April 22, 2010; Joshua 24:1-33, Luke 21:1-28, Psalms 89:38-52, Proverbs 13:20-23

Reflections on Joshua 24:1-33

An Ingathering of Souls Joshua 24:1-27

Genesis 1:28 "Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it."

In Genesis 11:6-9 "The Lord said, 'If as one people speaking the same language they have begun to do this, then nothing they plan to do will be impossible for them. Come, let us go down and confuse their language so they will not understand each other.'
     So the Lord scattered them from there over all the earth, and they stopped building the city.  That is why it was called Babel because there the Lord confused the language of the whole world. From there the Lord scattered them over the face of the whole earth."

Ecclesiastes 3:5a "a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them"

Genesis 11 continues to carry God's coming blessing for mankind from Shem, (son of Noah) to Abram in verse 26.  Then, the story of God's blessing to man continues in Genesis 12.


Genesis 12:1-6 "The Lord had said to Abram, 'Leave your country, your people and your father's household and go to the land I will show you. 'I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse;
and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.'
     So Abram left, as the Lord had told him; and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he set out from Haran. He took his wife Sarai, his nephew Lot, all the possessions they had accumulated and the people they had acquired in Haran, and they set out for the land of Canaan, and they arrived there.  Abram traveled through the land as far as the site of the great tree of Moreh at Shechem. At that time the Canaanites were in the land."

Regardless of man's understanding, (even the authors of the Biblical books), God's message of deliverance continues in Joshua 24.  This final address by Joshua begins in Shechem, the same city Abram first settled in the land of Canaan.  Here, Joshua summoned the leaders of the people and recounted the Biblical history recorded by Moses beginning from Genesis 11.  Little did he, or they, remember that the call on Abram and this people was not meant to be a curse on any people, but that "all peoples on earth will be blessed through them."  Few remember that promise today and still are caught up in the curses carried forward by man's limited understanding as they stand in judgment upon one another.

(verse 5-7) The people of Egypt were blessed as they blessed the children of Israel.  However, when they enslaved the children of Israel and the oppressed called out to the Lord, He delivered them through His power and great glory according to His promises to their forefathers.  He built them up in His Righteousness and Holiness within the desert for 40 years as He refined their ways of worship and called them to be Holy because He was Holy.  He continued to express His love for them with the command to love one another and live lives of honor to Him. These stories can be found in Exodus 3:10, Exodus 4:14-17, Exodus 12:51, Exodus 14:2-31, Deuteronomy 1:46, Deuteronomy 2:14.

(verses 8-10) Joshua, the elder Israelite continues to recount the history of God's victories over Israel's enemies east of the Jordan first reflected in Numbers 21-24 which his predecessor, Moses had recounted in Deuteronomy 2-3.  Again, the message of blessing and curses rings loud and clear.  God's plan of salvation through the Israelite nation came with blessings for those who would bless themselves through their seed and curses for those who would curse their seed.  Verse 8 "They fought against you, but I gave them into your hands." Verse 9b-10 "he sent for Balaam son of Beor to put a curse on you. But I would not listen to Balaam, so he blessed you again and again, and I delivered you out of his hand."

(verse 11-13) Joshua continues in few words to recount the history of God's victories over Israel's enemies under his leadership west of the Jordan.  These conquests had begun with a vision or meeting in Joshua 5:13-15 as Joshua met the commander of the Lord's army who told him he fought neither for the Israelites, nor their enemies, but for the Lord Himself.  All this was to carry forward God's plan for reclamation of His creation.  He had begun this refinement of this people and set apart this Holy Land in all the world as his sign and seal of redemption which would culminate in the life and ministry of Jesus Christ.  Verses 11-13 of Joshua 24 recount the battle history represented in Joshua 6 through 12 in which the Israelites fought off the onslaughts of the Canaanites and saw the Lord deliver the land and the peoples into their hands.  verse 12b-13: "You did not do it with your own sword and bow. So I gave you a land on which you did not toil and cities you did not build; and you live in them and eat from vineyards and olive groves that you did not plant."

(verse 14-15) Again, to understand this verse, we must relate it to all of scripture.  Jesus summarized all the law and the prophets as "Love God + Love Man"  The fruits of the Spirit of God are considered to be Love, Joy, and Peace.  All our idols, or ideologies which stand in contrast to those concepts must by necessity be discarded.  Our understandings of scripture must be filtered with those facets of our Father's apparent personality and religion's prior errors in honor of His name and our representations on His behalf to our fellowman.  We must hold ourselves accountable about our actions apart from that Love and worship Him in that Spirit and that Truth that comes from His Love. 

Joshua reminds the people of not only the idol worship of Egypt, but also the innappropriate behavior and worship with the Midianite and Moabite women in the valley of Shittim across the Jordan from Numbers 25:1-5.  His concern that they throw away those idols would mean that many of those idols were still within their possession at the time of this call.  Even today, idol worship and the errant ideologies of man run rampant within our worship practices.  It is so easy to justify placing individuals, or acts, or needs, or material possessions, or personal prides or righteousness ahead of our Love for God.  It is common for man to imagine the heart of God in acts of retribution, or retaliation against our fellowman without an active participation within the whole word of God and service to the Prince of Peace.  Moral failures and hypocracies haunt modern societies as every man does as one sees fit.

Deuteronomy 10:12b states "what does the Lord your God ask of you but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in all his ways, to love him, to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul." Moses continues in Deuteronomy 10:16-19a "Circumcise your hearts, therefore, and do not be stiff-necked any longer.  For the Lord your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great God, mighty and awesome, who shows no partiality and accepts no bribes.  He defends the cause of the fatherless and the widow, and loves the alien, giving him food and clothing.  And you are to love those who are aliens, for you yourselves were aliens..." 

Ezekiel 20:39-44 "'As for you, O house of Israel, this is what the Sovereign Lord says: Go and serve your idols, every one of you! But afterward you will surely listen to me and no longer profane my holy name with your gifts and idols. For on my holy mountain, the high mountain of Israel, declares the Sovereign Lord, there in the land the entire house of Israel will serve me, and there I will accept them. There I will require your offerings and your choice gifts, along with all your holy sacrifices.  I will accept you as fragrant incense when I bring you out from the nations and gather you from the countries where you have been scattered, and I will show myself holy among you in the sight of the nations.  Then you will know that I am the Lord, when I bring you into the land of Israel, the land I had sworn with uplifted hand to give to your fathers.  There you will remember your conduct and all the actions by which you have defiled yourselves, and you will loathe yourselves for all the evil you have done. You will know that I am the Lord, when I deal with you for my name's sake and not according to your evil ways and your corrupt practices, O house of Israel,' declares the Sovereign Lord."

The question remains, who represents the house of Israel in modern times, biblically speaking?  As noted above from Genesis 12, "all peoples on earth will be blessed through you."  Galatians 3:28-29 "There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise."  Revelation 7:9-12 "After this I looked and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands. And they cried out in a loud voice:

     'Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb.'"

The question and the command of Joshua 24:15 is presented to each of us again today in a bit different light.  How will you choose to serve the one true God?  As for me and my house, we will choose to serve the Lord within His Spirit of Love, Joy, and Peace for we believe that therein lies the life and ministry of His only begotten son, our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ who gave all glory back to the Father from whence all blessings come.

