Psalm 15 in one sense is filled with irony. Look at how it begins.
O Lord, who may abide in Your tent? Who may dwell on Your holy hill?
This is a great and incisive question. King James uses “Tabernacle,” but the question is, “Who can live where God does? And who can live in His house and on His special territory?”
This is an admirable quest. Most everyone wants to go to heaven. Even when we ask atheists what is required to get to heaven, many will respond that if one is good enough, their “afterlife” will be more pleasant than for the bad guys.
Notice David’s answer:
2 He who walks with integrity, and works righteousness, And speaks truth in his heart.
This is the guy who was deceptive when dealing with Philistine leaders while he was on the run from King Saul. And of course, we cannot overlook David’s actions in relation to Bathsheba and Uriah. He committed adultery, lied to and ultimately conspired to murder Uriah, and continued to cover it up after his death for nearly a year. “Integrity, righteousness, truth?” Do any of those terms apply to David and his actions?
It gets worse:
3 He does not slander with his tongue, Nor does evil to his neighbor, (!? Ed. Note.) Nor takes up a reproach against his friend;
Does that include, stealing his wife and all the other “neighborly” actions listed above? But let’s not stop there. Uriah was one of David’s elite warriors. David went on
4 In whose eyes a reprobate is despised, But who honors those who fear the Lord;
Are you getting uncomfortable yet? David was. But just for finality, he continued, focusing on economic or business interactions.
He swears to his own hurt and does not change; 5 He does not put out his money at interest,
Finally he turned to the concept of ruling his people.
Nor does he take a bribe against the innocent. He who does these things will never be shaken.
This is an idyllic picture, David. Do you qualify? Does anyone? The good news is, “No,” on both questions. It is good news, because if it were possible, then once we failed, it would be game over. And we have all failed. Here is the good news. David did not give this as a road map to peace. Just as the 10 Commandments are not a guideline on how to live and please God, this is a measuring stick to prove to us that we do not measure up. We need help. We need a Savior.
And David further explores this in Psalm 32:2 (KJV) (NASB says the same, This is more poetic.)
2 Blessed is the man unto whom the Lord imputeth not iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no guile.
Don’t you love the word, “impute?” It is not a highfalutin theological term. We deal with it all the time. Imagine (it will have to be in your mind as it will not happen in real life), imagine that I gave you a check for $100. When you deposit the check in the bank, they do not go to their money pile, or mine, and take 100 one dollar bills out of it and place them on your pile.
In fact, no actual money moves anywhere. The clerk, or a computer, makes a note on your account and IMPUTES $100 into your account. Then it makes a corresponding negative imputation (or deduction) to my account and everything is fine and dandy. (Sorry for the highly technical jargon for those of you who are not financial and banking experts.) Actually this interchange of debits and credits can, and probably does, involve several banks.
The concept of imputing is ingenious. That has made world wide commerce possible without having to literally ship currency or bullion across town or around the globe. And in theological terms, imputation is just as wonderful.
Check Genesis 15:6 Speaking of Abraham,
Then he believed in the Lord; and He reckoned it to him as righteousness.
Here is the juxtaposition of the two types of imputing. In Psalm 32 David rejoices in the negative, or no imputation. We all, like David, have missed the mark terribly. And if God counted all of them for us, well, listen to David again. Psalm 130:3
If You, Lord, should mark iniquities, O Lord, who could stand?
The implied (not imputed) answer is no one. David, of all people knew how bad off he was. We are no better. But... (Don’t you just love that conjunction? Regardless of what has gone before.., but....) refer back to 32:2. We can “qualify” for the “non-imputation” status. That is the good news. If we were working for it, and “slipped,” we would have lost. But there is a better way.
Paul introduces this by putting it into context. Is this only for the Jews (Old Testament, you know) or does it apply to anyone? Good News! Romans 4:9
Cometh this blessedness then upon the circumcision only, or upon the uncircumcision also? for we say that faith was reckoned to Abraham for righteousness.
It is all of us! Recall Genesis 15:6. He, Abraham, believed...in the Lord. (Key point, there.) And He, the Lord, reckoned, imputed for our thought, that belief as righteousness. Glory, Hallelujah! No wonder David repeated it. And so did the New Testament. It was almost as if the New Testament writers could not say it enough. Check Romans 4:3; Galatians 3:6; and James 2:23. And how does this miracle occur? “...whosoever believes in Him (Jesus) shall not perish but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16) Everyone, whosoever. Wow!
Even David, with his “disqualifying” actions was included. He is abiding in the Tent, on the holy Hill. And he invites us to join him. Don’t wait. Today is the day of salvation. (2 Corinthians 6:2)
Wednesday, November 30, 2016
Monday, November 28, 2016
Miracles
This is a hard item to write. We will consider miracles and what they do and do not portend or demonstrate. As we read through Exodus we find Moses and Aaron preparing to face Pharaoh and the Lord gives them some signs to perform to certify their being sent and to verify the power and authority of the One Who had sent them.
The story plays out in Exodus 7 and 8. There are two signs. They are snakes and blood. (My feelings on snakes was discussed earlier in “Snakes and Fear,” below. No need to cover that again.) Aaron was to throw down his staff and it would turn into a snake. If that did not convince Pharaoh, then Aaron was to strike the water and turn it into blood.
The Egyptians had about 64 gods, according to one listing that named 50 of them. In actuality they worshiped about 8700 gods. Sounds a little (or a lot) like the Corinthians at Athens when Paul said that they had many gods and just to make sure, had a worship place for any “unknown god.” (Acts 17)
Glancing down the list of Egyptian gods, a name pops out: Apophis, the god of snakes. So when Moses and Aaron made their staff into a snake, (a big one, I bet) they were challenging the god of Egypt. Or one of them, at least. And, the magicians were able to replicate the “trick.” They probably were pretty smug as they nodded to each other. “These hick Hebrews think that they can hoodoo us, but they have come to the big leagues.”
Next Mo and Aa changed water into blood. “Anuket, goddess of the Nile and Hapi, god of the Nile, along with Tefnut, god of water, were under assault. No sweat. “These boys are playing into our wheel house,” mused the magicians. Or so they thought.
Moses next threatened to bring frogs on the land. “Not paying attention, are you boys? Our gods own the Nile and water, sources of frogs, if you remember. We can make them appear as well. What is your next underwhelming trick?”
A subtle switch occurs here. The magicians could not get rid of the frogs. Ironic, too is that Mafdet was in charge of protecting the king’s quarters. This god turned out to be inept, ineffective, and impotent as the frogs swarmed the palace. Pharaoh appealed to Moses to remove the frogs.
God’s sovereignty is manifest in both allowing Pharaoh to choose the time, so that the magicians could not claim success after the fact, and in imposing the next plague, gnats. The magicians were unable to replicate this and were effectively eliminated from the narrative from here on.
God showed His power in attacking, head on, the gods of Egypt, and His superiority in maintaining or eliminating the plagues. He also initiated signs that they could not replicate. But a question rises, “How can the demon gods replicate the True God?”
First, they are not replicating, they are mimicking. That is important. Just as magicians today to not really do tricks, they merely produce illusions, so the Egyptian sorcerers were frauds. Even if they did actually do “miracles,” the human stooges were not doing it. The demons possessing them did the work and merely allowed the human shell to appear to be active. And do not forget that the actual One in control all the time was the Lord. Yahweh, as He introduced Himself to Moses in Exodus 3.
But it is still unsettling to realize that demons can do miracles. And they look just like God’s miracles. When we hear, and sometimes even see, contemporary events that qualify as miraculous, how do we distinguish? We need a gift of discernment. Thankfully, there is one.
We find it in 1 John 4:
Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.
Test the spirits. That sounds a little ambiguous, doesn’t it? Indeed it does. John gives further instruction in verse 2:
By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God; 3 and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God; this is the spirit of the antichrist, of which you have heard that it is coming, and now it is already in the world.
Remember when the Pharisees accused Jesus of casting out demons by Beelzebub in Luke 11:15-18? Jesus corrected them by invoking The Name again. And He even went farther, by pronouncing that any doubt of real, verified miracles is grounds for judgment. Our task is not necessarily “easy,” but it is clear and compelling. We have to do it. And many today are challenging the veracity and historicity of the New Testament stories. Watch out....
When false teachers take advantage of a lack of understanding and discernment, they are attacking the kingdom. We are to be on guard. Ezekiel calls for someone to stand in the gap. (22:30) Peter counsels us to be ready always to give a defense for the hope that is in us. (1 Peter 3:15)
Demon activity is increasing and will continue to accelerate. Jesus, Himself, warned us to beware of false Christs and demons, cautioning that they will be so compelling and convincing that they might even deceive the elect, if they were not prevented from doing so. (Mark 13:22) Albert Mohler said on the radio today, that false teachers are challenging the historicity of the New Testament stories. This is a demonic activity.
“They claim that there is ‘spiritual value’ in the stories even if they are not exactly true,” Mohler explained. The deception is pervasive and pernicious. It can and will lead to a lack of faith in the One Who can save. The guys who opposed Moses (1 Timothy 3:8) were quite effective in deluding Pharaoh.
Present day “sorcerers” are facing the same condemnation.
Just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses, so these men also oppose the truth, men of depraved mind, rejected in regard to the faith.
