his glory.
Confess: Your complacency, your willingness to make the best of your “tombs” rather than daily abandoning them and walking into the light.
Ask God: To fill you with the same sense of wonder and gratitude that Lazarus felt as he stood in the mouth of his burial crypt. And ask him to show you others who need your hands to unwrap their “grave clothes.”

Today’s reading is a brief excerpt from Men of the Bible: A One-Year Devotional Study of Men in Scripture by Ann Spangler and Robert Wolgemuth (Zondervan). © 2010 by Ann Spangler. Used with permission. All rights reserved. Enjoy the complete book by purchasing your own copy at the Bible Gateway Store. The book’s title must be included when sharing the above content on social media.
The story of Lazarus’s resurrection is filled with ironies.

Men of the Bible — The Man by the Pool

 

The Man by the Pool

His work: Since the man by the pool was an invalid, he may have made his living by begging.
His character: His role in the story seems almost entirely passive, perhaps in keeping with his character. He showed evidence neither of faith nor gratitude after the miracle of his healing and even went so far as to give evidence against Jesus to men who were hostile toward Jesus. Sin appears to have played a role in his condition.
His sorrow: To have been paralyzed for nearly forty years.
His triumph: To have been instantly healed.
Key Scriptures: John 5

A Look at the Man

“Do you want to be healed?”

It was an outrageous question to ask a man who had been paralyzed for thirty-eight years; a man forced to beg for a living.

But there was a reason for the question. Perhaps, in fact, the paralyzed man wasn’t happy about the prospect of being healed. Maybe his disability offered a certain kind of security, enabling him at least to make a living as a beggar. His sudden cure would have undermined his many dependencies, his familiar routine, his ingrained view of himself. He would have had to start life all over again.

Or maybe he was offended by Jesus’ warning against sin. Perhaps he thought it would do Jesus good to receive his comeuppance at the hands of the religious leaders.

The story of the man by the pool reminds us that displays of God’s power are not enough to create faith in a person’s heart. Though the man had suffered for many years, he showed no evidence of gratitude and no evidence of belief. We expect him to fall on his knees when he is miraculously healed. But he doesn’t. We expect him to show some kind of curiosity about the person who healed him. But he doesn’t even ask Jesus his name until their second encounter. We expect him to protect Jesus against his detractors, to be scandalized by their blindness and self-righteousness. Instead, he reports Jesus to men he knew to be hostile toward Jesus.

In Matthew’s gospel, Jesus denounces the cities that had witnessed most of his miracles because the vast majority of people there had failed to repent (Matthew 11:20). His words remind us that, even though miracles are evidence of God’s power and compassion, without faith, we are still free to reject them, still free to conclude that his offer of mercy is irrelevant or unnecessary.

Though none of us know what went on in the heart of the man who was healed, we are troubled by the way he responded and the way he failed to respond to the miracle he experienced. We may even wonder if, by his own choice, he finally succeeded in placing himself beyond the reach of God’s mercy. Only God knows.

Reflect On: Psalm 86:1–8
Praise God: For his grace, mercy, and the faith to believe.
Offer Thanks: For the blessings of healing and wholeness.
Confess: Any tendency you may have to blame others rather than to admit your own sinfulness and receive Christ’s pardon.
Ask God: To give you courage to stand, face those crippling hurts, and live with freedom and hope.

Today’s reading is a brief excerpt from Men of the Bible: A One-Year Devotional Study of Men in Scripture by Ann Spangler and Robert Wolgemuth (Zondervan). © 2010 by Ann Spangler. Used with permission. All rights reserved. Enjoy the complete book by purchasing your own copy at the Bible Gateway Store. The book’s title must be included when sharing the above content on social media.
It was an outrageous question to ask a man who had been paralyzed for thirty-eight years; a man forced to beg for a living.

Men of the Bible — Luke

 

Luke

His name means: “Light-Giving”

His work: He was a Gentile by birth, a physician by trade, and a journalist by calling.
His character: A humble man willing to be used rather than lauded.
His sorrow: An eyewitness to the sinfulness and jealousy of the religious elite in their support of the torture and execution of many faithful believers.
His triumph: The opportunity to chronicle the story of Jesus and the account of the founding of the church.
Key Scriptures: Luke 1-2; Acts 27

A Look at the Man

Luke may have been born in Antioch, just across the Mediterranean’s northeast corner from Paul’s birthplace in Tarsus. There is no record of how Luke was converted to Christianity, but it may have been through the witness of Nicolas, who, along with Stephen, was one of the seven deacons selected by the apostles to care for the Greek-speaking believers.

Luke accompanied Paul to the city of Troas during Paul’s second missionary journey. They were compatible traveling companions, so Luke joined Paul as often as he could, eventually becoming his full-time associate.

As a professional accustomed to disciplined study, Luke decided to undertake a massive assignment—writing an account of Jesus’ life and chronicling the church’s founding and early development. Two years of waiting for Paul’s trial in Rome gave him ample solitude to organize the documents and memories from his experiences and travels—then to document them in writing.

Before they voyaged to Rome, Luke had also accompanied Paul during his two-year imprisonment under the custody of the Roman governor in Caesarea. During that time, he had begun to organize his notes for his gospel and the Acts of the Apostles. He probably traveled throughout the region to collect the material he would need to pen the gospel account during those years. An accomplished historian, Luke knew the value of personally interviewing eyewitnesses. He carefully organized his work to ensure accuracy.

Once Paul had been ordered to travel to Rome, Luke joined him on the harrowing voyage across the Great Sea. On their way, their ship was destroyed near the island of Malta. Everyone aboard narrowly escaped with their lives. So it was with a great deal of emotion that Luke began writing once they arrived in Rome.

Because Luke had personally visited many of the cities Paul had visited, he could collect detailed accounts of what happened as the Holy Spirit descended at Pentecost, and the message of Jesus spread throughout the known world. Visits with apostles and witnesses along the way gave Luke not only the information but also the inspiration to finish his task.

