Creation as the Context of Faith

Scripture: By faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things that are visible. Hebrews 11:3

Observation: The author of Hebrews is going into an explanation of "faith", which he says at its core is the belief in things unknowable ... an assurance of hope that finds its sure conviction in things unseen. He will go into a full discussion of how the patriarchs of the Jews demonstrated their faith, however the very first example of faith is this ... we understand the universe was created by the word of God. He clarifies that this means everything we see was actually made from things are not seen.

Creation wasn't a construction project. It wasn't the act of some all-powerful being who took 'stuff' and put it together to make other stuff. Creation wasn't an observable reaction of elements colliding that someone could have observed. By faith, we know that the Lord simply created everything, and that we can now see and experience nature and everything in the universe because he simply "did" it.

The word of God - the bible - begins with creation. Creation involves the Lord speaking everything into existence, and the very word itself that he speaks took form as Jesus. Furthermore, we know that it is this very principle - creation - that is the first thing attacked by those without faith. Those without faith will declare all kinds of ideas about how creation occurred, most of which fall into the incompressible pattern of, "there was absolutely nothing ... which then blew up." They are also the ones who fail to see beauty and wonder in the created world, instead dwelling on disasters and storms and violence as examples of chaos or fear. They are also the ones who will in turn worship nature, attributing supernatural powers to everything from the sun, to crystals, to mountains, to certain creatures, as if these things have divine understanding completely independent of a divine architect.

Application: I was reminded again yesterday that, in the Old Testament, baal worship with nature worship, and that (again) we are approaching that same twisted understanding of creation in our modern society.

One of my daily prayers is thanks to the Lord for creation and nature, and our ability to appreciate it. I know this is so true, that the Lord created everything, but he also then created us with an inborn natural inclination to marvel at the wonder and beauty of creation as a means of showing himself to us. The fact so many people twist that internal emotion into some kind of false worship is beyond my comprehension.

Then again ... no, it isn't beyond my comprehension, because the author of Hebrews says why it happens. It is a lack of faith. Those without faith in the Lord cannot therefore understand creation. A proper understanding of  creation and a proper placement of faith go hand-in-glove.

Prayer: Lord, as I say every day, I thank you for the created world and the nature I see all around me, and for the heart within me that sees the splendor and wonder of that creation. May I always see you and your love every time I look out a window at the trees, or wild animals, or a stormy sky, or any and all other aspects of creation, for I know they are all evidence of you, and expressions of your love for us. Amen.

Instruction to Not Remember

Scripture: But in these sacrifices there is a reminder of sins every year. For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins. Hebrews 10:3-4

Observation: As the author discusses sacrifices, he calls out the simple fact that the ritual sacrifices of the old law and of the temple did not result in addressing sin. Yes, they were acts of obedience toward the Lord, and were done in a manner to atone for sins. However, they had to be repeated over and over because they didn't stop sin or take it away from a human's heart. In fact, what they really did was remind everyone of their sins, bringing them forefront in one's mind so they would consider what they had done.

This is one of the interesting elements of the law as it was originally taught, and then some of the early Jewish traditions as the established to keep the law. Many of them are acts designed to make individuals think about their sins. From ringing bells, to personal examinations of ceremonial cleanliness, to tassels on shawls, to what cuts of meat to eat for dinner, all of these require a thought process that involves personal examination of a person's behavior.

And yes, while our 'continual' prayers are to include requests for forgiveness of sin, Jesus now removes sin from the lives of believers. We are to be obedient and not sin, but an examination of sin is not necessarily a moment-by-moment activity in our lives. In fact, once forgiven of sin, it is to be forgotten as we are to trust that the Lord - by our faith in Jesus - has actually removed that sin from our record. It isn't covered up by the blood of a goat, rather it is expunged from the book of our life by faith in Jesus, and by his atoning sacrifice.

Application: I am keenly aware of my sins every day, and often feel depressed as I think about past sins. I am reminded to of this fact I know ... faith in Jesus means I'm allowed to forget those past sins and simply live into a future of obedience and joy.

Sure, there is a problem when I fail to reject sin in my life, and especially when I repeat the same sin over and over again. This demonstrates a lack of faith, and a lack of dependence on the Holy Spirit for correction and direction in my life. However, that is very different than spending time in remembrance of past sin, and performing rituals or practices that remind me of my failures. I don't need to be doing that. In fact, I am instructed not to be doing that. I am a new creation, washed clean from my past, and with my feet rewashed regularly when I simply ask for forgiveness.

Prayer: Lord, I do ask for forgiveness of my sins, in the name of Jesus. May I look forward to my actions today, not because I remember my sin and worry about repeating them, but because I have joy in this life and knowledge of how I should obey you, and am delighted to do your will this day. Amen.

Living in the Age of the Tree

Scripture: Thus says the Lord God: "I myself will take a sprig from the lofty top of the cedar and will set it out. I will break off from the topmost of its young twigs a tender one, and I myself will plant it on a high and lofty mountain. On the mountain height of Israel will I plant it, that it may bear branches and produce fruit and become a noble cedar. And under it will dwell every kind of bird; in the shade of its branches birds of every sort will nest." Ezekiel 17:22-23

Observation: As Ezekiel receives this parable of trees and plants that honor different eagles - which are about Babylon and Egypt and how Egypt will not be able to save rebellious Jerusalem from the second invasion of Babylon - he then summarizes with a variation on the theme. Someday, the Lord himself will plant a new tree on a high mountain in Israel. That tree will become the largest and most noble of all strong trees, and it will provide a home for every kind of bird. That tree won't just benefit Jews, but all people of the entire world, and they will all come to call that tree their shelter and home, seeking its shade and finding their rest within its protection.

This is never an image that has ever proven true for any king of Israel or Judah, and would never even be a desired goal for the Jews. They have never been promised that Israel would become home to all people, but rather quite the opposite ... they have always lived in the promise that the land of Israel is their special inheritance. No, this prophesy would be clearly understood to be about a new king, and that this involves a new promise from Yahweh. This is a new phase of how Yahweh interacts with the world. Instead of having his nation of priests functioning as an example of the Lord to the world, he would now have a new king who actually presides over the world, born in Israel, but ruling in a manner not of control but of comfort, not of might but of provision.

Application: Overall, this prophesy delivered to the exiles had two parts. First, that the rest of Jerusalem would rebel and be destroyed by Babylon soon. Second, that someday Israel's fortunes will be so restored that the Lord will again use Israel to create a new covenant with all the world, involving a new leader who will love and care for everyone, everywhere.

There is no doubt this is a Messianic prophesy and image, the idea of a world leader coming from Israel to bless and care for all the people of the world. The fact the next verse (24) emphasizes that all other trees (nations) will know of this great tree and be subject to it is further evidence of the worldwide reach of this prophesy.

I am so glad and so thankful I live in the age where that tree has been planted on a hill in Israel, and that I am one of the birds who makes my nest in its comforting and safe shade, enjoying the fruit the tree produces.

Prayer: Lord, I thank you for Jesus, my Lord and savior, and the world's Messiah forever and ever. May his branches continue to spread, and more and more birds come to live in his shade. We would love to see revival in the world, Lord, instead of the destruction we fear. While we know the latter will come, may your faithful serve in a way that calls more and more birds to your great and noble cedar, all for your glory and honor and praise. Amen.

Thank God I'm Not the One in Charge

There are several songs out right now with this theme ... the idea that we miss out on God's grace and power and love if we don't have the bad times in our lives. And they ALL speak to me! I do thank the Lord for the times I didn't win ... for the wounds on my heart ... the bitter memories of pain ... and in EVERY circumstance, the realization of how the Lord brought me through it. It is by the hardships that I learned of grace and love and mercy. I'm crazy not to trust him with everything.

