Revelation 2:1-7, The Importance of Looking Back (1)

What would you say if I encouraged you to look back in your life to how things used to be?  Perhaps you would object, citing Phil. 3:13: forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead.  Those are wonderful and powerful words.  But in that context, Paul was speaking of his failed attempt to find righteousness on his own, apart from Christ (3:1-7). 

In todays passage, and often in Scripture, God’s people are told to “remember.”  Remember from where you have fallen.  In the great “Song of Moses” Israel was told to, Remember the days of old; consider the generations long past.  Ask your father and he will tell you, your elders, and they will explain to you (Deut. 32:7).  Psalm 77 is all about remembering the past.  Then I thought, ‘To this I will appeal: the years of the right hand of the Most High.  I will remember the deeds of the LORD; yes, I will remember your miracles of long ago (77:10-11). 

In each of these cases, of course, God’s people are encouraged to remember the effect of God’s grace in their lives in the past.  They are in the midst of a time of doubt or of a loss of spiritual vitality.  They need to remember the way God was at work in their lives at an earlier time.  This call to “remember” is common both for Israel and the Church.  Note these four things God’s people must always remember.

·       Remember what you “were.”  Through the Feast of Unleavened Bread, God gave the people of Israel the opportunity to do just that.  And Moses said to the people: “Remember this day in which you went out of Egypt, out of the house of bondage; for by strength of hand the LORD brought you out of this place.  No unleavened bread shall be eaten” (Ex. 13:3).  Paul reminded the Ephesians Church of their spiritual origins: Remember that you, once Gentiles in the flesh … having no hope and without God in the world (Eph. 2:11-12).

·       Remember how God redeemed you.  Through the Passover God gave Israel the means to do this.  Now the blood shall be a sign for you on the houses where you are.  And when I see the blood, I will pass over you ... So this day shall be to you a memorial; and you shall keep it as a feast to the LORD throughout your generations (Ex. 12:13-14).  The Church has been given the Ordinance of the Lord’s Table, to remember the redeeming work of Christ (1 Cor. 11:23-25).

·       Remember God’s word.  For Jews, the “Tzitzit” or tassels on the corners of their garments, were that you may remember and do all My commandments, and be holy for your God (Num. 15:38-40).  Likewise, the Church is called to remember the words which were spoken before by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ (Jude 17).  Peter wrote (and Paul did as well) to remind the people of things they had learned in the past but needed to recall (2 Peter 1:12). 

·       Remember God’s works.  Through the Feast of Tabernacles Israel had a constant reminded of God’s works in bringing them through the wilderness wanderings and into the Promised Land (Deut. 7:8; Ps. 105:5).  Jesus challenged the faith of His disciples, that they did not trust God because they had already forgotten the work He had done (Matt. 16:8-9).  Remembering God’s words can be tricky.  We must remember them so we are encouraged to know that God can do great things today as He did yesterday.  What we must not do is look at God’s works yesterday and assume He will do the same today.  That is where we can get into trouble, when we “institutionalize” God’s ways and works, and try to create the same situation today. 

Why not do some remembering today?

Acts 2:41-48, The Church is a Fellowship (2)

Let us conclude our thoughts on the “fellowship” aspect of the Body of Christ.

·       The Church is the fellowship of ministry (Phil. 1:5,7; Phlm. 1:17; 2 Cor. 8:23; Eph. 4:11-16).  Paul often spoke of people as being “partners” (it’s the koinonia term) in his ministry.  For example, the Philippian Church partnered with him; they were in fellowship with Paul even though he was in Corinth or Ephesus or even in prison in Rome, and the Philippian believers were helping him financially.  We need to keep this in mind: financial involvement with what we call “missionaries” is not simply a transfer of funds; it makes you part of the ministry.  You share the same ministry with them.  Furthermore, the above passage from Ephesians shows how every member of a church has a ministry, and is thus in a partnership with the rest of the body so as to build up the local body and reach out to their community.  We are partners in ministry.

·       The Church is the fellowship of obedience (1 John 1:6-7).  We walk the path of the Christian life, not as “Lone Rangers,” but as partners with the rest of the Body.  “IF we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another.”  It is part of being the fellowship of Christ: all who walk with Him are sharing together the obedient life to which He has called us.  There is a strong negative emphasis on this in the NT.  Consider 2 Cor. 6:14-16a: Do not be yoked together with unbelievers … what fellowship can light have with darkness!  Paul told Timothy not to “share in” (koinonia term) the sins of others (1 Tim. 5:22).  In the same way sharing in the ministry of God’s servants brings us into fellowship with them, so sharing in the ministry of the false teachers means we share in their wicked work (2 John 11).  Think about this.  There are many false teachers these days, who, through slick advertising methods, are able to con well-meaning Christians out of God’s resources.  We are a fellowship of obedience; there is no place for fellowship with the disobedient.

·       The Church is the fellowship of suffering.  There are twin aspects to this.  First, we share in the suffering of Christ, as both Peter and Paul pointed out (1 Peter 4:13; Phil. 3:10).  We have taken up our cross to follow Him; thus we are on the same path.  But because this is true of all believers, we also share in the trials of the rest of those who are carrying their cross as they follow Christ.  The Philippians shared in the suffering of Paul (Phil. 4:14).  Others stood side by side with those who were persecuted (Heb. 10:33).  If we happen to be in a period of rest, we still must be willing to come alongside those who are suffering (Rom. 12:15); if one part suffers, every part suffers with it (1 Cor. 12:25-26).  When we realize this, we also realize that fellowship is not just about times of enjoyment together; we seek by fellowship to help others carry their burden of suffering.

