Devotion.al

Tag: guilt

  • Path Selection

    2 Samuel 24:1–25

    What the reason was for inciting the census has remained a . Why God would incite David to do this, and thus punish the Israelites, is also a mystery. Some have claimed that this was still the penalty of David’s murder of Uriah and his affair with (and marriage to) Bathsheba. The implication is that while David was the empowered person who did wrong, the people also did wrong by standing by and doing nothing.

    When David could not choose a path and left it to God, God chose the supposed lesser penalty against the people. That David gave up the choice to God, and God chose this path strongly implicates the peoples’ in something. Why the plague for a census? That’s another interesting thing. In Exodus 30:11–16, there is a penalty for everyone if a census is taken and each man (males over 20) does not pay a half shekel. Apparently, there were many who could not pay the price.

    In the midst of his indecision, David’s (people against him for 3 months) resulted in the of his people, those for whom he was responsible. He obviously came to a point of remorse and regret and knew that the path taken was his responsibility. He chose to make amends the best way he knew how…sacrificial .
    Even the site and animal sacrifices (not inexpensive) were offered to him for free, but he chose the correct path and paid for it. The site of this saving ? It became the home of the built by Solomon. This site which was first used to atone for the census (and whatever else we don’t “see”) became the place where people “met” God.

    1) While we understand that “meeting” God happens in all sorts of places, no matter where we are, we humans like (some say need) places to God. What are your thoughts regarding how God transformed this place of sacrifice?

    2) How did God transform the suffering of the Israelites and David?

  • Blessings and Consequences

    Exodus 34:1–27, Ezekiel 18:1–32

    There are many instances in where and consequences appear to be related, but at the same time aren’t.

    Often times, especially for “simpler” crimes, we see only the person convicted, not the victims. And when we see the victims, we see the victim of the crime itself and not the “invisible” victims. The invisible victims? There are many. Often there are far more invisible victims than visible ones. This is not (in any way) intended to diminish the actual victims and their pains…not at all. It is to widen our understanding of consequences.

    When God appears to threaten families (whole lineages) with the sins of a forebear, it can seem to be too much. Of course, if one notices the are for 1000 generations and the “” for only 4, there does seem to be an odd imbalance. How does it work when 1 generation is , and the next is faithless? Is it an equation of 1000-4=996? Then the next generation is faithful, and it is again 1000? Perhaps.

    On the other hand, there might be another thing going on here. We have to recall that is everything in the ancient world. The thought of blessing the 1000 generations after you would have been a strong motivator to do right. Watching your children, grandchildren, and (if you live long) your great-grandchildren suffer the consequences of your wrongs would be a strong deterrent.

    This is why understanding who the invisible victims of crime are is so important. The children of the criminal are often deeply affected (for life). The children of victims are deeply affected. The extended families of both perpetrator and victim suffer. It may be in small ways, but the smallest thing can turn a to good or bad.

    The consequences of the sins are carried on. There is a reason why (especially) negative traits (e.g., alcoholism, abuse) are passed down in families. The offender (e.g., the alcoholic or abuser) may have repented, but the damage has been done and usually gets passed down. That is reality.

    That there has to be a clarification of this tells us that there had been some sort of abuse. Whether it was “just” the saying, or if there was something that was far deeper, pervasive, and (or sinful) is up for interpretation. That God saw it as necessary to clarify would seem to indicate a strong spiritual problem that needed to be addressed.

    With these 2 passages, we see guilt and consequences. People may incur guilt with God and . They can , seek forgiveness, and receive it. The consequences, however, remain. The guilt is ours. The consequences are not. When we sin, it may seem it affects only us, but we may never fully understand the consequences our sins have for others.

    1) What does it mean to be guilty? Toward whom are you guilty?

    2) Have you seen or experienced the consequences of another person’s sins? How did you feel about those consequences? How did you feel about the person as a result of those consequences?

    3) There is a trap when we focus on these two passages, and that is ignoring collective sin. What are collective sins that you can think of? What do you think the consequences were/are?

  • Paths To Choose

    1 Samuel 5:1–6:12, Jeremiah 42:1–43:7

    Asking God what to do can be a “dangerous” . It may lead to something that puts you outside of your zone. It can also be the most fulfilling thing you ever do.

    Fulfilling God’s plans sometimes means that you don’t know you’re doing it. Let’s take the story of the Ark in the land of the Philistines. The precursor to this story is that the Israelites acted more like the Ark was a lucky rabbit’s foot, rather than a very symbol (and place of interaction) with God. The Ark, and by extension with God, was not taken seriously. So, the Israelites didn’t keep it.