They are “rejected,” lost, and taking others, like Pharaoh with them. And how did Moses and Aaron respond? They just kept repeating God’s message. There were no extended debates or pleas. They simply repeated what God said and let Him take care of the consequences. Whose side do you want to be on? Pharaoh and the boys lost it all. In fact, there is some question as to who this pharaoh actually was. But Moses and Aaron are inscribed in history to the extent that it is nearly impossible to go anywhere in the world and find someone who does not know who they are.
Stand for the truth. It is worth the effort. Reject the false spirits.
The story plays out in Exodus 7 and 8. There are two signs. They are snakes and blood. (My feelings on snakes was discussed earlier in “Snakes and Fear,” below. No need to cover that again.) Aaron was to throw down his staff and it would turn into a snake. If that did not convince Pharaoh, then Aaron was to strike the water and turn it into blood.
The Egyptians had about 64 gods, according to one listing that named 50 of them. In actuality they worshiped about 8700 gods. Sounds a little (or a lot) like the Corinthians at Athens when Paul said that they had many gods and just to make sure, had a worship place for any “unknown god.” (Acts 17)
Glancing down the list of Egyptian gods, a name pops out: Apophis, the god of snakes. So when Moses and Aaron made their staff into a snake, (a big one, I bet) they were challenging the god of Egypt. Or one of them, at least. And, the magicians were able to replicate the “trick.” They probably were pretty smug as they nodded to each other. “These hick Hebrews think that they can hoodoo us, but they have come to the big leagues.”
Next Mo and Aa changed water into blood. “Anuket, goddess of the Nile and Hapi, god of the Nile, along with Tefnut, god of water, were under assault. No sweat. “These boys are playing into our wheel house,” mused the magicians. Or so they thought.
Moses next threatened to bring frogs on the land. “Not paying attention, are you boys? Our gods own the Nile and water, sources of frogs, if you remember. We can make them appear as well. What is your next underwhelming trick?”
A subtle switch occurs here. The magicians could not get rid of the frogs. Ironic, too is that Mafdet was in charge of protecting the king’s quarters. This god turned out to be inept, ineffective, and impotent as the frogs swarmed the palace. Pharaoh appealed to Moses to remove the frogs.
God’s sovereignty is manifest in both allowing Pharaoh to choose the time, so that the magicians could not claim success after the fact, and in imposing the next plague, gnats. The magicians were unable to replicate this and were effectively eliminated from the narrative from here on.
God showed His power in attacking, head on, the gods of Egypt, and His superiority in maintaining or eliminating the plagues. He also initiated signs that they could not replicate. But a question rises, “How can the demon gods replicate the True God?”
First, they are not replicating, they are mimicking. That is important. Just as magicians today to not really do tricks, they merely produce illusions, so the Egyptian sorcerers were frauds. Even if they did actually do “miracles,” the human stooges were not doing it. The demons possessing them did the work and merely allowed the human shell to appear to be active. And do not forget that the actual One in control all the time was the Lord. Yahweh, as He introduced Himself to Moses in Exodus 3.
But it is still unsettling to realize that demons can do miracles. And they look just like God’s miracles. When we hear, and sometimes even see, contemporary events that qualify as miraculous, how do we distinguish? We need a gift of discernment. Thankfully, there is one.
We find it in 1 John 4:
Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.
Test the spirits. That sounds a little ambiguous, doesn’t it? Indeed it does. John gives further instruction in verse 2:
By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God; 3 and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God; this is the spirit of the antichrist, of which you have heard that it is coming, and now it is already in the world.
Remember when the Pharisees accused Jesus of casting out demons by Beelzebub in Luke 11:15-18? Jesus corrected them by invoking The Name again. And He even went farther, by pronouncing that any doubt of real, verified miracles is grounds for judgment. Our task is not necessarily “easy,” but it is clear and compelling. We have to do it. And many today are challenging the veracity and historicity of the New Testament stories. Watch out....
When false teachers take advantage of a lack of understanding and discernment, they are attacking the kingdom. We are to be on guard. Ezekiel calls for someone to stand in the gap. (22:30) Peter counsels us to be ready always to give a defense for the hope that is in us. (1 Peter 3:15)
Demon activity is increasing and will continue to accelerate. Jesus, Himself, warned us to beware of false Christs and demons, cautioning that they will be so compelling and convincing that they might even deceive the elect, if they were not prevented from doing so. (Mark 13:22) Albert Mohler said on the radio today, that false teachers are challenging the historicity of the New Testament stories. This is a demonic activity.
“They claim that there is ‘spiritual value’ in the stories even if they are not exactly true,” Mohler explained. The deception is pervasive and pernicious. It can and will lead to a lack of faith in the One Who can save. The guys who opposed Moses (1 Timothy 3:8) were quite effective in deluding Pharaoh.
Present day “sorcerers” are facing the same condemnation.
Just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses, so these men also oppose the truth, men of depraved mind, rejected in regard to the faith.
They are “rejected,” lost, and taking others, like Pharaoh with them. And how did Moses and Aaron respond? They just kept repeating God’s message. There were no extended debates or pleas. They simply repeated what God said and let Him take care of the consequences. Whose side do you want to be on? Pharaoh and the boys lost it all. In fact, there is some question as to who this pharaoh actually was. But Moses and Aaron are inscribed in history to the extent that it is nearly impossible to go anywhere in the world and find someone who does not know who they are.
Stand for the truth. It is worth the effort. Reject the false spirits.
Thanksgiving
We have probably heard or read many Thanksgiving studies, especially around this time of year. But there is a different approach that is not so common. The NASB has the word, “thanksgiving” listed 41 times in the Bible. It is also noted four times as being thankful. There are an additional 120 or so verses that just use the word, “thanks or thank.”
Thanksgiving permeates the worship service and even has a specific portion. Some of the worship in 1 Chronicles 23:30 was specifically to “thank and praise the Lord.” In fact some men were specifically ordained to do that. (1 Chronicles 16:41 and 25:3)
Even more telling is Romans 1:21,
For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks,
Notice that this is the second step on the decent into depravity and debauchery as chronicled in the rest of the chapter. Refusing to honor God was first, then refusing to give thanks. And look at the rest of the nose dive, “ but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened.” Depravity, debauchery, and darkness is a bad place to be.
This however is not the focus of our thoughts today. With all the emphasis on thanksgiving, there is one aspect that is often overlooked. One of the first places that we find it is in Psalm 50:14
“Offer to God a sacrifice of thanksgiving And pay your vows to the Most High;
Notice the two fold aspect of the “sacrifice.” A sacrifice of thanksgiving. Sometimes being thankful is hard. Hebrews 13:15 spells it out.
Through Him then, let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that give thanks to His name.
Here is the term again. A sacrifice of praise...thanks. When is it hard to praise and be thankful? When things are not easy. When we struggle and even suffer, the praise that comes from our lips is a sweet sacrifice. Hosea 14:2 uses a colorful term. We are to render “the calves of our lips.”
Now look back at Psalm 50 for the second “fold.” Our offering is both thanksgiving and obedience. “Pay your vows to the Most High.” We are not only to be careful to praise God, but we are to be careful about honoring our commitments to Him.
Worship in hard times and continued dedication to the Lord’s work is a statement of thanksgiving far beyond the shallow nod we give on our national holiday. It seems that the Lord focuses more on our groaning and devotion during difficulties than our joyous emanations of contentment.
There are at least five “sacrifice of thanksgiving” statements in the Scripture. They are listed below. Psalm 50:23 says it a little differently. “...orders his way aright.” Walk in the way. And Jonah summarizes it for us.
Jonah 2:9 But I will sacrifice to You With the voice of thanksgiving. That which I have vowed I will pay. Salvation is from the Lord.”
The words are similar, pay my vows, but the context is the key element here. Jonah was in the belly of the “great fish.” If there were ever a place where it would be difficult to “praise and thank” the Lord , this is it. Telling for us is Jonah’s attitude. Even though he acquiesced and went to Nineveh, he never lost his “attitude.” After the great revival, he went outside the city to sit down and watch the destruction. (Jonah 4:1) He went so far as to complain to God for not giving them the “Sodom and Gomorrah” treatment.
I am confident that the last chapter of the book, even though it does not specifically delineate Jonah’s complete repentance, infers a change of heart. The lesson for us is that even a grudging obedience will bring glory to the Lord. And, interestingly enough, the more we “act” like we should, the more it becomes normal and we can even enjoy it.
The final verse in Jonah (4:11) would melt even the hardest heart of the meanest Scrooge. (Sorry to cross metaphors/holidays.)
“Should I not have compassion on Nineveh, the great city in which there are more than 120,000 persons who do not know the difference between their right and left hand, as well as many animals?”
Now either the Lord is saying that there are 120,000 children who cannot yet distinguish right and left, or the new “believers” are so innocent that, morally, they are like those same children. (Have I shown you the pictures of my grandkids? They are right at that stage or slightly past. Adorable.) Jonah’s “prophetic” prayer actually came true. His “vow” became a reality for him.
On occasions, we “praise” God in difficulties, not seeing or even hoping for deliverance. But it is still exercising the “calves of our lips,” as Hosea said it. The calves of accomplished athletes are very pronounced. They exercise and utilize them for just about every activity. That develops the muscles for the time when they are needed.
If we wait until the hard times to praise God, our “calves” may not be strong enough to compete. Exercise them every day, in every major or minor circumstance. My mother would often exclaim, “Oh Lord!” It was not a curse nor swear. It was a continuance of her inner communication with the Lord. Occasionally it would be audible. It happened in good and bad times. It was spontaneous as she was in touch and bringing everything to Him in every instance.
