Jeremiah tells us about the “Time of the End”

Scripture	Observations/Paraphrase	Application
Jeremiah 5	August 25,  2009
The Sins of Judah 1 “Run up and down every street in Jerusalem,” says the Lord . “Look high and low; search throughout the city! If you can find even one just and honest person, I will not destroy the city. 2 But even when they are under oath, saying, `As surely as the Lord lives,’ they are still telling lies!” 3 Lord , you are searching for honesty. You struck your people, but they paid no attention. You crushed them, but they refused to be corrected. They are determined, with faces set like stone; they have refused to repent. 4 Then I said, “But what can we expect from the poor? They are ignorant. They don’t know the ways of the Lord . They don’t understand God’s laws. 5 So I will go and speak to their leaders. Surely they know the ways of the Lord and understand God’s laws.” But the leaders, too, as one man, had thrown off God’s yoke and broken his chains. 6 So now a lion from the forest will attack them; a wolf from the desert will pounce on them. A leopard will lurk near their towns, tearing apart any who dare to venture out. For their rebellion is great, and their sins are many. 7 “How can I pardon you? For even your children have turned from me. They have sworn by gods that are not gods at all! I fed my people until they were full. But they thanked me by committing adultery and lining up at the brothels. 8 They are well-fed, lusty stallions, each neighing for his neighbor’s wife. 9 Should I not punish them for this?” says the Lord . “Should I not avenge myself against such a nation? 10 “Go down the rows of the vineyards and destroy the grapevines, leaving a scattered few alive. Strip the branches from the vines, for these people do not belong to the Lord . 11 The people of Israel and Judah are full of treachery against me,” says the Lord . 12 “They have lied about the Lord and said, `He won’t bother us! No disasters will come upon us. There will be no war or famine. 13 God’s prophets are all windbags who don’t really speak for him. Let their predictions of disaster fall on themselves!’” 14 Therefore, this is what the Lord God of Heaven’s Armies says: “Because the people are talking like this, my messages will flame out of your mouth and burn the people like kindling wood. 15 O Israel, I will bring a distant nation against you,” says the Lord . “It is a mighty nation, an ancient nation, a people whose language you do not know, whose speech you cannot understand. 16 Their weapons are deadly; their warriors are mighty. 17 They will devour the food of your harvest; they will devour your sons and daughters. They will devour your flocks and herds; they will devour your grapes and figs. And they will destroy your fortified towns, which you think are so safe. 18 “Yet even in those days I will not blot you out completely,” says the Lord .19 “And when your people ask, `Why did the Lord our God do all this to us?’ you must reply, `You rejected him and gave yourselves to foreign gods in your own land. Now you will serve foreigners in a land that is not your own.’ A Warning for God’s People 20 “Make this announcement to Israel,s and say this to Judah: 21 Listen, you foolish and senseless people, with eyes that do not see and ears that do not hear. 22 Have you no respect for me? Why don’t you tremble in my presence? I, the Lord , define the ocean’s sandy shoreline as an everlasting boundary that the waters cannot cross. The waves may toss and roar, but they can never pass the boundaries I set. 23 But my people have stubborn and rebellious hearts. They have turned away and abandoned me. 24 They do not say from the heart, `Let us live in awe of the Lord our God, for he gives us rain each spring and fall, assuring us of a harvest when the time is right.’ 25 Your wickedness has deprived you of these wonderful blessings. Your sin has robbed you of all these good things. 26 “Among my people are wicked men who lie in wait for victims like a hunter hiding in a blind. They continually set traps to catch people. 27 Like a cage filled with birds, their homes are filled with evil plots. And now they are great and rich. 28 They are fat and sleek, and there is no limit to their wicked deeds. They refuse to provide justice to orphans and deny the rights of the poor. 29 Should I not punish them for this?” says the Lord . “Should I not avenge myself against such a nation? 30 A horrible and shocking thing has happened in this land— 31 the prophets give false prophecies, and the priests rule with an iron hand. Worse yet, my people like it that way! But what will you do when the end comes?	God tells Jeremiah to run up and down every street.  Look high and low and see if you can find even one honest person.  If you can, I will not destroy the city. But even under oath, they lie. God is searching for honesty.  He struck them, but they ignored them.  He crushed them, but they refused to be corrected.  With faces like stone, they are determined and refuse to repent. Jeremiah asks, “what about the poor?” They are ignorant and don’t know God’s laws.  So, he went to the leaders of the poor, but they too had thrown off the yoke of God. So now, a lion from the forest, a wolf from the desert, and a leopard will attack. Their rebellion is great and their sins are many. “How can I pardon you?” God asks. “Even your children have turned from me.  They have sworn by gods that are not gods at all.  I fed my people till they were full, but they thanked me by being adulterous.  They were well-fed, lusty stallions. “Shouldn’t I punish them for this?  Shouldn’t I avenge myself?” Go down and destroy the vineyards and grapevines – leaving a few scattered ones alive.  These people do not belong to the Lord.  