Luke soberly accepted his God-given assignment. He was fully aware that his account would be the only one penned by a non-Jew. Luke’s greatest desire was that the truth of the message would go beyond its provincial beginnings to touch the souls of those who had never seen or heard for themselves. He probably hoped to reach hundreds, maybe thousands. What he couldn’t have known was that these two documents—the Gospel of Luke and the Acts of the Apostles—would be read and studied by millions for generations to come.

Reflect On: Psalm 95:1–7
Praise God: For his majesty.
Offer Thanks: For calling you to obedience and service.
Confess: Your eagerness for significance rather than your passion for submission.
Ask God: To give you a servant’s heart, to serve him with gratitude.

Today’s reading is a brief excerpt from Men of the Bible: A One-Year Devotional Study of Men in Scripture by Ann Spangler and Robert Wolgemuth (Zondervan). © 2010 by Ann Spangler. Used with permission. All rights reserved. Enjoy the complete book by purchasing your own copy at the Bible Gateway Store. The book’s title must be included when sharing the above content on social media.
There is no record of how Luke was converted to Christianity, but it may have been through the witness of Nicolas, who, along with Stephen, was one of the seven deacons selected by the apostles to care for the Greek-speaking believers.

Men of the Bible — Peter

 

Peter

His name means: "Rock"

His work: A career fisherman on the Sea of Galilee.
His character: Peter was a determined and impetuous man who became bold in his witness to the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
His sorrow: Like many impulsive people, Peter's greatest enemy was his mouth—speaking without thinking. This landed him in all kinds of trouble.
His triumph: The leadership of the disciples, the spread of the gospel to the Gentiles, and his martyrdom for the Savior he loved.
Key Scriptures: Luke 9

A Look at the Man

Simon Peter had heard about Jesus. Living close to the Sea of Galilee, as Peter did, it would have been hard to miss him. But Peter's career kept him busy. Being distracted by the Teacher wouldn't be good for business.

Then one morning, as Jesus walked along the shore with the usual crowd of people surrounding him, he stopped and, without warning or permission, stepped into Peter's boat. Imagine the fisherman's shock when Jesus said to him, "Push out into the deep and drop your nets."

"But, Master," Peter protested, surprised that Jesus knew his name. "We've been up all night fishing and haven't caught anything."

Jesus turned to look at Peter with a glance that for the next three years would become familiar.

"Okay," Peter sighed. "Because it's you, I'll do it."

The moment the nets drifted below the water's surface, they filled with fish. Peter called for a second boat. But the nets were so full of fish that both boats nearly sank. Suddenly Peter made the connection between the miracle and his own wickedness. "Go away, Lord," he pleaded as he fell to his knees. "I'm a sinful man."

The Master must have instantly bonded to this rough but tenderhearted fisherman. "Don't be afraid, my friend," Jesus said to him. This may have been the first time anyone had ever said these words to this brave man. Then Jesus added, "Follow me."

The most outspoken and visible of Jesus' disciples, Simon Peter was a remarkably complex man. He was impulsive, brash, thickheaded, courageous, tough—and fearful. But there was a special place among Jesus' closest followers for this man. We have no record of there being an election of officers, but the gospel writers put Peter's name first when they list the disciples. He was their designated leader.

And there was a special place in Jesus' heart for Peter as well. He was the only disciple who received a new name—a nickname. "Blessed are you, Simon son of John," Jesus announced to him one day. "Now you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church. And against my church, the gates of hell don't have a chance."

But like the man who carried the name, the word rock had many faces. Certainly, there was the kind of rock that provided stability—bedrock on which the church was to be built. But there was the rock that represented shallowness—an impediment for the seed to grow. There was the rock that got in the way of progress—the stumbling stone of offense. And there was the rock that was many Jews' weapon of choice. And in a contemporary setting, rock sometimes refers to a precious gem. Jesus couldn't have given Simon a more appropriate moniker.

But any instability that marked the man before Jesus' resurrection was permanently erased once he touched the risen Savior and heard his call once more: "Follow me!" It was Peter who stood at Pentecost and preached a radical conversion message. It was Peter who, like his Lord, healed the sick—even his shadow had healing power! It was Peter who confidently stood before the antagonists in the Sanhedrin, the same men who later murdered Stephen. "Salvation is found in no one else but Jesus," he declared. "There's no other name under heaven by which we must be saved!"

It was Peter who was singled out for an extremely unpopular assignment—to take the message of salvation to non-Jews. Peter, whom King Herod imprisoned for his refusal to stop preaching the Good News, was miraculously set free by an angel. And it was Peter whose death, Jesus said, would "glorify God."

While ministering in Rome, Peter was arrested by Nero and was later tried and crucified. However, unwilling to be killed in the same sacred way his Master had died, Peter requested that he be crucified upside down. His wish was granted, and God was glorified.

Reflect On: 1 Peter 4:12–13

Praise God: For his love.
Offer Thanks: For the wonder of a Savior who meets us where we are and transforms us by his Spirit.
Confess: Your inconsistency in wanting to follow him but so often neglecting to be his unfailing and faithful ambassador.
Ask God: For the will to be in his presence daily and to find in that encounter his redeeming power.

Today's reading is a brief excerpt from Men of the Bible: A One-Year Devotional Study of Men in Scripture by Ann Spangler and Robert Wolgemuth (Zondervan). © 2010 by Ann Spangler. Used with permission. All rights reserved. Enjoy the complete book by purchasing your own copy at the Bible Gateway Store. The book's title must be included when sharing the above content on social media.
Living close to the Sea of Galilee, as Peter did, it would have been hard to miss him. But Peter's career kept him busy. Being distracted by the Teacher wouldn't be good for business.

Men of the Bible — Mark

 

Mark

His name means: "A Large Hammer."