    The Philistines took it as a war trophy, displaying it before the of their god (Dagon). It went downhill from there. The consequence of their behavior was unpleasant. The war trophy became a symbol of a contagion to be avoided. The Philistines no longer wanted the war trophy. The priests of Dagon and the diviners (i.e., established non-friends of God) came up with a offering and a test.

    The cows took the Ark back to the Israelites. After all of that, God’s plan and God’s was revealed. Yet, the Philistines, with all of that, went back to their old ways. How often are we just like them?

    The leaders seeking to escape the coming conquest asked for guidance and provided assurance that they would follow it. They heard it and got angry. They asked for guidance and did what was contrary to it. To add insult to injury, one infers that Jeremiah didn’t exactly go happily with them to Egypt. He went in obedience. What a mess.

    The story of the Philistines and the exiles has a similarity…God’s plan and was right in front of them…they chose their own path.

    1) Have you ever asked God for guidance/plan? What happened?

    2) While it’s easy to judge the Philistines and the Israelites for their decisions, what reasons can you think of for their decisions? Have you used similar though processes for your own decisions?

  • Embarrassing

    Exodus 33:18-23, Exodus 34:29–35, 1 Kings 19:3–18, John 1:10–18

    Have you ever hidden your face? Embarrassment. Shame. . Avoidance.

    The Israelites hid their faces from God. Originally it was out of . They only understood fearing gods, as gods were capricious and unpredictable. Now they were in the of a god that they were told of but hadn’t experienced. This god that was only a tale led them out of Egypt. This god called them to him. Now what? Of course, they hide their faces. They send someone in their stead that way they don’t have to face God.

    Facing God is a -changing experience…and so many try to avoid it.
    Moses was physically changed forever. He was changed in such a way that interaction with people was over. How about you?
    Elijah’s experience was different still. In the midst of his being overwhelmed, in , and in fear, God was there. Elijah may not have hidden his face from God, but God hid his face from Elijah.
    God’s and were too much for any to handle. God made a way.

    was the face of God. Instead of being afraid, or hiding away, God was right there. Imagine instead of being afraid of God, eating with God.

    1) What was the most embarrassing thing you’ve ever done? What about it was embarrassing?

    2) Have you ever been too embarrassed to talk to God? Is it more embarrassing to think that God already knows, or is it comforting?

    3) In regards to coming face-to-face with God, why is Jesus’ coming so important?

  • Measuring Value

    Acts 3:1–26, Acts 14:8–18

    All of us have experienced—or know some close who has—a significant health issue, whether going on for years, or for a short time. Often those health issues come with significant costs, too, making a bad situation even worse. It also isn’t necessarily a matter of good or bad health care insurance. It is all the stuff surrounding the issue that often has the greatest cost.

    In the era of Acts, and even as recent as today, people who are disabled (physically or developmentally) are viewed as a waste. What the crippled men experienced is, sadly, no different than what many experience today. Outcast. Forced to beg. Their families brought them to beg. people into . That was their value.

    We all have a to judge people on the value they bring to us. Do they make us happy? Do they take care of us? Or the flip side, what does this continuing doing to me? How is this keeping me from what I want to do?*

    When we judge people by value, we judge people just as if they were things. People are not things. They have God’s image in them ().

    Peter, John, , and Barnabas could have allowed themselves to be valued by the results of the healings. Had they done so, however, they would have not been acting within the framework of God, and it’s questionable how effective they would have been afterward. Instead, they pointed to . They could have allowed themselves to be used, as many of us do to “friends” and influence. They pointed to God.

    1) Have you ever found yourself evaluating people on their value to you?

    2) Have you ever believed that someone pretended to like or even you because of what you could do for them?

    3) Do you think God values you because of what you can do for God, or is there something else?

    *This, of course, does not mean remain in an abusive relationship.

  • Sin In The End

    Psalm 25, John 19:28–30, Hebrews 10:1-14

    The . It’s the end.

    has declared it so.

    What is the end? The remembrance of your sins.

    The beauty of the cross is that the record of our sins has been amended. While some say that they are wiped out completely, it is probably better to say they have been struck from the record. It’s not as if they didn’t happen (and God doesn’t forget); it is as if they didn’t happen. Is this a nuance, yes. Does it, at the end, mean the same thing? Yes.

