Ruth 1

 Elimelech means "God is King." However, he did not live into that name as he left the kingdom where God was to be king to a place where God wasn't. It is no wonder he found trouble. 

Dr. Herbert Lockley pointed out that in chapter one, we see three standing in the road deciding where to go. Like the thieves at the cross, one goes to perdition, the other to paradise (Lockley, pg 68). I'm not sure it's a perfect picture of Jesus on the cross, but it reminds me that there are people in our lives and families who will not follow us into the promised land. It may be sad it was here, but Jesus said that families would be divided over him (Luke 12:53). 

Lockley, Herbert, All the Books and Chapters of the Bible, Zondervan Publishing House, Grand Rapids, 1966.

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1 Corinthians 12

 

When we see all the gifts that God seems to be saying are for use in the body of Christ, it is interesting that the chapter ends with the idea that these gifts aren’t that important. There is a better way than just having gifts. That way is Love. The gifts are great, but without love, nothing changes. The gifts can do great things, but love is the power that changes the hearts of men. Gifts are God are important, but they aren’t what we ultimately need. 

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Psalm 74

This Psalm focuses on God being faithful to his covenant because God is. The psalmist focuses on all the things that have happened and gone wrong. It focuses on how the enemy is an affront to God and not just that they are hurting Israel. This is the key to the psalm. God, this isn't about what we want, it's about you. Yes, we understand that God brought the judgment because of Israel's sin, but Israel's redemption will be and was because of God's faithfulness. This is what the psalmist is looking to. On a different note, this psalm isn't denying Israel's responsibility; it's just not talking about it right now. 

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Judges 14

 

The question I have is, why was Samson in Timnah? It seems that though this was supposed to be a Jewish town it was controlled by the Philistines. So why is the person who is supposed to be delivering Israel from the Philistines hanging out with them? The answer might be found in a song I have heard saying, "Looking for love in all the wrong places." The problem is when you look there, you normally find the wrong kinds of "love." That is what happened here. Samson only found trouble when going to a place he shouldn't have been. 

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Judges 13

 

Here is a picture of the beginning of the life of Samson. He had everything that one would need to start off with. Yet in the words the angel spoke, there is also a hint that things are going to go wrong. The angel says that Samson will begin to deliver Israel, not that he will do it. In spite of all the benefits and the good home, Samson will only begin the work. Yet in this, there is an interesting similarity to another group. A group with a great beginning, good parents as it were, and good training. A group that would see supernatural power and yet not fulfill its destiny, and that would be Israel. Samson is a picture of all that Israel had been, a special and precious child given a miraculous beginning, only to fall into whoring.   

What is the picture for us? We have been bought with a price, we have a great beginning in Jesus and the supernatural power of the Holy Spirit to help us if we accept it. Yet, if we don't follow the commands of God, we will find ourselves failing to be all we are meant to be as Christians. We could walk away, or even if we don't walk away from God, we could end up at the end of our lives calling out to God and making it to heaven, but not bringing deliverance to others. We don't want to be a Samson.

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Jeremiah 14

 

The people were suffering from famine, and false prophets were promising good when evil was coming. God tells Jeremiah to stop praying for the good of the people, yet God still tells them what they can do to return to him. God tells them how to pray. The problem will be that even in the trouble, the people will not do what God has asked. They will not pray the prayer God has given them. They want to claim God's protection but not submit to God.  They refuse to move. It is a sad, sad time. It is no wonder Jeremiah wept. 

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Judges 12

 

Ibzan, Elon, and Abdon are the next three judges, and in their rule, we see no reference to God. We do see their prosperity as seen by the number of children they have. I also notice that Ibzan has possibly used marriage as a way to strengthen his influence among the tribes. Again, no reference to trusting in God, and therefore no mighty miracles either. It seems to be a time of peace, but without a spiritual renewal, ultimately, the nation would fail. 

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1 Corinthians 11

 

At the end of this chapter, Paul gives us a serious teaching on the Lord's Supper (Communion, Eucharist). Paul makes it clear that those who take communion need to understand the seriousness of it. This, to Paul, is a matter of life and death. Though I do not believe the element become the physical body and blood of Jesus, there is clearly something supernatural taking place. Taking Communion invites Jesus to come into our body, into our lives, and it can bring life or death.

I heard someone say today that when we take communion, we ask Jesus into our lives, and that has consequences. As an example, you don't invite a police officer into your house if you have illegal drugs and guns sitting on the table and expect them to ignore it (yes, I remember a cop show where people did this, but as expected, they were arrested.) You don't go into a disease ward unless you are immune and don't expect to get sick. You can't expect to invite the holy God into a rebellious heart and not expect bad things to happen. When people come into the presence of God, in the Bible, there is judgment. One is either repentant and finds mercy, or one isn't and judgment comes. Communion is asking God to make the call in our lives, and we are either given mercy or face condemnation. This is why many in the church don't have open communion; they don't want to give out condemnation to those who are not Christians. 