His work: An eager journalist whose specialties were serving, following up on details, and making travel arrangements.
His character: A man who was willing to serve behind the scenes for others who were in ministry.
His sorrow: On his first major assignment as Paul and Barnabas's traveling secretary, Mark returned home, unable to finish the journey. This created a rift between Mark and Paul, as well as between Barnabas and Paul.
His triumph: Not only was the relationship breach healed, but Mark had the privilege of penning the first gospel—the good news of Jesus.
Key Scriptures: Mark 14:32-72

A Look at the Man

Just as soon as he had gathered all the information, Mark sat down and began to write. He was the first of the gospel writers*—Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John—to do so. As a young spectator, Mark was awestruck by Jesus. And because of his mother's influence, he was able to meet the disciples during the time of the Savior's ministry. This gave him special behind-the-scenes access, and he kept a record of what he saw.

Mark served quietly and unobtrusively. When Paul and Barnabas, Mark's cousin, traveled from Jerusalem to Antioch, they took Mark along as their assistant. When they set out for their first extensive missionary journey, they again asked him to come along. In this role, Mark advanced their trip by arranging for travel, food, and lodging. But when they got to Perga, Mark left the troupe and returned to Jerusalem, although the exact reason he left isn't known.

When Paul and Barnabas decided to revisit the cities they had traveled to on their first missionary journey, Barnabas wanted to take Mark along again. But Paul wasn't interested, so he chose Silas as his traveling companion. Barnabas asked Mark to join him on his trip to Cyprus, where he was given the chance to serve again.

The conflict between Paul and Mark was eventually healed. Ten years later, Paul asked the people in Colosse to receive Mark with a welcome. In his letter from prison to Philemon, he called Mark "my fellow worker." And in Paul's final letter to his protégé, Timothy, he asked him to "bring Mark with you; he is helpful to me in my ministry."

Mark's special relationship with Simon Peter is mentioned in Peter's first letter to the new Christians scattered throughout Asia Minor. Mark must have been on the road with Peter in Rome because Peter sent greetings to Mark's believers and called him "my son." It was most likely during this time that Mark penned the gospel.

Traveling with Simon Peter, certainly the most zealous and emotive of the disciples, Mark reviewed his notes about Jesus' life. This, combined with his own firsthand experiences as a young man, gave him a special passion as he recalled the life of this Nazarene.

Mark's mission was to be sure that anyone reading his account would know that Jesus was the incarnate Son of God—the Messiah. The activities and miracles of Jesus were just as important to Mark as his words. The proof of his deity was in his person.

Mark followed Jesus as an observer. His perspective was real. He saw Jesus' humanity with his own eyes—exhausted (Mark 4:38), amazed (6:6), disappointed (8:12), displeased (10:14), angry (11:15-17), and sorrowful (14:34).

Moving quickly from scene to scene, Mark's account is filled with youthful impatience and urgency—"And straightway coming up out of the water"(1:10 KJV); and "At once the Spirit sent him out into the wilderness" (1:12).

Despite what he saw at Gethsemane, Mark didn't give up on the possibility of the resurrection. If Jesus would really do what he implied during his ministry—conquer death—imagine what would happen!

Reflect On: Psalm 8:1–9
Praise God: For his holiness.
Offer Thanks: For his presence that fills you and his love that constrains you to follow him.
Confess: Your indifference to his power, your willingness to reduce your relationship to him to the ordinary and the mundane rather than delighting in the thrill and wonder of it all.
Ask God: To fill you with his empowering Spirit so that the gifts he has given you will be fully used for his glory.

Today's reading is a brief excerpt from Men of the Bible: A One-Year Devotional Study of Men in Scripture by Ann Spangler and Robert Wolgemuth (Zondervan). © 2010 by Ann Spangler. Used with permission. All rights reserved. Enjoy the complete book by purchasing your own copy at the Bible Gateway Store. The book's title must be included when sharing the above content on social media.
He was an eager journalist whose specialties were serving, following up on details, and making travel arrangements.

Men of the Bible — James and John

 

James and John

John’s name means: “Yahweh Has Been Gracious.” James’ name, a form of “Jacob,” means “He Grasps the Heel” (figuratively, “He Deceives”)

Their work: James and his younger brother John were career fishermen working in their father’s business on the Sea of Galilee.
Their character: James was quiet and analytical; John was verbal and open. Both of these hardworking men were profoundly changed when they met Jesus. Not only did they follow him, but they were brought into his inner circle along with Peter, their friend and business associate.
Their sorrow: Following Jesus cost them everything. They left their family business, their familiar surroundings, their friends, and even their families to walk with the Savior.
Their triumph: What may have started as a pure adventure—following the Teacher—ended in a revolution that changed the world.
Key Scriptures: Matthew 4:18-22; 16:13-17:9

A Look at the Men

Life was good for Zebedee. He owned a prosperous fishing enterprise, and he and his wife, Salome, had two sons who were partners with him in the business.

Although it must have been a blow to their fishing company when James and John left their nets to follow Jesus, there is no evidence that Zebedee and Salome resisted their sons’ decision. “After all,” they may have said to each other, “think how good this will be for the boys to be seen with the Teacher. Maybe it will even be good for business.”

For their part, James and John would never look back. They lived with the Savior. They walked hundreds of miles with him and saw him perform awesome miracles, all the while wondering who he was. Whenever commoners and Pharisees asked him, he sidestepped their questions. Why doesn’t he just go ahead and declare his messiahship? the disciples wondered.

And then, after two years of being with Jesus, Zebedee and Salome’s sons went to the mountain with their friend Peter and saw the light. These men caught a glimpse of the glory of God. And like Moses and Isaiah before them, they were completely dumbfounded. This was the Messiah. They no longer doubted.

From that moment forward, Jesus had a special relationship with James, John, and Peter. He put them in his inner circle as his closest associates. When James and John reported this to Zebedee and Salome, they must have been proud. But Salome took a step beyond good sense when she went to Jesus with an ill-advised request. “One day, when you come into power,” she said to the Savior, thinking he would one day be an earthly king, “could you give my sons the highest rank in the land? So lofty would be their positions that one would sit to the right of your throne, and one would sit to the left.”

