The Seven Streams Method

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Ezekiel 8-11 We are in the Prophetic Stream reading from the Lexham English Bible. 7streamsmethod.com | @7StreamsMethod | @serenatravis | #7Streams | Donate

Commentary by Dr. Drake Travis

Lord, when you speak, good heavens and oh my word, we want to be listening.  Amen.

8 - It was the year 592 B.C. in the ninth month - what we today have come to call 'September' - and Ezekiel has been a captive in Babylon for five years.  It is six years until Jerusalem is going to need to be ransacked and burned flat for the abomination and idolatry that is going on there at a feverish pitch - and all with the priests' approval!  God is showing that He has had enough of the people in this city; this city that He called to be a Light for His purposes - a Light for the Gentiles.  They were wholly rebellious children of His and only a severest of severe punishments is going to work on them. They were worshiping the Canaanite fertility god Asherah, and the Babylonian fertility god Tammuz.  There were engaging in cultic Egyptian animal worship. They were doing sun worship, like what was going on in Japan after the Christian community was exterminated by the Shoguns centuries ago. The leadership of all this pagan revelry was being done by people who were once in alliance with the bible legends Josiah and Jeremiah ... but they had gone bad and were quite committed to staying this way.  This is what Ezekiel was being shown in his vision of Jerusalem-gone-wrong!

9 - The vision continues giving clear indication that an angel is going to go through this same city and cut down; wholly slaughter without mercy all who are immersed in this rancid idolatry.  Those who do not approve and are grieved by the idolatry v.s. participating in it are marked and not to be harmed.  This is a keen foreshadowing of what we see in Revelation 14:1 where the faithful are marked and therefore shielded from calamity. 10 - The angel and vision of wheels and all the etc. that appeared adorning in this vision arises again in ch. 10.  My husband and I work in film in Hollywood and it staggers the mind to discuss, "how on earth would this be filmed?! What graphics would be employed? There are eyes on wheels, there are hands right under wings filled with coals of fire that are being cued to burn a city turned apostate!" And y'wonder if the feathers would burn from the wings.  Oh well, back to the vision! [Excuse me please].  But as we know and have read earlier this year, Jerusalem was burned by these torching Babylonians in 586 B.C.  It was burned again to ashes in A.D. 70 by Romans.  Because of these events, there's an ordinance in Israel clear to today that houses must be built of non burnable material. But all this being said, Jerusalem is going to be burned. God is giving the vision about this.  It kind of sounds like the rebellious, murderous, idolaters, Satanic, and the fearful being thrown into the Lake of Fire in Rev. 20:14-15&Rev. 21:8. 11 - The final part of this vision is that the gavel is going to fall on the evil rulers in Jerusalem.  They know better but they think it's more exciting to go astray than to follow the God of Abraham in the area that God dedicated to the worship of Himself in His holy Temple. And those derelict leaders do not care how many are slain because of their instigating bad religion. So the leaders are going to fall, the city is going to be judged, the people will be exiled and humbled.  Then God is able to work with these people, to gather them to Himself and His purposes. They will have His Spirit, His heart ... Ezekiel is then taken back from his vision and begins to tell the exiles what he has seen.  Man-oh-man, this had to be an awe-inspiring story time around the campfire with "uncle Ezekiel"!

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Psalms 146-150 We are in the Wisdom Stream reading from the Lexham English Bible. 7streamsmethod.com | @7StreamsMethod | @serenatravis | #7Streams | Donate

Commentary by Dr. Drake Travis

Lord we praise you for what you have done, for your mighty deeds, for your love for us. We indeed were born to praise you.  Amen. The finale~ we read in the five final Psalms today are the "Halelujah Psalms".  Each Psalm starts and finishes with "halelujah".     It crescedoes into a rhapsody and a finish that hearkens to the end of history in Revelation 19:1ff. wherein we read of the arrival in heaven, experience the marriage supper, the elders fall flat and worship the King, a chorus of 100million angels burst into song and thousands of other things commence as the saints of all eras gather together for the first time in history to worship Christ Jesus.  It truly is going to be the greatest event ever.  In the meantime, the closest experience we can have to walking into heaven to see our Savior face to face is to worship Him now; to praise Him.  That is what "Halelujah" is...Praise The Lord - Praise to Our Lord. 146 - We declare and we pledge to Praise Our God Who Reigns as long as we live.  He is just and good and with the breath we are 'loaned' in this life, we will be praising Him with it. 147 -  All creation is called upon to praise God.  He builds His House. He gathers His own together. He comforts the wounded, as well as controls the cosmos, the earth and sky, all nature. Creation, in a sense worships Him. And we are called upon to worship Him the same. 148 - The heavenly host and all that accompanies them praises God! 149 - Let all grab their instruments and lift up their voice for God will execute judgment and righteousness against all adverse nations and kings who are against Him. 150 - everything that has breath is called upon to Praise the Lord. i.e. we will be praise Him with our lives, all creation will praise Him, all of heaven praises Him, the skilled with instruments praise Him, everything that has breath praises Him.   P R A I S E   THE   L O R D Let's remember that heaven opens with a worship service. It does not commence with a Bible Study, an offering, a sermon, nor a prayer meeting.  All this was preparation for the finale~ of history and the commencement of eternity: it is and shall be a worship service. Worship is the best preparation for eternity. We best be worshiping now.  

