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Reflections on Joshua 19-20
The cities of Simeon (Joshua 19:2-7) (2nd son overall, 2nd by Leah, entymology: Shama 'heard') reflect the cities near the border of Edom as noted in Joshua 15:21-32 of the southernmost cities of Judah. Beersheba, Moladah, Hazar Shual, Ezem, Eltolad, Hormah, Ziklag (still held by the Philistines before David's reign), Ain, and Rimomon are mentioned directly. Ether and Ashan of verse 7 are also mentioned by name in Joshua 15:42 in relation with Judah's alottment. Balah appears to be Baalah of Joshua 15:29; Bethul appears to be Kesis in Joshua 15:30; Beth Marcaboth may be Madmannah with Hazar Susah being Sansannah of Joshua 15:31. Beth Lebaoth is rendered Lebaoth in Joshua 15:32 and Sharuhen is rendered Shilhim in the same verse. Given the different names and renderings between the two chapters, it seems to suggest different records were accessed for these writings. It does not appear there is a set boundary for Simeon, but only an alottment of cities. Simeon appears to be a nomadic people within Judah, being referred to only as Jews with the Judeans as they emerged from the Babylonian captivity. They receive historical backing in I Chronicles 4:24-43 and have become the characters of folklore and legend throughout history.
Zebulun (Joshua 19:10-16) (10th son overall, 6th by Leah, entymology: 'honor') received the third lot. The modern city of Nazareth now lies within the tribal boundaries of Zebulun, but it is not mentioned in the Old Testament, nor is an exact location given in the New Testament. Although Jacob seemed to forcast Zebulun's boundaries in Genesis 49:13 "Zebulun will live by the seashore and become a haven for ships; his border will extend toward Sidon." However, neither of these prophecies have been fulfilled in Joshua's allotment of Joshua 19:10-16. The prophecy appears to represent Asher's portion.
Zebulun shares its southwest border with Manasseh along the Kishon River at the northern base of Mount Carmel. The tribes southernmost tip meets a confluence with Issachar and Manasseh near Sarid in the plain of Megiddo west of the Jezreel Valley (akin to Armageddon). Zebulun's border then travels due east sharing this southern border with Issachar towards Mt. Tabor where it meets a confluence with Naphtali. The eastern border shared with Naphtali travels along the summit of the hill country reaching a Northern point at the confluence of Asher and Naphtali east of Cabul. Zebulun follows the eastern border of Asher south from Cabul back to the Kishon river (brook) and the border of Manasseh.
Issachar (Joshua 19:17-23) (9th son overall, 5th by Leah, entymology: 'Sakar' hire) received the fourth lot. Heading southeast from the southern point of Zebulun near Mt. Har and Megiddo (present day tel-Megiddo) Issachar's southern border was shared with Manasseh's northern along the Kishon River and the Plain of Megiddo (within the Plain of Esdraelon today). At En-gannim (near present day Janin) their border turned north toward Jezreel (present day Afula). Just south of Jezreel, the border turned toward the east finding the North edge of the Jarmuth river valley near the spring of Harod (En-Harod) with which it met the Jordan River past Beth-Shan (across from present day Khirb-at-ash). Issachar's western border was the Jordan River from Ramoth (Jarmuth) North to Beth-shemeth (near present day Ashdot Ya'agov). Their northern border encompassed Mt. Tabor, meeting the eastern border of Zebulun at the Mountain's northwest base near Daberath (perhaps near present day Dabburiya). From Mount Tabor, Issachar shared Zebulun's border back to the Kishon River near Sarid.
The name "Issachar" itself means "wages". Consider Romans 6:19-23 "I put this in human terms because you are weak in your natural selves. Just as you used to offer the parts of your body in slavery to impurity and to ever-increasing wickedness, so now offer them in slavery to righteousness leading to holiness. When you were slaves to sin, you were free from the control of righteousness. What benefit did you reap at that time from the things you are now ashamed of? Those things result in death! But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves to God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life. For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in [through] Christ Jesus our Lord."
