We know that God is holy: he is set apart beyond all creation. What does his holiness do? Does his holiness have a purpose? Moses, a wayward shepherd son of the people of God encounters God’s holiness in the form of a burning bush in Exodus 3 and learns that God’s holiness is far more powerful than he can possibly imagine. God does not hoard his holiness but gives it to his people.

Through the 21 chapters of his book, John has a distinct purpose in mind. He wants the readers to come away with a clear understanding of who Jesus is—the promised Messiah from the Old Testament. John’s book is the Gospel clearly before us and chapter 21 will cause our hearts to be thrilled and filled as we dwell on Christ love for us. John is saying don’t miss Jesus as the Savior for our sin wrecked lives.

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How can Christians who have experienced the grace and mercy of God have hard hearts? This week we look to Jonah to show us what a hard heart looks like and how to fight the sin that plagues the righteous. As we consider Jonah’s condition, we will ask God to give us insight into our own lives because it is so easy to have a hard heart. But we can rejoice that God provides a way out.

Isaiah 6 paints the picture of our awesome, holy and majestic Lord seated on a throne whose robe fills the temple so that none can stand. Those who attend them veil their faces from his glory as they call out to him in praise. His glory is transcendent. Isaiah is undone. But Isaiah discovers that the Lord’s transcendent glory leads him to do something radical: to transfer his glory in order to make the broken holy.

How does God want us to live? Ecclesiastes 12:9-14 tells us that to “fear God and keep his commandments” is our whole duty. But what if we don’t fear God nor obey him as we ought? Christ provides what he requires, and as we learn about what he’s done, we gain wisdom for obedience that leads to worship.

Nehemiah 8 is a story about the importance of God’s Word. Nehemiah, a Jewish exile in Babylon and cup bearer to the King of Babylon, learns of Jerusalem’s ruinous condition. After seeking God in prayer for 5 months, Nehemiah asks the king of Babylon to allow him to return and rebuild the walls of Jerusalem. He is given permission and so begins the rebuilding process. The king also allows the people of Israel having been in captivity for 70 years to return to Jerusalem. The wall is completed and chapter 8 tells of the far more important work of Nehemiah: the spiritual renewal of God’s people. The theme of chapter 8 is clear: since the Bible tells us of God’s relentless pursuit of his people, we can rejoice!