QT 27 Mar 13, Loving others through serving

John 13:1-5, 12-17 (NIV) It was just before the Passover Feast. Jesus knew that the time had come for him to leave this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he now showed them the full extent of his love.

2 The evening meal was being served, and the devil had already prompted Judas Iscariot, son of Simon, to betray Jesus. 3 Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God; 4 so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. 5 After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples' feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him.

. . .

12 When he had finished washing their feet, he put on his clothes and returned to his place. "Do you understand what I have done for you?" he asked them. 13 "You call me 'Teacher' and 'Lord,' and rightly so, for that is what I am. 14 Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another's feet. 15 I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. 16 I tell you the truth, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. 17 Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.

NOTE: This is the key pillar of the Christian message. It turns upside-down the world's view of status. Jesus is Lord and Teacher, and as he says, rightly addressed by those terms. But Jesus is not above being a servant to all. Nor do his titles make him more important than others. Each person has value in the kingdom. No one is more important than any other person. No person is above serving, not matter how minuscule or 'low' the task is. In this setting, no one took upon themselves the role of the servant who would wash the feet of the visitors. They had all taken baths and only needed their feet to be washed to be clean. One wonders why they could not even have done it for themselves. But no was willing to lower themselves. The scripture say that Jesus washes their feet to show the full extent of his love. Serving is an act of love, not of power, not of pride, not of abasement, but purely of love -- love for others. We serve, not to check off a square, but because we want to show our love to those we are serving. Any other reason is selfishness and violates the very purpose of the act. Jesus set the example and told the disciples to do as he had done. So, we are to serve out of love. Not out of duty or some works-oriented abasement but out of love for others. And in that attitude, there is a special blessing as well to those who serve in that manner. The blessing is not the motivation, it is the outgrowth of love-motivated serving. We are blessed because we serve others in love. We do not serve others to be blessed.

QT 14 Mar 2013, Israel's prolonged battle with sin led to greater levels of depravity

Judges 19:1a, 22-30 (NIV) In those days Israel had no king.

. . .

22 While they were enjoying themselves, some of the wicked men of the city surrounded the house. Pounding on the door, they shouted to the old man who owned the house, "Bring out the man who came to your house so we can have sex with him."

23 The owner of the house went outside and said to them, "No, my friends, don't be so vile. Since this man is my guest, don't do this disgraceful thing. 24 Look, here is my virgin daughter, and his concubine. I will bring them out to you now, and you can use them and do to them whatever you wish. But to this man, don't do such a disgraceful thing."

25 But the men would not listen to him. So the man took his concubine and sent her outside to them, and they raped her and abused her throughout the night, and at dawn they let her go. 26 At daybreak the woman went back to the house where her master was staying, fell down at the door and lay there until daylight.

27 When her master got up in the morning and opened the door of the house and stepped out to continue on his way, there lay his concubine, fallen in the doorway of the house, with her hands on the threshold. 28 He said to her, "Get up; let's go." But there was no answer. Then the man put her on his donkey and set out for home.

29 When he reached home, he took a knife and cut up his concubine, limb by limb, into twelve parts and sent them into all the areas of Israel. 30 Everyone who saw it said, "Such a thing has never been seen or done, not since the day the Israelites came up out of Egypt. Think about it! Consider it! Tell us what to do!"

NOTE: The wickedness of this passage defies belief. In some ways, it seemed hard to top the story of Micah and the Danites, but this easily surpasses it in ungodliness. God records it for a purpose, it is the ending story of Judges, a book that while it portrays a repeated cycle of sin shows an even greater issue, a descent into deeper levels of sin. Judges tells us in story what Romans 1:17-32 says didactically. And the picture is one of a people being "sold" into their sin in much the same way as Paul describes the human race as "God gave them over … to their sin (last part paraphrased)." The man was wrong in how he treated his wife. The owner was wrong in how he treated the women. The wicked men were wrong in their desire for homosexual sex and for their treatment of the women. And the people were wrong for not recognizing and dealing with the sin issue in Israel sooner. Modern day armchair commentators will say that God is wrong but that is a misunderstanding of scripture. Nowhere does God approve or substantiate the actions. The scriptures record accurately what happened but the story does not speak to God's character but rather to the character of man. And even more terrifying, it speaks about the character of a religious people (the Jews) who were to represent God on earth, and their incredible failures to be a witness for God.

The other message of this passage is that in the end times, this will be the picture of the church, another group of people who call themselves by God's name but become a religious people living in a manner completely opposed to God's moral rules (2 Tim 3:1-5 "… having a form of godliness but denying it's power").

QT 13 Feb 13, Change doesn't happen in nations, but in individuals

Judges 15:15-20 (NIV) Finding a fresh jawbone of a donkey, he grabbed it and struck down a thousand men.

16 Then Samson said,

"With a donkey's jawbone

I have made donkeys of them.

With a donkey's jawbone

I have killed a thousand men."

17 When he finished speaking, he threw away the jawbone; and the place was called Ramath Lehi.

18 Because he was very thirsty, he cried out to the Lord, "You have given your servant this great victory. Must I now die of thirst and fall into the hands of the uncircumcised?" 19 Then God opened up the hollow place in Lehi, and water came out of it. When Samson drank, his strength returned and he revived. So the spring was called En Hakkore, and it is still there in Lehi.

