Just Beyond the Veil

It has been a long time since I posted.  I've allowed quite a few things to distract me, but I want to get back to it and make this part of my regular routine.  I do journal as I read, and God is faithful to speak through His Word....I just don't always feel that I have something to share with you.  And, sometimes I do and am just too lazy.  I allow the enemy convince me that I have nothing to say.  Well, actually, I don't have anything of value to say.  But it is wrong to let him convince me that God has nothing for me to say.  And if God gives me something to say, it is a sin for me to not say it.
We've covered a lot of ground since last time I posted.  I'll have to let that go, although I will refer to it as the topics arise in upcoming readings.  That's one of the cool things about the Bible -- it's all interconnected.  We tend to look at a book, or a chapter, or even a single verse as a stand-alone message.  While it's true that Truth can be found in a single verse of the Bible, it is so much more meaningful when taken as a whole.  That's one of the reasons it's necessary to read the whole thing.  And though I've found it a bit tedious to bounce around while following the Chronological Reading Schedule, it adds a new level of context.  For example, God was so pleased at Solomon's request for wisdom that He also gave Solomon riches, honor, and long life.   (2Chron.1:10-12)  It makes sense, then, that throughout the Proverbs, Solomon exhorts us to seek wisdom rather than riches. 

So, here we are at the dedication of the Solomon's Temple.  (1Kings 8 and 2Chron. 5)  The Temple building has been completed, the furnishings crafted and put into place.  All that remains is to bring the Ark of the Covenant from the tent where it has been kept.  It is now the seventh month, and all of the people are in Jerusalem to celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles.  (Lev.23:33-44)  The Feast of Tabernacles was a seven-day feast where the people would stay outdoors in shelters made of poplar branches and palm branches to commemorate the time the Nation of Israel spent living in tents in the wilderness.  It also reminded them of the fact that, during this time, God chose to live in a Tabernacle or tent in their midst, and led them by a pillar of cloud by day and fire by night.  So it is fitting that this feast coincides with the moving of the Ark, the representation of God's Presence, into its permanent dwelling place. 

Built after the pattern of the Tabernacle but on a much grander scale, the Temple includes the courtyard, where the sacrifices would take place; the Holy Place, where the priests would burn incense on the golden altar and maintain the golden lampstand and the Bread of the Presence; and the Holy of Holies, where the Ark of the Covenant resided behind a heavy curtain or "veil".  Only the High Priest could enter the Holy of Holies, and only once a year on the Day of Atonement, to place the blood of the Atonement Sacrifice on the Mercy Seat of the Ark.  It was to this Mercy Seat (the NIV uses the unfortunate rendering "atonement cover") that the Presence of Almighty God would descend to fellowship with His people. 

The priests carry the Ark to the Temple on its carrying poles.  (For an account of the incorrect carrying of the Ark, see 2Sam.6)  Our reading for today says that they set the Ark down in the Holy of Holies, leaving its poles in place, and the poles extended out into the Holy Place.  The passage says that the poles were "very long".  The dimensions of the Holy of Holies were 20 cubits by 20 cubits (about 30' x 30').  So, this could mean that the poles were longer than 30 feet.  Or, it could mean that the Ark was placed just inside the curtain so that its poles extended out into the Holy Place.  I rather like this idea. 

Imagine:  The Eternal God of Heaven, the Great I AM, chooses to live among men.  That in itself is mind-boggling.  A Temple is built to represent His Presence.  But entrance into His Presence is limited. (Remember this post.)  The whole picture of the Tabernacle seems to be that God wants to have fellowship with us, but it must be on His terms.  We have no right to enter His Presence on our own merit.  We enter only by the blood of the Lamb.  That being said, God could have chosen to have the Ark placed on the farthest wall of the Holy of Holies, as remote as possible while still technically "with them".  Instead the Ark is placed just inside the curtain, with the poles extending out into the Holy Place.  The poles are tangible evidence that His Presence is with them, even if they can't see Him.  He is in reach, just beyond the veil. 

Jump right in

I'm not sure where to begin since I haven't written in a while.  I guess I just need to jump in.  Ok, that's sort of a pun given my topic of the day. 

I finally got caught up with my one-year chronological reading, which puts me in the middle of the book of Joshua.  So...we leave behind the books of the Law and move on into the books of History.  Joshua is one of my favorite Biblical characters.  We first see him in Exodus as the warrior who leads the Israelites into battle while Moses appeals to God for help.  He also serves as Moses' aide and is one of the faithful scouts who brings back a good report of the Promised Land.  The name by which we know him is actually a nickname bestowed by Moses.  His given name, Hoshea, means "Saved" or "The Salvation".  Moses changes this to Joshua (or Y'shua) which means "Yahweh is Salvation".  (In the Greek of the New Testament this same name is rendered "Jesus".)

He spends more than 40 years in Moses' shadow, and there is no record that he ever complained about it.  Even while Moses' siblings Aaron and Miriam challenged his role as the leader, Joshua humbly learned from Moses, and became God's choice to lead after Moses' death. 

Some notes about Joshua:

His catchphrase is "Be strong and courageous." (see  Deu 31:6; Deu 31:7; Deu 31:23; Jos 1:6; Jos 1:9; Jos 1:18;  Jos 10:25.) And his only basis for being strong and courageous is that God goes with him.  Joshua 1:9 was one of the first verses I memorized in about first grade (amazing how those have stuck with me!)  In the KJV it reads:

Have I not commanded thee? 

Be strong and of good courage;

be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: 

For the LORD thy God is with thee

whithersoever thou goest. 

I remember at the graduation ceremony where I received my master's degree.  The commencement speaker, whose name I have forgotten, began to quote:  "Be strong and of good courage.  Be not afraid, neither be dismayed.  Because you have the best education available today."  I was appalled, but not surprised.  People can put all kinds of things in the place of God, but they will not go with them wherever they go.  Visit an Alzheimer's facility and you will know that education may not go with you wherever you go.  Only God's presence can give us true strength and courage. 

In Chapter 3 when they are preparing to cross the Jordan, Joshua commands the people:  "Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the LORD will do amazing things among you."  I sometimes wonder if I miss out on the amazing things that God has for me because I am not fully consecrated to Him. 

Jordan River at flood stage

Joshua tells the people to follow the priests carrying the Ark of the Covenant "because you have not passed this way before."  Isn't it good to know that when the way is new to us that God's Presence goes before us?

