Devotion.al

Tag: Scriptures

  • God’s Earthly Love

    God’s Earthly Love

    Psalm 118:1–2, 14–24; Song of Solomon 3:1–11

    If there ever was a book of the Bible that was inappropriate for younger audiences it would be the Song of Solomon (or the Song of Songs). In some traditions, the Song of Solomon is not permitted to be read until adulthood. That should tell you something, indeed.

    It definitely dances around avoiding certain specifics. On the other hand, it is quite open about the intimacy between the male and female main characters.

    This is one of those books that both Jewish and interpreters actually interpret mostly the same thing…this is about the intimacy between God and God’s people. Some people struggle with this (self included). It seems a little odd to think of our with God in this manner.

    The gift that both Jewish and Christian interpreters think the same allows us to strip (pun intended) us of our American Puritanism. American Puritanism isn’t all bad, but when it conflicts with the plain reading and even allegorical reading of the Scriptures, it needs to be confronted and removed. Wrestling with the Scriptures is not a bad thing. Often we Christians look at the words of as challenging and life-changing (they are). We will dismiss (unwisely) the books that discuss the violent mess that birthed the Promised Land. We will also avoid the books of Law and Purity, even though they provide insight into the of God once we look beyond the words of the Law.

    What does this have to do with the Song of Solomon? A lot. The Jews view this book as the story of God for his people (the Jews). Christians view it as the love story of Jesus and his bride (the church). The intimacy of husband and wife should be embraced as the view of God’s love for us. We, on the other hand, seem to be more of the wandering away type.

    What would our Christian lives be like if this described us…

         I will rise now
          and go all around the city,
          through the streets and the squares.
     I will look for the one whom I love
          with all my heart…
     I held on to him
          and now I won't let him go,

    On the Evangelical side, we’ve largely dismissed a whole group of people whose life is defined by being “married” to God, the monks, and (more often) nuns of the Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox Churches. It seems that we evangelicals are finally maturing to the point where we are able to honor those who walk this path willingly or not.

    One of the side-effects of this is that we can remove the pressure to “get married” (for solely getting married, not talking about other moral issues). This means we can open our concept of a and fulfilling Christian life. Married and single life both provide valuable reflections on this loving God that called the Jewish people his wife, and the self-sacrificing who calls his church his bride.

    ※Reflection※

    • What do these verses in the Song of Solomon tell us about God? How do the words from Psalm 118 affect your thoughts in comparison to the Song of Solomon?
    • What have you learned about love from Christian singles in your life? What have you learned about love from Christian married couples in your life? If the same questions are asked in regards to non-Christians, do any answers change?
    • The Song of Solomon isn’t the only Scripture that challenges our remote//pure view of God. Which other verses or stories in the Scriptures do that? How do they affect your view of and relationship with God?

    ※Prayer※

    O God, whose blessed Son made himself known to his disciples in the breaking of bread: Open the eyes of our faith, that we may behold him in the fullness of his redeeming work; who lives and reigns with you, in the of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen [Wednesday of Easter Week Collect, Book of Common 2019]

  • At The Gates

    At The Gates

    Psalm 118:1–2, 19–29; Jeremiah 33:10–16; Mark 10:32–34, 46–52

    When we read the word “barren” in Jeremiah, we often think it is talking about the land, in particular the environment. The barrenness is in regard to people, in particular, God’s people (and their herds). They will soon no longer reside in the Promised Land, praising and worshiping God.

    Poor decisions made by the People of God led to the barrenness and their exile. In response to their despair of exile, God promises them . They have not even repented and God already promises their return. God spoke hope into the . God spoke hope in the face of the people’s fear.

    Fear is often a response to the unknown. Fear is also a response when we think we know what bad will come to pass. Those that followed Jesus behind the Disciples likely presumed the demise of this Messiah (self-declared Messiahs weren’t unknown, and they all died). They weren’t wrong.