This request wasn’t just coming from a doting mother. She and her sons had discussed it, for when Jesus said, “You don’t have any idea what you’re asking,” the answer was in the plural. “Yes, we do!” they answered.

When the other disciples heard about James’s and John’s request, they were outraged—probably because they had wanted these positions of prominence for themselves!

And then, in one short moment, history’s most profound lesson in leadership was delivered. Jesus’ words must have seared the disciples’ hearts. “Heathen leaders take their power and cram it down the throats of their subjects,” he told them. “But you’re not to do this.”

James’s and John’s faces must have flushed. Jesus was talking to all twelve of the disciples, but these two brothers really felt the sting of his words. Sideward glances from the others made it worse.

“Whoever wants to be great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave.” Jesus’ words transfixed James and John, but he wasn’t quite finished. “I, the Messiah, did not come to be served, but to serve,” Jesus said. Then he added, “And to give my life as a ransom for many.”

Following Jesus’ resurrection, James, John, and five other disciples were back on the sea late at night. They fished all night but caught nothing. As the morning sun peeked over the horizon, they saw a man standing on the shore. “Throw your net on the right side of the boat,” he hollered to them. When they did, they couldn’t pull the net in because it was so full of fish. “It’s Jesus,” John said, recognizing the cadence of his voice and the power of his words. “It’s Jesus!”

Once on shore, the disciples and Jesus had breakfast together. His final words after the meal, although directed at Peter, were surely for each of the seven disciples who were there. They are words for us as well. “You want to lead?” Jesus asked. “Then feed my sheep.”

Reflect On: Matthew 4:18–20
Praise God: For God’s glory.
Offer Thanks: For the life-changing power of God’s presence and holiness.
Confess: Any unwillingness to risk it all to be Jesus’ disciple—any temptation to treat Jesus like your buddy or your example rather than the glorified and perfect Son of the living God.
Ask God: To challenge you to acknowledge his presence more frequently. Wherever you are, whatever you’re doing, listen to his voice saying to you, “Follow me.”

Today’s reading is a brief excerpt from Men of the Bible: A One-Year Devotional Study of Men in Scripture by Ann Spangler and Robert Wolgemuth (Zondervan). © 2010 by Ann Spangler. Used with permission. All rights reserved. Enjoy the complete book by purchasing your own copy at the Bible Gateway Store. The book’s title must be included when sharing the above content on social media.
Life was good for Zebedee. He owned a prosperous fishing enterprise, and he and his wife, Salome, had two sons who were partners with him in the business.

Men of the Bible — Matthew

Matthew

His name means: "Gift of Yahweh"

His work: Matthew was a tax collector who was awarded by Herod Antipas a contract to extract tariffs from his own people.
His character: A successful businessman whose encounter with Jesus profoundly changed his life and vocation forever.
His sorrow: Alienation, first from his own people because of his profession and then from religious leaders because of his vocation.
His triumph: A carefully organized, accurate, and convincing apologetic for the veracity of Jesus Christ as the Messiah.
Key Scriptures: Matthew 9

A Look at the Man

Matthew was good at making money. But there was a downside to getting rich as a tax collector in Palestine: People hated you for it. It made it hard to have any friends besides tax collectors or other ne'er-do-wells. He had learned to ignore the looks, to pretend he didn't hear the epithets—to conclude that these were the necessary costs of doing business.

Tax collectors were answerable to no one. There were no regulations to guide their procedures. Whatever they could extract from the people—over and above what the authorities required—was theirs to keep. It wasn't that Matthew didn't care about people, it was just that he cared more about his own prosperity. No wonder he was hated.

Matthew knew this when he chose his profession. In fact, in his writing, Matthew grouped tax collectors with prostitutes in social rank. But he was willing to pay this price for financial success.

But in spite of his choice of occupation and his pleasure with its material benefits, everything changed the day Jesus invited Matthew to be one of his disciples. And the wisdom of following the Master was confirmed in Matthew's heart the night Jesus won the affection of his friends.

Matthew knew that his decision was one he could never withdraw. He had set his life on a new course that could not be changed. Unlike the other disciples who had temporarily left their fishing nets—and could return to them at a later time—he knew it would be difficult for him to go back to his tax collecting. But Matthew was not halfhearted about his decisions. He had paid a heavy price among his countrymen when he chose tax collecting; now he would be asked to do the same in following Jesus.

Imagine how Matthew's transformation became a confirmation of the power and the authenticity of the Messiah's message. "Have you seen Matthew recently?" Jews would say to each other in the marketplace. "Something has happened to him."

Matthew was swept away with Jesus the man, the messenger, the Messiah. His gospel includes more references to Old Testament prophecy than any other. This truly was the one the prophets had foretold. And his thorough coverage of Jesus' most important sermon reminds us that Matthew was awed by the power of the Savior's words.

Very little is recorded in the Gospels as to Matthew's specific activities. Except for his invitation for Jesus to join him and his friends for dinner, we read of no conversation or dialogue. But this does not diminish Matthew's prominence during the days of Jesus' ministry on earth. For nothing speaks more profoundly than the testimony of a changed life—especially one that makes waves in the marketplace.

Reflect On: Matthew 9:9–13
Praise God: For his transforming power.
Offer Thanks: For the impact that the message of Jesus Christ has on those who are willing to believe and follow the Messiah.
Confess: An unwillingness to turn from our drive for economic success and to submit to the Spirit’s direction—to resist being inconvenienced by the call of the Savior.
Ask God: To come to your workplace—your tax collector's booth. Ask him to repeat the same words he spoke to Matthew, and ask him to give you the courage to respond as Matthew did.

Today's reading is a brief excerpt from Men of the Bible: A One-Year Devotional Study of Men in Scripture by Ann Spangler and Robert Wolgemuth (Zondervan). © 2010 by Ann Spangler. Used with permission. All rights reserved. Enjoy the complete book by purchasing your own copy at the Bible Gateway Store. The book's title must be included when sharing the above content on social media.
Matthew was good at making money. But there was a downside to getting rich as a tax collector.

