Because you have ignored all my counsel and would have none of my reproof, I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when terror strikes you, when terror strikes you like a storm and your calamity comes like a whirlwind, when distress and anguish come upon you. therefore they shall eat the fruit of their way, and have their fill of their own devices. For the simple are killed by their turning away, and the complacency of fools destroys them; but whoever listens to me will dwell secure and will be at ease, without dread of disaster." Proverbs 1:25‭-‬27‭, ‬31‭-‬33 ESV ¶Complacency describes the attitude of a nation, independent and arrogant, which in the face of a pandemic ignores the wisdom and prudence of experienced professionals who have spent their entire careers studying in preparation for just such a time as this. It is not a time to assert the rights of individual liberties against a raging pandemic. Our model is found in 1 Corinthians 9, where Paul laid ...

 And beware lest you raise your eyes to heaven, and when you see the sun and the moon and the stars, all the host of heaven, you be drawn away and bow down to them and serve them, things that the Lord your God has allotted to all the peoples under the whole heaven. But the Lord has taken you and brought you out of the iron furnace, out of Egypt, to be a people of his own inheritance, as you are this day. Deuteronomy 4:19‭-‬20 ESV ¶The Lord has not delivered His people out of Egypt just to live as any other people of the earth. He has instead covered them with an extra measure of grace and protection in order to demonstrate the excellencies of Him who called them out of Egypt.

  But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he was angry. And he prayed to the Lord and said, "O Lord , is not this what I said when I was yet in my country? That is why I made haste to flee to Tarshish; for I knew that you are a gracious God and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, and relenting from disaster. Jonah 4:1‭-‬2 ESV  Jonah went out of the city and sat to the east of the city and made a booth for himself there. He sat under it in the shade, till he should see what would become of the city. Jonah 4:5 ESV  We want not so much to be godly as we want to be God, to be able to discern good and evil for ourselves apart from God. We find it much easier to dispense God's judgement than we do His grace and forgiveness. The story is not just about what would become of Nineveh, but what would become of Jonah? He may be watching Nineveh, but God is watching him.

My son, do not forget my teaching, but let your heart keep my commandments, for length of days and years of life and peace they will add to you. Let not steadfast love and faithfulness forsake you; bind them around your neck; write them on the tablet of your heart. So you will find favor and good success in the sight of God and man. Proverbs 3:1‭-‬4 ESV ¶To be faithful, how does one bind love and faithfulness around one's neck? The proverb refers back to a memorable command God gave recorded in Deuteronomy 6:4-9: the Shema: "Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one...keep my commandments, ... Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads." You really cannot get much into your mind with just an inscription on your forehead, though, much less have it written on your heart. Proverbs, though, is less concerned with what is on your forehead, but what is on your heart. This proverb takes that command to a new personal level. If we lo...

 But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. 2 Timothy 3:14‭-‬15 ESV ¶Paul offers his final charge to faithful Timothy. At the time of his departure, his life being poured out like a drink offering, chained to the walls of a Roman dungeon, to whom does Paul turn to model his final charge to Timothy? To Moses's final words to his people, whose promise in Deuteronomy 4 still stands: "I have taught you statutes and rules...Keep them and do them, for that will be your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the peoples." As for Paul himself, his final requests are for a cloak against the chill, and his personal copies of the Scriptures. Even the apostle, faced with physical suffering and doctrinal challenges to his teaching, dealt with questio...

As for you, always be sober-minded, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry. 2 Timothy 4:5 ESV ¶Paul recognized in Timothy the gift of evangelist. Timothy must have felt a combination of pride and trepidation to be recognized by Paul, along with Philip the evangelist, and with Paul himself, as one those with the gift of evangelism. For him there was no evangelism training program, no course curriculum, no degree awarded. It was the fruition of a sincere faith first received by his grandmother, passed on through his mother, and then lived out alongside Paul in the trenches of conflict, suffering, and patient instruction. It must have brought a lump in the throat for Timothy to think of Paul, so deeply loved and trusted, nearing the time of his passing, and to receive from him the charge to carry his life's work forward. But this was the Gospel, the great good news, that thing that Peter had seen and heard, and of which he could not stop tel...

Blessed is the one who finds wisdom, and the one who gets understanding, for the gain from her is better than gain from silver and her profit better than gold. Proverbs 3:13‭-‬14 ESV ¶What is the significance of personifying wisdom? It is better than silver or gold, but it is not even like silver or gold. It is not a thing that you possess like silver or gold. That was the mistake of our first parents. They thought that by eating from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil they could possess the knowledge of good and evil. Wisdom changes us. It possesses us. Personification holds as an analogy for wisdom, but there's more. It is only acquired in a relationship. Wisdom is actually a person, appointed to be the wisdom of God, wiser than man's wisdom, offered in a relationship with Christ.

When the Lord your God gives them over to you, and you defeat them, then you must devote them to complete destruction. You shall make no covenant with them and show no mercy to them. But thus shall you deal with them: you shall break down their altars and dash in pieces their pillars and chop down their Asherim and burn their carved images with fire. Deuteronomy 7:2‭, ‬5 ESV ¶God's purpose in the land which He is to give unto them is to remove any temptation, any excuse they might have had to wander, to become like the nations, to worship their gods. Otherwise, there would remain an excuse, someone else to blame for their wanderings. They would be responsible for their own sin. Having a policy of complete destruction meant that they could expect their own destruction should they fail in their resolve, no mercy from their enemies should they surrender.

Toward the scorners he is scornful, but to the humble he gives favor. Proverbs 3:34 ESV ¶Why does God allow there to be scorners? Do they exist solely to become objects of His mutual scorn? We look upon the scorn of God as somewhat of a puzzlement, as it seems very much an aspect of human, not divine nature. It has been said of great art that within the bounds of their art, a creator is exempt from the usual norms of morality. So as Creator God could look with detachment upon the scorner as just another embellishment in the drama of His creation. His scorn is an aspect of His divine justice, but it also indicates how much He cares for the humble. It is the opposite of artistic detachment. Then what is it? It is as if the creator were to enter the world of His own creation, bringing with Him all the aspects of truth, justice, and love that surround Him, manifesting them in human form.

Not because of your righteousness or the uprightness of your heart are you going in to possess their land, but because of the wickedness of these nations the Lord your God is driving them out from before you, and that he may confirm the word that the Lord swore to your fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob. Deuteronomy 9:5 ESV ¶What a project God took on when He covenanted with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. It would eventually require judgement to fall not only on Israel's neighbors, but upon God Himself. In order to confirm the word spoken to Abraham, He himself would fall beneath the curse in order to break the curse of His own just requirement.

I will not punish your daughters when they play the whore, nor your brides when they commit adultery; for the men themselves go aside with prostitutes and sacrifice with cult prostitutes, and a people without understanding shall come to ruin. Hosea 4:14 ESV ¶Of course prostitution was not a manifestation of an entrepreneurial independent feminist spirit. It was a strategy used by men to gain advantage/profit/power over the women they could control, substituting that for love. Do not let anyone tell you that the Bible is on the side of the patriarchy.

One of the Cretans, a prophet of their own, said, "Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, lazy gluttons." Titus 1:12 ESV ¶This is not the only place where Paul writes of how all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. We recognize the same flaws in ourselves as those of people around us. Often it is the flaws we have noticed most in ourselves that we are the quickest to scorn in other people. Paul takes occasion from the words of the poet Epimenides from the 6th century BC to apply this to a specific situation in a particular place, as a warning, not just to people in general, but to how Cretans in particular might be expected to behave.