It's Too Sad to Watch

Scripture: And you, son of man, take a brick and lay it before you, and engrave on it a city, even Jerusalem. And put siegeworks against it, and build a siege wall against it, and cast up a mound against it. Set camps also against it, and plant battering rams against it all around. And you, take an iron griddle, and place it as an iron wall between you and the city; and set your face toward it, and let it be in a state of siege, and press the siege against it. This is a sign for the house of Israel. Ezekiel 4:1-3

Observation: God is, of course, having Ezekiel roleplay the siege and downfall of Jerusalem, which will occur soon. Those exiles in captivity are not sure of the long-term fate of the city, and in this manner God is giving them the message that it will be destroyed and most there killed.

There is one element here that is interesting, which is the iron griddle. It isn't part of the siege, but rather it is a partition between Ezekiel and the city that prevents him from being able to see the city. In other words, Yahweh - who has his face always toward Jerusalem - is not turning his back on the city. Rather, he is imposing a barrier so he cannot see it happen. It is too sad and too great, and the Lord loves people too much, for him to take delight in watching such an event. Therefore, he has created some kind of barrier that will block his sight.

Application: There is something profound about this fact ... that the Lord, in his greatest anger, still cannot take pleasure in watching anyone's downfall. In fact, it breaks his heart. It is his nature to look upon us always with his love and patience and care, and even with his judgment and correction. So when things are really bad, he doesn't turn away.

I think I learned this last night. Last night was rough, as my cold is really messing with me physically and mentally. However, God showed up. He didn't arrive with some healing touch, but with a new challenge and problem, but then also with the way to overcome it. I'm not sure I understand everything the Lord is teaching me right now, but I'm open. And I'm very glad to know that, while I have been in a very low place recently, the Lord still keeps his face toward me.

Prayer: Lord, I do seek your strength and love today. I am going to need them both. May I remember that I serve you alone. Amen.

Diving into One's Motivations

Scripture: For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. Hebrews 4:12

Observation: As the author of Hebrews discusses entering into the ultimate Sabbath rest - the one where, when we enter into the Lord's rest, we are freed from all work - he ties that rest to obedience. Obedience is, of course, obedience to the word of God, aka the Law, which is harper than any double-edged sword, and this description becomes a famous metaphor for the word. Imagery of long sword emerging from Jesus' mouth are even common, and such swords have qualities that make them dangerous such as their weight and ability to cut no matter which direction they're swung.

However, the write then says what types of items and divided by such a sword ... the word of God. One is finding division between one's soul and spirit. Another is cutting apart physical body parts like limbs and bones, and the last is separating one's thoughts from their intentions. These are some interesting examples.

The first - finding division between one's soul and spirit - has logic. people often find their own soul and motivations in conflict with the direction of the Holy Spirit, and need to reconcile that. Many times, we with for alignment and therefore believe that our will MUST be spirit-inspired, and that's where this sword can divide and find the truth, when we discover our will is in conflict with God's word.

The second, the division of the body, is more confusing, but certainly must imply an analysis of physical acts and deeds. It seems this is a way of assessing if the work of our hands and feet comply with what the Lord commands us to do in his word.

The third is finding the difference between thoughts and intentions. This is actually quite deep. We often think of the delta between our thoughts and deeds (or words) to be a place to examine within ourselves. However, this takes that conversation even deeper, into an examination of thoughts ... but instead of looking at the next layer 'outward' of our resulting actions, we are to look a layer 'inward' at the intentions and motivations and triggered those thoughts. It's like thinking you want to help poor people ... instead of judging yourself on the criteria of if you then go volunteer at a food bank, your examine the motivation of why you want to help poor people, if it is to make yourself feel good, because you can boast of your service hours to others, or because you are heartbroken for those in need.

Application: As I think of how this applies to myself, I discover a deep truth. I want to be better and more obedient, however I keep examining my thoughts and praying for the Lord to capture those thoughts so I will then perform in accordance with them. I need to think deeper, and examine my motivations. More importantly, I need to find the emotional connection to those motivations that will therefore impel me to proper thinking, then doing.

I do know that my greatest motivation in life is that I love God, and am grateful for the salvation he gave me even when I didn't nearly deserve it. He came and found me when I had written him off. I am motivated by a debt I feel for that, and for the great love he has shown me that I want to give back in the meager ways I can. However, even what I just said there ... it almost sounds disincentivizing. It's like I know I can't do or say enough, so even though my motivation in to love God with all my being, I already feel like I can't succeed because whatever I do will be insufficient. Therefore, I don't push into those feelings strongly enough, and that trickles down into my thoughts and works not being ideal.

I need to trust the very difficult idea that God loves me and thinks I'm awesome. Even as I write that, I think "well I know that's not true". However ... somehow ... in ways I cannot possible fathom ... it is true. His sword says so.

Prayer: Lord, thank you. I am so very, very aware of my failures, and I do not understand why you love me. However, I will attempt to believe that more and more, and thus make my motivation for doing your will more and more meaningful. Thank you. Amen.

What Service Really Looks Like

Scripture: Do your best to speed Zenas the lawyer and Apollos on their way; see that they lack nothing. Titus 3:13

Observation: As Paul gives logistical instructions to Titus (mostly about whom should be sent where, including Titus coming to Nicopolis), he tells Titus to aid Zenas and Apollos. Apollos is well known, as he was one of the other best-known apostles in the early church, and is discusses as a peer of Paul several times, including by Paul himself in 1 Corinthians. It is also possible (likely?) that Apollos is the author of Hebrews. However, this one sentence is the only place Zenas is mentioned. It is clear by the context that he is an educated traveling companion of Apollos, and thus likely serves a role similar to that of Luke for Paul.

As I enjoy going down rabbit holes like this, I looked up quick information on Zenas, and have opinions about what I found. Explicitly, I want to address his name, his occupation, and his backstory, as one of my personal concerns is when the ancient church - explicitly the church in the timeframe of 200-500 AD - made certain decisions that orthodox churches still cling to. I want to be careful, because I'm not educated in this and haven't studied it, so I am merely observing more than disagreeing or challenging anything.

First, the church likes to translate 'Zenas' as "Gift of God". However, that ... isn't quite right. It is probably better translated as "Gift of Zeus". This is actually very important, as it becomes a stumbling stone for the other two ideas about Zenas put out by the early church, because this would imply that Zenas is either Greek, or a Jew raised in Greek society.

Second, Zenas is identified as a lawyer. We certainly know that professions were different back then than they are now. Therefore, 'lawyer' could map to multiple occupations. The early church classified him as a type of Pharisee, very learned in Jewish law. That isn't supported by any other context in the bible, nor did I find any reference to the alignment of Pharisees and lawyers. While Zenas may not be a lawyer as we would consider the title, he likely is very educated. Again, he may serve a role like Luke (a doctor), as an educated Greek who travels with a Jewish apostle to help navigate cultural and political issues in Greece and Turkey.

Third, the early church declared that Zenas was one of the 'unnamed 70' that Jesus sends out to minister in pairs. The 70 comes up often, and it's a bit of a pet peeve of mine ... almost like the early church went through names in the New Testament and tried to find 70 of them that didn't have any other clear backstory, and just made them the 70. While it's possible - and word-of-mouth history passed down in the early church should not be dismissed easily - I find it unlikely Zenas is one of the 70, especially if he is Greek or from there (he would not therefore have been one of the core Jews following Jesus' ministry).

This sounds negative, like I'm putting down Zenas. I'm not. He was clearly a great man of faith, an apostle, who set aside his life to spread the Gospel. He is worthy of saintly recognition, and I am certain he did more in service to Jesus than I ever have.

Application: I do go down paths when I read the bible, meditating on certain elements. When it comes to Zenas - a man with a one-and-done mention in the bible - I really don't care what the early church has decided about him. What I do care about is his example as someone who gave up his life to serve Jesus, and did so for no recognition, notoriety, fame, or money. He just loved Jesus, and gave up his career to face hardship and travel and pain for him. He is worthy of attention and honor and thanks.

Prayer: Lord, sometimes I think about what I could do to serve you the ways people like Peter and Paul did, but I really should just be trying to serve you like Zenas. I should just love you so much that I would set aside the rest of my life to obey you and tell others about Jesus. May your Holy Spirit move me to that kind of anonymous service. Amen.

