At the Master's Feet

Exodus 33-36

When the Israelites first arrived at the borders of the promised land they sent 12 men into the land to spy it out. On their return, only two were in favor of moving forward with entrance into the land -- Caleb and Joshua. Was there something special about these two which made them different? Exodus 33:11  sheds light on why Joshua son of Nun was different.

Inside the Tent of Meeting, the Lord would speak to Moses face to face, as one speaks to a friend. Afterward Moses would return to the camp, but the young man who assisted him, Joshua son of Nun, would remain behind in the Tent of Meeting.

 Joshua spent his preparatory years sitting at the feet of the master. While he may not have had the same face to face relationship with Yahweh that Moses did, he was in the presence of the Lord and surely learned to trust him and have faith in him. We would do well to emulate Joshua's early years. While we may be able to remain behind in the Tent of Meeting, we can bathe ourselves in the Word in the same way... so that when we are tested, we will be found fit for the master's use.

Just a Little Faith

Luke 7-8

Stories of faith and the lack of faith fill today's reading. A Roman Centurion has more faith than Jesus has seen in all of Israel because he understands the authority to whom Jesus responds... John the Baptist and his disciples entertained the doubt that Jesus might not be the Messiah, but Jesus reassured them... A woman of ill repute had faith enough to shower Jesus with everything she had hold back nothing, while his Pharisee host looked on with disdain... many women had faith enough to provide the financial support for Jesus and his followers... When his family comes near, Jesus explains that all who hear and obey God's word are his mother and brothers... When the disciples cower in fear from a storm, Jesus asks where their faith is... A woman with a bleeding disorder had faith enough to think that if she could just touch the hem of his garment she would be healed... the crowd at Jairus' house laughed at Jesus' statement that his daughter was only sleeping.

Men would should have had great faith, had none. Women who should not have had any faith, were filled to overflowing with faith. God's arithmetic of faith is contrary to man's expectations. Jesus tells us that if we had the faith of a mustard seed, we could move mountains. Within the church, we depend on the presence of faith... but do not really know how to generate even an ounce of it. Jesus' response to the apostles questions about the parable of the farmer and the seed explains it perhaps better than anything else... "You are permitted to understand the secrets of the Kingdom of God. But I use parables to teach the others so that the Scriptures might be fulfilled: ‘When they look, they won’t really see. When they hear, they won’t understand.’ "

This Dry and Weary Land

Psalms 63-65

When David was stretched to the limits, he sought after the one who had no limits... seeking him with his entire being.

O God, you are my God; I earnestly search for you. My soul thirsts for you; my whole body longs for you in this parched and weary land where there is no water.

When despair overtakes us, where do we turn? To the creator of the universe who has the answers or to the secular experts of today who purport to have knowledge, but in reality have nothing more than opinions. This world looks to be more and more a dry and weary land. Like a mirage in the desert, today's culture promises an intellectual oasis but delivers dry rhetoric and empty promises. When I turn to God with all my heart, panting after him, I find rest.

Mercy Given, Mercy Withheld

Jeremiah 47-52

The last six chapters of Jeremiah speak to the fate of other nations as it looks forward to Israel's return from exile... the Philistines will be destroyed... the Moabites and Ammonites will be destroyed, but their fortunes restored in the future... Edom will be destroyed with no future... Damascus, destroyed... Kedar and Hazor will be desolate forever... Elam will be completely destroyed, then restored... Babylon will be overrun by the Medes and Persians.

Why are all these peoples to be destroyed? Because the whole human race is foolish and has no knowledge! They build idols with no power, and fail to give the creator of everything the glory and praise he deserves. Why do they wonder that God brings destruction on them, if they don't even believe in him? God will show mercy to whom he chooses.

Giant Taunt

Job 41-42

Since I am not the direct recipient of God's taunt to Job in Chapter 41, I find it humorous. God is asking Job about his relationship with Leviathan... some dragon, or dinosaur, or crocodile. He wants to know just how cozy Job is with Leviathan.