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I Chronicles 24-27 We are in the Nation Stream reading from the Lexham English Bible. 7streamsmethod.com | @7StreamsMethod | @serenatravis | #7Streams | Donate

Commentary by Dr. Drake Travis

Lord, I pray we take our assignments from you as seriously as King David and his men took theirs. Amen.

As we draw near to the end of I Chronicles, let's pause a moment and review this book; this "King David" book. ch.s' 1-9 are genealogies of the Hebrews. David is made King in 10-12. The trek that brought the Ark to Jerusalem; 13-16. David aspires to build the Temple but accepts God's decline on this one I Chr. 17. His valiant deeds, battles, victories are 18-20. His life stumbles as he takes a census that he was warned not to, and pays severely for it in ch. 21. David is fervent to gather material for the Temple even though he would never build it; 22. Then from 23 to 27; the five chapters before we get David's final words and prayer, there is a copious list of attendants that are to be installed to sustain matters so that the nation and faith of the God of the Hebrews, the Author and Finisher of the faith that is to redeem the world, is tended to with all arduous faithfulness and serious focus.

24 - the priests are grouped into 24 divisions so that the duties are tended to in the sanctuary without a hitch, no one is overworked, no "shift" is understaffed, the priests on duty are always fresh, rested and ready to fulfill the tasks set before them. Churches today do the same, best as they are able to make sure the parking lot is tended to, the nursery is staffed, there are enough workers/teachers for Sunday School, ushers are plentiful, communion is covered, ad infinitum. God is mindful of realities here and doesn't bellow at any priests, "hey, I don't care if you are tired from working seven 16 hour shifts this week, buck up and show some heart attitude you slacker. You're working for me here, don't you know? Push through the fatigue buddy!"  No. God is not a whip crack, and we are not plow mules. Serving Him is not beleaguering. And it shows in His having David order the duties of priests that provides constant covering for each other, rotating, getting enough rest between turns so no one is worked to exhaustion. Haleluia. We could revisit this in our culture today for there are too many weary pastors who are overworked, under appreciated, and underpaid. 25 -  The similar structure is put in place for the musicians. Music plays a critical role in worship. Some churches have no instruments and have a heritage of their subjective reasons for all singing being acapella - but they don't get this from the Bible. Music is pivotal in worship, angelic in tone when done with skill and spiritual yieldedness, it is powerful for uplifting and refreshing the spirit. 26 - Gatekeepers and treasurers were put in place and their roles are ordained for providing an ordained order in all these related matters. Any church that doesn't keep fastidious attention to bills and apportioning of funds to maintenance and paying hired/committed staff, tallying offerings, issuing receipts for tax forms etc. ...let's put it this way, they won't be in operation long. And as for gatekeepers, they are similar to today's ushers only these gatekeepers were men who were fully occupied and called in this spiritual duty.  Don't you prefer it when you are visiting a church and there is an information booth, a director and gracious staff that answers questions, leads you to an open seat, points out the hot coffee, mentions the reception lunch afterwards and so forth. It's even nice when the ushers have a matching necktie or sash or vest that instantly states to all, "I'm here to help".  Sporting events have ushers with matching outfits, it's not a bad idea when church ushers are also obviously presented as helpers. 27 - The military that David organized is to stay organized. They have a Kingdom to defend and as any historian knows, it shall be defended by astute, trained, moral leaders or it will be lost.  24,000 soldiers were to be on duty at all times.  They had come through the desert and knew that there were enemy nations lurking in every direction. They left one in Egypt nearly 40 years ago. They had encountered Amalekites and several other hostile armies enroute.  As well as ordering the defense of the nation and the king, the civil leaders and court leaders are also put in place along with overseers of the royal household - everything was laid out clear down to tenants for orchards, vineyards and shepherds. The King was to be well tended to and indeed he was. This system reached its apex under David's son; Solomon whose pageantry blossomed to a staggering level of regal wealth. The kings and queens of the earth were astonished. The system that was set up here in ch. 27 allowed for this to flourish as it did.

