A Boomer in the Pew

Help! I'm Struggling to get Aboard the King Solomon Bandwagon

Bible in a Year Series - Day #151 - This post is part of a year-long series where we are reading chronologically through the Bible.  Click here to learn more.  You are most welcome to join along at any time. 

Today's text from the ESV Study Bible: 1 Kings 3-4, 2 Chronicles 1, and Psalm 72.

It is now over two hours since I began my reading this morning, and I find myself stuck.

Why?

Well...Why did King Solomon run off and marry one of Pharaoh's daughters?  Moses sternly warned of "returning to Egypt", and also of marrying those outside the chosen of Israel because of the temptation to worship other gods.

We also see that King Solomon has busied himself in gathering chariots, horses, and is now, because of his son-in-law status, in some ways subordinate to the king of Egypt.

We also find King Solomon starting out his kingship with the murder of his internal adversaries. 

Yet, on the other hand, we see God pleased with King Solomon's prayer, and grants him wisdom and wealth beyond measure.

King Solomon loved God, yet the early writers put these things that are abhorrent to God in our faces as well.

Why?  What are we to learn from this? 

This certainly isn't the way we started out our relationship with King David. 

Even though King David's sins were great, it seems that we were introduced to David as the innocent young boy who was deeply in love with God.  Even, as the Bible tells us, "a man after God's own heart".

Yet here, we start out our relationship with King Solomon with his divided heart already clearly in view!

And therefore, because I can already see his divided heart, I am now greatly struggling to bring any of my  attention to what King Solomon might have to say. 

Does any of this make sense to you?

I know that King Solomon is human, and therefore possesses a fallen nature just like me.  Further, Joseph taught us that God can make good from evil. 

I just wonder why these early writers put this stumbling block right in front of our faces in the very early chapters of King Solomon's life?

I read this from Dr. Peter Leithart on the subject, but there is still a great deal of head scratching going on in my mind

What are your thoughts on this subject?

Might our Nation be Filled With 50 Year Old Christian Babies?

Bible in a Year Series - Day #150 - This post is part of a year-long series where we are reading chronologically through the Bible.  Click here to learn more.  You are most welcome to join along at any time. 

Today's text from the ESV Study Bible: Psalm 119: 1-88.

Today, we find ourselves in Psalm 119.  I think a little background from the ESV Study Bible might help us understand this massive Psalm:

"This psalm celebrates the gift of God's Torah, or covenant instruction, as the perfect guide for life. It thus belongs conceptually with Psalm 19 and overlaps with such wisdom psalms as Psalm 1 and 112. It is far more extensive, and far more elaborate, than they are; it is the longest psalm (and the longest chapter in the Bible, longer than many of the books) and the most carefully structured. By singing and praying its contents, one expresses heartfelt admiration to God, who has so lovingly bestowed this great gift upon his people, and fervent yearning for one's personal life to reflect the loveliness and goodness of the Torah. The psalm's structure observes a strict acrostic pattern: there are 22 stanzas of eight verses each, following the 22 letters of the Hebrew alphabet in sequence. Within a stanza, the first word of each verse begins with the same letter, the letter to which the entire stanza corresponds. This pattern severely limits the author's liberty in sustaining his flow of thought, but this does not hinder the psalm from accomplishing its goal, which is to enable God's people to admire his Word so strongly that they will work and pray hard to have it shape their character and conduct. The cumulative impact of the psalm is huge."

Would you mind if I make a disquieting statement?

It seems now impossible to me that an unfeigned lover of God might so be without a profound yearning to continually bathe in God's word seeking the promised transformation of the heart, and the profound joy of His pleasure and presence.

Let that sink in a minute.

For over 50 years, I called myself a Christian, tried to live a good life, went to church, paid my tithe, but never diligently sought God's direct line of communication to me (the Bible).