Men of the Bible — Jesus

Jesus

His name means: "Yahweh Is Salvation"

His work: Although a member of the Holy Trinity who participated in the creation of the universe, his assignment was to come humbly to earth as a man to serve as Redeemer and Lord.
His character: Fully God, fully man; sinless perfection.
His sorrow: Taking upon himself the sins of every human being to satisfy the wrath of a holy God—the sins of those who lived before his birth, those who lived during his lifetime, and those who were to follow.
His triumph: The completion of his mission as the Savior of the world.
Key Scriptures: The Gospel of John

A Look at the Man

The first day of school, the first day on a new job—these are landmark moments, times to celebrate, to give your best, to set a pattern for the days to follow.

Jesus could have begun his public ministry with a healing service or a deliverance session. He could have gathered twice as many people as John the Baptist had and begun by excoriating the religious leaders for their sins. Instead, he performed a miracle, turning water into wine so that a bride and groom could avoid embarrassment, so that a party could continue.

Didn't Jesus have more important things to attend to? What was he thinking? What about all the hungry people who needed feeding, the blind who needed to see? What about restoring worship in the temple, freeing the demon-possessed, silencing gale-force winds, and walking on water?

Jesus knew the time would come for him to confront the ugliness in people's hearts. He knew about the suffering that lay ahead and the resistance he would face. But right now it was time for a party. True, the bridegroom hadn't been quite ready for the wedding, running out of wine before the celebration was half finished. Jesus wasn't quite ready either.

But three years later, as he hung on a Roman cross dying for our sins, it was a completely different story, because now the Bridegroom was ready. That day Jesus declared his work "finished," for the purpose of his life and ministry was to prepare his people to become his spotless bride.

At Cana he had changed water to expensive wine. On the night before he died, he lifted a cup of wine, saying to his friends: "This is my blood, shed for you." On the cross he turned the costly wine into his own precious blood.

After Jesus' resurrection, the Spirit of God moved on the disciples so powerfully that three thousand people became believers in one day. Jesus, through the power of the Holy Spirit at work in his followers, was drawing people to himself, changing the course of history, giving us the best news we could ever hear, throwing the greatest party anyone had ever attended.

Reflect On: Matthew 26:36–46
Praise God: For his love.
Offer Thanks: For his Son—the child born of a virgin, the boy who grew in character, the one who lived a sinless life and died to redeem us—the groom who not only loved his bride but gave his life for her.
Confess: The temptation to forget who Jesus really is and to treat his life as only an example of right living rather than to fully embrace his purpose for coming to earth.
Ask God: To fill you with his Spirit, to live as a person who has been redeemed by the blood of Jesus, to teach you to pray and to celebrate.

Today's reading is a brief excerpt from Men of the Bible: A One-Year Devotional Study of Men in Scripture by Ann Spangler and Robert Wolgemuth (Zondervan). © 2010 by Ann Spangler. Used with permission. All rights reserved. Enjoy the complete book by purchasing your own copy at the Bible Gateway Store. The book's title must be included when sharing the above content on social media.
The first day of school, the first day on a new job—these are landmark moments, times to celebrate, to give your best, to set a pattern for the days to follow.

Men of the Bible — John the Baptist

John the Baptist

His name may mean: "Yahweh Has Been Gracious"

His work: He was the forerunner of Jesus, called to live in the spirit and power of Elijah. John prepared the way by preaching the need for repentance.
His character: John was completely focused on his assignment, unaffected by anything other than his message. And he wasn't willing to take on this duty without plenty of preparation.
His sorrow: A prophet's greatest joy is in preaching. But John spent the final days of his life in prison, unable to do what God had called and gifted him to do.
His triumph: God chose John to baptize his Son. No greater honor has ever been given a man.
Key Scriptures: Luke 1:5-25; 3:1-20

A Look at the Man

People in Israel were expecting the Messiah. The prophet Malachi had spoken of a redeemer, saying, "See, I will send you the prophet Elijah before that great and dreadful day of the LORD comes" this long-awaited day of the Lord had melted into years, decades, centuries. Generations had come and gone, and still, there was silence. God's voice was not heard.

But then came John with the clear-cut assignment pronounced centuries earlier by the prophet Isaiah: "A voice of one calling in the desert, ‘Prepare the way for the Lord; make straight paths for him.'" John's voice was so strong and so persistent that it was heard even in the king's palace. When Herod learned that John had pronounced judgment on his illegal and immoral marriage to his brother's wife, he threw the prophet in prison.

While imprisoned, John felt the need for reassurance about the one whose way he was preparing. Had he, like so many others, secretly hoped the Messiah would be like other great kings, using military force to overthrow his adversaries? But Jesus had assembled no armies. Perhaps, he may have thought, Jesus would use political force. But civil reform would never prove to be part of Jesus' agenda.

When John's emissaries questioned Jesus, they found him at work, curing diseases, giving sight to the blind, delivering those who were possessed by evil spirits. Jesus merely replied to their questions with the command: "Go back and report to John what you have seen and heard."

Imagine how John must have been pleased with this message. This is not what I expected in the Messiah, he may have thought. But Jesus must be from God. No one could do these things unless he was the one we have waited for.

A short time later, John was beheaded by Herod. By his life and by his death he prepared the way of the Lord, whose kingdom was not of this earth. Jesus said of John: "I tell you the truth. Among those born of a woman there has not risen anyone greater than John."

John said of Jesus, "One more powerful than I will come, the thongs of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie... He must become greater; I must become less." A perfect summary of what it means to prepare the way of the Lord.

Reflect On: Luke 3:7–14
Praise God: For his faithfulness.
Offer Thanks: For God’s plan of salvation, for the obedience of John the Baptist, and for sending his Son.
Confess: Your fear of boldness in speaking the truth and in telling of your love for God and your faith in him.
Ask God: For opportunities to tell others of his mercy and for courage to speak.