For they are your people and your heritage, whom you brought out by your great power and by your outstretched arm.' Deuteronomy 9:29 ESV ¶Jesus asked, and the Father gave Him a people for Himself, men from every tribe, tongue, kindred, and nation. We are His adopted co-heirs, who follow Him in triumphal procession, out of slavery into the land of promise.

He saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life. The saying is trustworthy, and I want you to insist on these things, so that those who have believed in God may be careful to devote themselves to good works. These things are excellent and profitable for people. Titus 3:5‭-‬8 ESV ¶In this order we profit: saved by His grace, entering by faith, we devote ourselves to good works, to give glory to our Master.

My son, if you have put up security for your neighbor, have given your pledge for a stranger, if you are snared in the words of your mouth, caught in the words of your mouth, then do this, my son, and save yourself, for you have come into the hand of your neighbor: go, hasten, and plead urgently with your neighbor. Proverbs 6:1‭-‬3 ESV ¶In his letter, instead of being rash about our commitments, James invites us to pray about our decisions, and wisdom will be granted. There is a weak point here. James says it is the tongue. What ensnares us are our own words. An oath sworn, a deed signed, a word spoken in haste, these are what can steer a ship, light a blaze, and change our lives. In the face of folly, grace is channeled to those who pray as Nineveh did: "perhaps God may yet relent."

"When the Lord your God cuts off before you the nations whom you go in to dispossess, and you dispossess them and dwell in their land, take care that you be not ensnared to follow them, after they have been destroyed before you, and that you do not inquire about their gods, saying, 'How did these nations serve their gods?—that I also may do the same.' You shall not worship the Lord your God in that way, for every abominable thing that the Lord hates they have done for their gods, for they even burn their sons and their daughters in the fire to their gods. Deuteronomy 12:29‭-‬31 ESV ¶Is any religion better than no religion? Is religion good for society? We would have to ask "what religion?" The religious practices of the surrounding nations were more like their sciences or magic, practiced in order to control the natural forces around them. The Everlasting God instead acts to communicate His holy nature, making provision for sin and a place for fello...

Ephraim's glory shall fly away like a bird— no birth, no pregnancy, no conception! Give them, O Lord — what will you give? Give them a miscarrying womb and dry breasts. Hosea 9:11‭, ‬14 ESV ¶Hosea, prophet of the northern kingdom of Israel (Ephraim) can only agree with God about his people's sinfulness, and the curses that justly fall upon them. This is where true repentance starts. Thank God for the righteous judgements of which the prophets speak, that open the way for peace with God.

Accordingly, though I am bold enough in Christ to command you to do what is required, yet for love's sake I prefer to appeal to you—I, Paul, an old man and now a prisoner also for Christ Jesus— I appeal to you for my child, Onesimus, whose father I became in my imprisonment. but I preferred to do nothing without your consent in order that your goodness might not be by compulsion but of your own accord. Philemon 1:8‭-‬10‭, ‬14 ESV ¶Paul does not order Philemon to make a sacrifice, he appeals on the basis of love. It is interesting how people respond when asked to make a sacrifice for the sake of others. Some seem to receive it as a command and bristle, others receive it as an opportunity to show their love. Perhaps it depends on abundantly you have received the love of God in your own life.

At the window of my house I looked down through the lattice. I saw among the simple, I noticed among the young men, a youth who had no sense. All at once he followed her like an ox going to the slaughter, like a deer stepping into a noose till an arrow pierces his liver, like a bird darting into a snare, little knowing it will cost him his life. Many are the victims she has brought down; her slain are a mighty throng. Proverbs 7:6‭-‬7‭, ‬22‭-‬23‭, ‬26 NIV ¶The proverb moves from the general to the specific with an observation of a particular act of adultery, implicating it in additional acts of deception and religious hypocrisy. It ends by moving from the specific to the general, enumerating the many victims who have been likewise deceived by its allure. In between are the three comparisons, likening what happens to the striking down of the ox, of the deer, and of the bird, all things in which men are often involved, and the brutality of which they are aware. Together...

I will not execute my burning anger; I will not again destroy Ephraim; for I am God and not a man, the Holy One in your midst, and I will not come in wrath. They shall go after the Lord ; he will roar like a lion; when he roars, his children shall come trembling from the west; they shall come trembling like birds from Egypt, and like doves from the land of Assyria, and I will return them to their homes, declares the Lord . Hosea 11:9‭-‬11 ESV ¶The Lord is like a fearsome lion. His roar calls his own cubs that know him to himself, not away from him. The fear of the Lord that is the beginning of wisdom is different from worldly wisdom, in that it invites, rather than repels. It calls us to come and seek His fierce protection.

Wisdom has built her house; she has hewn her seven pillars. She has slaughtered her beasts; she has mixed her wine; she has also set her table. She has sent out her young women to call from the highest places in the town, The woman Folly is loud; she is seductive and knows nothing. "Whoever is simple, let him turn in here!" And to him who lacks sense she says, "Stolen water is sweet, and bread eaten in secret is pleasant." Proverbs 9:1‭-‬3‭, ‬13‭, ‬16‭-‬17 ESV ¶Wisdom sets its best offerings before us and bids us come and share of it. Folly encourages us to take what we would like, and steal away. What is taken in secret can be enjoyed only in secret, because it must be hidden from others, a treasure that can no longer be shared.

And being warned of God in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed into their own country another way. Matthew 2:12 KJV ¶Dreams: not just our personal aspirational goals, but the kinds of sounds, images and feelings that continue as we sleep. Some of the things discovered in dreams: Magi were warned not to return home by way of Herod. Albert Einstein was given the theory of relativity. Paul McCartney was given the song "Yesterday". Elias Howe was given the Singer sewing machine. James Watson was given the double helical structure of DNA. Abraham was granted an everlasting covenant with the god Yahweh. A wandering soul encounters a Savior calling him to come and find rest in Him. Dreams are where we live with our defenses down, where Mary's question "how can that be?" never arises. They are the stuff that engineers and scientists, prophets and poets surprise and amaze us with. They are the crystalline niduses upon which grow whole new syst...

By steadfast love and faithfulness iniquity is atoned for, and by the fear of the Lord one turns away from evil. Proverbs 16:6 ESV ¶Every provision for sin contained in the testaments both new and old is a manifestation of His covenant love and faithfulness. They flow from His nature, delivered to us not only by what He said, but what He did. This is the light that guides our path to holiness, and to God.

An oracle is on the lips of a king; his mouth does not sin in judgment. It is an abomination to kings to do evil, for the throne is established by righteousness. Righteous lips are the delight of a king, and he loves him who speaks what is right. A king's wrath is a messenger of death, and a wise man will appease it. In the light of a king's face there is life, and his favor is like the clouds that bring the spring rain. Proverbs 16:10‭, ‬12‭-‬15 ESV ¶All in all these are better described as prescriptions for than as descriptions of earthly rulers. As descriptions of ideal kingship, they reflect God's kingship. Some rulers may derive authority "from the consent of the governed". The responsibility of righteous rule then ultimately falls to the ruled, with all the same admonitions to righteousness and and cautions against evildoing.