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Judges 11

 

There is so much wrong in this chapter that it might be easy to miss the right things. First, Jephthah tried to seek a peaceful solution with the enemy. Second, Jephthah placed the victory in the hands of God and said it would be God who would decide the outcome, and not his own skills. Most everything else in this chapter can go under the title, "Do not repeat." As I have said before, some things are here not as an example to repeat but a lesson to learn from the stupidity of others. 

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Judges 10

The end of verse 16 says that God could no longer bear/edure the misery of Israel. When we read of God's longing in the prophets, especially Hosea, I can understand this passage. One who only sees the judgment and vengeance of God in the Bible would be confused by this passage. However, God is grieved that this is happening to Israel, but delivering them with their changing is like having pity on someone in withdrawal and giving them an endless supply of drugs; it isn't helpful. Now that Israel has repented, God is in a place where God's mercy and compassion can be experienced. 

The problem I see here and in the next chapter is that Israel didn't ask God who should lead them, but that is addressed in the next chapter. My observation on this is that it is great to repent, but afterwards, the person we need to ask for direction is God.

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Jeremiah 13

 

God warns Jeremiah that he will send drunkenness on everyone in the land, and he will smash them against each other. I think of how often drunkenness can send people into to place where they will attack those closest to them. When I see this, I think God is saying, This is what you want, then I will give it to you. Whether it is or not, God is saying that they will be like the drunk, confused, and powerless. 

Even with this, God says he wants Israel to repent before it's too late. Alas, before long, it will be for the nation, but God will save some by taking them into exile. That we'll read about later.

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Judges 9

 

Jotham was the youngest son of Gideon and the only one to escape the treachery of his half-brother and the people of Shechem. The thing that stands out about this man is that he knew when to hide, knew when to speak out, and knew when to run. Reminds me a little of the Kenny Rogers song The Gambler, who in the song said "you have to know when to fold them, know when to hold them, know when to walk away, and know when to run." We don't know what happened to Jotham, but he showed wisdom. There is a time for different actions in life. Sometimes it's speaking out, sometimes it's keeping quiet, sometimes it's running away. The key for the follower of God is to know what God wants us to do. Sometimes it is different from what conventional wisdom says, but sometimes it's the same. My advice is to listen to God and do what he says, because it might be different from what it was before. 

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1 Corinthians 10

 Verse 9-10 specifically warns people not to test the Lord or to grumble like Israel did and causing death among the people. However, four things are in this section that Paul is warning the Corinthians about. 

1. Idolatry

2. Sexual immorality

3. Testing God - (questioning God’s limits)

4. Grumbling against God and His leaders.

Paul tells us that we can see the examples from the life of Israel and that we should learn from them. He warns that we need to be careful if we think that we are standing and end up falling. I see this one especially in the last sin, grumbling. Here we see some of the people saying, “We are holy too”(Numbers 16). This is complaining to God’s leaders, we are just as good as you are, but really saying we ought to be in charge, not you. The problem is that if God has set a leader in place, we would be wise not to try to take that authority. Yes, leaders need to be held accountable, but the desire to complain so you can get yourself into a dangerous position.

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Psalm 71

 

"Though you have made me see troubles, many and bitter, you will restore my life again; from the depths of the earth you will again bring me up"(Verse 20). In this verse, we are reminded that God does allow us to face troubles. God does allow things to go wrong for us. Sometimes, we are living as Job. There are times bad things happen to good people. The hope that those who trust in God have is that he will restore us. Yes, it may be after death, but those who serve God will be restored; they will be saved. This isn't just a New Testament promise; it is a promise found throughout Scriptures, like we see here. 

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Psalm 73

God protects those who our pure of heart. The problem is I’m not right now. This is what the psalm seems to be saying. Thankfully, there is help that comes from God. However, we need to realize that we often want to claim that we are pure and innocent when we aren’t. I don’t believe that every problem has two sources. There are times when one person or group is the source of the problem, but there are far more times when we aren’t as innocent as we would like to pretend. The Psalmist saw that and went to God. In the end, he got straightened out, but it started with him admitting that he had a problem.

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Judges 8

 

The beginning of this chapter reminds me of something CS Lewis said. He said you wouldn't think much of someone who said they supported the resistance (France in WW2) if they only did so after the Allies had retaken France.  So those who are hoping to wait until Jesus returns to declare Jesus as Lord are in a bad position. 