Awaiting a Fear-Filled Future

Scripture:
I hear, and my body trembles;
my lips quiver at the sound;
rottenness enters into my bones;
my legs tremble beneath me.
Yet I will quietly wait for the day of trouble
to come upon people who invade us.
Habakkuk 3:16

Observation: Habakkuk receives an amazing "oracle" from the Lord, in two parts. The first is this, Yahweh will punish Judah by sending Babylon against them and destroy Judah for their sins. The second part is that the Lord will then punish Babylon for their violence. Habakkuk faithfully records both, then says a prayer in praise and honor of the Lord, remembering both his goodness and his authority, his ability to protect the Jews, and the power he has shown throughout their history.

However, the prayer ends, and Habakkuk readies himself for the fulfillment of the prophesy. He perceives the coming Babylonians (whether he really sees and hears them, or his soul is affected with anticipation, isn't clear). He is afraid. However, even as he readies himself for the first prophesy, he leans into the second prophesy ... he fears for the destruction of Judah and Jerusalem, yet he will also wait for the future downfall of Babylon, and he knows the Lord himself is actually in control of all of it.

Application: How many times have I wondered and prayed about the Lord taking action against our current culture, and destroying that which promotes it, knowing it likely means the downfall of the United States as we know it? Equally, how many times have I wondered and prayed about what will happen to the faithful in the 'west' when this happens, how we will be redeemed, and even then what happens next within the world when the U.S. falls? Finally, how many times have I prayed that, perhaps, the U.S. should not fall, but a great awakening may occur that drives out evil and allows everything good to safely remain?

These were the same questions Habakkuk was dealing with, and he got his answer ... to purge the land of the evil of the people, it will all be destroyed, then the Lord will deal with the forces that destroyed it. I expect the Lord to soon act the same toward us.

And yes, I am afraid of that. I am afraid that the downfall of the U.S. and the west as we know it will bring about an economic ruin that destroys the life and lifestyle I have hoped for in retirement. I do perceive what that might be like, and I worry. However, I am comforted by the fact that the Lord is my provider, and if I end up living a frugal life in my old age - yet my wife and I and loved in the hands of the Lord - that will be perfectly okay. Also, I am further comforted by the assurance that, whatever force may destroy our lives as we know them, the Lord will have his vengeance on it. If our culture and even our nation are destroyed by a radical corruption of the human identity in God, the Lord will indeed exact his wrath on the champions of such movements. I will quietly wait for the day of trouble to come upon such people.

Prayer: Lord, to the extent I can imagine the future, I believe it to be full of fear and struggles. May I remain strong in you throughout it all, no matter the path we end up walking, and no matter the desert that path wanders through. Amen.

Really Understanding your 'Why'

Scripture: Paul, a servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ, for the sake of the faith of God's elect and their knowledge of the truth, which accords with godliness, in hope of eternal life, which God, who never lies, promised before the ages began and at the proper time manifested in his word through the preaching with which I have been entrusted by the command of God our Savior. Titus 1:1-3

Observation: In Paul's letter to Titus, he includes this introduction. Of course, Paul knows Titus very well, as he has mentored Titus and then assigned Titus his current ministry in Crete. No 'introduction' is necessary. However, Paul instead chooses to give a rather long introduction, not of himself but of his entire mission and purpose. Effectively, he takes this opportunity to give Titus his "why" statement ... why his is an apostle of Jesus Christ.

He states the "why" by stating he works for the faith of others, and so others will learn knowledge and truth in alignment to godliness, and then states the "why" ... so by faith and knowledge everyone may understand their hope in eternal life.

Then, Paul gives his "how" ... he preaches about the promises of Yahweh, which were announced in scriptures and then manifested in Messiah.

What makes this introduction so powerful is that, knowing Paul is a mentor to Titus and they know each other well, Paul is using his greeting to re-enforce the entire mission of Christianity, teaching Titus (and now others) that we effectively have one, and only one, "why" for what we should do ... giving hope to others for their eternal lives ... and we do this by just telling them about Jesus.

When we read Paul's other letters, we see him do a lot of other things, including correcting behavior, addressing misunderstandings, calling out false doctrine, and encouraging those enduring hardships. Therefore, yes, being a Christian in community involves more than one thing. However, when it comes to being a Christian in the world and evangelizing as an apostle - which Paul always considered to be his true mission - it boils down to one activity. We are to provide hope, through knowledge, in the promise that faith in Jesus provides all with eternal salvation.

Application: The idea of knowing your "why" became famous in business several years back, with a discussion that most people and companies talk about their "what" (what they do) and not why they do it, and thus lose focus and fail. The Church talks a lot about our "whats". We talk about our caring ministries, our missions to the impoverished, our alignment to core tenants, our prayer efforts. And you know what? The world sees all that ... and couldn't care less, even in fact turning against Christianity because they view all the "whats" we do and feel like they're either just something anyone can do without faith, or are even opposed to the ideals they value.

If I told a room of 100 of my non-Christian neighbors that the Church only had one reason for existing, I'd bet none of them would guess that our "why" is to give people hope.

We need to talk a lot more about our '"why".

Prayer: Lord, may I learn from this very simple yet profound teaching of Paul, that I only really have one purpose, which is to give others hope in eternal life through faith in Jesus. My "how" isn't to preach, so I will look to you for direction about how I do that, but may I focus more and more on my "why". Amen.

Defining Ignorance as Unbelief

Scripture: I thank him who has given me strength, Christ Jesus our Lord, because he judged me faithful, appointing me to his service, though formerly I was a blasphemer, persecutor, and insolent opponent. But I received mercy because I had acted ignorantly in unbelief. 1 Timothy 1:12-13

Observation: As an example of mercy through Jesus, Paul uses his own example by giving Timothy a quick comment about his own life and ministry, information that Timothy very likely knows. He points out he received mercy and was deemed worthy of service once he had become faithful, even though previously he had been a terrible sinner. Then he says something that may be challenging for a couple reasons. Paul says he received this mercy explicitly because he "acted ignorantly in unbelief." This raises two issues that should not be considered lightly.

First, and perhaps very challenging to all, Paul is actively connecting the idea of "mercy" to "ignorance". This means mercy is available to those who sin when they are acting ignorantly in their unbelief. However, that could imply the inverse, that mercy is problematic for those who sin while living a life of belief, and thus with access to knowledge and wisdom. This is, of course, a major theological debate, at the core of faith vs. works, and already has terms, teachings, and two millennia of debate swirling around.

Second, and much more simplistic, this verse also shows that Paul is actively connecting the idea of "ignorance" and the idea of "belief". When it comes to life, and especially a life of belief in Yahweh as a Jew, Paul was absolutely never "ignorant". He was very likely one of the most well-educated of the Pharisees, the most educated class. He was the opposite of ignorant ... he was probably recognized as the gifted expert. However, Paul now ignores all his knowledge and uses only one measure to define wisdom versus ignorance, and that is belief in Jesus. When Paul was rejecting belief in Jesus, he was ignorant. There is no separation of these two conditions now in his mind.

Application: I am never going to know enough about the debate on faith, Christian behavior, and salvation to have any good opinion on this other than this very obvious statement: I believe in Jesus Christ as my Lord and savior, and every day I knowingly and sometimes willfully sin. For this, I pray for mercy and forgiveness, recognizing that - despite not being ignorant - I act ignorantly and do that which I hate. Therefore, I trust my faith is not conditional on my acts, else no one could be actually saved.

What I am more interested in, and able to wrap my head around, is the connection of ignorance and unbelief. I see wildly ignorant people all around me every day ... the ones who believe, promote, and champion such wild nonsense that reasonable discussions collapse before them because there is no logical foundation upon which they even stand. I see unbelievers around me every day ... the ones who either believe in strange ideas about how the universe operates, and/or actively reject any concept at all about a creator or even master architect that could be involved in life. And I know that, while there should be no real relationship between these two philosophical positions I just described, the Ven diagram between these two groups of people has a LOT of overlap.