20 Samson led Israel for twenty years in the days of the Philistines.

NOTE: At this point in the book of Judges, it is very hard to distinguish Israel from the nations around them. Samson's life is controlled by his appetites, just like the world, whether it be sex or thirst or power (in the form of violence). The only distinguishing characteristic, referred to here, is circumcision. But that is hardly anything to be proud of or that might draw someone toward faith in the unseen God. And yet God is gracious to his people and continues to provide for them. And Samson, of all people, leads Israel for 20 years. Why does God choose Samson? He picks him before he is born. He is a Nazarite. His hair has never been cut and he has never drank strong drink. I find the latter hard to believe, but there is no verse to contradict. God picked someone, before they were born, to save his people. Even born with a purpose and a special calling, Samson is hardly a man after God's heart. His parents show more faith than most but it does not seem to make much of a difference in Samson's choices. Possibly, the picture presented, is that even a divinely raised and called man cannot change Israel or stop its slide in sin. Ultimately, the people as a whole must want change, and it has to start in individuals. Revival starts first with a person and then moves on to capture nations. But if we are not willing to repent of our sins, no true change will occur. And that is where most nations are today. They want change but they don't want to give up their sins. They want God, just as long as they can continue to live their life like they please. Samson is our hero, a man set aside by God, who lives life as he chooses. But ultimately he is a failure and it isn't until the end of his short life that he repents of his sins.

QT 11 Feb 13, We need God's word or else we ultimately fight losing battles in the world

Judges 15:1-8 (NIV) Later on, at the time of wheat harvest, Samson took a young goat and went to visit his wife. He said, "I'm going to my wife's room." But her father would not let him go in.

2 "I was so sure you thoroughly hated her," he said, "that I gave her to your friend. Isn't her younger sister more attractive? Take her instead."

3 Samson said to them, "This time I have a right to get even with the Philistines; I will really harm them." 4 So he went out and caught three hundred foxes and tied them tail to tail in pairs. He then fastened a torch to every pair of tails, 5 lit the torches and let the foxes loose in the standing grain of the Philistines. He burned up the shocks and standing grain, together with the vineyards and olive groves.

6 When the Philistines asked, "Who did this?" they were told, "Samson, the Timnite's son-in-law, because his wife was given to his friend."

So the Philistines went up and burned her and her father to death. 7 Samson said to them, "Since you've acted like this, I won't stop until I get my revenge on you." 8 He attacked them viciously and slaughtered many of them. Then he went down and stayed in a cave in the rock of Etam.

NOTE: At this point the story had degenerated into a story of revenge, back and forth killing. It is the world's way of dealing with another's actions. It is heavy in physical conflict, usually with no end in sight. Since Judges is a story of second generation believers, the lesson seems to be a complete disregard for God's method of resolving conflict but rather a worldly approach to conflict and getting even. In fact, new ways of committing evil are also prevalent, and Samson uses a new approach to burning up as much grain as possible (typing torches to the tails of 300 foxes). The very little direct mention of God in the Samson story. Essentially, Samson becomes a judge of Israel based on his great strength and little else. His strength does provide a relief from the Philistines, but it does not provide the greater need, strong teaching of the word of God. And so consequently, except for the reprieve, Samson does not slow down the continuing descent into even greater sin as a nation. The application is that without an emphasis on God's word, what do we really accomplish? I apply this to our church business meetings which should always feature God's word first. Otherwise, we will strive to solve problems using worldly approaches and ultimately make very little progress.

QT 7 Feb 13, Repent now, don't wait for death

Judges 14:1-3, 12-14, 17-20 (NIV) Samson went down to Timnah and saw there a young Philistine woman. 2 When he returned, he said to his father and mother, "I have seen a Philistine woman in Timnah; now get her for me as my wife."

3 His father and mother replied, "Isn't there an acceptable woman among your relatives or among all our people? Must you go to the uncircumcised Philistines to get a wife?"

. . .

12 "Let me tell you a riddle," Samson said to them. "If you can give me the answer within the seven days of the feast, I will give you thirty linen garments and thirty sets of clothes. 13 If you can't tell me the answer, you must give me thirty linen garments and thirty sets of clothes."

"Tell us your riddle," they said. "Let's hear it."

14 He replied,

"Out of the eater, something to eat;

out of the strong, something sweet."

For three days they could not give the answer.

. . .

17 She cried the whole seven days of the feast. So on the seventh day he finally told her, because she continued to press him. She in turn explained the riddle to her people.

18 Before sunset on the seventh day the men of the town said to him,

"What is sweeter than honey?

What is stronger than a lion?"

Samson said to them,

"If you had not plowed with my heifer,

you would not have solved my riddle."

19 Then the Spirit of the Lord came upon him in power. He went down to Ashkelon, struck down thirty of their men, stripped them of their belongings and gave their clothes to those who had explained the riddle. Burning with anger, he went up to his father's house. 20 And Samson's wife was given to the friend who had attended him at his wedding.