(verse 16-18) The people responded to Joshua that they would serve the Lord their God.  And yet, in the next book, Judges 2:10-11, the next generation forgot the God their father's had known and did what was evil in the sight of the Lord.  Personally, I share concern today as the people do as they see fit.  Even in the study of scripture, many have the tendancy to pick out the evil practices and call them righteousness as they promote supposed divine retribution against the evil in our world, forgetting that the evil resides within their own practices and ideologies.  We become so concerned with controling others within our ideologies of righteousness that we forget the need for cleansing within our own souls, families, and nations.  I question how many truly know this God as portrayed within the Bible as a Loving Father of His creation!  Therefore, as we claim to know this God, we must reflect on His requirements of us: 

Micah 6:8 "He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God."  Many condone violence in their intrepretation of "act justly".  However, to do so pulls those words completely out of context.  The virtues presented of love, mercy, and humbleness as we walk with our God reflects the justice He visits upon His creation.  He truly does understand our pains and our sorrows as well as those of our fellowman and He calls us to visit those compassions on the poor and needy within our world.  This is biblical justice in the Spirit of Truth.

(verse 19-20) Having a concept of God in our hearts is not enough.  Knowing God - the one supreme creator of the earth - requires a knowledge of truth.  And yet, until we meet Him face to face, all of our knowledge is based in theory.  Our interpretations of scripture differ widely even within our church bodies.  Therefore, to know His word - and see the examples set by the multitude of Biblical writers and men of God today - and to listen to the still small voice of His Spirit within is of dire importance regarding our blessings or curses within this life.  "He will not forgive your rebellion and your sins. If you forsake the Lord and serve foreign gods, he will turn and bring disaster on you and make an end of you." Jesus Christ came offering Love, Peace, and Redemption.  He continues to offer the hope of peace with God to all of humanity today.

(verse 21-24)  Without only claiming we will serve the Lord, let's go out and do it!

(verse 25-28) Joshua set up a stone to stand as witness:  The life and ministry of Jesus Christ stands witness between man and God today as we seek to honor His will.  Jesus said His words were those of the Father.  According to John 10:30, he even claimed "I and the Father are one." He went on in verse 34-38 to back up that claim: "Is it not written in your Law, 'I have said you are gods'[Psalm 82:6]? If he called them 'gods,' to whom the word of God came - and the Scripture cannot be broken - what about the one whom the Father set apart as his very own and sent into the world? Why then do you accuse me of blasphemy because I said, 'I am God's Son'? Do not believe me unless I do what my Father does. But if I do it, even though you do not believe me, believe the miracles, that you may know and understand that the Father is in me, and I in the Father."

Psalm 118:22-23 then grants this claim of Jesus being the stone of witness: "The stone the builders rejected
has become the capstone; the Lord has done this, and it is marvelous in our eyes."  Peter laid claim to this scripture as He spoke to the Jewish authorities in Acts 4:11-12: " He is the stone you builders rejected, which has become the capstone.'Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.'"  It is good to remember that God remains the Redeemer and that this gift became possible through His acceptance of the righteousness and dedication of His only begotten Son, this man Jesus.  Let's worship in that Spirit of His righteousness and His Holiness as He died for all mankind, bringing about the salvation and Love of our Creator for His creation.

Passing the Torch Joshua 24:29-33

Joshua was first mentioned in Exodus 17:9 when Moses appointed him to fight against the Amelekites.  He joined Moses as his assistant or minister in ascending Mount Sinai to receive the law in Exodus 24.  Numbers 11:28 records that Joshua was Moses personal aide since his youth.  As no further mention of Joshua's age is given until his death in these verses at 110, one may assume this passage is written of a time nearly 50 years after the Israelites crossed the Jordan River.  From the dismissal from Shechem, it would appear from Joshua 24:29 that there was relative peace.  However, as we have seen some crossover of the battles of Judges and Joshua, there may have been skirmishes and conflicts even during these final years of Joshua's life.

Joshua 19:50 records that Joshua was given the city of Timnath-Serah (etymology "portion of the Sun" or "abundant portion").  It was here that he was buried in the hill country of Ephraim, leading tribe of the coming Northern tribes of Israel.  It was also within this tribal inheritance that Shiloh is located.  Shechem also lies within the hill country of Ephraim on the border of Ephraim and Manasseh.

This section of Joshua is a direct tie-in to the next book of Judges as Joshua 24:28-31 is repeated in Judges 2:6-8.  Joshua is laid to rest and the elders of that generation.  As the new generation comes upon the earth, they forgot many of the signs and wonders their father's had seen.  They did not live in a time where the printed word was readily available in every household.  Many never would have taken the pilgramage to the holy place of Shiloh as often only the elders or leaders went.  Their's was a day that showed the importance of coming together for the reading of the law and the fellowship offerings as man's tendancy is to become caught up in the day to day rituals.  God had called mankind to come together to fellowship in His name so that we would not forget His commands - to love one another in His name.  This new generation forgot the requirements of the Lord and suffered the consequences.  Before we pass judgment upon them, let's remember the priviledges we have to worship and honor God, and yet we too fail miserably as we set our hearts too often against our fellowman in a self-righteous misrepresentation of our Creator's passion for His creation's reclaimation.

Joshua 24:32 is almost a sidenote regarding Joshua's bones which had been carried up out of Egypt.  These also were buried near Shechem, Abram's first abode within the land of Canaan and Jacob's first home before his sons, Levi and Simeon murdered the young men of the town because of Shechem's dishonor of their sister.

Although Joshua 24:33 locates Gibeah in the hill country of Ephraim, it would appear this is the same city as Gibeon mentioned in Joshua 21:17.  It would also appear the hill country of Ephraim extended into the tribal boundaries of Manasseh and Benjamin on the north and south.  Although it was here that Aaron's son Eleazar was buried, it would appear that his son, Phinehas set up the Tabernacle at Bethel by the end of Judges.  Gibeah (Gibeon/Geba) was located between Jebus (Jerusalem) and Bethel.  It was here that the difficulties of Judges 19-20 would take place as the evils that beset this new generation of God's chosen people emerged.  It is also worthy to note that this final story of Judges takes place before the death of Phinehas, son of Eleazar.  Such is the setting for the stories to be told as we continue this journey of God's chosen people as they stumble through their misunderstandings and weaknesses in the establishment of God's righteousness within His land of promise - and thereby, His creation.

Reflections on Luke 21:1-28

Humility and Equality Luke 21:1-4

The notations of chapter and verse had not begun until the 13th century AD, and the breakdown into the chapters and verses we understand scripture in today was not completed until the 16th century AD.  Unfortunately, the breakdown often interupts the continuity of what we are reading.  I believe this is true of Luke's use of the story of the Widows penny of Luke 21:1-4 which is also found in Mark 12:41-44.  Notice that the preceding verse used by both authors (Mark 12:40 and Luke 20:47) are the same;

"They devour widows' houses and for a show make lengthy prayers. Such men will be punished most severely."

Again, it is easy to pass judgment upon the scribes and Pharisees of Jesus day.  Yet, what good does such theology do us today if we are to transform our lives?  We must avoid our own abuses of the poor and needy.  The passage may mention the widow, but as we have seen, this classification of "poor and needy" often includes the widow, the orphan, the alien, and the Levite!

In this setting, first recorded by Mark and used here by Luke, Jesus continues the teaching against the self-righteousness exhibited by his favorite players (the Scribes and Pharisees) as reflected by the alternative penitence and self sacrifice of the poor and needy - hereby reflected by the widow and her two pennies.  The story is in direct correlation with the previous verse how the church takes advantage of the widow. 