They are full of treachery against me.  They have lied about God: “He won’t bother us,” they said.  “No disasters will come to us.  There won’t be war or famine.  God’s prophets are all windbags who don’t really speak for him.  Let their predictions of disaster fall on themselves.” Then God says: “Because the people are talking like this, my messages will flame out of your mouth and burn the people like kindling wood.  I will bring a distant nation against you,” says God.  “It is a mighty nation, an ancient nation – a people who language you do not know – whose speech you cannot understand.  Their weapons are deadly and their warriors are mighty. “They will devour the harvest, they will devour our sons and daughters, they will devour our livestock, they will devour the fruit – and they will destroy our fortified cities – which make us think we are safe. But even then, I won’t blot you out completely says God. And the people ask, “But why did the Lord do all this to us?” Tell the people this: “Because you rejected Him and gave yourselves to foreign gods in your own land.  Now you will serve foreigners in a land that is not your own.” Make this announcement, God says: “Listen to me you foolish and senseless people.  You don’t see, you don’t hear.  Do you not have respect for me?  Why don’t you tremble in my presence?I made it all happen – I created it all. “But my people have stubborn and rebellious hearts.  They have turned away and abandoned me.  They do not say from the heart, ‘ Let us live i awe of the Lord our God, for He gives us rain in the Spring and Fall, he brings the harvest when the time is right. “Your wickedness has deprived you of these wonderful blessings.  Your sin had robbed you of all these good things. “There are wicked people who lie and wait for victims.  Like a cage filled with birds, their homes are filled with evil plots.  And now they are great, and rich, fat, and sleek.  There is no limit to their wicked deeds. “They refuse to provide justice to orphans and deny the rights of the poor.  Should I not punish them for this?”  Says God.  “Should I not avenge myself against such a nation? “A horrible and shocking thing has happened in this land – the prophets give false prophesies, and the priests rule with an iron hand.  Worse yet, the people like it that way!” “But what will you do when the end comes?”	Like Abraham asking God to not destroy Sodom.  This chapter is filled with references to other stories in the Bible. God is looking for one honest man.  Someone who is transparent, authentic, real.  Someone who can admit they are a sinner – someone who can testify to the mighty acts of God – especially in their own life. In his desperation to find honesty – truth – he struck them, but that didn’t get their attention.  He crushed them – but still no repentance. But what about the poor?  Maybe they will listen?  But due to their ignorance, Jeremiah goes to the leaders of the poor – but they too have abandoned God. Destruction is on the way. As I read this passage, thoughts of the end times in Earth’s history flowed through my head.  Adventists have always had a vivid description of the end times.  Persecution, imprisonment, hiding in the hills, trying to escape the authorities. But we seem to have been lulled into a false sense of security.  Our religious liberty department constantly defends the Sabbath – in the courts, in the legislature, and in the workplace.  We have come to believe that nothing can happen to us because we live in a country founded on freedom. Sometimes, as we hear the news, we think that time is short.  The economic situation could bring pressure on people to make changes – but we really don’t believe this will happen in our lifetime. As I read this passage, I thought, what if there were a violent transition of power and authority in the US.  What if our government fell? We have come to think of ourselves as the most powerful nation – ever.  So the thought that our government could be overthrown, or our country overrun, seems ludicrous to us.  Just as it probably seemed to Jerusalem and Judah when Jeremiah was preaching to them. But what if it happened?  What if suddenly, there was a revolution, a civil war, a major transition?  What if we were overrun by another country?  What if Russia rose up – or the Middle East?  What if China decided to foreclose? When I first became a Christian 20-25 years ago, I had visions in my head – a reoccurring dream, of soldiers and troops running through the hills on the Oregon Coast.  The problem was, they were not American soldiers on training, they were an invading army. I haven’t thought of those images in years.  In fact, I’d pretty much discounted them as a result of too many mind-altering substances, too many violent movies, and an over-active imagination. But as I read this chapter in Jeremiah, I was reminded of those scenes.  What if we were invaded by a foreign power?  What if? If God is in charge of sending – or allowing the invaders, who can stop them?  If we were a God-fearing country, and now we’re not, don’t these passages speak directly into who we are?  Is there anything, short of absolute repentance that could stop this from happening? I see a scenario in my head.  Not an absolute scenario, but a “what if” scenario.  Just as an abstract example, we were invaded by another country?  What if there was a sudden shift in power and authority?  What if, as citizens of a new leadership, we found ourselves lost, broken, destroyed?  What if we cried out for help – to the new government – not to God?  And instead of deliverance, instead we got all the prophecies that we used to preach?  Sunday laws, persecution, imprisonment, ostracizing, the end times?
Prayer