·       The Church is the fellowship of resources (Rom. 12:13; Gal. 6:6; Heb. 13:16; Phil. 2:3-4).  In each of the preceding four passages the koinonia term is there.  Hospitality is an act of fellowship.  Supporting the teachers in our local body is fellowship.  In the NT a major aspect of this part of fellowship is the sharing of material goods.  Look at the connection between sharing money and sharing ministry: when the believers in Macedonia and Achaia made a “contribution” to the poor of Jerusalem, Paul said, if the Gentiles have shared in the Jews spiritual blessings, they owe it to the Jews to share with them their material blessings (Rom. 15:26-27).  Closer to home, in the local body, you will remember that the earliest believers in Jerusalem had all things common, meaning they shared material things so that all the needs were met (Acts 4:32-35).  Paul told Timothy to “command” the rich to be generous and willing to share (koinonia).

How can you increase your partnership in your local fellowship?  How can you encourage your local fellowship to better share together the life of Christ?

Psalm 119:137-144

Evidence that one is learning God’s lessons in affliction is often indicated by the saint’s confession that God is righteous.  This was common among God’s men in the time of the Babylonian exile.  Many questioned God’s promises since Jerusalem was destroyed and Israel was removed from the land.  Yet those who knew God recognized that they were the sinners and God was right in all that He had done.

 (See this in the confessions of Ezra, Ezra 9:15; Nehemiah, Neh. 9:33; Daniel, Dan. 9:7,14.  It also is central to the unfolding judgment on the world in Revelation where men criticize God but angels proclaim His justice, Rev. 15:3-4; 16:7; 19:2).

The Psalmist, enduring a great time of affliction, yet affirms the righteousness of God (137) and His word (138).  The great value of a God who is righteous is seen in the attending words used in this stanza.

o 137: righteous and upright or straight.  God’s word, coming from a righteous God, is correct in it’s judgments.

o 138: righteous and very faithful.  His word is enduring.

o 140: righteous and pure.  His word is tested, proven.

o 142,144: everlasting righteousness.  His word is right in all ages.

o 142: righteousness and truth.  His word is without error.

To affirm our sin and His righteousness in our times of difficulty is critical if we are to maintain our perspective.  Though the enemy forgets God’s word the saint is confident and bold (139).  Though small and despised by the world, and perhaps even in his own eyes, yet he continues in God’s precepts and knows he will be proven right (141).  No wonder he delights in His commandments (143). 

The story of Job is a struggle with this very issue.  He desires to speak with God because he is sure God has brought difficulty on the wrong person.  In the end, when confronted by the Sovereign God, Job can only say “I am vile … I abhor myself” (40:3-5; 42:1-6).  He has run squarely into the righteousness of God and knows he has sinned in questioning God’s plan.

It has become almost popular for those in affliction to go through phases of anger at God.  Perhaps this is normal, but if you are at that point in your trial be very clear: you have not come to the end of your journey.  God is right.  If you take issue with Him, then you are wrong.  Affirm His righteousness today.

John 6:25-35, The Church is a Fellowship (1)

In the local church setting we often use the term “fellowship” to refer to an upcoming potluck.  That’s not wrong.  But it is very incomplete.  “Fellowship” is the Greek koinonia and means we share together, partake of together, have things in common.  Thus, it applies to a church dinner where people all bring a dish and share it.  The NT church enjoyed sharing of meals together (Acts 2:46).   

But “fellowship” goes far beyond this.  In other words, according to the NT there are other things we share, most famously, of course …

·       The Church is the fellowship of Christ (1 Cor. 1:9; 10:16; 2 Pet. 1:4; 1 John 1:3).  We all have Christ.  We share His life (John 6:35).  Whatever picture the Bible paints of the Church, Christ is at the center of it!

IF THE CHURCH IS …	THEN CHRIST IS …
The Body of Christ, 1 Cor. 12:12-31	The Head of the Body
The temple of God, Eph. 2:20-22; 1 Pt. 2:5-7	The Chief Cornerstone
The people of God, 1 Peter 2:9-10	The Savior of the People
The bride of Christ, Eph. 5:22-33; Rev. 19:7-9	The Husband of the Church
The flock of God, John 10:1-30; 1 Peter 5:2	The Good/Great Shepherd
The Branches of the Vine, John 15:1-16	The Vine
The Royal Priesthood, 1 Peter 2:5-9	The Great High Priest
The family of God, Eph. 2:19; Rom. 8:14-17	The Only Begotten Son

·       The Church is the fellowship of the Spirit (2 Cor. 13:14; Phil. 2:1).  Certainly, we are a fellowship brought together in Christ through the work of the Holy Spirit.  But we also share the same Holy Spirit; He lives in every one of us.  We have not received the spirit of this world but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things freely given to us by God (1 Cor. 2:12).  We have all been given the one Spirit to drink (1 Cor. 12:13).  There are no “second class” Christians in terms of God’s provision.  Jesus promised to send the Spirit; He fulfilled that promise. 