If we step out of a righteous/wicked world and life view as we classify the people of the world and apply these teachings to our societies as a whole or to ourselves individually, we will find they have a much more personal, or societal meaning.  No longer can capitalists claim the poor and needy are that way based on God's approval or disapproval.  Little do we understand about another's life situations which cause the emotional distress or physical impairment which trap them into their lot in life.  God's consistent call on our lives is not to stand in judgment upon the poor and needy, but to share according to our ability and to love them.  No longer can a child of God feel justified in income inequality, the extortion of high interest or fee bearing loans, or economies that devour the incomes and sustenance of the poor and needy while the affluent relish in their self righteousness, unmindful of the blessings of God in their lives. The only excuse may be those who do not consider themselves children of God, and I believe that only represents a case of rebellious denial.

Paul offered further teaching upon income equality and looking after one another financially in II Corinthians 8:12-15.  "For if the willingness is there, the gift is acceptable according to what one has, not according to what he does not have.
     Our desire is not that others might be relieved while you are hard pressed, but that there might be equality. At the present time your plenty will supply what they need, so that in turn their plenty will supply what you need. Then there will be equality, as it is written: 'He who gathered much did not have too much, and he who gathered little did not have too little.'[Exodus 16:18]"

It will be difficult for mankind to accept the social call to income equality and the proper use of our money towards one another until we realize we are all one family.  As long as there are world and life views flaunted in religious circles that claim a righteousness that makes one man greater than another within the eyes of God, there will be a resistance to helping those outside one's own religious clique.  Paul also provides a reason for serving God and man according to our abilities in II Corinthians 8:9 "For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich."  In essence, this is the same teaching as I John 4:19; "We love because he first loved us."
Truly, there is not one of us who should not be humbled by the offering of the widow's pennies.

Test of Faith Luke 21:5-19

As related in my earlier commentaries of the associated passages of Matthew 24 and Mark 13, I believe Luke 21:5-19 deals directly with the generation of disciples Christ was speaking to.  The victimization Christians imagine today from their world as they flaunt their righteousness in consideration of a wicked world in peril of the coming wrath and judgment of God is totally unfounded when we consider logically the conversation at hand.

As these Jewish disciples following their Rabbi consider the beauty of their temple, the most Holy place of Mount Zion, that is exactly what they are envisioning.  This temple represents the epitomy of their pride in being the chosen people of God.  Theirs is the Kingdom and theirs is the glory!  Little can they imagine as they coverse with Christ the coming glory of God as His Kingdom is given even to the Gentiles.  In their mindset, they have not even accepted the Samaritans.  Their righteousness does not even come close at this point to that of the Pharisees and Sadducees.  They are, in fact, suffering a rebellion against the very traditionalism of their Religion - yet they have missed Christ's message that their righteousness must surpass that even of the present Church leaders.

For any of us who know Church history, we know the temple was destroyed by the Romans in 70 AD.  We know Nero became a great political abuser of the early Christian Church.  This generation of disciples would see wars!  They would see revolutions! They would see persecutions both by the Jews and by the Romans!  They would be affected by martyrdom!  We have stories that nearly all of the disciples succombed to such death for their religious teachings.  Although Jesus assured them they would find life and that they would be His witnesses even at the point of death, death came and with it, eternal glory and the events of Church History in the making.

Friends and family would turn on one another.  Their generation suffered great peril as Christianity broke off from Judaism - just as the generation of the reformation of the 16th century and following suffered great peril in a time of great change and transformation.  At that time and since, men have experienced earthquakes and natural disasters of many kinds.  For centuries, they have routinely claimed "here He comes".  Always, considering ourselves the center of History!  It may be frustrating to know, that generation and that man, Jesus Christ was the center of History.  His Kingdom came as He died on the Cross and God's plan of salvation was finished.  Now history awaits the unfolding of that redemption in the hearts and minds of men.  But, we're getting ahead of ourselves, we must go back to that fateful time of 70 AD!

Great Tribulation and the fall of Jerusalem Luke 24:20-32 A Time for Learning

Luke 21:20-24; "When you see Jerusalem being surrounded by armies, you will know that its desolation is near. Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains, let those in the city get out, and let those in the country not enter the city. For this is the time of punishment in fulfillment of all that has been written. How dreadful it will be in those days for pregnant women and nursing mothers! There will be great distress in the land and wrath against this people. They will fall by the sword and will be taken as prisoners to all the nations. Jerusalem will be trampled on by the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled."

Daniel 9:25-26; "Know and understand this: From the issuing of the decree to restore and rebuild Jerusalem until the Anointed One, the ruler, comes, there will be seven 'sevens,' and sixty-two 'sevens.' It will be rebuilt with streets and a trench, but in times of trouble. After the sixty-two 'sevens,' the Anointed One will be cut off and will have nothing. The people of the ruler who will come will destroy the city and the sanctuary. The end will come like a flood: War will continue until the end, and desolations have been decreed."

There are a multitude of other passages as God attempted to prepare the Jews for the realization that their time would come to an end.  Can you imagine the agony of this people - who's faith told them that they were God's chosen people and that He would bring about their redemption!  Wars had continued.  Hostilities from Greeks, Romans, Persians - all those Gentiles for so many years - yet as they held a countenance as God's chosen people, their faith told them that they would overcome!  And then, 70 AD came and they watched their pride, their faith, their city, their temple, everything that they held dear - all that they held pride in as a people and a faith came to utter destruction.  According to prophecy, they once again were spread throughout the earth.  Without their awareness, their remnant once again was planted worldwide as their redemption and that of the Gentiles was being fulfilled. 

It absolutely did not feel like the fulfillment of the promise, but it was absolutely the fulfillment of Jesus coversation outside the temple that day!  As their world caved in, they would understand if they would but remember those wonderful words of Jesus in Luke 21:28 "When these things begin to take place, stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near." He was very clear in that they would experience this within their lifetimes as stated in verse 32; "When these things begin to take place, stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near." Their idea of Heaven and Earth would pass away, but Jesus words - and the words their forefathers had penned for all of us to study today would not pass away.

The same stands true for us today.  Religion today still assumes an election and that God plays favorites.  As the Jews saw their ideals of righteousness in themselves slip away in clouds of smoke, so our own ideas of self-righteousness will crumble and fall as we realize the ultimate reality of the righteousness of God.  Three times, God intoned those words; Every knee will bow and every tongue confess that righteousness exists in God alone.  Every knee will bow!  Personally, I find religion today does not want to accept these words as there is such a strong concesus from every clique that theirs is the only way to salvation.  I truly believe God's way is the only way to salvation - and one day, He will make it plain to all of us what His plan was all along.  He is not willing that any should perish, but ours is!  His will will triumph! guaranteed.

Let's stop trying to make this conversaton to a generation of disciples who would experience such tribulation without being able to rapture out of it some sort of divination and omen for our times.  It is unfair to that generation that had to endure it and it is high time we learn something from their lesson and our mutual mistakes of thinking God plays favorites. It's just not true - and it is scaring people away from and justifying people's separation from God's Love and their required love for their fellowman - our very reason for living!

Reflections on Psalms 89:38-52

(Verse 38) "But you have rejected, you have spurned, you have been very angry with your anointed one."
Isaiah 53:10 "Yet it was the Lord's will to crush him and cause him to suffer, and though the Lord makes his life a guilt offering, he will see his offspring and prolong his days, and the will of the Lord will prosper in his hand."