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Numbers 22-24 We are in the World Stream reading from the Lexham English Bible. 7streamsmethod.com | @7StreamsMethod | @serenatravis | #7Streams | Donate

Commentary by Dr. Drake Travis

Lord, thank you for these reminders today of what we don't want to end up like in our pilgrimage. It's odd and it's sobering but that is why there are so many unpleasant stories of hearts gone wrong in the Bible. It reminds us of what to pray for protection against. Therefore, deliver us from evil. Amen.

This is a strange story told with Balak, the King of Moab, as the core motivating figure today. Balak's motivation is that he is in utter terror surmising that his land and people will be completely lost to the Israelites whose army of fighting age men stands at around 600,000. Vastly outnumbered and with no hope of staving off the Israelites, he resorts to hiring a professional cursor to put a bad curse on the Israelites. In Balak's mind, this will throw the Israelites into duress and confusion. So Balak hires Balaam to do this dubious deed and offers to pay him a camel's-load full of money to do so.  Balaam, enroute to meet with Balak encounters an angel who warns him, [barring the path] to not go and engage in such an endeavor.  Strangely enough, Balaam's donkey sees the angel but Balaam didn't - for awhile! The talking donkey had you feel like you were back in Narnia there didn't it?!  Something we want to be clear on is that Balaam is not an Israelite.  He is from the region where Abraham had come from 700 years or so prior.  That area was known for its diviners, astrologers, magicians; people well-versed in the dark arts. You can see why God needed Abraham OUT of there if God was going to work with him and start a nation that was going to be a "Star"; a Light to the Gentiles. That area today is still a source of religion gone amok, save for the Kurds among whom many are Christian.  Those who care to search our Balaam's origins, his family, his father, his home region - the hunt takes one rather quickly right into a world that the Bible urges us not to venture into; witchcraft.  Thus, this is Balaam, whom Balak wanted on the job to cast a bad spell and see Israel cursed so that misfortune would come over them.

The scene is certainly a peculiar development with multiple offerings and oracles and intended curses from Balak turning into inevitable blessings being foretold over Israel. And Balaam does not stray from what God ordered him to declare!  So Balak tries again and Balaam intends to remain principled and keeps prophesying for God when perhaps he should have just departed the venue. Be that as it was Balaam/Balak tarried and offered more sacrifices and responded again to Balak's apparent desire to see Israel cursed. And yet again, only blessings are declared for Israel. How could it be any different?  Israel is finally coming to the Promised Land after centuries of longing and waiting and only an ignoramus would think that God is going to change his agenda now based on the misaligned and dark desires of a pagan king who comes from a line of descendants that trace back to disgrace (Gen. 19:30ff <--reread that is you can stomach it). The entire episode ends with Balak is chagrin over his inability to change Israel's fate. Balak's agenda is quite apparent. Balaam's agenda, on the other hand, is a bit more latent, and not so easy to detect. The story ends today and the two B-boys go their separate ways.  But it isn't over.  Moab acts like Moab as the girls end up luring Israelite men into their behavioral pattern.  We'll read that next week as the secondary agenda's of these two jokers stunts; Balak and Balaam lead to some unintended consequences that maybe weren't so unintended after all.

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II Timothy 1-4 We are in the Church Stream reading from the World English Bible. 7streamsmethod.com | @7StreamsMethod | @serenatravis | #7Streams | Donate

