A Personal Savior

1 Chronicles 15-19

In New Testament theology there is often talk of a personal savior, but rarely do we see this in the Old Testament. God's covenant in Exodus was with the people of Israel, even though Moses was the representative of the people. But here in 1 Chronicles, God's covenant really is a personal covenant with David. He is pleased with the condition of David's heart and covenants that he will keep the House of David on the throne of Israel. David was humbled by the gracious words of the Lord and knew that he had a personal savior... maybe not with the complete understanding of Paul, but he knew the one who saves just as surely.

Second Chances

Numbers 9-12

Moving into year two, there were some Israelites that were not going to be able to participate in the Passover celebration because they were unclean due to contact with a dead person, they wanted a second chance to worship and remember and celebrate, so Moses went to the Lord for advice. The Lord told Moses that they could have a second chance the next month, but only if they had a good excuse, if they had just missed it, then they would need to be cut off from the camp. A clear distinction was drawn between those who truly desired to worship the Lord but couldn't, from those who just couldn't be bothered. Those whose commitment level was too low to care about the Passover could not be allowed to stay with the Israelite community because their attitudes would spread to others.

A similar attitude was found among some who were grumbling because they didn't have any meat. They wanted to return to Egypt for the meat. The Lord provided more than enough meat for them as he brought in quail from the sea, but the Lord's anger burned against the complainers, because their attitudes were infectious and their gluttony proved their end. For some sin their was a second chance, but other sins are too dangerous to allow to continue in the community.

True Knowledge

John 10-12

Jesus tells the people of Judea that he is the good shepherd, that he knows his sheep, and his sheep know him. This is the essence of true knowledge... to know the only one who is capable of saving you from eternal death. Some would brag that they know Pi to 20 digits, or they know how to pick a good stock, or pick a ripe melon, or even read the genetic code... but all this seems somehow bland and useless by comparison. What would a man give for knowledge that can save his life... all his wealth? No, the rich young ruler said that was too much. Belief? Yet many who saw great miracles, even raising Lazarus from the dead, did not see enough to believe. What then? Simply to humble oneself to be his sheep, to be called his, and to follow him in faith.

Take Me With You Daddy

Psalms 102-104

He placed the world on its foundation so it would never be moved, and made the heavens with his hands, yet they will both perish, even as he remains... and he's taking us with him. Growing up it was always a treat when dad was going somewhere special and he took you with him. How much greater will it be when heaven and earth pass away, and our father in heaven takes us with him?

Love Me Tender

Hosea 8-14

The tenderness of God's love is revealed in his cry to Israel...

O Israel, when I first found you, it was like finding fresh grapes in the desert.

Yet when his love is spurned and his betrothed seeks out another god, he is not amused...

Now whenever it fits my plan, I will attack you, too.

Come back to your first love, return to your Lord and bring your confessions and the Lord will heal you of your unfaithfulness... his love knows no bounds. Why did Israel seek after gods of metal and wood who could do nothing when they had the Lord of Heaven's Armies as their lover? Why do we?

Give Me Glory

Proverbs 19

The Lord Almighty is the rightful recipient of all honor and glory, but what would it take for man to righteously receive glory? In the NIV version of Proverbs 19:11 we read...

A man's wisdom gives him patience; it is to his glory to overlook an offense.

It is not through our intellect or might that we receive glory, but in imitating the Father who pardons all our sins. The lesson here is that if we wish to receive that which is rightfully God's then we must do those things that God does. We shall never be worthy of his gifts, but he gladly endows them on those who do his will.

Pursue Righteousness

1 Timothy 4-6

Paul's instruction to Timothy was NOT characterized by a list of "thou shalt nots," but rather by the exhortation to pursue righteousness. Pursue it. Don't just try to be good... but seek out righteousness and claim it for your own. Put aside other undertakings that don't lead to the holiness that the Lord has in mind for you, and instead focus on that which heightens your awareness of God and his glory.

Mighty Men

1 Chronicles 10-14

David wasn't alone in his quest for domination of the land God had promised to the Israelites... he also had a large number of valiant warriors who fought alongside him. Men who risked their lives for God, David, and Israel. Their support for David was so great that three of them broke through enemy lines simply so that they could get a drink of water for David from the well by the gate in Bethlehem.