Paul knew this. Paul knew that ignorance was unbelief (and vice versa). Belief doesn't just 'fix' ignorance, but unbelief is the garden where ignorance grows, and ignorance is the fertilizer that makes unbelief bloom.

Prayer: Lord, I am not ignorant. I know I behave ignorantly every day, and I do indeed pray for your love and forgiveness and mercy. Please forgive my sins, Lord. Also, please, let us find ways to introduce belief into more of this dark corner of the world, so many may be awakened from their ignorance. Amen.

Enjoying a Good Story

Scripture: These also are proverbs of Solomon which the men of Hezekiah king of Judah copied. Proverbs 25:1

Observation: What follows this introductory sentence to chapter 25 are ... proverbs, of course. They are wise statements, and some are very, very similar to other sayings documented in Proverbs. From the pure perspective of study and analysis, and keeping in mind Hezekiah was king of Judah almost 400 years after Solomon, this makes the introductory sentence interesting. There are three possible readings of these proverbs due to this introduction.

First, these are simply more proverbs of Solomon that Hezekiah and his men found and decided to re-transcribe and add to the overall collection of proverbs. This understanding is best supported by the life and deeds of Hezekiah himself, who made it is his mission to clean up and restore the Temple. It is stated that, in so doing, he found old documents, which prompted him to take actions and make orders, even including the reinstatement of Passover. The idea he would have found a scroll attributed as Solomon's wise sayings, and thus had it transcribed and included in the collection, is simple and easy to believe.

Second, another interpretation is that these are wise sayings of Hezekiah, which he declared to others. He made and taught these statements to his men, and they are in a form and style identical to similar wisdom from Solomon, and therefore "proverbs of Solomon" is a description of both their structure and quality, not origin. This understanding is supported by the idea this chapter is designated separate from the rest of the proverbs, and by the time involved. Again, there are centuries between Solomon and Hezekiah, and Hezekiah was a good king who also aligned himself to Yahweh. It makes sense that God would reveal similar wisdom to him, and as his royal court had a lot to learn (it had forgotten so much about God) he needed to pronounce this wisdom. Again, this is a very supportable idea.

Third, there is a reading of this that actually makes Hezekiah a passive participant in this collection of wisdom, and (interestingly) this may be the reading best supported by the actual sentence. This sentence really says ... these are proverbs of Solomon, and the men of Hezekiah (his advisors) chose to write these select few down. By this reading, the advisors reviewed Proverbs, selected the key wisdom that could best serve the current situation of Judah and of Hezekiah as king, and organized them as a core document to direct them. It is almost an internal policy document for Hezekiah's cabinet. Besides being the simplest interpretation of the language, this understanding is supported by the content, as the proverbs focus on the behavior of advisors and those who stand before the king. In other words, the advisors were reminding themselves that they are to be good, worthy, upright, honest, and humble.

Application: Yes, I decided to get my old "English Lit" geek on today, and I love that I can do that with the bible. Even as I pray to the Holy Spirit for wisdom and understanding in what I read, I realize that sometimes the response is ... "maybe this simple thing means a LOT of things, tell me what you see!".

If I were writing the three-page essay for class, I could dive into all three, but personally I like the third. Not because I think it's right, but because I like the storytelling. Hezekiah is a good king; His court is trying to understand how to serve a good king properly; They turn to Solomon's wisdom for advice and find key entries that apply to them; They extract them, write them down, and begin to define their work and advice and behavior around them; In so doing, they strengthen Hezekiah because now they are giving good advice, bringing only proper cases before him, and keeping evil influence away.

I like that story far better than, "we found an old scroll and rewrote it," or "hey, Hezekiah said some wise stuff, too." I know, in my heart, the first thing about the old scroll is probably the truth ... but I like the story of the third option.

In the end, the bible isn't telling us a story for entertainment ... but it is telling us the story of the Lord, all about the God we honor and worship, and about his plan for eternal unity with us and his love for us, and as with most things we remember and relate best when we learn through an emotional connection to a story. A good story makes us connect and relate, and that's what our relationship with the Lord and with Jesus is about, relation and connection that in turn drives love and obedience and joy and wonder and repentance and honor and worship.

Prayer: Lord, you are so much more than a story to me. That said, I love the way you teach, the way you communicate in ways that evoke stories, emotions, and even ambiguity and metaphor in need of exploration. Thank you for a good story today. Amen.

Talk About Modern Applicability

Scripture: Now concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered together to him, we ask you, brothers, not to be quickly shaken in mind or alarmed, either by a spirit or a spoken word, or a letter seeming to be from us, to the effect that the day of the Lord has come. 2 Thessalonians 2:1-2

Observation: In one of the more interesting sections of any of Paul's letters, he dives into what many consider to be end-times prophesy. The passage on the man of lawlessness has become interpreted as the 'antichrist' by many, and he reviews some items to come before Jesus' second coming. However, he introduces this with a word of comfort to the church, assuring them that they have not missed Jesus' second coming already, as some in the church were claiming. This comfort comes with a very interesting instruction. They are not to believe this lie if someone says it to them, nor are they to believe it if ... they receive a letter from Paul himself declaring it.

That's right, Paul was the victim of identity theft ... and then information was sent in his name to incite worry and fear. It seems rather clear from this statement that Paul is aware that there is someone out there sending letters to churches, with the claim the letters are from him, and those letters are designed to cause anxiety. It's doubtful he knows who, because Paul is never one to pull punches and name names in such matters. However, as Paul always used a scribe, he is a logical victim of such a sham as there wouldn't be a way to compare most of his handwriting.

And yes, what we are seeing here is that, 2,000 years ago when the church had just started, certain Christians are making false claims and spreading false teaching, attributing the messages to more famous and established church leaders, and garnering attention through emotional manipulating.

Application: As I learn from other sources ... online pastors, YouTube vlogs, online bible studies ... I am always suspect of the individuals. I will often hear a very, very good and compelling teaching, and before I embrace it as truth I will go and look at that teacher's other content and information to analyze how much of it seems reliable. I try to be a Barean ... the church that was careful of believing Paul until they validated what he said against the scriptures.

In our modern times, this is critical. We have way too much easy access to way too much false (or at lease "loose" or "lazy") doctrine. There are way too many Christians who would create click-bait lies for followers, and way too many Christians who would believe them. And this has been going on since the dawn of the Church.

Prayer: Lord, I continue to seek your will for my life every day. As I seek, may I have your wisdom and your discernment about what that will is. Your word, as taught and reinforced by the Holy Spirit, must be my only guide for true discernment and understanding. Amen.

When my Soul was in the Dust

Scripture:
My soul clings to the dust;
give me life according to your word!
When I told of my ways, you answered me;
teach me your statutes!
Make me understand the way of your precepts,
and I will meditate on your wondrous works.
Psalm 119:25-27

Observation: This section (verses 25-32), the fourth entry for Psalm 119 (Daleth), focuses on the writer's desire to lean into the word of God, and to learn his statutes and precepts. However, it opens with a little insight into the writer himself. He talks about his past self. He was dying, and wished for the new life that comes from the word of the Lord. He confessed his ways, and the Lord responded to him. It is in response to this that he now wishes to learn more about the statutes and precepts, and he will commit to meditating on the Lord, his ways, his will, and his teachings.

Application: Honestly ... I need this to be my life verse, or my life-psalm at least.

As I have struggled recently to remain in a mindset with my head focused on the Lord - as I have had all kinds of opportunities to spend downtime meditating on the word of God and have failed to do so every day - this is the reminder I need about why I should be committed to this. It is because ... there was a time when my soul was lying in the dust, and the Lord gave me life. There was I time when I simply told the Lord, "this is where I'm at; it is not good, and it stands opposed to you unless you act", and the Lord answered!

Prayer: Lord, please, make me understand the way of your precepts. I desire to have your laws and statutes brought to my mind on a regular basis, and to be corrected in my mind and my heart so I can abide in you. I would like to think on your precepts and consider my cleanliness at all times, instead of wandering into any of the earthly thoughts I may have. I love to see you in the world around me, and to know you are the creator, the father, and the Lord of it all. Today and every day, may I meditate on your wonderous works. Amen, and amen.