(Verse 39) "You have renounced the covenant with your servant and have defiled his crown in the dust." Luke 21:20 "When you see Jerusalem being surrounded by armies, you will know that its desolation is near."

(Verse 40) "You have broken through all his walls and reduced his strongholds to ruins."
Lamentations 2:5 "The Lord is like an enemy; he has swallowed up Israel. He has swallowed up all her palaces and destroyed her strongholds. He has multiplied mourning and lamentation for the Daughter of Judah."

(Verse 41) "All who pass by have plundered him; he has become the scorn of his neighbors."
Luke 23:34-35; "Jesus said, 'Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.' And they divided up his clothes by casting lots. The people stood watching, and the rulers even sneered at him. They said, 'He saved others; let him save himself if he is the Christ of God, the Chosen One.'"

(Verse 42) "You have exalted the right hand of his foes; you have made all his enemies rejoice."
I Chronicles 16:31 "Let the heavens rejoice, let the earth be glad; let them say among the nations, "The Lord reigns!"

(Verse 43) "You have turned back the edge of his sword and have not supported him in battle."
Leviticus 26:14-17; "But if you will not listen to me and carry out all these commands, and if you reject my decrees and abhor my laws and fail to carry out all my commands and so violate my covenant, then I will do this to you: I will bring upon you sudden terror, wasting diseases and fever that will destroy your sight and drain away your life. You will plant seed in vain, because your enemies will eat it. I will set my face against you so that you will be defeated by your enemies; those who hate you will rule over you,"
 
(Verse 44) "You have put an end to his splendor and cast his throne to the ground."
Hosea 8:1-3a; " "Put the trumpet to your lips! An eagle is over the house of the Lord because the people have broken my covenant and rebelled against my law. Israel cries out to me, 'O our God, we acknowledge you!' But Israel has rejected what is good;"
 
(Verse 45) "You have cut short the days of his youth; you have covered him with a mantle of shame."
James 1:11; "For the sun rises with scorching heat and withers the plant; its blossom falls and its beauty is destroyed. In the same way, the rich man will fade away even while he goes about his business."
 
(Verse 46) "How long, O Lord? Will you hide yourself forever? How long will your wrath burn like fire? Malachi 3:5-7; "So I will come near to you for judgment. I will be quick to testify against sorcerers, adulterers and perjurers, against those who defraud laborers of their wages, who oppress the widows and the fatherless, and deprive aliens of justice, but do not fear me," says the Lord Almighty.
     'I the Lord do not change. So you, O descendants of Jacob, are not destroyed. Ever since the time of your forefathers you have turned away from my decrees and have not kept them. Return to me, and I will return to you,' says the Lord Almighty.
     But you ask, 'How are we to return?'"

(Verse 47) "Remember how fleeting is my life. For what futility you have created all men!"
Isaiah 57:15-16 "this is what the high and lofty One says - he who lives forever, whose name is holy: 'I live in a high and holy place, but also with him who is contrite and lowly in spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly and to revive the heart of the contrite. I will not accuse forever, nor will I always be angry, for then the spirit of man would grow faint before me - the breath of man that I have created."

(Verse 48) "What man can live and not see death, or save himself from the power of the grave"
Revelation 12:10-11 "Now have come the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God, and the authority of his Christ. For the accuser of our brothers, who accuses them before our God day and night, has been hurled down. They overcame him by the blood of the Lamb"



(Verse 49) "O Lord, where is your former great love, which in your faithfulness you swore to David?"
Isaiah 49:12-14; "See, they will come from afar - some from the north, some from the west, some from the region of Aswan. Shout for joy, O heavens; rejoice, O earth; burst into song, O mountains! For the Lord comforts his people and will have compassion on his afflicted ones.
     But Zion said, 'The Lord has forsaken me, the Lord has forgotten me.'"

(Verse 50) "Remember, Lord, how your servant has been mocked, how I bear in my heart the taunts of all the nations"
Romans 15:2-4a; Each of us should please his neighbor for his good, to build him up. For even Christ did not please himself but, as it is written: 'The insults of those who insult you have fallen on me.' For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us"

(Verse 51) "the taunts with which your enemies have mocked, O Lord, with which they have mocked every step of your anointed one."
Deuteronomy 32:6-8; "Is this the way you repay the Lord, O foolish and unwise people? Is he not your Father, your Creator, who made you and formed you? Remember the days of old; consider the generations long past. Ask your father and he will tell you, your elders, and they will explain to you. When the Most High gave the nations their inheritance, when he divided all mankind, he set up boundaries for the peoples according to the number of the sons of Israel."

(Verse 52) "Praise be to the Lord forever! Amen and Amen."
Daniel 4:1-3 and 37; "King Nebuchadnezzar, To the peoples, nations and men of every language, who live in all the world: May you prosper greatly!
     It is my pleasure to tell you about the miraculous signs and wonders that the Most High God has performed for me. How great are his signs, how mighty his wonders! His kingdom is an eternal kingdom; his dominion endures from generation to generation...
     Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and exalt and glorify the King of heaven, because everything he does is right and all his ways are just. And those who walk in pride he is able to humble."

Reflections on Proverbs 13:20-23

(Verse 20) "He who walks with the wise grows wise, but a companion of fools suffers harm."
Hebrews 6:12 "We do not want you to become lazy, but to imitate those who through faith and patience inherit what has been promised.
Philippians 2:14-16a "Do everything without complaining or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe as you hold out the word of life"

(Verse 21) "Misfortune pursues the sinner, but prosperity is the reward of the righteous."
John 16:32-33 "you will be scattered, each to his own home. You will leave me all alone. Yet I am not alone, for my Father is with me. I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world."
Micah 5:3-5 "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 22) "A good man leaves an inheritance for his children's children, but a sinner's wealth is stored up for the righteous."
Matthew 6:24; "No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money."
Proverbs 22:2-6; "Rich and poor have this in common: The Lord is the Maker of them all. A prudent man sees danger and takes refuge, but the simple keep going and suffer for it. Humility and the fear of the Lord bring wealth and honor and life. In the paths of the wicked lie thorns and snares, but he who guards his soul stays far from them. Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it."

(Verse 23) "He who scorns instruction will pay for it, but he who respects a command is rewarded."
Matthew 7:6 "Do not give dogs what is sacred; do not throw your pearls to pigs. If you do, they may trample them under their feet, and then turn and tear you to pieces." Luke 18:32; "They will mock him, insult him, spit on him, flog him and kill him."
Matthew 7:12-13a; "So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets. Enter through the narrow gate."
 
Choose Love;
 
Rick

April 21, 2010; Joshua 22:21-23:16, Luke 20:27-47, Psalms 89:14-37, Proverbs 13:17-19

Reflections on Joshua 22:21-23:16

Deuteronomy 10:17-19 "For the Lord your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great God, mighty and awesome, who shows no partiality and accepts no bribes.  He defends the cause of the fatherless and the widow, and loves the alien, giving him food and clothing.  And you are to love those who are aliens, for you yourselves were aliens in Egypt."

It may seem odd to you that I continue to quote verses about Love for the alien!  However, this is a central theme of scripture that it seems the average child of God has missed from my understanding of history, my culture, and other religious cultures today.  We are so quick to stand in judgment, not only against the enemy across the world we do not understand, but against our brother when his beliefs challenge our own.  Although our desire for purity is wonderful and good, our enmity and strife have nothing to do with the Spirit of God.  Our judgment - especially when it leads to bloodshed - destroys the purity we seek and stands against our Lord.