Oh dear God.  Until this morning, I’ve been afraid of losing my house and all the associated “stuff.”  I’ve been concerned about how to nuance the Gospel in a way that would not be offensive.  I’ve been seeking ways to reach the unreached.

Today, I am convicted to get my own house in order.  To be solid, 100% followers of Your Way.

I love you too God.

Original Post here.

Created for God’s Glory

Scripture	Observations/Paraphrase	Application
Jeremiah 4	August 19, 2009
1 “O Israel,” says the Lord , “if you wanted to return to me, you could. You could throw away your detestable idols and stray away no more. 2 Then when you swear by my name, saying, `As surely as the Lord lives,’ you could do so with truth, justice, and righteousness. Then you would be a blessing to the nations of the world, and all people would come and praise my name.” Coming Judgment against Judah 3 This is what the Lord says to the people of Judah and Jerusalem: “Plow up the hard ground of your hearts! Do not waste your good seed among thorns. 4 O people of Judah and Jerusalem, surrender your pride and power. Change your hearts before the Lord ,s or my anger will burn like an unquenchable fire because of all your sins. 5 “Shout to Judah, and broadcast to Jerusalem! Tell them to sound the alarm throughout the land: `Run for your lives! Flee to the fortified cities!’ 6 Raise a signal flag as a warning for Jerusalem: `Flee now! Do not delay!’ For I am bringing terrible destruction upon you from the north.” 7 A lion stalks from its den, a destroyer of nations. It has left its lair and is headed your way. It’s going to devastate your land! Your towns will lie in ruins, with no one living in them anymore. 8 So put on clothes of mourning and weep with broken hearts, for the fierce anger of the Lord is still upon us. 9 “In that day,” says the Lord , “the king and the officials will tremble in fear. The priests will be struck with horror, and the prophets will be appalled.” 10 Then I said, “O Sovereign Lord , the people have been deceived by what you said, for you promised peace for Jerusalem. But the sword is held at their throats!” 11 The time is coming when the Lord will say to the people of Jerusalem, “My dear people, a burning wind is blowing in from the desert, and it’s not a gentle breeze useful for winnowing grain. 12 It is a roaring blast sent by me! Now I will pronounce your destruction!” 13 Our enemy rushes down on us like storm clouds! His chariots are like whirlwinds. His horses are swifter than eagles. How terrible it will be, for we are doomed! 14 O Jerusalem, cleanse your heart that you may be saved. How long will you harbor your evil thoughts? 15 Your destruction has been announced from Dan and the hill country of Ephraim. 16 “Warn the surrounding nations and announce this to Jerusalem: The enemy is coming from a distant land, raising a battle cry against the towns of Judah. 17 They surround Jerusalem like watchmen around a field, for my people have rebelled against me,” says the Lord . 18 “Your own actions have brought this upon you. This punishment is bitter, piercing you to the heart!” Jeremiah Weeps for His People 19 My heart, my heart—I writhe in pain! My heart pounds within me! I cannot be still. For I have heard the blast of enemy trumpets and the roar of their battle cries. 20 Waves of destruction roll over the land, until it lies in complete desolation. Suddenly my tents are destroyed; in a moment my shelters are crushed. 21 How long must I see the battle flags and hear the trumpets of war? 22 “My people are foolish and do not know me,” says the Lord . “They are stupid children who have no understanding. They are clever enough at doing wrong, but they have no idea how to do right!” Jeremiah’s Vision of Coming Disaster 23 I looked at the earth, and it was empty and formless. I looked at the heavens, and there was no light. 24 I looked at the mountains and hills, and they trembled and shook. 25 I looked, and all the people were gone. All the birds of the sky had flown away. 26 I looked, and the fertile fields had become a wilderness. The towns lay in ruins, crushed by the Lord ’s fierce anger. 27 This is what the Lord says: “The whole land will be ruined, but I will not destroy it completely. 28 The earth will mourn and the heavens will be draped in black because of my decree against my people. I have made up my mind and will not change it.” 29 At the noise of charioteers and archers, the people flee in terror. They hide in the bushes and run for the mountains. All the towns have been abandoned— not a person remains! 30 What are you doing, you who have been plundered? Why do you dress up in beautiful clothing and put on gold jewelry? Why do you brighten your eyes with mascara? Your primping will do you no good! The allies who were your lovers despise you and seek to kill you. 31 I hear a cry, like that of a woman in labor, the groans of a woman giving birth to her first child. It is beautiful Jerusalem gasping for breath and crying out, “Help! I’m being murdered!”	The Lord says that Jerusalem is welcome to return at anytime.  Just throw away the idols and don’t stray anymore. If you do so, with truth, justice, and righteousness – you will be a blessing to the nations of the world – and all the people will come and praise my name. God says this to Judah and Jerusalem.  Don’t waste your seed among thorns.  Surrender your pride and power.  Change your hearts, or my anger will burn like an unquenchable fire. Shout, and sound the alarm!  Run for your lives, flee to the fortified cities.  