« August 2009 | Main | October 2009 »
I
have a friend, Nahomi, who lives in New Zealand. I have grown to greatly enjoy my friendship with Nahomi, as I have continued reading her blog over the past months.
In a recent blog post, Nahomi shares a wonderful story of God healing a relatives incurable leukemia.
I highly recommend that you give Nahomi's account a read, and put her blog on your reading list.
"The Visitation of Gabriel", by Ted Larson.
Daniel 9:20-23 - While I was speaking and praying, confessing my sin and the sin of my people Israel, and presenting my plea before the Lord my God for the holy hill of my God, 21 while I was speaking in prayer, the man Gabriel, whom I had seen in the vision at the first, came to me in swift flight at the time of the evening sacrifice. 22 He made me understand, speaking with me and saying, “O Daniel, I have now come out to give you insight and understanding. 23 At the beginning of your pleas for mercy a word went out, and I have come to tell it to you, for you are greatly loved. Therefore consider the word and understand the vision.
Can words be uttered more sweet than this? God dispatches Gabriel to tell Daniel that his prayers have been heard, and that he is greatly loved.
I peeked into tomorrow's reading in Daniel, and we see the same thing, over, and over; "Oh man, greatly loved."
Can you imagine? Would you not be completely, and utterly mute? Imagine God speaking to us in this way.
Does this not make your soul yearn with deep, resounding moaning, for that day when we will hear the Father's voice?
Imagine how creation must moan, cursed for over 6,000 years.
"Saul and the Witch of Endor", 1828, by William Sidney Mount. (Smithsonian American Art Museum)
1 Samuel 28:7 - Then Saul said to his servants, “Seek out for me a woman who is a medium, that I may go to her and inquire of her.” And his servants said to him, “Behold, there is a medium at En-dor.”
Boy, what a surprising account this is!
The last thing I expected was to see the prophet Samuel speaking in this way. It is shocking on many levels.
I won't spend much time on this, but it does serve to show us that such things (witches, mediums, necromancers, etc) are real. I have a friend who is deeply involved in "The Law of Attraction". This has become very popular, and particularly in some business circles. Many have purchased the book, having no idea what lies at the root.
However, if you do just a little exploring, you will find that this "Law of Attraction", at its root, is a woman channeling a demon, who goes by the name of Abraham.
Unfortunately, because of the spectacle delivered, many fall prey to these abominations warned of by the Scriptures.
I can't begin to understand Saul's coming into the Spirit of God, then God's Spirit leaving him, and then a tormenting spirit taking God's place.I suspect that this evil spirit, because God had turned his face away from Saul, led Saul to seek the medium for answers, as he was accustomed to having someone verbally tell him what to do. Imagine the surprise in the room for the demon worshipers, when God, through Samuel, communicates. When the medium saw Samuel, "she cried with a loud voice", just as all evil does when the holiness of God is present.
Darkness always runs from the Light. It is true in our natural world, and it is certainly true in the spiritual world.
Most surprising to me, as I consider the life of Saul thus far, is attempting to wrap my mind around God's sovereign plan in the use of Saul.
I recall Jesus' prayer for his future church. Here we are, 2,000 years removed from Christ walking on this earth, living on a planet that is more, and more, removed from the things of Christ. We are given this book to make our faith in God, the world screaming its sheer nonsense. Then, to top it off, we have the most incredible narratives presented.
The natural mind, and even a great deal of Christianity is going to say, "you believe all that to be literally true?"
I must confess, I do, but sometimes it seems hard to hold onto. I mean come on, haven't you read some of these things and heard a voice of reason in your head say, "come on David, you don't believe that...do you?"
During these times, I am forced to go all the way back down to the base. There is no way that I believe that our world simply happened from nothingness. There is a creator. He has shown himself to us through creation. He also has revealed himself through his Scriptures, and most importantly through Jesus Christ.
These things are not easily believed. A man named Jesus, walks around on earth claiming to be the Messiah? God? Decisions must be made. The worst of decisions is not making a decision.
I have made the decision. I believe in God. I believe that Jesus, the Christ, came in the flesh, died for my sins, and prepares a place for me in eternity.
Now, Father, please help me in my unbelief. My nature so cries for empirical evidence. I don't cry for empirical evidence, although that would be nice, but please Abba, crowd out the unbelief in my soul, such that there is no room for it. Please make Yourself more, and more known to me.