Will it beg you for mercy or implore you for pity? Will it agree to work for you, to be your slave for life? Can you make it a pet like a bird, or give it to your little girls to play with?

Tell me Job, God says, just how much weight do you carry? If you can't take on this king of beasts that I created, why do you feel so confident taking me on?

How easy it is to act big when the object of your taunt is no where to be seen, but in the presence of greatness, the wise are humbled... only a fool would continue on with the taunt. Job is no fool. Job recants... "I had only heard about you before, but now I have seen you with my own eyes. I take back everything I said, and I sit in dust and ashes to show my repentance."

Deceived by

2 Corinthians 11-13

Paul traveled to Corinth and labored among the Corinthians to introduce them to the Good News of Jesus Christ. After leaving Corinth to continue spreading the Gospel, it came to his attention that his proselytes have been taught other doctrine as truth...

But I fear that somehow your pure and undivided devotion to Christ will be corrupted, just as Eve was deceived by the cunning ways of the serpent. You happily put up with whatever anyone tells you, even if they preach a different Jesus than the one we preach, or a different kind of Spirit than the one you received, or a different kind of gospel than the one you believed.

Sadly, the great deceiver is still at work in the world. A recent poll shows that more and more Americans identify themselves as non-religious... not followers of any religious belief. They would have you to believe that they are spiritual, just not religious... because they have been deceived into thinking that there is meaning in a spirituality bereft of God. Truth may not be in vogue today, but he who is the truth shall reign regardless.

Not Fair, Part 2

2 Samuel 20-24

In yesterday's reading from Exodus, God explained the ransom that must be paid to take a census... and in today's reading from 2 Samuel, David takes a census of the people after the anger of the Lord burned against Israel, and he caused David to take a census. Joab tried to stop him, but David pressed on. ALmost a year later when the census was complete, David regretted his decision and sought the favor of the Lord... and a plague descended upon the people of Israel and 70,000 were killed. The plague was stopped only after David sacrificed to the Lord.

Many of us would have whined about how unfair God was, after all, he was the one with the initial idea, but that never even occurred to David. In fact, when Araunah offered to give David the necessary items for the sacrifice, David refused, saying... “No, I insist on buying it, for I will not present burnt offerings to the Lord my God that have cost me nothing.” David understood a fact that many of us forget... It isn't about me. God is always righteous. Righteousness is defined by God. We may not understand what God is trying to achieve, but we can be assured that God knows what he is doing and it is correct.

Not Fair

Exodus 29-32

The Lord instructed Moses that whenever he took a census of the people each man who was counted must pay a ransom for himself so that a plague would not strike the people. Almost as though it were a pride penalty... when your pride gets to be so great that you want to count how many of you there are, then every man must pay the ransom. The ransom is one-half shekel of silver, the rich may not pay more, nor may the poor pay less... those are God's commands. It is not always about fairness. Sometimes there is a penalty to be paid by all... not proportionately, but by the whole community. Perhaps that was partly to ensure that the pride of the leader... wanting to know how great his empire was... would be countered by the realization that if not everyone could meet their obligation, that a plague would strike the people and make the kingdom smaller.

Too often we look for simple answers to life's problems. I've read several blog posts recently that tackle real world problems and honestly seek solutions to resolve hunger, education, and housing issues (for example) but too often their solutions seem rooted in secular ideology that fail to address the root causes. God doesn't have that problem. He sees the roots, the trunk, the branches, and leaves. He sees it all... and creates fairness out of it his way.

Sorrows Await

Luke 5-6

Jesus proclaims to his listeners "what sorrow awaits... you who are rich... you who are fat and prosperous now... you who laugh now... you who are praised by the crowds." Everything that we seek here has its rewards here, but sorrow awaits us later. Kinda makes you wonder if we are praying for the wrong thing. Should we be praying for sorrow and suffering now, that we might have riches later? Or is there a different dynamic at work here? What is the message that Jesus is trying to get across to us? Backing up a couple verses we see Jesus speaks blessings to those whom people hate and exclude and mock and curse because they follow the Son of Man. So if we attain worldly happiness because we value the things of the world, then sorrow will await, but if we seek first the kingdom of heaven, then joy awaits us, even if we do not see it here.

