Isaiah 31 Combined notes

In Isaiah 31, God is questioning the wisdom of Israel in trusting Egypt in a contest that is ultimately against God. Israel has been in rebellion against God’s ways. Now, God is using the nations around them to punish them. Ultimately it isn’t a physical army they need.

In the natural world, if you are facing an enemy the wise plan is to get an ally more powerful than you and hopefully more powerful than your enemy. However, the problem is Israel is facing armies but their real antagonist is God. Bigger armies can’t protect Israel from God. 

The Egyptians are only men and unlike other enemies, there is no contest. By going to Egypt, the Israelites have actually assured the defeat of the Egyptians. I wonder if Egypt might have lasted longer if they had refused to help the rebellious Israelites? I also wonder if God might not bless some people because they would assist someone whom God is allowing to go through difficulty? 

 Yes, it is good to help others but there are times when we shouldn't. This was one of those times for Egypt. They should not have helped. Were they destined to be conquered? Yes, according to other prophecies, but perhaps it would have been different if they had not joined in alliance with God's rebellious people. 

The lesson for us is that if we are trying to help someone God is trying to correct or judge, we may face that judgment. Listening to God isn't just for when we need help it is also something we should be doing when giving it. There are times when the worst thing you can do is help someone. Especially if you are weak yourself. Your intentions may be noble but if you're offering help you shouldn't then you're going to be hurting. 

To say it another way, a way that has been said before, "The road to hell is paved with good intentions."

Isaiah 35

 

There will be a highway called the Way of Holiness. We may disagree on what holiness is and what it looks like the truth is that holiness is something God wants from those he redeems. We aren't just sinners saved by grace but transformed. Yes, we see in life and scripture that the transformation to complete holiness in spirit, soul, and body doesn't happen immediately at salvation, all branches of Christianity believe it will happen. Some only at death, most as a process the Holy Spirit begins to work out in the believer's life here on earth. What we do see is that it will be completed when the Lord returns or truly no one would be able to walk on this road.  

Personally, I'm glad as a Wesleyan/Methodist that I have hope that God can begin to change me now. I have hope that God can entirely sanctify those who follow him. I wouldn't want to think I have to stay the broken person I was when I first came to Christ without the hope of the Spirit's transforming power. 

Photo by George Bohunicky on Unsplash

Job 30

 

In one of Nassim Taleb's books, he mentioned that people want to hear the positive and mentioned the book, What I Learned Losing A Million Dollars by Jim Paul. He commented that the book was good and should have done better except that people have a propensity to want to hear from lucky winners rather than from experienced losers. I believe he was correct and so does Job. 

However, beyond that Job laments that now evil that he would have tried to stop is now running rampant. He can't stop it now and that is bad. I have to agree. When bad times come to good people the world around them suffers. On the flip side, if the world he lived in depended on him alone to keep things right they were already in trouble. In the less-than-stellar Superman 3 (1983), the world learns that if it depends on Superman to bring world peace then everything can fall apart if something happens to Superman. 

Outside of Jesus being the head, this is why I believe the church isn't set up under the control of just one superstar. Even Catholics have a check and balance as it were for the Pope. God understands we can't depend on just one, we need many. Yes, that does mean things aren't perfect, but the alternative is chaos when "the one" can't fulfill his/her job. 

By the way, this doesn't mean we shouldn't try to do what we can to make things right when it seems we are alone with God. We should, but we should also realize that if others don't take up the burden too then eventually everything will fall apart. 

Photo by Esteban López on Unsplash

Acts 10

 The night before I wrote this I woke up feeling wonderful. My back which was hurting had no pain. My sinuses which felt a little stuffy before going to bed were clear. I felt as if I could get up and do the work I had done twenty years ago wouldn't be a problem. I even felt like I had lost weight. It was great. The thought came to me. How does the miracle work? I was confused. It wasn't a demonstration of faith or something I had done it was...well... miraculous. How does the miracle work? I didn't have an answer. the only thing that came to my mind was, "It doesn't." It doesn't work because I did something a miracle works because Jesus does something. Jesus does the miracle, period. It is a miracle after all. 

The thought wouldn't leave my mind and so I got up and wrote this in a tablet I have by my bed. "How does a miracle work? It doesn't, Jesus does." We don't decide we get one Jesus does and we need to accept how he does it.

