March 16, 2010; Numbers 24:1-25:18, Luke 2:1-35, Psalm 59:1-17, Proverbs 11:14

Lord, may our honor be genuine as we seek to know you through your word.  May we be found worthy in thy sight.

Response to Numbers 24:1-25:18

The word the NIV translates sorcery in verse one is also translated as "seeking omens" or "enchantments." in other translations.  Balaam appears not only moved by the Spirit within, but sees the might and organization of Israel in the valley below and stands impressed by the beauty of majesty set before him. 

We found on March 14 that the Amorites (Sihon and Og) were Canaanite discendants of Noah's son Ham.  However, Balaam from the Arameans, Balak of the Moabites, and the Ammonites were all descendants of Noah's son Shem.  The Amalakites are also mentioned in this oracle.  They may have been of the Edomites (Genesis 36:12), however their land is also mentioned in Genesis 14:7. They are mentioned in many places in the Bible and in extra-biblical sources. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amalek "At times said to be allied with the Moabites (Judg. 3:13) and the Midianites (Judges 6:3). Each of their kings bore the hereditary name of Agag (Num. 24:7; 1 Sam. 15:8)."  It would appear that Balaam's oracle deals only with the descendants of Shem which include Israel.  The Canaanites, other than the Amorites already subdued, lie west of the Jordan.

This oracle was as much as Balak could stand and it would appear in Numbers 24:10-15 that he lost his temper with Balaam even though Balaam had advised him he could not go against the Lord's will to bless the Israelites. Numbers 24:11 is rendered; "flee" in every translation I am using besides NIV. (RSV, NASB, KJV, ESV, ASV).  Before Balaam left however, he told Balak what this people would do in the days to come.  Notice in both oracles Numbers 24:4 and Numbers 24:16 Balaam's claim that he "sees a vision from the almighty" refers to "Shaddai" according to the footnotes in the NIV.  References in the ESV reflect the same name in Ezekiel 1:28, Ezekiel 3:23, Revelations 1:10 and Revelations 1:17.

Numbers 24:17 echoes Genesis 49:10; "The scepter will not depart from Judah, nor the ruler's staff from between his feet, until he comes to whom it belongs (or until he comes to whom tribute belongs) and the obedience of the nations is his."  John claims this omen was fulfilled in Jesus; Revelation 22:16 "I, Jesus, have sent my angel to give you this testimony for the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, and the bright Morning Star."

Verse 17 also speaks of the destruction and devestation of Moab (II Chronicles 20 and Isaiah 15-16) plus the sons of Sheth (all the noisy boasters) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seth "Josephus refers to Seth as virtuous and of excellent character in the 'Antiquities of the Jews', and reports that his descendants invented the wisdom of the heavenly bodies, and built the "pillars of the sons of Seth", two pillars inscribed with many scientific discoveries and inventions, notably in astronomy." (3rd son of Adam Genesis 4:25)

Verse 18 mentions "Seir" http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seir  which is first mentioned in Genesis 14:6; "and the Horites in the hill country of Seir," This became the land of the Edomites in Genesis 36:8 when Esau and Jacob parted because the land was not large enough for both of them; "So Esau (that is, Edom) settled in the hill country of Seir." Although the early Israeli exploits focussed on the Canaanites, and not the descendants of Shem (Deuteronomy 2), Balaam's oracle of Numbers 25:18 was revisited by Ezekiel in Ezekiel 35:3-9; "'This is what the Sovereign Lord says: I am against you, Mount Seir, and I will stretch out my hand against you and make you a desolate waste. I will turn your towns into ruins and you will be desolate. Then you will know that I am the Lord. 'Because you harbored an ancient hostility and delivered the Israelites over to the sword at the time of their calamity, the time their punishment reached its climax, therefore as surely as I live, declares the Sovereign Lord, I will give you over to bloodshed and it will pursue you. Since you did not hate bloodshed, bloodshed will pursue you.  I will make Mount Seir a desolate waste and cut off from it all who come and go. I will fill your mountains with the slain; those killed by the sword will fall on your hills and in your valleys and in all your ravines. I will make you desolate forever; your towns will not be inhabited. Then you will know that I am the Lord.