Flee now, do not delay.  Terrible destruction is coming from the North. A lion stalks, headed your way to devastate your land.  Your towns will lie in ruin – no one will live in them anymore. Put on clothes of mourning and weep with broken hearts.  The fierce anger of the Lord is upon us. In that day, the leaders will tremble in fear.  The pastors will be struck with horror.  The prophets will be appalled. But, the people have been deceived.  Peace was promised, but the sword is at their throats. A time is coming, “My dear people,” a burning wind is blowing – not a gentle breeze, it is a roaring blast sent by God – “Now I will pronounce your destruction.” The enemy rushes down on us like storm clouds.  Fast, swift, and terrible.  We are doomed. Oh Jerusalem, cleanse your heart that you may be saved.  Don’t harbor evil thoughts.  Your destruction will be announced from the hilltops. Warn the surrounding nations and announce this.  The enemy is coming from a distant land, they will surround us.  My people have rebelled against God. “Your own actions brought this upon you – this punishment is bitter, piercing you to the heart.” Jeremiah weeps and writhes in pain.  My heart pounds – I cannot be still.  I have heard the blast of the trumpets – and the roar of the enemy’s battle cries.  Destruction rolls over the land.  Everything is destroyed and crushed.  How long must I witness this? My people are foolish – they don’t know me, says God – they are stupid children without understanding.  They are clever enough at doing wrong, but have no idea how to do it right! I looked, and the earth was empty and formless.  There was no light from the heavens.  The mountains and hills trembled.  The people were gone, the birds had flown away.  The fields had become wilderness.  The towns were in ruin – crushed by the Lord’s anger. The Lord says, the whole land will be ruined – but I will not destroy it completely, says the Lord.  The earth will mourn – and the heavens will be draped in black – because of God’s decree – and he will not change His mind. When the people hear the approaching army, they will flee in a panic.  The will hide in the bushes, run for the mountains, and will abandon the cities.  Not a person will remain. God asks, what we are doing.  We act like we’ve just plundered someone.  We dress in beautiful clothing, put on Gold jewelry – but our primping will do no good.  Our lovers will be our enemies. I hear a cry – a painful cry.  It is beautiful Jerusalem, gasping for breath and crying out: “Help!  I’m being murdered.!”	God doesn’t hold grudges.  He just wants whaat is best for us.  Like a parent, if our child quits  doing naughty things, we embrace them and send them on their way. If they don’t stop making poor choices, we have to find methods to convince them that continuing on that path is not a good one. I see here, the promise given to Abraham, re-spoken.  The blessings from God were not so much for the benefit of Israel.  God wanted to bless everyone on Earth – and He chose Israel to exemplify that relationship.  Ultimately though – it isn’t for the people, it is for the glory of God.  I’m not sure why we make this about ourselves – it is about the two great commandments: 1) God, 2) others. He continues to call us out of the danger zone.  To let go of the pride and power, and change our hearts – this is where the real change needs to take place. Jeremiah, from God, continues to try and wake the people up.  Shout and sound the alarm – run for your lives! At the very least, we can mourn for our sorry state of affairs. Jeremiah paints a vision of the future.  Leaders, pastors, prophets will all be terrified.  But why not now? He says the people have been deceived.  They’ve been told that peace is their destiny, but there is a sword to their throat.  EGW says that in these last days, there will be people who proclaim “Peace, peace,” but to avoid them. It seems as if those who get elected in a political system, have to cry peace, peace.  Those that tell the truth, Like George Bush, Sr. did (eg; he will raise taxes), will not get reelected.  Those that portray a vision of growth, safety, freedom, and prosperity – well, they are the ones who keep their positions. I am amazed that a church that teaches end-time events as a part of their core and substance, does not understand the implications of these end-times?  They seem to think that everything will be fine until Jesus comes.  They seem to think that there is nothing they must do to prepare for His return.  Just keep on doing what we’ve always done – and we’ll go home with Jesus in the end. But God is telling us here to cleanse our hearts so we can be saved.  We must proclaim the warning and quit rebelling against God! It is our own actions that has brought this upon us. Jeremiah weeps in pain.  This passage has caused me pause.  Jeremiah portrays his emotions deeply.  I don’t know if he was this expressive verbally – I certainly am not.  However, inside, this passion shouts from my soul. But somehow, in shouting that we need to awaken and that we need to make changes has led people to decide that I don’t love them.  This has been one of the most troubling and confusing issues for me. If I didn’t love them – from God’s heart, why would I care. But this is where I get my answer.  Even God says they are foolish and stupid.  If He thinks that, why do I believe I can get through to them. The whole earth is doomed.  But we will most likely wait until the last minute and we will cry out – “I am being murdered!”
Prayer