En-gannim (Janin) lies at the southern end of the valley of Jezreel. By satelite photo, one can see that the valley itself is a fertile loam, well organized into agricultural fields. The meaning of this city, not surprisingly includes "garden". Consider this quote from http://www.abarim-publications.com/Meaning/EnGannim.html and note that Eden itself is second in the column to the left. "The name En-gannim is a compound of two elements. The first element is the word (ayin 1613), meaning eye, or spring of water. The second part may (be) the the plural form of (ganah 367b), meaning garden. This noun comes from the verb (ganan 367) to defend in the sense of to cover over or shield from danger. This common verb, however, is only used to describe God's guardianship over man."
Two other cities of note are Megiddo near Mount Har and Jezreel (meaning "God sows") across the valley. Megiddo was held by Manasseh, but certainly lay near the confluence of Issachar and Zebulun. From this position on earth come the tales of Armaggon. (Har-Megiddo). An entymology brings up words such as cut or invade from the verb gadar which also is used in the tribal name of Gad, known for military prowess. Combined with the letter mem, this verb tense is 'ongoing'. http://www.abarim-publications.com/Meaning/Megiddo.html Combined, "the verb most often refers to the pagan ritual of self laceration during worship (1 Ki 18:28)." Thus we have the sign of the one true God destroying all the false religions of Elijah's time from Mount Carmel. After God thus destroyed the religious myths of Elijah's day, Elijah looked out over the valley of Jezreel (valley of Armageddon) and saw the smallest of rainclouds rising and realized the blessings of the Lord were about to drench the earth and the people ran for cover from the storm. Near the north and west ends of this valley in Issachar lie Nazareth and Bethlehem of Zebulun.
As Jacob spoke of Issachar in Genesis 49:15, he said "When he sees how good is his resting place and how pleasant is his land, he will bend his shoulder to the burden and submit to forced labor." May we too submit to our King of Peace, in complete consideration of the dangers of refusal! Thereby, may we too lay down our weapons of warring faiths and dance in the coming blessings of His rain. Perhaps it would be worthwhile to study the entymologies of the rest of these cities!
Asher (Joshua 19:24-31) (8th son overall, 2nd son of Zilpah, entymology: 'happy') received the 5th lot. From the mouth of the Kishon River Asher followed the river valley which was also the northern border of Manasseh southeast to Helkath, turning north along the base of the mountains of the Hittites which was the border of Zebulun. As the border passed Cabul (Kabul), Asher's eastern border became the western border of Naphtali northward to the Litani River valley. According to Joshua 19, this Litani river valley appears to be Asher's northern border heading west back to the Mediterranian Sea north of Tyre. Asher bordered the Mediterranean on its western side from the Litani south to the Kishon.
Although Sidon is mentioned in verse 28, Asher only appears to have gained control of the coastal plains and the ladder of Tyre as far as the Litani (Leontes) River. Sidonian Phoenicia extended south of the Leontes (Litani) river and certainly represents the reference "Sidon the Great". The Sidonian's then represented Asher's northern neighbor at or near the Litani river (brook). Zarephath of the Sidonians of I Kings 17 represents a Sidonian city north of the Leontes (Litani) brook along the coast. It was perhaps this brook and certainly this town where Elijah spent time with the widow and her son.
The Modern city of Haifa may well represent the southwest border of Joshua's inheritance of Asher leading down to Kiryat Tiv'on and turning north through Northern Israel near Shefa-'Amr, reaching the Lebanon border between Shlomi and Eilon. The present day city of Beit Chama in Lebanon lies near Ramah while Kafra and Siret Hanna lie near the city of Kanah. Northern Israel's border today reaches the ladder of Tyre south of Labboune Lebanon to the sea - near the ancient city of Misrephoth-maim.