The end of verse 18 and verse 19 speaks of the dominion of Jacob.  Although Israel was not allowed to overthrow the land of Edom, and they had trouble throughout their history until the Babylonian conquests, Israel remains today and the Davidic dynasty is continued through the divine Kingdom of God as represented in Jesus Christ.  (vs.19 KJV) "Out of Jacob shall come he that shall have dominion, and shall destroy him that remaineth of the city (this also may represent the stumbling stones of the religions that remained as the Israelites did not completely destroy the cities and peoples within the promised land.  Jesus Christ represents the fulfillment of truth and life and He shall overcome!)  This oracle is revisited in Micah 5:1-5;
     "Marshal your troops, O city of troops, (Or Strengthen your walls, O walled city) for a siege is laid against us. They will strike Israel's ruler on the cheek with a rod. "But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans (rulers) of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times. (Or from days of eternity)" Therefore Israel will be abandoned until the time when she who is in labor gives birth and the rest of his brothers return to join the Israelites. He will stand and shepherd his flock in the strength of the Lord, in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God. And they will live securely, for then his greatness will reach to the ends of the earth. And he will be their peace.

Verse 20 mentions the Amalekites http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amalek , descendants of Esau (Genesis 36:12).  The strength of the Amalekites, representative of the Edomites, was first shown the Israelites in Numbers 14:39-45.  The Amalekites met their end by the sword of the Simeonites in the days of Hezekiah as recorded in I Chronicles 4:42-43.

Verse 21 speaks of the Kenite http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kenites .  Moses father in law Jethro, also known as Hobab was often referred to as a Kenite.  They were of the tribe of Midian, but carried much of the Aramean culture.  Much of the concept of El Shaddai http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/El_Shaddai comes through the Aramean culture, as well as the beliefs of Jethro, the Kenite.  The Aramean culture is of course the homeland of both Abraham and Balaam.

Verse 22 Perhaps until the time of Abraham, God had been focussing on the area of Aram as much of Israelite culture and understanding has been borrowed from them through Abraham's upbringing and understanding and the mentoring of Jethro.  However, Balaam brings up Kain (only reference found refers to Cain who was known for bloodshed) and Asshur  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ashur Ashur lived at the city of Nineveh; and named his subjects Assyrians, who became the most fortunate nation, beyond others” (Antiquities, i, vi, 4).  Although Nineveh survived the 10 tribe nation of Israel who's capital was Samaria, perhaps their eventual destruction had something to do with Balaam's oracle.  The majority of the region of Aram now lies in Syria.


Response to Numbers 25:1-18 (separation of acts of the Spirit and acts of the Flesh)

Note: As Moses was allowed to have a Cushite wife in Numbers 12 (March 9), I am guessing the punishment in this chapter has more to do with the dishonor of the sexual act itself within the camp than with the ethnic or religious group with whom such sex was being had.  God requires honor, not bigotry nor supremecy! The greatest reason to not be unequally yoked is the danger to one's own weak faith, so man up early in life and know your Lord before you get on in the world.  Teach your children the way they should go, and when they are grown, they will not depart from it.

The (RSV) renders Numbers 25:1 to state "the people began to play the harlot." This was a powerful moment in the history of the people as it forshadowed things to come.  The people did not honor God in their worship and eventually found themselves back in bondage.  Phinehas becomes the hero in the story in Numbers 25:11-12; "Phinehas son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron, the priest, has turned my anger away from the Israelites; for he was as zealous as I am for my honor among them, so that in my zeal I did not put an end to them. Therefore tell him I am making my covenant of peace with him." 

Throughout history, we see this play between righteousness and evangelism.  We are called to go into all the world and preach the gospel of God's Love for all man, but we are also called to honor God and avoid false worship.  In our zeal for the Lord, we must train up our children in the way they should walk, yet seek after the Prince of Peace!  This is the new covenant in Christ's blood.  If God so Loved the World, the message of this story cannot be that we should avoid our fellowman as in the days of Israel.  The highways have been laid. The fields are ripe! It is time to go out into the harvest!  Our children must be prepared to enter the world and share their faith without the concern of being trapped in the culture of hate and dishonor.  We must understand and equate the honor required in worship and lifestyle with the commission to go out into all the world.  With that in mind, I would like to take this discussion into the New Testament Epistles as they begin this modern understanding of the freedom and honor we have in the new covenant of Christ's blood.