    This particular journey of Jesus to Jerusalem would indeed in Jesus’ death. Those that feared weren’t wrong. Without being too specific (we have to remember that we often read the end into Jesus’ words, and the Disciples weren’t there, yet), Jesus spoke hope to the fear. Even while describing what would happen to him, Jesus spoke hope into the darkness.

    The story of blind Bartimaeus seems to be just one of those stories of Jesus, but don’t overlook its placement within the context of Jesus’ final journey to Jerusalem. Bartimaeus was physically blind. Bartimaeus, on the other hand, had spiritual . We could just dismiss his cries to Jesus as pure desperation. Jesus, though, doesn’t seem to to sole desperation at other points in the Scriptures. Bartimaeus was something more. It seems quite reasonable that Bartimaeus’ place in the was to represent a counterpoint to the physically sighted who were spiritually blind.

    The particularly glaring issue with the spiritually blind was how much vision they thought they had regarding spiritual issues, and definitely someone as significant as the Messiah. The so-called enlightened being compared to the least (a physically impaired person whose only source of income was through begging) would have been quite insulting.

    Mark’s intent likely was that jarring comparison. As Mark wrote after the life, death, and of Jesus, Mark (along with other followers of Jesus) would be striving to confront those that thought they were spiritually enlightened with the world-changing Jesus.

    ※Reflection※

    • Which is your strongest tendency? (1) Seeing the bad that can/will happen and being overwhelmed with your fear of it (i.e., like those who followed the Disciples), (2) So consumed with the spectacle that your are blind to the darkness around or ahead of you (i.e., the Disciples), (3) Are sure you know that bad or darkness ahead but face it with the and of God (i.e., like Jesus)?
    • Are you quick to assume you have Godly spiritual vision, or do you if you are spiritually blind?

    ※Prayer※

    Lord, each of us have different responses to the world and its struggles. Help us to build Godly responses to the darkness. Amen.

  • Beyond Sight/Site

    Beyond Sight/Site

    Psalm 119:9–16; Haggai 2:1–9, 20–23; John 12:34–50

    Haggai and Zechariah were the two prophets that accompanied the Israelites from exile to home. Their primary focus was the restoration of Israel, not so much as a powerhouse, but as a people and nation of God, including both temple worship and the Davidic kingly line. Later on down the chronological line (beyond today’s readings), the temple is completed. However, the temple that was completed did not have the glory of the old one in physical status.

    As Haggai’s words are considered canonical (i.e., verified as the action of God), then the Jews saw something much different than the literal word (often our temptation when we are reading). From a Jewish standpoint (especially Haggai’s traditionalist ), the temple isn’t so much the point as a people faithfully pursuing God with one of the signs being faithful worship as prescribed in the Old Testament. What does it matter what it looked like today ( the original Temple was David’s plan, inspired by God, but not prescribed) when faithful worship and a God-fearing king were what was required?

    That Haggai was seeing beyond the immediate temple and even beyond the immediate kingly line tells us that Jesus’ words were not without historical precedence (as some have claimed). As we look beyond Jesus’ time on earth, we can see the fulfillment of Haggai’s words, as in Jesus Christ has changed the world. Though, sadly, many of those who cried, “Lord, Lord,” were liars, murderers, and -grabbers beyond the average struggling Christian.

    Haggai’s understanding of a God-honoring revolved around the temple. That is what and the taught. Haggai understood quite well, as he was coming from exile, that empty actions were not what was needed. It was actions that were firmly grounded in who God is, and that the Israelites were God’s people.

    While Jesus’ words may have seemed revolutionary at the time, Jesus did answer the “Christ will be with us forever” in a way unexpected, though by pure reason, it probably should have been an idea. The Christ was with the Children of God forever…in their souls, their temple to God. Thus a relationship through the temple was now very personal, and the Christ was with them.