I came to my relationship with God thinking, profoundly misguided I might add, that I would accomplish God's favor through my own efforts.  However, the whole of the Old Testament, and certainly the testimony of those therein, screams to us that we are utterly incapable of God's pleasure through our own efforts. 

So, how do we accomplish this?

Carefully read Psalm 119, and you will find that the Psalmist is seeking a transformation, an opening of the eyes/heart from God.

The Bible speaks of becoming a new creation, a new miraculous birth initiated by God, through faith, and by the Holy Spirit.  Once we take this step of faith, then we become a babe in the faith.

Without seeking God through his word, it is certainly possible to remain a babe for the rest of our natural lives.  As the Bible says, "we can barely escape the flames".

But, what a horrific place to be.  Satan easily taunts babes.  Furthermore, the infinite beauty of Messiah is only found when we faithfully, and continually find ourselves diligently seeking God's face.

Is not the easiest prayer for God to answer the one where we ask him to teach us more of Him?

Let's all slowly digest Psalm 199, and cry aloud verse five:

"I pray that my ways may become firmly established
   so that I can obey your laws."

If America Were Today Destroyed, Where Would you Place Your Hope?

Bible in a Year Series - Day #149 - This post is part of a year-long series where we are reading chronologically through the Bible.  Click here to learn more.  You are most welcome to join along at any time. 

Today's text from the ESV Study Bible: 1 Kings 1-2, Psalms 37,71,94.

The books of 1st and 2nd Kings is going to take us on a very difficult journey.  We are going to travel from the high highs of the reigns of David and Solomon; to Israel, and even God's Temple, being removed from the face of the earth.

Consider that for a moment.  If a nuclear bomb was set off in Washington, and a foreign nation decapitated our government, destroyed all that we hold dear, and made us all slaves, where would your hope be?

We are going to see Solomon's kingdom, the greatest kingdom ever, eventually washed from the face of the earth.

Imagine yourself one of the Jew's being hauled off in chains to Babylon.

Where is God?  What about God's promise that the throne of David would live for eternity?

Later prophets are going to answer these questions for us, but for now we must again view the consequences of a people who will turn from God, perform unspeakable acts, worship idols, and eventually be destroyed.

God's promise to build a nation from the seed of Abraham will now before our eyes seemingly be utterly destroyed.

This will again be very painful to watch.  However, the earnest student of Yahweh we be constantly on the lookout for lessons to apply to his/her own life.

We learned it before, and we will learn it again:  there is only one God, and we are to have nothing before him.

Abba,

You promise to shape the hearts of those who earnestly seek you.  Forgive us for putting our wealth, our families, our pride, and the multitude of other things that we place above you.  Create in us a heart that is willing to serve only you.  Left to our own devices, history teaches us over, and over, and over, that we will abandon you to seek our own selfish desires. Help us to understand that our desire to have a king, or perhaps in our case the "security" of the United States of America, is at the end of the day a wrongly placed desire, and that you are our only hope. It is you God in whom we place our trust and our hope.  As King David has told us over, and over, you are faithful, and your steadfast love abides forever. Open our eyes, mold our hearts, and lead us in the way everlasting.

Hebrew Poetic Acrostics, the Egyptian Hallel, and Lamenting the Loss of Liturgy

Bible in a Year Series - Day #148 - This post is part of a year-long series where we are reading chronologically through the Bible.  Click here to learn more.  You are most welcome to join along at any time. 

Today's text from the ESV Study Bible: Psalms 111-118.

Today, besides the text of these wonderful Psalms, we find that Psalms 111-112 go together and are wonderful examples of the Hebrew use of acrostics in their poetry.

Further, Psalms 113-118 are called the Egyptian Hallel and some scholars suggest that Christ and his disciples may have sang these after their Passover Meal.

I have often felt that the evangelical church suffers when the liturgical features of the early church are seemingly ignored.

I am not suggesting that the church must be operated by a liturgical dogma, but understanding that there exists something such as the Egyptian Hallel is, I think, profitable, and brings a different perspective on the prose.

OK!  I end my lament.