Guided by God, Joshua tells the priests to go ahead of the people and step into the river, which was overflowing its banks due to flood conditions. As you can see by the photo, the Jordan is a swiftly flowing river.  This was a strong and courageous step of faith by the priests.  I think it proves that they truly believed that the Ark they carried represented the Presence of God.  Their job was to go and stand in the middle of the river while all the people passed through.  It was not until their feet actually touched the water that God stopped the flow of the river....fifteen miles upstream!  I'm not sure if that means they had to wait a while for the water to stop flowing.  It does say that they "stood firm on dry ground in the middle of the Jordan, while all Israel passed by until the whole nation had completed the crossing on dry ground."

I imagine that seeing the priests and the Ark of God standing there in the middle brought great comfort to the people as they walked down into the riverbed and up the other side.  And that made me consider how seeing someone else standing firm in the middle of a trial has helped me get through trials of my own.  Sometimes it is easier to recognize the Presence of God in someone else than in ourselves.  And knowing that He has helped them to be strong and courageous in the midst of a trial makes it possible for us to pass through a similar situation. 

It also made me think that we don't always know when someone else is watching us.  We may only know that God has told us to stand firm in the middle of a trial and we don't know why.  We are able stand firm, even if the trial is long and difficult, because He is with us.  The fact is, it may not be about us.  We only know that God has promised to accomplish His good purpose in and through us, and sometimes that means standing firm while others pass by.  We may never know in this life what He is doing.  It is enough that He is with us. 

  

Carrying a burden?

This is a post I wrote several years ago for my blog on MySpace.  I've long since abandoned the MySpace site, but fortunately this lives on in cyberspace and I've copied and re-posted it here.

Numbers is an interesting book. It begins with a census of Israel, numbering the people by tribe. (Each tribe represents the descendants of one of Jacob's sons.) The book of Exodus focused on Moses the prophet, and how God used him to bring Israel out of slavery in Egypt to be His chosen people. Leviticus details the laws given by God to Israel through Moses, to be carried out by the priest, Aaron, who was Moses' brother. Now we get into Numbers, which brings the entire community of Israel into the picture. So far, in chapters 1-3 we have seen the counting of each of the tribes.

A little history here: Jacob had twelve sons by his two wives Leah and Rachel, and his two concubines Bilhah and Zilpah (see Genesis 35:23-26 in the January 24 reading for a recap). Joseph, the oldest son of Jacob's favorite wife Rachel, was sold by his brothers into slavery. While in Egypt God watched over him and brought him into favor with the Pharaoh, so that Joseph literally saved Egypt from starvation during a seven-year famine. He also saved his own family, which is how the Israelites ended up in Egypt in the first place. Meanwhile, Jacob's "true" firstborn, Reuben, disgraced himself by sleeping with one of his father's concubines, and therefore was unfit to receive the blessing of the firstborn. This blessing passed to Joseph, who had always been his father's favorite son anyway. The birthright of the firstborn was to receive a double portion of the inheritance. This double portion passed to Joseph's two sons, Ephraim and Manasseh. Ephraim and Manasseh are sometimes referred to as the "half-tribes", but whenever they are named separately in a list of the twelve tribes, it means that one of the other brothers has been left out.

In the first chapter of Numbers, the "twelve" tribes are listed, including Ephraim and Manasseh. This means that one of the others is left out: Levi. The reason for this census is to figure out how many men are available to serve in Israel's army. Since the Levites are dedicated to the Lord to serve in the Tabernacle, they aren't eligible to serve in the army. Therefore, they are left out of this list.

The Levites are divided into three clans, representing the three sons of Levi. There are the Gershonites (descendants of Gershon), the Merarites (descendants of Merari), and the Kohathites (descendants of Kohath). Moses and Aaron are members of the Kohathite clan. The Gershonites have the job of carrying the fabric of the tent itself. The Merarites' job is to carry the tent frame. The Kohathites, as the closest relatives of Moses and Aaron, have the job of carrying the furnishings of the Tabernacle: the Ark of the Covenant, the golden lampstand, the altar of incense, the Table of the Bread of the Presence, and the bronze altar from the outer court.

Aaron, the high priest, and his two sons, Eleazar and Ithamar, are in charge of packing up the beautiful furnishings. Eleazar, the oldest and next in line for the job of high priest, then supervises the carrying of the items. It's his job to decide who carries what. The Kohathites are NEVER to enter the Holy Place, even for a moment, to look at the furnishings. They are to wait for them to be wrapped and packed by the priests, according to God's instructions. This command of God is for their own good. If they were to look at the uncovered altar of incense, or the unveiled Ark of the Covenant, they would die.

Now, regarding the furnishings: except for the lampstand, which is solid gold, they are made of wood overlaid with gold. They are wrapped according to God's command, first with beautifully colored cloth (blue, red, or purple, according to God's specifications.) Then they are covered with animal skins. So the burdens that the Kohathites are assigned to carry are very plain on the outside, and the Kohathites are never given the privilege of seeing the glorious beauty inside. They just carry the load assigned to them.

Application: Carrying a burden?

Sometimes God asks us to carry a burden that we don't understand. It may seem very heavy, and very ordinary on the surface. And it's possible that we may never, in this life, be allowed to peek inside and see the glorious beauty of that burden. We may have unanswered prayers or life situations that are simply difficult. But we can take comfort in knowing that our burdens were wrapped and packaged according to God's specifications, and assigned especially to us by our High Priest, Jesus. We must trust Him to choose what is best for His purposes, and what is best for us, too.

We don't have to carry the burden alone. None of the furnishings of the Tabernacle was designed to be carried by one person. The Ark had a pole on each side, so that four men would share the burden of carrying it. If we are carrying a burden alone, it is only because of our pride. God wants us to give others the privilege of helping to carry our burdens.

We don't have to carry the burden forever. At the time the Tabernacle was dedicated, there were 2,750 Kohathites available to help carry the furnishings. So it was not the same four men who always carried the Ark, or the altars, or the Table of the Bread of the Presence. I imagine it was considered a great privilege to carry these items for even a short time. So should we consider it a privilege to carry the burdens assigned to us for the short time we are on earth.

Finally, we must remember that God is present in the burden. Each of the Tabernacle furnishings represented an aspect of God's presence with the people. When God gives us a burden to carry, we can be confident that He is present in it, even if we can't see Him. Because we trust His character, we know that the burden will not break us down but will make us stronger. And we can look forward to that day in eternity when we finally see ALL of the glory of God that was inside those burdens we carried.

Kinsman Redeemer (take two)

I usually like to get into the nitty gritty details of the scripture and squeeze out all of the goodness to be found there.  In fact, I started a post like that (hence the title "take two".)  Today my heart hurts too much for that, and I just want to briefly comment about the law of the Kinsman Redeemer, because today that is what I need. 