Naphtali (Joshua 19:32-39) (6th son overall, 2nd by Bilhah, etymology: 'wrestled' also twisted like a cord or thread) received the sixth lot. Naphtali's boundaries begin at Heleph in the hill country west of the basin to the south and west of the Sea of Galilee. The cities mentioned in verse 33 follow the west side of that basin down to Lakkum, along the Jordan, south of the Sea. The border then goes west towards Mount Tabor along the border of Issachar through the river valley of Anaharath until it meets the Zebulun border near Daberath. As stated in verse 34, Naphtali shares the border with Zebulun to the southwest from Mt. Tabor to Cabul. From Cabul north to the Litani River Naphtali's western border coinsides with Asher's eastern border. Naphtali's northern border along Syria (Aram) meets the Jordan river past Lake Huleh perhaps as far as Ijon and the Litani River west of Mount Hermon. (see I Kings 15:20)
Perhaps the most peculiar mention of Naphtali in Joshua 19 is the mention of its touching Judah at the Jordan. Considering the context of this verse, there is no doubt that the tribe of Judah is meant. It is possible this refers to Moses blessing of Deuteronomy 33:23 granting Naphtali the lake and the south depending upon the translation. However, this is questionable due to the translation and the logic of the verse in that the context of the verse is well North of the sea of Galilee, much less Judah! Plus, if Naphtali had water rights to the Jordan, their territory would have touched more tribal boundaries than just Judah's. It is more likely that Judah had claimed water rights to the Jordan River! The only mention I can think of is the peculiar story of Caleb's daughter's request of Joshua 15:13-19. By controlling the water rights to the upper and lower lakes, Caleb's family inheritance of the Negeb could be assured that the upper tribal allotments would not abuse their water rights, allowing enough water to reach their valley. This also would have established the road Jesus followed along the Jordan from the Sea of Galilee to Jerusalem.
A second reflection is that given that the mention of boundary lines did not encompass the fortified cities along the Sea of Chinnereth, it would appear these cities were written into the record before they had been conquered.
As Naphtali represented the bulk of the area where Jesus ministry took place, perhaps it would be worthwhile to check the etymologies of the cities within this region. Heleph = 'exchange'; Zaanannim akin to 'sleepwalkers' (nomadic slumber); Adaminekeb = a kind of bird; Jabneel = 'God causes to build'; Lakkum = 'fortification' (to stop up by barricade); Aznoth-tabor = peaks of Tabor (Tabor = 'to make plain,' - 'well,' 'purify', 'purge', 'choose', 'cleanse'); Hukkok = 'appointed'; Ziddim = 'downward slopes'; Zer = 'scattering or moulding'; Hammath = 'be warm'; Rakkath = 'shore' or 'beach'; Chinnereth = 'harp' or 'lyre'; Adamah = 'ground' or 'whole earth', Ramah = 'hill'; Hazor = 'village', 'trumpet', or 'castle'; Kedesh = 'sanctified' or 'holy place'; Edrei = 'goodly pasture' or 'fountain of the village'; Iron = 'fearing'; Migdalel = 'tower of God'; Horem = 'sacred'; Beth-anath = 'house of response' or 'affliction'; Beth-shemesh = 'house of the sun';
Dan (Joshua 19:40-48) (5th son overall, 1st by Bilhah, etymology; "He Judged") received the 7th lot. Zorah and Eshtaol were also mentioned in the lowland of Judah of Joshua 15:33. They lie just east of Mount Jearim where the Nahal Sorek (Wadi Surar) flows westward out of the Judean foothills into the Sorek valley. This was the home of Samson, the Danite and his dealings with the Philistines of Judges 13-16. This brook of Sorek was often seen as the southern border between the Danites and the Philistines of the Gaza strip, although Ekron may have been a bit south of the brook. Dan's western border was the Mediterranean Sea north past Joppa to the mouth of the Yarkon River at Me-jarkon. Dan shared its Northern border along the Yarkon River with Manasseh for less than 10 miles before meeting Ephraim with whom they shared most of their eastern border. The eastern border encompassed Jehud and Gibbethon rounding Ephraim through Gezer and meeting Benjamin near the western base of Mount Heres. The most prominent point of Dan, besides Samson's escapades was the seaport of Joppa where cedars from Lebanon were brought for the first and second temples (II Chronicles 2 and Ezra 3). Joppa was also the port Jonah ran to to escape his call (Jonah 1) and was an influential city of the early church as mentioned in Acts 9, 10, and 11.
600 men from the Tribe of Dan also moved north in Judges 18 to Laish of the Sidonions, north of Naphtali. They destroyed the people and rebuilt the city, calling it Dan. This is why the tribe of Dan became split in two. In Joshua 19, this land had been alotted to Naphtali.
Joshua's city of Timnath-Serah was approximately 12 miles east of the Danite inheritance of Joshua 19.
Joshua 20 reflects the cities of refuge which have greater mention in Numbers 35 and Deuteronomy 4 and 19. In commenting on those chapters, I reflected on the refuge of the church and the refuge we may find within the confines of prayer with our Heavenly Father.
It certainly is possible that the use of Hebron as a city of refuge as well as a city for the descendants of Aaron and the Kohathites had something to do with Judah's receiving claim of the Jordan River.