Commentary by Dr. Drake Travis

Lord, may we never lose our gratitude and awe of those who honored you to the death. We pray also to be inspired and motivated to live for you as the Apostles did.  Amen. This ends up being Paul's final word to Timothy; his endeared apprentice and disciple in ministry.  It was between 66 and 68 A.D.  Nero had ordered that Christians be rounded up and punished for "causing the fire in Rome"...really?!  The innocent Christians were Emperor Nero's scapegoat and he persecuted them severely - for sport in the coliseum and in many other witchy ways.  Paul was martyred during this purge of 67-68 A.D. He waited in his cell for the visit from a soldier who would lead him to the block where Paul would be executed for his faith. The young church would say goodbye to it's most prominent teacher. The world would say goodbye to the most influential person of all time for he explained Jesus in depth, he brought light to the matter of what salvation means. So much of theology pivots from what the Holy Spirit revealed to Paul. His writings had more affect on history, and faith, and eventually government and the Christendom that is still sweeping into millions of new hearts each week.  Paul's students loved him to the core like they loved their own souls. Timothy would finish the task that Paul clearly laid out in this, his final marching orders to him. Paul could only hope to see Timothy again...but he never would. These are his final words to Timothy; dear as a son. Paul had seen the escalation of Christians being killed. The new church was being gutted. Would it survive? False teachers were trolling the empire in Paul's wake striving to adulterate the faith and lead churches off in to doctrinal oblivion. Were things bleaker than bleak? No, Paul was exultant in the assured victory that Christ had lived, demonstrated, and promised. He wanted Timothy to live this same celebratory faith. 1 -  Paul is walking memory lane and going back to Timothy's beginning before he says his goodbyes.  Paul is bold for the gospel, and he wants Timothy to minister and teach courageously, not to second-guess His calling or that the Spirit is upon him.  He uses clear examples and names names when referring those who have fallen away and are not to be emulated. He also gives the first of many names of people who have been a blessing to Paul and he wants them to be greeted, honored, remembered and such. 2 - It is paramount that Timothy teaches and disciples others to do the same so that there is an endless chain of multiplied discipleship stretching from now to Christ's return.  Be ready and willingly endure hardship and make certain to handle to Word of God correctly. So many had embraced a warped doctrine and were evangelistic about their wrong ideas.  And Paul ends chapter two with a list of items to tend to so that Christian character is developed, nurtured, and flourishes in Timothy personally as well as in the Christian community. 3 - Paul warns of the apostate times that will come in the last days. There have been hucksters and abusers of the faith throughout history. They were in Paul's day, as they are now. The tactics of these vandalous beasts who worm into churches is listed and called for what it is. Paul does not go gentle on these maligned souls and neither will the Holy Spirit.  But there is Timothy. Paul reiterates that Timothy has been a faithful student just as he is now a vital pastor in service. Yes, there are bad apples here and there but that isn't going to hamper the blessing that Timothy is. Timothy need only to stick to the Scriptures [know them, love them, live them, teach them] for they are the words of God. 4 - Timothy is urged to stay the course, evangelize, and be a "finisher" in ministry.  Paul reminisces briefly and poignantly as he knows his time of departure is at hand. He is practically seeing heaven/Christ/the reward that awaits him!  Notice [v.11] that Paul is alone except for Luke who is with him. Yes, Luke who wrote Luke and Acts.   From here to his salutation, Paul says his goodbyes, sends his well-wishes and blessings,  He names those who turned against him so that they would not be able to weasel into the gospel work in the future and hamper Timothy's work like they've tried to against Paul.  His final words have extra gravity to them because Paul is taken from the cell where he wrote this gospel to his place of execution.  Evil tried to stomp out the gospel by finishing off its greatest teacher. Billions have since embraced this creed of eternal life in Christ! If you would indulge me to comment before closing today, my husband and I had the touching experience of being in Rome, Italy in the Autumn of 2013. I must say it was about the most fascinating and enthralling places we have ever been. [And between us we have been to almost 80 countries, so I'm not being glib here].  We saw the dungeon where Peter was held before being crucified and heard the miraculous things he experienced in there the last month of his life. We were taken into the basement corridors of the Vatican by personnel who knew more history than most historians. We walked through Paul's personal cell in Rome where Paul was chained to a wall for the last time before he was executed from the lies told against him. We saw the well where he was allowed to drink his last from.  As he closed his final letter to Timothy, one can almost hear his whisper from this chamber that we ourselves walked through, "farewell dear Timothy, I will see you on the other side of the Jordan...and will wait for you there with our Savior..." The Thread Through the Streams The phrase, "you're on" fits each character featured that took center stage this week.  Moses is in his last year of ministry. Miriam and Aaron both die within this reading in Numbers.  He had leaned on them for near 40 years. This had to wrench his heart. He institutes the matter of the red heifer, he navigates through several battles, deals with water shortage -[that could have gone better!], creates the bronze snake for healing. There was much to handle this week and Moses was center stage, with no human back up. -David is called up to expand the boundaries of Israel to a tremendous and far new reach. In this task there was much pagan culture and people to subdue. No one else was so up for the job, or so covered by God to do this task.  Life and world history focused on David these years [I Chr. 18-23] and said, ,"your on!"  The same goes as he is gathering material for the Temple.  This gathering needed to occur so Solomon could simply start the construction once he was "up". -Psalm 140-145 is the prayers of this same David who demonstrates for us and Believers for all time that walking with God is and can be done no matter the stressors that bear down on a man's heart. These Psalms were written before during and after the events David battled through in our reading this week. These prayers need to be attached to this man in this lifetime because David was to demonstrate discipleship amid a tremendously variegated life. He was up for the task and lived it for all of us very well. -Ezekiel was in a crucial position (4-7) to urge the Hebrews to NOT return to Jerusalem for it was about to be a fiery warzone off death. He was also saying to the Judeans in Jerusalem that the "army is approaching your gate very soon." His assignment was merged with other very uncomfortable tasks. Pleasant or not, Ezekiel is up to bat; he's on. He needs to write this down -Him! at this place and at this time. God could call up somebody else, but God called on Ezekiel to do Ezekiel's job. -Nahum was not alone in his indictment against Nineveh; the capital of Assyria. They were a savage people, a culture, a savage way of life that needed to be removed from the earth. They, in a strange Providential twist, were the ones who cleared out Israel/Samaria the northern Kingdom that was utterly pagan and disobedient to God. That had to be done, but the blood-shedding never stopped for the Ninevites. Their direct descendants are the soldiers of ISIS who act the same way today. The microphone is in Nahum's hand and he tells them "it's over now!"  Their imminent defeat and scattering was final. -Jesus is crucified as we read Luke 23. Painful as it is, it had to be done. Jesus was 'on'. It was time to pay the price to ransom our souls back to God. Did he like this? Did he relish the assignment? He wanted out if there was any possible way. [We know his prayer in Gethsemane.] But this is why He came to earth. To save us. He was it; the Savior. And heaven is opened and the Holy Spirit is soon to be released from what He did. -Paul's solemn farewell to Timothy is among the richest teaching in all Scripture. It was dire material - every verse. "Timothy, I'm out. It's all you brother" is what we are hearing. Not a hint of concession akin to , "hey, Timothy, if you feel like it - this really would be nice if you so choose..." No way. Timothy is called to 'take it from here!' And do it all in the Spirit with everything he's got. And he has God so he has all he needs to do his dire task of ministering and passing the torch to hundreds who will pass it to thousands, who will pass it to ..."                            What is it that God is charging us to step up and deliver on? ... today?  