All of Me

Psalms 60-62

One of my favorite Willie Nelson songs is his rendition of All of Me. Much of the same emotion is poured in Psalm 62 as the psalmist declares his love for God... "Let all that I am wait quietly before God, for my hope is in him. He alone is my rock and my salvation." Willie and countless others second the psalmists motion that they are no good without the object of their desire. To claim that we love God and not trust him, lean on him, give him All of Me would be to voice a lie, for love surfaces not as a gushy feeling, but rather as a willingness to give one's all... to lay down one's life for another. So thankful that God loved me. I too, love him and give him all of me.

Calling God a Liar

Jeremiah 42-46

All the people from the least to the greatest went to Jeremiah...

They said, “Please pray to the Lord your God for us. As you can see, we are only a tiny remnant compared to what we were before. Pray that the Lord your God will show us what to do and where to go.” “All right,” Jeremiah replied. “I will pray to the Lord your God, as you have asked, and I will tell you everything he says. I will hide nothing from you.” Then they said to Jeremiah, “May the Lord your God be a faithful witness against us if we refuse to obey whatever he tells us to do! Whether we like it or not, we will obey the Lord our God to whom we are sending you with our plea. For if we obey him, everything will turn out well for us.”

Ten days later God spoke through the prophet Jeremiah... do not go to Egypt or you will surely die. As soon as the remnant of Israel hears Gods word, they immediately accuse Jeremiah of lying and they refuse to obey God's command. They decide that they are going to carry out their own plan which is to go to Egypt and... oh by the way... they will continue sacrificing and pouring out drink offerings to other Gods. God is not amused. That remnant of Israel ceases to be a remnant... they die.

Who can call God a liar? Satan and Adam and Eve did in the Garden of Eden and mankind was cursed forever. Johanan and Jezaniah and all the people, from the least to the greatest did near Bethlehem, and the remnant of Judah was cursed forever. Will we choose the same fate? How do we call God a liar today?

I Know Nothing

Job 39-40

I think Job must have felt a little like Sergeant Schultz... I know nothing! God's fusillade of questions leaves Job completely humbled. When God pauses to give Job a chance to speak, Job can only squeak out "I am nothing—how could I ever find the answers? I will cover my mouth with my hand. I have said too much already. I have nothing more to say." God continues to challenge Job's position perhaps to make certain that Job fully understands how much his vote counts and where he is in the hierarchy. I think Job got the message... I wonder how many people today do?

Sow Generously

2 Corinthians 9-10

We all know that he who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully, but I think some of the cost of sowing is lost on a generation that can run up to the corner store and purchase more seed on a whim. When Paul wrote this letter, it was not lost on the Corinthians that sowing involved more than simply planting. The farmer wishing to sow bountifully had to have made provisions last season to set aside seed for this season... had to take food off the table so that more food would be available in the future. It is likewise in our giving. We must choose to fore go current pleasure to reap future reward. Sow generously!

All Over the Map

2 Samuel 15-19

David is all over the map. Naive father David allows his son Absalom to go up to Hebron to fulfill a vow not knowing that Absalom has evil intents. Selfless King David steps aside knowing that if God looks with favor upon him, he will return, but the Ark of the Covenant must stay in Jerusalem. Cautious leader David sends a few loyal followers back to keep him informed. Impetuous trusting friend David rewards those who would take advantage of him. Humble child David allows Shimei to throw rocks and hurl insults at him on the off chance that God is behind it. Consummate commander David sets up his army to defeat Absalom's forces. Woebegone father David mourns Absalom's death. Triumphant King David returns to Jerusalem in power. Forgiving Man after God's Own Heart David shows mercy and kindness to those who meant harm. David was a man for all seasons.