Psalm 133 "How good and pleasant it is when brothers live together in unity! It is like precious oil poured on the head, running down on the beard, running down on Aaron's beard, down upon the collar of his robes. It is as if the dew of Hermon were falling on Mount Zion. For there the Lord bestows his blessing, even life forevermore."

Deuteronomy 3:9 "(Hermon is called Sirion by the Sidonians; the Amorites call it Senir.)" The Children of Israel had just conquered the land of Og King of Bashan in Deuteronomy 3 up to Mount Hermon ("Sanctuary").  Considered "Snow Mountain" (Senir [Shenir]) by the Arameans or "Breastplate" (Sirion) by the Sidonions.  This Mountain to the north of eastern Manasseh connected the three cultures to the north along the Northeast border of the land of Israel.  The Jordan (descender) river begins within this mountain first emptying into Lake Huleh (Merom = High Place).  Therefore, the brothers of Psalm 133 could well express a brotherhood beyond that of the 12 tribes of Israel.

However, that is getting beyond today's reading.  Our focus is just in keeping the peace between the brotherhood of the 12 tribes.  As Reuben, Gad, and Manasseh imagined the descendants of their brothers forgetting they were one, it is doubtful they imagined hostilities to arise so early within their history together across the dividing waters of life.  Yet here was the threat of war based on faith between brothers - that ancient hostility that purification meant killing your fellowman.  Certainly, our righteousness is too often nothing more than filthy bloodsoaked rags adding fuel to the fire.  Thankfully, peacefull minds prevailed and brothers came to an agreeable understanding before their God. 

Perhaps there was a reason Jesus Christ came to earth to calm our fears about our Father's wrath.  Our fear and worry over His judgment sets Father against son and brother against brother, nation against nation and culture against culture.  Wouldn't it be nice if we could come together before our God of Shalom and talk with one another about His Love and what He'd been doing in our lives?  Couldn't Love be grand?  I'm pretty sure the words of Joshua 22:22 stand true: "The Mighty One, God, the LORD! The Mighty One, God, the LORD! He knows!"

Thankfully, we need not call one another to account.  Thankfully, we need not shed one another's blood to save our souls from Hell. "May the Lord himself call us to account." (vs. 23) Who are we to say to any son or daughter, brother or sister, Mother or Father "You have no share in the Lord." (vs. 23) Such words are too often believed by the hearer as they "stop fearing the Lord." (vs. 23).

Our altars bear witness against us and for us.  Our places of worship and our religious edifices stand witness that we believe there is a God.  He has promised that He will never leave us nor forsake us.  When we tell our brother anything different, we can destroy faith.  Our judgment shall come down on our own heads.  As we approach our brethren within this world, first and formost, we must acknowledge that they too are loved by God.  If we don't believe this, we must return to the word of God and seek first His Kingdom - not our own.  As we witness the work of God in their lives, opportunity will come to share our faith also.  We must have faith that God will honor our efforts if we will first honor the efforts and faith of our brethren throughout the world and if we will honor our own faith that the Spirit of God is at work within His creation.  No one ever said that we should go into all the world and share bad news and destroy the hearts and lives of men.

Isaiah 55:5-13 "Surely you will summon nations you know not, and nations that do not know you will hasten to you, because of the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, for he has endowed you with splendor."
     Seek the Lord while he may be found; (within your neighbor!) call on him while he is near. Let the wicked forsake his way and the evil man his thoughts. Let him turn to the Lord, and he will have mercy on him, and to our God, for he will freely pardon.
     'For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,' declares the Lord. 'As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.
     You will go out in joy and be led forth in peace; the mountains and hills will burst into song before you,
and all the trees of the field will clap their hands. Instead of the thornbush will grow the pine tree, and instead of briers the myrtle will grow. This will be for the Lord's renown, for an everlasting sign, which will not be destroyed.'"

In Joshua 22, when brothers took time to understand the heart of their brothers, they responded in verse 31b "Today we know that the Lord is with us, because you have not acted unfaithfully toward the Lord in this matter. Now you have rescued the Israelites from the Lord's hand." May this indeed is our witness! "The Mighty One, God, the Lord! The Mighty One, God, the Lord! He knows! And let Israel (His Kingdom Seekers) know! If this (our worship) has been in rebellion or disobedience to the Lord, do not spare us this day (convict us of our sin). If we have built our own altar to turn away from the Lord and to offer burnt offerings and grain offerings, or to sacrifice fellowship offerings on it, may the Lord himself call us to account." (vs 22-23)

Therefore we can rejoice when we hear that a brother seeks God - for the Lord our God is One and those who seek Him seek His Spirit and His Truth.  He has promised His very great reward! (see Hebrews 11:6)
     "I rejoiced with those who said to me, 'Let us go to the house of the Lord.' Our feet are standing in your gates," Psalm 122:1-2a.  When you hear those words, "Let us go to the house of the Lord" remove your shoes, you stand in the presence of His Holiness, for two or more are present seeking the One True God.
     "Know that the Lord is God. It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture(s). Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name. For the Lord is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations." Psalm 100:3-5.

Reflections on Joshua 23

Having just reflected on Isaiah 55:12-13 "You will go out in joy and be led forth in peace; the mountains and hills will burst into song before you, and all the trees of the field will clap their hands. Instead of the thornbush will grow the pine tree, and instead of briers the myrtle will grow. This will be for the Lord's renown, for an everlasting sign, which will not be destroyed." we must equate Joshua 23 to all our verses relating to Love, Joy, and Peace and treating the alien as one of our native born witnessed throughout scripture.

Verse 23:1 reflects that the people lived in peace.  Following 40 years in the wilderness, the sons of Israel had experienced two great military offensives against Sihon and Og of the Amorites.  This had established the lands west of the Jordan as early as Numbers 21.  Confident in their strength, they went in to the daughters of Moab and Midian in the valley of Shittim, forgetting their call to be Holy.  They suffered greatly by plague and understood this call by God that they had been set apart to be His chosen people.  He had chosen them to be representative of men on earth as God was preparing His plan of redemption through their culture.  As we have read, they were to be holy because He was Holy.  From their culture, Jesus Christ would come to die for all men.  They had been offered up to God as a pleasing sacrifice through circumcision and the law. 

They had entered the land of Canaan and again dedicated themselves to the Lord through circumcision and observance of the passover.  Before their military efforts began, Joshua had met the military commander of the Lord's army and found that He was neither for them or against them, but was prepared to represent the host of heaven. (Joshua 5:13-15) However, through defeat on Ai and Bethel, they were once again reminded of their reliance upon God and their personal call to faith and purity.  Our master designer continued fashioning them according to His will.

Jericho had fallen miraculously as they stood witness once again to the power of God on their behalf.  
 
Scripture of Joshua 9 then provided a look at the vision of Peace God had for the land in the story of Gibeon.  We reflected on the importance of honoring that peace with reference to other scripture on April 14th. 

Perhaps following their initial failure at Ai the people of Canaan, whose hearts had melted in fear before the awesome power of the Lord displayed through these people, rose up against them.  Joshua 10 and 11 detailed two successful defensive military efforts as God led His people into the land by His mighty hand and according to his plan for and purpose of their establishment.  