·       The Church is the fellowship of faith (Acts 2:41-42; Titus 1:4).  For by grace you have been saved, through faith, and that not of yourselves (Eph. 2:8).  We have entered this fellowship by receiving God’s free gift through Jesus Christ our Lord.  There is no other way.  Thus, every Christian shares a common faith, faith in Christ!  Along with this, we can also say …

·       The Church is the fellowship of salvation (Jude 1:3).  There is only one Savior; there is only one salvation.  We have been saved from sin through the Savior’s work on the cross.  Thus, as Jude puts it, we share a common salvation. 

In all these things we can say that there are no second class people in the fellowship of Christ.  There is no distinction.  All have Christ.  Christ, under the New Covenant, promised to give all believers the Holy Spirit.  We have Christ only because of our faith in Him for salvation.

Psalm 130, Faith – Love – Hope (2)

Let us continue to consider, from the OT, encouragements to “hope.”

·       Hope and the Word of God.  Let us meditate on the passages in Psalm 119 that use the term yachal (see yesterday’s post).  In this you will see some of the details both of the one who hopes in the Lord and in the Lord in whom he hopes. 

o   119:43: And take not the word of truth utterly out of my mouth, for I have hoped in Your ordinances.  He does according to the rules of life given by God because he hopes in them, trusts them to see him through hard times.

o   119:49: Remember the word to Your servant, upon which You have caused me to hope.  The God he trusts has caused him to trust in the word He spoke.  And note, the Psalmist is God’s “servant.”  A servant, someone beholden to someone else, trusts that One to keep His word.

o   119:74: Those who fear You will be glad when they see me, because I have hoped in Your word.  The Psalmist is not alone in hoping in the Lord.

o   119:81: My soul faints for Your salvation, but I hope in Your word.  The hard service, as Job called it (Job 14:14), may be truly hard; but his faith does not waver.

o   119:114: You are my hiding place and my shield; I hope in Your word.  Hope in the Lord may not bring an end to the hard service, but throughout the Lord will give him what he needs for joyful endurance.

o   119:147: I rise before the dawning of the morning, and cry for help; I hope in Your word.  Day after day, the Psalmist exercises his trust in the Lord by continually turning to the Lord and crying out to Him!

·       Hope and redemption.  Today’s passage has been referred to by some as the “Psalm of Paul.”  They say this because it sounds like Romans and other powerful passages of Paul concerning our redemption.  But of course, it was not written by Paul.  What it tells us is that, in the Old as well as the New Testament, hope is founded upon the promise of a Redeemer.  That promise was first given in Gen. 3:15 and then repeated often in the OT with a growing understanding as to what it would involve.  The story of Cain and Abel made it clear that this Redeemer was not only human (Seed of the Woman) but would die for us.  You may not think the story was clear, but my reason for saying this is that the saints of the OT understood that was in the story. 

o   Job had confidence, as he awaited the day of his “change”, because he knew that his Redeemer lived (19:25-27).  That passage only makes sense, and only provides hope for Job, if Job understood that the Redeemer would be one of us (human) and would die (be a sacrifice for sin). 

o   In Psalm 130 the writer is in “the depths.”  His situation is hopeless IF the LORD marks (takes note of) iniquities; i.e. if God is keeping track.  But there is forgiveness!  How can he be assured of this?  Because I wait for the LORD, my soul waits, and in His word I do hope.  What does he know about the LORD?  What has the LORD promised?  With the LORD there is mercy, and with Him is abundant redemption.  And He shall redeem Israel from ALL his iniquities. 

Let us wait patiently, eagerly, joyfully.  Hope in the LORD!

Job 14:1-14, Faith – Love – Hope

The recent days of “pandemic” and the rioting in our cities move us again to consider the issue of HOPE.  Statistics tell us that, in relationship to the locking down of people, suicide has been on the rise.  That speaks of a loss of hope.  It also could be said that the lashing out in our country is linked to a loss of hope; some people, it seems, cannot count on Western Civilization. 

What both situations illustrate for us is the hopelessness of hope in this life.  I am not saying we cannot have hope or be hopeful in this life.  Instead, we are saying there is nothing that has its roots in this life that can give us hope.  Money, social standing, connections with powerful people, health, intellect, rights: all of these and more have been shown to be increasingly ineffective in recent days.

The primary issue is that we tend to define “hope” in terms of a better life now, in this world.  We see it as deliverance from present afflictions rather than joyful endurance through present afflictions.

The New Testament is, of course, filled with words of hope.  It is, after all, a record of the life and teaching of our Lord Jesus Christ.  He predicted His death and resurrection.  And then He fulfilled what He predicted.  The Apostles were chosen to be witnesses of His resurrection, as we see in The Acts of the Apostles.  From Romans to Revelation we see the effect of the gospel (death and resurrection of Christ) on people now as well as in eternity.

Our purpose today is to meditate briefly on passages of hope in the Old Testament.  While the doctrine is not as fully developed as in the New (of course; that is the nature of the Bible), we need to know that there are many reason to have hope in the OT. 

·       Hope and Eternity, from Job.  In the beginning of Job’s discourses, he noted that in himself there was nothing worthy of hope. What strength do I have that I should hope (6:11)?  Instead, Job put his hope in God: Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him (13:15).  In professing “hope” in the context of God taking his life, Job was affirming the life to come.  He did this strongly in today’s passage, First he says, if you cut down a tree, it can still grow back (v7).  But when a man dies, he cannot return to life (v10).  But then he affirms: If a man dies, shall he live again?  All the days of my hard service I will wait, till my change comes (v14).  This connection with eternity is what makes it possible for Job to endure.

o   Here is one additional thought.  In the above references, the word “hope” (6:11), trust (13:15) and wait (14:14) are all the same Hebrew term, yachal.  Hope is a matter of faith/trust, but it is faith that awaits what is hoped for.  Job awaits his “change” (14:14). 