Lost in Translation

Exodus 25-28

Reading in Exodus 25:5 earlier today, the translation I was using read "ram skins dyed red and hides of sea cows." I remember thinking... sea cows, hmm, interesting. So tonight, when I was re-reading to write up some comments I read in a different translation "tanned ram skins and fine goatskin leather." Now, I'm not a Hebrew or Greek scholar, but somehow, hides of sea cows and fine goatskin leather seem to be really different things. So I looked a little further. The KJV translation calls them badger skins. So exactly what kind of animal produced the hide used for the outer covering of the tabernacle? We'll probably never know for certain, but Wikipedia provides some interesting opinions about the source animal. One argument holds that since the badger and sea mammals were unclean, the Israelites were not allowed to touch them and therefore they are not likely candidates. It makes a strong case for an antelope called the addax. No, not a salvation issue, but an interesting study anyway,

Blinded by the Light

Luke 3-4

Jesus visits his hometown synagogue and boldly proclaims that scripture is fulfilled in the hearing of the congregation. The crowd is amazed at his words and is seemingly on his side until someone speaks up "Hey, wait a minute, isn't this Joseph's son?" Jesus explained that a prophet is never accepted in his hometown, using Elijah as an example and oddly their blind eyes are opened. Unfortunately, instead of seeing the king amongst them, they see only insult. In their new blindness, they decide that Jesus must die. They become furious and mob him to cast him over the cliff, but their blindness once again arises and "he passed right through the crowd and went on his way." Jesus, the light of the world, still evokes the same reaction in men... amazement, awe, jealousy, rage and blindness. Can you see him? What does he look like to you?

Perfect Protection

Psalms 57-59

David has found the perfect hiding place, but it is not the cave in which he is hiding. David declares... "Have mercy on me, O God, have mercy! I look to you for protection. I will hide beneath the shadow of your wings until the danger passes by." Like a child who runs back to its parent's protection, David seeks refuge in the shadow of his heavenly father. Surely no one can touch him here, as long as he remains as faithful as the father is and is obedient unto him.

Incongruent Theology

Jeremiah 37-41

I never really understood why people would hold to a theology that was totally incongruent with their life so when neither King Zedekiah nor his attendants nor the people who were left in the land listened to what the Lord said through Jeremiah, I find it odd that King Zedekiah sent Jehucal to ask Jeremiah, “Please pray to the Lord our God for us.” Huh? Really? I can understand why people who believe in God pray and I can understand why people who don't believe in God don't pray, but the other two groups seem to have incongruent theologies... they just don't match up.

Why would someone who doesn't believe in God ask for prayer. Who do they expect will answer that prayer? If there is no one to answer the prayer, why ask... and if there is someone to answer the prayer, why not believe? I am reminded of the classic non-believer parallel... "I'll be thinking of you." If you do not believe in the power of prayer to heal, why would you believe in the power of "thinking" about someone. Incongruent.

I think even sadder though is the one who claims belief, but doesn't pray. Surely that speaks to their true condition of belief. Who is to be pitied more than the fool who is only fooling their self? How do you reach out to the one who steadfastly claims belief, but will not act on it? Jeremiah didn't have much success with the incongruent either.

Until God Answers

Job 37-38

It is easy to play tough with God calling him out for some imagined injustice that you feel he has perpetrated against you... until God answers. Then everything changes, and yet nothing really changes except our awareness of reality. I wonder how the strident atheists will handle it when they come face to face with the Living God... I wonder how the spectator Christians will handle it... I wonder how I will handle it. How far off is my theology... how mistaken am I about what Jesus would do... am i right about any of it? Will he be pleased... or angered? Teach me now Lord, before it is too late.

Unequally Yoked

2 Corinthians 6-8

I think that almost every instance I've heard of someone advising another that they should not be unequally yoked, was a discussion about marriage. However, the source of this scriptural command is not concerned with marriage at all. The New Living Translation puts these verses in language that is clearer for me.