    Would Haggai have been able to recognize that Jesus Christ was the fulfillment of his in only a way that God could make it happen? Perhaps. We can only look at Haggai’s words and see Christ in retrospect.

    ※Reflection※

    • What practices do you fulfill in relationship with God? How about in regards to the temple, both body and church?
    • What do you think is comparable to the Davidic kingly line in regards to lively rightly before God?
    • When was the last time you evaluated your habits through the lens of habit or “because you need to”? Why is it important?

    ※Prayer※

    Lord, guide us ever deeper into meaningful and -changing relationship with you. Amen.

  • Look and See

    Look and See

    Jeremiah 31:31–34; Psalm 51:1–12; Psalm 119:9–16; Hebrews 5:5–10; John 12:20–33

    In Christian circles and theology, we talk about the New Covenant. When we read about the New Covenant from Jeremiah, the honest person might question which New Covenant Jeremiah was talking about. “They will no longer need to teach each other to know the Lord.”

    One of the primary ways the has understood this over the years is the of the Holy in believers. That’s a good way of thinking. When we add the instructions, we may begin to see a problem. Based upon the words of Jesus, we could simplify the instructions (which makes sense in of the New Covenant) to God and love .
    It is, however, this combination that can cause a person (especially a non-believer) to if the New Covenant has actually come. Depending on your circles (whether of happenstance or decision), we have seen our brothers and sisters behaving in ways that do not seem to be motivated by the love of God or others.
    As we say we are Bible-believing people, the Bible is going to be one of the first places that non-believers (in particular, those who seek to not believe) go to check what Christians are supposed to be. This is what we should be thinking about as we read the .
    ※※
    • According to today’s passages (not just Jeremiah), what should a Christian display?
    • What happens when an apparent non-believer shows all the signs of a believer as an of nature versus an act of will?
    ※Prayer※
    Lord, we hold onto the promise that we are indeed New Covenant people. Guild us and strengthen us to live New Covenant lives. Amen.
  • Examples and Warnings

    Examples and Warnings

    Psalm 107:1–16; Numbers 20:1–13; 1 Corinthians 10:6–13

    Imagine saying, “ thanks to the Lord because he is good, because his faithful love lasts forever,” to the Israelites at Kadesh. Those words would have been grating (at best) the ears of all the tongues lashing against Moses and Aaron.

    The Psalmist also wrote, “So they cried out to the Lord in their distress, and God delivered them from their desperate circumstances.” Except that is not the story in Numbers. Instead of crying out to God, the condemned, blamed, and judged Aaron and Moses. Instead of crying out to their Redeemer and Rescuer, they passed around blame and bemoaned their from slavery.
    The Scriptures are full of stories. Many of them include the failings and failures of families. We the bad choices that people make, including followers of God, that are nowhere near the intent or desire of God.
    There have been many people that have claimed that God endorses many things (slavery, abuse, polygamy, etc.) that appear in the Scriptures, solely because they appear in the Scriptures. This has been the case with Christians and non-Christians alike. It also is a really bad idea.
    Just because it shows up in the Scriptures certainly does not mean endorsement by God. comments on this. Paul notes that the intent of the descriptions of failures is intended to be descriptive and instructive. They are not to be prescriptive.
    Paul reminds and encourages us to that we are not alone in any temptation or failure. We are in quite the company, in fact. The lie we tell ourselves and that others couldn’t possibly be tempted like us, or that have succumbed as we have is put on display by Paul.
    Paul, while displaying the lie, also encourages us to recall that God did not tempt us, just as God did not endorse or encourage the sins of those in the Scriptures. Ultimately, it is the weakness of our fallen condition. Which is not unique to an , but is part of the state of all of humanity.

    ※Reflection※

    Why is it important to understand that we are all tempted? How does that mean we should treat others who have succumbed? What should we do when we succumb? Why and how are these related both in our interactions with fellow Christians and those who are not Christian?