When an Israelite hit hard times he might sell his land in order to survive.  In really hard times he might even sell himself as an indentured servant.  God's law provided that the nearest kinsman who was both willing and able to pay the price could buy back his relative's land and restore it to its rightful owner, or buy back the contract of servitude and set his kinsman free. 

From Adam and Eve in the garden to the present, each of us has sold out to slavery and sin.  We live daily in a fallen world which is the result of that choice.  And we need a Kinsman Redeemer.

When a young family driving down the road hits a patch of black ice and slides into a pole, severely injuring the mother and killing the three-year-old daughter, we need a Kinsman Redeemer.

When a dear friend receives the diagnosis of a highly invasive breast cancer, we need a Kinsman Redeemer.

When a long-time friend dies by her own hand, we need a Kinsman Redeemer.

I am thankful that Jesus was both willing and able to pay the price for sin.  That He chose to buy us back and set us free.  He paid a debt He did not owe, because we owed a debt we could not pay. 

We are set free from the penalty of sin.  Eternal Life awaits! Those young parents have assurance that they will see their precious little girl again.   O Death, where is thy sting? O Grave, where is thy victory?

We are set free from the power of sin.  The Enemy of our souls who seeks to steal, kill, and destroy must flee from us when we resist him.  And while diseases such as cancer are a fact of life in a fallen world, they cannot take from us our joy. 

We will ultimately be set free from the presence of sin.  Whatever pain or sorrow caused my friend to take her own life, she is completely free from it now.  How grateful I am for my Redeemer, Savior, Friend.

What's in a Name?

Leviticus chapters 18-23 essentially repeat and expand upon the laws and commandments given in Exodus chapters 20-23.  Yet there is one important difference:  we see over and over again in this passage, after each commandment, that God says, "I am the LORD" or "I am the LORD your God."  You may or may not have wondered why the word "Lord" is sometimes spelled with all capital letters in the Old Testament. Growing up with the King James Version of the Bible, I sort of took it for granted and never really thought about it.  Hang with me, here, because I'm going to cover some background and I hope it will come together at the end and help you to understand this passage in Leviticus better. 

The word for "Lord" in Hebrew (the original language of most of the Old Testament) is adonai.  This means "master" or  "lord" in a generic sense. 

The word translated "LORD" (all capital letters) is represented by four Hebrew letters that can be transliterated "YHWH".  What does that mean, you might ask, and how do you pronounce it? To answer the first question: these four letters refer to the proper name of the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.  While He appears as the central character throughout the book of Genesis, it is not until the burning bush (Exodus 3), when Moses asks the bold question, "What shall I tell them if they ask who has sent me?" that God reveals Himself by Name:  I AM WHO I AM.   "Tell them I AM has sent you." 

It's necessary to recognize that in the time and culture in which this was written, a name meant much more than just what someone was called. It represented character. I touched on that concept in my post about Jacob (whose name was changed to Israel).  When Moses made another bold request of God ("Show me Your glory" -- Exodus 33) God responded by "proclaiming His Name" before Moses: The LORD, the LORD God (or, I AM WHO I AM) compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in lovingkindness and truth... In other words, when God said He would proclaim His Name before Moses, He actually proclaimed His character. 

This name I AM WHO I AM reveals much about the character of God:  He is Eternally Self-Existent.  He just IS. No one created Him.  He has no beginning and no ending.  There is also a little of Popeye's "I yam what I yam" implied here: God's character is His character, and it is unchangeable.  He is the same yesterday, today, and forever.  Furthermore, His existence doesn't depend upon anything or anyone else.  Rather, all else depends upon Him.  He is the source of all other creation and life, and "by Him all things consist."  (Col.1:17 KJV)

So, that lengthy answer was to cover the first question, "What does it mean?"  Now for the second, "How do you pronounce it?"  Ancient Israelites and modern-day Orthodox Jews hold the Name of God to be so sacred that they do not pronounce it.  In fact, they will not even write it in its entirety.  So, in speaking, the Israelites, when referring to I AM WHO I AM would instead substitute the word adonai: Lord or Master.  In writing, they would omit the vowels in the word to render it unpronounceable:  YHWH.  Similarly, Orthodox Jews today will write "G-d" or "L-rd" in reference to I AM.  Today we just don't know what the vowels in the original Hebrew word were, nor do we know how it was pronounced.  The English word "Jehovah" is a guess as to how it might have been pronounced.   "Yahweh" (pronounced YAH-way or yah-VAY) is another possible pronunciation. 
[Thanks to Lynda for pointing out that "All Jews refer to God as Adonai, BTW. Not just Orthodox and Ancient Israelites."]

All that to say this:  In Leviticus chapters 18-23, every time you see the phrase "I am the LORD" or "I am the LORD your God" you could substitute "I am I AM WHO I AM".  The fact that God so closely links His Name with the laws and commandments suggests to me that these laws and commandments are another way in which He reveals His character to us. 

In Leviticus 18:5 He says that by keeping His laws a man may live.  "I am I AM WHO I AM".   What does this reveal about God's character?  That He is the Giver of life. 

Leviticus 18:6-23.  I AM  the One who defines family relationships, and the proper context for sexual intimacy.  Children are to be treasured, regardless of the circumstances of their birth.  (Worship of the pagan deities of the land of Canaan included illicit sex with temple prostitutes, and the resulting children were sacrificed in the fire to the god Molech.  As barbaric as this was, it is only a short leap to our generation which has sacrificed millions of children on the altar of "Reproductive Freedom".)

Lev.19:4 I AM the only True God and I don't want you to ruin your lives chasing after false gods of your own making. 

Lev.19:9-10 I AM a God who cares for the needy. 

Lev.19:11-12 I AM the Truth (see also John 14:6).  You can never go wrong when you tell the truth.  Don't be deceived by the Father of Lies into thinking that you can somehow protect yourself by lying.

Lev.19:13-14 I AM the Protector of the laborer, the weak, the deaf, the blind. 

Lev.19:15-16 I AM a God of justice.  I condemn all forms of prejudice, even what is now called reverse discrimination.

Lev.19:17-18 I AM a God of love and kindness.

Lev.19:19 I AM pure.

Lev.20:4-8 I AM a holy God and I want a holy people. 

Lev.20:24-25 I AM a God who distinguishes between clean and unclean, holy and profane.  You live in an unclean world and these laws will help you know how to be clean.  Even more, they will help you understand what holiness is.  (God's law sets a standard that we cannot attain, which is why we need the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.) 

Lev.21:16-23  I AM God and I define who may approach me and how they will approach me.  I AM also a God who provides for those who serve me. 

Lev.22:3 I AM a holy God and no one who is unclean can approach me. 