Don’t team up with those who are unbelievers. How can righteousness be a partner with wickedness? How can light live with darkness? What harmony can there be between Christ and the devil? How can a believer be a partner with an unbeliever? And what union can there be between God’s temple and idols? For we are the temple of the living God. As God said: “I will live in them and walk among them. I will be their God, and they will be my people. Therefore, come out from among unbelievers, and separate yourselves from them, says the Lord. Don’t touch their filthy things, and I will welcome you.

When I look at these verses with fresh eyes, they seem to me to direct Christians to be careful with regard to relationships of all types. Going into to business with a partner, make sure you are equally yoked. Looking for a doubles tennis partner... make sure you are equally yoked. Marriage too, of course.

But I think that these verses offer us even more direction. Close friendships with unbelievers are not advisable. Our parents knew this when they told us they didn't want us hanging out with "those kids" because they would lead us down the wrong path. Many Christians ask for trouble in that virtually all of their friends are either non-Christians or Christians in name only. They may even justify these relationships by saying that Christ said that we should be in the world but not of the world or they argue that Jesus ate and drank with sinners. While all true, Jesus did not spend the vast majority of his time with those sinners, but rather with his followers... and he retreated to be alone with his father even more often. We would be wise to do likewise.

The Best and Worst of King David

2 Samuel 10-14

In so many ways, David had a measure of duality clamoring in his soul. The sensitive David sent ambassadors to Hanun, the son of the deceased king of the Ammonites to express his sympathy and subsequently covered for the humiliated ambassadors, but then the callous David came out to retaliate against the Ammonites... killing 40,000 and enslaving the remainder.

The selfish David stayed at home "in the spring of the year, when kings go out to war." He sent Joab out to command the troops while he seduced Bathsheba. When he learned of her pregnancy, he sought to cover it up and finally murdered Uriah the Hittite so that his selfishness would not be found out. However, when confronted by Nathan took responsibility for his actions and fully admitted to his sin.

David was far from perfect, yet God loved him so... for David sought after God's heart. Reminds me of a dialog between a young woman and her grandfather talking about Eddie Murphy's character in the movie "The Golden Child"

Kee Nang: Gompa, I have ruined myself with the American. He is a fool. 
The Old Man: But he's brave. 
Kee Nang: He is irresponsible. 
The Old Man: But he's generous. 
Kee Nang: He thinks of nothing but protecting his own feelings. 
The Old Man: But if you touch his heart, there's nothing he wouldn't do for you. 
Kee Nang: He believes in nothing. 
The Old Man: Yet, still he does what is right. 
Kee Nang: He is a callous, thoughtless, undisciplined fool. 
The Old Man: [chuckles] Yes. I, too, like him very much. It's very hard not to

God loves us in our imperfections too. He seeks after us and longs for us to return his love.

The Lord's Promise

Exodus 21-24

After God gave his commands to the Israelites, he followed up with his side of the promise...

“See, I am sending an angel before you to protect you on your journey and lead you safely to the place I have prepared for you. Pay close attention to him, and obey his instructions. Do not rebel against him, for he is my representative, and he will not forgive your rebellion [...] You must serve only the Lord your God. If you do, I will bless you with food and water, and I will protect you from illness. There will be no miscarriages or infertility in your land, and I will give you long, full lives. I will send my terror ahead of you and create panic among all the people whose lands you invade.”

You mean all we have to do is obey the angel, don't rebel, and don't serve other gods... how hard can that be? And yet at the end of Chapter 24 we are told that Moses climbed up Mt Sinai and communed with God for 40 days. Remember what happens next as they just can;t wait for Noah to return? Their whole future had been laid out before them, secured with an angel and the terror of the Lord to be unleashed on their enemies. How could they not see that the same fury could be unleashed on them?

Zechariah's Son

Luke 1-2

When the angel Gabriel greeted Zechariah in the temple of the Lord with that familiar greeting "Fear Not", his purpose was to announce the precursor to the greatest event in the history of man. John was that precursor. Gabriel declared that John would... prepare the people for the coming of the Lord... turn the hearts of the fathers to their children... and cause those who are rebellious to accept the wisdom of the godly. Zechariah's son was to be a man unlike his brethren. He was set apart... made holy to be used by God for his purpose... and John rose to the occasion.