NOTE: Each story in Judges seems further away from the central theme of a nation, called out by God, to influence the world to worship the one true God. Now we see a man named Samuel who is controlled by his passions and flesh. He "sees" a woman and orders his parent to set up a marriage. She is not a believer in the one true God, and Samuel does not seem to care despite the presence of the Spirit in his life. He is an angry man (vs 19 "burning with anger") and uses the power of the Spirit to kill 30 men for their clothing to pay of a bet. And yet this is the man God has chosen to free Israel from the rule of the Philistines. Not until his death does it seem that Samuel even recognizes God. He knows the stories of his "specialness" but it does not influence his life or his actions. He lives for himself and cares little for anything or anyone beyond his own passions and lusts. This is the latest picture of Israel. They have descended to a new level of narcissism and Samson is their spokesman and leader. And still the picture will get even worse. Up ahead is rape, gore, and the near-destruction of an entire tribe. The people barely know God nor do they seem to care. This is one of the later stages of Romans 1:17ff when men become lovers of self, disobedient to their parents, and God-haters. Only near death will Samson repent. What does it take for us to repent? 

QT 6 Feb 13, Filling with the Spirit does not prevent poor choices, we need instruction in the word

Judges 13:1-5, 18-25 (NIV) Again the Israelites did evil in the eyes of the Lord, so the Lord delivered them into the hands of the Philistines for forty years.

2 A certain man of Zorah, named Manoah, from the clan of the Danites, had a wife who was sterile and remained childless. 3 The angel of the Lord appeared to her and said, "You are sterile and childless, but you are going to conceive and have a son. 4 Now see to it that you drink no wine or other fermented drink and that you do not eat anything unclean, 5 because you will conceive and give birth to a son. No razor may be used on his head, because the boy is to be a Nazirite, set apart to God from birth, and he will begin the deliverance of Israel from the hands of the Philistines."

. . .

18 He replied, "Why do you ask my name? It is beyond understanding."  19 Then Manoah took a young goat, together with the grain offering, and sacrificed it on a rock to the Lord. And the Lord did an amazing thing while Manoah and his wife watched: 20 As the flame blazed up from the altar toward heaven, the angel of the Lord ascended in the flame. Seeing this, Manoah and his wife fell with their faces to the ground. 21 When the angel of the Lord did not show himself again to Manoah and his wife, Manoah realized that it was the angel of the Lord.

22 "We are doomed to die!" he said to his wife. "We have seen God!"

23 But his wife answered, "If the Lord had meant to kill us, he would not have accepted a burnt offering and grain offering from our hands, nor shown us all these things or now told us this."

24 The woman gave birth to a boy and named him Samson. He grew and the Lord blessed him, 25 and the Spirit of the Lord began to stir him while he was in Mahaneh Dan, between Zorah and Eshtaol.

NOTE:  One of the first things that stands out is that Manoah and his wife did not understand the concept of Nazarite. Twice the angel repeats the instructions concerning the Nazarite, which again emphasizes one of the main points about Judges that the people lacked teaching and instruction in the word of God. The second thing to stand out is that the Spirit of the Lord stirred in Samson and yet he lived his life for fleshly pursuits and desires. Yes, the Spirit gave him power to do some amazing things, but it did not control his will or affect his attitude toward sin (as we will see later in the story). I think the emphasis on this second filling of the Spirit is oversold on this point, because twice now in Judges we have seen men filled with the Spirit who make terrible choices. Filling of the Spirit is not a substitute for the instruction in the word of God, and in fact, the two should go together hand-in-hand. I always assumed that the passages in Eph 5:18-20 and Col 3:16-17 mirrored each other because the best way to be filled with the Spirit was to let the word of Christ dwell in you richly. But now I wonder if in fact they are separate things but best understood together. We do need to seek to be filled with God's Spirit (not through external acts) but by allowing the Lord to control more areas of our life, but we also need as much as God's word in our life as possible to control our sinful responses to life. We need both, not just one.

QT 1 Feb 13, Internal discord is the next stage in a nation ignoring the biblical truths of God's word

Judges 12:1-7 (NIV) The men of Ephraim called out their forces, crossed over to Zaphon and said to Jephthah, "Why did you go to fight the Ammonites without calling us to go with you? We're going to burn down your house over your head."

2 Jephthah answered, "I and my people were engaged in a great struggle with the Ammonites, and although I called, you didn't save me out of their hands. 3 When I saw that you wouldn't help, I took my life in my hands and crossed over to fight the Ammonites, and the Lord gave me the victory over them. Now why have you come up today to fight me?"

4 Jephthah then called together the men of Gilead and fought against Ephraim. The Gileadites struck them down because the Ephraimites had said, "You Gileadites are renegades from Ephraim and Manasseh." 5 The Gileadites captured the fords of the Jordan leading to Ephraim, and whenever a survivor of Ephraim said, "Let me cross over," the men of Gilead asked him, "Are you an Ephraimite?" If he replied, "No," 6 they said, "All right, say 'Shibboleth.'" If he said, "Sibboleth," because he could not pronounce the word correctly, they seized him and killed him at the fords of the Jordan. Forty-two thousand Ephraimites were killed at that time.