How about you? Do you ever find yourself in wonder? Do you ever find yourself fighting unbelief?
As I was finishing up my Scripture readings today, I noticed that the narrative of Daniel, in the lion's den, was on the agenda. I recalled seeing this painting in our National Gallery of Art, and thought I would share it with you.
Narrative of Daniel in the Lion's Den
"Daniel in the Lion's Den", c 1614/1616, by Peter Paul Rubens. (National Gallery of Art)
"The Meeting of David and Abigail", c 1630, by Sir Peter Paul Rubens. (National Gallery of Art)
1 Samuel 25:43 - David also took Ahinoam of Jezreel, and both of them became his wives.
I don't know that I will spend a great deal of time on this issue, but it keeps cropping up in my mind as I have been reading through the Hebrew Canon.
Over, and over, we find the ancient patriarchs with many wives, and concubines. Ancient patriarchal polygamists? What's up with that?
Certainly the adultery with Bathsheba was wrong, and confronted by God, but I don't see God confronting David, for example, with his polygamy.
Please understand, I am not looking for another wife, I am most pleased with mine. Further, I am not making argument one way or another. I am just asking the question.
I wonder, with our strong cultural, and particularly strong Christian proclivities, can we even have an honest conversation about such things.
I am not going to stop my studies, on this issue, but I would be interested in hearing your two cents on God's view on polygamy.
Does God tolerate polygamy?
"Abraham and the Angels", c 1694, by Sebastiano Ricci.
Psalm 34:7 - The angel of the Lord encamps
around those who fear him, and delivers them.
Have you given much thought to the presence of angels around you? I haven't. Not really.
Why do you suppose that we don't think much of angels? They are all throughout the Bible.
Look at these verses describing "angel of the Lord", and these verses describing "encamps around".
If I do contemplate angels, I generally don't think about them in my own life. Yet, angels are present with those that fear God.
How would it rock your world if God sent you an angel to put you on the right path?Is it possible that we don't see, or notice angels because we don't consider that they are around?
Do we think ourselves unworthy to have angels involved in our lives? The only requisite is a true, proper fear of God.
Perhaps we need only to arouse the reticular activating system, in our brains, and keep on the alert.
Something to muse on.
"David and Jonathan", 1642, by Rembrandt.
1 Samuel 20:41-42 - And as soon as the boy had gone, David rose from beside the stone heap and fell on his face to the ground and bowed three times. And they kissed one another and wept with one another, David weeping the most. 42 Then Jonathan said to David, “Go in peace, because we have sworn both of us in the name of the Lord, saying, ‘The Lord shall be between me and you, and between my offspring and your offspring, forever.’” And he rose and departed, and Jonathan went into the city.
I suppose it is possible, if you have never undergone great suffering, that you might not understand this scene.
First of all, you must seek to understand David's heart. It was young, trusting, eager, fearless, and deeply committed to God. David was a musician, and deeply loved. Likely for his ability to communicate this deep emotion.
He then finds himself used of God to slay the giant Goliath, and his life heads into a furious whirlwind. All the world is enamored with David, including King Saul. Then Saul's favor turns to fiercely bitter jealousy, and suddenly David is about to become a fugitive for many, many years. For 10 years Saul will hunt him like a dog.
Imagine, used of God as giant killer one day, and now God would school him in the school of suffering, bitter suffering, for 10 years!
Why does God do this? Have you ever been there? Do you even believe that it is God who does this?
Paul tells us. In fact, he tells us in perhaps the most oft quoted verse of those who are struggling. The great problem is that we don't memorize the very next verses, to our great misfortune.
Romans 8:28-29 - And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. 29 For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.
I don't like it. In fact, I still have not wrapped my mind completely around it, but God uses suffering in his school. If we look at the life of Christ, we clearly see a suffering servant.
For the next 10 years, unbeknown to David, he is going to enter God's sovereign school of suffering.
I have been there, it is greatly unpleasant. Let me say it again, it is greatly unpleasant!
But, perhaps this is the only way that we, or some of us anyway, can finally reach the end of ourselves, lay off layer after layer of pride, and begin to see things through a different understanding.
Some, with perhaps far deeper faith than I, consider it great joy to be in such a place. Paul for instance. I hear those words, but am currently not in a place to utter them. I understand those words, I understand the learning that comes through this fire, but I am not yet to the place where I can honestly say I consider it joy.