Lev.22:29-31 I AM even a God who understood about germs and food spoilage long before science and medicine figured it out.  (Doesn't that make you wonder what else science will eventually "discover" that has been in the Bible all along?)

I hope that this has challenged you to go through this section and highlight the "I am the LORD" statements.  In what ways do you see God's character revealed in these chapters and in His laws?

The law of the LORD is perfect, restoring the soul; The testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple. The precepts of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart; The commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes. The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring forever; The judgments of the LORD are true; they are righteous altogether. They are more desirable than gold, yes, than much fine gold; Sweeter also than honey and the drippings of the honeycomb.

--Psalm 19:7-10

All in

By way of explanation (although not an excuse), the last three weeks have been pretty crazy.  In a nutshell:  wait for government training contract to come through; when contract finally comes through, spend 24 hours madly preparing training materials; spend three days teaching said training materials; spend one day recovering and another couple of days preparing materials for the next three days; teach for three days; come home to prepare for celebration of father-in-law's life; enjoy the company of my sons, nieces, and nephews; deliver niece back to her mom's home; clean up three weeks' worth of accumulation of laundry, dishes, etc.  I don't doubt there are some women out there who could have handled this easily, and still kept up with Bible reading and blogging, but I am not one of them.  God was gracious and gave me some Bible reading time each day, but I am still not quite caught up with the one-year pace.  Nevertheless, I didn't want to blow through Exodus without even one single blog post. 

Since I'm teaching a ladies' Bible study on the book of Revelation, I am seeing the plagues in a new light.  They are so similar to the trumpet judgments in Revelation 8-9 (no wonder many people think that one of the witnesses in Revelation 11 must be Moses.)  And their purpose is also similar:  to confront unbelievers with the power of Almighty God.  Just as in Egypt, some relent and believe, but many more harden their hearts and reject God. 

At the catch-up pace I'm imposing on myself, it's hard to read much in-depth.  Mostly I'm just reading quickly, with a nod of acknowledgement to familiar passages.  Even so, there are things that jump out at me.  Just a couple of quick notes:

• A couple of years ago I watched a History Channel program that offered natural explanations for all of the plagues, from the Nile turning to blood, to frogs and flies, to the death of the firstborn.  One hypothesis was that poisonous gases coming up from the polluted Nile killed all of the firstborn, who occupied the place of honor on the ground floor of the house, while sparing everyone else who slept upstairs.  I don't doubt that there are natural phenomena that are similar to what happened in Egypt, but bear in mind that in each case the plagues were summoned and dismissed ON CUE.  Moses says, in each case, that at a certain time this particular plague will come, and at a certain time it will go.  How would Moses have known exactly when each of the plagues would naturally occur?  In once instance, Moses even permits Pharaoh himself to define the timing of the plague (Ex.8:9).  It takes a lot more faith to believe that the plagues just came and went coincidentally with Moses' pronouncements than to believe that the events were a demonstration of the power of the Almighty God. 
• Pharaoh lies to Moses (and to God) over and over, saying that as soon as the current plague is lifted he will let the people go.  And then, when relief comes, he goes back on his word.  It is interesting that after the plague of hail he says, "I have sinned," and after the plague of locust he says, "I have sinned against the LORD your God and against you."  Sadly, just recognizing one's sin isn't enough.  It is necessary to respond.  In Pharaoh's case, the result of his failure to yield to God was a plague of darkness -- "darkness that can be felt."  Do you have any friends or loved ones who are fumbling about in "darkness that can be felt" because they recognize their sin but haven't yet received God's Remedy for sin?
• Lastly, the Passover.  We know that Jesus is our Passover Lamb (see 1Cor.5:7).  Maybe we can get into more detail on that when we get to the Gospels.  The Israelites were instructed to put the lamb's blood over the door of each house, and then stay in the house until the angel of death had passed over.  God foresaw that some of the Egyptians would be interested in escaping this plague. After all, they had seen how God had spared His people from every plague after the swams of gnats.  Likely there were some who considered camping inside one of the Hebrew houses while the plague passed by, and then going back to their Egyptian gods when the coast was clear.  God was very specific that this would not be permitted.  Guests or sojourners would be permitted to eat the Passover meal, but only if they became "like a native of the land" -- meaning they must be circumcised.  I think you could ask any male of the species and he would say that circumcision represents a pretty lasting commitment.  That is what God wants from us.  Christianity is not just salvation (or "fire insurance") but a lasting relationship with Jesus that results in a changed heart and life.  Jesus wants us to be "all in".  Are we?

I hope all is well with you.  I should be caught up with the reading in Leviticus by tomorrow, and hopefully will be back on track with posting at least a couple of times a week.  Talk to you soon!

Happy Valentine's Day

Hi...things have been a little crazy, and I'll be back to writing later in the week.  But I thought I'd share this blog post about true love, written by a friend of a friend:
http://www.christinthechaos.com/2012/02/love-for-cynics-like-me.html

I've never met the writer, but we have a lot in common because we know the same Jesus. 
Take care, and I'll talk to you soon.

Getting back on the horse

It's been two full weeks since my last post.  Most of you have heard that my father-in-law passed away.  Obviously there's been a lot going on.  But more than being busy, I just didn't feel inspired to write. I didn't feel that I had anything worthwhile to say.  And I am forced to confront my reason for this blog.  Should I write because I feel clever and inspired?  Or should I write because I feel that God has directed me to?  If the former is true, I might as well abandon the whole thing.  I doubt anyone would notice.  But, because I believe the latter is true, I'm sitting here at my keyboard.  Just to put your mind at ease, I'm not going to try to blog on two full weeks of Bible reading.  Not only would that be cumbersome for me to write, it would be too much to expect even my mother to read.  But there is something that represents a theme (from the past few days' reading, at least!) that spoke to me, and I hope it will to you as well. 

We've been reading about Jacob and his sons.  Jacob -- the one whose name means "heel-catcher" (or "usurper") because he came into the world grasping the heel of his older twin brother Esau.  The one who took advantage of that same brother's weakness and bought his birthright for a measly bowl of stew.  The one who deceived his father into giving him the blessing intended for the same older brother.  No matter that God had already said that "the older would serve the younger."  Jacob manipulated, maneuvered, and connived to usurp his brother's position to the point that he was eventually forced to flee for his life. 