Today's reading is a brief excerpt from Men of the Bible: A One-Year Devotional Study of Men in Scripture by Ann Spangler and Robert Wolgemuth (Zondervan). © 2010 by Ann Spangler. Used with permission. All rights reserved. Enjoy the complete book by purchasing your own copy at the Bible Gateway Store. The book's title must be included when sharing the above content on social media.
John spent the final days of his life in prison, unable to do what God had called and gifted him to do.

Men of the Bible — Joseph

Joseph

His name means: "May He [God] Add"

His work: Joseph was a working man who supported his family through the trade of carpentry.
His character: A man who traced his ancestry back to David, Joseph was just, compassionate, and obedient to God. Though poor, he was a good husband and father, providing for and protecting his family.
His sorrow: That Herod the Great tried to murder his son, Jesus.
His triumph: To be used by God to protect and provide for the world's Savior. Through him, Jesus could trace his ancestry to King David and the tribe of Judah.
Key Scriptures: Matthew 1-2; Luke 2

A Look at the Man

Three times Joseph saw angels in his dreams. In the first appearance, the angel announced something impossible: Mary had become pregnant, though she had not been unfaithful to him. In the second, the angel warned him to flee to Egypt to escape Herod's plan to murder the boy Jesus. Later, an angel sounded the all-clear, informing Joseph of Herod's death so that he could return to Israel with Mary and Jesus.

Though we know little of Joseph from the Scriptures, we know at least of his remarkable faith and obedience. Each time the angels appeared to him, they revealed something he could not have known without divine revelation. But each new revelation presented him with a choice. Would he do as the angel instructed, or would he rely on his own understanding and do as he thought best? It would have been so easy to brush off the first dream. When in the history of the world had a woman ever become pregnant without sleeping with a man? Common sense would have told him to proceed with his plan to set Mary aside and marry someone else. Instead, he heeded the angel and, by doing so, said yes to God's surprising plan for his life.

Did Joseph comprehend the enormity of the decisions he was making? Possibly. But certainly, he could not foresee the strange mixture of blessing and suffering that lay in store for him and his family. His yes would cost him many sleepless nights, but it would also involve him in the greatest miracle ever.

Centuries later we celebrate Joseph's life, knowing that he was everything a father should be—spiritually perceptive, compassionate, humble, faithful, loving, and protective toward the family the Lord had given him.

Reflect On: Genesis 39:1–5 (This is an account of another Joseph, but the similarities between these two obedient men and God’s gracious blessing is striking.)
Praise God: For offering a love that constrains us to obedience.
Offer Thanks: For blessing you with the responsibility of leading and directing the lives of young people—children, nieces, nephews, grandchildren, neighbors.
Confess: Your sin and willful disobedience.
Ask God: To give you a heart that is drawn to him in love and compliance to his perfect will and to empower you in the task of leading these young ones in his ways.

Today's reading is a brief excerpt from Men of the Bible: A One-Year Devotional Study of Men in Scripture by Ann Spangler and Robert Wolgemuth (Zondervan). © 2010 by Ann Spangler. Used with permission. All rights reserved. Enjoy the complete book by purchasing your own copy at the Bible Gateway Store. The book's title must be included when sharing the above content on social media.
Three times Joseph saw angels in his dreams. In the first appearance, the angel announced something impossible:…

Men of the Bible — Jonah

Jonah

His name means: "A Dove"

His work: He was a northern kingdom prophet.
His character: Jonah must have been a gifted communicator. Why else would God choose him to preach repentance and grace to the pagan city of Nineveh? But Jonah was a proud man, a rebellious prophet, and a sulker.
His sorrow: Jonah was sad that the Ninevites had repented and that God had granted them mercy. Jonah would have preferred seeing these pagans punished for their sinfulness.
His triumph: That God had spared his life from the belly of the fish.
Key Scriptures: The book of Jonah; Matthew 12:38-41

A Look at the Man

Prophets often scandalized God's people, ill-prepared as they were to hear the unvarnished truth about their spiritual condition. But in Jonah's case, it was the prophet who was scandalized, not by another prophet, but by God himself. For one day he heard God issue an incredible command: "Go to the great city of Nineveh and preach against it, because its wickedness has come up before me."

Could God possibly mean it? It was one thing to endure mockery and ridicule from your own people whenever you preached repentance, but going to the capital city of Assyria was dangerous, perhaps deadly. The Ninevites, after all, were a violent and ruthless people who had already brutalized many Israelites. What's more, Jonah despised them. So, like a rebellious teenager, he ran away, except that he wasn't fleeing his parents, he was running from the Creator of the universe.

But, as Jonah soon discovered, you can't outrun God. Instead, he found himself surrounded by the entrails of a great fish. There in the darkness, Jonah was ready to pray.

"In my distress I called to the LORD, and he answered me. From the depths of the grave I called for help and you listened to my cry…. You brought my life up from the pit, O LORD my God…. Those who cling to worthless idols forfeit the grace that could be theirs. But I, with a song of thanksgiving, will sacrifice to you. What I have vowed I will make good."

From inside the fish, Jonah was calling his fear, his defiance, his pride, and his willful disobedience by a new name: "idols." And he was identifying the ship, the storm, and the fish as something they had never been called before: "grace." And once Jonah acknowledged these truths, God gave him another chance to obey, and the great fish vomited Jonah onto dry land. Even though Nineveh was probably more than five hundred miles away, Jonah headed for the city.

In the same way, he had prepared the fish to swallow the prophet, God prepared the people for Jonah's message. "The Ninevites believed God. They declared a fast, and all of them, from the greatest to the least, put on sackcloth to show their sorrow for their sin."

But now, instead of rejoicing at the way God had used him, Jonah acted like a spoiled child. Although he had taken God's message to the Assyrian capital city, he had no mercy for the people himself. He would have much rather watched Nineveh burn than have seen its people repent and avert God's judgment. He believed God's gift of grace belonged exclusively to his own countrymen.