Kedesh of Naphtali in Galilee was also given as a Levitical city to the Gershonites in Joshua 21:32. In Judges 4, Deborah would mount her defense with Barak out of Kedesh of Naphtali with 10,000 men from Naphtali and Zebulun. The city would fall to the Assyrians in II Kings 15.
As Abram journeyed toward the Negeb in Genesis 12, the Lord stopped him in Shechem and promised to give him all the land he could see. Jacob bought land and began to raise his family in Shechem when he returned from Aram until Simeon and Levi slaughtered the men of the town forcing them to move (Genesis 33-34). While the family lived in Hebron, Josephs brothers sold Joseph when he came to check on them at Shechem (Genesis 37). Joshua gave his farewell address from Shechem in Joshua 24. Abimelech, son of Gideon by his concubine in Shechem was made King in that city and laid seige to it in Judges 9 following the murder of Gideon's 70 sons. Israel rebelled against Rehoboam in Shechem and made Jeroboam king in his place (I Kings 12). The road to Shechem, this city of refuge, became known as a dangerous place both in Judges 9 and the prophecy of Hosea 6:9 "And as troops of robbers wait for a man, so the company of priests murder in the way toward Shechem; yea, they have committed lewdness." Joseph's bones were buried in Shechem as reflected in Joshua 24:32 and Acts 7:16.
As directed by Moses in Deuteronomy 4:43 "Bezer in the desert plateau, for the Reubenites; Ramoth in Gilead, for the Gadites; and Golan in Bashan, for the Manassites." were also designated cities of refuge. Bezer was also given to the Merarites as Levitical land in Joshua 21:36 as was Ramoth in Joshua 21:38. The Gershonites received Golan in Joshua 21:27.
Jehoshaphat joined Ahab in a quest to take Ramoth-Gilead from the Syrians in I Kings 22 and were still unable to dislodge it. Ahab met his death from that battle. Their sons; Joram, son of Ahab, and Ahaziah, son of Jehoshaphat attempted Ramoth-Gilead again in II Kings 8:28-29 without success and Joram was wounded. While Joram was laid up in Ramoth, Elisha had Jehu annointed King in Ramoth Gilead and Jehu assassinated Joram to establish his Kingdom over Israel. Ramoth remained in the hands of Aram. (II Kings 9).
Reflections on Luke 19:28-48
Who is This Who Comes in the Name of the Lord Luke 19:28-40
"The stone the builders rejected has become the capstone; the Lord has done this, and it is marvelous in our eyes. This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.
O Lord, save us; O Lord, grant us success. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. From the house of the Lord we bless you.
The Lord is God, and he has made his light shine upon us. With boughs in hand, join in the festal procession up to the horns of the altar. You are my God, and I will give you thanks; you are my God, and I will exalt you. Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever. Psalm 118:22-29
Say it again "His love endures forever," "His Love endures forever," His Love endures forever!" (see Psalm 118:1-4)
The Lord's right hand is lifted high; the Lord's right hand has done mighty things!" I will not die but live, and will proclaim what the Lord has done.
The Lord has chastened me severely, but he has not given me over to death. Open for me the gates of righteousness; I will enter and give thanks to the Lord.
This is the gate of the Lord through which the righteous may enter. I will give you thanks, for you answered me; you have become my salvation. Psalm 118:16-21
The Lord is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation. (see also Exodus 15:2, Isaiah 12:2)
Shouts of joy and victory resound in the tents of the righteous: 'The Lord's right hand has done mighty things! Psalm 118:14-15
Luke 19:1-10 began with the story of Zacchaeus, bringing to a final week 3 years of the ministry of challenging the religious elite and spending time with sinners preaching the Kingdom of God. Verse 10 said "For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost."
The Father also came seeking to save what was lost in Genesis 3:7-11a "Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves. Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the Lord God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the Lord God among the trees of the garden. But the Lord God called to the man, 'Where are you?'
He answered, 'I heard you in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid.'
And he said, 'Who told you that you were naked?'"