7 Jephthah led Israel six years. Then Jephthah the Gileadite died, and was buried in a town in Gilead.

NOTE: The Ephraimites seem to have an issue with not getting called out to participate in the battle. They confronted Gideon on the same account. Jephthah is not so diplomatic in his response, and as a result we have our first instance of internal civil war. At every stage, the country plunges into a deeper hole, now costing them forty-two thousand lives. It is clear that the country does need leadership, spiritual leadership to bring them back to God and to set an example. Samuel will start the transition by teaching on a circuit, but a ruler is needed to set the pace for the people, one who is not a priest but still by example lives for God. It is not a rejection of God's kingship to seek that person. The rejection of God's rule occurred much earlier in the book when the people worshipped idols every time life was good again. A transformation is required and only good leadership built on sound biblical practices can restore the nation again. This is still true today. Our failure to follow God, especially for second generation believers, is a direct result of our ignoring his rule in our life and his teaching. We need good biblical practice  and a knowledge of God in our everyday lives. If we fail in this, we begin a cycle of sin that can lead to devastating consequences.

QT 25 Jan 13, Filling of the Spirit does not guarantee knowledge of the Lord

Judges 11:29-35 (NIV) Then the Spirit of the Lord came upon Jephthah. He crossed Gilead and Manasseh, passed through Mizpah of Gilead, and from there he advanced against the Ammonites. 30 And Jephthah made a vow to the Lord: "If you give the Ammonites into my hands, 31 whatever comes out of the door of my house to meet me when I return in triumph from the Ammonites will be the Lord's, and I will sacrifice it as a burnt offering."

32 Then Jephthah went over to fight the Ammonites, and the Lord gave them into his hands. 33 He devastated twenty towns from Aroer to the vicinity of Minnith, as far as Abel Keramim. Thus Israel subdued Ammon.

34 When Jephthah returned to his home in Mizpah, who should come out to meet him but his daughter, dancing to the sound of tambourines! She was an only child. Except for her he had neither son nor daughter. 35 When he saw her, he tore his clothes and cried, "Oh! My daughter! You have made me miserable and wretched, because I have made a vow to the Lord that I cannot break."

NOTE: The decay in Israel continues. Jephthah knows Israel's history as evidenced by 7:14-28, but he does not know Israel's laws. He has not been taught God's word. First of all, human sacrifice of any kind is forbidden by God's word. Secondly, the law makes provision for getting out of a vow. Thirdly, God's performance cannot be tied to some human action. God is not controlled by human beings. And while God does sometimes answer poor prayers, the bible does not teach quid-pro-quo prayers. Of note is that Jepthah is filled with the Spirit and it causes him to move out, but it does not stop him from making stupid decisions. Filling of the spirit is no guarantee that the words you say or the thoughts that you have will be correct. The only correct word from God are the ones found in the Word of God. There is a great danger when people starting giving others "words from God," unless they are repeating a command of scripture. The real message of this passage is the total lack of teaching, independent of any filling of the spirit. The people don't know the word and the descent into new levels of sin continues.

QT 23 Jan 13, The cycle of sin is a dangerous descent

Judges 11:1-7 (NIV) Jephthah the Gileadite was a mighty warrior. His father was Gilead; his mother was a prostitute. 2 Gilead's wife also bore him sons, and when they were grown up, they drove Jephthah away. "You are not going to get any inheritance in our family," they said, "because you are the son of another woman." 3 So Jephthah fled from his brothers and settled in the land of Tob, where a group of adventurers gathered around him and followed him.

4 Some time later, when the Ammonites made war on Israel, 5 the elders of Gilead went to get Jephthah from the land of Tob. 6 "Come," they said, "be our commander, so we can fight the Ammonites."

7 Jephthah said to them, "Didn't you hate me and drive me from my father's house? Why do you come to me now, when you're in trouble?"

NOTE: This is a sad start to a story. There is sexual sin in the family by the father. There is conflict among the siblings. There is greed, since Jephthah would be the first born, and the heir to the family inheritance. And finally, there is selfishness. The men of Gilead never ask forgiveness for their sin. There is no record of the father standing up for the son. And now, when life is difficult, the people go searching for a strong man to fight their battle. The story of Judges seems to spiral down into greater and greater depths of sin. It is Romans 1:18-32 in full living color. They people reject God's rule, God gives them over, and after some teeth gnashing and a return, the cycle begins again, except it goes a little deeper each time. That is the warning to us in our sin, that we can't continue the cycle of sin and repent, because it goes deeper each time. We need to escape the cycle. We need to ask God's help to protect us from the deeper cycle of sin. As Jesus pray, "… and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil."

QT 17 Jan 13, We need true Christian fellowship to survive

Judges 10:17-18 (NIV) When the Ammonites were called to arms and camped in Gilead, the Israelites assembled and camped at Mizpah. 18 The leaders of the people of Gilead said to each other, "Whoever will launch the attack against the Ammonites will be the head of all those living in Gilead."

NOTE: This was the wrong way to do it on two accounts. One, it was not up to Israel to pick their deliver nor to offer rulership as a prize. Secondly, the judge was not to be the head but rather God was the head. The judge ruled in disputes but was not a king. The people were required to walk with God individually, but for some reason, they fail every time. In fact, without a ruler or example, the people choose paths in direct opposition to God. There seems to be one major problem (the teaching of truth). The people are making more and poorer choices. None of them seem to know God or his word. The benefit of the Judge is to remind and teach the people of God's word. Why can't they do that on their own? I don't know, they just don't. They need to commit themselves to a group of other believers who are also committed to living life for God, or ultimately they will fall back into the world. I think the same thing holds today. We need the spiritual fellowship of other believers. And this cannot just be companionship or church or church friends. The fellowship must be deeply spiritual, where the things of God are discussed with passion. Otherwise, it is just religion and it has no useful impact upon the people. We need spiritual Christian fellowship to survive as believers in an ungodly world.