Her calves were well exercised. In all things, give thanks. Lord, let us be known as the “big-calved lips.”
1 Chronicles 23:30 They are to stand every morning to thank and to praise the Lord, and likewise at evening,
Psalm 100:4 Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name.
Psalm 50:23 “He who offers a sacrifice of thanksgiving honors Me; And to him who orders his way aright I shall show the salvation of God.”
Psalm 107:22 Let them also offer sacrifices of thanksgiving, And tell of His works with joyful singing.
Psalm 116:17 To You I shall offer a sacrifice of thanksgiving, And call upon the name of the Lord.
Jeremiah 17:26 They will come in from the cities of Judah and from the environs of Jerusalem, from the land of Benjamin, from the lowland, from the hill country and from the Negev, bringing burnt offerings, sacrifices, grain offerings and incense, and bringing sacrifices of thanksgiving to the house of the Lord.
Thanksgiving permeates the worship service and even has a specific portion. Some of the worship in 1 Chronicles 23:30 was specifically to “thank and praise the Lord.” In fact some men were specifically ordained to do that. (1 Chronicles 16:41 and 25:3)
Even more telling is Romans 1:21,
For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks,
Notice that this is the second step on the decent into depravity and debauchery as chronicled in the rest of the chapter. Refusing to honor God was first, then refusing to give thanks. And look at the rest of the nose dive, “ but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened.” Depravity, debauchery, and darkness is a bad place to be.
This however is not the focus of our thoughts today. With all the emphasis on thanksgiving, there is one aspect that is often overlooked. One of the first places that we find it is in Psalm 50:14
“Offer to God a sacrifice of thanksgiving And pay your vows to the Most High;
Notice the two fold aspect of the “sacrifice.” A sacrifice of thanksgiving. Sometimes being thankful is hard. Hebrews 13:15 spells it out.
Through Him then, let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that give thanks to His name.
Here is the term again. A sacrifice of praise...thanks. When is it hard to praise and be thankful? When things are not easy. When we struggle and even suffer, the praise that comes from our lips is a sweet sacrifice. Hosea 14:2 uses a colorful term. We are to render “the calves of our lips.”
Now look back at Psalm 50 for the second “fold.” Our offering is both thanksgiving and obedience. “Pay your vows to the Most High.” We are not only to be careful to praise God, but we are to be careful about honoring our commitments to Him.
Worship in hard times and continued dedication to the Lord’s work is a statement of thanksgiving far beyond the shallow nod we give on our national holiday. It seems that the Lord focuses more on our groaning and devotion during difficulties than our joyous emanations of contentment.
There are at least five “sacrifice of thanksgiving” statements in the Scripture. They are listed below. Psalm 50:23 says it a little differently. “...orders his way aright.” Walk in the way. And Jonah summarizes it for us.
Jonah 2:9 But I will sacrifice to You With the voice of thanksgiving. That which I have vowed I will pay. Salvation is from the Lord.”
The words are similar, pay my vows, but the context is the key element here. Jonah was in the belly of the “great fish.” If there were ever a place where it would be difficult to “praise and thank” the Lord , this is it. Telling for us is Jonah’s attitude. Even though he acquiesced and went to Nineveh, he never lost his “attitude.” After the great revival, he went outside the city to sit down and watch the destruction. (Jonah 4:1) He went so far as to complain to God for not giving them the “Sodom and Gomorrah” treatment.
I am confident that the last chapter of the book, even though it does not specifically delineate Jonah’s complete repentance, infers a change of heart. The lesson for us is that even a grudging obedience will bring glory to the Lord. And, interestingly enough, the more we “act” like we should, the more it becomes normal and we can even enjoy it.
The final verse in Jonah (4:11) would melt even the hardest heart of the meanest Scrooge. (Sorry to cross metaphors/holidays.)
“Should I not have compassion on Nineveh, the great city in which there are more than 120,000 persons who do not know the difference between their right and left hand, as well as many animals?”
Now either the Lord is saying that there are 120,000 children who cannot yet distinguish right and left, or the new “believers” are so innocent that, morally, they are like those same children. (Have I shown you the pictures of my grandkids? They are right at that stage or slightly past. Adorable.) Jonah’s “prophetic” prayer actually came true. His “vow” became a reality for him.
On occasions, we “praise” God in difficulties, not seeing or even hoping for deliverance. But it is still exercising the “calves of our lips,” as Hosea said it. The calves of accomplished athletes are very pronounced. They exercise and utilize them for just about every activity. That develops the muscles for the time when they are needed.
If we wait until the hard times to praise God, our “calves” may not be strong enough to compete. Exercise them every day, in every major or minor circumstance. My mother would often exclaim, “Oh Lord!” It was not a curse nor swear. It was a continuance of her inner communication with the Lord. Occasionally it would be audible. It happened in good and bad times. It was spontaneous as she was in touch and bringing everything to Him in every instance.
Her calves were well exercised. In all things, give thanks. Lord, let us be known as the “big-calved lips.”
1 Chronicles 23:30 They are to stand every morning to thank and to praise the Lord, and likewise at evening,
Psalm 100:4 Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name.
Psalm 50:23 “He who offers a sacrifice of thanksgiving honors Me; And to him who orders his way aright I shall show the salvation of God.”
Psalm 107:22 Let them also offer sacrifices of thanksgiving, And tell of His works with joyful singing.
Psalm 116:17 To You I shall offer a sacrifice of thanksgiving, And call upon the name of the Lord.
Jeremiah 17:26 They will come in from the cities of Judah and from the environs of Jerusalem, from the land of Benjamin, from the lowland, from the hill country and from the Negev, bringing burnt offerings, sacrifices, grain offerings and incense, and bringing sacrifices of thanksgiving to the house of the Lord.
Friday, November 25, 2016
Isaiah 43
I am not going to memorize the entire 43rd chapter of Isaiah, but there is a bunch of good stuff here...as there is in the rest of the Bible. I just love how it keeps opening up new vistas of understanding, the more we read it. Read more.
We have discussed “fear” in earlier posts, so will forgo that for now. But look at this context for the rest of the chapter. The Lord created us and formed us. What is there to fear since He has also redeemed us, called us by name, and claimed us. (V.1)
The next verse (2) is taken from an old hymn.*“When through the deep waters I call thee to go, The rivers of sorrow shall not overflow; For I will be with thee, thy troubles to bless, And sanctify to thee thy deepest distress.” Then verse 4: “When through fiery trials thy pathway shall lie, My grace, all sufficient, shall be thy supply; The flame shall not hurt thee; I only design Thy dross to consume, and thy gold to refine.” :>)
Nothing to fear from floods or infernos. Just ask Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. (Daniel 3) Next we skip to verse 5. More on fear. He is with us. Just as Jesus was next to Peter when he began to sink in Matthew 14, He promised to be near His people, and we are also His people. Glory!
Verse 10 is our memory verse for this week.
“You are My witnesses,” declares the Lord, “And My servant whom I have chosen, So that you may know and believe Me And understand that I am He. Before Me there was no God formed, And there will be none after Me.
We were chosen to be His witnesses, and His servants. We can know God. That was the cry of Paul’s heart and of ours as well. (Philippians 3:10) But that is not all. We can believe on Him and understand Him. John 3:16 And when Jesus proclaimed that he was the “I am,” amazing things happened.
In John 8:58 Jesus said, “Before Abraham was, I am.” And the Jews boiled over with indignation at His claiming to be God. That comes from our verse. Do yourself a favor and look up the number of times Jesus claimed to be “I am” in the Gospels. It is overwhelming, encouraging, and enlightening.
And speaking of overwhelming, look at John 18:6. He was in the Garden of Gethsemane when Judas brought the soldiers to arrest Him. When He answered their query of seeking for Jesus with “I am He,” they were knocked off their feet. I think it was not surprise, but the flash of Shekinah glory that “slipped out” when He revealed Himself.
And He reveals Himself to us. He is the only God, and He is our Savior. Is this good, or what? And to finish things off, He is the One and Only God, there never were, are, or will be any others. He has existed from eternity and will exist for eternity.
This is the God we serve. What a thought! We are His witnesses, His servants, and His believers.
Carl Sagan said, “The Cosmos is all that is or was or ever will be.” He said that he was only able to mount a “feeble contemplation” of it. But he was only looking at what God had made. We get to “contemplate” the Creator of the cosmos. Glory!
*How firm a foundation and just for Christmas, listen carefully. https://www.hymnal.net/en/hymn/h/339
We have discussed “fear” in earlier posts, so will forgo that for now. But look at this context for the rest of the chapter. The Lord created us and formed us. What is there to fear since He has also redeemed us, called us by name, and claimed us. (V.1)
The next verse (2) is taken from an old hymn.*“When through the deep waters I call thee to go, The rivers of sorrow shall not overflow; For I will be with thee, thy troubles to bless, And sanctify to thee thy deepest distress.” Then verse 4: “When through fiery trials thy pathway shall lie, My grace, all sufficient, shall be thy supply; The flame shall not hurt thee; I only design Thy dross to consume, and thy gold to refine.” :>)
Nothing to fear from floods or infernos. Just ask Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. (Daniel 3) Next we skip to verse 5. More on fear. He is with us. Just as Jesus was next to Peter when he began to sink in Matthew 14, He promised to be near His people, and we are also His people. Glory!