Dear God, help me to speak more clearly the repentance that must occur.  Teach me to be more patient with those who don’t get it.  Help me to change my heart and motives and to follow you always!

G

Original Post here.

Faith, Fear, and Frustrations

Scripture:

Joshua 22:11 The rest of Israel heard that the people of Reuben, Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh had built an altar at Geliloth at the edge of the land of Canaan, on the west side of the Jordan River.

Isaiah 28:29 The Lord of Heaven’s Armies is a wonderful teacher, and he gives the farmer great wisdom.

Hebrews 11:27, 39, 40 It was by faith that Moses left the land of Egypt, not fearing the king’s anger. He kept right on going because he kept his eyes on the one who is invisible.…All these people earned a good reputation because of their faith, yet none of them received all that God had promised. For God had something better in mind for us, so that they would not reach perfection without us.

Observations:

When the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and the half-trib of Manasseh built an altar, the other tribes immediately assumed that it was to worship a false god.  Without cell phones, email, or other modern forms of communication, they had no way of knowing what their intentions for the alter were about.  Of course, being human, they immediately thought the worse and prepared to go to war against these three tribes.  Common sense reigned however, and they first sent a delegation to seek demand answers.  Once everything was cleared up, the delegation returned to their people, satisfied that this altar was erected in good faith.

Interestingly, jumping forward to Isaiah 28, we see that it is really the Lord’s armies that we should fear.  For they are truly great teachers.  God is able, and willing, to send armies to discipline His people.  I wonder if the armies assembled in Joshua 22 were assembled by God – or of people’s need to control?

And the third passage quoted above, reminds us of the great faith of God’s followers in the past.  Though great danger and fear surrounded Moses, he kept his eyes on God and was able to leave Egypt, unscathed.