QT 16 Jan 13, In his love, God will do whatever is necessary to get our attention

Judges 10:6-8b, 10-16 (NIV) Again the Israelites did evil in the eyes of the Lord. They served the Baals and the Ashtoreths, and the gods of Aram, the gods of Sidon, the gods of Moab, the gods of the Ammonites and the gods of the Philistines. And because the Israelites forsook the Lord and no longer served him, 7 he became angry with them. He sold them into the hands of the Philistines and the Ammonites, 8 who that year shattered and crushed them. . . . 10 Then the Israelites cried out to the Lord, "We have sinned against you, forsaking our God and serving the Baals."

11 The Lord replied, "When the Egyptians, the Amorites, the Ammonites, the Philistines, 12 the Sidonians, the Amalekites and the Maonites oppressed you and you cried to me for help, did I not save you from their hands? 13 But you have forsaken me and served other gods, so I will no longer save you. 14 Go and cry out to the gods you have chosen. Let them save you when you are in trouble!"

15 But the Israelites said to the Lord, "We have sinned. Do with us whatever you think best, but please rescue us now." 16 Then they got rid of the foreign gods among them and served the Lord. And he could bear Israel's misery no longer.

NOTE: This is the first time that all these gods are mentioned, usually it is just Baal and Ashtoreth. Now the gods of five different people groups are mentio

ned. Far from impacting other cultures with the God of the universe, the gods of little areas are impacting Israel. Why is it that the gods of these small areas show much more appeal to Israel than the real God of everything? Is it because the other gods appeal to some base aspect of the human nature or to their sin? Some of these gods involve sex in worship. Others use cruel human sacrifice. All have physical expectations of the worshipper and a physical presence. Yet none have any power, none show the ability to do one single measureable thing. As Israel falls further into idol worship, so the punishment becomes more severe. In this case, the text says that in one year they were shattered and crushed. I don't know how that compares to oppressed or cruelly oppressed or to being raided continually, but it has its impact. Israel again cries out to the Lord, and this time God responds with a "no, go to your gods for your salvation." Only when they clean house, rid themselves of the idols and return to God, does God relent to save them. So, at a certain level of insanity and depravity, God's salvation and mercy are different. Why? Is it because God changed? No, it is because the people have not learned. And God in his love uses another tactic to get his people's attention. Personally, I'm not sure I ever want to progress to the new tactic level with God. I want to deal with the issues in my life now. I want to please God and live for God now. I don't want to test his patience.

QT 15 Jan 13, Repeated sin is a descent into a deeper darkness

Judges 10:1-6a (NIV) After the time of Abimelech a man of Issachar, Tola son of Puah, the son of Dodo, rose to save Israel. He lived in Shamir, in the hill country of Ephraim. 2 He led Israel twenty-three years; then he died, and was buried in Shamir.

3 He was followed by Jair of Gilead, who led Israel twenty-two years. 4 He had thirty sons, who rode thirty donkeys. They controlled thirty towns in Gilead, which to this day are called Havvoth Jair.  5 When Jair died, he was buried in Kamon.

6a Again the Israelites did evil in the eyes of the Lord.

NOTE: There are a lot of details left out of the story of Tola. We know he rose to save Israel, suggesting that there was sin and they needed a savior again. He is followed by Jair, who also has a short story, except for a few details. One, he does not rise up and save Israel, rather he just leads Israel. Not only does he lead, but he controls thirty towns which interestingly correspond to his thirty sons. Since Israel was not to have multiple wives, he clearly ignores some of God's teaching. Also, he hands out towns to his sons to govern. I have to wonder if Jair was a judge or rather the punishment for falling away. Except  that in the next verse, it says, "again the Israelites did evil in the eyes of the Lord." Still, each situation begins to sound more and more chaotic, and less and less like there is any belief or concern for God. There is this downward spiral of sin that is not getting better, but is actually getting worse. So is the case with sin, we slowly descend into a sewer without even knowing how we got there.

Miscellaneous Update

A difficult flu has put me under the weather for the last few days. I suppose one does not realize how fragile we are until we are very sick. I was very sick, not anywhere near death, but it reminded me how much I should be thankful for good health. We take it for granted. We lose ourselves too often in the material riches of this world. Lord, forgive me. Thank you for life and health and family. You have been very gracious.

QT 7 Jan 13, What is my natural response to circumstances, positive or negative? And what does that say about my faith?

Gen 42:33-36 (NIV) "Then the man who is lord over the land said to us, 'This is how I will know whether you are honest men: Leave one of your brothers here with me, and take food for your starving households and go. 34 But bring your youngest brother to me so I will know that you are not spies but honest men. Then I will give your brother back to you, and you can trade in the land.'"

35 As they were emptying their sacks, there in each man's sack was his pouch of silver! When they and their father saw the money pouches, they were frightened. 36 Their father Jacob said to them, "You have deprived me of my children. Joseph is no more and Simeon is no more, and now you want to take Benjamin. Everything is against me!"