Given their loyalty to David, it is especially unnerving to see, right there in the middle of the list of David's Mighty Men, the name Uriah the Hittite. David's infidelity was a betrayal, not only of one of Israel's soldiers, but of one who would lay down his life for his king.

Test of Marital Faithfulness

Numbers 5-8

Not saying that the Lord didn't have his reasons, but those reasons are hard for me to fathom. I know I'm wrong here, but the test of marital faithfulness set forth in Numbers 5 seems to focus on the wrong partner. It lays out the procedures wherein if a husband expects that his wife has stepped out on him, then he can test her faithfulness by offering up a sacrifice and having the high priest make her drink a special concoction. If she was faithful, nothing bad would happen, but if she was unfaithful then her womb would shrink and her abdomen would swell. Seriously!

To fully understand this, I think we have to start from the sure knowledge that God had a good reason for this apparent paradox. Perhaps too many men were accusing their wives of infidelity or were jealous of them and were unrighteously handling the situation. So the Lord created a test that required the man to pay a fee (offering) to accuse his wife of infidelity, and the test would be administered by an independent source.

I don't know if something like this was the basis for the test of marital faithfulness, but we can be sure that the Lord wasn't just trying to find yet another way to get back at the women for the apple in the Garden of Eden.

Blind Trust

John 7-9

I've always liked the story of the blind beggar whom Jesus healed on the Sabbath. His response to the questioning of the Pharisees was based on the innocent trust of a child... even though he was, in his parents words, "old enough to speak for himself." His response to who Jesus was was simple... “I don’t know whether he is a sinner, but I know this: I was blind, and now I can see!” Just enough simplicity to get the Pharisee's riled up. But if that wasn't enough for the Pharisees, they decided to try one more approach asking him how Jesus had healed him. His response was to offer total naiveté... asking if they wanted to become his disciple too. It was too much for the Pharisees, and they kicked him out of the synagogue... can't have any truth seekers messing up there tidy church. How often does that happen today?

It's Not Fair

Psalms 99-101

"It's not fair" is a constant refrain when children are around... and some adults too. One of the arguments that atheists often use in debates is that if God is good, then why do bad things happen to good people. Hidden beneath this argument is a foundational assessment that "It's not fair." Guess they never considered Psalm 99.

Mighty King, lover of justice, you have established fairness.

As the author of fairness, God defines what is and isn't fair. He sees the whole picture... he knows aspects of the situation that we never even considered. Life is fair... we just might not realize it.

Diseased

Hosea 1-7

My friend Ron was recently underwent surgery to remove cancer from his throat, mouth, and tongue. He was supposed to go home yesterday or today, but an infection cropped up and they needed to go back in for surgery again today. When attacked by cancer or infection, the body is designed to fight the disease and do whatever is necessary to clan it out... white blood cells sacrifice themselves so that the cells may live... and sometimes we need outside help from doctors, medicine and/or surgery.

It was into just such a situation that God called Hosea. The northern tribes of Israel, led by Ephraim were filled with disease. God characterized it as saying they were playing the harlot, but the intent was clear. He set forth a standard of purity and holiness through a covenant with them, and they broke the covenant and played the harlot with other gods. So God told Hosea to take Gomer, a prostitute, for his wife, so that he could understand how God felt... so that the nation of Israel would know... and change their evil ways, but they refused.

Israel refused... just like our bodies refuse... and then drastic action is required.

Bread of Life

Proverbs 17-18

"Better a dry crust eaten in peace than a house filled with feasting—and conflict."

Peace. Jesus tells us that he didn't come to bring peace to the world, but for many parents the prospect of eating (or anything for that matter) in peace is priceless, certainly worth exchanging a feast for dry crust of bread. With 700 wives and 300 concubines, I suspect that Solomon had plenty reasons to seek after peace regardless of his ability to put on a feast. Makes you wonder how often Solomon had a dry crust for dinner. If bread made by human hands can satisfy the soul, how much more valuable is it when that crust is from him who is the very bread of life... the bread that satisfies all hunger.