Applications:

Reading Joshua 22 just made me seethe with frustration.  Why are people so quick to jump to conclusions?  Why do they assume the worst?  Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, Noah, Lot, and many others were always building altars.  Anytime there was a significant event, they were piling rocks one on another to honor God’s mighty acts.  But then once the tribes have some order and government, suddenly they lose that spontaneity.  What’s up with that?

It’s as if the tribes that built the altar didn’t run this past the church board first.  They didn’t file the right paperwork.  They hadn’t gotten the proper permits.  But why did the other tribes automatically assume the worst?  Why were they so quick to go to war?  Sure, they didn’t have instant communication tools like email and the phone, but couldn’t they have just walked over and asked?  Wouldn’t that have been much easier than assembling an army and a delegation to interrogate the tribes?

Then reading Isaiah 28, I have to ask the above questions with even more certainty.  Isn’t God in control?  Won’t he take care of disciplining others, as He sees fit?  Nowhere in the above story do I see that God asked the other tribes to take care of the perceived disobedience.  Nowhere do I see that they sought out God’s advice.  Why did they think it was there responsibility to weed out the things they saw as disobedience?  Why do they think they are smarter than God?

Obviously Moses faced this same sort of opposition, not just from the Pharaoh, but also from the captive and enslaved Israelites.  But, he kept his eye on God and came out unscathed.  I wonder if Moses was ever as discouraged as I am?  I wonder if he ever felt like he should just abandon these disrespectful people?  I wonder how many times Moses just wanted to go back and be a shepherd again?

The cool thing about Hebrews 11 is that it talks about these feelings.  It says that the people could have gone back, but by faith they knew that God had something better up ahead.  So, they kept moving forward.

Prayer:

Father God, you alone are my Rock.  Please rescue me from those who speak harshly about me.

Wandering

Scripture:

Deuteronomy 9:1-3 “Listen, O Israel! Today you are about to cross the Jordan River to take over the land belonging to nations much greater and more powerful than you. They live in cities with walls that reach to the sky! ² The people are strong and tall—descendants of the famous Anakite giants. You’ve heard the saying, ‘Who can stand up to the Anakites?’ ³ But recognize today that the Lord your God is the one who will cross over ahead of you like a devouring fire to destroy them. He will subdue them so that you will quickly conquer them and drive them out, just as the Lord has promised.

Observations:

These three chapters in Deuteronomy are very powerful – and inspiring.  I particularly remember chapter 6 from before we planted a new church, from scratch, in Colorado Springs.  But these chapters are great reminders of how the Lord will go before us and how we don’t have to fear our enemies or obstacles.

What I see in these verses is a strong reminder to stay faithful, don’t fear, and to not look to other means (Golden Calves) to save us.  I see how the unity and character of the tribes is necessary for them to enter the promised land.

Applications:

The church wants to move forward, they want to do something!  They want to make things happen.  But the message I hear from God is that it isn’t our job to make something happen.  It’s not our job to push into the Promised Land.  It is our job to be faithful, obedient, humble, and strong – strong in the Lord.

Prayer:

Father God, I wonder how many and how often the Israelites complained during their 40 years of wandering in the desert?  Please give me the patience, compassion, and love for the people – like Moses had.

It Hurts, Doesn’t It?

Scripture:

Exodus 29:1,4-9  -  Dedication of the Priests

1“This is the ceremony you must follow when you consecrate Aaron and his sons to serve me as priests…

4 “Present Aaron and his sons at the entrance of the Tabernacle,^[a] and wash them with water. 5 Dress Aaron in his priestly garments—the tunic, the robe worn with the ephod, the ephod itself, and the chest piece. Then wrap the decorative sash of the ephod around him. 6 Place the turban on his head, and fasten the sacred medallion to the turban. 7 Then anoint him by pouring the anointing oil over his head. 8 Next present his sons, and dress them in their tunics. 9 Wrap the sashes around the waists of Aaron and his sons, and put their special head coverings on them. Then the right to the priesthood will be theirs by law forever. In this way, you will ordain Aaron and his sons.”

Observations:

As God was giving these instructions it is clear, to me, that he wanted the people to have respect and reverence for the tabernacle, the priests who served, and the ceremonies associated with the tabernacle.  There is clearly nothing ordinary about this situation and God is quite clear as to who these men represent and how they and the ordinances are to be treated.