While fleeing, Jacob has an encounter with God.  Of course, we know about the dream, and the promise that God makes to Jacob.  But I had never before paid attention to the fact that Jacob also makes a promise to God:  "If God will be with me and will watch over me on this journey I am taking and will give me food to eat and clothes to wear so that I return safely to my father's house, then the LORD will be my God."  After noting this, it now totally makes sense to me that Jacob wrestles with God upon returning safely to Canaan.  It is now time for him to make good on his promise.  And after wrestling all night he comes away with an injured hip, a blessing, and a new name:  Israel.  Israel means "wrestles with God" or "governed by God."  This implies, I think, that Israel wrestled until he finally submitted to God. 

However, the scriptures continue to call him "Jacob" for a couple more chapters, until he goes, with his family, back to Bethel, the place where he first encountered God.  There they rid themselves of all of their idols, and God confirms His promise to Israel.  And they live happily ever after, governed by God.  Oh, wait.  That's not what happened. 

What I find is that sometimes Israel is called Israel, and sometimes he is called just plain old Jacob, the usurper.  It would be really cool to be able to say that when he is acting on faith he is called "Israel" and when he is acting in the flesh he is called "Jacob".  But frankly, I looked and I really didn't find that to be the case.  I did find one rabbi who says that "Jacob" refers to his physical acts or temporal nature (he mourns his loved ones; he gets hungry; he worries, he dies) and "Israel" to his spiritual acts or eternal nature (he moves on after burying his beloved Rachel; he trusts God when he permits Benjamin to go with his brothers to Egypt; he lives out his life in Egypt but requests to be buried in the Promised Land.  Interesting fact: he is almost always called "Israel" in his dealings with Joseph.)  This rabbi refers to Isaiah 43:1 to support this:  God created Jacob but he formed Israel.  So maybe there is something to this idea.  But the fact is, he is sometimes Israel and sometimes Jacob.  Sometimes victorious through submitting to the Almighty, and sometimes just the guy who is trying to claw his way to the top of the pile. 

And isn't that true for us?  If we are in Christ we are a new creation; but that new nature lives within the old body.  In fact, the new nature does not displace the old, but enhances it.  We are new in a "new and improved" way, not a "something completely different" way.  The new nature is who God always intended us to be.  Sometimes we walk worthy of that calling, sometimes we just muddle along.  Perhaps what is most important is that we keep going.  Like the verse below suggests, sometimes we are Israel, governed by God, and He displays His glory in us.  Wouldn't we love that all the time?  But sometimes we are just Jacob, and even then we can rejoice in being redeemed. 

Isa 44:23

Sing for joy, O heavens, for the LORD has done this; shout aloud, O earth beneath. Burst into song, you mountains, you forests and all your trees, for the LORD has redeemed Jacob, he displays his glory in Israel.

Beyond our reach?

Soooo.....yesterday my reading was interrupted by a family issue, which I addressed only grudgingly.  And I'm not proud of that.  Then, I got sucked into the vortex of a reality TV marathon.  Yeah, not proud of that either.  It's sort of a combination of bubblegum for the mind and crack cocaine.

As I mentioned before, I have been reading Elihu's rant with some frustration.  There is a lot of truth in what he says.  It is not until the end of the monologue that I can easily identify a problem:  In Job 37:23 Elihu says, "The Almighty -- we cannot find Him." (NIV says He is "beyond our reach.")  Elihu seems to know a lot about God but doesn't know Him personally as Job does.  In fact, it is a basic principle of scripture that we will find God if we seek Him.  Consider the following:

• Jer.29:13  "You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart."  Now, one could argue that this verse refers to a specific audience for a specific period in time, and that is true.  It was written to the nation of Israel referring to the end of the Babylonian captivity.  But it still refers to a general principle that is repeated in other scriptures.
• Matt.7:7-8  "Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened."
• Prov.8:17  "I love those who love me, and those who seek me find me."
• Acts 17:26-27  "From one man [God] made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and He determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live. [He] did this so that men would seek Him and perhaps reach out for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us."

It is the last reference that I love the most.  In contrast to the first one, which is for a specific people and a specific point in time, the last one is universal and timeless:  for every nation of men, in the times set for them.  God has ordained that each of us live in a specific time and place so that we would seek Him. He places us in the exact circumstances of time and place that cause us to seek Him. And, when we reach out for Him, He is not far from us. 

As you read Job 38-39, give thanks and praise that the God who laid the foundations of the world, who keeps the oceans within their defined boundaries, and who causes the sun to rise in the morning has also defined a time and place for you that has caused you to reach out to Him and find Him.

Staring at a blank page

On Wednesday mornings I lead a Bible study, so I ended up skipping my one-year reading yesterday.  Today I'm trying to play catch up, and I find myself somewhat overwhelmed by the task. 

I pondered Job's monologue in Chapter 31, where he describes some sins that, were he guilty of them, he would consider his suffering just punishment:

• Adultery.  And not the Pharisaical "look but don't touch" definition of it.  He defines it the same way that Jesus does in the Sermon on the Mount:  "But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart."  Long before Jesus ever spoke these words, Job says, "I made a covenant with my eyes not to look lustfully at a girl."
• Mistreating a fellow human being. He extends this definition to include not helping someone who is in need.  And, even if it may be socially acceptable to mistreat certain classes of human beings (see Job 31:21-22) Job's conscience is clear.  (Can you think of any classes of human beings whom it is or has been socially acceptable to mistreat?)
• Trusting in wealth rather than in God.  In chapter 29 Job fondly remembers the life he had prior to this great trial.  He recounts among his treasured memories the awareness of God's presence and watchful care, his children, and the respect he enjoyed as he was used by God to bless others.  Never does he say that he misses his wealth. 

Then I came to chapters 32-34 where Elihu speaks, and frankly, I hit a wall.  My first question is, who is this guy and where did he come from?  He is not mentioned in Job 2:11 as one of the friends who came to comfort Job.  We know from his own description that he is young (Job 32:4,6) and passionate (Job 32:2-3,5).  Also by his own description, he is "full of words" (Job 32:18).  I read and tried to make sense of what he was saying....tried to pinpoint his error.  Frustrated, I pulled out John MacArthur's commentary.  After reading that I have come to the conclusion that Elihu's error and mine are the same.  We are both looking for an explanation for everything.  We both want to make sense of things, to have an answer for everything.  Elihu's anger with the old men was because their answers (or lack thereof) didn't satisfy him.  Like Elihu, I want to fit it all into a tidy box of my own making, tie a shiny bow around the box, and stand back and admire my handiwork. 

According to MacArthur, that is the whole point of the book of Job:  that there are some things that God does (or allows) that we will never understand, and He is not obligated to explain them to us.    If we could comprehend Him, explain Him, or build a box that could contain His ways, He would not be worthy of our worship.  What is important is that we believe what He has revealed to us about Himself:  that He is the All-Powerful Creator God who loves us and sent His Son to die, paying the price for our sin.  He is good, and holy, and just.  And He has given us "everything we need for life and godliness." (2Pet.1:3) That is the God I choose to worship.