And yet, things continued to get worse as man rebelled against man imagining a God who showed favoritism and stood in judgment and wrath against one another as their son, Cain killed his brother. Again, God shared the natural consequence of disrupting His balance of peace within creation: "The Lord said, 'What have you done? Listen! Your brother's blood cries out to me from the ground. Now you are under a curse and driven from the ground, which opened its mouth to receive your brother's blood from your hand. When you work the ground, it will no longer yield its crops for you. You will be a restless wanderer on the earth.'" Genesis 4:10-12
Following this teaching from Zacchaeus (I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance), Jesus spoke of the economy of ministry in his name in Luke 19:11-27. If that ministry was bringing sinners to repentance, it would be blessed! However, if it did not reach out to the sinner, such ministry was doomed. Such were His issues with the House of God in Jerusalem.
Jesus made a point not to ride into Zion on a White Horse as his was not to be a military conquest, but to establish a Kingdom of Peace welcoming the sinner back into His presence. It would seem the only one who understood this that day was the Father and the Son. The Son who chose to ride on the donkey, and the Father who had fortold this day through the prophets of old. " Rejoice greatly, O Daughter of Zion! Shout, Daughter of Jerusalem! See, your King comes to you, righteous and having salvation, gentle and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey. I will take away the chariots from Ephraim and the war-horses from Jerusalem, and the battle bow will be broken. He will proclaim peace to the nations. His rule will extend from sea to sea and from the River to the ends of the earth."
As for you, because of the blood of my covenant with you, I will free your prisoners from the waterless pit." Zechariah 9:9-11.
For what reason would that Kingdom change when our Lord and Savior comes again? For what purpose would he then come to save the righteous, sending the sinner - those who sought the wrong Jesus or the wrong Father - to eternal separation? This theology goes against all of scripture and the good news of salvation and peace that comes through our Loving Lord and Saviour who seeks and saves that which is lost.
He's coming for you!
For 10 chapters, Jesus has been following a steady course from Galilee, past Samaritan lands as he traveled the Jordan road back to Judah. His journey began in Luke 9:51! His followers from Galilee have joined with him on this journey as their conquering King will set up His throne in the Holy City of God! Little did they know, this House had buried his good news and intended to bury Him. These builders had already rejected this stone as He had been defiled with the likes of his disciples! His disciples themselves and the women within His crowd were representative of prostitutes, demon possessed, and tax collectors! Again, only Father and Son carried the knowledge of what was about to happen.
Therefore, as Jesus entered the gates of Jerusalem that day, there was not a large welcome crowd from within! The welcoming crowd had come along with Him! It was the disciples and this crowd from Galilee and perhaps some Greeks and Samaritans who chanted those words from Psalm 118 above! (verse 38) "Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord!" "Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!"
Their words were reflective of the Angels as Luke had shared that moment when Jesus first made His appearance on this earth not far from these very gates, dressed in swaddling cloths and lying in a feeding trough for the beasts of earth in the form of a helpless babe. Luke 2:14 "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests." The kings of the earth also recognized his presence from the start as Matthew reflects in Matthew 2:2 "Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star in the east [when it rose] and have come to worship him."
Due to the uproar his followers were causing, Jerusalem was astonished. Matthew 21:10-11 reflects "When Jesus entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred and asked, 'Who is this?' The crowds answered, 'This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee.'" No doubt, most of the crowd, including the disciples thought there were such words in the holy scriptures. The Pharisees themselves chastised Jesus in Luke 19:39, fearing the safety of their people both ethnically and philosophically.
In response to the Pharisees, Jesus reflected the words of Habakkuk 2:7-14; "Will not your debtors suddenly arise? Will they not wake up and make you tremble? Then you will become their victim. Because you have plundered many nations, the peoples who are left will plunder you. For you have shed man's blood;
you have destroyed lands and cities and everyone in them.
Woe to him who builds his realm by unjust gain to set his nest on high, to escape the clutches of ruin! You have plotted the ruin of many peoples, shaming your own house and forfeiting your life. The stones of the wall will cry out, and the beams of the woodwork will echo it.
Woe to him who builds a city with bloodshed and establishes a town by crime! Has not the Lord Almighty determined that the people's labor is only fuel for the fire, that the nations exhaust themselves for nothing? For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea."
Admonishment of the Builders Luke 19:41-48
In consideration of this scripture, Luke may have brought the context of the tax collector and the Levite together in Luke 19. As Luke 19:41-44 describe his sorrow over Jerusalem, and reflect his coming prophecy regarding its destruction in 70 AD, allow me to quote Isaiah 62:10-12 as even the stones of the temple and the removal of its roadblocks to salvation for the nations cry out and tie into this passage:
"Pass through, pass through the gates! Prepare the way for the people. Build up, build up the highway!