NOTE: There is no mention of Jacob's response until after the emptying of the grain sacks. It's possible some of the hungry families had already started unloading the sacks even as the story is told. And as they are unloading they see the money pouches. Since they have already found one money pouch, they now open all of the sacks and find their money in each one. It is obviously beyond circumstance and is no accident. Not only are they accused spies, they are now thieves. Their chances of ever getting any additional food are slim. Of course, they might not now that the famine will continue for another five years and so a visit to Egypt might be avoided. It doesn't say much for their concern for Simeon. But Jacob's response occurs after the money is found. Jacob sees everything from a negative perspective, in fact they all do. Even though Joseph may have done it for a good purpose, they view it as a curse from God. "Everything is against me" is Jacob's wail. Really, was everything against you when you lived in Laban? How easy we forget the good things of God when we are dealing with disappointment and bitterness.

QT 4 Jan 13, Don't waste your life in bitterness and depression, take those emotions to God

Gen 43:1-4, 8-14 (NIV) Now the famine was still severe in the land. 2 So when they had eaten all the grain they had brought from Egypt, their father said to them, "Go back and buy us a little more food."

3 But Judah said to him, "The man warned us solemnly, 'You will not see my face again unless your brother is with you.'

. . .

8 Then Judah said to Israel his father, "Send the boy along with me and we will go at once, so that we and you and our children may live and not die. 9 I myself will guarantee his safety; you can hold me personally responsible for him. If I do not bring him back to you and set him here before you, I will bear the blame before you all my life. 10 As it is, if we had not delayed, we could have gone and returned twice."

11 Then their father Israel said to them, "If it must be, then do this: Put some of the best products of the land in your bags and take them down to the man as a gift — a little balm and a little honey, some spices and myrrh, some pistachio nuts and almonds. 12 Take double the amount of silver with you, for you must return the silver that was put back into the mouths of your sacks. Perhaps it was a mistake. 13 Take your brother also and go back to the man at once. 14 And may God Almighty grant you mercy before the man so that he will let your other brother and Benjamin come back with you. As for me, if I am bereaved, I am bereaved."

NOTE: The people are out of food and must go back to Egypt, but this time with Benjamin. Israel (Jacob)  does not want Benjamin to go with them. Judah doesn't make the same mistake as Reuben and  offers a different argument. He takes responsibility personally to bring back Benjamin. It is not clear if Jacob's response is one of trust in God or just not caring any more (a sign of depression). While I would like to think positive about Jacob, I believe he is depressed, disheartened, and dispirited. Life has lost its joy. He has let bitterness and loss rule his life for so long, that he no longer cares anymore. And yet, in a few months, he will revive and his life will once again carry the joy and excitement of living, once he learns that Joseph is alive. The sad part is that he didn't need to waste 17 years before he regained a renewed spirit. I think all of us are vulnerable to bitterness and depression. And many waste some of their best years lost in that mire. But, that is why quiet time is so important. When we make personal time with God in the morning, every morning, God will break through the fog and speak to our heart and pull us out of our personal mire. It may not happen immediately or every time, but it won't last years to revive our spirits.

QT 3 Jan 13, The new year is a time of revival and letting go of past hurts

Gen 42:35-38 (NIV) As they were emptying their sacks, there in each man's sack was his pouch of silver! When they and their father saw the money pouches, they were frightened. 36 Their father Jacob said to them, "You have deprived me of my children. Joseph is no more and Simeon is no more, and now you want to take Benjamin. Everything is against me!"

37 Then Reuben said to his father, "You may put both of my sons to death if I do not bring him back to you. Entrust him to my care, and I will bring him back."

38 But Jacob said, "My son will not go down there with you; his brother is dead and he is the only one left. If harm comes to him on the journey you are taking, you will bring my gray head down to the grave in sorrow."

NOTE: Jacob shows very little courage. He has already given up on ever seeing Simeon again. Reuben's argument is both ridiculous and strong. Jacob is not going to kill his grandchildren, no matter what happens, but the argument does seem to get his father's attention. Jacob is in a major pity party. His statement "everything is against me" is a good picture of the last 17 years of his life. For a man who once had everything going for him, even when Laban was against him, he is now in a funk and has completely forgotten God's previous protection. This highlights a failure of most believers, when times are hard, we quickly forget the miracles of the past and allow our emotions to dictate our response to circumstances. In one sense, this is good--we do need to allow our emotions out and to recognize how we feel. But when it continues for years, then we are living in a pity party and are not seeking God. One could argue that Jacob's response is a very short term emotional outburst, but I wonder. In Gen 45:26-27, when Jacob learns Joseph is alive, he is stunned, and his spirit revives. For 17 years, Jacob let his pain rule his life, in chapter 45, he lets God rule again. Coincidentally , in the next verses after his revival, God speaks to him in a vision again. Is there something that has happened in the past that I can't let go of, and is it affecting my walk and spirit today? That is the question we must ask.

QT 2 Jan 13, This new year is a chance to do something great but it will require you to take a step

Gen 42:4, 21-24 (NIV) But Jacob did not send Benjamin, Joseph's brother, with the others, because he was afraid that harm might come to him.

. . .

21 They said to one another, "Surely we are being punished because of our brother. We saw how distressed he was when he pleaded with us for his life, but we would not listen; that's why this distress has come upon us."