Blessed by Just the Reading

Scripture: You shall say to them, 'Thus says the Lord: If you will not listen to me, to walk in my law that I have set before you, and to listen to the words of my servants the prophets whom I send to you urgently, though you have not listened, then I will make this house like Shiloh, and I will make this city a curse for all the nations of the earth.' Jeremiah 26:4-6

Observation: This is the prophesy Jeremiah is to pronounce in the Temple, which then gets him in trouble with King Jehoiakim and his officials. They almost put him to death, until enough of them still respect the Lord enough - and remember similar prophesies from Micah - to spare him. That said, the only way anyone could understand why this prophesy is bad is if they actually understand what is being said ... that the Jerusalem will be made to be like Shiloh.

Shiloh was the place where the Tabernacle was first erected within the promised land, and it remained for centuries. It was still the central place of worship when Samuel was raised there. However, eventually the Philistines came, destroyed the place, and took the ark away. When this happened, Shiloh was burned and completely abandoned, and at the time of Jeremiah was a desolate, abandoned hill that no one cared about at all. Those hearing this prophesy understand this. Making Jerusalem like Shiloh means to effectively erase it, making it not just a ruin but a place no one will ever go, destroying the vestiges of the worship of Yahweh, and removing the ark through violent seizure.

Yes, that's a threat these listeners would have understood and taken seriously. However, to a modern reader, it only makes any sense at all if one knows what and where Shiloh was.

Application: When I started reading the bible daily 12 years ago, I did so because I knew I really needed more time with the Lord. However, I thought to myself that I had read the bible ... after all, what were all those verses we memorized in Sunday School? Well, I now know that memorizing a dozen verses out of context, or following along with a chapter that the pastor preaches about, is NOT reading the bible.

I now know about Shiloh. I know they saved the tent of meeting. I know what happened to the Philistines when they took the ark, and how they ended up voluntarily sending it back, and it ended up in somebody's house for decades. And I know of the archeological analysis of Shiloh today, of how it was laid out as both a hill and amphitheater. I know how this tiny place accommodated thousands as they sacrificed and ate. I know these things because I have read about them many times, and then meditated and learned as the Lord brought me to consider his word and teaching by these things.

And honestly, I cannot thank the Lord enough for the understanding he has given me by his word. Yea ... I'm still a screw-up who, even though I know the word, struggles to obey or apply it. However, I know his will so much better. I marvel at the facts and truth and how they are proven through the consistency of his word over millennia. I understand more deeply because I have rich context. Mostly, I feel the Holy Spirit from time to time because he truly says to me, "did you catch that?" or "that's what we're telling you today" or "that's meaningful so think about it".

I am blessed by reading the bible. I'm not saying I'm blessed because I read the bible, I'm saying the reading is the blessing. The availability of the Lord's own word and teaching is the blessing. And I am glad that, as I have done this year after year, the blessing becomes richer and deeper and more meaningful.

Prayer: Lord, I thank you for your word. The fact I can read a passage and understand context in new ways is amazing. The fact you care enough to even communicate with us through your word is amazing. May I keep your word in my heart every day, and may I do a MUCH better job of meditating on it day and night. Please plant me by that stream. Amen.

What Gets Done in Hiding

Scripture: Then Jeremiah came from Topheth, where the Lord had sent him to prophesy, and he stood in the court of the Lord's house and said to all the people: "Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, behold, I am bringing upon this city and upon all its towns all the disaster that I have pronounced against it, because they have stiffened their neck, refusing to hear my words." Jeremiah 19:14-15

Observation: This part of Jeremiah's overall prophesy is pivotal. Before the key events, Jeremiah is taught a lesson through a metaphor of pottery ... that just as a potter may shape then reshape clay, so the Lord will reshape a nation however he decides when he sees the first form isn't good. From this, Jeremiah takes two key actions:

1) Jeremiah takes a piece of pottery, has city elders and priests follow him to Topheth (the Valley of Hinnom), breaks the pottery and declare that God's plans for the good of Jerusalem and Judah are being voided and the nation will fall.

2) Then, in these verses, Jeremiah marches straight into the Temple and restates what was just declared in Topheth.

The result of this is that the chief priest punishes Jeremiah, and he in turn declares that the priest himself will be part of those taken into exile by Babylon.

All this said, the location of this action is interesting. It all takes place in Jerusalem, and even in the Temple, except for the full declaration of the prophesy, which takes place in Topheth, the valley to the southwest of the city. This location is important for a few obvious reasons; it was the place where the terrible child sacrifices to Molech took place, and it is the place where Adonijah attempted his coup to become king after David. However, there is a feature that makes this place intriguing for all of this ... it is south/southwest of Zion, and thus ... even though the Temple sits on a high hill ... it is a place that cannot be seen from the Temple. It is a place where someone might even say they are able to hide from the Lord.

Jeremiah wasn't hiding from the Lord. In fact, after prophesying there (likely because of the Molech connection), he immediately goes to the Temple and reiterates the prophesy. And that's the point. Those who are against the Lord attempt to make their declarations and action in hiding. Those on the side of the Lord will do so in full visibility, and will even reiterate their words and actions if they feel others might have interpreted their original acts as having been done in secret.

Application: I know the Lord is everywhere, yet, when I sin, how often do I think to myself that I'm glad no one is around to see it? Just one example ... How often do I swear in my office, and am glad my door is closed?

We all do this. Adonijah and the believers in Molech did it. Jeremiah did not, and in fact made a point of making sure everyone knew he wasn't doing so.

I have often thought that one of the best ways for me to fight sin would be if I just decided I wasn't ever going to do anything 'in secret'. Of course, that ignores the fact that the Lord can see me everywhere, always, so nothing I do is secret from him, and that really should be enough to keep me in check. Accountability seems important in the Christian walk, and I could use more of it.

Prayer: Lord, your word is so good for instruction in life, even subtle concepts like the physical locations where historical conversations occurred. May I be teachable today. Amen.

Bring on some Old Fashion Ruin

Scripture:
My son, fear the Lord and the king,
and do not join with those who do otherwise,
for disaster will arise suddenly from them,
and who knows the ruin that will come from them both?
Proverbs 24:21-22

Observation: This wise instruction seems pretty straightforward. To paraphrase for modern thinking and activities ... do not protest against either God, Jesus, or the government, for in response they will attack back and any kind of harm could come upon those haters.

Application: I do believe this proverb is, in fact, that simple and obvious. Even though protesters have some protections in our country, it is still very obvious that participating in protests is often met with some response, and now days so few seem to be completely peaceful. I personally have no desire to ever be part of any protest.

That said, I see two added concepts here. The first is that the protests in question are against the Lord and the government, and ruin will come from both. I would agree that many protests against the government are rooted in a mindset that rejects God and Jesus, and thus many government protests are actually against both the government and God. Second, it says disaster will arise suddenly from them (God and the government), and ruin will come from both, and I wonder what that ruin will look like. Of course, as protests turn ugly, it can look like tear gas and arrests. Sometimes it looks like some deranged other person who commits violence against the gathered crowd.

However, I'm interested in this disaster ... this ruin. I wonder what that will someday look like, when the Lord "shows up" and responds to a protest in such a way that it cannot be explained by any other means than it is the Lord's response to their rejection of him. I don't wish harm on others, but I wouldn't mind seeing the Lord arise suddenly with some old-fashioned 'ruin'.

Prayer: Lord, may my mind be focused on you this day, and the limited energy I have focused on serving you. Amen.

Ignore Principles of the World

Scripture: See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elementary principles of the world, and not according to Christ. Colossians 2:8

Observation: As Paul continues some of his basic instruction to the church in Colossae, he gives this instruction, which is quite common to his teachings. Believers are to ground their personal philosophy in Christ, and not in the ideas and traditions and philosophies of the world. In other words, it is the word and teaching of the Lord that should determine our beliefs and behaviors, and not mere intellectual logic, or political rhetoric, or even generational traditions. Unless one of these items is absolutely rooted in Jesus, it is not to become a guiding factor in our lives.