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Luke 22:66-23:56 We are in the Christ Stream reading from the World English Bible. 7streamsmethod.com | @7StreamsMethod | @serenatravis | #7Streams | Donate

Commentary by Dr. Drake Travis

Lord, what a dark day!  May we get through our dark days knowing that you will return for us as you promised.  Amen.

22:66ff. - [the arrest and accosting of Jesus that took place in the night we read of last week.]  It is now daybreak and Jesus is in the council of the elders, chief priests, and scribes.  The inane questions resume. They ask if He is the Christ, if He is the Son of God.  They just asked a bunch of questions that they did not want the answers to. And here they just keep going. Think a minute: do they want answers to these questions either?  Do they want Him to be the Christ? If they don't, why do they ask? if they do, why do they ask? Since He doesn't say "no" they are furious. He quotes them back to themselves.  It's apologetics greatest display of all time. They soon realize they will never outfox Him, [so they leave Caiaphas' house (they were at his house) - see John 18:28 and]

23 -scuttle Him over to Pilate.  Their accusations to Pilate against Jesus are contrived.  So Pilate is basically relieved to send him on to Herod in Galilee since Jesus came from there. Pilate is not a congenial man. He was assigned to Jerusalem by Caesar to keep the contentious Hebrew nation under wraps.  And Caesar knew that Pilate had no problem using violence and bloodshed to control outbursts. But he preferred to be just and wanted Jesus, an innocent man, to be released. Whereas Pilate lets Him go, Herod wants a show. Jesus is still so angry at Herod for killing John/Baptist; his cousin three years ago...Jesus doesn't say a single word to Herod. Jesus would verbally joust with the Pharisees, but Herod doesn't even deserve to be spoken to.  That's called being "bad off" when God won't talk to you, and never will again!    It's 'back to Pilate' as the frantic impromptu ramshackle jury pressures Pilate to hurry up and declare the death sentence.  But he won't.  Btw, only Luke has this "Pilate/to Herod/back to Pilate" detail spelled out.  He offers Barabbas instead, but they want Jesus dead and buried today before Passover begins at sundown. Caiphas and Annas had been launching rumors throughout the city that either Jesus would die or the whole country would be lost to Rome ... and so the people believed it by now.  Keep in mind that it had been less than 100 hours since these same souls inn the vast crowd were chanting "Hosanna!"  Strange change of mood, isn't it?! As Jesus is led out to be crucified, and stumbles under the weight, and is pierced, and accused, and jeered, his heart and words reveal that He is grieved for these people who have turned to hatred against Him. He is grieved for those who will be cast into eternal punishment with no escape.  Jesus prays for his tormentors to be forgiven. It's unreal; the love he expresses for those who are killing Him! And the insults continue - now from the soldiers, and by one thief on a cross next to him.  The other thief, however, asked for redemption and received it!  <---only Luke includes this part of the story.  From noon to 3 p.m. the sky descended into darkness.  Complex astronomy has actually charted back and there was an eclipse at this time that left the area unnervingly dark; blocking most sunlight.  At the moment of Jesus' death, Matthew and Mark say Jesus cried in a loud voice, Luke says, "Father, into Thy Hands, I commit my Spirit.", John says Jesus declared, "it is finished."  Then bowing his head He died. [The Temple curtain torn in two is Mt & Mk]          Joseph/Arimathea's involvement in Jesus' burial is mentioned in all four gospels. He was a prominent, wealthy, influential, and spiritual man.  Can you even fathom what it was like to wash and bandage and anoint and wrap up to entomb the Son of God?  How do you even function during a task like this? What was Joseph's compulsion?  Some scholars have insisted that he was a relative/ an uncle of Jesus or Mary.  This isn't in the Bible, but it has been deeply researched elsewhere. Make what you will of it. Search it out. Those quests are rather quick these days with "search engines". But it is rather endearing to be so involved with Jesus like Joseph/Arimathea was. He buried Jesus in a perfectly new tomb, rolled the stone in front, went home, and likely wept until he fell asleep utterly exhausted from the historical day of Jesus' death.  