I hope you'll take time to listen to this song by Chris Tomlin.  It's based on Job 38-39.

Whose spirit?

Has anyone noticed that Job's tone seems to have changed? His words now seem more like a thoughtful meditation and less like an unchecked reaction to physical and emotional agony.  Maybe the shock of his sudden losses has worn off and he is settling in to the trial.  That is what God told the Israelites to do when they were taken captive to Babylon:

"This is what the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, says to all those I carried into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon: "Build houses and settle down; plant gardens and eat what they produce....Also, seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile." (Jer. 29:4-6)

His point at that time was that their trial was going to be long-term, and it would not do them any good to keep wishing for something different.  It was better for them to settle into their current situation.  It was God's plan for them to do so.  While this scripture hadn't yet been written, Job nevertheless understands the concept.  His children aren't coming back.  While he certainly mourns his loss, he knows his life will never be the same.  All he has left is God and he will seek Him with all he has, even if he doesn't understand what God is doing.  There is a peace that comes with this attitude, even amidst the pain.  Have you found that to be true in your trials?

A couple of observations:

Job 26:13b:  This reads differently in different versions, but I love how the NASB renders it:  "His hand has pierced the fleeing serpent."  The enemy of our souls has been pierced and is on the run!  I wrote a little smiley face in the margin next to this verse because that image makes me smile.

Job 26:4:  Job, in his response to Bildad, asks, "Whose spirit was expressed through you?"  This caught my eye because I had also noted a few days ago that Zophar spoke in the spirit of his own understanding, not God's. (Job 20:3).  I think Job's question is one we should ask ourselves whenever we speak.  Whose spirit is expressed through us?  How do we know?  I think it helps to ask two questions:

1. Does it agree with the written word of God?  God does not contradict Himself.  His written Word is our objective standard of Truth.  Bildad's brief tirade reflects a basic truth of Scripture:  all men are sinful, and God is sinless perfection.  So what is wrong with it?  I think it fails the next question.
2. Does it reflect the character of God?  God has proclaimed His Name (character) to us in His Word and in the person of God the Son.  God describes His character in Ex.34:6-7:

The LORD passed before him and proclaimed, "The LORD, the LORD, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but who will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children and the children's children, to the third and the fourth generation."

  

While He makes it clear that He judges sin, it is last on His list.  He gives priority to the characteristics of mercy, grace, patience, love, faithfulness and forgiveness, and so should we. 

Help me, Lord, to express Your Spirit in everything I say and do. 

Help me to treat others with the same mercy and grace that I have received from You

and would like to receive from others.

Give me boldness to speak Your Truth with compassion.

Let my life reflect Your Character.  Amen.

One down, fifty-one to go...

If you are still with me, congratulations!    We are a little more than one week into reading through the Bible in chronological order.  If you have just recently joined us, welcome!  It's ok to jump in with today's reading, although if you want to go back and catch up, that's a good idea when you have time.  The reading schedule we are following can be found here. 

I only finished part of the reading yesterday morning, and just got caught up this morning.  While it is interesting to see the poetic and creative ways in which people can repeat themselves, this section does seem somewhat repetitive. 

So far it boils down to this: 

Job's friends:  You suffer because you have sinned.  Only a wicked person would suffer so much.  The fact that you are suffering means you must have sinned.  Repent and God will restore you.  This is the way things work, according to our observations.

Job:  Your observations are selective.  Haven't you seen that the wicked do indeed prosper?  Therefore, isn't it also logical that good people can suffer?  I am innocent.  Why doesn't God answer me and prove these "friends" of mine wrong? God is silent, yet I will still believe in Him.

Yet we know that none of the words of Scripture are superfluous; God has a purpose in each one (ALL Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable [useful]...  2Tim.3:16) So, why all of this back and forth? 

One reason may be to establish some generalities as to how the world works, while at the same time demolishing these arguments in relation to any individual case.  God does and will reward righteousness, just not according to our standards or our timetable. Hebrews 11:6 says that God rewards those who diligently seek Him.  Yet God told Abram that He Himself was Abram's "very great reward" (Gen.15:1).  We can see around us that, in general, God blesses the righteous, but God doesn't bless only the righteous.  And the blessings are not always things we can see.

On the flip side, God does and will judge sin, but again, not according to our standards or timetable.  It doesn't seem fair to us when wicked people prosper, but we can rest assured that all sin will be judged in a way that satisfies God's requirements.  This is why it was necessary for Jesus to die on the cross, to bear the punishment for our sin.  Otherwise none of us could claim to be righteous. 

It can be said, in general, that sin does cause suffering.  Greg Laurie once pointed out how much suffering exists in the world that can be directly traced to the violation of the commandment "Thou shalt not commit adultery."  Broken homes, fatherless children, poverty, sexually transmitted diseases, and untold emotional suffering.  Most could be avoided simply by honoring the commandment.  Thankfully there is now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus. (Rom.8:1) He took ALL of our punishment.  We may suffer the natural consequences of our past actions, but the suffering we experience is never punishment for our sin. 

It can also be said, in general, that God blesses the righteous.  The Proverbs are full of descriptions of the logical results of wise and righteous behavior.  Yet it has been said that God is not a cosmic vending machine, and obligated to dispense a blessing if we insert "payment".  God doesn't owe anyone anything.  If we are honest we must recognize that we have been blessed far beyond what we deserve. 

So, that being said, which of the poetic and creative (and "windy") arguments have attracted your attention? 

I think that it's interesting that Job is advised to "inquire of the past generations" (Job 8:8).  Job 14:10 states that "both the gray haired and the aged are among us."  This is quite literally true.  According to the generations in Gen.11, Shem, son of Noah, is still living at this time.  In fact, Noah himself is probably still alive.  Job could go back seven generations and seek the wisdom of his great-great-great-great-great grandfather Noah. 

This also caused me to think that the observations of Job's friends are based on a relatively short period of time.  Fewer than 600 years have passed since the flood, when the world as it was then known was utterly destroyed.  The righteous (Noah and his sons) survived and the wicked (everyone else) perished in the flood.  Job's friends seem to make all of their generalizations based on this relatively narrow time frame.  Let us not make the same mistake of judging the trials of others based on our own limited and flawed observations. 

Windy knowledge

I'm laughing at what Eliphaz says in Job 15:2.   If you are reading the NIV or KJV you are going to miss it.  But if you have the NASB or the ESV you will see that Eliphaz accuses Job of  "windy knowledge."  Job throws a similar phrase ("windy words") back at Eliphaz in Job 16:3.  KJV calls it "vain knowledge" and NIV calls it "empty notions".  Somehow these phrases don't convey the same vivid imagery for me as "windy knowledge".  What picture does "windy knowledge" bring to your mind? 