·       Hope and depression.  Many people (I say this not as a general statement but because I have heard “many people”) have been moved to discouragement by the events of recent days.  It is hard not to see older loved ones in nursing homes.  It is hard seeing the freedoms many Americans died to gain and keep seemingly being swept away almost overnight.  Many are “cast down” and “disquieted” (Ps. 42:5,11; 43:5).  But the Psalmist in these two Psalms asks, “why” are you cast down and disquieted, almost as if he believes his soul has no reason to have these feelings.  In fact, that is what he believes!  Where, we ask, does his hope rest, if he thinks we should not give way to discouragement?  The answer is: Hope in God, for I shall yet praise Him, for the help of His countenance.  He does not specifically say what God is going to do for him; he only says, He will help!  And when He does, I will praise Him. 

o   Again, what do we see here?  There is the element of “waiting;” I shall yet praise Him.  But since he cannot specifically say what God’s answer is, he simply tells his soul to HOPE IN GOD!  This is not simplistic; but it is simple.  Hope in the One who is sovereign, good and eternal.

Psalm 48, Meditating on God’s Lovingkindness

I love this Psalm and love reading it when in Israel.  The walls of the Old City today, on the north side, are quite amazing.  I am not saying they looked like this in the days of the sons of Korah.  I am just saying they are impressive today, as you can tell from the photo that shows the section with the Spafford House rising above. 

What I really am thankful for is the thought in 48:9, We have thought, O God, on Your lovingkindness, in the midst of Your temple.  We need to stop regularly and think of God’s lovingkindness.  In our churches, our small groups, our Sunday School classes, we ought to take time to share our meditations.  We used to call these “testimony services.”  I am not sure but we may have let these kinds of services go because we thought people should always be giving a testimony of God’s goodness.  It is possible that the result of cancelling a specific time means we almost never do what the Psalmist encourages here.

One thing we see is that, to think of God’s lovingkindness, we need to enter His presence, into His temple.  The word “temple” here (v9) is interesting.  The more common word in the OT is bayith which means “house” (e.g. see it all over Ezek. 40-46, as in 41:6).  Properly, people like to latch onto this term, reminding us that God’s desire from the beginning (Gen. 1-2) was to dwell with man, to make His home with man.  And in the end (Rev. 22), that is what He will do through the New Jerusalem.  This is a great thought, a truth that encourages us: God makes His home with us, in that we are the temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Cor. 6:19-20).

But the word in Ps. 48:9, translated “temple” (and it is a proper translation in that it refers to the place where God exists for His people) is the word heykal, which refers to a palace, a place where a king sits on his throne.  As I said, “temple” is a good translation.  This is where we inquire of God (Psalm 27:4).  This is where everyone and everything cries GLORY (Psalm 29:9).  It is the place where Isaiah saw God high and lifted up (Isa. 6:1).  His temple-house and temple-palace are the same place, as indicated by Psalm 65:4 where both terms are used.

So the sons of Korah are telling us that we need to enter the place where God’s throne is that we might properly meditate on His lovingkindness.  If you read all of Isaiah 6 you will find that Isaiah saw into that throne room, and he went away from there with a deep experience, with God’s forgiveness and as the servant of the LORD.  In other words, Isaiah had a deep appreciation for God’s goodness!

God’s people today like to emphasize their relationship with God in terms of His “dwelling” with them, of His making His home with them.  But we must know and meditate on this thought that His house is His palace, the place where He rules as the King of all the earth.  He is the Great King (48:2).  As the Psalmist concludes,

THIS IS GOD, OUR GOD FOREVER AND EVER; HE WILL BE OUR GUIDE EVEN TO DEATH (v14).

Deuteronomy 29-31 Potpourri (read the selected passages)

Following are short comments on several passages.  Read the selected passage, although of course, if you can read the three chapters you will do well!

·       Deut. 29:4: There are many today who question how the Apostle Paul could say that the law of Moses was given to reveal sin, and that it was never thought that the people could keep it on their own.  This seems unfair, that God would give them laws that would only lead to failure.  I believe that in Paul’s “retraining” by the Holy Spirit, he was just taken to passages like this.  Both Moses and Joshua spoke to the people in this way: you cannot and will not keep this law!  David, who lived under the law of Moses, knew that a right relationship with God depended on the Savior, One through whom righteousness could be imputed to the sinner (Ps. 32:1-2; Rom. 4:5-8).

·       Deut. 29:19: It is interesting that, as an illustration of someone following the dictates of their evil hearts, that Moses speaks of “drunkenness.”  In 1 Thess. 5:1-11, Paul does the same, using drunkenness (5:7) as an illustration of the darkness preceding the “day of the Lord.”  It is not that drunkenness is the worst of sins; but it clearly portrays someone under the lordship of sin and death.

·       Deut. 30:2-3: In connection with our thoughts on 29:4 note that disobedience is assumed (v2) as is captivity (v3).  This is going to happen.  It is a prophecy, not because Moses has a vision of the future but because he has seen in real time what the people were like.

·       Deut. 30:11-14: Notice what is said here.  Obedience is not that hard!  Why?  As Paul said, quoting this passage, because the “word“ is a matter of faith.  It is trusting God.