Verse 10 is our memory verse for this week.
“You are My witnesses,” declares the Lord, “And My servant whom I have chosen, So that you may know and believe Me And understand that I am He. Before Me there was no God formed, And there will be none after Me.
We were chosen to be His witnesses, and His servants. We can know God. That was the cry of Paul’s heart and of ours as well. (Philippians 3:10) But that is not all. We can believe on Him and understand Him. John 3:16 And when Jesus proclaimed that he was the “I am,” amazing things happened.
In John 8:58 Jesus said, “Before Abraham was, I am.” And the Jews boiled over with indignation at His claiming to be God. That comes from our verse. Do yourself a favor and look up the number of times Jesus claimed to be “I am” in the Gospels. It is overwhelming, encouraging, and enlightening.
And speaking of overwhelming, look at John 18:6. He was in the Garden of Gethsemane when Judas brought the soldiers to arrest Him. When He answered their query of seeking for Jesus with “I am He,” they were knocked off their feet. I think it was not surprise, but the flash of Shekinah glory that “slipped out” when He revealed Himself.
And He reveals Himself to us. He is the only God, and He is our Savior. Is this good, or what? And to finish things off, He is the One and Only God, there never were, are, or will be any others. He has existed from eternity and will exist for eternity.
This is the God we serve. What a thought! We are His witnesses, His servants, and His believers.
Carl Sagan said, “The Cosmos is all that is or was or ever will be.” He said that he was only able to mount a “feeble contemplation” of it. But he was only looking at what God had made. We get to “contemplate” the Creator of the cosmos. Glory!
*How firm a foundation and just for Christmas, listen carefully. https://www.hymnal.net/en/hymn/h/339
Fear
Does anyone remember the special assemblies we used to have at school? I think that they were to enhance the scientific progress in the US after Russia launched their Sputnik before we had a satellite in orbit. I am not sure how teaching elementary kids some odd science and culture would help that, but we had some interesting ones.
One in particular was about snakes. (This will get our rockets into orbit, how?) The presenters had some big old ugly things. Pythons or boas or something like that. They talked about how neat snakes were and so on. Now my Mom would have made short work of their “pet” with her hoe had she been there. “Snakes are cursed. So I kill ‘em.” Nuff said.
Anyway, after the presentation of how useful and lovable herpetols (If herpetology is the study of snakes, then is a snake a herpetol?) the presenters walked around the gym and let anyone who wanted to, touch the things. Well, I was not going to touch them with a ten foot pole.
But Patti Harris loved snakes and crowded to the aisle to pet the pet. Then as she returned to her seat close to me, H and L were close on our class roster and we sat in alphabetical order, she teased me by stroking my arm. Now ordinarily I would have done anything to have PattiHarris (all one name) pay any attention to me and for her to TOUCH me was almost heaven. But not after that filthy snake! I washed my arm in the bathroom for several minutes. There was no sandpaper available, but I used as much soap as I could.
Now I am not afraid of snakes. I just hate them. Mom said, “If God cursed them that is good enough for me.” And speaking of fear, we find many references to it in the Bible.
One of the most often repeated phrases is, “Do not fear,” or “...be afraid.” It is in those terms or something similar well over 360 times. At least one for each day of the year. There is an interesting one in Matthew 14, beginning about verse 27. The disciples were out on the Sea of Galilee and saw Jesus walking to them on the water in the middle of a storm. They were scairt.
27 But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, “Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid.”
28 Peter said to Him, “Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water.” 29 And He said, “Come!” And Peter got out of the boat, and walked on the water and came toward Jesus. 30 But seeing the wind, he became frightened, and beginning to sink, he cried out, “Lord, save me!”
Good old Peter. Completely fearless, until he was scared to death.
31 Immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and took hold of him, and said to him, “You of little faith, why did you doubt?”
And we have the Lord’s insight on why most of us suffer fear. Doubt undermines our faith and belief. Will God really be able to help, save, deliver me? When doubt overwhelms our confidence in Him, we are at the mercy of the waves and “gravity.”
And it is appropriate that we mix the concept of fear with snakes. Old Lucifer took that form and instilled, guess what, doubt into Eve and she doubted God. “Did God really say...?” If he can get us to doubt the Lord, we turn our eyes to the waves and the wind and sink.
When, not if, but when that happens, just remember Peter’s prayer. “Lord save me!” It still works in spite of what the old Serpent throws at us.
And to finish our thought, turn to Isaiah 43:1
But now, thus says the Lord, your Creator, O Jacob, And He who formed you, O Israel, “Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name; you are Mine!”
He made us. He redeemed us. He named us. He claimed us. What is there to fear?
One in particular was about snakes. (This will get our rockets into orbit, how?) The presenters had some big old ugly things. Pythons or boas or something like that. They talked about how neat snakes were and so on. Now my Mom would have made short work of their “pet” with her hoe had she been there. “Snakes are cursed. So I kill ‘em.” Nuff said.
Anyway, after the presentation of how useful and lovable herpetols (If herpetology is the study of snakes, then is a snake a herpetol?) the presenters walked around the gym and let anyone who wanted to, touch the things. Well, I was not going to touch them with a ten foot pole.
But Patti Harris loved snakes and crowded to the aisle to pet the pet. Then as she returned to her seat close to me, H and L were close on our class roster and we sat in alphabetical order, she teased me by stroking my arm. Now ordinarily I would have done anything to have PattiHarris (all one name) pay any attention to me and for her to TOUCH me was almost heaven. But not after that filthy snake! I washed my arm in the bathroom for several minutes. There was no sandpaper available, but I used as much soap as I could.
Now I am not afraid of snakes. I just hate them. Mom said, “If God cursed them that is good enough for me.” And speaking of fear, we find many references to it in the Bible.
One of the most often repeated phrases is, “Do not fear,” or “...be afraid.” It is in those terms or something similar well over 360 times. At least one for each day of the year. There is an interesting one in Matthew 14, beginning about verse 27. The disciples were out on the Sea of Galilee and saw Jesus walking to them on the water in the middle of a storm. They were scairt.
27 But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, “Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid.”
28 Peter said to Him, “Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water.” 29 And He said, “Come!” And Peter got out of the boat, and walked on the water and came toward Jesus. 30 But seeing the wind, he became frightened, and beginning to sink, he cried out, “Lord, save me!”
Good old Peter. Completely fearless, until he was scared to death.
31 Immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and took hold of him, and said to him, “You of little faith, why did you doubt?”
And we have the Lord’s insight on why most of us suffer fear. Doubt undermines our faith and belief. Will God really be able to help, save, deliver me? When doubt overwhelms our confidence in Him, we are at the mercy of the waves and “gravity.”
And it is appropriate that we mix the concept of fear with snakes. Old Lucifer took that form and instilled, guess what, doubt into Eve and she doubted God. “Did God really say...?” If he can get us to doubt the Lord, we turn our eyes to the waves and the wind and sink.
When, not if, but when that happens, just remember Peter’s prayer. “Lord save me!” It still works in spite of what the old Serpent throws at us.
And to finish our thought, turn to Isaiah 43:1
But now, thus says the Lord, your Creator, O Jacob, And He who formed you, O Israel, “Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name; you are Mine!”
He made us. He redeemed us. He named us. He claimed us. What is there to fear?
Tuesday, November 22, 2016
Never Before Seen Biblical Tableaus
Here are a couple of “scenes” that occurred while reading through Genesis again. Jacob’s family is filled with interesting characters, so let’s take a peek. (Note: These are imaginary.) We begin with Jacob’s fourth son, Judah. Judah will ultimately be the ancestor of the Messiah so this story is critical in the narrative.
The incident plays out in Genesis 38. Judah’s two sons were pretty squirreley. That means that they skirted the rules, much like Grampa Jacob did. Well, long story short, the first, Er, married and behaved poorly and the Lord took his life. This is not an insignificant event, one would think. So the second, Onan, was recruited to perform “levirate” marriage. That means the surviving brother marries his deceased brother’s wife and raises kids to preserve the brother’s line.
Onan objected, literally, so refused to have children. Strike son number two. Judah had a third son, too young now, but later, when he was of age, Judah decided to avoid “strike three” so he gave the youngest to another wife.
Meanwhile the two-time widow is wondering what will happen to her. So she tricks Judah into sleeping with her and inevitably she becomes pregnant. Judah is incensed and demands that she be put to death for violating the 7th commandment. (Note that he did not commit adultery, in his own mind, because he was a widower. He was following the letter of the law and ignored the intent.)
The penalty for adultery was death, so he hauled her out to be executed. Then she showed the ring, staff, and cords of authority. They belonged to the father, and Judah was “hoist on his own petard” so to speak.
Did you ever notice that those who become most incensed at “deviations” by other people are often those with the “log in their own eye?” Judah had the humility to recognize his hypocrisy. Next story.
Now we move to Genesis 39 and 41. Scene opens with Mrs. Potiphar passing the main course to Mr. Potiphar at dinner. He casually asks, “Honey, do you remember that Hebrew slave that we had a few years ago?”
Shudder, (ed. note: looks like a fake.) “Yes, Dear, I do, why do you ask?”
“Well, Pharaoh just named him Prime Minister of Egypt!"
Cough, choke, cough. (Not faked.) “Poti, dearest, can we move to Canada? You know I have always wanted to live in Canada.” (Fade to black.)