22 Reuben replied, "Didn't I tell you not to sin against the boy? But you wouldn't listen! Now we must give an accounting for his blood." 23 They did not realize that Joseph could understand them, since he was using an interpreter.

24 He turned away from them and began to weep, but then turned back and spoke to them again. He had Simeon taken from them and bound before their eyes.

NOTE: It is always a question in my mind why Joseph plays the game that he does. His weeping gives a hint. He loves his family and he so is not engaged in a cruel joke. He weeps as he hears them recount their sin (Reuben calls it sin) against him (not knowing that he, Joseph, stood before them). At that point, he realizes that at least some of them are also suffering for what they have done to him. But he is apparently not completely convinced of the change in their lives and so he continues the game. His father's response is also interesting in keeping Benjamin home. While he might be playing favorites, it could be that in some way he does not trust the other sons to protect the youngest. He has no qualms about sending ten sons to get grain, but will not chance his youngest. It may be nothing, or distrust, or just not wanting to lose all his children at once. Either way, a game begins that is actually a test. Joseph adds other elements to the test, like secretly returning their money. All of it is to determine what the 17 years have done to his brothers and Father.

As an old year passes by, so we too need to take stock. We don't have a Joseph to test us (or maybe we do), but we can ask hard questions. Is my life any different this year than last year or five years ago or ten years ago? Am I stuck in some valley because I choose not to take steps to move out? A new year is a chance for new beginnings. But we can't do it on our own, nor will God do it for us. We must ask God for spiritual growth; we must confess sins; and we must choose to take the first step by laying out a plan of change. The simplest and most powerful is to meet with God for a daily 5-10 minute devotional each morning. Make it a new habit and your life will be revitalized beyond your wildest dreams.

QT 1 Jan 13, Involve God in your new year

Judg 9:26-29, 38-40, 45b-46, 49-57 (NIV) Now Gaal son of Ebed moved with his brothers into Shechem, and its citizens put their confidence in him. 27 After they had gone out into the fields and gathered the grapes and trodden them, they held a festival in the temple of their god. While they were eating and drinking, they cursed Abimelech. 28 Then Gaal son of Ebed said, "Who is Abimelech, and who is Shechem, that we should be subject to him? Isn't he Jerub-Baal's son, and isn't Zebul his deputy? Serve the men of Hamor, Shechem's father! Why should we serve Abimelech? 29 If only this people were under my command! Then I would get rid of him. I would say to Abimelech, 'Call out your whole army!'"

. . .

38 Then Zebul said to him, "Where is your big talk now, you who said, 'Who is Abimelech that we should be subject to him?' Aren't these the men you ridiculed? Go out and fight them!"

39 So Gaal led out the citizens of Shechem and fought Abimelech. 40 Abimelech chased him, and many fell wounded in the flight — all the way to the entrance to the gate. 

. . .

 45b Abimelech pressed his attack against the city until he had captured it and killed its people. Then he destroyed the city and scattered salt over it.

46 On hearing this, the citizens in the tower of Shechem went into the stronghold of the temple of El-Berith.  . . .  49 So all the men cut branches and followed Abimelech. They piled them against the stronghold and set it on fire over the people inside. So all the people in the tower of Shechem, about a thousand men and women, also died.

50 Next Abimelech went to Thebez and besieged it and captured it. 51 Inside the city, however, was a strong tower, to which all the men and women — all the people of the city — fled. They locked themselves in and climbed up on the tower roof. 52 Abimelech went to the tower and stormed it. But as he approached the entrance to the tower to set it on fire, 53 a woman dropped an upper millstone on his head and cracked his skull.

54 Hurriedly he called to his armor-bearer, "Draw your sword and kill me, so that they can't say, 'A woman killed him.'" So his servant ran him through, and he died. 55 When the Israelites saw that Abimelech was dead, they went home.

56 Thus God repaid the wickedness that Abimelech had done to his father by murdering his seventy brothers. 57 God also made the men of Shechem pay for all their wickedness. The curse of Jotham son of Jerub-Baal came on them.

NOTE:  Jotham's parable (9:7-20), the first in the bible, becomes a prophecy. Those who supported Abimelech are burned and Abimelech is judged at the hand of a woman. The story of Israel's first self-proclaimed king is an ugly story of sin, treachery, and cruelty. God's involvement in the story is in repaying the wickedness (9:56), but beyond that it is a story of men solving their own problems without the help of God. In fact, the people of Shechem hold a festival in the temple of their god, completely ignoring God who gave them the land. These are the same people who cry out to God when life is painful but completely forget him when life is good. And this is the message for us. When life is good, we live in the world, forgetting what God has graciously given to us. And then when tragedy or pain befalls us, we scream out or cry out to God for relief, as if it was his fault and not ours. Oh, when will we wake up from our delusions and recognize that we were bought with a price--our life is not our own (1 Cor 6:20). This year, I will make one goal only and that will be to spend time thanking God for the good things he has given and praying for the enlightenment of others. A greater prayer life will I yearn.

QT 31 Dec 12, Evil is not from God but is used by God to accomplish his will

Judg 9:22-24 (NIV) After Abimelech had governed Israel three years, 23 God sent an evil spirit between Abimelech and the citizens of Shechem, who acted treacherously against Abimelech. 24 God did this in order that the crime against Jerub-Baal's seventy sons, the shedding of their blood, might be avenged on their brother Abimelech and on the citizens of Shechem, who had helped him murder his brothers.