I enjoyed the Egyptian Hallel today, and in particular, I enjoyed the personalization found in the last stanza:

"You are my God, and I will give thanks to you;
you are my God; I will extol you.
Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good;
for his steadfast love endures forever!" (Psalm 118:28-29)

Enjoying the Beauty of King David's Final Prayer

Bible in a Year Series - Day #147 - This post is part of a year-long series where we are reading chronologically through the Bible.  Click here to learn more.  You are most welcome to join along at any time. 

Today's text from the ESV Study Bible: 1 Chronicles 26-29.

What a splendid day we see in the life of Israel in chapter 29.

There has been a tremendous amount of warring, and bloodshed in David's reign, and now we will see Israel enjoy a period of glorious rest.

It is the very end of David's life, and we see the incredible pains that he has taken to transfer the plans for the temple, delivered to David by the hand of God, to his son Solomon.

The outpouring of generosity to God in this scene is captivating.  David himself gives over 100 tons of gold, and the people contribute another 200 tons, as well as multiple tons of other precious materials for the future temple.

Then they all rejoiced greatly!

Wouldn't you like to have been there?

For me, however, the highlight of the whole scene is David's prayer:

“Blessed are you, O Lord, the God of Israel our father, forever and ever. 11 Yours, O Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the victory and the majesty, for all that is in the heavens and in the earth is yours. Yours is the kingdom, O Lord, and you are exalted as head above all. 12 Both riches and honor come from you, and you rule over all. In your hand are power and might, and in your hand it is to make great and to give strength to all. 13 And now we thank you, our God, and praise your glorious name. 14 “But who am I, and what is my people, that we should be able thus to offer willingly? For all things come from you, and of your own have we given you. 15 For we are strangers before you and sojourners, as all our fathers were. Our days on the earth are like a shadow, and there is no abiding. 16 O Lord our God, all this abundance that we have provided for building you a house for your holy name comes from your hand and is all your own. 17 I know, my God, that you test the heart and have pleasure in uprightness. In the uprightness of my heart I have freely offered all these things, and now I have seen your people, who are present here, offering freely and joyously to you. 18 O Lord, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, our fathers, keep forever such purposes and thoughts in the hearts of your people, and direct their hearts toward you..."

There is a lot for us to transfer to our own hearts from this prayer. 

Oh Lord, forever direct my heart towards you!

12% of Adults Believe that Noah's Wife was Joan of Arc!

Bible in a Year Series - Days #145 & 146 - This post is part of a year-long series where we are reading chronologically through the Bible.  Click here to learn more.  You are most welcome to join along at any time. 

Our travel schedule for The Roaming Boomers put me behind yesterday, so I have combined yesterday and today's reading.

In yesterday's reading we found King David setting the stage for his son Solomon to build the first temple.

Today, we again visit a number of David's Psalms, and Psalm 139 is a real doozie to consider.

According to the Pew Research Center, over 90% of American's believe in God (or a universal spirit), and 71% nationally say that they are absolutely certain of this belief.

Yet, when we consider those who actually read the Bible, the reports are shocking.  For example, 12% of adults believe that Noah's wife was Joan of Arc!

In spite of all that, Psalm 139 is certain to take people places that they have really never before completely considered, let alone believe.

Consider for example:

• God's omniscience.  God knows absolutely everything about us.  Our thoughts, our goings, and every step of our future.  If fact, it says that he "hems us in".  
• There is absolutely no place that we might go where God is not there.  God is omnipresent.
• As Creator, God knew us before the foundations of time.
• God is infinitely holy, and as Judge, he will ultimately slay all evil from his creation.

It is absolutely impossible to completely believe David's prophetic statements, and not have these words affect our lives. 

In other words, we must learn to submit to our Creator, and ask that he patiently makes us more like Him.

Search me, O God, and know my heart!
Try me and know my thoughts!
And see if there be any grievous way in me,
and lead me in the way everlasting! (Psalm 139: 23-24)

I seem to be praying this prayer a lot lately.  Particularly, the "lead me in the way everlasting" part. 