Remove the stones. Raise a banner for the nations. The Lord has made proclamation to the ends of the earth:
'Say to the Daughter of Zion, 'See, your Savior comes! See, his reward is with him, and his recompense accompanies him. They will be called the Holy People, the Redeemed of the Lord; and you will be called Sought After, the City No Longer Deserted.'"
I truly believe that today Jerusalem flourishes and will do so until the end of our time on earth as the nations rally around Zion in Peace as the Kingdom of our God becomes firmly established among us.
Luke 19 closes reflecting the hostility and tension between this Prince of peace and those servants who had tended his vineyard since the days of Moses. As he cleansed the temple, it was not books and crafts that were removed, it was birds and animals fit for sacrifice. It was the moneychangers who sat in judgment over the people providing salvation for a sum through the blood of creation. He stood before them as the new covenant in His blood so that such sacrifice might be banished once and for all from the earth and Man might once again live in peace and harmony with his creation - and with his Creator!
Habakkuk 2:2-4 "Then the Lord replied: 'Write down the revelation and make it plain on tablets so that a herald may run with it. For the revelation awaits an appointed time; it speaks of the end and will not prove false. Though it linger, wait for it; it will certainly come and will not delay.
See, he is puffed up; his desires are not upright - but the righteous will live by his faith"
Thanks to the scribes and the Pharisees, the heralds of good tidings of which even they did not understand, we have the word of God and it shall accomplish His plan for our salvation. Thank You Israel!
Reflections on Psalms 88
Real World Faith Psalms 88:1-9
Although the Psalmist is Heman the Ezrahite, it is quite possible this Psalm reflects the heart of David. Heman was the grandson of Samuel, singer in David's courts (I Chronicles 6:33), David's seer, and ancestor of the sons of Korah (I Chronicles 25:1-4). Solomon's wisdom was said to be greater than Heman and Ethan in I Kings 4:31.
Whether or not this represents his life, Psalm 88 could well reflect David who was another man of faith who had his tendancies to be puffed up (Habakkuk 2:4)! However, he also had his moments of depression and this was certainly one of them. Thanks also to David for writing down his songs and the thoughts of his heart that we today can be blessed by his faith.
David began his reign at the age of 30, yet he had been annointed as a child. He had been established as a shephard and had been forced to face adversity from an early age. Listen to his testimony of I Samuel 17:33-37 in response to Saul when it came time to face another giant!
"Saul replied, 'You are not able to go out against this Philistine and fight him; you are only a boy, and he has been a fighting man from his youth.'
But David said to Saul, 'Your servant has been keeping his father's sheep. When a lion or a bear came and carried off a sheep from the flock, I went after it, struck it and rescued the sheep from its mouth. When it turned on me, I seized it by its hair, struck it and killed it. Your servant has killed both the lion and the bear; this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, because he has defied the armies of the living God. The Lord who delivered me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine.'
Saul said to David, 'Go, and the Lord be with you.'"
After killing the giant and entering the house of Saul, Saul's anger and jelousy over David's relationship with God and the people was aroused and he became David's enemy, haunting him until the time of Saul's death. David then dealt with family hostilities and personal failure regardless of his throne and righteousness. Certainly, he was a man well versed in adversity and depression despite his seeming successes in life. He was one of us. He dealt with pain and anguish; hatred and hostility; sleepless nights and questions of faith.
In Psalm 88:3-9, David feels abandoned by God to the point of imagining himself in the depths of Sheol as he understood the way of the dead; cast off, broken, separated from God. He is a man of prayer, yet even David has found that prayer often seems hollow and there is no answer! His faith is pertinent in this real world we all experience. He again appears desparate and on the verge of rage asking God, Why!
What Happens After We Die? Psalm 88:10-14
His questions of Psalm 88:10-14 are deep and worthy of consideration: Let's see if there are any answers from the rest of scripture: Does God have relationship with those who have passed on from this life?
Numbers 16:48 "He stood between the living and the dead, and the plague stopped."
Ruth 2:20 "He has not stopped showing his kindness to the living and the dead."