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Nahum 3 We are in the Exile Stream reading from the World English Bible. 7streamsmethod.com | @7StreamsMethod | @serenatravis | #7Streams | Donate

Commentary by Dr. Drake Travis

Lord God, after reading this today, I guess there's no other prayer but to pray that your Kingdom come and your will be done.  So be it. Amen.

This is about the Fall of Nineveh as Nahum completes his prophesy in our reading today.  The bloody, vicious, completely heartless and cruel city of Nineveh was about to be conquered forever; utterly ruined and not to rise again.  The prophets Zephaniah and Nahum have similar assignments and that is to testify against this den of robbers, liars, murderers, prostitutes, witches and warlocks.  God has flatly stated the He is against Nineveh. Once that statement is made - it's over buddy. There is no reversing what is going to happen. Nineveh had the same attitude of other strong cities right before they were attacked, sacked, and possessions were hauled away.  All of Nineveh is going to fall. By f0ire and sword----> the city is going to be emptied.  It will be like a garden after the locusts fly away stripping EVERYTHING. No one is going to be able to help you.  Nineveh's diagnosis is fatal. There was hardly a citizen from any country in the whole continental area who hadn't suffered from Nineveh's vicious culture and reputation. 'Ever watch those wild animal documentaries where the mighty ones chase the helpless ones and alligators are stalking the thirsty at the water's edge? Well if people were animals, the Ninevites are the hyenas. They just loved to kill and steal, loved it!  So as these "hyenas" get their due the 'whole world' would be applauding.

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Ezekiel 4-7 We are in the Prophetic Stream reading from the World English Bible. 7streamsmethod.com | @7StreamsMethod | @serenatravis | #7Streams | Donate

Commentary by Dr. Drake Travis

Lord, we need to realize from this painful symbolism and judgement today that all you want is for us to acknowledge that you are God, and for us to like like we know this.  May we learn from the huge mistakes of others and not "go there" ourselves.  Amen. Do not forget that Ezekiel was taken as a captive to Babylon in 597. B.C. He begins prophesying 592 B.C. It is six years before the siege of Jerusalem. This siege of Jerusalem is the issue that Ezekiel revolves around as he writes "Ezekiel".  The book pivots around the destruction of Jerusalem; it's not a book about Ezekiel.  So he is prophesying from 592 to 570 B.C. - 22 years. This chapter is written during the 'first quarter' of his writing years. 4 - Ezekiel is to make a model of Jerusalem and enact the siege that is imminent for Jerusalem; build ramps and battering rams and the whole bit. It's like a kid who is building model cars during the decade before he is driving a real car.  Ezekiel is trying to insert some reality into the minds of the Jewish people who were already in captivity, when the worst of the destruction of Jerusalem is yet coming. Many were pining to return to Jerusalem and it was aterrible time to be wanting to go back there and get caught in the "hailstorm" of violence and likey get killed.  We see Ezekiel getting peculiar instructions from God that involve him in the pathos of the coming event of Jerusalem's getting r-a-z-e-d to the ground. His diet is a bread that he is to make.  You can buy this extremely healthy bread today. It's called "Ezekiel 4:9 Bread" in specialty bakeries and stores. The introduction of it here is initially revolting but God wants to reiterate that he has a healthy plan for them although they have chosen poorly and unhealthy living for a long time. 5 - God is about to unleash what the inhabitants of Jerusalem had never thought they would see - a day of reckoning. They had been worse than putrid and it was time to end the wickedness.  Remember, other nations had been equally worse but God had never called these others to righteousness like He had called the Hebrews. God punished and finished off those others.  God is punishing and putting the Judeans in a painful "time out" for 70 years for the purpose of sobering them up to live righteously as a testimony. His goal is to restore.  Unfortunately the horrid scenes described in ch. 5 is the only way to get their attention. And it is all going to happen soon. Ezekiel's hair being cut, burned and scattered is a poignant way to make the point clear, though it's odd. Ezekiel is going to look like "Mr. Clean" for a bit but God is just trying the clean up the Hebrew nation. There may have been simpler ways but it hadn't worked on these stubborn people yet. 6 - reads like the opening verse of a funeral march. There is poetry and strange beauty to some of the symbolism and nature scenes but it gets into the punishment phase quickly. Lest anyone get a notion to go pathetic and all bleeding heart thinking God needs to do more yoga and mellow out a bit, remember God is bent on stopping the idolatry and prostitution and Satanic behavior in a city where they have been sacrificing human infants live in bonfires!  The place was out of control and the wretchedness needed to stop. If they wouldn't stop it, God would tear down the idols Himself. And He will assign a pagan people to do His work for Him. Yes He would. 7 - And in '7' the painful funeral song continues:   Much of it sounds similar to what began in '6'. But the whole reason that God is letting the cleansing begin, painful as it all is, is that God wants them to know that God is God. They had been acting upon their notion of practical atheism, hadn't they?  Well, God is God. Lest we say, "uh, duh!" -they needed to wake up, smell the bacon and reckon with the fact that their behavior had demonstrated allegiance to pagan gods. That had to stop. This dirty lowdown would prove effective this time.  The punishment coming [right around the bend] for the inhabitants of Jerusalem was terrible, but it would work.  The Hebrews, granted were human, and did not attain to perfection by any means, but the idolatry that had marred their culture, they never sunk to that level of darkness again.