Wind can be noisy.  Pushy.  Destructive.  And yes, empty.  "Windy knowledge" would be when I think I know better than you and that pride erupts into a lecture.  When I think you are entitled to my opinion.  Isn't that what Job's friends have been doing all along?  It takes a much stronger person to be silent in these situations than to speak out. 

I think I'll add this phrase to my vocabulary and make every effort to delete the practice from my inventory of habits.

The Status Quo is not OK

Yesterday I tried to summarize four chapters of Job.  It was hard, I don't think I was too successful, and I don't think that is really a good strategy.  Nor do I think it is really what God wants me to do.  On the other hand, what I think He is asking me to do today is even harder.  Not that it requires a lot of work, but that it requires humility, discernment, and obedience. 

According to Gen.4:26, it was not until after the fall of man, after the murder of Abel, after the banishment of Cain, after the birth of the third generation, that people began to call on the Lord.  Calling on the Lord is an acknowledgement that the status quo is not ok, that we need help, and that God is the source of that help.  Clearly Job was a man of prayer.  He was known as a person who called on God and God answered his prayers.  (See Job 10:4).  The fact that he was experiencing a great trial caused his friends to draw some conclusions:  You have unconfessed sin.  You have not prayed.  Your faith isn't strong enough.  Job had become a laughingstock.  Surely he had prayed.  Had God now turned his back on Job?  On this one to whom others had come for prayer because his prayers seemed so powerful, because he seemed to have God's ear? 

So, I tell you, as a Bible study leader, a women's ministry leader, a worship leader, a member of the prayer chain, that I have had one particular prayer in my life go unanswered for nearly twelve years. Most of my close friends know the situation, and I hesitate to say what it is because of the potential for the discussion to get waaaay off track.  Maybe another time.  But, even with an army of prayer warriors praying with me, the situation remains.  If anything, it has gotten worse.  This is not a simple matter of inconvenience; it is a matter of spiritual (and potentially physical) life and death concerning a loved one.  The status quo is not ok, and there is only One Who can help.  And, for the most part, He is silent. 

No, that is not true.  God has been faithful to speak to me through His Word.  And He has given me peace in the situation, which should not be interpreted as acceptance.  The status quo is still not ok.  I haven't received the answer that my heart desires, that my loved one would be rescued from the stranglehold of sin.  I believe God is good.  I believe He is powerful.  I believe I am praying in accordance with His will, according to His Word.  Because I have the benefit of Job's account, I believe there may be something bigger going on that I don't understand, and I believe that God will work according to His time table and not mine. 

I join with Job in appealing to God (from chapter 10):

Does it please you to oppress me, to spurn the work of your hands, while you smile on the schemes of the wicked? Your hands shaped  [my loved one] and made [him]. Will you now turn and destroy [him]? Remember that you molded [him] like clay. Will you now turn [him] to dust again?

P.S. I do think it's interesting that Job appeals to the fact that God made him.  Just a brief nod to the first three chapters of Genesis:  When we reject creation, we reject this basis for appeal!

Job 6-9

We find Job today in the wake of the destruction that Satan, with God's permission, has wreaked on his life.  It seems to me that the accusations and assaults on Job's faith that come after the tragedy are worse than the loss itself.  And this is no small thing.  Job has lost all of his possessions and all of his children in a single day.  On top of that, his health has been devastated. He has been a victim of violence, natural disaster, and disease.  He can't sleep, can't eat, and even though he wants to die, he can't. This is not because of some evil he has done, but rather because he is righteous and God has chosen him as an example of faithfulness through suffering.  I doubt Job saw this as a blessing and a privilege at the time, and perhaps that is the point of this book. 

We rarely consider suffering to be a blessing and a privilege, yet we are told to "count it all joy" because God is working in us.  (James 1:2-4)  We are also told that there is a "harvest of righteousness" for those who endure discipline.  (Heb.12:11).  But in the middle of the trial, it is very difficult if not impossible to see what God is doing. We expect to see some result according to our time table.  And we expect the result to be one that we would have chosen:  something that fits our limited view of the situation. 

Job's friend Eliphaz advises him to repent and seek God, because such suffering must be caused by some sin on Job's part.  Another friend, Bildad, suggests that Job's faith must be weak "like a spider's web."  If Job were truly good and faithful, God would restore him right away.  Job, for his part, says he is too weak to plead his case before God, and God probably would not listen to him anyway.

These ideas are still around today:

• What comes around goes around.  If you are suffering, you deserve it.  Karma's a b*****.

-or-

• God is powerful, but He is not good, or fair.  Otherwise He would do things the way I think He should.  A good God would not let good people suffer.

-or-

• God is good and fair, but He is not powerful, and therefore can't act on my behalf.  He's busy helping someone else who is more deserving or has stronger faith than I do.

These are the only explanations open to us when we define for ourselves what good is.  We define what God's help and favor should look like in our situation.  We should be healthy, happy, wealthy, safe, wise or ______ (you fill in the blank) .  If we aren't, one of the above must be true.  I, for one, am thankful for the account of Job, which tells us there is more to the story than we can see, a purpose beyond ourselves. 

Do yourself a favor and skip ahead to the last chapter.  Job has new understanding of God's power and mercy.  God restores Job and forgives Job's friends for their foolish comments.  Job lives out his life even more blessed than he was before.  But even more important, I think, is who is missing from the end of the story.  Satan, who was so proud and boastful at the beginning, is nowhere to be seen.  I think he ran away with his tail between his legs when God showed up on Job's behalf. 

Lord, may I desire Your glory and the triumph of good over evil more than my own comfort and my own definition of what it means to be blessed.  

Confession

Ok, time for confession.  Obviously, I didn't post a blog yesterday.  Yes, I did the reading, and had even begun my blog post early enough in the day (I thought) for my friends in the Eastern time zone.  Then I got sidetracked.  And now I sit here wondering what made me think I would have something to say every day.  And what made me think anyone would actually want to read it. And yes, there was definitely pride thinking I would somehow bless you all with my vast knowledge and wisdom.  And that people would flock to my blog.  Oh, well.  Better that those delusions of grandeur are crushed early and often.  Let's make one thing perfectly clear:  this blog is about God speaking to us from His Word.  "Great and Unsearchable Things" are what HE promises us when we ask, and when we search the pages of the Bible.  (See Jeremiah 33:2-3)  So, if you are still here on Day 4, good for you.  You are well on your way to hearing from Him. 