I Kings 3:23-25 "The king said, 'This one says, 'My son is alive and your son is dead,' while that one says, 'No! Your son is dead and mine is alive.' '
Then the king said, 'Bring me a sword.' So they brought a sword for the king. He then gave an order: 'Cut the living child in two and give half to one and half to the other.'
The bantering between these two women remind me of the controversies over "right Christ" theologies I hear today! Thank goodness there is enough of the living Christ to go around and that all who call on His name shall be saved. Thank goodness his body has already been broken for us.
Psalm 49:15 "But God will redeem my life from the grave; he will surely take me to himself."
Psalm 86:13 "For great is your love toward me; you have delivered me from the depths of the grave"
Psalm 89:47-52 "Remember how fleeting is my life. For what futility you have created all men! What man can live and not see death, or save himself from the power of the grave?
O Lord, where is your former great love, which in your faithfulness you swore to David? Remember, Lord, how your servant has been mocked, how I bear in my heart the taunts of all the nations, the taunts with which your enemies have mocked, O Lord, with which they have mocked every step of your anointed one.
Praise be to the Lord forever! Amen and Amen.
Ecclesiasties 4:2 "And I declared that the dead, who had already died, are happier than the living, who are still alive."
Matthew 22:32 "'I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob' ? He is not the God of the dead but of the living." (see also Mark 12:27, Luke 20:38)
Acts 10:42 "He commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he is the one whom God appointed as judge of the living and the dead."
Romans 14:9 "For this very reason, Christ died and returned to life so that he might be the Lord of both the dead and the living."
Revelation 1:18 "I am the Living One; I was dead, and behold I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades."
Philippians 2:9-11 "Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
As I have often prayed the prayer of Psalm 88:14, allow me to share the answer I have found: "the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete," James 1:3b-4a.
"Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him." James 1:12.
Refinements and Judgments of His Love Psalm 88:15-18
"People were eating, drinking, marrying and being given in marriage up to the day Noah entered the ark. Then the flood (salvation) came and destroyed (covered) them all" Luke 17:27 ( personal additions)
The judgment of God has indeed come. Dead as we are in our misdeeds and unrighteousness, separated it would seem at times from the love of God, we seek that flooding of our world by His Spirit of Love! As the water of purification and the fires refining our souls, so His righteousness will blot out our transgressions, wash away all our iniquity, and cleanse us from all our sin. (see Psalm 51:1b-2).
"on that day all the springs of the great deep burst forth, and the floodgates of the heavens were opened. And rain fell on the earth...the flood kept coming on the earth, and as the waters increased they lifted the ark high above the earth. The waters rose and increased greatly on the earth, and the ark floated on the surface of the water. They rose greatly on the earth, and all the high mountains under the entire heavens were covered. The waters rose and covered the mountains to a depth of more than twenty feet. Every living thing that moved on the earth perished" Genesis 7:11b-21a.
Call a friend and share a little light in their darkness. Too many of us are lost in the depths of Psalm 88.
Reflections on Proverbs 13:12-14
(vs 12) What if all we knew was Love, Joy, and Peace? What if we made that our life's desire? What if we made that our Lord! and yet, Genesis 3:3-7a "God did say, 'You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.'
'You will not surely die,' the serpent said to the woman. 'For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.'
When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it. Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked;" - and for the first time, they were ashamed!
(vs 13) The entire Bible seems to be about this one thing: Love God + Love Man. If our decisions cannot be justified in Love for our fellowman, it is bound to be judged by our Father! Listen to Hebrews 10:31-37
"It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God. Remember those earlier days after you had received the light, when you stood your ground in a great contest in the face of suffering. Sometimes you were publicly exposed to insult and persecution; at other times you stood side by side with those who were so treated. You sympathized with those in prison and joyfully accepted the confiscation of your property, because you knew that you yourselves had better and lasting possessions.
So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded. You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised."
(vs 14) As a father, I wish I could do more to help my children out of trouble! As a son, I'm sure my Dad feels the same about me. I am pretty sure the same is true of God. Perhaps that's why we have the Bible in the first place. Some have referred to the Bible as: "Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth"! How true. The Spirit and guidance within this word is certainly a fountain of blessing in life! And yet, turning from our creator and not making the establishment of His Love our first priority - when we put our own needs before those of our fellowman - we soon find snares of enmity, hatred, strife, hopelessness, and all those things that make our lives miserable and lonely.
Choose Life
Rick
Monday, April 19, 2010
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