Application: Two days ago, a woman at our church told my wife and I she was no longer 'really' on Facebook. This is a woman who, I believe, has very strong faith, but for years has fallen into multiple teachings from false prophets on social media. She has vocally declared ideas that she came to believe, taught by 'preachers' and 'prophets' on the internet, and which were so far removed from any biblical truth that they were immediately and obviously known to be false by the rest of us. The result has been devastating for her and her family in ways I will not say here.

To hear she is existing social media is good ... I didn't say anything to her as I didn't want to embarrass her, but this was good news for her. That said, I know others who claim to be strong Christians and spend their time not only believing but also propagating "philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elementary principles of the world." That is an apt way to describe political rhetoric, and there remain far too many people who declare themselves to be Christians and simultaneously base much of their daily activity on political topics.

This is a problem, and it must stop. It really doesn't matter that much if political topics are clearly aligned to biblical commands ... 95 percent are not, and even moral agreement does not mean that participation in the political arena - engaging in human traditions like partisan politics, or espousing logical philosophy on such issues - is proper.

I am happy some people are realizing this. I wish more would do so.

Prayer: Lord, I do know my own social media feeds have a political bias to them. I ask that you help me ignore that, and even more importantly, that you help me guard my heart when it comes to engaging in or allowing my mind to be taken captive by such philosophies and traditions and principles. May my worldview be centered on Christ alone, and on your precepts. Amen.

Listening to God's Whisper

Scripture:
Praise the Lord, all nations!
Extol him, all peoples!
For great is his steadfast love toward us,
and the faithfulness of the Lord endures forever.
Praise the Lord!
Psalm 117

Observation: This, Psalm 117, is the shortest chapter in the Bible. It is 28 English words; 17 Hebrew words. However, in just that limited space, the truth and importance of what it says is immense. Here is what this smallest chapter actually declares.

First, we are instructed to praise Yahweh. And who is the 'we' instructed to praise him? Everyone, all nations, and all peoples.

Next, there is an instruction about that praise. How are we to praise him? Enthusiastically! While 'praise' (halleluiah) can be interpreted as just to sing, 'extol' is a verb that raises the energy, stating that such praise is to be energetic and obvious, loud and public.

Third, we are told that the reason we praise the Lord is because of his greatest quality. And what is that quality? It is his unwavering and personal love. This isn't about praising some god because we want a good harvest, or we wish our worldly ideals to become mainstream. And this is not about praising an all-powerful dictator-type entity who wields power or just declares what we must do. We praise the Lord because he loves us, and that love isn't just some general "yea, I love y'all so I won't hurt you" kind of passive love, it is a great and steadfast love, directed toward us individually. It is personal, mighty, ever-present, and binding.

Fourth, we are told how the Lord's love actually interacts within our lives. How do we perceive the Lord's love? His love manifests as faithfulness. The Lord has given us promises about how he will care for us, provide for us, and save us, and he is faithful to the point that those promises will never fail. And they are not one-time events, they are forever. Even beyond our lifetimes, the promises of the Lord hold fast for us.

Finally, and in conclusion, we are told one more time ... how do we respond to God's amazing, faithful, and unfailing love? We praise the Lord!

Application: If this were all we every did every day ... if all I did was praise the Lord as a response to his amazing love and resulting promises in my life ... my life would be immensely better. The world would be immensely better.

By structure alone, we can tell how important this idea is - worship the Lord in response to his love for you - because the Lord chose to include such a small instruction as a stand-alone element of the Bible. It stands out for its unique quality and positioning.

It's like ... when you want to be heard, you raise your voice, but when you want someone to REALLY listen ... you whisper. This chapter is the Lord, with his still, small voice, whispering one clear truth: I love you so much and have promised to do everything for you, and all I want in response is your heartfelt praise.

I have said over and over that I wish I heard the Lord's still, small voice more often. However, here I am, hearing his whisper, and I'm not listening to it. I'm not doing it. But I can. I can decide that I will praise the Lord enthusiastically every day, because by his love Jesus died on the cross for the eternal forgiveness of my sins, so I may receive the promise to be restored to the Lord and saved forever. Praise the Lord!!

Prayer: Lord, I will praise you all the more, every day. In the times when my mind wanders, may I have the discipline to turn it not back to the work of this world, but to praise of you. Amen.

Honoring False gods of Creation

Scripture: She saw that for all the adulteries of that faithless one, Israel, I had sent her away with a decree of divorce. Yet her treacherous sister Judah did not fear, but she too went and played the whore. Because she took her whoredom lightly, she polluted the land, committing adultery with stone and tree. Jeremiah 3:8-9

Observation: As the Lord introduces his reason for destroying Judah, he recalls Israel. The northern kingdom went down their path of idol worship, which involved three key components; the honoring of golden calves as a manmade symbol of Yahweh, the worship of Ashera as carved poll, and the worship of Baal as the god of nature. With the destruction of Israel, all three were ended there. However, as the Lord now looks at Judah, while he does see them coming to worship him in the temple in Jerusalem (though he will address that as a false act focused on the 'thing' of the ark in just eight more verses), he also sees they have jumped on board with the false gods. He declares they are "committing adultery with stone and tree," a clear accusation that they are worshiping nature and a wooden image.

Of course, when the Lord sent the Jews into exile, destroying Judah and Jerusalem in the process, mankind learned its lesson ... right? We learned that the Lord is the creator of heaven and earth, which includes all life, from the natural elements of earth itself, to individual life of born creatures including our own children. Of course ... we all learned that ...

Application: I do not believe I have commented on this before, but I saw a video the other day explaining who baal was. The god introduced to Israel by Queen Jezebel was a god of nature, and thus baal worship was just that, the worship of nature. Meanwhile, we can easily understand without much study that Ashera is a fertility goddess (her wood-pole images were phallic in several ways), and thus the worship of her is a worship of life.

Obviously, this means that worshipping baal and Ashera represents removing two of the most important attributes of Yahweh from him and giving honor to some other entity for them. However, it seems just as obvious that these two attributes are major stumbling stones for mankind, always and still. We have entire social movements focused on nothing but sexual relationships, with "identity" now tied to exactly how an individual has sex, and people who would state that the entire concept of their sexual activity is the central-most concept in their lives to the point it redefines their biology. Speaking of biology, another major movement is about how the world functions, with major conversations taking place worldwide about nature. This includes millions of people who, as the central-most concept in their lives, place 'saving the planet' or otherwise honoring nature as the mission and purpose of their own existence.

The Lord is clear, we are to worship him, for he is the creator of heaven and earth. It is the Lord that gave us life, and the entire world in which to live. The Lord handed over Israel to Assyria for honoring gods that falsely represent the cornerstones of creation. The Lord handed over Judah to Babylon for honoring gods that falsely represent the cornerstones of creation. To whom or what will the Lord hand us over for honoring gods that falsely represent the cornerstones of creation?

Prayer: Lord, you are God, the creator of heaven and earth. All that exists is from you and you alone, spoken into being, and that includes myself whom you had in your mind and your heart from the very beginning. I honor you alone. Amen.

Another Take on a Peaceful Life

Scripture: Only let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving side by side for the faith of the gospel, and not frightened in anything by your opponents. This is a clear sign to them of their destruction, but of your salvation, and that from God. Philippians 1:27-28

Observation: As Paul writes to the church in Philippi while he is in prison, he encourages them not to be frightened by anything. It would be likely for the church, knowing Paul is chained in a prison and possibly to be killed by Rome - and knowing how great Paul has been as an apostle - would become afraid to speak out. Paul reminds them not to be afraid, and in fact that their lack of fear is a sign to non-believers.