The more we read and understand God's holy word, the more we begin to realize how far our fallen nature is from God's holiness.  And even though we may be His chosen, we still have the daily battle against this nature until our death, or His glorious return.

Do you believe all of this?

If so, does it have the potential to change anything in your life?

Have you Ever Really Considered the Christian's Inheritance and Position

Bible in a Year Series - Day #144 - This post is part of a year-long series where we are reading chronologically through the Bible.  Click here to learn more.  You are most welcome to join along at any time. 

Today's text from the ESV Study Bible: Psalm 108-110.

As I was reading my portion of Scripture this morning, I found that I couldn't get past the first verse of Psalm 110 without a great deal of wonder.

God said to David, "here...set on my throne".

Consider the infinite honor given to David.

In my mind, I found myself stuck on this verse because of all the sin we see from David in the last portions of 2nd Samuel.  Yet, God has David upon His earthly holy throne. 

Can you make complete sense of this?

Clearly one of Satan's ploys is to attempt to rob us of our position in Christ.  Do we not, because of our fallen nature, in some way remove ourselves from our position as children of the King?

The true Christian is chosen.  Chosen by God!  Stir that in your brain a bit!

If we truly understand this.  If we truly wrapped our belief around this, would we not act differently?  Would we not be different? 

Do you daily behave in full understanding that you are a child of infinite royalty?

I don't. 

O Lord, increase my faith, and help me to understand the infinitely incredible privilege of being called, and being called Yours!

David's Sinful Census, God's Destruction of 70,000, and the Importance of a Sacrifice for our Sin

Bible in a Year Series - Day #143 - This post is part of a year-long series where we are reading chronologically through the Bible.  Click here to learn more.  You are most welcome to join along at any time. 

Today's text from the ESV Study Bible: 2 Samuel 24, 1 Chronicles 21-22, & Psalm 30.

The last time I read through this section my eyes were on David.  This time I decided to keep my eyes on God, and I found significant things happening besides David's sin:

• "Again the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel".  Israel was again doing something that greatly displeased God.
• As in the book of Job, we see interaction with God and Satan only here the resulting effect is sin in David. 
• It is not clear to me exactly where David's mind was in this census.  Perhaps pride in the military conquests?  Pride in the numbers of his people?  Was David becoming a god unto himself?  Further, David doesn't seem to have evoked the ransom required from a census as required of God in the book of Exodus.  Further still, Joab strongly protested, and refused to number the Levites (the priests), the tribe of Benjamin (the site of the ark), and Gibeon (the site of the tabernacle).  Clearly this act is somehow greatly offensive.
• David repents, but God demands a punishment.  God's angel destroys 70,000 men.  Hard for my modern mind to comprehend.
• Just as the angel is about to destroy Jerusalem, David asks God to punish him instead, and God stays the action of the angel against Jerusalem.
• Next, we find that a plot of land in Jerusalem will be the very spot where Solomon will build the temple.

There is much to meditate on here:

• This is the very spot where Abraham was commanded to sacrifice his son.  God sent an angel to intervene.
• Here we see God's anger waged against sin, David intervenes, offers himself, and God shows mercy.
• The temple, which will be built on this site is God's dwelling place.  It is also the place were sins are covered, and worship towards God occurs.
• It is also in this very same place that we will, centuries later, find God sending his own son as the perfect sacrifice for our sins which deserve the brunt of the death angel sword.
• We shouldn't miss God's affirmation of David's alter with God's holy fire from heaven in this scene.

I'm not sure what Israel was doing to provoke such anger from God.  My guess would be idolatry of some sort.  God has many it ever so clear that he is not pleased when we put anything before him, be it our money, other gods, or our pride.

Further, God has made it plain that the wages of sin is death.  Perhaps Israel had gotten away from God's sacrificial system, and here we see that God is going to plop his Temple right in front of their faces.