If I am honest, although there was great learning, I have not found great joy. I have received a few tastes of the honey, I long for more tastes, but I wouldn't currently call it joy.
Did that make any sense to you?
"Jeremiah" by Michelangelo, in the Sistine Chapel
Here's the deal. I believed in God from a very young age. Furthermore, this faith was far more than mere belief, but a true salvation with a gracious effectual call from my God.
In spite of this, my life has been a series of wanderings, and never really a full fledged understanding of who God is, and flowing from that, a true relationship.
That last three years of my life has changed that. I am not saying that I am somehow perfect, far from it actually, but I know have an understanding that I never before possessed.
This understanding has come from nearly two years of intensive study of God's word. No more will I dream up a God of my own fantasies, but rely on the Scriptures to reveal his character.
Having perhaps finally hit the bottom of my personal "day of the Lord", I can see with new eyes the lament of Jeremiah (the probable writer of Lamentations) as he laments the destruction of Israel, and the temple.
What was once a proud, and glorious testament of God, is now completely shattered in ruins, and is no more!
It is from these ashes that Lamentations is written. Only those, perhaps, who have been on the receiving end of such things will understand.
Lamentations is written to instruct, and remind us of the nature of sin, pain, redemption, and God's sovereignty.
From my ESV Study Bible:
"Lamentations is not an emotional outburst but a formal expression of grief in a high literary style. However, each lament moves rapidly from one topic to the next, revealing that the writer's soul is still in turmoil. Like most elegies, the lyrics in Lamentations deal with profound loss by recollecting past glories and cataloging what is now gone forever, lamenting the finality of the losses while at the same time seeking consolation in present sorrows and some hope for the future."
There are a great many hurting in our land today. Perhaps a read through the book of Lamentations would help them use God's sovereign history, to bring them a calming balm today.
"David and Saul", by He Qi.
1 Samuel 18:12 - Saul was afraid of David because the Lord was with him but had departed from Saul.
Can we agree that jealousy makes us do stupid things? But Saul takes the cake in the jealousy department.
Saul was accustomed to being the man of the hour, but if you recall, he disobeyed God, and God removed himself from Saul. This was painfully brought to Saul's attention when the prophet Samuel hacked Agag to pieces with a sword.
Things now start to get weird, and Saul has set out to kill David. He goes off the deep end when he hears women singing the praises of David, over their king!
Saul has become a raving lunatic in his desire to see David destroyed. He throws his spear at him, but misses, he sends David to battle, hoping that David will be killed. But David is fabulously successful, and the hatred grows even deeper.
David marries Saul daughter Michal, Saul's son Jonathan is best friends with David, and so it continues. Everywhere king Saul turns, there is David is his face, threatening his popularity.
Eventually, David runs to the prophet Samuel to evade certain death. Saul learns of this and sends three groups of men to confront Samuel. But God has different plans, and these three groups of men, who intended to do the king's bidding, wind up as putty in the hands of God before Samuel, and are brought into submission before God.
Saul, upset that these three groups of men have failed, decides to take matters into his own hands. He marches to Samuel, and God forces king Saul into submission, and further comes upon him in such a way that Saul strips off his clothing and lays around naked for a day, and night! Weird, and greatly humiliating.
I don't know whether to laugh at this scene, or be mortified. What a scene this must have been?
Do you suppose that king Saul was laughed at, as he was forced into this humiliating position before God?
How must this "tormenting spirit" tortured Saul after this?
It is instructive for us to note that God will not be challenged. In various places in the Bible, we see God actually physically imposing his will upon his adversaries.
Can you wrap your mind around this? Saul is on the attack, God forces him into submission, and Saul wind up prophesying (the Spirit of God came on Saul to take away his self-control and turn his hostility to prophetic praise), and stripping his clothing off (And he too stripped off his clothes. The aggressive, angry king is humbled, even comically humiliated, before the power of the Lord, against whom he vainly strives.) Note: parenthetic notes above from the ESV Study Bible.
What could have possibly been worse, for proud King Saul, then to suffer this humiliation. Certainly there was an entourage of people with him who witnessed this. I see a real mad man brewing!
I still don't quite know how to file this scene away in my mind. There have been most difficult things brought to my view, in reading through this text, but this one is just weird.
Clearly, opposing God is folly.
| Sun | Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | |
| 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 |
| 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 |
| 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 |
| 28 | 29 | 30 |
Recent Comments