Non-believers are afraid of things like ... worldly opinions, the authority of government, and death. Christians are different in that regard. We understand that death is a passage to eternity with Christ, and that the Lord is in ultimate control of the world and everything in it. Sure, there are things that can happen to us in life that hurt, and those pains can be physical and emotional and mental. We don't seek nor desire such pain. However, we trust they are also temporary and will be resolved by the Lord, often in ways we cannot even imagine. It is this attitude of trust in the Lord, which therefore gives us peace in life without fear, which is one of the clearest signs of faith to the non-believers, and thus it is the fear they feel in their hearts and minds that alerts them of their own future destruction.

Application: I took note of this even within the last week, but I continue to see the divide in our nation when I look at social media, and more and more often I am aware of that divide not by the words that are said or the 'politics' of the individuals or the wild concepts some promote, but by the mental and emotional state of people when they express their opinions or respond to issues. The faithful have a calm reasoning, and sometimes even humor and joy, embedded within their conversations. The faithless are angry and afraid.

As I have said before, it is amazing to me that the inspired words of God, written 2,000-4,000 years ago, actually address the same issues we see in modern society, and this is one of them. Then as now, people without hope live desperate lives, filled with strong emotions over the actions and activities and words of relatively meaningless people around them. I guess, in a way, they have to, because whatever is happening within their immediate circle of conscious existence is truly the only life and only world they will ever know.

When (for example) a president's two-sentence soundbite is your world, you care about it. You fight angrily for or against it. You spend your weekends shouting with illogical signs in your hands and thinking that stopping traffic makes people agree with you. You yell and swear at people who have a different opinion than yours. You spend spare time studying illogical and self-contradictory logic so you can spout it out as if you were a philosopher analyzing the deepest concepts of human logic.

And in all this, such people ignore ... the joy of being loved by the Lord, the hope of salvation through Jesus, the peace of just being content, the happiness that comes in quiet calm, and the realization that there is a logic so far beyond our thinking that analyzing and developing arguments on any side of a worldly debate is pointless.

Prayer: Lord, I seek even more of your peace today. In my spare time, may I meditate in you and not be drawn into any element of this world. When others see me, may they see my joy and peace and hope and love and calm. If they call that ignorant disengagement, so be it, for that can only remind them of their own fear and attachment to the world, and hopefully make them question their own future destruction. Amen.

When Habits Betray One's Heart

Scripture:
On that day I will punish
everyone who leaps over the threshold,
and those who fill their master's house
with violence and fraud.
Zephaniah 1:9

Observation: Zephaniah is declaring the curses of the Lord, first upon Judah and then later upon the surrounding nations as well. When it comes to Judah, he tells the reasons for his impending destruction by describing their behaviors, and specifically that they have now bowed to other gods. He calls the future destruction of them God's "sacrifice". And who will be punished? He talks of the leaders who have led the people astray, and then verse 9 describes two types of people, one that seem obvious, and the other that seems less so.

The obvious ones are "those who fill their master's house with violence and fraud." These are the people who come into the temple and deceive others about their faith, lie to the Lord himself about their trust in him, and even bring anger and hatred and aggression toward others into the Lord's very presence. They have so little regard for Yahweh that, even when they show up to give their offerings, nothing about their behavior or attitude is aligned to the Lord. They might go through the ritual, but clearly their lives are pointed in a completely different direction.

The other type of person is more subtle. They "leap over the threshold." They arrive in the temple and their hearts are sincere and their behavior aligned to the Lord's precepts and directives. However ... subtly within them, they have other beliefs in their lives. Those beliefs are so embedded that they embrace little superstitions and practices that are far outside of the Lord's teachings. They have added concepts to God's truth, like (for example) an idea that spirits reside in doorways and you should avoid stepping on them. Suddenly, a little habit betrays their heart and mind.

And yes, these second types of people will be just as punished and destroyed as the first. The message from Yahweh through Zephaniah is not about establishing a sliding scale of punishment. The people of Judah either honor and obey the Lord, or they do not, and their destruction will come no matter the size and degree of their dishonor and lack of alignment to the Lord.

Application: I thank God for Jesus, and this is an example of the greatest reason Jesus' sacrifice is necessary ... I could never comply and align with the Lord's commands perfectly and completely, and thus would absolutely be cursed to death without forgiveness and salvation by faith.

How many little things do I do in life simply because I have 'added' some worldly concept into my daily habits or lifestyle? I can't even think of how to enumerate them! I don't walk around evaluating my spiritual cleanliness moment by moment, so I am not even aware that things I do may have their origins in earthly teachings, or cultural superstitions, or even pagan rituals. This doesn't even count those things I do that I know are sinful.

By my active sin, I am like those who bring violence into the temple, knowing dishonoring the Lord. However, by my little unthinking actions all day, I am like those who skip over the threshold, and by so doing allow a concept that is outside of the Lord's instruction to be part of my life. I am worthy only of destruction by the Lord.

Again, I thank God for Jesus, by whom - and by the Lord's amazing love - I will not receive the punishment I deserve.

Prayer: Lord, I say it a third time, thank you for Jesus. I know I am unworthy of your forgiveness and love, and yet you love me and forgive me anyway. Truely, your ways and your mind and your love are beyond my understanding. May I consider my daily actions, taking control of my thoughts and deeds, and aligning them to you and your word more and more, every day. Amen.

I Call You, Jesus

Emotionally, I'm not doing great. I feel stress for my children, and even more stress for my own job future, and when I do I have a terrible tendency to just allow my mind to wander ... and the enemy takes advantage of that too easily. Then I feel guilty and stressed even more, and the cycle is hard to break.

So Jesus ... I call your name. Please, today and every day, take my hand so I may walk your path, every moment, with every step.

I have a King
With dominion over death
He holds the keys
In his Holy nail-scarred hands
He is the heel
That has crushed the serpent’s head
Our resurrected Great I Am.

Selling the Truth Every Day

Scripture:
Buy truth, and do not sell it;
       buy wisdom, instruction, and understanding.
Proverbs 23:23

Observation: In the midst of several proverbs about listening to the wisdom of one's father, respecting ones' mother, and causing honor and gladness for both (verses 21,23-25) is this one sentence about "buying" truth, wisdom, instruction, and understanding. Generally, these topics are consistent with other proverbs. Wisdom is known to be honor and respect and 'fear' of the Lord; Instruction is wise counsel and teaching; Understanding is divinely attuned obedience; Truth is all of these, with an even stronger associating with knowing that it is all related to the divinity, authority, and singular status of Yahweh as the only God and creator.

Of course, "buy" is a term to acquire all these things, and while it is not used often (usually the proverbs advise to seek and acquire and value wisdom but rarely invoke the idea of a monetary transaction) it can be understood to be the same. However ... why not sell the truth? Are we not supposed to teach others? If one were wise and able to instruct others so they may understand, and someone with lesser knowledge sought that truth, should we not give it to them?

Meditating on this paradox, the answer seems to reveal itself in two possible ways.

1) If one does know the truth, you are not to sell it for reward, for it is not yours to sell. Wisdom, truth, and love are the Lord's, and he gives them away for free to all who seek. If you have these, you are to also give them away for free, inspired by the Holy Spirit, and in a spirit of love and hope that others will discover the wisdom of the Lord.

2) If one does know the truth, you must never lose it or give it up for something that is not the truth. In other words, with an understanding of the Lord, and a desire to honor and respect him and be obedient to his precepts, you are to do exactly that - be obedient - and not give up or 'sell' that truth for some worldly sin or possession or success or outcome.

Application: The first of these two ideas is simple for me to understand ... we freely share the good news of Jesus, and don't do so for any kind of profit or reward, but because the gospel is truly about the free gift of salvation that the Lord wants everyone to know and we are only his chosen method of communication. However, the second of these two ideas ... I probably do daily.

How often do I do something, and immediately think "I'm not supposed to do that"? The answer is that I do that several times per day. I can think to myself that I'm better than others who may have once known and understood about God and Jesus and now live their lives for some cause that is contrary to his will, but that's just stupid. My obedience isn't to be evaluated on a bell curve, with the idea that if I score a B- then I must be doing good enough.