Yet, as I read the New Testament, I don’t see any parallels between the apostles and these ceremonies.  The apostles were regular men, often with side-jobs, who happened to have been called by God to serve, preach, and lead.  There were no priestly garments; there was no tabernacle; and there wasn’t any great deference given to these guys – except for the fact that were respected for their obedience and character.

In today’s society we have created an odd blending of the old and the new.  We don’t do a seven day festival, the priests are not supported directly from the offerings, and our modern spiritual leaders don’t wear and ephod that receives direct communication from God.  On the other hand we do bestow a special title and hold them up on a pedestal.

The same with our “tabernacle” – our “tent of meeting.”  We no longer slaughter animals in the tabernacle, God’s shekinah glory no longer dwells in a building, and our “priests” no longer present sins directly before God as mediators for the people.

I’m not sure where we got our current structures, but most of it seems based on tradition, not biblical guidance.  While respect and reverence are always important, it must be understood that God does not dwell in a physical building.  If anything, He dwells in our hearts.  This is why our bodies are considered the temples of God.  he dwells in our church body too – not the building.

My role as a spiritual leader is not put above any of the other spiritual gifts, it is just one more part of the body that keeps the body alive and thriving.

Applications:

Yesterday I had an interesting encounter with a man who is apparently suffering from mental illness.  So many times things like schizophrenia and other diseases take on religious and spiritual connotations, as they did with my friend yesterday.

As my friend shared with me, I was struck by the confusion and cacophony of logic that was coming from him.  He apparently believes that he is either God, Jesus, a prophet, more than a prophet, or a special messenger from God.  As I listened to him, I prayed.  And I just listened.  There was no need to argue, no need to correct him, nor was there any reason to provoke him in any way.  I just listened.  I was sad.

After he left, I began to work on today’s scripture.  I remember this moment clearly.  I walked out to my truck to get my reference Bible – I was at Starbucks.  The text for today has to do with the “hate” we will experience from the World, the culture, the society of unbelievers.  As I reached into my truck I felt something powerful in my soul.

It was as if I had this tremendous compassion for a lost world.  Not just lost people, though that too, but for a society that is careening off the edge of God’s original plan.  I suddenly felt courageous and bold.  I felt a need to stand up for what is important.

It is one thing to be tactful and to build relationships, but it is quite another to speak out, in season, and out of season.  It is important to be wise and gentle, but it is also important to speak the word at all times.

Last week while having lunch with a friend, the conversation turned to our new president.  I expressed some excitement at the integrity and forward progress that his administration is making.  But my friend wasn’t excited.  He talked about how bad things are and how its going to be very rough in the near future.

It was right at this moment that I made a compromise.  I was caught off gaurd and not prepared.  It was a golden moment to talk about human solutions versus God solutions.  But I remained silent.  I wasn’t ready.

Yesterday, I knew I needed to be prepared to speak up, in season and out.  I know I need to be always ready.

Prayer:

Father God, thank you for insight in this area.  Teach me how to always be ready.  Teach me how to reach out to an unbelieving and hurting world.

What are you willing to sacrifice?

Scripture:

Exodus 12:29, 41-42, And that night at midnight, the Lord struck down all the firstborn sons in the land of Egypt, from the firstborn son of Pharaoh, who sat on his throne, to the firstborn son of the prisoner in the dungeon. Even the firstborn of their livestock were killed.

41 In fact, it was on the last day of the 430th year that all the Lord’s forces left the land. 42 On this night the Lord kept his promise to bring his people out of the land of Egypt. So this night belongs to him, and it must be commemorated every year by all the Israelites, from generation to generation.

Exodus 13:14-16 “And in the future, your children will ask you, ‘What does all this mean?’ Then you will tell them, ‘With the power of his mighty hand, the Lord brought us out of Egypt, the place of our slavery. 15 Pharaoh stubbornly refused to let us go, so the Lord killed all the firstborn males throughout the land of Egypt, both people and animals. That is why I now sacrifice all the firstborn males to the Lord—except that the firstborn sons are always bought back.’ 16 This ceremony will be like a mark branded on your hand or your forehead. It is a reminder that the power of the Lord’s mighty hand brought us out of Egypt.”