The people had then joined together to partition the land following 7 years of primarily defensive military campaigns.  At this point, their neighbors had ceased their onslaughts and the land was at rest.  The people gathered together and allotted the land to the 12 tribes even though the Canaanites still lived in the land.  They received their plots and co-existed.  All of their instruction of how to treat the alien now came with the utmost importance as they lived among the people - the supposedly blessed lived among the supposedly cursed.  The alien was to be treated as the native born.  They were to share the celebrations and festivals which they had learned in the desert within their new home and with their new neighbors - and yet, they were not to foget that they had been set apart to be holy as reflected in Joshua 22 as they considered appropriate faith between brothers.
 
(verse 2) Now advanced in years - and perhaps full of wisdom, Joshua calls the rulers of the Israelites and reflects on their lives together.  He has been living at his home in the hill country of Ephraim, perhaps looking out over the Mediterean sea - over the land of Dan and the Philistines certainly a peaceful setting unblemished from his distant view by the hostilities among men.

(verse 3) Joshua reminds the people of all the Lord has done for them as He had fought their battles.

(verse 4) Joshua reminds the people of all he had done for them as he had commanded the battles.  Notice the change in tone between verse 3 and 4.  And yet, we can tell of what the Lord has done through us as reflected in Phillippians 4:13 "I can do everything through him who gives me strength."

(verse 5) This verse begins the same theme as Moses gave in Exodus 23:20-33 telling once again what God would do; "See, I am sending an angel ahead of you to guard you along the way and to bring you to the place I have prepared. Pay attention to him and listen to what he says. Do not rebel against him; he will not forgive your rebellion, since my Name is in him. If you listen carefully to what he says and do all that I say, I will be an enemy to your enemies and will oppose those who oppose you.  My angel will go ahead of you and bring you into the land of the Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, Canaanites, Hivites and Jebusites, and I will wipe them out.  Do not bow down before their gods or worship them or follow their practices. You must demolish them and break their sacred stones to pieces.  Worship the Lord your God, and his blessing will be on your food and water. I will take away sickness from among you,  and none will miscarry or be barren in your land. I will give you a full life span.

     I will send my terror ahead of you and throw into confusion every nation you encounter. I will make all your enemies turn their backs and run.  I will send the hornet ahead of you to drive the Hivites, Canaanites and Hittites out of your way.  But I will not drive them out in a single year, because the land would become desolate and the wild animals too numerous for you.  Little by little I will drive them out before you, until you have increased enough to take possession of the land.
     I will establish your borders from the Red Sea to the Sea of the Philistines, and from the desert to the River. I will hand over to you the people who live in the land and you will drive them out before you. Do not make a covenant with them or with their gods.  Do not let them live in your land, or they will cause you to sin against me, because the worship of their gods will certainly be a snare to you."

In the same way the land of Canaan had been invaded by God's presence of reclamation, so he works within our hearts and minds, communities and nations cleansing us of all unrighteousness.  Wisdom 12:1-2; "for your imperishable spirit is in all things! Therefore you rebuke offenders little by little, warn them, and remind them of the sins they are committing, that they may abandon their wickedness and believe in you, O Lord!"

(verse 6) Stay on the narrow way, pursue Peace as well as your own holiness. Love God + Love Man.  Do not jump in and destroy! Matthew 7:6-16; "Do not give dogs what is sacred; do not throw your pearls to pigs. If you do, they may trample them under their feet, and then turn and tear you to pieces.
     Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For (not only you but) everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.
     Which of you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him! So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.
     Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.
     Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles?
Do not worry, in the end, you will have no choice but to follow the Lord's leading as found in Numbers 22:26: "Then the angel of the Lord moved on ahead and stood in a narrow place where there was no room to turn, either to the right or to the left."  Through Him we shall find Love, Joy, and Peace both now and forevermore.  But first, we must die to self.

(verse 7-8) The jist of this verse appears to deal with religious practice.  As we found, as the Israelites lived in the desert for 40 years, they were weaned from idolotrous cycles of addiction.  They learned to rely on God Himself for their sustenance.  They were motivated from their struggles in life to remain holy and righteous before Him.  God's intent as we live with our fellowman is that they will see our devotion to God and choose to follow our lead as they witness the joys of the fruits of His Spirit within.  Although they might desire we join them in unrighteousness, that is not our call and would dishonor our God who had claimed us and was refining us to be holy because He is holy.  Plus, why would we wish to re-enter that area of pain and death? (For further reading, see Psalm 16.)

(verse 9-11) Joshua remembers the wonderful works of the Lord that His people have witnessed as He has destroyed the giants from within their land and brought them to a time of peace "within the presence of their enemies." (Psalm 23:5) He reminds them that this blessing is dependant upon their loyalty to abide by His law which we know to be righteousness and love.  This assurance is reflected again by the Psalmist in Psalm 28:7-8; "The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and I am helped. My heart leaps for joy and I will give thanks to him in song. The Lord is the strength of his people, a fortress of salvation for his anointed one."

(verse 12-13) From a mindset of righteous vs. wicked these verses would make a pretty strong case.  But if we look closer, we will find a messianic portrayal as once again, the life of the righteous is given for the wicked. As the purity of the Israelites was to change the communities in which they lived, so Christ died for all of us.  Can you imagine Christ's choice to become snared in our world for all intents and purposes to die for our sins in order to bring us back to His Heavenly paradise!  "they will become snares and traps for you, whips on your backs and thorns in your eyes, until you perish from this good land, which the Lord your God has given you."  He chose to become one of us so that we could live with Him forever - not because of our will, but because of the will of His Father in Heaven.  Then too, there is the symbolism of his purity as Christ succeeded where even the people of Israel failed, regardless of their human efforts. 

Romans 6:11-14 "In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus. Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires. Do not offer the parts of your body to sin, as instruments of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God, as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer the parts of your body to him as instruments of righteousness. For sin shall not be your master, because you are not under law, but under grace."

Our sin and separation was to know good and evil.  God has continued to grant us our desire.  We have separated mankind into good and evil ever since.  Christ removed the curse by wearing our thorns in His brow and receiving the lashes on His back.  We can now worship our one true God in Spirit and Truth with one another in an atmosphere of Love, Joy, and Peace!

(verse 14) "I am about to go the way of all the earth" words of Joshua here and of David in I Kings 2:2.  Again, Joshua reflects that all of God's promises have been fulfilled.  Thus, the fact many of the people still lived within the land was not considered a part of the fulfillment of the promise.  As most of the world cultures today subsist of subcultures, so was the culture of Israelites west of the Jordan river in Canaan from the beginning of their domain.