·       Deut. 31:6-8: This is a strong call to faith going forward.  In other words, Moses does not leave the people in a hopeless situation.  Yes, they will fail to keep God’s word.  But their failure should lead them to cry out to the Lord.  He goes with you.  He will not leave you nor forsake you.  He said this to all the people (v6) and then to Joshua (v8).

·       Deut. 31:12-13:  This I found to be personally encouraging as I am afraid that I do not always fear the Lord as I should.  The fear of God must be “learned.”  It begins with “hearing.”  We should train our children to be good listeners (to their parents and then to God) if we desire them to be obedient.

·       Deut. 31:16: Joshua said the same thing in Joshua 24:14-15 when he called the people to choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve.

·       Deut. 31:22: Moses wrote the magnificent Song of Moses in Deut. 32.  It was not written at some later time in history by someone who had seen the outcome.  Moses wrote it!  And the subject of the Song is “the latter days” (31:29).

Psalm 119:129-136, “The Entrance of Thy Words Gives Light”

(Yes, this is a follow-up, or better, another thought, about this stanza from Psalm 119.)
I am encouraged when I see some degree of a logical progress in these stanzas of Psalm 119.  I see it in this stanza.

My soul cannot keep (119:129) what has not entered the soul (119:130). 

·       The word “entrance” is the noun form of the verb pathach, a frequently used term in the OT.  It means “to open wide, to loosen, to begin, to plough.” 

·       It is the term used of “opening the womb” of Leah and Rachel; it was used of Joseph “opening the storehouses” of Egypt.  In the former, this opening was done by God.  In the latter, it was done by a man.  We believe that opening up the life for the word of God requires both.  God must illumine us by His Spirit; we must, with God’s help, rid ourselves of distractions, hindrances, rebellion and whatever else might keep us from hearing and heeding.  This is why the prophet told the people to break up the fallow ground so as to hear the word of the LORD (Hosea 10:12-13).

LORD, open my heart to receive Your word!  Open my mouth to speak Your word, boldly and clearly.  Open the hearts of those listening, to receive Your word, not as the words of men but as the word of the living God!

Entrance to the soul is better when I “pant” (deeply desire, 119:131) the word.  Blessed are those that hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled.  When we join with other believers in worship, it is best when we come with eager anticipation and not in laziness.

We then seek mercy from the LORD (119:132), that by the Spirit, the Illuminator, the light will be turned on that we might see the truth of God’s word.  Isn’t that wonderful: THIS IS GOD’S CUSTOM.  Further, we must ask the LORD to direct our steps, to show us how His word fits specific situations in our lives (119:133).  Don’t complain because the preacher isn’t “practical enough” in his preaching.  Pardon me, but the preacher does not know my heart, sin, doubts, worries.  It is foolish for me to think that he will always or ever have something to say that fits me.  God must direct my steps.

We should also pray that the LORD will redeem us from the oppression of man (119:134).  When I read this my first thought was that our governmental leaders have prevented Christians from gathering during the recent pandemic.  It is true that oppressive leadership can create issues for us.  But to be honest, the real oppression is internal or spiritual; the real problem is how we allow the words and actions of others to oppress us.  Even in a dictatorship Christians can keep God’s word; we must ask the LORD to deliver us from these things that hinder us.

How do I know this?  Because I see that the Psalmist prays make Your face to shine upon Your servant (119:135).  This is what I need: the blessing of God upon me.  This reminds us of the Aaronic Blessing of Num. 6:24-26.  His blessing, His face turned to me in grace and favor, that is what I need in order for His word to find entrance into my soul.  Then, perhaps, I will grieve over the sin in this world that so dishonors God (119:136).  AMEN!

Psalm 119:129-136

The life-goal of the believer is to be like Jesus Christ (Ro. 8:29-30).  This likeness is not merely external but goes to the depth of our being.  We think like Christ; we desire what He desires.  It is a soul-likeness.

Perhaps this stanza has this in mind.  He speaks of soul-obedience to God’s wonderful testimonies (129).  Wonderful is the same word used of the Christ, the Living Word in Isa. 9:6.  Our love for and obedience to the testimonies of God is equivalent to our love for the Master.   “If you love me, keep my commandments” (John 14:15).

The soul in Hebrew has to do with the essential life of living creatures.  While animals are living souls (Gen. 1:20-24,30)  humans have been created in the image of God.  Thus man lives and moves out of his soul, his deepest thoughts and passions being anchored there. 

The preceding references to the “soul” in Psalm 119 have indicated man’s deep struggle in affliction (20,25,28,81,109).  His soul breaks with longing, melts with heaviness, and faints for salvation.  One may be reminded of David’s brokenness (Psalm 51) or Peter’s bitter tears (Lk. 22:62) when they came to the end of themselves.  Yet both were restored to service.  Like the Psalmist who pants for God’s commands (131) and weeps over disobedience (136), their souls were changed.  Nothing would come between them and God, neither sin (133) nor oppressor (134).  Truly their obedience was from the soul.

For this deep likeness to Christ the Psalmist prays that God’s eyes would look upon him in mercy (132) and that His face would shine upon him (135).  God does this as His word enters our lives.  It is a light (130) reaching every corner of the soul.  As Heb. 4:12-13 affirms, God’s word permeates the dividing of soul and spirit, revealing and cleansing the sin (cf. also Eph. 5:27).