Here, the Gideon was in the mopping-up stage. Yes, the rulers hadn't been caught, but they were on the run, yet what we have to assume is that fear keeps those who should be supporting Gideon from doing so. Gideon brings back the proof and then punishes those who were playing it safe. To me is a reminder that we need to support those who are right, even if it means putting ourselves in possible jeopardy. Waiting until the war is won is the coward's path, and in the end, cowards are punished.  

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Judges 7

 

What might have happened if Gedeon had attacked with all his men? We know he would have lost. The lesson to learn here is to wait until God says it is time and do what he says in the meantime. Years ago, God spoke to my heart to leave the little church I was appointed to and focus solely on hospice work. This bothered me as I have always seen pastoring as my greatest calling. To make matters stranger, to leave a church without somewhere to go was suicidal for future pastoral appointments. Yet, I did it. I think I have seen what God did because of that, but to be honest, most of the benefits of obeying are confusing to me. Yet, at least I obeyed. This is the key. There are times we will understand and see exactly what God was planning, like for Gideon; other times, we may not, but that doesn't change the truth: we need to obey God.

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Jeremiah 12

 At the end of this chapter, God gives a promise to the nations that have fought against Israel. God tells them if they turn to him, he will establish them like he established Israel. God is wanting to have those who lead his people astray to follow him. How unlike us. If someone led my child into trouble, the last thing that I would naturally want to do is to say, I want to see you saved like I want to save my children. Yet God loves even those who led His people into idolatry. So much for the God of the Old Testament being mean and spiteful. 

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Judges 6

 

In all my years of ministry and life in the church, I do not think I remember anyone speaking on the unnamed prophet who prepared Israel for Gideon. This is a reminder to me that not all ministry, though it is vital, is remembered, or at least the people who do it are. In truth,  most ministry done around the world is done by people whose names are never going to be remembered in this world. This doesn't mean they aren't important, but it is a reminder that if you are seeking earthly fame, then working for God isn't the route to go. However, in eternity, I will get the chance to meet this prophet and learn his name. More importantly, God knows his name, and that at the end of the day is what truly matters.  

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1 Corinthians 9

 Paul ends this chapter on why a teacher can receive pay, but he doesn't, with the illustration of an athlete who disciplines himself. These thoughts are connected. The reason Paul didn't take funds was probably thinking it might hinder the ministry of the gospel, but it might also hinder him. Paul may have thought that accepting support for ministry would be a hindrance to the work God wanted in him. I believe this is true. It can also be true for everyone else in that there may be some things that might be good and right for others, but not for you. The same thing that another person might enjoy would be destructive for you. This is why the writer of Hebrews says that we need to lay aside everything that may hinder us (Hebrews 12:1). If you're now sure in your life what they might be, ask God or your spouse. God will know, and your spouse probably knows more than you realize, so ask. 

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Psalm 70

Wait, don't get on the wrong plane.

 I am reminded of a Southern Gospel song that says when God is four days late, He's right on time. The song speaks of Lazarus' death, but the miracle wasn't too late; it was at the right time. Yes, there are times when our sins, actions, or plain old stupidity can keep God from intervening, but sometimes it just isn't the right time. What looks like a delay isn't; it is waiting for the right moment. This is a very, very hard lesson to learn. We still pray, God don't delay, but let us add as Jesus did, Thy will be done. 

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Judges 5

We are given a hint in this chapter on how God took away the advantage of the chariots: floods/rain (verse 21). I have to wonder if the soldiers fighting for Israel may have initially complained about having to fight in the rain. Yes, indeed, there might not have been rain there, and it was further upstream, but to me, it seems like something God might do. Do you think this is bad? No, it's the victory. 

Reminds me of a story I heard about Patton in WW2. It is said he entered a church, looked up, and told God that though he had thought the rain a curse, it was actually a bigger problem for the German Army and helped the Allies, so he admitted that God did right. Not bad for a man who, as I know, was a Christian.  

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Judges 4

  To some, this may seem like, of course, Israel won, it was 10,000 against 900. This is wrong because first, the chariots carried 2 to 3 people in them, then it says that he took all the people with him, in other words, he took the tanks and the infantry. So, besides having the equivalent of tanks against foot soldiers, Sisera has foot soldiers too. How many might that have been? According to 2 Samuel 8:4, David took on 1000 chariots with 20000 supporting soldiers. If this is an example, then Israel was outmanned and outgunned. The problem for Sisera was that when his chariots failed (we aren't told why), he ran. My assumption is that even with more men, when what gave him an overwhelming advantage was taken, he ran. Which has me thinking he was little more than a bully. When it came to a fair fight, he was out of there. 