NOTE: Abimelech is not a judge. The word used here is suwr (pronounced soor) and means to vanquish; to rule. The normal word used for the judges in the book is shaphat (pronounced shaw-fat'), meaning to judge or pronounce a sentence. In essence, Abimelech has set himself up as ruler. Whether the other tribes completely submit to his rule or not is questionable, but Shechem is under his rule. The other interesting question regards the evil spirit sent by God. In Job 2:3b, God says "And he still maintains his integrity, though you incited me against him to ruin him without any reason." God takes responsibility for an action that is clearly done and suggested by Satan (Job 1:9-12). God says that ("me against him") because God gave permission for the event. I think this is a similar case. God cannot do evil, but God can allow it when he sees the greater good that he can accomplish through it. In this case, God intends to judge Abimelech and the people of Shechem's sin, and remove Abimelech from his position of authority. The people of Shechem were fully aware of what Abimelech did to his innocent brothers, and yet they made Abimelech their king. Therefore God allows or sends (it doesn't really matter since allowing is the same as sending) the evil spirit. In many ways, God could have done absolutely nothing. Just removing his presence and allowing people to act as their sinful nature desires would have ultimately had the same result. It's possible, God's action only speeds up the result. There is a major truth in scripture. God is in control. He does not do evil. He allows it for many purposes. For the believer, we know that in all things (including evil), God works for the good of those who love him (Rom 8:28).

QT 26 Dec 12, Speaking out against evil in the world

Judges 9:1-2, 5b-21 (NIV) Abimelech son of Jerub-Baal went to his mother's brothers in Shechem and said to them and to all his mother's clan, 2 "Ask all the citizens of Shechem, 'Which is better for you: to have all seventy of Jerub-Baal's sons rule over you, or just one man?' Remember, I am your flesh and blood."

 . . . But Jotham, the youngest son of Jerub-Baal, escaped by hiding. 6 Then all the citizens of Shechem and Beth Millo gathered beside the great tree at the pillar in Shechem to crown Abimelech king.

7 When Jotham was told about this, he climbed up on the top of Mount Gerizim and shouted to them, "Listen to me, citizens of Shechem, so that God may listen to you. 8 One day the trees went out to anoint a king for themselves. They said to the olive tree, 'Be our king.'

9 "But the olive tree answered, 'Should I give up my oil, by which both gods and men are honored, to hold sway over the trees?'

10 "Next, the trees said to the fig tree, 'Come and be our king.'

11 "But the fig tree replied, 'Should I give up my fruit, so good and sweet, to hold sway over the trees?'

12 "Then the trees said to the vine, 'Come and be our king.'

13 "But the vine answered, 'Should I give up my wine, which cheers both gods and men, to hold sway over the trees?'

14 "Finally all the trees said to the thornbush, 'Come and be our king.'

15 "The thornbush said to the trees, 'If you really want to anoint me king over you, come and take refuge in my shade; but if not, then let fire come out of the thornbush and consume the cedars of Lebanon!'

16 "Now if you have acted honorably and in good faith when you made Abimelech king, and if you have been fair to Jerub-Baal and his family, and if you have treated him as he deserves— 17 and to think that my father fought for you, risked his life to rescue you from the hand of Midian 18 (but today you have revolted against my father's family, murdered his seventy sons on a single stone, and made Abimelech, the son of his slave girl, king over the citizens of Shechem because he is your brother)— 19 if then you have acted honorably and in good faith toward Jerub-Baal and his family today, may Abimelech be your joy, and may you be his, too! 20 But if you have not, let fire come out from Abimelech and consume you, citizens of Shechem and Beth Millo, and let fire come out from you, citizens of Shechem and Beth Millo, and consume Abimelech!"

21 Then Jotham fled, escaping to Beer, and he lived there because he was afraid of his brother Abimelech.

NOTE: Jotham's concern over  how Gideon's (Jerub-Baal's) family is treated is repeated earlier in the story by the author (8:35). The people are complicit in Abimelech's treachery in a number of ways. The first is  they encourage Abimelech in his sin instead of confronting his proposed wicked action. It was not just talk of a hot-head, and it was evil. We too should remind people of sin and confront the proposed action even if it is only words. Because words often lead to actions. Secondly, the people ignore the action after it is accomplished. They seem to take the attitude that what is done is done, and they can't change anything, so they will ignore it. But this is also evil. We have a responsibility to stand up against evil and lawlessness. We cannot ignore evil and hope it goes away or doesn't affect our lives. Jotham calls out for justice and no one responds.

This story, like many in Judges, reflects poor decisions all around. For instance, we do not see Jotham do the right thing either. For instance, he does not give credit to God for Gideon's actions, but sees Gideon as the one who saved them. Also, Jotham does not pray for God's assistance, although we will clearly see God work and use Jotham's word to accomplish his judgment. So, being in the right and being the person who was abused, doesn't mean that our follow-on actions are pure either. Jotham does do one thing right that the people do not. He speaks out loud and rebukes the actions of his sinful brother.  He should have also taken it to God as a matter of prayer.