How little did Jonah perceive the nature and intentions of the living God for whom he spoke. His running and his sulking demonstrate how little he understood about God's great compassion and his desire to forgive anyone who repents of his or her sins.

Reflect On: Jonah 2
Praise God: For his grace—in its many forms.
Offer Thanks: For God’s call on your life and his willingness to make certain that you hear his voice.
Confess: Your own foolishness and rebellion, remembering that nothing escapes his watchful eye.
Ask God: To fill you with a renewed gratitude for his presence and love for the lost.

Today's reading is a brief excerpt from Men of the Bible: A One-Year Devotional Study of Men in Scripture by Ann Spangler and Robert Wolgemuth (Zondervan). © 2010 by Ann Spangler. Used with permission. All rights reserved. Enjoy the complete book by purchasing your own copy at the Bible Gateway Store. The book's title must be included when sharing the above content on social media.
Prophets often scandalized God's people, ill-prepared as they were to hear the unvarnished truth about their spiritual condition. But in Jonah's case it was the prophet who was scandalized.

Men of the Bible — Hosea

Hosea

His name means: "Yahweh Has Delivered"

His work: Hosea was a prophet in Israel. Like other prophets, his charge was to call the people to repentance. However, he was also called to show them by his own life what it felt like to be a forgotten and yet merciful God.
His character: In obedience Hosea was willing to abandon his own dreams and marry a harlot. His love foreshadowed Christ's love for the church.
His sorrow: His unrepentant and unfaithful wife left him with their three children and a deep, aching hurt.
His triumph: Because of his selflessness and his willingness to forgive, his wife Gomer was restored.
Key Scriptures: Hosea 1-3

A Look at the Man

Telling stories is often the most powerful way to communicate truth, and speaking in parables was Jesus' method of choice. But sometimes in the Bible, God asked people not only to tell stories but to live them, to be the parable. This was the lot of Hosea.

The thought of falling in love with a prostitute is repugnant to any man. The thought of marrying her is even more revolting. But this is precisely what God ordered Hosea to do.

How can I love a woman who has "loved" so many? he must have wondered. How can I make a covenant with someone whose conduct deserves condemnation, not forgiveness?

But regardless of his questions, Hosea did exactly as the Lord told him. Hosea married a common harlot, a woman who knew nothing of virtue or faithfulness. As a learned man, Hosea knew that he could not reply to the Almighty's directive, "You don't know what you're asking me to do." He knew full well that God knew exactly what he was doing. As a prophet, Hosea had been called to preach repentance to God's people. He had tried to fill his message with the passion of the sovereign God, whose provision, love and mercy had been scoffed at or ignored. These Jews were even worshiping other gods. The chosen people were playing the harlot.

Now, with this assignment, Hosea would come to understand what this felt like. His love would be poured out to a woman who by the laws of the time deserved nothing less than a public execution for her blatant transgressions. But God took Hosea and made him the fool—the lover of the undeserving, the keeper of the vows, and the redeemer of the repeat offender. And though the people could not see God, they saw in the life of this man a compelling example of divine love—bold and just, yet relentlessly merciful.

Reflect On: Hosea 3:1–3
Praise God: For his love for you.
Offer Thanks: For God’s relentless pursuit of his unfaithful and wayward children.
Confess: Your own sinfulness and your spirit of judgment rather than compassion for others.
Ask God: To fill you with Hosea’s kind of willingness to serve and his mercy and love.

Today's reading is a brief excerpt from Men of the Bible: A One-Year Devotional Study of Men in Scripture by Ann Spangler and Robert Wolgemuth (Zondervan). © 2010 by Ann Spangler. Used with permission. All rights reserved. Enjoy the complete book by purchasing your own copy at the Bible Gateway Store. The book's title must be included when sharing the above content on social media.
Telling stories is often the most powerful way to communicate truth.

Men of the Bible — Daniel

Daniel

His name means: "God Is My Judge"

His work: He was a Jew who became a governor in Babylon.
His character: Daniel was an exile who exhibited great discipline and faithfulness to his God in adverse circumstances.
His sorrow: Daniel experienced the tearing of his people from their homeland to be exiled in Babylon. He was never able to return to the land he loved.
His triumph: God used his faith and his godly diligence to win the loyalty of kings and kingdoms.
Key Scriptures: Daniel 1-6

A Look at the Man

Daniel's life was filled with unpleasant—and sometimes tragic—surprises.

When he was a young man, the Babylonians laid siege to his homeland, tearing down the walls and buildings of Jerusalem. Even the sacred temple was ransacked and destroyed. Along with the other Israelites who had survived the carnage, Daniel was taken as a prisoner of war back to Babylon.

Knowing that the future of his nation rested on the shoulders of the brightest young men in the land—including Hebrew men—Nebuchadnezzar the king called for the finest in the land: "young men without any physical defect, handsome, showing an aptitude for every kind of learning, well informed, quick to understand, and qualified to serve in the king's palace." Among these carefully chosen Jews was a young man named Daniel, along with three of his friends.

The young men lived in the palace. It was Daniel's first experience of sleeping with the enemy, but it would not be his last.

To more fully indoctrinate the men, Nebuchadnezzar gave them Babylonian names. Then Daniel and his friends were placed under the instruction of the teachers of Babylon, and the four young men gained "knowledge and understanding of all kinds of literature and learning." So remarkable were these men that when they were presented to King Nebuchadnezzar for his review, he found them "ten times better than all the magicians and enchanters in his whole kingdom."

But it was to Daniel alone that God gave the special gift of interpreting visions and dreams of all kinds. And it was this ability that granted Daniel a place of honor in the kingdom. After a while, Nebuchadnezzar had a dream that haunted him. He sought an interpretation from all the wise men in the land—magicians, enchanters, sorcerers, and astrologers. Infuriated by their inability to help him, Nebuchadnezzar ordered the execution of all the wise men in Babylon.