Today, allow the Word to penetrate deeply as you contemplate the obedience of your soul.  Do you see hesitation, reluctance or resistance to God’s revealed will?  Confess the sins that no one else knows but you and your Lord.  Allow the light of His word to shine on you that you might truly walk in the light.  That is soul-obedience.  That is Christ-likeness.

Read Judges 21, Between a Rock and a Hard Place

Israel had no king.  And yet they were trying to act as “one nation under God,” if you will.  Eleven tribes were trying to impose their will on one tribe.  The result was a difficult war with lots of lives lost.  But now, victory was in hand.  How would the eleven bring this to a conclusion?

One thing to note was the two “oaths” the eleven had entered into.  One oath was designed to bring the nation together (21:5).  The other expressed their disgust with the tribe of Benjamin (21:1).  On one hand, these oaths attempted to make national laws that applied to the situation at hand.  They are trying to deal with not having a king.  This happened on other occasions in the Judges.

On the other hand, the oaths were an attempt to garner the Lord’s help.  The oath for national unity was a call to come up to the LORD at Mizpah to discuss and deal with the Benjamites.  It was called “a great oath,” threatening death to those who did not join the effort.  We don’t want to spend too much time on the validity of these oaths.  Neither of them leaves any “wiggle room,” so to speak.   None of us will give our daughters to Benjamin; anyone who fails to come will be put to death.  These are the kinds of extreme promises one makes to God when they want His help and are not sure they deserve it.  I would just say that the wise thing would have been to seek God’s leading, and to commit themselves to making offerings of thanksgiving at Shiloh when it was over.

Ultimately, they ended up with a worse scenario, the loss of one of the tribes in Israel.  Based on the two oaths, they could have foreseen this coming; although it might have been hard to really feel how hard it would be to destroy Benjamin.  Nevertheless, they found themselves in a situation that is common when everyone did what was right in his own eyes.  They are between a rock and a hard place, where there are no ideal or perfect answers. 

The result is another Judges scenario that is strange and almost laughable.  First, they didn’t want to lose a tribe, even though they had seemed intent on killing all of them.  So what to do?  Second, one oath promised death to those who did not show up; so perhaps we can get wives for the Benjamites from there; except that we vowed to kill them all.  So what to do?  Third, the other oath promised not to give the Benjamites any wives from the eleven tribes; but we still need two hundred women!  So what to do? 

In each case, they devised a way to “triangulate” (as President Clinton termed his approach to getting things done) or to adopt a “dialectical” solution (as Marxist theory puts it).  Bring together two ideas, neither of which is acceptable, and devise a third.  So, they killed a bunch more of their own people, but not all, saving out the marriageable girls.  Then they played a trick on themselves, looking the other way, while the Benjamites kidnapped a bunch of girls at the festival at Shiloh.  They ended up violating the two oaths, but made it possible to rationalize it all in their irrational minds.  By Jesus' day, the Jewish leaders had become quite adept in making up rules to get around the word and will of God (Mark 7:6-9).

The one thing they did not do was to return to Mizpah and inquire of the LORD.  That’s what you have to do if you are really going to be “one nation under God” instead of a nation where everyone follows their own path.


This had been how it was before the flood: every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually (Gen. 6:5).  Years after the time of the Judges, when Israel did have a king, they were still doing what was right in their own eyes:  each one follows the dictates of his own evil heart, so that no one listens to Me (Jer. 16:12).  What is needed, if we are to be God’s people, is what Isaiah called for: Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; let him return to the LORD and He will have mercy on him; and to our God, for He will abundantly pardon (Isa. 55:7).  We must be people of God’s word, in truth!


In these days of anarchy, let us do what is right in the eyes of our God!

Read Judges 20, Civil War

During the recent, and ongoing, coronavirus pandemic, some Americans may have been surprised to learn of the power of the governors of each state.  It really came to the forefront, as each state handled the situation in their own way, with the governors setting the rules.  In some ways, the President of the United States was the servant of the governors.  It was important for the federal government to make sure governors had all they needed to care for their people. 

It has usually been people of a conservative political viewpoint that have called for “states rights.”  During the pandemic it has seemed to be the folks on the left who have been eager to tell the President not to interfere with the state leadership.  The same has been true of the recent wave of protests and riots after the shooting of a black man in Minnesota by a white policeman.  As I write, people have taken over an area of downtown Seattle.  The governor is taking a wait and see attitude, and has made it clear the President has no authority to deal with the situation.

I am not bringing up this situation so as to introduce a discussion of the U.S. Constitution or to discuss states’ rights.  Rather, we bring it up because it shows an area of struggle in our country related to the issue of “everyone doing what is right in their own eyes.”  Hopefully our situation will be handled in a constitutional and just manner.  Hopefully it will not lead to another “civil war.”  But for the moment I am sure you can see how our national identity is being stretched.  Some see this as good; others find it fearful.

Now think about the story before us in today’s reading.  If we wanted to view this story in a political manner, we would say it’s a story about “tribal rights.”  And it led to a civil war in Israel.  But we would rather look at it in terms of Israel, the nation chosen by God, seeking to live out their national relationship with God.  The final words of Joshua, to the nation, were, choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve (Josh. 24:15).  At the time the people’s response was: Far be it from us that we should forsake the LORD to serve other gods (Josh. 24:16).  If the stories in the book of Judges are in chronological order, then this story takes place around four hundred years after they entered the land (cf. Judges 11:26).