It is so important that we be strong in our faith!  There is much evil within the world.  Even within religious practice, there is drunkenness, hatred, bloodshed, strife, slander.  These things will war against the fruits of the Spirit and make our lives miserable and fill them with fear and anxiety.  Do not mix the things of this world with the gifts of the Spirit and imagine that the two can co-exist.  As it is impossible to find someone who believes exactly as you do, you must first serve God and honor Him in whatever relationship you invest in.  Know what you believe and do not worship those things of the world that your partner in relationship bring to the table if they will shake your faith or separate you from the first Love you have with the Father. 

I suspect the highest virtue of Love is honor, and "I Love You" means we are willing to learn about Life and God through everything that we each represent in this creation for as long as our lives shall last. As all of us have different spiritual identities and God calls us to love one another, I think the bible references about being unequally yolked refers to ancient Israel as God had called them apart to be Holy until Jesus came. In the modern era we must seek to honor and understand one another through God and avoid isolationist religious views, yet protecting our relationship with Him.

Exodus 34:15; ""Be careful not to make a treaty with those who live in the land; for when they prostitute themselves to their gods and sacrifice to them, they will invite you and you will eat their sacrifices." 

I Corinthians 10:14-33; "Therefore, my dear friends, flee from idolatry. I speak to sensible people; judge for yourselves what I say. Is not the cup of thanksgiving for which we give thanks a participation in the blood of Christ? And is not the bread that we break a participation in the body of Christ? Because there is one loaf, we, who are many, are one body, for we all partake of the one loaf.
          Consider the people of Israel: Do not those who eat the sacrifices participate in the altar? Do I mean then that a sacrifice offered to an idol is anything, or that an idol is anything? No, but the sacrifices of pagans are offered to demons, not to God, and I do not want you to be participants with demons. You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons too; you cannot have a part in both the Lord's table and the table of demons. Are we trying to arouse the Lord's jealousy? Are we stronger than he?
     'Everything is permissible' but not everything is beneficial. 'Everything is permissible' - but not everything is constructive. Nobody should seek his own good, but the good of others. Eat anything sold in the meat market without raising questions of conscience, for, 'The earth is the Lord's, and everything in it.'(Psalm 24:1)
     If some unbeliever invites you to a meal and you want to go, eat whatever is put before you without raising questions of conscience. But if anyone says to you, 'This has been offered in sacrifice,' then do not eat it, both for the sake of the man who told you and for conscience' sake[d]— 29the other man's conscience, I mean, not yours. For why should my freedom be judged by another's conscience? If I take part in the meal with thankfulness, why am I denounced because of something I thank God for?
     So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God. Do not cause anyone to stumble, whether Jews, Greeks or the church of God - even as I try to please everybody in every way. For I am not seeking my own good but the good of many, so that they may be saved."

Ephesians 5:8-17; "For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) and find out what pleases the Lord. Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. For it is shameful even to mention what the disobedient do in secret. 13But everything exposed by the light becomes visible, for it is light that makes everything visible. This is why it is said: "Wake up, O sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you."
     Be very careful, then, how you live - not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord's will is.

Romans 12:2 "Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is - his good, pleasing and perfect will."

I Peter 2:2 "Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation"

Ephesians 4:13-26; "until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming. Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ. From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.
     So I tell you this, and insist on it in the Lord, that you must no longer live as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their thinking. They are darkened in their understanding and separated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardening of their hearts. Having lost all sensitivity, they have given themselves over to sensuality so as to indulge in every kind of impurity, with a continual lust for more. You, however, did not come to know Christ that way. Surely you heard of him and were taught in him in accordance with the truth that is in Jesus. You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.
     Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to his neighbor, for we are all members of one body. "In your anger do not sin" (Psalm 4:4) Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry"

Be still as you faithfully acknowledge the will of your Heavenly Father at work within you and He will reveal your next step.