Our lesson: As always, trust God and don't trust in what appears to give you an advantage because it will fail.  

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Love is Best Because It's Finite...NOT

 I have heard several times, especially in books, television, and movies, that what makes life, love, and friendship so precious is that they are finite. So they are to be enjoyed in the moment, knowing they pass. This sounds true if you live according to Ecclesiastes, “under the sun.” It is true in a way, I should say, if your life’s focus is here and now and on how things are. The problem with this is the same as the writer of Ecclesiastes sees that everything in this world is vanity, a vapor, and passing. The problem is it's a lie.

It is true that if we have eternal life in this fallen world, it would be little more than hell on earth. The truth we don’t want to accept is that life isn’t fleeting; it is eternal. Yes, human life is, but we are going to live beyond this life. In fact, part of what will make hell what it is is that we will be there forever, unchanging, and the horror that people see in living forever will be very real. I will note I am not denying eternal punishment, but I am saying that from what I see, the ongoing hell of hell will be us. God will give us what we have chosen all of our lives ourselves, and we won’t like it.

The good news is that God has created a way for us to have a life where love, friendship, and all we understand as truly good can last for an eternity. It will be in a place where eternal life is so different from now that eternal life will be heaven. Eternal life will be a blessing and not a curse. It is true because God is and will transform his people and the world into a place where His people will see that life is truly wonderful because it doesn’t end. Love is great because it is infinite, not finite. It might be hard to fathom, but it might be similar to a small child seeing an adult book, it has no picture, maybe none on the cover, and it is huge, it goes on forever (anything over 50 pages for a four-year-old would qualify). To sit and read it for hours would be for that four-year-old a sentence of death (maybe for some adults too, but follow my logic here). Yet for those who love reading, a big well well-written book is a joy, and being able to read (or listen for my audio fans) for hours is a gift. It’s a gift that the four-year-old can’t imagine, but if they are trained to love books, then they will find the joy, and what looked like torture is wonder and joy. If you're not a reading person, think about watching sports or racing for hours (I’m not this person). 

At the end of the day, I believe that this idea that love and life are best when finite cheats those things. It also sells those who long for them a bill of goods that will keep them from seeking love and life, which isn’t finite. It tries to convince them they are good where they are. As I said, it’s a lie. 

What makes friendship, love, and life so great is that they can be eternal. We may not be getting that version now, but it’s out there. 

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Jeremiah 11

 God begins by telling Jeremiah to remind the people that if they obey God's commands, He would fulfill the promises he made. Unfortunately, the people didn't listen. In fact, to explain the rapid descent into apostasy after the revival, Josiah brought about, God says that there was a conspiracy, a secret resistance to the policies of renewal that Josiah proclaimed. It explains how a people can seemingly go from faithful service to evil in such a short period. God also revealed to Jeremiah those who were plotting to kill him and promised that they would be wiped out. 

God knows what is going on. He's never surprised. We may be, but he never is, and he will bring justice in his time. 

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Judges 3

 Shamgar killed six hundred Philistines with an oxgoad (a long, pointy stick). He saved Israel, too. I find this curious, as other than what I wrote, there really isn't anything said about Shamgar. God used him to defend Israel with a farmer's tool. However, perhaps there isn't more to say because after this, there wasn't anything that really changed. 

There is one thing that I am reminded of when reading this, and that is that God can use the most common things to make the biggest impact. A reminder that God, as Paul says, uses the weak things of the world to confound the mighty.  

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1 Corinthians 8

 

Paul is very clear that he is willing to give up something forever if it will cause someone else to stumble. This is a strong statement and one I believe God is asking us if we are willing to do. We often say that our lives belong to Christ, and that may mean that we have to let go of something so that others will be brought to God.

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Proverbs 15

 This chapter starts off with wisdom concerning our words. The first is how we speak, either gently or harshly. We see Jesus using harsh words, at times, but when he does, it stirs up anger. Usually, it is the religious leaders who are on the end of this, but I believe Jesus wanted to stir them up. They were content in their religiosity and could not see the problems in their lives, but if they were going to be saved, they needed to be stirred up. The admonition here is that there may be a time to use harsh words, but be prepared for the backlash. 

I am amazed at people who are offended that other people are upset with their harsh words. The Proverbs tells us this is normal, so don't be surprised. So, if you don't want to face anger, don't use harsh words. 

If you aren't willing to listen to this or any wisdom, then the last part of verse 2 will be your life. You will go about speaking folly. Side note here: folly or foolishness here is the same root word in Hebrew as evil. No surprise there. 

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