(verse 15) Just as the promises had come true, so the curse of Leviticus 26:33 would come true.  I have checked several English translations and each time, the translators expressed the surety of what was to come.  There was no doubt, this also was by the plan and design of God.  Such things must come before the Christ would appear to display the Gospel truth of redemption, and the spreading of the seeds of righteousness.  Perhaps few have understood the importance of a Daniel affecting the Kingdom of Babylon, Persia, and an empire.  Perhaps few have understood the righteousness exemplified within the books of Maccabees as History continues to tell the story of God and how He uses his people, not to bring a few unrighteous souls home, but to reclaim all of creation as his word went forth to claim His prize, his Love.  He used their purification, their righteousness, their unrighteousness, their chastisement, their refinement, their obedience, their devotion - all for His Glory.  When we consider these attributes of God; He alone is Pure, He alone is Righteous, He alone is Holy, He alone Redeems, He alone is our Redeemer, He alone is our Justice, He alone is our Judge.  He personified these attributes within the body and blood of His only begotten Son, yet He alone is our Lord and Savior.  His Spirit dwelt within the Christ, the Messiah - who reminded us time and again that He alone is good.  (Why do you call Christ good? (Luke 18:19) - except for the Spirit of God within)
     "The Lord is my strength and my song; He has become my salvation. He is my God, and I will praise him, my father's God, and I will exalt him." (Exodus 15:2)
     "The Lord is my light and my salvation - whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life - of whom shall I be afraid? (Psalm 27:1)
     "I was pushed back and about to fall, but the Lord helped me. The Lord is my strength and my song;
he has become my salvation." (Psalm 118:13-14)
     "'I will praise you, O Lord. Although you were angry with me, your anger has turned away and you have comforted me. Surely God is my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid. The Lord, the Lord, is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation.'
     With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation. In that day you will say: 'Give thanks to the Lord, call on his name; make known among the nations what he has done, and proclaim that his name is exalted. Sing to the Lord, for he has done glorious things; let this be known to all the world.'" (Isaiah 12:1b-5)

(verse 16) If we do not live in purity and righteousness; if we do not pursue love and peace with God and Man, we will not last long, nor enjoy the Joy of the Lord that is available for us.  If we rebel and dishonor His Love for all that He has created, He most assuredly will remove our Joy and our Peace.  This is purely logical.  This passage reflects Deuteronomy 4:25-31.
     "They will say of me, 'In the Lord alone are righteousness and strength.' "All who have raged against him will come to him and be put to shame."  (Isaiah 45:24)

And yet, there is hope in the Love of His blessed redemption: "But in the Lord all the descendants of Israel
will be found righteous and will exult." (see also Ephesians 1:3-14) "


     "In love he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will" (Ephesians 1:5)
     "For I could wish that I myself were cursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my brothers, those of my own race, the people of Israel. Theirs is the adoption as sons; theirs the divine glory, the covenants, the receiving of the law, the temple worship and the promises. Theirs are the patriarchs, and from them is traced the human ancestry of Christ, who is God over all, forever praised! Amen. (Romans 9:3-5)
     "But since we belong to the day, let us be self-controlled, putting on faith and love as a breastplate, and the hope of salvation as a helmet. For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ. He died for us so that, whether we are awake or asleep, we may live together with him. Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing." (I Thessalonians 5:8-11)

Response to Luke 20:27-47

According to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sadducees "The Sadducees (or Tzedukim) were a group of Jews opposed to the Pharisees (today's Rabbinical Jews), founded in the second century BC. They ceased to exist sometime after the destruction of the second Temple in Jerusalem (Herod's Temple) in 70AD."
     "The Hebrew name, Tsdoki, indicates that they are the followers of the teachings of the High Priest Tsadok, often spelled Zadok, who anointed Solomon king at the start of the First Temple Period."

The etymology for the word Zadok appears to represent "righteous."

II Samuel 15:27 "The king (David) also said to Zadok the priest, "Aren't you a seer? Go back to the city in peace"

I Kings 1:45 "and Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet have anointed him (Solomon) king at Gihon. From there they have gone up cheering, and the city resounds with it. That's the noise you hear."

Ezekiel 48:10-12 "This will be the sacred portion for the priests. It will be 25,000 cubits long on the north side, 10,000 cubits wide on the west side, 10,000 cubits wide on the east side and 25,000 cubits long on the south side. In the center of it will be the sanctuary of the Lord.  This will be for the consecrated priests, the Zadokites, who were faithful in serving me and did not go astray as the Levites did when the Israelites went astray. It will be a special gift to them from the sacred portion of the land, a most holy portion, bordering the territory of the Levites. "

I often remember this name "Sadducees" and their belief that there is no resurection in that without resurection, there is no hope.  This would make you sad, you see?  The first mention of the Sadducees comes with the Pharisees in Matthew 3:7-8 "But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to where he was baptizing, he said to them: 'You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? Produce fruit in keeping with repentance.'"  Considering their religious focus on wrath and judgment given a theology void of the hope of resurrection, theirs was a depressing theology indeed.  "The Sadducees say that there is no resurrection, and that there are neither angels nor spirits, but the Pharisees acknowledge them all." Acts 3:8

To understand the Sadducee and their beliefs and the importance of their reference in understanding the written documentation of the oral law and its interpretation by these various Temple leaders during the time of Jesus, read the Wikipedia reference on Sadducees at the beginning of this section.  For Jesus to enter the world stage as these groups were determining theology was nothing less than divine coincidence.  This again, brings up a little known theological belief of divine prevenience - Our awesome God is involved in our histories having set up in what was to come, and being in complete control of what is to be.

As mentioned in my commentary on Luke 20:27-40's sister passage of Mark 12:18-27, the Sadducee's question of the 7 grooms who died possibly reflects the story from: "the book of Tobit. This book portrays Jewish folklore of a man named Tobit from the tribe of Naphtali living in Nineveh following the Assyrian deportation of the 10 tribes of Israel around 721 B.C. In this story, We hear of the plight of Sarah, who shall be wed to Tobit's son, Tobiah:
     From The Old Testament of the New American Bible copyright 1970: Tobit 3:8: 'For she had been married to seven husbands, but the wicked demon Asmodeus* killed them off before they could have intercourse with her, as it is prescribed for wives. So the maid said to her: 'You are the one who strangles your husbands! Look at you! You have already been married seven times, but you have had no joy with any one of your husbands.'"
     *Asmodeus: in Persian aeshma daeva, "demon of wrath," adopted into Aramaic with the sense of "the Destroyer." He will be subdued (Tb8,3) by Raphael (v 17), "God heals."

This story in itself displays our adversity and the Leviathan of wrath on earth, causing the hopelessness that so many of us face.  However, the grace and mercy of good triumphs over evil as it so often happens in all good stories.

Deuteronomy 25:5 "If brothers dwell together, and one of them dies and has no son, the wife of the dead man shall not be married outside the family to a stranger. Her husband’s brother shall go in to her and take her as his wife and perform the duty of a husband’s brother to her."  The first consideration of this law was seen in Biblical scripture in Genesis 38:8-10 "Then Judah said to Onan, 'Lie with your brother's wife and fulfill your duty to her as a brother-in-law to produce offspring for your brother." But Onan knew that the offspring would not be his; so whenever he lay with his brother's wife, he spilled his semen on the ground to keep from producing offspring for his brother. What he did was wicked in the Lord's sight; so he put him to death also."  As this story led to a crucial, yet surprisingly difficult step in the Messianic line, the law was certainly well known to Jesus, a critical student of the word of God.  This law carries our understandings of the sanctity of life and the survival of men - all men - to a level beyond most of our comprehension.

Avoiding the application of brotherly love or sanctity of life, Jesus deals with the question and the belief of the Sadducees, reflecting again on the Kingdom of God. As Jesus studied the scriptures within the Rabbinical schools, his teachings reflected those of the Pharisees more than the Sadducees.  His response of verse 35 began His rebuke of their denial of the resurrection as His intent is always to reach the heart of the listener.  He was not afraid to overpower an opponent with words and thereby challenged their worthiness of such a noble gift as that of Resurrection, thereby also granting the listeners within the crowd a touch of pride and confidence in their belief - even a motivation to achieve such worthiness.

Again in verse 36, Jesus mentions the Angels.  Once again, a direct attack on the group asking the question.  Their own beliefs have now excluded them from the worthiness of resurrection, from everlasting life, and from holding even the title of "Children of God."  Quite probably, this was not a condemnation to Hell as even the belief in Hell reflects a resurrection and an eternal spiritual life! His response was as strong as casting out the demons of their theology which was holding them back from the Kingdom of God which was among them. 