Chapter 42 finds Joseph’s brothers before him in Egypt. He has accused them of being spies and they complain to each other that this is punishment for their treatment of Joseph about 20 years ago. Reuben, the oldest pipes up:
22 Reuben answered them, saying, “Did I not tell you, ‘Do not sin against the boy’; and you would not listen? Now comes the reckoning for his blood.”
This may be the first recorded, “I tol’ ya so!” To his credit, Reuben had intended to liberate Joseph and seemingly was not present when Joseph was sold to the Midianite camel jockeys. Judah, by the way was a prime instigator of this indignity. He still seems to favor the aberrant.
Now, with Joseph listening to their bickering, they are beginning to realize that you reap what you sow. Good lesson for all of us.
Is there a unifying theme there? They all are rooted in someone misbehaving, and usually, badly. Does every misdeed get punished? Probably not. But are they ever dismissed? Judah found out pretty quickly that he had not “gotten away with it.”
Mrs. Potiphar had a few years to mull over her deception and hope that it was dead and buried. As our theological guru, Gomer would spout, “Surprise! Surprise! Surprise!”
And the gang of 10 were complacently ignoring their transgression for over 20 years. It is just like posting something on the internet. It will never go away. God’s “servers” are never erased. A wise man lives like his deeds will be exposed in the morning. Jesus said something like that.
Like 12:3 Therefore whatsoever ye have spoken in darkness shall be heard in the light; and that which ye have spoken in the ear in closets shall be proclaimed upon the housetops.
Our last imaginary scene occurs in Joseph’s home. In Genesis 43 he “supped” with them and in Genesis 45, after setting up Benjamin as a thief, he revealed himself to them. (We have previously considered why he did this, so we will look at the aftermath here.)
Background: The 10 should have been somewhat suspicious of this guy. He was obviously no third level bureaucrat in charge distributing provisions to the aliens who made their way to Egypt. His house was pretty grand for that. And the intense interest in the family, particularly their younger brother, Benjamin, should also have been a tell-tale. Why would some random Egyptian care about that?
The previous glimpse into their consciences leads to this scene when Joseph said, “I am Joseph.” Eyeballs the size of half dollars all around. Even Benjamin was probably astounded. Whoda thunk it?
Fear and trepidation comes next. ‘Scuse me. Dismay (verse 3) comes next. That is probably a large combination of fear and trepidation. “Would you like angst with that?” The rest of chapter 45 is Joseph’s explanation and doctrinal exposition of what had happened. He sounds like a Dallas or Gordon-Conwell grad. And not a word from the boys.
That reminds me of another revelation. Check Romans 3:19.
19 ...so that every mouth may be closed and all the world may become accountable to God;
When the unbelieving world stands before the Great White Throne, no one will protest, “Yabbut....” Their guilt will be as evident as Joseph’s brothers’. The difference is not that Joseph was more magnanimous than Christ. The difference is the nature of the judgment and confrontation. The GWT is the final, ultimate judgment for all eternity. Joseph was merely a picture and a warning of what was to come.
As far as we know, them boys straightened up and flew right. Good choice and example for us. Their repentance was real and demonstrable.
A little song we used to sing in Sunday School went, “Be careful little eyes, ears, mouth, hands, feet.... The Father up above is looking down in love.” And we do not want to disappoint Him, or face Him in an unrepentant state.
The incident plays out in Genesis 38. Judah’s two sons were pretty squirreley. That means that they skirted the rules, much like Grampa Jacob did. Well, long story short, the first, Er, married and behaved poorly and the Lord took his life. This is not an insignificant event, one would think. So the second, Onan, was recruited to perform “levirate” marriage. That means the surviving brother marries his deceased brother’s wife and raises kids to preserve the brother’s line.
Onan objected, literally, so refused to have children. Strike son number two. Judah had a third son, too young now, but later, when he was of age, Judah decided to avoid “strike three” so he gave the youngest to another wife.
Meanwhile the two-time widow is wondering what will happen to her. So she tricks Judah into sleeping with her and inevitably she becomes pregnant. Judah is incensed and demands that she be put to death for violating the 7th commandment. (Note that he did not commit adultery, in his own mind, because he was a widower. He was following the letter of the law and ignored the intent.)
The penalty for adultery was death, so he hauled her out to be executed. Then she showed the ring, staff, and cords of authority. They belonged to the father, and Judah was “hoist on his own petard” so to speak.
Did you ever notice that those who become most incensed at “deviations” by other people are often those with the “log in their own eye?” Judah had the humility to recognize his hypocrisy. Next story.
Now we move to Genesis 39 and 41. Scene opens with Mrs. Potiphar passing the main course to Mr. Potiphar at dinner. He casually asks, “Honey, do you remember that Hebrew slave that we had a few years ago?”
Shudder, (ed. note: looks like a fake.) “Yes, Dear, I do, why do you ask?”
“Well, Pharaoh just named him Prime Minister of Egypt!"
Cough, choke, cough. (Not faked.) “Poti, dearest, can we move to Canada? You know I have always wanted to live in Canada.” (Fade to black.)
Chapter 42 finds Joseph’s brothers before him in Egypt. He has accused them of being spies and they complain to each other that this is punishment for their treatment of Joseph about 20 years ago. Reuben, the oldest pipes up:
22 Reuben answered them, saying, “Did I not tell you, ‘Do not sin against the boy’; and you would not listen? Now comes the reckoning for his blood.”
This may be the first recorded, “I tol’ ya so!” To his credit, Reuben had intended to liberate Joseph and seemingly was not present when Joseph was sold to the Midianite camel jockeys. Judah, by the way was a prime instigator of this indignity. He still seems to favor the aberrant.
Now, with Joseph listening to their bickering, they are beginning to realize that you reap what you sow. Good lesson for all of us.
Is there a unifying theme there? They all are rooted in someone misbehaving, and usually, badly. Does every misdeed get punished? Probably not. But are they ever dismissed? Judah found out pretty quickly that he had not “gotten away with it.”
Mrs. Potiphar had a few years to mull over her deception and hope that it was dead and buried. As our theological guru, Gomer would spout, “Surprise! Surprise! Surprise!”
And the gang of 10 were complacently ignoring their transgression for over 20 years. It is just like posting something on the internet. It will never go away. God’s “servers” are never erased. A wise man lives like his deeds will be exposed in the morning. Jesus said something like that.
Like 12:3 Therefore whatsoever ye have spoken in darkness shall be heard in the light; and that which ye have spoken in the ear in closets shall be proclaimed upon the housetops.
Our last imaginary scene occurs in Joseph’s home. In Genesis 43 he “supped” with them and in Genesis 45, after setting up Benjamin as a thief, he revealed himself to them. (We have previously considered why he did this, so we will look at the aftermath here.)
Background: The 10 should have been somewhat suspicious of this guy. He was obviously no third level bureaucrat in charge distributing provisions to the aliens who made their way to Egypt. His house was pretty grand for that. And the intense interest in the family, particularly their younger brother, Benjamin, should also have been a tell-tale. Why would some random Egyptian care about that?
The previous glimpse into their consciences leads to this scene when Joseph said, “I am Joseph.” Eyeballs the size of half dollars all around. Even Benjamin was probably astounded. Whoda thunk it?
Fear and trepidation comes next. ‘Scuse me. Dismay (verse 3) comes next. That is probably a large combination of fear and trepidation. “Would you like angst with that?” The rest of chapter 45 is Joseph’s explanation and doctrinal exposition of what had happened. He sounds like a Dallas or Gordon-Conwell grad. And not a word from the boys.
That reminds me of another revelation. Check Romans 3:19.
19 ...so that every mouth may be closed and all the world may become accountable to God;
When the unbelieving world stands before the Great White Throne, no one will protest, “Yabbut....” Their guilt will be as evident as Joseph’s brothers’. The difference is not that Joseph was more magnanimous than Christ. The difference is the nature of the judgment and confrontation. The GWT is the final, ultimate judgment for all eternity. Joseph was merely a picture and a warning of what was to come.
As far as we know, them boys straightened up and flew right. Good choice and example for us. Their repentance was real and demonstrable.
A little song we used to sing in Sunday School went, “Be careful little eyes, ears, mouth, hands, feet.... The Father up above is looking down in love.” And we do not want to disappoint Him, or face Him in an unrepentant state.
Tuesday, November 8, 2016
Memory Verses in Joshua 21 and Psalm 8
One great thing about memorizing Scripture, is that gives us time to savor and meditate on what the verses actually say. Often in reading we are rushed and pressured by other thoughts. When we memorize we are forced to take note of, pay attention to, and finally remember the relationships in the concepts.
This was uniquely reinforced when I read two passages and wanted to memorize both. Their conjunction in meaning emerged as I focused on the words, their meaning, and their application. Start with Joshua 21:
43 So the Lord gave Israel all the land He had sworn to give their fathers, and they took possession of it and settled there. 44 The Lord gave them rest on every side according to all He had sworn to their fathers. None of their enemies were able to stand against them, for the Lord handed over all their enemies to them. 45 None of the good promises the Lord had made to the house of Israel failed. Everything was fulfilled.
1. The Lord (Yahweh in the Hebrew) is faithful. He gave them all the land He had promised. But that was not all. They took possession and settled, or lived there. First verse. He gave it–as promised. They took possession–as directed. And “settled,” implying that it was a long term and enjoyable occupation. This deals with their presence.