This brings me to the scripture today. The Jews had an understanding of how Gentiles could receive God's miracle of the covenant. It was through circumcision and following the law. Jesus had another plan. He told and showed Peter and the other disciples that he could cleanse the heart and the outward mark of circumcision was not needed. How did this miracle work? Jesus did it, period. 

Side note: When I actually got up this morning, I was back to physically being who I was. What happened? A miracle not in my body but in deepening my understanding. A reminder that I need to let Jesus be the healer and not me dictating how he should do it. 

Psalm 28

As I write this I am preparing a message on Shepherds/Pastors and what they mean to the body of Christ. However, the hope that we all have is that we can trust in the Great Shepherd, Jesus. Here at the end of this psalm, David prays that God will be a shepherd to His people. So how important is it for God to be a shepherd to Israel? Consider these notes from my message:

PASTOR – Shepherd – guiding caregiver

Shephard makes sure the flock gets what it needs. 

Rachel, Jacob, Zipporah, Moses, and David were all examples of shepherds

In John 21 Jesus is calling Peter back to him but also calling him to be a shepherd to His people. 

Things Pastors should demonstrate:

1. Compassion 

2. Protective

3. Resourceful

4. Persuasive

Shepherds don’t look at sheep as commodities.

Dangers Shepherds face

1. Natural disasters

2. Thieves

3. Other Shepherds 

4. Beasts

5. Armies

Tools of a shepherd

1. Voice (leads them) – John 10:27 My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.

2. Staff – pull the sheep back from danger

3. Rod/sling – To fight threats

Yes, they needed God to be a shepherd to them and so do we. 

Exodus 22

God in this chapter calls for restitution for damages. This isn't a taking from those because they have it to give, but making right what you ought to have taken care of no matter how much you have or don't have. There are exceptions for things people could not have prevented and calls for people to work out their disagreements if something seems questionable. As I read it, it seems very reasonable to me. 

Another thing that is pointed out is that if a thief comes in at night and is killed then the person who was protecting his family/possessions isn't guilty. On the other side, if revenge is taken later and not as we would say in the heat of the moment then the person who takes revenge is guilty of murder. 

God commands that restitution be made for one who steals and has nothing. This may seem unfair but consider how God set up what we would call indentured servanthood. This system was supposed to be a hand-up. It said, in a sense, yes we know you are starving and poor but since you can't take care of yourself, we will give you a job, a place to stay, provision for you and your family, and in a few years a new start. At least that was how it was supposed to be, unfortunately, it didn't happen that way in ancient Israel nor in the workhouses that Charles Dickens wrote against. However, both broken systems claimed God's ordained right for what they did even as they did the opposite of what God commanded. A reminder that we need to make sure that what we claim is a divine decree is actually from God.  

Exodus 21

When we see this chapter many are offended that God would allow people to sell others. This would be correct if the selling is what was seen in the context of chattel slavery. The slavery that happened here was when people is when people got into debt and could not pay it back they could sell themselves into servanthood or what would later be called indentured servanthood. They would work for up to six years and then be free to go no matter the amount owed. In fact, later passages require that the person releasing them was to give them resources to start a new life. We also see if any real damage was done to a servant the master was to free them and reimburse them for the damage. There was also an option to continue service to a person for longer which would mean that the owner would now be responsible for the person for the rest of their life even when they could no longer work.

The plan gave a person who made a mistake a chance to repay, keeping their dignity (by paying back) and also knowing that they would be free. It also gave a way for those who needed someone else to keep them secure (the irresponsible, or lacking ability) to find a secure household to join. Before condemning this system remember that thousands of people are currently working at jobs they hate for decades because of debt, especially student debt which can't be discharged through bankruptcy. Where this system broke down is when people stopped following the command God gave. When this happened people weren't freed, slaves were abused, and people instead of being able to have hope had none. This happens every time we don't do things God's way. 

I wouldn't want to go back to this system, but I have to admit if administered as God intended it would be better than how we often handle things now. The reason I wouldn't want to go back to this system is because I have seen humanity's track record and within a generation or two (if that long) what started out as an indentured servanthood would become everything we hate about slavery.