Upon hearing of this decree, Daniel begged for an audience with the king, pleading for his life and the lives of the wise men. Then Daniel interpreted Nebuchadnezzar's troubling dream. In thanks, the king promoted Daniel as the ruler of an entire Babylonian province and "lavished many gifts on him."

But in spite of the power and wealth bestowed on Daniel, his love and loyalty to the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob were unaltered. His daily regimen included three visits to an upstairs window facing his precious homeland, where he knelt and prayed. Daniel's faithfulness to God—and his divine gift of interpreting dreams—placed him in great prominence in the kingdoms of Nebuchadnezzar, Belshazzar his son, and Darius.

Under Darius, Daniel rose to power over one-third of the kingdom. It was, in fact, in the king's plan to place Daniel over all of Babylon. But the other rulers seethed with envy over the king's favor of this Hebrew. And so they plotted to destroy him under the sanction of the kingdom.

These men went to the king with a flattering plan. "Issue an edict and enforce a decree," they proposed to Darius. "Anyone who prays to any god or man during the next thirty days, except the king, shall be thrown into the lions' den." Seeing an opportunity for glory and believing that there would be no harm in such a plan, the king put the decree in writing and secured it with his seal. Unfortunately for Daniel, the king himself could not reverse his decision.

Without regard to the consequences, Daniel prayed at his window. Facing prosperity or the threat of execution, he would not let his heart be drawn away from the God whom he loved and served. And his reward for this act of obedience was yet another restful night—in a cave of death for anyone but a man of God.

Reflect On: Daniel 6:19–28
Praise God: For his power and ability to change hearts.
Offer Thanks: For the faithful prayers of “the great cloud of witnesses” that have gone before us.
Confess: Our lack of spiritual discipline—our pretense of spiritual devotion rather than our daily practice of it.
Ask God: To fill you with a burning desire to know him.

Today's reading is a brief excerpt from Men of the Bible: A One-Year Devotional Study of Men in Scripture by Ann Spangler and Robert Wolgemuth (Zondervan). © 2010 by Ann Spangler. Used with permission. All rights reserved. Enjoy the complete book by purchasing your own copy at the Bible Gateway Store. The book's title must be included when sharing the above content on social media.
Daniel's life was filled with unpleasant—and sometimes tragic—surprises.

Men of the Bible — Jeremiah

Jeremiah

His name may mean: "Yahweh Has Exalted" or "Yahweh Has Established"

His work: Though Jeremiah's prophecies were primarily directed toward Judah, the Lord also gave him prophetic messages for other nations of the world. His ministry took place during the last forty years of Judah's existence, from 627-586 BC.
His character: Jeremiah has often been called "the weeping prophet." He struggled with feelings of insecurity, doubt, and alienation. Because of the constant opposition he faced, he became so depressed that he cursed the day of his birth. Despite the cost to himself, he spoke the word of the Lord with uncompromising honesty.
His sorrow: Though the date and place of Jeremiah's death are uncertain, Jewish tradition holds that he was stoned to death by fellow Jews while living in Egypt after the destruction of Jerusalem. Despite their misfortunes, those who had taken refuge in Egypt remained unrepentant, blaming their troubles not on their idolatry, but on their failure to worship Ishtar, the Queen of Heaven.
His triumph: It is hard to find evidence in the book of Jeremiah that the prophet enjoyed any sense of personal triumph throughout the course of his ministry. Though he may have felt vindicated when his prophecies about Jerusalem came true, such feelings would have been small comfort in light of the suffering that had befallen his people.
Key Scriptures: Jeremiah 1; 20; 36; 37:16-21; 39:1-14

A Look at the Man

Jeremiah is often considered a prophet of doom, a man who warned God's people of the grievous consequences of their sin. Yet it would not have been possible for him to thunder on about impending judgment if he had despaired of the possibility that Judah might actually repent and be saved. Surely it was hope that kept him going.

This hope was made tangible during Babylon's sustained siege of Jerusalem. One day Jeremiah heard the Lord telling him that one of his cousins would soon ask him to buy a field belonging to him. But why, he must have wondered, should he waste precious silver purchasing property that was about to be overrun by a foreign invader? Before he had time to puzzle out the answer, he saw his cousin approaching. Sure enough, the man was selling his field and wanted Jeremiah to buy it. So Jeremiah did.

As the prophet tried to make sense of this impractical business transaction, God spoke again, telling him, "Behold, I will gather [my people] out of all countries, whither I have driven them in mine anger, and in my fury, and in great wrath; and I will bring them again unto this place, and I will cause them to dwell safely: And they shall be my people, and I will be their God: And I will give them one heart, and one way, that they may fear me for ever, for the good of them, and of their children after them: And I will make an everlasting covenant with them, that I will not turn away from them, to do them good" (Jeremiah 32:37-40).

Jeremiah's hope was based on the knowledge that nothing is ever too hard for God, not even restoring the fortunes of a people whose future seemed utterly wrecked. So, like a good contrarian investor, he ignored the conventional wisdom and bought the field. His purchase proved valuable, for the Lord eventually brought many of his people back to Jerusalem, a people chastened, purified, and eager to live once again in the land of the promise.

Reflect On: Jeremiah 20:7–18
Praise God: For his relentless love.
Offer Thanks: That he will never fail or forsake us.
Confess: Any tendency to try to hide your thoughts or feelings from God.
Ask God: To help you develop a deep and honest relationship with him.

Today's reading is a brief excerpt from Men of the Bible: A One-Year Devotional Study of Men in Scripture by Ann Spangler and Robert Wolgemuth (Zondervan). © 2010 by Ann Spangler. Used with permission. All rights reserved. Enjoy the complete book by purchasing your own copy at the Bible Gateway Store. The book's title must be included when sharing the above content on social media.
Jeremiah is often considered a prophet of doom, a man who warned God's people of the grievous consequences of their sin.