    ※Prayer※

    Lord, you set us free from the ultimate consequence of …. Help us in our lives to be free of sin and help others to break their chains and to heal their wounds from sin. Amen.

  • Cursing Blessings

    Cursing Blessings

    Numbers 21:4–9; Psalm 107:1–3, 17–22; Ephesians 2:1–10; John 3:14–21

    One of the biggest dangers of constant blessings is that we often disdain them. We become so accustomed to them that we become blind to them. Even worse, we then grow to despise them.

    The Israelites were in the middle of the desert. They were being sustained by the hand of God. Instead of looking at the blessing and the miracle that they were experiencing. they instead wanted to go back to slavery. The rejection of the blessing and the rejection of protection.

    The interplay between the Israelites, Moses, and God is interesting. The consequence? Poisonous snakes. The ? We were wrong. The directive? Make a snake statue. The result? Get bit, look at the snake, and live. However, if the Israelites were really sorry, would the snakes have remained?

    One could argue that the snakes were an ongoing consequence. However, as the snakes were a consequence of bad behavior, it also can be concluded that the Israelite really didn’t have a of heart, but a desire to avoid the consequences. Yes, it is a stretch from the , but it certainly isn’t in regard to human behavior.

    ‘s notes such about how all of us followed the ways of destruction before coming to , and that all those who do not yet know Christ Jesus as Lord and Savior still have that tendancy (i.e., spirit). We all are better than we were (just being aware puts us in a slightly better position), but we all have struggles and issues that we are dealing with as we strive to be more like Jesus.

    The biggest struggle though for Western Christians are the blessings that they despise. One of the biggest has been Christianity. This applies both with those who despised Christianity by doing ill in its name, and for those who took Christianity for granted and did not put the effort in to pass on the faith (or care to it). In addition, there has become the human arrogance of blessing where people begin to assume it’s God’s blessing on their ways, rather than God’s blessings so as to be shared with others.

    The blessings then become cursed, which is certainly not what God wanted it to be for us. We became sucked into the world’s desire for more and more blessing. That pursuit of blessing becomes death-dealing.

    The of , and not just a worldly life, has always been part of the pull to follow God. Paul emphasizes that salvation and new life cannot be earned. Only God can grant it. Only God can gift it.

    Worldly life, such as the the bronze serpant represented, still ends in death. It is the life found in the cross lifted up that is everlasting.

    ※Reflection※

    • Can you, have you, counted your blessings?
    • Have you ever taken any of your blessings for granted?
    • Have you ever looked at a blessing and thought it was actually a curse?

    ※Prayer※

    Lord, help us to your blessings and the life you have given us. Amen.

  • Strange People

    Strange People

    Exodus 20:1–17; Psalm 19; 1 Corinthians 1:18–25; John 2:13–24

    ‘ “cleaning” of the is often focused on how the Jews “corrupted” the House of God. There is truth in it. The scary part is that it often seems to be a, “look at them” moment, rather than what it should be, “look at us”. On top of that, the last 2 verses in this chapter of John are often skipped in the Lectionary (from which each day’s are determined). They, too, are “look at me”. In fact, these last 2 verses fit very well with the passage from 1 Corinthians, and even Exodus, so I added them to today’s readings.

    We usually look at the 10 Commandments as a list of don’ts. The 10 Commandments can also be looked at as a list that makes us different. Culturally, the commandments regarding the proper worship of God set the Israelites apart from those around them.

    This carried . What Jesus did? It was not totally outside of the norm for the Israelites, insofar as the history and heritage of prophets. The prophets were known to do odd and strange things, as we are told the disciples remembered.

    As notes, the oddness of Christianity then goes beyond the oddness of Judaism, to the point where Jews and Gentiles struggle with it. For anyone with a for those who don’t Jesus, this is a hard and brutal truth.

    We US Christians have a particular struggle with this. We were so accustomed to a cultural majority (almost superiority) that we are only slowly beginning to see our “strangeness”.  Many of us are negatively responding to what we believe was “the way” of “our” country.