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Psalm 140-145 We are in the Wisdom Stream reading from the World English Bible. 7streamsmethod.com | @7StreamsMethod | @serenatravis | #7Streams | Donate

Commentary by Dr. Drake Travis

God, we have no other but you.  You ARE our Savior.  Amen. 140 - It is a marvel to behold, a model for us to follow, and a message we should spread: let the wicked people around you drive you to God and fellowship and prayer that ignites your soul to pray with all your might.  It's either this or the evil will make you crazy, thrash your faith, or worse spur you to join in the evil.  One wise old army chaplain we know once said, "any bulldog can whoop a skunk - but is it worth it?... yes, you can win, but what does your life smell like afterward?"  Go to God and take up grievances with Him.  He knows what to do with wicked things, wicked movements, wicked people.  And you come out of it clean, more Spirit-filled, refreshed, renewed...for starters. 141 - This is a beautiful Psalm done in the prayer closet that can save David (and all of us) from being taken down a road paved with anguish. David is asking God to keep his own soul from succumbing to sin.  David in his heart does not want to sin; in deed, in word, in thought, in gluttony.  He wants to be open to the correction and exhortation of peers and friends - for "faithful are the wounds of a friend."  This Psalm reminds of the intriguing lyrics from "Come Thou Fount"   -- 'prone to wander, Lord I feel it, prone to leave the God I love.  Here's my heart, oh take and seal it. Seal it for Thy Courts above." 142 - David is hard pressed and feeling trapped by Saul and the army Saul commissioned to finish him.  This Psalm matches the events he is going through that we read about in I Samuel 22 & 24.  These are very tense times and David is ... yes, he is praying through all of this.  It makes him a better warrior in every way 143 - David is deep in prayer and is pained beyond what he has known. It feels more personal this time. There is extra pathos in this prayer.  All things considered, this is probably the prayer he says to God during the rebellion of Absalom against him.  This battle stings unlike the others because his own son is out to take him down. That's pain. Verse 11 contains the best reply, "revive me Yahweh, for your name's sake.  In your righteousness, bring my soul out of trouble." 144 - This is a battle song that David wrote. It is worthy of chanting as they go out to battle. Some of you have relatives in the military or are in the military yourselves.  Music is rousing and builds up the soul for the fight that lies ahead. King Jehoshaphat put the musicians in the front. We remember that in the American Revolution the drummers and flute players marched in front of the soldiers to lift their spirits.  There was the Battle Hymn of the Republic to help get through the Civil War, The Star Spangled Banner to encourage those trapped behind British lines during the war of 1812... The list goes back as far as victorious battles have been fought.  David uses this one that we read today to get through the battle, show devotion to God and remind all that it is God who gives the victory. 145 - is the Psalm that has the markings of what is read aloud and sung to God in the aftermath of a battle where God has given the victory yet again.  There's not a hint of self-talk about how strong or smart or quick or keen "weare..." No.  It is all mindful of God's goodness, power, might and provision to give victory and supply and it interestingly morphs into talk of how God cares for all His creation; namely those who call on His Name.