I tend to think of John as some super human, but he was just a man. Just a man who followed after God's purpose for his life even when he didn't fully understand it. Imagine how this world would look today, if we were dedicated to performing God;s purpose for our lives... how it would look if everyone at Mulder was dedicated to fulfilling his purpose... if all were proclaim the name of the one John announced had the same dedication as Zechariah's son. I can only imagine...

Tears in a Bottle

Psalms 54-56

You keep track of all my sorrows.
You have collected all my tears in your bottle.
You have recorded each one in your book.

He must really love us to pay that kind of attention to us. When others know nothing of our sorrows, God is there to track our sorrows, collect our tears and remember them forever. He is a comfort in times of trouble, if we will turn to him. Who else would want a bottle of our tears? What would they do with them? Can they be used in some magical incantation or favorite recipe? Perhaps when our heart cries out we come so much closer to God, and he longs for that closeness enough to keep track.

Housing Bubble

Jeremiah 32-36

When the Babylonians laid siege to the city of Jerusalem, housing prices plummeted. You might well imagine that when a foreign invading army has overtaken a city, suddenly priorities are rearranged... what once was important is no longer and what was once unimportant may take on new significance. To the people of Jerusalem, the Babylonians represented the end of life as they knew it. But God had a special message for Jeremiah. He told Jeremiah to redeem a piece of land... thus showing that things would return to normal and that even though there would be a time of captivity and distress, in time God would fully restore his people to their land, where they would once again buy and sell land. Too bad the king wouldn't listen. His disobedience would cost him everything. Will we listen today?

Blah, Blah, Blah

Job 35-36

Elihu just can't seem to shut up. Must be something to do with the confidence of youth. Why else would the young Elihu declare... "You can be sure that my words are true. One who has perfect knowledge is talking to you." Wow! I'm sure Job and his three friends stood transfixed by the vision of greatness before them. Seriously?

Elihu would have us to believe that God doesn't care about what we do. "If you sin, what does that mean to God? If you sin many times, what does that do to him? If you do what is right, how does that help him? What does he get from you?" While it is true that we cannot make God greater by our good acts and we cannot subtract from God's greatness by our sin; however, God desires that we obey... he is saddened by our sin... pleased with our righteousness... as we become holy, perfectly holy, he invites us to become  one with him... in union with him through the sacrifice of his son. Elihu misses the nuance.

Pep Rally at Four, Game at Five

2 Corinthians 4-5

In Paul's first letter to the Corinthians, he was pretty harsh. Now he wants to make sure they move past the issues of sin into a real relationship with God. Chapter 4 sort of serves as his pep rally. He is encouraging all of his audience (Hebrew, Greek and Roman) to push forward... For God, who said, "Let light shine out of darkness," has shone in our hearts to give the light (Hebrews) of the knowledge (Greek) of the glory (Roman) of God in the face of Jesus Christ. He desires that all humanity come together against the adversity in the world, for... we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. He does not want the Corinthians to get bogged down by temporal failure... Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. So... go out there and get them.

Leading right into the heart of the matter... the game if you will... in Chapter 5. But this is no game in the sense of "maybe it would be fun if we..." rather it is a game in the sense that it is the reason we have entered the arena... our purpose for being.  If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! ... Be reconciled to God. God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. That WE might become the righteousness of God! Now! Not later when we get to heaven, but that we might be transformed into something different right now... something that God had intended for us to be all along, but we wanted to do it our way. If we insist on waiting for later, it is not transformation... not a new creation, just the same old creature with the same sin problem. We don't need a savior to be the same people in bondage. We need the savior to free us from what we were, so that we can be something different. Get in the game.