  "Fallen, no more to rise, is the virgin Israel; forsaken on her land, with none to raise her up." For thus says the Lord God : "The city that went out a thousand shall have a hundred left, and that which went out a hundred shall have ten left to the house of Israel." For thus says the Lord to the house of Israel: "Seek me and live; but do not seek Bethel, and do not enter into Gilgal or cross over to Beersheba; for Gilgal shall surely go into exile, and Bethel shall come to nothing." Seek the Lord and live, lest he break out like fire in the house of Joseph, and it devour, with none to quench it for Bethel, Amos 5:2‭-‬6 ESV ¶What are people to do when they have been literally decimated, from a thousand to a hundred, and from a hundred to ten? Seek the Lord, and live. The promise still stands. Seeking the Lord may just look like the king of Nineveh, whose cry for deliverance was simply "Who knows? God may yet relent", But God did r...

The spirit of man is the lamp of the Lord, searching all his innermost parts. Proverbs 20:27 ESV ¶The spirit created within us exists as a channel for God to work His divine attributes into our lives. The works of men exist by the lamp of God's word. The potential and the purpose of every one of them is to glorify God.  

It is an honor for a man to keep aloof from strife, but every fool will be quarreling. Proverbs 20:3 ESV   ¶We may not always be aware when our words begin to create strife, but the wise person does not merely shout louder when they do. Stop and listen. What we are seeing now is the foolishness of putting the reason for a quarrel above the personal relationships needed to resolve it. Can you hear the reconciling call of the gospel?

And the Lord said to me, "Amos, what do you see?" And I said, "A plumb line." Then the Lord said, "Behold, I am setting a plumb line in the midst of my people Israel; I will never again pass by them; the high places of Isaac shall be made desolate, and the sanctuaries of Israel shall be laid waste, and I will rise against the house of Jeroboam with the sword." Amos 7:8‭-‬9 ESV ¶Suffering, waste, and desolation eventually catch up with us all. It is bearable, unless we are alone. We need His Holy Presence for that. Pass me not, O gentle Saviour! Thank you for the Holy Presence of your Spirit, which makes a place for the bitter prophecies of our sin to lodge without destroying us.

While walking by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon (who is called Peter) and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen. And he said to them, "Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men." Immediately they left their nets and followed him. And going on from there he saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee and John his brother, in the boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets, and he called them. Immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him. Matthew 4:18‭-‬22 ESV ¶Peter and Andrew, James and John were not the only ones fishing along the shore that day. Jesus was there, already fishing, fishing for men, to bring them out of their humdrum world, and into a world of possibility, and not only them, but men like them, simple men, comfortable with the simple tasks before them, and making of them men like Himself. There is no evidence in the text that these men felt like "a people liv...

 As in water face reflects face, so the heart of man reflects the man. Proverbs 27:19 ESV ¶This verse speaks of an inner nature and character reflected in not only our speech and our actions, but even the thoughts our heart. Even here, before the saying or the doing, sin has already been conceived. With His Spirit, Jesus offers us integrity: the chance to be be who we really are all the way down, without the constant editing of our image of ourselves to ourselves and to the world.

But truly I am full of power by the spirit of the Lord , and of judgment, and of might, to declare unto Jacob his transgression, and to Israel his sin. Micah 3:8 KJV ¶The Spirit of the Lord is present not only in the power of the prophetic utterance, but in its hearing by Spirit-filled believers. The Spirit of holiness works in them to convict of sin, righteousness, and judgement, so that the prophetic word brings forth not conviction and death, but repentance and life.

"Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. Matthew 6:19‭-‬20 ESV ¶In its long history, Israel as a nation has been repeatedly subjected to the breakage and thievery of its neighbors. This is the burden Israel took on when it chose to be like the nations and take for itself a king, and it continued to hope for in the form of an earthly messiah. It is upon this history that Jesus offers a more secure foundation, secured not by earthly treasures, but by Himself, laid up for us in the place He has gone to prepare for us. Jesus may have wept over Lazarus, and over Jerusalem, but He was never offended. His personal rights and dignity never needed defending. His tools in this were prayer and immediate intimate knowledge of the Scriptures.

Beware lest there be among you a man or woman or clan or tribe whose heart is turning away today from the Lord our God to go and serve the gods of those nations. Beware lest there be among you a root bearing poisonous and bitter fruit, one who, when he hears the words of this sworn covenant, blesses himself in his heart, saying, 'I shall be safe, though I walk in the stubbornness of my heart.' This will lead to the sweeping away of moist and dry alike. The Lord will not be willing to forgive him, but rather the anger of the Lord and his jealousy will smoke against that man, and the curses written in this book will settle upon him, and the Lord will blot out his name from under heaven. Deuteronomy 29:18‭-‬20 ESV ¶On the verge of extending His covenant grace toward Israel, God warns against the false confidence of anyone who plans to go on sinning under this sworn covenant. They would be adding to their sin the additional sin of presumption. He is a fool who thinks ...

The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but the things that are revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law. Deuteronomy 29:29 ESV ¶Did Soviet space explorer Yuri Gargarin surprise us when he radioed back from earth orbit "I don't see God up here"? No, but in the God-endowed glory of exploration, we are following after Him. "It is the glory of God to conceal things, but the glory of kings is to search things out." (Prov 25:2) It is the kingly glory of man to search for answers and try to know the future. But God is beyond our understanding, and His answers will surprise us. He holds the future. Let us never let our search for answers separate us from the things God has already revealed for us to do. "He has put eternity into man's heart, yet so that he cannot find out what God has done from the beginning to the end....there is nothing better for them than to be joyful and to do good as ...

And the Lord your God will circumcise your heart and the heart of your offspring, so that you will love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, that you may live. Deuteronomy 30:6 ESV ¶Moses is looking ahead to address a people living in exile from the promised land. Sometimes I feel like I am living in exile from my own life. Friends fail me. Foes assail me. But whether in the land of promise or in exile, the Covenant still holds. The Covenant was never about just occupying "a land flowing with milk and honey". The Covenant was about loving God with a circumcised heart. Why is the covenant faithfulness of God, "hesed", translated as "loving kindness"? It is because He grants us the love we need to love Him. I've been through heart surgery. It is scary. No one can circumcise their own heart. God does it. That promise is grounded deeper than the promise of a land. "This is love: not that we loved God, but that he...

Can I forget any longer the treasures of wickedness in the house of the wicked, and the scant measure that is accursed? Micah 6:10 ESV ¶Be on the lookout for "treasures of wickedness". They may look very pretty and enticing.

"For this commandment that I command you today is not too hard for you, neither is it far off. It is not in heaven, that you should say, 'Who will ascend to heaven for us and bring it to us, that we may hear it and do it?' Neither is it beyond the sea, that you should say, 'Who will go over the sea for us and bring it to us, that we may hear it and do it?' But the word is very near you. It is in your mouth and in your heart, so that you can do it. Deuteronomy 30:11‭-‬14 ESV ¶Again, consider Yuri Gargarin, who did in fact "ascend to the heavens", and who found nothing there that to him resembled his idea of God. The modern morality gap results when we escape from God not by running away, like Jonah, but in the exaltation of the search, the trust in science, the putting off of faith in pursuit of just a little more data. Then searching for truth is just another way to hide from it. "The modern way to flee from God is to rush ahead and ahe...