2. Second verse deals with their security. They had “rest,” meaning no war or terrorism. Note, “on every side.” And more importantly, “according to all he has sworn to their fathers.” Joshua embellishes this by reporting that not one of their enemies was able to stand. In fact, the Lord handed them over to the Israelites.
3. Summary and looking to the future. I love this. Read v. 45 again.
None of the good promises the Lord had made to the house of Israel failed. Everything was fulfilled.
Now would you say that this implied that the Lord had “paid His debt” and would now abandon them? M`e genito! May it never be! Rather the opposite is implied. The fact that they walked away from this provision and suffered for it does not infer a change of God’s intent. It may cast “aspersions” upon their intellect and integrity, but God’s faithfulness is not compromised.
Now consider my “second” verse of the week (month?). Psalm 8:1
O Lord, our Lord, How majestic is Your name in all the earth, Who have displayed Your splendor above the heavens!
The “majestic” name of God is displayed in all the earth and the heavens. (Aside: Note the plural verb for “Who.”) Tie that in to the previous passage. Whose honor was at stake? Would the rag tag army of pilgrims (John Wayne’s description) be ridiculed for failing to conquer the land occupied by seven established nations? Their loss was expected and anticipated. Then Jericho fell, literally. And the Lord began to display His power and authority.
Majesty implies power and authority. It also reflects ability to produce. And the story in Joshua illustrates that to a “T.” In addition to that, the splendor of God is showcased here and in the heavens above. We have talked about the wonders of just the atmosphere and then the entire universe out there. Parts of “His Splendor” are not even seen yet.
There is a new telescope being prepared for space. It is twice as big as the Hubble scope. I am not sure how that translates to “power” and magnification, but what we have is impressive. It is going to take a giant leap forward. And every time that it does, the discoveries expose even more of the “splendor.” It is curious how the Lord “hid” so much. In fact what we have already “seen” is just a minute fraction of what it “out there.”
It reminds me of some other “hidden” things. Matthew 11;25 and Luke 10:21 quote Jesus saying that His Father had “hidden things from the wise and intelligent and revealed them to infants.” And Paul, in Colossians 2:3 declares that Christ holds all the “treasures of wisdom and knowledge.” And He reveals them.
Sometimes He uses a big telescope. Other times He uses the font of type on a page. And most often He uses that “still, small voice,” that He unleashed on the proud but dejected Elijah. Whatever your emotion at the time, He can penetrate it and reveal something hidden. Something that we need.
I am listening.
This was uniquely reinforced when I read two passages and wanted to memorize both. Their conjunction in meaning emerged as I focused on the words, their meaning, and their application. Start with Joshua 21:
43 So the Lord gave Israel all the land He had sworn to give their fathers, and they took possession of it and settled there. 44 The Lord gave them rest on every side according to all He had sworn to their fathers. None of their enemies were able to stand against them, for the Lord handed over all their enemies to them. 45 None of the good promises the Lord had made to the house of Israel failed. Everything was fulfilled.
1. The Lord (Yahweh in the Hebrew) is faithful. He gave them all the land He had promised. But that was not all. They took possession and settled, or lived there. First verse. He gave it–as promised. They took possession–as directed. And “settled,” implying that it was a long term and enjoyable occupation. This deals with their presence.
2. Second verse deals with their security. They had “rest,” meaning no war or terrorism. Note, “on every side.” And more importantly, “according to all he has sworn to their fathers.” Joshua embellishes this by reporting that not one of their enemies was able to stand. In fact, the Lord handed them over to the Israelites.
3. Summary and looking to the future. I love this. Read v. 45 again.
None of the good promises the Lord had made to the house of Israel failed. Everything was fulfilled.
Now would you say that this implied that the Lord had “paid His debt” and would now abandon them? M`e genito! May it never be! Rather the opposite is implied. The fact that they walked away from this provision and suffered for it does not infer a change of God’s intent. It may cast “aspersions” upon their intellect and integrity, but God’s faithfulness is not compromised.
Now consider my “second” verse of the week (month?). Psalm 8:1
O Lord, our Lord, How majestic is Your name in all the earth, Who have displayed Your splendor above the heavens!
The “majestic” name of God is displayed in all the earth and the heavens. (Aside: Note the plural verb for “Who.”) Tie that in to the previous passage. Whose honor was at stake? Would the rag tag army of pilgrims (John Wayne’s description) be ridiculed for failing to conquer the land occupied by seven established nations? Their loss was expected and anticipated. Then Jericho fell, literally. And the Lord began to display His power and authority.
Majesty implies power and authority. It also reflects ability to produce. And the story in Joshua illustrates that to a “T.” In addition to that, the splendor of God is showcased here and in the heavens above. We have talked about the wonders of just the atmosphere and then the entire universe out there. Parts of “His Splendor” are not even seen yet.
There is a new telescope being prepared for space. It is twice as big as the Hubble scope. I am not sure how that translates to “power” and magnification, but what we have is impressive. It is going to take a giant leap forward. And every time that it does, the discoveries expose even more of the “splendor.” It is curious how the Lord “hid” so much. In fact what we have already “seen” is just a minute fraction of what it “out there.”
It reminds me of some other “hidden” things. Matthew 11;25 and Luke 10:21 quote Jesus saying that His Father had “hidden things from the wise and intelligent and revealed them to infants.” And Paul, in Colossians 2:3 declares that Christ holds all the “treasures of wisdom and knowledge.” And He reveals them.
Sometimes He uses a big telescope. Other times He uses the font of type on a page. And most often He uses that “still, small voice,” that He unleashed on the proud but dejected Elijah. Whatever your emotion at the time, He can penetrate it and reveal something hidden. Something that we need.
I am listening.
Ravi and Philosophy A Perspective
Ravi Zacharias Sat 11/5 Listen to this broadcast. Begin about minute 17 to the end. This is a magnificent description of the devil’s attacks. The whole thing is good, but the end is insightful.
http://rzim.org/let-my-people-think-broadcasts/mind-the-gap-part-1-of-2/
Hint: Horror of the same old thing. From The Screwtape Letters. The delusion (copied from The Truth Project) is that it must be “Christianity PLUS.” The critical comment is that it decreases pleasure while increasing desire. (Gluttony, sexual perversions, self promotion, even “religious experiences,” etc.) Our society is described by nonsense in the intellect reinforcing corruption of the will.
http://rzim.org/let-my-people-think-broadcasts/mind-the-gap-part-1-of-2/
Hint: Horror of the same old thing. From The Screwtape Letters. The delusion (copied from The Truth Project) is that it must be “Christianity PLUS.” The critical comment is that it decreases pleasure while increasing desire. (Gluttony, sexual perversions, self promotion, even “religious experiences,” etc.) Our society is described by nonsense in the intellect reinforcing corruption of the will.
Monday, November 7, 2016
When Did Methuselah Die?
(This is the first of two. The second follows.)
We all know that Methuselah was the oldest man ever to live. He made it to 969 years. Genesis 5 gives the genealogical history of men from Adam on. It is really quite boring, isn’t it? Why is all of that stuff in there?
Methuselah was the son of Enoch, who was an extraordinarily godly man. We do not know all of the details and whys and wherefores, but suffice it to say that God took him home without a natural death. Elijah and Jesus were the only two other men who ever walked the earth to experience that. And Jesus ascended after He had given His life as a sacrifice for us and was resurrected. So Enoch and Elijah are pretty unique among the billions who have ever lived here.
Well the story is a little more interesting. What next? Methuselah then had a son, Lamech. Now the numbers get interesting. Methuselah was 187 when Lamech was born. Lamech had a son, Noah, at the age of 182 and died at 767. Methuselah was 369 years young when Noah was born. Noah started having his sons at the age of 500 or 869 for Methuselah. Lamech was 682.
Now the story becomes fascinating. Noah built an ark, took his family and a few “family pets” into the ark at the age of 600 or 100 years after our last accounting. The flood came. Lamech would have been 782 at the flood, but died at 767. So he missed the shindig by 15 years.
But Methuselah was 869 when Noah began his family and the flood was 100 years later. Methuselah was 969 the year of the flood. Enoch had been translated 669 years before the flood, Lamech was dead, but what happened to Methuselah? Was his death caused by the flood, or was it the trip wire to release the flood?
For help in this let’s look back, or in this instance forward, to Abraham. In Genesis 18:23 Abraham responds to the news that Sodom is about to be destroyed.
Abraham came near and said, “Will You indeed sweep away the righteous with the wicked?
Then Abraham answers his own question in verse 25.
Far be it from You to do such a thing, to slay the righteous with the wicked, so that the righteous and the wicked are treated alike. Far be it from You! Shall not the Judge of all the earth deal justly?”
And the answer is, “Yes, the Lord is just.” So it seems just and right to infer that the Lord was “waiting” for Methuselah to die before unleashing the judgment. This is interesting to me. There are three scenarios here. One was Lamech and Methuselah, who died natural deaths before the “coming” of the Judgment. Enoch was translated before it occurred. And Noah rode it out in the Ark.
There has to be a picture there. This is a forecast of Jesus’ second coming. Some will, and already have, died. Some, like Noah are given “passage” through the test. And others, like Enoch, are saved from the test. They get an early pass home.
Paul and John give us a pretty detailed description of the last times. Some are saved from the coming test like Enoch. Paul’s description of the rapture is in 1 Corinthians 15, 1 Thessalonians 4 and 5,and 2 Thessalonians 2. The third group, in my understanding, is the group who are saved after the Rapture by the teaching of the 144,000 (Revelation 7) who, themselves believed immediately after the Rapture.