So, what can we say that is good?  For eleven tribes to desire to bring justice into the situation is good.  The fact that they sought the LORD’s direction is great.  Their persistence was good, enduring two crushing defeats before finally seeing the LORD’s blessing.  And their desire to remove the evil was good; if only they had had the same desire to remove the Canaanite nations as they did to deal with the tribe of Benjamin (20:48). 

What do we learn?  We learn that having no king (no authority for justice) and having everyone do what is right in their own eyes (in this case, seen in one of the tribes) brings tragedy.  Like the American Civil War (no war involving the United States has taken as many lives as that war), the Civil War of Israel was a major tragedy (more on that tomorrow).  Over 62,000 men of war lost their lives as well as all the tribe of Benjamin except for 600 soldiers. 

A philosophy of governance which allows people to do what is right in their own eyes is doomed to failure.  It is doomed because the people are fundamentally sinful.  That is why God Himself appointed kings and rulers and presidents and governors to serve Him by ruling nations in such a way as to bring peace to the society (Rom. 13:1-7).  Failure of these ministers of God will result in anarchy. 

What is anarchy?  In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes.

Read Judges 19, Abuse of Women

The readings are a little longer than usual.  Nevertheless, I hope you are taking the time to read each chapter.  Even these stories of gross wickedness need to be part of our Biblical context from which we live our lives by God’s grace and Spirit.

This second story also takes place when there was no king in Israel (v1).  It also involves a Levite and the town of Bethlehem, as did the previous story.  The Levite took a concubine, a fact that is presented without moral judgment.  At the time, taking a “lesser wife” (as some call it) was not full of stigma as it would be today in the Body of Christ.  However, it should be noted that it was contrary to the account of the creation of Adam and Eve in Gen. 2.  But it had become so common that even in the Law of Moses there were some protections for concubines (Ex. 21:7; Deut. 21:10-14).  We can say, for the Levite, that he did show good character when he went to retrieve his adulterous concubine, speaking kindly to her, as it says.

What most people would find shocking, concerning the Levite, is his treatment of the woman when they were under threat from the men of Gibeah.  To many people this is unbelievable.  But I would suggest the reason you find it so shocking is that you do not understand how the “mystery of iniquity” (forces of evil) work in a society.  Remember that this is not the first such situation; Lot was ready to do the same thing in Sodom in Gen. 19:8. 

While you think about that, let me add this about both the old man and the Levite.  They both had good thoughts about how they should live in their society.  The old man knew that hospitality to strangers was a good thing; it was a tradition that was vanishing from Gibeonite society.  The Levite thought that staying in an Israelite city should be better than staying in the city of pagans.  But the Gibeonites had lost their identity as the treasured and chosen people of YAHWEH, becoming like the pagans.

In the end, both the old man and the Levite were ready to sacrifice the women for their own safety; and they did!  Again, that might seem shocking.  But I would submit to you that it was not only the place to which pagan society had come; it is the place that Western societies are headed. 

In the USA we have the same mixed up mess of values that were evident in the two men in the story.  On the one hand, we are ready to pounce on those guilty of rape and abuse of women.  On the other hand, we protect the pornographers who belittle (abuse) women with their pictures; and protect the right of women to denigrate themselves by dressing in a manner that invites the attention of men for evil purposes.  We cry out for women to have equal rights, equal pay, and the authority over their own bodies (i.e. the right to take the life in the womb).  At the same time, we belittle women who are full-time moms, and who submit to and honor their husbands. 

We are not making a political statement here; ultimately, our laws reflect our morals.  This is a moral and spiritual issue.  With all the emphasis on the rights of women in the last hundred years plus, are women safer or more valued than before?  I would say, no!  We have sacrificed what the Creator had in mind for men and women; we should not be shocked when the weaker sex is shoved out the door to face a perverse society, a society where everyone does what is right in his own eyes.

Read Judges 18, Relativism!

Perhaps you are familiar with William Golding’s Lord of the Flies.  It was a story about a group of British boys who were deserted on an island and who had to figure out how to live together in a situation with “no king.”  I read it years ago.  One can learn from it.  But I do want to say that the description in the Bible, of what it’s like when everyone does what is right in their own eyes, is profound in that it is from the omniscient God who made heaven and earth.  He knows us.

For example, in the present story, how did people determine right and wrong.  In Judges 17, the mother seems to be directed by her feelings for her son.  When she finds out he stole the money, she no longer wants him to be cursed.  What moves her to deny the second of the Ten Commandments (no graven images)?  It is her strong feelings for her son.  Look at the confusing statement: “I wholly dedicate to the LORD (Jehovah, who said to make no graven images) money for my son to make a graven image.” 

What about the Danites?  How did they determine what actions to take?  First, they began with unfaithfulness to the LORD.  God had promised the tribes that He would help them settle their tribal areas.  But the Danites were seeking another tribal area because the one given to them was too hard to settle.  It had not fallen to them (18:1).  The decision was based on what was easy.  Indeed, they were looking for an area where the people had no defense and no thought they should fear others. Easy pickings.  It must be God’s will!

Why did they take Micah’s “priest” away?  On the one hand, they clearly were not devoted to God.  Yet, they apparently saw the need for the religion of Israel.  At the time, the tabernacle was in Shiloh.  It was at a point after which the Levites had been dispersed to their cities.  Time had passed, because the Levite in this story had left his allotted place (Bethlehem), and was seeking another place to live.  Micah had made the image and was proud to now have a “religious” man to officiate for him.  The Levite was also proud to have such a position, while at the same time, having a place to live and his needs cared for in full.  His pride is also evident in his willingness to break his agreement with Micah and to go off to a “bigger church”, so to speak.