Inquiring of the Lord

2 Samuel 5-9

Whenever David is about to go out to battle against another nation, he always seems to "inquire of the Lord." David has realized that no matter how strong his mighty men are... no matter how gifted their leader is... if the Lord is not on their side, there is no value in fighting. I wonder why then, when David is about to take another wife or concubine, he doesn't inquire of the Lord. Even as King he must know that you can't just keep adding new wives and concubines and assume that everything will work out okay... no matter how strong or gifted a man might be, if the Lord is not in the marriage, there will be fighting eventually.

Sadly, we see that "After moving from Hebron to Jerusalem, David married more concubines and wives, and they had more sons and daughters" and it didn't take too long before one of the wives became jealous. Michal, who had loved him dearly, became jealous when David danced before the Lord. That jealousy probably had its roots in all of the added wives and concubines since she scorns him by saying "How distinguished the king of Israel looked today, shamelessly exposing himself to the servant girls like any vulgar person might do!" She may have assumed that he was on the prowl for another wife or concubine among the servant girls. While we should not worry about what others think of our methods of worshiping God, we would do well to inquire of the Lord before undertaking a battle, a wife, or other significant steps.

Ominous Clouds

Exodus 17-20

We've had a spate of thunderstorms lately that have wreaked havoc across the south... tornadoes and flooding that have resulted in several fatalities. The clouds have had an ominous feeling to them, but not nearly as much as the clouds that enveloped Mt Sinai.

On the morning of the third day, thunder roared and lightning flashed, and a dense cloud came down on the mountain. There was a long, loud blast from a ram’s horn, and all the people trembled. Moses led them out from the camp to meet with God, and they stood at the foot of the mountain. All of Mount Sinai was covered with smoke because the Lord had descended on it in the form of fire. The smoke billowed into the sky like smoke from a brick kiln, and the whole mountain shook violently. As the blast of the ram’s horn grew louder and louder, Moses spoke, and God thundered his reply.

The  Israelites were fearful so they requested that Moses speak to God on their behalf and then tell them what they needed to know, for they feared that if they had to directly confront God in the ominous cloud they would surely die. Jesus tells us not to fear, that perfect love casts out fear. True then, true today.

In His Shoes.

I often wonder what it would be like to be in various biblical character's shoes... a historically possible, but fictional account of their lives. Khalil Gibran does this for Simon of Cyrene in a short vignette, and W.G. Griffiths does the same for Malchus the servant of Caiaphus the High Priest of Israel in Jesus' day in novel form. Today, I wonder about Barabbas... Who was Barabbas and what did he do with the new chance he was given? Did he turn to the one who saved him from crucifixion again for eternal salvation, or did he rebel even in his second chance? Did he learn anything, or did he die still trying to fight old fights?

Only a Fool

Psalms 51-53

Only fools say in their heart "There is no God."    Psalm 53:1  

Just how foolish must one be to say there is no God? To assert definitively that there is no all-knowing all-powerful being, one must somehow overlook the fact that for them to definitively know that this being does not exist, they must have infinite knowledge. So by asserting that there is no God, they are in effect asserting that they are God, and that is probably all the proof we need regarding their status as a fool... an arrogant fool.

We must consider the lack of common sense (i.e., foolishness) one must have to tell the creator of the heavens and the earth, the one (who if he exists) has control over life and death, that he is nothing... that he doesn't exist. Blaise Pascal, the 17th century mathematician and philosopher proposed what has become known as Pascal's Wager on the wisdom of belief, and hence the foolishness of unbelief.

I am convinced that many who say there is no God do so only to assuage a conscience that is guilty. Far better would they be to acknowledge his existence and seek his forgiveness as David did in Psalm 51.

Have mercy on me, O God, because of your unfailing love. [...] Wash me clean from my guilt. Purify me from my sin. For I recognize my rebellion; it haunts me day and night. Against you, and you alone, have I sinned; I have done what is evil in your sight. [...] Purify me from my sins, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow. [...] Don’t keep looking at my sins. Remove the stain of my guilt. Create in me a clean heart, O God. Renew a loyal spirit within me.