Psalm 21:1 How the king rejoices in your strength, O Lord! He shouts with joy because you give him victory. 2 For you have given him his heart’s desire; you have withheld nothing he requested.

Observations:

Parts of the Book of the Exodus are quite troubling.  Did God really harden Pharoah’s heart?  Did he really kill all these first-born children?  Did he actually wipe out all the Egyptian army?

As I sit and think about it today, I am left with no doubt that he did.  Something that has never occurred to me before is that the Egyptians were God’s children too.  Often, it is easy to dismiss their deaths because they were enemies of the Lord’s purposes.  However, God created them and loved them just as much.  Therefore, it isn’t as troubling, but is also more troubling than it was before.

If one of my children were to turn on me, our family, and the goodness we’re trying to instill, would I kill them?  No.

But God has a bigger, more universal approach to the events, motives, and activities of the Creation.

A parable comes to mind:

If my family were in danger and all were in peril of dying, what would I do?  If I could sacrifice one of them to save the rest, would I?  Would I be able to make that kind of choice, or would I be paralyzed by fear?  Would my universal love for every member of my family prevent me from sacrificing one, in order to save the others?

It would be in line with the Story of the Drawbridge Keeper parable.

In a sense, this is what God did with the First Born, the Egyptians, and almost every other “enemy of the Lord” as recorded in the Bible – especially the Old Testament.  But when we realize that life on Earth is temporal and the eternal has greater value, it is easier for us to accept the death and/or sleep of a person’s life on this side of eternity.

Applications:

Jesus tells us to be willing to sacrifice our hand, our eye, or any body part if that will enable us to get into the Kingdom.  Similar to the Mad Max character who was handcuffed to a burning car and given a hacksaw, what dilemma do we face.  Better to lose a hand than to be burned.  Better to lose a child than to lose the child and the mother, or vice versa.  Better to lose a member of the family than to lose the whole family.

What am I willing to sacrifice in order to save my family?  What am I willing to sacrifice in order to save my church?  What am I willing to sacrifice to save the unchurched in my community?

• My pride?
• My life?
• My finances?
• My will?
• My way?
• My position, power, or principles?

Prayer:

Dear Lord, at this point in my life, my family is more important than anything in my realm.  Please show me what I need to let go of in order to see my family safely into the Kingdom.

Rock and a Wet Spot

Scripture:

Exodus 14:10-14 NIV  As Pharaoh approached, the Israelites looked up, and there were the Egyptians, marching after them. They were terrified and cried out to the LORD.  ..11..  They said to Moses, “Was it because there were no graves in Egypt that you brought us to the desert to die? What have you done to us by bringing us out of Egypt?  ..12..  Didn’t we say to you in Egypt, ‘Leave us alone; let us serve the Egyptians’? It would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the desert!”  ..13..  Moses answered the people, “Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the LORD will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again.  ..14..  The LORD will fight for you; you need only to be still.”

Observations:

The Israelites were trapped between the Red Sea, the mountains, the desert, and the approaching Egyptians.  Of course they were scared!  They cried out to Moses, “Why did you bring us out to the desert to die?”  But Moses shows unwavering faith, even before God gives him a plan (to part the Red Sea), Moses stands up and declares his faith in God’s ability to take care of things.  He has total trust in God.

The Jewish people didn’t have that kind of faith, yet.  They were spiritually immature and needed to put their faith in Moses – he was their liaison to God.

It was only after Moses showed that kind of faith that the people were willing to follow.

Application:

Are we willing to get out of the “control” business?  Are we willing to quit trying to control our circumstances, surroundings, and relationships?  I think, for the most part, we are not.  We plead with God to take away our stressors and problems without any thought to the lessons that must be learned or the circumstances of the situation.  We just want the paint to stop – at all costs.  It may never occur to us, nor would we stop to consider that the painful situation we are in is a part of our schooling and character development.

Until we open ourselves to the possibility that God loves us more than we love ourselves, and that He has our best interests in mind, we may continue to repeat the same situations and painful circumstances over and over and over again.

We have to get out of the control business.

Prayer:

Dear Lord, open me to what you would like from me and to where I have to go.

gw