The wind blows to the south and turns to the north; round and round it goes, ever returning on its course. All streams flow into the sea, yet the sea is never full. To the place the streams come from, there they return again. Ecclesiastes 1:6‭-‬7 NIV ¶What does the wind seek but to blow? What does the stream seek but to flow down to the sea? What should men seek but to do their work and enjoy it? What others of God's creation demand to know more than that? By observing the world around him, Solomon is mining for meaning. Why? Why must our lives have meaning? These are the kinds of questions that would be on the back cover if Ecclesiastes were to come out in book form. Solomon was not only wise, but he was curious. Are you? Lets read and find out.

 The Lord is a jealous and avenging God; the Lord is avenging and wrathful; the Lord takes vengeance on his adversaries and keeps wrath for his enemies. The Lord is slow to anger and great in power, and the Lord will by no means clear the guilty. His way is in whirlwind and storm, and the clouds are the dust of his feet. Nahum 1:2‭-‬3 ESV ¶We can wish it were not so. We can wish that the Lord set the cosmos whirling and sustains it by the word of His power with all its terrible beauty and balance merely for our whims, but it is not so. However, there is a severe mercy afoot in which He invites us to share, hid under the shadow of His wing. There we find shelter not only from the vissictudes of this world, but from the terror of His wrath.

 And when Jesus entered Peter's house, he saw his mother-in-law lying sick with a fever. He touched her hand, and the fever left her, and she rose and began to serve him. Matthew 8:14‭-‬15 ESV ¶This is how people act when they have really been touched by Jesus.

And I gave my heart to seek and search out by wisdom concerning all things that are done under heaven: this sore travail hath God given to the sons of man to be exercised therewith. Ecclesiastes 1:13 KJV ¶Solomon starts out with this glorious theme: our world is a scary and dangerous place. If we try to make our way in it by protecting ourselves, we encounter the presence of a fearsome God. He never shrinks from punishing greed and selfishness. Our best attempts to love and obey God betray us. End of story, right? Then how do we explain the ark, the burning bush, the pillar of fire, the wrestling angel, the lordly men who visit Abraham in the desert, the fall of Jericho, the fire from the sky, the descending dove, the death and resurrection, the flaming tongues of Spirit? God is in the story. He is turning our tragedy into comedy because He's in it. Not just engineering the ending, but woven into it, into the captivity as well as the deliverance, into the suffering as...

  For the Lord's portion is his people; Jacob is the lot of his inheritance. Deuteronomy 32:9 KJV ¶These are the ones for whom Jesus asks in John 17:24 "Father, I want those you have given me". Of all the works of God that are described in the song of Moses that follow in this passage, none will be effective in opening up the way to God without the intercession of Jesus on our behalf.

He rebuketh the sea, and maketh it dry, and drieth up all the rivers: Bashan languisheth, and Carmel, and the flower of Lebanon languisheth. The mountains quake at him, and the hills melt, and the earth is burned at his presence, yea, the world, and all that dwell therein. Who can stand before his indignation? and who can abide in the fierceness of his anger? his fury is poured out like fire, and the rocks are thrown down by him. Nahum 1:4‭-‬6 KJV ¶We stand in awe of land and sea, and strive to make ourselves safe places from them, but God has the power to rebuke even the sea and melt the hills. Jesus's power to rebuke the waves and the storm did not comfort his disciples, but terrified them. If He controls even the forces that terrify us, what hope do we have of standing before Him? Whatever shelter we have will not be what we are able to build against Him, but what He Himself provides.

I hated all my toil in which I toil under the sun, seeing that I must leave it to the man who will come after me, and who knows whether he will be wise or a fool? Yet he will be master of all for which I toiled and used my wisdom under the sun. This also is vanity. So I turned about and gave my heart up to despair over all the toil of my labors under the sun, because sometimes a person who has toiled with wisdom and knowledge and skill must leave everything to be enjoyed by someone who did not toil for it. This also is vanity and a great evil. What has a man from all the toil and striving of heart with which he toils beneath the sun? Ecclesiastes 2:18‭-‬22 ESV ¶Solomon finds himself successful in his search for mastery and power, but still searching for meaning. What is the use of wisdom, knowledge, and skill if their fruit passes to the next one who did not toil to obtain it. Under the sun, Solomon can only conclude that it was good that he toiled. The problem is, toilin...

"I will utterly sweep away everything from the face of the earth," declares the Lord . "I will sweep away man and beast; I will sweep away the birds of the heavens and the fish of the sea, and the rubble with the wicked. I will cut off mankind from the face of the earth," declares the Lord . "I will stretch out my hand against Judah and against all the inhabitants of Jerusalem; and I will cut off from this place the remnant of Baal and the name of the idolatrous priests along with the priests, Zephaniah 1:2‭-‬4 ESV ¶The Lord is in the process of clearing away, making the entire earth into His temple. The palms and the pomegranates, the bulls, the lambs, and the goats were not in the tent and the temple of the Jews just for their decorative and dramatic appeal. In the final Temple come down from heaven, THEY ARE REALLY THERE! They are included in the glory of the new heaven and the new earth. There the sheep and the goat, the lion and the lamb, will...

At that time Jesus went through the grainfields on the Sabbath. His disciples were hungry, and they began to pluck heads of grain and to eat. But when the Pharisees saw it, they said to him, "Look, your disciples are doing what is not lawful to do on the Sabbath." I tell you, something greater than the temple is here. And if you had known what this means, 'I desire mercy, and not sacrifice,' you would not have condemned the guiltless. For the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath." Matthew 12:1‭-‬2‭, ‬6‭-‬8 ESV ¶Jesus offers the weary "rest for your souls". With Him it's always the sabbath. Every day is a day of rest when we no longer labor for God's approval. Poor Pharisees! All the Sabbath regulations put them in a real bind. It must have been wearying for the them to spend their Sabbath judging how well everyone else was keeping the Sabbath. Jesus invites us to rest from all this, and to show mercy to others as He showed mercy to ...

For to the one who pleases him God has given wisdom and knowledge and joy, but to the sinner he has given the business of gathering and collecting, only to give to one who pleases God. This also is vanity and a striving after wind. Ecclesiastes 2:26 ESV ¶There is only One who has pleased God in all His ways, "namely Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge." (Col 2:3) We need His covering for our sins. Any "gathering and collecting" we do for our own account, based on our own merit, is wood, hay, and stubble. It returns to dust, and is taken away by the wind.

Now then, please swear to me by the Lord that, as I have dealt kindly with you, you also will deal kindly with my father's house, and give me a sure sign that you will save alive my father and mother, my brothers and sisters, and all who belong to them, and deliver our lives from death." And the men said to her, "Our life for yours even to death! If you do not tell this business of ours, then when the Lord gives us the land we will deal kindly and faithfully with you." And she said, "According to your words, so be it." Then she sent them away, and they departed. And she tied the scarlet cord in the window. Joshua 2:12‭-‬14‭, ‬21 ESV ¶Is Rahab recognized in Hebrews' pantheon of faith because she lied to the king of Jericho about the spies she was harboring? No, there were any number of ways God could have delivered His people into their promised land without her lies. She demonstrated her faith by casting her lot with this wandering tribe o...