    We had “all” the cards. We had the opportunity to plant the seeds that would develop into a Christian nation. Instead, we deceived ourselves with a masquerade. As we face our mortality in Lent, perhaps we should face the mortality of the Christian nation that we have held onto for so long.

    Also, it is hard to ignore the mortality of the as we have understood it for so long. The church—the of Christ—is just fine. Half of the US church is bedridden. The other half is prepping the fields for planting.

    ※Reflection※

    • What ways have you found being a Christian “strange” in comparison to non-Christians?
    • When you read the Scriptures, do you focus on “them” rather than “us”?

    ※Prayer※

    Lord, you have called us to from working in submission to and being the Spirit-infused influencers of the world. Amen.

  • To Live As Sacrifice

    To Live As Sacrifice

    Psalm 105:1–11, 37–45 Genesis 22:1–19; Hebrews 11:1–3, 13–19

    Post-traumatic stress is a real thing. There are many sources of trauma. We generally think of violence as the only source of trauma, but damaged relationships are equally the source of trauma for many individuals. Just like other forms of emotional scars, trauma may take years to heal if it ever does.

    Some people have been miraculously cured of the various issues of trauma. They are not the norm. Many of those that still suffer from PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) don’t even recognize that they have it as they have not been taught how to perceive it.

    Often, we don’t recognize potential PTSD in the . We often put it aside or dismiss any possibilities because “they were real ‘men’” then. Reminds me of the stories of the ’50s, and how great everything was with families and gatherings. The dark side of that being the mass amount of alcohol that was consumed not so obviously. One could easily conclude that the mass consumption of alcohol was a “tool” to numb the pain of World War II’s PTSD.

    Imagine Isaac—the recipient of Abraham’s love and expectation —when his ties him up and puts him on the woodpile intended for the sacrifice. The sole inheritor of Abraham and Sarah must have been shocked. He must have also felt betrayed. We can only imagine the effects that had on Isaac’s and Abraham’s relationship.

    There may well have also been an impact on Isaac’s relationship with God. Many people feel betrayed by God because a loved one died, or because their life isn’t what they want or imagined. Being a literal sacrifice to God didn’t seem to affect Isaac’s in God overall, but it’s hard to see how that didn’t color Isaac’s view of God either.

    Walking through life as “the almost sacrifice”. What a strange feeling, even at the , that must have been.

    As Christians, we continually observe the sacrifice that Christ was for us and for all of humanity (and ). If Jesus Christ sacrificed his life for us, we too are almost a sacrifice.

    The of Almost Sacrifices. What a fabulous ring it has to it! How could anyone not want to be part of that? Right? You just can’t to go there!

    Except the author of Hebrews notes that plenty of people died before the fulfillment of the Messiah. Many of them waited for the Messiah. Many of them were waiting for the first Nation of Israel. were waiting for the next Holy Nation of Israel. Some even today wait for the next Holy Nation of Israel.

    Waiting for God’s timing is indeed often a sacrifice. Sometimes it can be our pride (of nation, gender, profession, race, wealth) that needs to be sacrificed. Other times it is our assumptions that need to be sacrificed.

    The Christian Walk often seems to be one of constant almost sacrifice. However, the almost isn’t one of, “I almost did it.” It is one of, “I surrendered it, and God gave it back.” So, no, we are not to be a nation of almost sacrifices. We are to be a nation that has sacrificed and sacrifices continually. This not a sacrifice of misery, but a sacrifice of response to the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords who sacrificed for us.

    ※Reflection※

    • What does sacrifice mean to you?
    • What does it mean to live as an almost sacrifice? What about an actual sacrifice? What about living a life of sacrifice?

    ※Prayer※

    Lord, we often don’t know what it means to live sacrificially or to live a life of sacrifice. Help us to know the cross that is ours to pick up. Amen.