Hear the words of Jesus in John 14:1; "Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me."

Now, what harm will befall you in taking this side? You will be faithful, honest, humble, grateful, generous, a sincere friend, truthful. (Pascal''s Wager)

Response to Luke 2:1-35

Josephus 18:1 "NOW Cyrenius, a Roman senator, and one who had gone through other magistracies, and had passed through them till he had been consul, and one who, on other accounts, was of great dignity, came at this time into Syria, with a few others, being sent by Caesar to he a judge of that nation, and to take an account of their substance..."

Joseph and Mary were of the house and lineage of David; (Matthew 1:1-17), (Luke 3:23-38)

Matthews account of Luke 1:26-37 and Luke 2:1-7 is found in Matthew 1:18-2:1.  His story goes on to tell of the wise men in Matthew 2.  http://www.bible-history.com/geography/ancient-israel/bethlehem.html This website shares information about Bethlehem and shows a map which will show the city of Nazareth west of the Sea of Galilee and Bethlehem in Judah southwest of Jerusalem.  It also shares the heritage of David surrounding Bethlehem.  Matthew reminded us of the prophecy regarding Bethlehem in Micah 5:2 which Jesus birth fulfilled; "But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah (Genesis 35:19 & 48:7, Ruth 4:11), though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you (Jeremiah 30:21, Zechariah 9:9a) will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel (Genesis 49:10, Isaiah 11:1), whose origins are from of old, from ancient times. (Genesis 1:1, Psalm 90:2, Proverbs 8:22-31)"

Jesus indeed is a story for wise men! He is a story for fisher's of men!  And He is a story for shepherds.  Bethlehem was a community of shepherds.  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bethlehem "Biblical Ephrath, which means 'fertile'"  Some say this may have been a supply house for the sacrifices in the Jerusalem temple, however Hebron is the city mentioned in Joshua 21:11.  From the map above, you can see Bethlehem lies between Hebron and Jerusalem and the shepherds could easily have been stationed there as they herded their flocks between Hebron and Jerusalem.  Jesus returned to the idea of a shepherd as He left Peter in charge of the church in John 21:15-17.  Today, we are very concerned about catching men, yet the important service for the child of God is to feed the lambs and care for the flock. 

So, here we are, keeping watch over our flocks in the darkness, leading them to the city of our Lord and this message comes to us as this Glory of the Lord fills our world!  We too may question this message and be afraid as we hear this message from Heaven!
(vs. 10) "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people."
"Therefore, holy brothers, who share in the heavenly calling, fix your thoughts on Jesus" Hebrews 3:1

(vs. 11) "Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord.
"I am the Lord your God, who brought you ('out of' or 'ever since you were in' Egypt. You shall acknowledge no God but me, no Savior except me." Hebrews 13:4

(vs. 12) This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger."
Therefore the Lord himself will give you (plural) a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and (they) will call him Immanuel. Isaiah 7:14

"What will be the sign that the Lord will heal me and that I will go up to the temple of the LORD on the third day from now?" II Kings 20:8 (That is a story for another day)


(vs 13) Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,
"Come, let us sing for joy to the Lord; let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation. Psalm 95:1
"Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth, burst into jubilant song with music" Psalm 98:4

14"Glory to God in the highest,
Hallelu Yah (Praise the Lord) Hallelu Yah from the heavens, Hallelu Yah in the heights above. Hallelu Yah all his angels, Hallelu Yah all his heavenly hosts. Hallelu Yah sun and moon, Hallelu Yah all you shining stars, Hallelu Yah you highest heavens and you waters above the skies! Let them praise the name of the Lord! Psalm 148:1-5

and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests."
Though you search for your enemies, you will not find them. Those who wage war against you will be as nothing at all. For I am the Lord, your God, who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear;
I will help you. Isaiah 41:12-13

Did you ever wonder if it was alright to celebrate Santa Clause on Christmas day? Or was the greater message about the little baby wrapped in swaddling clothes?  What about that big guy in the sky that loves all of His children and on that wonderful night gave this gift to all of us!  Would that He could bring each one of us joy and peace every year at Christmas!  The gift is staring you in the face! Wake up, open your eyes, it's Christmas Morning!  He came!  "Let's go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about."