So the story of Genesis 5 is a prophetic view of the end times. And it is another view of God’s grace and care for mankind. He is waving a flag, warning that the “bridge is out” up ahead. Keep going the way you are at your own peril. Turn around and go the other way.
He has shown us how in His Book, the Bible.
We all know that Methuselah was the oldest man ever to live. He made it to 969 years. Genesis 5 gives the genealogical history of men from Adam on. It is really quite boring, isn’t it? Why is all of that stuff in there?
Methuselah was the son of Enoch, who was an extraordinarily godly man. We do not know all of the details and whys and wherefores, but suffice it to say that God took him home without a natural death. Elijah and Jesus were the only two other men who ever walked the earth to experience that. And Jesus ascended after He had given His life as a sacrifice for us and was resurrected. So Enoch and Elijah are pretty unique among the billions who have ever lived here.
Well the story is a little more interesting. What next? Methuselah then had a son, Lamech. Now the numbers get interesting. Methuselah was 187 when Lamech was born. Lamech had a son, Noah, at the age of 182 and died at 767. Methuselah was 369 years young when Noah was born. Noah started having his sons at the age of 500 or 869 for Methuselah. Lamech was 682.
Now the story becomes fascinating. Noah built an ark, took his family and a few “family pets” into the ark at the age of 600 or 100 years after our last accounting. The flood came. Lamech would have been 782 at the flood, but died at 767. So he missed the shindig by 15 years.
But Methuselah was 869 when Noah began his family and the flood was 100 years later. Methuselah was 969 the year of the flood. Enoch had been translated 669 years before the flood, Lamech was dead, but what happened to Methuselah? Was his death caused by the flood, or was it the trip wire to release the flood?
For help in this let’s look back, or in this instance forward, to Abraham. In Genesis 18:23 Abraham responds to the news that Sodom is about to be destroyed.
Abraham came near and said, “Will You indeed sweep away the righteous with the wicked?
Then Abraham answers his own question in verse 25.
Far be it from You to do such a thing, to slay the righteous with the wicked, so that the righteous and the wicked are treated alike. Far be it from You! Shall not the Judge of all the earth deal justly?”
And the answer is, “Yes, the Lord is just.” So it seems just and right to infer that the Lord was “waiting” for Methuselah to die before unleashing the judgment. This is interesting to me. There are three scenarios here. One was Lamech and Methuselah, who died natural deaths before the “coming” of the Judgment. Enoch was translated before it occurred. And Noah rode it out in the Ark.
There has to be a picture there. This is a forecast of Jesus’ second coming. Some will, and already have, died. Some, like Noah are given “passage” through the test. And others, like Enoch, are saved from the test. They get an early pass home.
Paul and John give us a pretty detailed description of the last times. Some are saved from the coming test like Enoch. Paul’s description of the rapture is in 1 Corinthians 15, 1 Thessalonians 4 and 5,and 2 Thessalonians 2. The third group, in my understanding, is the group who are saved after the Rapture by the teaching of the 144,000 (Revelation 7) who, themselves believed immediately after the Rapture.
So the story of Genesis 5 is a prophetic view of the end times. And it is another view of God’s grace and care for mankind. He is waving a flag, warning that the “bridge is out” up ahead. Keep going the way you are at your own peril. Turn around and go the other way.
He has shown us how in His Book, the Bible.
More Methuselah
(This is the second in a series. See above.)
So just exactly when did Methuselah die? We saw last time that there were three “classes” of people in relation to the flood. Aside from those who were judged and perished, three groups were not the target of the judgment and were “delivered.” Lamech and Methuselah died before the actual event. It was as if the Lord were waiting for Methuselah to die and then he opened the flood gates.
The chaplain at LeTourneau College, where I matriculated, liked to walk outdoors and look up. He often commented, “Good, clouds today. The Lord can come.” With a twinkle in his eye he would continue. “It says He 'will come in the clouds.'” (Acts 1:9-11)
Then he would often continue to talk about someone who was witnessing to a friend. “Some day the last person to be saved will accept Jesus. Imagine that your friend has decided to accept Jesus, but has not even said it yet. Wouldn’t it be great to be the one to do that? Just as soon as he (or she) decides, Jesus will exclaim, ‘Grab your trumpet, Gabriel. It is time to go get My bride!’” He continued with, “I can’t wait.” That was also why he kept telling others about Jesus.
Imagine the Lord back then. “Methuselah just died. Let’s go, Noah. Hop in the boat” (They called it that during the construction. It was the Ark after it rained.) “because it’s beginning to rain.” Granted the results are different, judgment and reward, but we again see God’s mercy. He waited to see if anyone else, besides Noah, would “find grace.”
So Methuselah represents those who die before the Lord comes back. He also had a role like the Holy Spirit as defined in 2 Thessalonians 2. The man of sin (anti-Christ) cannot be openly revealed until the Holy Spirit, the “one who restrains” will be removed or “taken out of the way.” When Methuselah was “taken out of the way” by death, the man of judgment was revealed.
Enoch is the second group and represents the people who will be supernaturally removed before the judgment is executed. But what if they have already died? Paul addressed that specifically in the 1 Thessalonians (chapters 4 and 5) passages. They were afraid that those who had died would miss the return. Paul assured them that even death cannot thwart the results that God has decreed.
Finally, we see Noah. He represents those who go “through” and survive the judgment. Even those who are saved after the tribulation judgment has begun, will be saved. The picture here is not the same. Noah could only allow people onto the Ark before the rain started. Jesus is a better ark.
Now if you want to extend that, it gets more complicated, but the picture is beautiful. The Lord is “preparing a place for us” and soon the Bridegroom will return to claim His bride. Methuselah was a prototype that portrays an aspect of the end times. Noah was too. But Enoch had the best “ride.”
When did Methuselah die? “In the fullness of time....” As John put it, “Even so, come Lord Jesus.”
So just exactly when did Methuselah die? We saw last time that there were three “classes” of people in relation to the flood. Aside from those who were judged and perished, three groups were not the target of the judgment and were “delivered.” Lamech and Methuselah died before the actual event. It was as if the Lord were waiting for Methuselah to die and then he opened the flood gates.
The chaplain at LeTourneau College, where I matriculated, liked to walk outdoors and look up. He often commented, “Good, clouds today. The Lord can come.” With a twinkle in his eye he would continue. “It says He 'will come in the clouds.'” (Acts 1:9-11)
Then he would often continue to talk about someone who was witnessing to a friend. “Some day the last person to be saved will accept Jesus. Imagine that your friend has decided to accept Jesus, but has not even said it yet. Wouldn’t it be great to be the one to do that? Just as soon as he (or she) decides, Jesus will exclaim, ‘Grab your trumpet, Gabriel. It is time to go get My bride!’” He continued with, “I can’t wait.” That was also why he kept telling others about Jesus.
Imagine the Lord back then. “Methuselah just died. Let’s go, Noah. Hop in the boat” (They called it that during the construction. It was the Ark after it rained.) “because it’s beginning to rain.” Granted the results are different, judgment and reward, but we again see God’s mercy. He waited to see if anyone else, besides Noah, would “find grace.”
So Methuselah represents those who die before the Lord comes back. He also had a role like the Holy Spirit as defined in 2 Thessalonians 2. The man of sin (anti-Christ) cannot be openly revealed until the Holy Spirit, the “one who restrains” will be removed or “taken out of the way.” When Methuselah was “taken out of the way” by death, the man of judgment was revealed.
Enoch is the second group and represents the people who will be supernaturally removed before the judgment is executed. But what if they have already died? Paul addressed that specifically in the 1 Thessalonians (chapters 4 and 5) passages. They were afraid that those who had died would miss the return. Paul assured them that even death cannot thwart the results that God has decreed.
Finally, we see Noah. He represents those who go “through” and survive the judgment. Even those who are saved after the tribulation judgment has begun, will be saved. The picture here is not the same. Noah could only allow people onto the Ark before the rain started. Jesus is a better ark.
Now if you want to extend that, it gets more complicated, but the picture is beautiful. The Lord is “preparing a place for us” and soon the Bridegroom will return to claim His bride. Methuselah was a prototype that portrays an aspect of the end times. Noah was too. But Enoch had the best “ride.”
When did Methuselah die? “In the fullness of time....” As John put it, “Even so, come Lord Jesus.”
Friday, November 4, 2016
CUBS WIN! CUBS WIN! CUBS WIN!
Watching the Cubs lose twice to Corey Kluber was excruciating. Time after time the Cubs swung at balls that were in the dirt. Finally, the first batter in game 7 solved him. (Whether it was a “solve” or just the effects of overwork may be debatable, but the results are unambiguous.)
Let me tell you a story. I coached a fast-pitch church soft ball league back in Peoria, Illinois. (Just a little south of Chi-town for those who care.) We faced a left handed pitcher who blew us away. He started every batter with a fast ball right down the middle. The first time I was up, I let that go. I was a cool, professional batter and wanted to “see what the kid has,” so I took the pitch. Strike one.
This big left hander, (did I mention that he was left handed?) poured the second pitch right down the same track. I bat (or batted) lefty so it looked too good to pass up and I took a powerful swing. Just as the ball got to the plate, it dropped off the table. Well, it looked like it dropped a foot and swerved away from me. This is what a left handed curve ball does. I missed it by a foot or more. Strike two.