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I Chronicles 18-23 We are in the Nation Stream reading from the World English Bible. 7streamsmethod.com | @7StreamsMethod | @serenatravis | #7Streams | Donate

Commentary by Dr. Drake Travis

Lord, we laud what all was done through David. Thank you for loving us just as much and eternally. Keep us mindful that we are kings and priests because the Holy Spirits has made us victors in the Kingdom of God. 18 - is a pack of highlight "shorts" that quickly describe David's successes.  He was victor in his wars and put neighboring countries in place as his servants. He defeated and subdued the Philistines, Moabites, Syrians, Edomites, Ammonites, Amalekites, and all other neighbors.  The world took quick notice that it was not safe to be an enemy of Israel.  Neither was it safe to assist an enemy of Israel.  If you could see Israel as a clock, Jerusalem is at the center and all the numbers around the clock are neighboring countries and peoples who now submit to David and bring tribute in the form of staggering amounts of wealth.  David is head of the most powerful kingdom on earth in 1000 B.C. and the following decades and it remained united as the powerful kingdom for two generations. 19 - David sends his condolences to Ammon in the form of an entourage that brings a friendly message.  But the Ammonites read it wrong and end up slapping King David in the face by humiliating all the messengers.  Ammon suspecting revenge coming for his mindless reaction to David's kindness, they panicked and hired 32,000 chariots and soldiers from Mesopotamia to join them [Ammon].  Joab led Israel against this eclectic army and through military brilliance they put them to flight.  The Syrians of that group gathered others who united and struck against Israel again. This time David got in on it and they killed 40K Syrians. From there they decided that defending Ammon was not worth it anymore. Ammon then came to David, hat in hand, and served King David. 20 - Joab went through Ammon and stirred up things. I guess he was still mad at them although they had pledged allegiance and were paying David at this time. Well Joab gathered some wealth from Ammon including a 66 lb. golden crown encrusted with impressive gems. Plus the Ammonites were put to more forced labor.  Meanwhile the Philistines attacked Israel again. This is the stuff of legend as Israelites fought and defeated giants and six fingered men.  Pretty catchy reading isn't it?!     David simply cannot lose a battle - - in 21 - Notice that it is Satan that impressed upon David to take a census. It's easy enough to figure that it's wrong when Satan drops the suggestion. But the problem from a spiritual/emotional/sociological standpoint is that God wants David to be unwaveringly looking to God for confidence. God does not need David to be selfconfident. Those who are self-confident in time think they don't even need Jesus; they're so good... really?  Well it was sin to be calculating human might v.s. praying for God's continued presence. The options for punishment are laid out and David chooses to fall under God's judgment of pestilence. 70,000 die because David didn't check with God nor listen to Joab. David's prayer in 21:17 is a monstrous lesson for those in leadership. Why dothe innocent suffer from the foolishness of their leaders? It still happens today as arrogant callous leaders consider only their personal greed v.s. leading and serving the population they are called to be representing.  David's fervor to quickly build an altar to sacrifice to God and ensure the end of the plague is David in overdrive scrambling to cover for his guilt that saw so many suffer for his selfishness. He pays Ornan 13+lbs. of gold to purchase a place to make the altar - to do right by God best as he is able. 22 - After this David is fully resolved to gather material so that the Temple can be built. He knows he personally will not be putting this together.  It won't even be commenced upon let alone finished in his lifetime. Nonetheless, he goes about the preparations and the supplying for it as an admirable expression of his love for God. Iron, and brass, and cedar trees were gathered in abundance! 6,720 lbs. of gold was gathered to decorate the Temple along with silver that tallied over 33,600 tons of silver. In a visual for today, if this silver was brought in on 18-wheeler semi-trucks, the trucks would stretch for 17+ miles bumper to bumper. This Temple was that important to David. He urged all involved to honor and follow the direction of his son Solomon after he himself was gone from the scene.  This Temple was going to be a marvelous structure that would impress even other nations. 23 - David, now late in life, appoints Solomon as the next king of Israel.  David gathers the 38,000 priests of Israel as it is time to reassign them - since the Tabernacle, that has been mobile for 400 years, will soon become an edifice in the form of a Temple.  The rigors of traversing and packing and tear down and set up were soon over and different tasks need to be organized and assigned. Did you get these numbers?! 24K oversee Temple constructions, 6K are officers and judges, 4K are doorkeepers, and 4,000 are to sing/make music/worship. Can you imagine a choir and orchestra totaling 4,000? Good heavens what a blessing to have them in operation during the construction of the Temple. And remember the Temple was to be built in silence. The hammering and sawing drilling and sanding was done elsewhere. The transport was quiet, the assembly was quiet. Only the worship could be heard (during construction!).  Folks this couldn't be done today. Our schedules and economy won't have it.  We can learn from the prominence that David put upon The House of God.