This is the rejoicing city that dwelt carelessly, that said in her heart, I am, and there is none beside me: how is she become a desolation, a place for beasts to lie down in! Every one that passeth by her shall hiss, and wag his hand. Zephaniah 2:15 KJV ¶The Septuagint Greek translation of this passage uses just two words "ego emei" to translate This claim of Nineveh "I am, and there is none beside me". Ego is what we imagine ourselves to be, our selfish self, but as a full description of what it means to be human, it fails on so many levels. It ignores the part of us that is not "ego", that desires to be connected with others, and to be connected with our own inner selves. Nineveh rejoices in its greatness, oblivious to its dark side, ignoring its final end.

And he spake many things unto them in parables, saying, Behold, a sower went forth to sow; And when he sowed, some seeds fell by the way side, and the fowls came and devoured them up: Matthew 13:3‭-‬4 KJV ¶Proverbs 9:7-9 [Wisdom calls out...] 7 Whoever corrects a scoffer gets himself abuse, and he who reproves a wicked man incurs injury. 8 Do not reprove a scoffer, or he will hate you; reprove a wise man, and he will love you. 9 Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be still wiser; teach a righteous man, and he will increase in learning. From the everyday experience of the planter, Jesus illustrates what happens in the heart of the scoffer. The truth just bounces off, to be taken up by the Devourer. In his letter, the apostle James encourages us to receive with meekness this invaluable seed, the implanted Word, this Wisdom from God, for it is able to save our souls. God graciously continues to sow it prodigiously, even where it goes unaccepted.

To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven: A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted; A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance; A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing; A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away; A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak; A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace. Ecclesiastes 3:1‭-‬8 KJV ¶There is time under the sun, and then there is time under heaven. The first is chronos time, just under the sun. It consumes our lives, limits our days, and leaves us, not just with nothing, but as nothing, dust, the castings of worms. Then there is cairos time, u...

"Therefore wait for me," declares the Lord , "for the day when I rise up to seize the prey. For my decision is to gather nations, to assemble kingdoms, to pour out upon them my indignation, all my burning anger; for in the fire of my jealousy all the earth shall be consumed. Zephaniah 3:8 ESV ¶God's ultimate plan did not end with the scattering of the nations. Babel was to separate them, that they might fully manifest their idolatry and ungodliness, to winnow them, as the wheat is separated from the chaff, so that a people would remain who were devoted to Him, that He might reign over all in peace.

But Jesus said, "They need not go away; you give them something to eat." They said to him, "We have only five loaves here and two fish." And he said, "Bring them here to me." Then he ordered the crowds to sit down on the grass, and taking the five loaves and the two fish, he looked up to heaven and said a blessing. Then he broke the loaves and gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowds. And they all ate and were satisfied. And they took up twelve baskets full of the broken pieces left over. Matthew 14:16‭-‬20 ESV ¶The disciples must have asked themselves "what just happened here? First we saw him increase our catch of fish until our nets broke. We could have done a booming business as the Jesus Fish Company. And just look at all this left-over bread. We could start the the Jesus Bread Company. And the wine? Oh my gosh, the expansion possibilities are amazing! We could call it Amazon, it's so amazing."...

Moreover, I saw under the sun that in the place of justice, even there was wickedness, and in the place of righteousness, even there was wickedness. For what happens to the children of man and what happens to the beasts is the same; as one dies, so dies the other. They all have the same breath, and man has no advantage over the beasts, for all is vanity. Ecclesiastes 3:16‭, ‬19 ESV ¶The passage is introduced by a key phrase: "under the sun". Solomon cannot claim all things to be beautiful under the sun. Yes, it is wise to acknowledge that we share a creaturely nature with "the beasts", in that we are all beasts. If we are more than that, is it not because of anything we can do, or have done. We are more than beasts because of what God has done. He has spoken words of life to us. He has given us His Spirit. He has opened heaven up to us, so that life is not just "under the sun", but "under heaven", so that our lives are not merely van...

I have seen the business that God has given to the children of man to be busy with. He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also, he has put eternity into man's heart, yet so that he cannot find out what God has done from the beginning to the end. I perceived that there is nothing better for them than to be joyful and to do good as long as they live; also that everyone should eat and drink and take pleasure in all his toil—this is God's gift to man. Ecclesiastes 3:10‭-‬13 ESV ¶Yet even in the proclaiming of his views, Solomon purports to do what in his agnostic view he says cannot be done. He expounds on man, his nature and his destiny, a categorical assertion of what cannot be known that is self-contradictory. He claims to know what he admits cannot be known. He claims exhaustive knowledge "under the sun" of what can only be known "under heaven", that is, the meaning and purpose of our lives. There are more things in heaven and earth, Hora...

"Take twelve men from the people, from each tribe a man, and command them, saying, 'Take twelve stones from here out of the midst of the Jordan, from the very place where the priests' feet stood firmly, and bring them over with you and lay them down in the place where you lodge tonight.'" that this may be a sign among you. When your children ask in time to come, 'What do those stones mean to you?' then you shall tell them that the waters of the Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant of the Lord . When it passed over the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off. So these stones shall be to the people of Israel a memorial forever." so that all the peoples of the earth may know that the hand of the Lord is mighty, that you may fear the Lord your God forever." Joshua 4:2‭-‬3‭, ‬6‭-‬7‭, ‬24 ESV ¶Whether it was in stone, story, or sacrament, the Jews have faithfully memorialized their experiences with God so that it blesse...

Of Jerusalem I thought, ‘Surely you will fear me and accept correction!’ Then her place of refuge would not be destroyed, nor all my punishments come upon her. But they were still eager to act corruptly in all they did. “Then I will purify the lips of the peoples, that all of them may call on the name of the Lord and serve him shoulder to shoulder. Zephaniah 3:7‭, ‬9 NIV ¶"Surely Jerusalem, at least Jerusalem, the place of my dwelling, would fear me". Uzzah presumed to touch the Ark of the Covenant and was struck down. Even Jerusalem, the dwelling place of God's holy presence, when it neglects to fear and obey God, joins the nations in experiencing God's wrath and purifying judgement.

"Therefore wait for me," declares the Lord , "for the day when I rise up to seize the prey. For my decision is to gather nations, to assemble kingdoms, to pour out upon them my indignation, all my burning anger; for in the fire of my jealousy all the earth shall be consumed. "For at that time I will change the speech of the peoples to a pure speech, that all of them may call upon the name of the Lord and serve him with one accord. Zephaniah 3:8‭-‬9 ESV ¶After a piled-up description of the curses reserved for covenant-breakers, God's covenant faithfulness shines through in an even more magnificent fashion. Jerusalem in its faithlessness is shown to be no more entitled to the special favor of God than any other nation. All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. But God is poised to reveal a greater faithfulness that our faithlessness cannot nullify. This is the righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe, both J...

He answered, "I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel." But she came and knelt before him, saying, "Lord, help me." And he answered, "It is not right to take the children's bread and throw it to the dogs." She said, "Yes, Lord, yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters' table." Then Jesus answered her, "O woman, great is your faith! Be it done for you as you desire." And her daughter was healed instantly. Matthew 15:24‭-‬28 ESV ¶Even Jesus marveled at the faith of a Canaanite woman who came to Him understanding that nothing obligated Jesus to help her, but His grace alone. It was her humility, not her ancestry, not her good works, that qualified her for Jesus's help.