In all of this, what drives people?  Pride, yes!  The greatest of pride, by which men will approach God on their terms rather than on His terms.  In so doing, men become “gods over God”!  A practical definition of what it means to be “god over God” is just this: doing what is right in your own eyes! 

Why does Islam promise virgins to martyrs?  Why does Mormonism offer the opportunity to be a “god”?  Why do Universalists insist that all will be saved?  Why does the atheist deny the existence of God?  The answer in each case is that they have defined God in a way that pleases them.  Micah told the Danites God would bless them in their disobedience to God.  That was the kind of priest the Danites would want to have, and they jumped at the opportunity!

Read Judges 17, No King in Israel

It seems to me that, in the United States, now is a good time to read the last five chapters of Judges.  In recent days we have witnessed events that are surprising to many people.  Protests against the seemingly unjust killing of a black man by a white police officer have become excuses for the burning and looting of business in several of the cities of our country; and these looters have, for the most part, not been held accountable. (I said “seemingly” only because justice has not run its course; if and when the officer is convicted “seemingly” can be removed.) The latest is the pushing out of the police in parts of one major city (Seattle) and the establishment of some sort of setting that is, essentially, an area without governmental authority. 

I also said that these events are surprising to many people.  I would suggest that a study of Judges 17-21 would help to eliminate the surprise.  These chapters are characterized by the phrase, In those days there was no king in Israel; and everyone did what was right in his own eyes (Judges 17:6; 18:1; 19:1; 21:25).There are two stories, with multiple “movements,” that illustrate life without a king: one involving idolatry (17-18), the other sexual perversion (19-21).

Today, let us consider two things.  First, what does the Bible mean when it says, “there was no king in Israel?”  We might answer that question by saying that the second phrase, “everyone did what was right in his own eyes,” is synonymous with the first, or perhaps more accurately, the natural and only conclusion of the first. 

To have no king means, of course, there was no central government.  Israel entered the land under the leadership of Joshua.  But after Joshua died, and those who were elders with him, there was not left a central government. Unlike Moses, Joshua did not appoint a successor.  God did not intend that he do that.

 One could say there was a “constitution” for the nation, by which we mean the book of Deuteronomy given by Moses to the people before his death.  For that constitution to give continuing guidance it was required that the people devote themselves to Yahweh God who is at the center of Moses’ words.  It makes sense that the first story is about the introduction of idolatry into Israel, first in one family in Ephraim (Ch. 17) and then one tribe (Dan, Ch. 18).  With no heart to make God the King, through adherence to His word, you end up with everyone doing what is right in their own eyes. 

The second thing to draw our attention to is the readiness people have to dishonor their words.  This runs throughout the five chapters.  People make promises, backing them up with oaths; and yet they regularly figure out ways to make exceptions to the “rules” or to just contradict themselves.  In todays passage, it’s the mother, whose curse becomes a blessing when the son returns the money he had stolen.  As we said, this happens throughout.  People make what they consider “laws”, but then find themselves in situations where the law hurts them; thus, they find some justification to disavow the law.  In other words, there are no absolutes!

In the case of Israel, they were coming from a situation of no central authority, and finding it to be a difficult place in which to live.  In our country, these days we are coming from a place of central authority, and finding it challenged by people who want to do what is right in their own eyes. 

At this point we simply want to note that, sure enough, the word of God has a deep understanding of everything we experience as sinners.  We ought not be surprised by the things happening in our day.  Instead we ought to hear the word of the Lord as it addresses our situation.

2 Tim. 3:10-17, A One-Post-Review of Psalm 119

Today’s scripture passage is, of course, from the New Testament.  It speaks of the struggles of the Apostle Paul, reminding us that trouble is expected by those who follow Christ.  At the same time there are strong words to Timothy to continue in the Scriptures that he learned as a child and that are able to bring him to greater usefulness to God.

With that in mind, and given that our Sunday posts have been from Psalm 119, I wanted to place this simple review of Psalm 119 and its many encouragements to us in our day-to-day living.  Each stanza, with it’s alphabetical heading, had much to say that we would do well to remember.

o Aleph: it is a blessing to obey God’s word in our trials.

o Beth: make intake of God’s word a daily priority.

o Gimel: humble yourself before God’s word.

o Daleth: bring your life-issues to God’s word.

o He: give your full attention for your entire life to God’s word.

o Waw: plead God’s mercy; share His answers with others.

o Zayin: in hope pray God’s word back to Him.

o Heth: make God your Portion, your Satisfaction.

o Teth: affirm God’s goodness in your trial.

o Yod: affirm God’s faithfulness in your trial.

o Kaph: trust God with the “how long” of your affliction.

o Lamed: God’s word fits every situation forever.

o Mem: walk in the Word of God, not according to man’s path.

o Nun: shine the light of God’s word on your daily path.

o Samek: find courage for your path in God’s word.

o Ayin: trust God’s word when the trial is oppressive.

o Pe: commit to soul-obedience to God’s word.

o Tsadde: affirm God’s righteousness in your trial.

o Qoph: let your cry be heard by God.

o Resh: pray for revival according to God’s word.

o Shin: give testimony to the value of God’s word.

o Tau: continue to put your hope in God’s word.

But may the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you.  To Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen (1 Peter 5:10-11)