As hard as it is to our modern minds to understand why God would kill 70,000 people, we must understand that our fallen nature, and therefore our sin will result in death.  First a physical death, and then an eternal spiritual death.

God has provided a way for all to escape the second death.  I suppose sometimes he needs to provide his chosen screaming examples of the importance of placing our trust in his sacrifice.

Do you see that?

This Morning, I'm Sorry to say, I Found Open Rebellion in my Heart Towards God

Bible in a Year Series - Day #142 - This post is part of a year-long series where we are reading chronologically through the Bible.  Click here to learn more.  You are most welcome to join along at any time. 

Today's text from the ESV Study Bible: Psalms 95, & 97-99.

Today's reading finds us in what are by some called the "Psalms of the Great King" (Psalms 93-100).

They celebrate the fact that God is our King.

Sorrowfully, as I read this verse,

"Oh come, let us worship and bow down;
let us kneel before the Lord, our Maker!" (Psalm 95:6)

there seemed to be this open rebellion in my heart.

Part of me seemed to be screaming, "NO!...I am not going to bow down before any Lord!"

I am certain that this could mean a number of things:

• I am not a brainless, follower of some religion.  I will fight for understanding and truth.
• That there is indeed a constant inner struggle with my fallen nature who desires at all costs to be king of my life.
• That there is the constant drone of the Great Bastard (Jonathan Edward's name for Satan) in confederation with my fallen nature to drive me off the narrow way, constantly proclaiming, "there is no God!".
• That I must constantly don the armor of which Paul speaks in Ephesians 6.
• and finally, as King David has taught me, I must command my soul to follow God.

Oh my Soul, grab tight the stonework of God's eternal fountain.  Never let go!

Reflecting on King David's Multifarious Life

Bible in a Year Series - Day #141 - This post is part of a year-long series where we are reading chronologically through the Bible.  Click here to learn more.  You are most welcome to join along at any time. 

Today's text from the ESV Study Bible: 2 Samuel 22-23, and Psalm 57.

As we approach the end of David's life, I found myself in a prolonged meditation of his life trying to put together the many complicated pieces.

I remember the "sweet psalmist of Israel", and in contrast the king who murders Bathsheba's husband Uriah.

I remember the terrified boy running from Saul's spear, to the victorious man who pulled together the nation of Israel.

It seems that David had a more difficult time in his personal life than he did in the affairs of Israel. 

However, his personal life clearly spills over to the affairs of Israel, as we saw with his son Absalom's traitorous behavior.

As I contemplate David's life, and subsequently reflect on my own life, my nature is surprised by David's confidence in God's acceptance of him in spite of his many shortcomings.  My nature tends to be convinced that one might be disqualified of God's love when our behavior passes a certain unwritten threshold.

Yet, clearly David availed himself of God's sacrificial system, had his sins covered, and was able to continually place his complete faith in God's mercy, forgiveness, and faithfulness.

Furthermore, we see in David a foreshadowing of a coming King who will not have these fallen shortcomings, who will demonstrate what a perfect King looks like, and One who will once and for all create the path of a righteousness that leads to an eternal relationship with Yahweh.

Theologians teach us that the Old Testament all points to Messiah.  As we are currently back here with Israel's second fallen king, do you find yourself longing for Messiah?

In spite of all of David's human failings (and ours), we can certainly rejoice in his right heart:

“The Lord lives, and blessed be my rock,
and exalted be my God, the rock of my salvation,
48 the God who gave me vengeance
and brought down peoples under me,
49 who brought me out from my enemies;
you exalted me above those who rose against me;
you delivered me from men of violence.

50 “For this I will praise you, O Lord, among the nations,
and sing praises to your name.
51 Great salvation he brings to his king,
and shows steadfast love to his anointed,
to David and his offspring forever.” (2 Samuel 22:47-51)

My Rock, my God, and my Salvation.  For this too, O Lord, we also praise you.