Knowing wisdom, I sell the truth every day. Every morning I re-buy it - I take time in the morning to read the Lord's word, acquire new wisdom, and assess how to apply it to my life - and by noon I've sold it for an expressed curse word or a moment to get angry about some social issue.

I want to break this cycle. I want to buy truth, and never sell it. I value the Lord's wisdom too much to treat it as a commodity.

Prayer: Lord, please forgive me for my sins yesterday and every day. Moreover, please give me your strength and spirit to hold onto you precepts and instruction and keep it all central in my mind, so I may be more obedient to you and your will every moment. Amen.

Always Agitated, Angry, and Active

Scripture:
"Peace, peace, to the far and to the near," says the Lord,
"and I will heal him.
But the wicked are like the tossing sea;
for it cannot be quiet,
and its waters toss up mire and dirt.
There is no peace," says my God, "for the wicked."
Isaiah 57:19-21

Observation: As Isaiah talks about comforting the faithful, he includes a parting comment about the wicked. Sure, he promises peace for those who seek the Lord, even if they struggle to draw near to him, and this should be incentive enough for a faith-filled life. However, if that is not enough, then consider the alternative. The wicked are always in turmoil, and for them there is no peace in life.

Application: I try not to fall into 'echo chambers' online, but I know that the algorithms do tend to feed me only certain content and have figured out my conservative political bend. Therefore, I may see only either what I want to see, or get shown only a subset of the truth. However, that said, yesterday I was reading about a new controversy involving a celebrity who is effectively being accused of not being woke enough for Hollywood (it doesn't matter the person or the issue), and I saw a pattern. Every individual who was attacking this person, and who also is known to be a promoter of 'woke' issues, was actively angry to the point of physical agitation/reaction, and up-in-arms focused on the 'issue'. Meanwhile, others who are more neutral on all such topics had almost no reaction, to the point of not even understanding that there was an 'issue', and expending almost zero mental energy (and certainly no physical reaction other than some laughter) to the situation.

In other words, those who are on the side of wicked - who are currently seeking to fuel the world with wickedness, and are absolutely nowhere near having any sort of relationship with the Lord - truly never have peace in their lives. They are always agitated, angry, and active regarding some outrage they feel toward others. There is no calm in their minds, only the current fight.

Here's my first thought on this. It doesn't even matter if such individuals are right or wrong on any topic ... that just looks like a brutally difficult way to live. Isn't it exhausting mentally and physically and emotionally to just always be in confrontation-mode every day, all day? Why would anyone want to live that way? Certainly they must know (or hope) there is a better way to live.

Here's my second thought on this. I am starting to realize that one of the best indications of someone's relationship with Jesus is actually ... their ability to live in peace. Even if they have causes and views and opinions, and even if they have true confrontation - even inspired confrontations driven by their faith - they also have true calm surrounding them almost continually.

I was truly thinking about this yesterday - the divide between those who are always angry about such issues and those who just are not even as they address the same issues - and then read this in Isaiah today. The Lord provides peace to the faithful. However ... "there is no peace for the wicked". So says my God.

Prayer: Lord, I thank you for the peace in my life. I didn't always have such peace, but now I have it most days, and I see that it isn't due to a lack of concern, but rather it is because of your blessing, and they way you simply care for me. I am not always near to you emotionally or mentally every day, yet your provide your peace in my life, and I thank you. Amen.

Foretold Unification with the Jews

Scripture:
Behold, you shall call a nation that you do not know,
and a nation that did not know you shall run to you,
because of the Lord your God, and of the Holy One of Israel,
for he has glorified you.
Isaiah 55:5

Observation: Isaiah chapter 55 has two famous passages. The first is verses 1-2, that call everyone to come, drink of the Lord's water and eat of his bread with no money. The second is verses 8-9, when the Lord explains that his ways and his thoughts are higher than ours and beyond our understanding. Exactly in between those two is this, which might be the most significant of the verses for western Christians. This is a prophesy that declares Israel will call another nation to faith ... yet somehow Israel has does not know of this country, and likewise that country does not know Israel.

One thousand years, and two total destructions of two Jewish countries and the rise of the greatest empire in history later, the first Christians - who are Jewish - will call the entire Roman Empire to faith in the name of Jesus. At that time, there is no such nation as Israel, for the Jews are recognized as a religious sect in the region of Judeah. At no time when Israel/Judah existed did the Roman Republic/Empire exist. Two nations that never, ever knew each other ... and Israel calls Rome to faith.

Application: While we read the prophesy about the calling of the Gentile world to faith, Paul explains the same concept in Ephesians 2 (today's New Testament reading). He actively declares that, by faith in Jesus, Jews and Gentiles are now one people united by that faith, reconciled together, and thus not in conflict. In other words, the prophesy of Isaiah 55:5 is complete, for the Jews have called the Gentiles, and they (especially the faithful in Ephesus receiving this letter, but certainly everyone who believes in Jesus in the last 2,000 years) have come running.

Prayer: Lord, as we continue to see terrible issues about both war in and around Israel and violence toward Jews everywhere in the world, may we please take more seriously your call and you plan, to be one people, united by faith in Jesus, and this is not just a unity of faith but a reconciliation of Gentile faithful and all Jews. May we, the Church, better find our voice and leadership in this matter, individually and collectively. Amen.

All are Predestined to Choose

Scripture: In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will, so that we who were the first to hope in Christ might be to the praise of his glory. In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory. Ephesians 1:11-14

Observation: Paul begins his letter to the church at Ephesus with a traditional salutation, then immediately goes into a conversation about a difficult topic ... predestination. This is not typical for Paul, who usually introduces his letters with a conversation about some positive characteristic of Jesus and our faith in Jesus, such as love or joy or the ability to overcome hardship. Instead, Paul jumps into a conversation that perplexes and even angers many, that being the idea of individuals being destined or selected for faith (while, therefore, implicitly others are not).

However, a proper reading of this passage absolutely shows that this is NOT what Paul is saying. Paul is not saying that some individuals have been specially selected for salvation at the exclusion of others. He is stating that everyone was predestined for salvation, lost that, but now everyone alive from the time of Jesus and afterward live in an era when they have the choice to reclaim that destiny of salvation by faith in Jesus.

If it weren't for the modern interpretation of the idea of "destiny" this might be obvious to everyone. Paul uses the phrase "predestined," but then discusses how believers have effectively opted into that destiny. We hoped for salvation in the Lord, then we heard the gospel of Jesus, then we believed, and with that belief we were sealed by the promise and (re)acquire salvation. Paul says God "chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless" (v4) then calls that "predestined" (v5) ... but we know that, before the foundation of the world, that was in fact the Lord's intention for all mankind, to be holy and blameless, but mankind rejected it. Jesus is now the path back to the original destiny everyone had.

Given all context of both the letter structure and the word "predestined" within the surrounding text, it is clear that Paul is NOT in fact trying to take on some controversial topic like free will or selective salvation. He is instead declaring the best part of the good news of Jesus ... we were ALL predestined to salvation through holiness, however we ALL rejected that destiny by accepting sin, and now we ALL have a chance to reclaim the original destiny thanks to Jesus.

Application: I'll be honest, I am one of those people who has struggled with the idea of "predestiny" when it comes to salvation, and have believed for decades that this is one of the most controversial ideas in Christianity ... that there is a predestiny component of who does - and especially who does not - believe in Jesus. Finally reading this today, it 'clicked', and now it seems obvious.

And now I see this truth, that every single person I see every day is predestined to be holy, blameless, and selected for salvation, and all they have to do to reclaim that destiny is believe in Jesus as the Christ, their Lord and savior. This should make me see everyone differently, every day. Every single person, before the foundations of the world were laid, the Lord declared would be saved ... but then by their choices in life all have rejected that salvation, until they choose to reclaim it by simple faith.

I want to help others make that one choice. I want to be worthy to help them by myself making better choices daily.

Prayer: Lord, even in my foggy state of tiredness and jet-lagged pain this morning, you show up and reveal to me a truth I struggled with for 40 years. You, Lord, are so amazing, so loving, so kind, so patient. Thank you, my Lord and my God. Amen.