    Yet, understanding that they have been struck-out helps us better understand some things. The measurement of the and the consequences in our lives of that sin remain. When we stand before the throne of God, sin after sin is struck through by the blood of Jesus. We still have to deal with it now. The penalty of separation from God is removed.

    There is another important piece, which is alluded to in Hebrews. The sins are gone (from a legal ). Stop guilting yourself about it. You confessed them (right?). You asked for God’s forgiveness (right?). Done. No longer carry the burden. Does this mean that there are not things you have to do? Sorry, you will still have some to do with , but with God you’re good.

    and shame can be the biggest barriers to the Very Good . Jesus got it.

    1) Have you ever had unrelenting guilt or shame? Are you still burdened with one today? Why have you not released it to God?

    2) There is a concern that we can keep committing a sin because God will always forgive us. How does a personal with God keep that from becoming an issue?

    3) Why is it important to understand that with God a sin’s penalty is taken away, while the earthly penalty remains?

  • Monday after Easter

    John 1:19–23, Acts 2:22–32

    Not it! That what John says, at least. Yet, his behavior causes people to call into question what his purpose is. If we look at this part of John’s story through the lens of today’s media and world, someone saying, “not it,” is not quite what is expected. Many people, especially in tech and seem to paint themselves in a Messianic . They want people to emotionally believe that the person in question will save them. Both the person wanting it and the people it understand that the person in question is no Messiah. However, there still seems to be this need.

    We can see it in people who claim to know , too. They attach themselves to politicians and leaders in an almost Messianic way. It’s actually pretty sad. Jesus should be their Messiah. Actually, Jesus is their Messiah, but they’ve forgotten in their hearts. Christians have no excuse to look at others being their savior. They have already claimed to know that Jesus is the one and only savior (i.e., Messiah).

    John wants nothing to do with the Messianic bit. He’s more than satisfied pointing to the true Messiah. For John, pointing to the Messiah and getting people started in the right direction is for him the very good . John’s lifestyle doesn’t really call to people. There really aren’t a lot of people saying, “I want to live in the desert, wearing a fur coat, drinking only water, and eating bugs.” As strange as the life he lived out was to people, he still drew people. He didn’t say, “live just like me.” He did say, “.” His lifestyle wasn’t the goal. Jesus was the goal.

    When Peter preaches to the people of Jerusalem he uses the recent story of Jesus’ life and . He then uses what they know (scripture) to drive home the point. Then, instead of beating on them for their collective part in the death of Christ, he announces the resurrection. Wait? What? No guilt trip? Nope. Just some random guy pointing to Jesus. Some guy whose life was dramatically changed. Pointing the way to Christ. That is what Peter did.

    When it comes to the very good life, the greatest may be pointing someone to Jesus. Why? Jesus is the key to the very good life, the key is free, and the number is unlimited.

    1) What is the very good life to you?

    2) Both John and Peter point to Jesus. Why is pointing to Jesus part of the very good life?

  • Practice Feasting

    Deuteronomy 14:22–26, Acts 2:36–42

    Feasting in the of the Lord is a strong theme in all the Jewish feast times. Feasting in God’s presence provides a reminder that it is by God’s grace and that there is something to feast with. It also reminds us that God is God. It keeps us balanced so that we do not think that the feast is because of ourselves or our works.

    That something so basic and essential to living (food) is considered a vital part of worship, should help us to not dismiss it. While we may joke about potlucks, in many respects such gatherings are feasting in the presence of the Lord. While overeating is not good, eating together is.

    When the early “church” of Acts eats together, we’re talking about all sorts of people. While they all were Jews (at this point, with some Gentile converts), that doesn’t mean they all got along. There were fishermen, tax collectors, Levites, merchants, soldiers, guardsmen. In other words, there was a cross-section of Jewish society. They made it a practice of breaking bread together. There is a context to this breaking of bread. These people listened to the Apostles’ (we’d say the New Testament) Teaching (sermons and preaching), to fellowship (more than and greet at the door), and prayer. It is all four elements together that were practiced.

    1) Have you ever made the decision to avoid the sermon or other teachings? How about fellowship? How about breaking bread together? How about prayer?

    2) This is not to be a trip, but a time of reflection. Why did you avoid 1 or more of these practices? Is it a regular thing? If so, what can you do to restore this 4-fold practice into your ?

    3) In Acts 3:41, Luke notes that about 3000 people were added to the church. Just like today, a place where 3000 people could gather to /, fellowship, break bread, and pray is pretty hard to find. How do you think the early church did it? How can that inform the practices in your life?