Then the Lord put out his hand and touched my mouth. And the Lord said to me, "Behold, I have put my words in your mouth. See, I have set you this day over nations and over kingdoms, to pluck up and to break down, to destroy and to overthrow, to build and to plant." Jeremiah 1:9‭-‬10 ESV ¶Jeremiah was being initiated into a fuller understanding of the power of God's Word. Wherever we turn, in the genetic code, in the equations that govern the universe, in the Holy Scriptures, we see revealed to us the word of God's power that upholds all things. When we hear James the apostle tell us to "receive with meekness the implanted word", we can turn to Jeremiah as an example.

But Jesus, aware of this, said, "O you of little faith, why are you discussing among yourselves the fact that you have no bread? Do you not yet perceive? Do you not remember the five loaves for the five thousand, and how many baskets you gathered? Or the seven loaves for the four thousand, and how many baskets you gathered? How is it that you fail to understand that I did not speak about bread? Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees." Then they understood that he did not tell them to beware of the leaven of bread, but of the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees. Matthew 16:8‭-‬12 ESV ¶From the few loaves and fishes available to the disciples, Jesus wanted them to have more. In the same way, Pharisees and Sadducees were the custodians of small bits of truth. From it Jesus wanted to make more, more than enough for all of us to receive God's grace and truth.

It is better that you should not vow than that you should vow and not pay. Let not your mouth lead you into sin, and do not say before the messenger that it was a mistake. Why should God be angry at your voice and destroy the work of your hands? For when dreams increase and words grow many, there is vanity; but God is the one you must fear. Ecclesiastes 5:5‭-‬7 ESV ¶Do not just sit around dreaming up big plans. The purposes and designs of our heart, the vows we make, are sacred things, there to accomplish things in the world for God's kingdom, not just to make us feel better. Commit to what you are willing to work toward and see it through. A charge to keep I have, a God to glorify, A never-dying soul to save, and fit it for the sky. To serve the present age, my calling to fulfill, Oh may it all my pow'rs engage to do my Master's will. Charles Wesley, 1762

When they came to Capernaum, the collectors of the two-drachma tax went up to Peter and said, "Does your teacher not pay the tax?" He said, "Yes." And when he came into the house, Jesus spoke to him first, saying, "What do you think, Simon? From whom do kings of the earth take toll or tax? From their sons or from others?" And when he said, "From others," Jesus said to him, "Then the sons are free. However, not to give offense to them, go to the sea and cast a hook and take the first fish that comes up, and when you open its mouth you will find a shekel. Take that and give it to them for me and for yourself." Matthew 17:24‭-‬27 ESV Even now many a "free spirit" have thought they were unconventional. Even if it hurts or disappoints those around them, they feel free to flout the customs and conventions of their society and culture. None have had any more basis and authority to overrule the mores of the prevailing cu...

And all that generation also were gathered to their fathers. And there arose another generation after them who did not know the Lord or the work that he had done for Israel. Judges 2:10 ESV Why don't they know?

If I say, "I will not mention him, or speak any more in his name," there is in my heart as it were a burning fire shut up in my bones, and I am weary with holding it in, and I cannot. Jeremiah 20:9 ESV ¶Jeremiah's fear of speaking out is matched only by the aching in his heart should he remain silent. This man is on the same pathway as the Holy Anointed One of Israel who is to come, yet he seems unaware of the cloud of glory that surrounds him in his struggle. God is still making incursions into the fallen world. Is there comfort in our struggles as we live out the obedience required of us?

On one occasion, while the crowd was pressing in on him to hear the word of God, he was standing by the lake of Gennesaret. Getting into one of the boats, which was Simon's, he asked him to put out a little from the land. And he sat down and taught the people from the boat. And when he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, "Put out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch." And when they had done this, they enclosed a large number of fish, and their nets were breaking. But when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus' knees, saying, "Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord." Luke 5:1‭, ‬3‭-‬4‭, ‬6‭, ‬8 ESV ¶While the crowd pressed in on Jesus, Peter, His close friend, pleaded with Him to go away. At least Peter understood the issue was not Jesus's power, but His purity. I have heard of a man who stayed away from church because the atmosphere there was "too pure". In his time, Isaiah's response before the thro...

O Lord, according to all your righteous acts, let your anger and your wrath turn away from your city Jerusalem, your holy hill, because for our sins, and for the iniquities of our fathers, Jerusalem and your people have become a byword among all who are around us. Daniel 9:16 ESV ¶Daniel's intercession for his people resembles that of Jesus, who on the cross prayed "Father forgive them". Some among the wise would point to Israel and the suffering they endured as payment for their transgressions, and even our own. but we know there was One who would come whose suffering was more undeserved, whose payment had greater efficacy, whose life course was endued with greater purpose, than any born of flesh alone could accomplish.

O Lord, rebuke me not in your anger, nor discipline me in your wrath! For your arrows have sunk into me, and your hand has come down on me. There is no soundness in my flesh because of your indignation; there is no health in my bones because of my sin. Do not forsake me, O Lord! O my God, be not far from me! Make haste to help me, O Lord, my salvation! Psalm 38:1‭-‬3‭, ‬21‭-‬22 ESV ¶What is it that makes David, full of the arrows of the One whose indignation he fears, call upon that One to save him? David addresses three enemies: himself, other people, and God. He focuses his concern on the enemy that can do him most harm, God, and addresses the sin that separates them, and then turns to that same God. How could the same One, whose wrath David bears, be his deliverance as well?

Hear my prayer, O Lord; let my cry come to you! Do not hide your face from me in the day of my distress! Incline your ear to me; answer me speedily in the day when I call! Because of my loud groaning my bones cling to my flesh. I am like a desert owl of the wilderness, like an owl of the waste places; I lie awake; I am like a lonely sparrow on the housetop. All the day my enemies taunt me; those who deride me use my name for a curse. Let this be recorded for a generation to come, so that a people yet to be created may praise the Lord: that he looked down from his holy height; from heaven the Lord looked at the earth, to hear the groans of the prisoners, to set free those who were doomed to die, that they may declare in Zion the name of the Lord, and in Jerusalem his praise, when peoples gather together, and kingdoms, to worship the Lord. Psalm 102:1‭-‬2‭, ‬5‭-‬8‭, ‬18‭-‬22 ESV ¶The groanings of this psalm distill our own life's sufferings. The psalm exquisitely expres...

  So I became the shepherd of the flock doomed to be slaughtered by the sheep traders. And I took two staffs, one I named Favor, the other I named Union. And I tended the sheep. In one month I destroyed the three shepherds. But I became impatient with them, and they also detested me. So I said, "I will not be your shepherd. What is to die, let it die. What is to be destroyed, let it be destroyed. And let those who are left devour the flesh of one another."Then I said to them, "If it seems good to you, give me my wages; but if not, keep them." And they weighed out as my wages thirty pieces of silver. Then the Lord said to me, "Throw it to the potter"—the Lordly price at which I was priced by them. So I took the thirty pieces of silver and threw them into the house of the Lord, to the potter. Zechariah 11:12‭-‬13 ESV Then the Lord said to me, "Take once more the equipment of a foolish shepherd. For behold, I am raising up in the land a sh...

The Lord has made known his salvation; he has revealed his righteousness in the sight of the nations. He has remembered his steadfast love and faithfulness to the house of Israel. All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God. Psalm 98:2‭-‬3 ESV Jesus answered him, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God." John 3:3 ESV ¶What God did in delivering Israel out of Egypt was universal. The steadfast love and faithfulness He demonstrated to those people at that time is available to all people everywhere. All we need are eyes to see, recognize, and follow Him out our own bondage.