What's the Point?

1 Timothy 1-3

Paul urges Timothy to not be pointless... not to waste time in meaningless discussions or speculation. Some people seek favor in the eyes of men based on their knowledge of scripture or their ability to speak. Evidently this was a problem in Paul's time... it still is. Some people work harder at appearing spiritual than they'd ever have to work at actually being spiritual. The difference of course is that in acting spiritual, you never have to actually surrender your life to a sovereign God... you never have give control up... but that's all God really wants. He doesn't need our command of scripture... he already knows it all. He doesn't need our oratory skills... he commanded the universe into being with the words "Let there be light." The Almighty Lord of the Universe doesn't need us at all, but he does want us and love us. Amazing!

The Tent Praise Band

1 Chronicles 5-9

When David needed to find musicians to minister before the Lord when he brought the tabernacle to Jerusalem, he selected Heman as the leader with Asaph and Ethan to help out... one from each of the Levitical clans. Even though Heman was the leader, Asaph appears to have been more talented. Psalm 88 is attributed to Heman, but Asaph's work is found in Psalm 50 as well as Psalms 73-83. He also appears to have a much larger presence in scripture. Ethan almost disappears or is renamed Jeduthan. (I never can tell whether those kind of things are new people or just different names for the same person.

Holy Work

Numbers 1-4

The Kohathites clan of Levi was responsible for taking care of and transporting the most sacred objects of the tabernacle, including the Ark of the Covenant, bowls, pitchers, lamp stands, furniture, and even the special bread. The only problem was that they were not allowed to see or touch the objects... lest they die. Aaron and his sons would first double and triple wrap each object in a manner that God prescribed so that the Kohathites would be protected. Still, working for 20 years (from 30 to 50) doing a job where you were this close to the most sacred objects on earth, and you were responsible for them, yet you couldn't touch or see them must have been stressful. Perhaps this need for stability and maturity is why the Levites didn't begin their careers until they were 30, as opposed to the other tribes whose men were deemed ready for work (i.e., war) at the age of 20.

Hard Words, But True

John 5-6

Jesus never felt the need to make his message easier for the people to accept... he knew no way other than to speak the truth. If I had to choose only a single area where the church of today has failed, I think that watering down the truth... twisting the truth... substituting the world's truth for God's truth has taken the church farther from Jesus than anything else. Jesus proclaims that the world's approval means nothing to him... he seeks only God's approval, even if all of his disciples should walk away. And the church of today, we seem to seek the approval of all age groups, all people everywhere without offending any. I'm not suggesting that we intentionally insult others, that is not consistent with the love that Jesus commanded that we have. However, we need never water down the truth of the gospel. An article in Friday's Wall Street Journal talks about the perils of wannabe cool Christianity... using sex, lies and videotapes to woo 20-somethings. Somehow, I don't think Jesus would be impressed.

Earth Song

Psalms 96-98

The whole earth sings praises to God... the seas shout his praise... the fields burst out with joy... the trees of the forest rustle with praise... mountains melt like wax... the rivers clap their hands... the hills sing their songs. All of creation sings his praise... except the part created in his image, but he will stand in judgement against the nations. It is right to give him thanks and praise, and all who are godly rejoice in his name.

A Life of Devotion

Daniel 7-12

Daniel is one of the few people in the biblical record who live a life of devotion that is not marred by a divergence from the path. From the first time we see him as a young adult, he not only makes good decisions, but he proactively seeks the face of God and actively shuns evil. As a result of a lifetime of devotion to God and his will, Daniel was held in high esteem in the heavens... to the extent that the secrets of heaven were revealed to him and the princes of heaven shared with him. Righteousness is its own reward. Perhaps more than any other, he epitomized what C. S. Lewis said... "It is safe to tell the pure in heart that they shall see God, for only the pure in heart want to." Indeed, Daniel wanted to, and did.

Planning

Proverbs 16

At our Bible Study group on Tuesday, the subject of planning came up... whether God planned the creation of the world, etc. As providence would have it, Proverbs 16 is all about planning too. Oddly, there doesn't seem to be a consensus in Proverbs 16 as to whether planning is good or not.