Have your eyes been opened into what God did in that manger all those years ago? Go, shout it from the Mountain Top! You can tell your neighbor God so Loved that World that He gave His only Begotten Son that whosoever believeth that He exists shall not perish, but shall have everlasting life!  Truly, if they can sense that your love and acceptance of them cometh from your Father in Heaven, they will stand amazed as you once did - or perhaps today is your day! Hallelu Yah!
 
Treasure these things up and ponder them in your heart! But as you do, allow that joy to burst forth into singing! Go forth, glorifying and praising God for all the things you have heard and seen - Just as He fortold through all those books and stories which are the Library we know as the Bible. 
 
As an individual comes to truly understand the gift God has placed in their arms - the tremendous challenge of this newfound blessing in their lives, there comes a time of purification as the new believer should acknowledge his or her sin before God our Father, requesting forgiveness and seeking that purification so necessary in this new life.  There then comes that ceremony of celebration as the new believer dedicates their life to the Lord.  Whether this represents the vow of a Nazirite or a profession of faith, or a baptism, this is a mighty time for the new believer and sets them on the road to a new life and a new way of living - for and through God.
 
Jesus was brought to the Temple on the eighth day!  The first day following His purification week and that of His Mother which had now been completed. He was dedicated before the Lord and given that new Name, Jesus! He was dedicated to the Lord with the sign and seal of circumcision.
 
Numbers 13:7b-8; "son of Joseph; from the tribe of Ephraim, Hoshea son of Nun;"
 
The name Hoshea comes from the root (yasha 929), be saved, delivered.
 
Numbers 13:16; "Moses gave Hoshea son of Nun the name Joshua."
 
The name "Jesus" is the septuagint spelling of Joshua which was the name given to Jesus at his birth.  In Aramaic (note "Aram" from our discussions on Balaam and the land of Abram above) the name is rendered Yeshua http://www.thenazareneway.com/yeshua_jesus_real_name.htm "In Hebrew Yeshua means Salvation"
 
As well as circumcision, Joseph and Mary offered sacrifices according to Leviticus 12:8.  This also began the representation of the sacrificial dedication of Jesus, both body and soul, as exemplified in the sacrifice of purification and atonement which begins in Leviticus 14:4.  By His blood we are cleansed.   I John 1:7 states "if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin." By His Life, His Spirit, His blood, we are cleansed.
 
Allow me to relate to the story of Simeon from a short story I wrote in his honor in 2008;
 
""Fanatic!", that's what some called him. Here he was outside the temple once again. Yet, here was where he felt most comfortable. This was the house of God, yet he found himself at odds too often with the leaders within these very temple walls. He found their idea of God's eternal judgement of the world and what he saw as a false piety stood in stark contrast with the God of Love and compassion that seemed so strong in his own soul.

He watched those many well dressed individuals bringing their sacrificial lambs in all their pomp and grandeur and felt the uneasy feeling that they were here for outward show. He relished the opportunity to share God's word with anyone who took a moment to visit with him. How he loved to debate spiritual things with those very leaders of the Church. How he longed for that promised deliverer foretold in the ancient writings. But here, he found himself in such strong contradiction to the teachings of the day.

Rebellion! War! Freedom from Roman Oppression! The fulfullment of the coming together of the Jewish Nation under the promised coming Ruler just didn't sit right in his thinking and understanding of things to come.

He especially loved to visit with the poor! He loved to share the word of God with them. Their desire for the word, and the nourishment it's meaning gave them in their life's difficulties gave his life hope and purpose.

Today felt special. He felt that excitement that something wonderful was about to happen. Suddenly, he was struck with a mixture of excitement and sorrow as his eyes alighted on the couple coming up the temple steps. His heart sped up and a chill ran down his spine! This was it! He felt sure of it! His whole life - the wonders that had filled his heart and soul were wrapped in the bundle laying in this young woman's arms. He couldn't help but move closer in anticipation.