"My anger is hot against the shepherds, and I will punish the leaders; for the Lord of hosts cares for his flock, the house of Judah, and will make them like his majestic steed in battle. Zechariah 10:3 ESV ¶It was for this that Jesus came. His own were wandering like sheep without a shepherd, and with shepherds who fed only themselves. He came as the good shepherd. Not just halo-over-his-head good, but good as in effective, reliable, in that: 1. He would not just run away at the first sign of a threat like a hired hand who had no ownership. 2. His sheep are secure from the sheep rustler, because they know his voice, and cannot be led away by another.

  As soon as the king of Israel saw them, he said to Elisha, "My father, shall I strike them down? Shall I strike them down?" He answered, "You shall not strike them down. Would you strike down those whom you have taken captive with your sword and with your bow? Set bread and water before them, that they may eat and drink and go to their master." So he prepared for them a great feast, and when they had eaten and drunk, he sent them away, and they went to their master. And the Syrians did not come again on raids into the land of Israel. 2 Kings 6:21‭-23 ¶Having taken the Syrian army captive, Elisha advised the king of Israel to release them back to their own country, from whence they never raided Israel again. Unlike Israel's past programs of mass slaughter of enemies, this sounds more like a former-day Marshall plan. I would attribute this to a culture of honor that shames the gift-recipient if he does not respond in kind. It honors self, not God,...

But as one was felling a log, his axe head fell into the water, and he cried out, "Alas, my master! It was borrowed." Then the man of God said, "Where did it fall?" When he showed him the place, he cut off a stick and threw it in there and made the iron float. And he said, "Take it up." So he reached out his hand and took it. 2 Kings 6:5‭-‬7 ESV ¶Before there were the "Acts of the Apostles" (Acta Apostolorum), there were the acts of the prophets (Acta Prophetarum). Prophets were given not only words to speak but actions to perform. They did not necessarily perform miracles to get people out of trouble or make their lives more comfortable. In the case of Hosea and his harlot wife, and Jeremiah and his soiled loincloth, it was the opposite. Instead, the actions were imbued with meaning. We are supposed to think about them. What greater could God raise up than an axe head of iron? How else does God deliver us from the debt of sin we ow...

The Lord reigns, let the earth rejoice; let the many coastlands be glad! Fire goes before him and burns up his adversaries all around. His lightnings light up the world; the earth sees and trembles. The mountains melt like wax before the Lord, before the Lord of all the earth. Zion hears and is glad, and the daughters of Judah rejoice, because of your judgments, O Lord. Light is sown for the righteous, and joy for the upright in heart. Psalm 97:1‭, ‬3‭-‬5‭, ‬8‭, ‬11 ESV ¶It may be hard to see the reasons to rejoice what with all the fire going forth and the mountains melting before Him. But when the Author writes Himself into the story, it is worth noticing how He conducts Himself. For this we look to Jesus.

Be patient, therefore, brothers, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient about it, until it receives the early and the late rains. You also, be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand. James 5:7‭-‬8 ESV ¶Our son Brian left his 1.5 year old daughter Nora with us for a while yesterday. She cried for her daddy almost the entire time. All she wanted to do was wander around the neighborhood looking for him. Nothing would distract her. Finally all I could say was "He's coming back. We have to wait." And she would just repeat "wait", and "coming". That was her only comfort. But...how much greater was her relief when he returned! And how pleased her father was to see her joy when he arrived! Promise fulfilled! Joy returned! All amplified through the waiting.

And the king of Syria said, "Go now, and I will send a letter to the king of Israel." So he went, taking with him ten talents of silver, six thousand shekels of gold, and ten changes of clothing. And he brought the letter to the king of Israel, which read, "When this letter reaches you, know that I have sent to you Naaman my servant, that you may cure him of his leprosy." And when the king of Israel read the letter, he tore his clothes and said, "Am I God, to kill and to make alive, that this man sends word to me to cure a man of his leprosy? Only consider, and see how he is seeking a quarrel with me." 2 Kings 5:5‭-‬7 ESV ¶Typical gangster move, coming to someone with a gift but with strings attached. Now you are under obligation to them, then comes the real reason for the visit. The real currency being exchanged here is honor. In the culture of honor, if the king of Israel were to reject the gift or the request, he would be dishonoring the g...

The next day he (John) saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, "Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! John 1:29 ESV ¶What could possibly keep the scales of the universe in balance morally? In the face of humanity's universal moral corruption, is there a redeeming force that keeps it in balance? Archimedes is quoted as saying "Give me a lever long enough and a fulcrum on which to place it, and I shall move the world". God may provide the moral fulcrum, but where is the lever? What moral agent could go to the lengths necessary to balance off the sins of the world? For this we look to the One seen in Daniel's vision as "like a son of man", come down from heaven, who can alone "make everything sad come untrue". He is the lone righteous remnant of the tribe of Judah. John the Baptist nailed it when he exclaimed of Him “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!"

Say among the nations, "The Lord reigns! Yes, the world is established; it shall never be moved; he will judge the peoples with equity." Psalm 96:10 ESV ¶"The circle of life" describes how all creation exists in balance. It says that whatever we do, the balance is maintained. The changes we observe, even the changes we create, are all counterbalanced. We see things as changing only because we are not aware of the grander way that things stay the same. Then what could possibly keep the scales of the universe in balance morally? In the face of humanity's universal moral corruption, is there a redeeming force that keeps it in balance? Archimedes is quoted as saying "Give me a lever long enough and a fulcrum on which to place it, and I shall move the world". God may provide the moral fulcrum, but where is the lever? What moral agent could go to the lengths necessary to balance off the sins of the world? For this we look to the One seen in Dan...

Thus says the Lord of hosts: In those days ten men from the nations of every tongue shall take hold of the robe of a Jew, saying, 'Let us go with you, for we have heard that God is with you.'" Zechariah 8:21‭-‬23 ESV ¶I myself, a Gentile from among the nations, offshoot of a wild olive tree, ask the Lord to be grafted into the nourishing root of the olive tree that are the people of God. You can come too!

Thus says the Lord : I have returned to Zion and will dwell in the midst of Jerusalem, and Jerusalem shall be called the faithful city, and the mountain of the Lord of hosts, the holy mountain. Thus says the Lord of hosts: Old men and old women shall again sit in the streets of Jerusalem, each with staff in hand because of great age. And the streets of the city shall be full of boys and girls playing in its streets. Thus says the Lord of hosts: If it is marvelous in the sight of the remnant of this people in those days, should it also be marvelous in my sight, declares the Lord of hosts? Thus says the Lord of hosts: Behold, I will save my people from the east country and from the west country, and I will bring them to dwell in the midst of Jerusalem. And they shall be my people, and I will be their God, in faithfulness and in righteousness." Zechariah 8:3‭-‬8 ESV ¶This idyllic picture of Jerusalem is one of a city at peace with itself and with the world. We pray for ...