1 We can make our own plans, but the Lord gives the right answer.
3 Commit your actions to the Lord, and your plans will succeed.
9 We can make our plans, but the Lord determines our steps.
30 With narrowed eyes, people plot evil; with a smirk, they plan their mischief.

As long as our plans are in concert with God's will, we can safely move forward, but when our plans are contrary to God's will, we should not expect success. That got me to thinking a little more about whether God planned the creation, etc. My current thought is that as an all-knowing, all-powerful being, he doesn't plan so much as have a will. We plan because we don't know how everything will work out or can't do it all ourselves. In other words, we plan because we are not all-powerful or all-knowing. If we were, we could just do things in the order necessary without the need for planning. Thus, I don't think God is a planner.

Idle Living

2 Thessalonians

Paul, Timothy, and Silas had some harsh words for those who would sit lazily around while others provided for their needs... "Those unwilling to work will not get to eat." He wasn't speaking to the disabled or those otherwise unable to work, but his words would most assuredly apply to many Americans. Our time in Zambia brought home how spoiled we are as a nation in many respects. In Zambia we saw many elderly women earning their daily bread by breaking large rocks into smaller rocks and selling the resulting gravel to concrete block makers. While the standard of living in Zambia is certainly far less than the United States, there is a dignity and joy in the people that speaks much for their biblical approach as compared to our feel-good secular entitlements-driven society. Paul knew well that entitlements might put food in the belly, but they do not lift the recipients up.

So That's Why He Wasn't Fired

1 Chronicles 1-4

I've never really been fond of the first part of 1st Chronicles... I think that I've stumbled over Chronicles more often than any other book in the Bible when trying to read through in a year... the genealogies always seem to trip me up. I don't think I've ever got much from them either, because there are so many unfamiliar names, but as I read scripture more often, some of the names get more familiar... like the names in 1 Chronicles 2:16.

I had often wondered why King David put up with the antics of his army commander Joab and his two brothers, Abishai and Asahel. There is no doubt that they were mighty warriors, but they didn't have David's heart and they didn't see things David's way. There were many other warriors that David could have tapped to assume the role of commander, but David never fired Joab, even though he placed a curse on their family. Why didn't David fire Joab, Abishai, and Asahel? Perhaps the answer is found in 1 Chronicles 2:16.

[David's] sisters were named Zeruiah and Abigail. Zeruiah had three sons named Abishai, Joab, and Asahel.

They were his nephews and were probably among his earliest supporters when Saul was chasing him around the countryside... and he would have had to face his big sister.

Jubilee

Leviticus 25-27

Conceptually, the idea of Jubilee makes a lot of sense from God's perspective, but is much harder for man to truly embrace. Christian celebrations of Jubilee have often strayed from the real intent to focus on a tiny part of the original... more of a political statement than any true attempt meet God's law. Just as the old covenant has been fulfilled in Christ, likewise, when Jesus preached in Nazareth he read from scripture:

"The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He hath anointed Me to preach the Gospel to the poor. He hath sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, to preach the acceptable year of the Lord."

 Jesus concluded by saying that this scripture was fulfilled in their hearing and then he sat down. This, I believe, is the Jubilee that Jesus would have us celebrate now... every year.

Darkness and Light

John 3-4

Context is so often lost in my normal approach to bible reading... either reading small chunks or large expanses of scripture without necessarily pausing to digest. The oft quoted John 3:16 isn't a stand-alone piece of scripture, but is actually part of Jesus' response to Nicodemus. Nicodemus approached Jesus at night so that his fellow Pharisees would not be aware of his quest. Jesus told Nicodemus that he must be born again, but then Jesus went on to tell him that God so loved the world. He didn't stop there either. He effectively told Nicodemus that he must believe not just at night, but that he must come out of the dark and into the light... so that others could see too. Reading scripture for what is there... not necessarily what we've always been taught is there... provides all the difference.