"May I see your child?" The woman initially backed away, but then her countenance changed and her face brightened. She pulled back the coverlet from the babies face. Ah, the chill again! "Please, may I hold him?"

Their meeting was glorious! The man and wife listened intently to what he had to say and shared the most wondrous experiences of their own lives regarding the child. As they prepared to depart, he felt he must share the weight of His soul. "Mary", he said, "there is something I must tell you about this child" ...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_U2G8wsbXBo&NR=1

Response to Psalm 59:1-7
 
"The book of Wisdom" chapter 1:12-16; "Court not death by your erring way of life, nor draw to yourselves destruction by the works of your hands.  Because God did not make death, nor does he rejoice in the destruction of the living.  For he fashioned all things that they might have being; and the creatures of the world are wholesome, And there is not a destructive drug among them nor any domain of the nether world on earth, For justice is undying (Isaiah 51:6).  It was the wicked who with hands and words invited death, considered it a friend, and pined for it, and made a covenant with it, Because they deserve to be in its possession. (Isaiah 28:15, Genesis 3:1-8)

Romans 7:11-25; "For sin, seizing the opportunity afforded by the commandment, deceived me, and through the commandment put me to death. So then, the law is holy, and the commandment is holy, righteous and good. Did that which is good, then, become death to me? By no means! But in order that sin might be recognized as sin, it produced death in me through what was good, so that through the commandment sin might become utterly sinful.

     We know that the law is spiritual; but I am unspiritual, sold as a slave to sin. I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. (my flesh) For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do - this I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it.
      So I find this law at work: When I want to do good, evil is right there with me. For in my inner being I delight in God's law; but I see another law at work in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members. What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? Thanks be to God - through Jesus Christ our Lord!



Ephesians 6:10-18Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.

With these quotes of scripture, look at Psalms 59 apart from David's real life adventures on the run from Saul.  Both individually, and corporately, we are in a battle of good verses evil.  Good will ultimately conquer, but we must each fight our battles in unity! Let us put an end to bloodletting and hatred between brothers in our world. As in war, we cannot leave our comrade, our brother, alone on the field of battle. Let us embrace one another as brothers and sisters having a common God and Father! We must strengthen one another, encourage one another, and lift one another up in love.  Together, we shall overcome!  One faith, one hope, one love!  Let this be our battle cry as we turn our faces toward home.  Through Emmanuel, we shall indeed claim our victory!

Read the Psalm again and pray it in unity with all men. "Deliver us from our enemies, O God; protect us from those who rise up against us. Deliver us from evildoers and save us from bloodthirsty men...

feel free to add honesty where honesty is required! (vs 4) for we have done wrong, and your adversary stands ready to attack us.  Arise to help us; look on our plight!

Modernize the Psalm through our understanding that God so loves the world that He gave His only Begotten Son that whosoever believeth should not perish! (vs 5) Oh Lord God Almighty, our Lord and our God, rouse yourself to remove and refine our indiscretions and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. Purify us in the mercy of your forgiveness as we confess that we have failed to show mercy to our fellow man as you have shown mercy to us.  Our bigotry, pride, and anger return at evening, snarling like dogs, we prowl about the city spewing forth curses from our lips imagining that you do not hear us. 
     But you, oh Lord know my inmost being and all my thoughts are known to you (see Psalm 139)

(considered revisement of vs. 11-13) Forgive us Lord, for we know not what we do. Cleanse us with hyssop and we shall be whiter than snow.  Heal us Lord from our inmost wounds and bring us together again!  Then it will be known to the ends of the earth that our God reigns!

David always finishes well! (vs 17) O our Strentgh, We sing praise to you; you, O God, are our fortress, our loving God.

Perhaps you have a different take on this Psalm, if so, please share.

Response to Proverbs 11:14

A nation is bound up in the honor of its constituents.  Great leadership which receives no honor is no leadership at all.  We the people must choose to honor! That is perhaps the greatest virtue of Love in my estimation.  Without honor, a nation falls.  With many advisers (stay involved and be heard), victory is sure!

Until Tomorrow

Rick