Now the people of Bethel had sent...to entreat the favor of the Lord, saying to the priests of the house of the Lord of hosts and the prophets, "Should I weep and abstain in the fifth month, as I have done for so many years?" Then the word of the Lord of hosts came to me: "Say to all the people of the land and the priests, 'When you fasted and mourned in the fifth month and in the seventh, for these seventy years, was it for me that you fasted? And the word of the Lord came to Zechariah, saying, "Thus says the Lord of hosts, Render true judgments, show kindness and mercy to one another, do not oppress the widow, the fatherless, the sojourner, or the poor, and let none of you devise evil against another in your heart." But they refused to pay attention and turned a stubborn shoulder and stopped their ears that they might not hear. They made their hearts diamond-hard lest they should hear the law and the words that the Lord of hosts had sent by h...

Mightier than the thunders of many waters, mightier than the waves of the sea, the Lord on high is mighty! Your decrees are very trustworthy; holiness befits your house, O Lord, forevermore. Psalm 93:4‭-‬5 ESV. ¶There is something beyond being mighty and powerful. That is holiness. That describes the nature of God. The powerful sea-waves may break, but not outside of God's plan. The yin and the yang, dark and light, may both force their way into our lives, but above them sits another. The Holy One stands apart, ruling in perfect goodness and righteousness. To Him is due our worship and our devotion.

Now Ahaziah fell through the lattice in his upper chamber in Samaria, and lay sick; so he sent messengers, telling them, "Go, inquire of Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron, whether I shall recover from this sickness." But the angel of the Lord said to Elijah the Tishbite, "Arise, go up to meet the messengers of the king of Samaria, and say to them, 'Is it because there is no God in Israel that you are going to inquire of Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron? Now therefore thus says the Lord, You shall not come down from the bed to which you have gone up, but you shall surely die.'" So Elijah went. 2 Kings 1:2-4 ¶God show his mercy in making very clear the terms of His covenant with us. In Deuteronomy 30:11-14, Moses speaking says "it is not up in heaven, so that you have to ask, “Who will ascend into heaven to get it and proclaim it to us so we may obey it?” Nor is it beyond the sea, so that you have to ask, “Who will cross the sea to get it and proclaim...

How great are your works, O Lord! Your thoughts are very deep! The stupid man cannot know; the fool cannot understand this: that though the wicked sprout like grass and all evildoers flourish, they are doomed to destruction forever; but you, O Lord, are on high forever. Psalm 92:5‭-‬8 ESV ¶It seems that most people go about living their lives as if things will always be as they are now. "in the days of Lot, people were eating and drinking, buying and selling, planting and building, But the day Lot left Sodom, fire and sulfur rained down from heaven and destroyed them all" (Luke 17:28-29). Jesus also gives those in the days of Noah as an example of this. But is not just that people who misbehave will be punished. It is that we have been given a span of life to invest for eternal reward. We have even been given a glimpse of that reward, when glory and honor, dominion and power, are ultimately and finally returned to the One to whom they are due. And we are fools ...

Because you have made the Lord your dwelling place— the Most High, who is my refuge— no evil shall be allowed to befall you, no plague come near your tent. For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways. On their hands they will bear you up, lest you strike your foot against a stone. Psalm 91:9‭-‬12 ESV ¶When tempted with this very verse by the devil, Jesus models for us the meaning of Deuteronomy 6:16 to not put this promise to the test (Matthew 4:6). Fully formed faith is expressed by Daniel's friends Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who, when faced with the blazing furnace, replied to King Nebuchadnezzar, "If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to deliver us from it... but even if he does not, ...we will not serve your gods." (Daniel 3:16-18)

But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere. And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace. James 3:17‭-‬18 ESV ¶When you read of wisdom from above, remember the Son of Man, whom Daniel saw coming with the clouds of heaven. He is the One described in 1 Corinthians 1:30-31 as wisdom from God, peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere.

And Mary said to the angel, "How will this be, since I am a virgin?" And the angel answered her, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy—the Son of God. For nothing will be impossible with God." And Mary said, "Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word." And the angel departed from her. Luke 1:34‭-‬35‭, ‬37‭-‬38 ESV ¶When I first read Jesus's instructions in the Sermon on the Mount, I was like "well, that's impossible". Sometimes all we can say in response to God's Word is "let it be to me according to your word."

Then he showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the Lord, and Satan standing at his right hand to accuse him. And the Lord said to Satan, "The Lord rebuke you, O Satan! The Lord who has chosen Jerusalem rebuke you! Is not this a brand plucked from the fire?" Now Joshua was standing before the angel, clothed with filthy garments. And the angel said to those who were standing before him, "Remove the filthy garments from him." And to him he said, "Behold, I have taken your iniquity away from you, and I will clothe you with pure vestments." And I said, "Let them put a clean turban on his head." So they put a clean turban on his head and clothed him with garments. And the angel of the Lord was standing by. Zechariah 3:1‭-‬5 ESV ¶This Joshua the priest of Israel, whose name means "Yahweh saves", represents his wayward, rebellious people before God. He stands filthy, singed as from the fire, helpless before t...

  Vindicate me, O Lord, for I have walked in my integrity, and I have trusted in the Lord without wavering. Psalm 26:1 ESV ¶This fitness, this bold, joyous approach to God in worship, is given by God's Holy Spirit. It is given not according to the measure of our faith, but of His faithfulness.

Who considers the power of your anger, and your wrath according to the fear of you? So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom. Return, O Lord! How long? Have pity on your servants! Satisfy us in the morning with your steadfast love, that we may rejoice and be glad all our days. Psalm 90:11‭-‬14 ESV ¶There is no answer to the power of His wrath. No greater power challenges His decrees. All our petty fears of wars and plagues, famine and pestilence will be displaced by His fearsome presence on the day of His coming. But here's the good news: love is His gracious choice. He loves not out of necessity, but out of essence. Love is not demanded of Him. No greater power requires it. All our weak appetites for pleasure and possessions will be displaced by His loving presence in the day of His coming.  

Now the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat the king of Judah were sitting on their thrones, arrayed in their robes, at the threshing floor at the entrance of the gate of Samaria, and all the prophets were prophesying before them. And Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah made for himself horns of iron and said, "Thus says the Lord, 'With these you shall push the Syrians until they are destroyed.'" And all the prophets prophesied so and said, "Go up to Ramoth-gilead and triumph; the Lord will give it into the hand of the king." But Micaiah said, "As the Lord lives, what the Lord says to me, that I will speak." And Micaiah said, "Therefore hear the word of the Lord: I saw the Lord sitting on his throne, and all the host of heaven standing beside him on his right hand and on his left; and the Lord said, 'Who will entice Ahab, that he may go up and fall at Ramoth-gilead?' And one said one thing, and another said another. Then a spirit cam...

Then he showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the Lord, and Satan standing at his right hand to accuse him. And the Lord said to Satan, "The Lord rebuke you, O Satan! The Lord who has chosen Jerusalem rebuke you! Is not this a brand plucked from the fire?" Now Joshua was standing before the angel, clothed with filthy garments. And the angel said to those who were standing before him, "Remove the filthy garments from him." And to him he said, "Behold, I have taken your iniquity away from you, and I will clothe you with pure vestments." And I said, "Let them put a clean turban on his head." So they put a clean turban on his head and clothed him with garments. And the angel of the Lord was standing by. Zechariah 3:1‭-‬5 ESV ¶This Joshua the priest of Israel, whose name means "Yahweh saves", represents his wayward, rebellious people before God. He stands filthy, singed as from the fire, helpless before t...