Come Let Us Worship

Psalms 93-95

Come let us worship and bow down... to a king robed in majesty who is mightier than the storms that ravage the earth and whose reign endures forever. Come let us worship and bow down... to a God whose glorious justice shines forth as a fortress for the innocent and as an immovable rock for the guilty.  Come let us worship and bow down... let us kneel before the Lord our God our maker for he is our God and we are the people of his pasture.

An Abundance of Riches

Daniel 1-6

The Babylonian empire was replete with worldly riches as exemplified by the 90 foot tall gold statue of King Nebuchadnezzar, likewise the Book of Daniel is replete with spiritual riches chapter by chapter.

1. Daniel and his friends forsake the riches of the King's table so that they will not be tempted in the ways of the world. The pleasures of the King's table are not necessarily sin, but Daniel and his friends knew that if they let their guard down, other pleasures (which might be sin) would be there to tempt them later.
2. Daniel not only interprets Nebuchadnezzar's dream, he knows what the dream is because God reveals the dream to him. Daniel has so ordered his life after God's ways that it is only natural for God to answer Daniel's request for help.
3. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego are thrown into the fiery furnace because they will not bow down to Nebuchadnezzar's statue. They too have followed after God and trusted in God and God honors that trust and obedience by saving them from the fire.
4. With the help of Daniel and his friends, and a little extra assistance from God, Nebuchadnezzar comes to truly trust in the Lord -- our friends could use a similar example.
5. Daniel served many Babylonian kings with distinction, but not all of them were inclined to trust in Daniel's God. King Belshazzar's arrogance cost him his life as Daniel interpreted the writing on the wall. Even though Daniel did not enjoy a high place in King Belshazzar's court, he did not let his demotion change his attitude towards God.
6. When Darius the Mede took control away from the Babylonians, he took Daniel into his confidence, right before he threw him into the Lion's Den, but he rooted for Daniel to survive. Daniel survived, not because the King of the Persians and the Medes was rooting for him, but rather because the creator of the universe was on his side.

Modern Mockers

Proverbs 14-15


A mocker seeks wisdom and never finds it, but knowledge comes easily to those with understanding.

Modern talk radio hosts, political bloggers, cable news show hosts, and syndicated columnists would do well to heed Solomon's advice... if they seek knowledge and understanding. Sadly, most in the media today do not seem to want to know truth, but rather only want power and influence. For the honest seeker in this world, there is precious little opportunity to ferret out the truth... for the world lies. But for the seeker of Kingdom truth, no such obstacles exist... for the truth lives.

More and More

1 Thessalonians 4-5

Paul encourages the Thessalonians to continue doing the good work that have been doing, but then keep going... doing more and more. If anything, those words are Paul's watchwords for us even today. Don't stop with righteous acts, push on to more and more righteousness... more and more holiness... more and more Christlikeness. We cannot achieve the perfection that Jesus has laid out for us, but we can strive to get closer and closer.

A Beacon of Light

2 Kings 21-25

A little child shall lead them... and Josiah was 8 years old when he succeeded his father to the throne of Judah. But he did not follow his father's or grandfather's ways. Josiah did what was pleasing in the sight of the Lord. It began with an attitude of righteousness, but when the High Priest discovered the Book of the Law that had been missing for generations, Josiah followed his initial righteousness with humility and holiness. He acknowledged the kingdom's sin and methodically went about ridding the kingdom of foreign gods. Josiah was a beacon of light in the midst of a desert of evil. WIll we join in with evil or stand against it.

12 Loaves

Leviticus 22-24

On a weekly basis, the Israelites were to bake 12 loaves of bread for Aaron and his descendants to be delivered on the Sabbath and laid out on the gold table. What's so special about the loaves other than the fact that they were holy onto the Lord. Never noticed it before, but each loaf was made from two tenths of an ephah of flour. Just how much flour is that? An ephah is about the same as a bushel. A bushel is about 35 liters. So these loaves were each made from about 7 liters of flour. A normal loaf today contains 3 cups of flour... so these loaves were about 10 times larger than our normal loaf of bread. Twelve of these loaves a week makes good eats.

Excuses, Excuses

I was in Zambia on a mission trip and didn't have my complete reading list... but I'll catch up.