A couple of notes from Day 3 (Genesis 8-11):
The genealogies after the flood are designed to give us an overview of the peoples of the world.  All nations descend from Noah and his three sons, but there is one branch of the family tree that is particularly important:  the one from which the Savior will come.  The others are mentioned only for context.  The ones who will play supporting roles are mentioned here:  the descendants of Canaan (the Hittites, Hivites, Jebusites, Gergashites, etc.); Nimrod, the founder of Babylon; the Philistines.  These descendants of Ham will show up later in the story as enemies of Israel, the main branch of the family tree. 

Israel and ultimately the Savior descend from Noah's son Shem.  We are given a little detail about some of the peripheral lines, but the main focus is on the the line that extends from Shem to Abram.  You might find it interesting that there were 10 generations from Adam to Noah, spanning approximately 2000 years.  There are also 10 generations from Shem to Abram, but these generations span only about 600 years.  The average lifespan has decreased dramatically.  In fact, in these 10 generations, only one (Eber) outlives Shem.  Shem was still alive when Abraham was born and, in fact, is still living after Abraham dies!  Even Abraham's son Isaac could have heard the account of the flood firsthand from Shem. 

So....why on Day 4 do we move to the book of Job (chapters 1-5)?  There are a couple of clues from Genesis 10.  One of the descendants of Shem that is NOT part of the Messianic line is Jobab, son of Joktan, son of Eber (Gen.10:29).  Some scholars think this is the one we know as Job.  Job lives in the land of Uz, and Uz was one of the sons of Shem's son Aram (again, not part of the Messianic line -- see Gen.10:23)  So, Job fits here in the chronological view.  He comes after Noah but before Abraham.  Even though his story is categorized with the books of poetry (Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and Song of Solomon) it fits here in the chronology. 

Just a few observations:

1. Satan is spending his time walking on the earth.  After Adam and Eve sinned, the Serpent was cursed to crawl on his belly in the dust.  That is essentially what he is doing here.  He doesn't enter the presence of God unless summoned. 
2. Job, like Noah, is blameless but not sinless.  He believes God and offers the acceptable sacrifices for his sin, and for this reason is counted righteous.  Satan has been observing Job, and is itching for an opportunity to counteract the good that God has accomplished through His servant Job.  This reminds me of something I've read:  Live your life so that when your feet hit the floor in the morning, the devil says, "Oh, shoot, she's up!"
3. The harm that comes to Job's family is permitted by God but not caused by God.  It is the devil who kills and destroys.  Satan deceives himself into thinking he is more powerful than God.  Given this opportunity, he gleefully does whatever he can to Job and his family.  But God will use this opportunity to demonstrate His greater power in the faithfulness of a true believer.  Do we believe God's power is greater, and are we willing to let it be demonstrated in us?
4. Job curses the day he was born, and says he wants to die.  But he does not, as his wife suggests, curse God.  In his mind that would be worse than death.  Have you ever suffered so much you would rather die, or wished you had not been born?
5. Job's friend Eliphaz assumes that Job is getting what he deserves for some unknown sin.  He says that if Job will just confess to God, everything will be alright.  He thinks he has it all figured out.  "According to what I have seen..." (Job 4:8).  How often do we make judgments of others based on what we have seen? 

So....sorry for the long post.  How are things going with you?  What have you learned?  Are you, or someone you know, going through a trial and in need of prayer? 

Day Two

Well, I don't have anything profound to say today, and I'm still stinging from an ugly loss this morning by my Huskers.  On the other hand, I'm thrilled to have 35 page views for this blog, and 4 subscribers in the first day.  That means we are building a support group, which is our goal. 

In two days we have covered roughly 2000 years of the history of the world, and it got ugly just about as quickly as the football game this morning did.  It only took one generation past the Fall for the first murder to occur.  In ten generations mankind's sinfulness progressed to the point where God had to, as Pastor Barry Mahler says, hit the reset button. God says that His Spirit will not strive with mankind forever, and we must recognize that this applies to us today as well.  His Spirit DOES strive with us and with our loved ones for a time, giving us every opportunity to repent, but at some point He will let us have our way if we continue to harden our hearts.

Since this blog is about support and accountability, I thought I'd ask a couple of questions: 

• What methods have helped motivate you in reading God's Word in the past?
• What resources do you use? 
• How can we help support each other in our common goal of reading through the Bible this year?

I find that journaling helps me a lot.  I always have a pen and spiral notebook available.  It's an act of faith.  If I am prepared to hear God speaking, He will speak, and I will be ready to write down what He says.

It is also a way of involving all of my senses in the learning process.  Sometimes I am just writing down facts or a paraphrase of the passage.  Sometimes I am writing down my questions, and sometimes I am writing down God's answers to my questions or an application to my current life situation.  I don't feel that I am getting the full benefit of reading if I don't write something down.  Today I created the chart below to help me visualize the generations.  Notice that Adam survived through the birth of the ninth generation.  That means that Adam was still alive when Noah's father Lamech was born.  This is one of the ways that the account of creation was preserved:  Noah heard it from his father, who very likely heard it directly from Adam. 

When I have learned something new, when God has revealed some "great and unsearchable thing" to me, that is what keeps me coming back.  What new thing did you learn today? 

In the Beginning....blog

So, this is my first attempt at a blog, and I don't really know where to start.  The reading for today was Genesis 1-3, which covers a whole lot of territory.  My first inclination is to start in with Eve and the Serpent.  That account certainly highlights the need for us to read God's Word for ourselves, and to know what it says.  Eve's failure to hold fast to what God said led to her sin just as surely as Jesus' reliance on "It is written" kept Him from it.  The enemy of our souls will do everything he can to get us to disbelieve what God has said and to follow a lie.  Hopefully that is one reason that you are reading along with me this year.

That being said, this is probably a well-known passage for you.  Did you find something new this time through?  This time, when I read that "the earth was formless and empty" I asked, why did God create the world formless and empty?  I think it is because He wanted the joy of interacting with His creation.  He creates emptiness so that He can fill it.  He could have created the earth complete, full of life.  Instead, He made it formless and empty, and then filled it with good things for the crowning jewel of His creation, mankind.

He could have created Adam and Eve perfect, without any needs, but they would never had known the joy of having God meet those needs.  Instead He created Adam alone, and then, once Adam recognized his need for a helper suitable for him, God made Eve, bone of his bone and flesh of his flesh. 

The time after the Christmas holiday is often an empty time.  The decorations have been packed away.  The presents have lost their newness and you can't even look at another turkey sandwich.  I am resolved to be thankful for emptiness, because it makes more room for Him in my life.