The third pitch started about shoulder high and outside. Lefties will curve the ball to the right, so I knew that this was a “waste” pitch to get me to swing at a bad ball. Won’t fool me. I took it all the way. It snapped down and across the plate just as nice as you please. This is backwards for a left handed pitcher (did I mention that he was left handed?) and completely unexpected. Strike three. I did not even wait for the ump to call it. I just walked back to the bench.
All the rest of the game, I urged the guys to swing at the first pitch. That was going to be the only one we had a prayer (church league, remember?) of hitting. They were all “cool” hitters and disdained the easy pitch to get a feel for and a look at his stuff. I do not recall if he struck out every batter, but he did a lot of us. There may have been a lucky break or two, but we did not even score a run.
Back to the Cubs. Kluger started every at-bat with a fast ball down central. Then my boys were left swinging at those low outside or inside offerings that would have been a low strike, except that they went down just as they swung. Two games, well five or six innings each anyway, were about the same. A lucky stroke or two kept things interesting and avoided the no-hitter, but no punch.
Then game seven dawned. The first batter must have learned something. He did not let the first pitch go by. He parked it. (I guess you should say “bleachered” it. It didn’t get out of the park.) And the game was on. Whether it was a lack of efficiency due to fatigue or a wiser batting approach, we may never know. But the results were a W for the good guys.
The only thing different was that Kluger is right handed. His ball seemed to go down and to the left. But finally the Cubbies began to hit it. What a game. Way better than the results of our games. You can just call me Coach League.
You are welcome, Cubs fans.
Let me tell you a story. I coached a fast-pitch church soft ball league back in Peoria, Illinois. (Just a little south of Chi-town for those who care.) We faced a left handed pitcher who blew us away. He started every batter with a fast ball right down the middle. The first time I was up, I let that go. I was a cool, professional batter and wanted to “see what the kid has,” so I took the pitch. Strike one.
This big left hander, (did I mention that he was left handed?) poured the second pitch right down the same track. I bat (or batted) lefty so it looked too good to pass up and I took a powerful swing. Just as the ball got to the plate, it dropped off the table. Well, it looked like it dropped a foot and swerved away from me. This is what a left handed curve ball does. I missed it by a foot or more. Strike two.
The third pitch started about shoulder high and outside. Lefties will curve the ball to the right, so I knew that this was a “waste” pitch to get me to swing at a bad ball. Won’t fool me. I took it all the way. It snapped down and across the plate just as nice as you please. This is backwards for a left handed pitcher (did I mention that he was left handed?) and completely unexpected. Strike three. I did not even wait for the ump to call it. I just walked back to the bench.
All the rest of the game, I urged the guys to swing at the first pitch. That was going to be the only one we had a prayer (church league, remember?) of hitting. They were all “cool” hitters and disdained the easy pitch to get a feel for and a look at his stuff. I do not recall if he struck out every batter, but he did a lot of us. There may have been a lucky break or two, but we did not even score a run.
Back to the Cubs. Kluger started every at-bat with a fast ball down central. Then my boys were left swinging at those low outside or inside offerings that would have been a low strike, except that they went down just as they swung. Two games, well five or six innings each anyway, were about the same. A lucky stroke or two kept things interesting and avoided the no-hitter, but no punch.
Then game seven dawned. The first batter must have learned something. He did not let the first pitch go by. He parked it. (I guess you should say “bleachered” it. It didn’t get out of the park.) And the game was on. Whether it was a lack of efficiency due to fatigue or a wiser batting approach, we may never know. But the results were a W for the good guys.
The only thing different was that Kluger is right handed. His ball seemed to go down and to the left. But finally the Cubbies began to hit it. What a game. Way better than the results of our games. You can just call me Coach League.
You are welcome, Cubs fans.
Two Angels
Have you ever wondered why the Lord sent two angels down to Sodom to announce the destruction? You can read the story in Genesis 19. The Lord and two angels had visited with Abraham in the previous chapter and Abraham pleaded with the Lord to spare the city if ten righteous men could be found there.
The conclusion is in 19:1 as the two angels approach the city. Obviously Sodom failed the ACT test of morals. (Acts Consistent with Truth) After some dialogue they agree to spend the night with Lot and his family. (Aside: the subsequent acts confirm the failing score of the city in moral areas.)
But why did two angels have to go? Was it to keep each other company? Every other instance of personal angelic intervention lists only one angel. There were times when people saw more than one, but that was for the sake of effect. For example Elisha and his servant were threatened by the Arameans in 2 Kings 6, God revealed to the servant just how many “troops” were actually protecting him. The shepherds in Luke 2:9 and 13 had a single angel announce to them then they saw angelic choirs. (For effect.)
Mary, Joseph, Zacharias, Balaam, Hagar, Daniel, and even Saul (New Testament) only saw one angel. But the angels were not lonely. Nor would one suppose that they needed two to “confirm their witness.” (Deuteronomy 19:15) Since no one but Lot believed them the confirmatory witness was not needed. And indeed, this was not a court. The judgment had already been rendered.
Maybe it was for protection. After all the men of Sodom attempted to assault the visitors. No, that does not fly. Lot, himself, pulled them in out of danger. And the angels then blinded the antagonists. No need for help there. History verifies that as one angel “smote” all of the first born of Egypt. And in 2 Kings 19:35 one angel killed 185,000 Assyrians.
One angel is sufficient to handle one army. So why two?
The answer might be back in Genesis 19. After the night of high drama, the angels urged Lot and his family to vacate the premises.
16 But he hesitated. So the men seized his hand and the hand of his wife and the hands of his two daughters, for the compassion of the Lord was upon him; and they brought him out, and put him outside the city.
They seized the hand of Lot (one), his wife (two), and the hands of his two daughters (three and four). The Lord sent two angels because He knew that it would take four “hands” to lead Lot and his crew out of harm’s way. And even then, Mrs. Lot (no other name ever given) was so disinclined to leave the hole from which they had escaped that she looked back. Salt city.
God’s mercy and grace went so far as to supply the exact number of hands to remove Lot and his family from danger. One, God is always prepared. And two, He is looking out for our good. What a great God. And maybe three, there are no “unnecessary” details in the story. Trust your Bible.
Lesson for today. Go back to Genesis 13. Verse 12 in King James is telling.
Lot dwelled in the cities of the plain, and pitched his tent toward Sodom. (Emphasis added.)
Alternative versions vary in using the terms close to, or very near, and some even say in Sodom. Regardless, King James’ picture is clear. Lot was leaning towards the fire, literally, and when it came, even he was attracted and cemented to the evil city. The angels had to “compel” him and his family to leave.
What seemed like an innocent and even “smart” decision, ultimately was shown to be extremely lacking in wisdom. Watch how you “lean” your tent.
The conclusion is in 19:1 as the two angels approach the city. Obviously Sodom failed the ACT test of morals. (Acts Consistent with Truth) After some dialogue they agree to spend the night with Lot and his family. (Aside: the subsequent acts confirm the failing score of the city in moral areas.)
But why did two angels have to go? Was it to keep each other company? Every other instance of personal angelic intervention lists only one angel. There were times when people saw more than one, but that was for the sake of effect. For example Elisha and his servant were threatened by the Arameans in 2 Kings 6, God revealed to the servant just how many “troops” were actually protecting him. The shepherds in Luke 2:9 and 13 had a single angel announce to them then they saw angelic choirs. (For effect.)
Mary, Joseph, Zacharias, Balaam, Hagar, Daniel, and even Saul (New Testament) only saw one angel. But the angels were not lonely. Nor would one suppose that they needed two to “confirm their witness.” (Deuteronomy 19:15) Since no one but Lot believed them the confirmatory witness was not needed. And indeed, this was not a court. The judgment had already been rendered.
Maybe it was for protection. After all the men of Sodom attempted to assault the visitors. No, that does not fly. Lot, himself, pulled them in out of danger. And the angels then blinded the antagonists. No need for help there. History verifies that as one angel “smote” all of the first born of Egypt. And in 2 Kings 19:35 one angel killed 185,000 Assyrians.
One angel is sufficient to handle one army. So why two?
The answer might be back in Genesis 19. After the night of high drama, the angels urged Lot and his family to vacate the premises.
16 But he hesitated. So the men seized his hand and the hand of his wife and the hands of his two daughters, for the compassion of the Lord was upon him; and they brought him out, and put him outside the city.
They seized the hand of Lot (one), his wife (two), and the hands of his two daughters (three and four). The Lord sent two angels because He knew that it would take four “hands” to lead Lot and his crew out of harm’s way. And even then, Mrs. Lot (no other name ever given) was so disinclined to leave the hole from which they had escaped that she looked back. Salt city.
God’s mercy and grace went so far as to supply the exact number of hands to remove Lot and his family from danger. One, God is always prepared. And two, He is looking out for our good. What a great God. And maybe three, there are no “unnecessary” details in the story. Trust your Bible.
Lesson for today. Go back to Genesis 13. Verse 12 in King James is telling.
Lot dwelled in the cities of the plain, and pitched his tent toward Sodom. (Emphasis added.)
Alternative versions vary in using the terms close to, or very near, and some even say in Sodom. Regardless, King James’ picture is clear. Lot was leaning towards the fire, literally, and when it came, even he was attracted and cemented to the evil city. The angels had to “compel” him and his family to leave.
What seemed like an innocent and even “smart” decision, ultimately was shown to be extremely lacking in wisdom. Watch how you “lean” your tent.
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