Knowing their dedication to know and understand the scripture, Jesus then reflected on the Talmud containing the Mosaic law.  His answer of Luke 20:37-38 sounds like a student of theology making a case in debate class.  He attributes the writing to Moses even though the quote comes from God Himself in Exodus 3:6: "I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob."  His final statement of Luke 20:38 slipped in that theme that all will be raised in that "for to him all are alive."

Certainly, His answer pitted the crowd against one another as Jesus had touched the central core of the controversy between the Pharisee and the Sadducee.  The Pharisee's had won this debate through the great debater who stood in their presence and they applauded his answer, reflecting His Rabbinical title and standing in verse 39.  He had been showing His knowledge of scripture since the time He was a child and they no doubt knew of His reputation of knowledge.  Their problem stood more with His moral standing as seen through his associations and his condemnation of much of their own moral and ethical code.

Matthew, Mark, and Luke all reflect Jesus asking the next question regarding the Christ being the "Son of David" of Luke 20:41.  Matthew directs this question at the Pharisee's.  This apparently was another debate of the time as this phrase is not reflected in the Old Testament, but makes its first appearance regarding Jesus in Matthew 9:27.  Therefore, it may be assumed this was a title understood by the people of the day as an interpretation of the scripture, perhaps just as the title "Jesus of Nazareth".  This then was perhaps another reflection of a classroom debate within the Rabbinical schools of the day.  Jesus quote of Psalm 110:1, giving the claim that the Messiah was even before David, reflects He was well aware of their studies.  His self reference throughout the gospels was "Son of Man", a title quite common in scripture, making its first entry in Numbers 23:19.

Having thus mastered the scriptures with the masters, He had exemplified his authority in reference to their concern of Luke 20:2.  Turning then to the disciples, Jesus spoke to the crowd and to all of us in reflecting the innapropriate attitudes of the religious when it comes to service within the Kingdom of God.  Do not flaunt your wealth or blessings.  Do not seek the esteem of man for your spirituallity or righteousness; Do not consider yourself specially chosen and loved by your God who does not play favorites, but loves all men; Do not justify the excesses of your place of blessed priviledge at the cost of the greater community as the less fortunate succomb to the cycles of poverty your excess creates. Philippians 1:2 summarizes it this way "Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves."

Haggai 1:5-11 speaks well of the discipline of the Lord which shall come upon those of such vain conceit:
     "Now this is what the Lord Almighty says: 'Give careful thought to your ways. You have planted much, but have harvested little. You eat, but never have enough. You drink, but never have your fill. You put on clothes, but are not warm. You earn wages, only to put them in a purse with holes in it.'
     This is what the Lord Almighty says: 'Give careful thought to your ways. Go up into the mountains and bring down timber and build the house, so that I may take pleasure in it and be honored,' says the Lord.  'You expected much, but see, it turned out to be little. What you brought home, I blew away. Why?' declares the Lord Almighty. 'Because of my house, which remains a ruin, while each of you is busy with his own house. Therefore, because of you the heavens have withheld their dew and the earth its crops.  I called for a drought on the fields and the mountains, on the grain, the new wine, the oil and whatever the ground produces, on men and cattle, and on the labor of your hands.'"

Reflections on Psalms 89:14-37

(verse 14) "Righteousness and justice are the foundation of your throne; love and faithfulness go before you."
Hosea 2:19-20 "I will betroth you to me forever; I will betroth you in righteousness and justice, in love and compassion. I will betroth you in faithfulness, and you will acknowledge the Lord."

(verse 15) "Blessed are those who have learned to acclaim you, who walk in the light of your presence, O Lord."
I John 1:9 "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness."

(verse 16) "They rejoice in your name all day long; they exult in your righteousness."
I Corinthians 1:30-31: "It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God - that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption. Therefore, as it is written: 'Let him who boasts boast in the Lord.'" (See also Isaiah 45:24)

(verse 17) "For you are their glory and strength, and by your favor you exalt our horn."  
Psalm 23:5b-6: "I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows."


(verse 18) "Indeed, our shield belongs to the Lord, our king to the Holy One of Israel."
Romans 8:38-39 "For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord."

(verse 19) "Once you spoke in a vision, to your faithful people you said: 'I have bestowed strength on a warrior; I have exalted a young man from among the people.'"
I Samuel 18;6b-7 "the women came out from all the towns of Israel to meet King Saul with singing and dancing, with joyful songs and with tambourines and lutes. As they danced, they sang: "Saul has slain his thousands, and David his tens of thousands." 

(verse 20) "I have found David my servant; with my sacred oil I have anointed him."
I Samuel 16:12 "So he sent and had him brought in. He was ruddy, with a fine appearance and handsome features. Then the Lord said, "Rise and anoint him; he is the one."

(verse 21) "My hand will sustain him; surely my arm will strengthen him."
I Kings 8:42a "for men will hear of your great name and your mighty hand and your outstretched arm—when he comes and prays"

(verse 22) "No enemy will subject him to tribute; no wicked man will oppress him."
Ezra 8:22b "The gracious hand of our God is on everyone who looks to him, but his great anger is against all who forsake him."


(verse 23) "I will crush his foes before him and strike down his adversaries."
Zechariah 8:20-22 "Many peoples and the inhabitants of many cities will yet come, and the inhabitants of one city will go to another and say, 'Let us go at once to entreat the Lord and seek the Lord Almighty. I myself am going.' And many peoples and powerful nations will come to Jerusalem to seek the Lord Almighty and to entreat him."

(verse 24) "My faithful love will be with him, and through my name his horn will be exalted.
Isaiah 55:3 "Give ear and come to me; hear me, that your soul may live. I will make an everlasting covenant with you, my faithful love promised to David."

(verse 25) "I will set his hand over the sea, his right hand over the rivers."
Zechariah 9:10 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."

(verse 26) "He will call out to me, 'You are my Father, my God, the Rock my Savior.'"
II Corinthians 6:18 "I will be a Father to you, and you will be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty."

(verse 27) "I will also appoint him my firstborn, the most exalted of the kings of the earth."
Daniel 7:14 "He was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all peoples, nations and men of every language worshiped him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed."

(verse 28) "I will maintain my love to him forever, and my covenant with him will never fail."
Jeremiah 31:3b-4a "I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with loving-kindness. I will build you up again and you will be rebuilt"

(verse 29) "I will establish his line forever, his throne as long as the heavens endure."
Deuteronomy 11:21 "so that your days and the days of your children may be many in the land that the Lord swore to give your forefathers, as many as the days that the heavens are above the earth."

(verse 30) "If his sons forsake my law and do not follow my statutes,"
II Samuel 7:14 "I will be his father, and he will be my son. When he does wrong, I will punish him with the rod of men, with floggings inflicted by men."

(verse 31) "if they violate my decrees and fail to keep my commands,"
Ezekiel 22:29 " The people of the land practice extortion and commit robbery; they oppress the poor and needy and mistreat the alien, denying them justice."

(verse 32) "I will punish their sin with the rod, their iniquity with flogging"
Job 9:33-35a "If only there were someone to arbitrate between us, to lay his hand upon us both, someone to remove God's rod from me, so that his terror would frighten me no more. Then I would speak up without fear of him,"

(verse 33) "but I will not take my love from him, nor will I ever betray my faithfulness.
Hebrews 13:5b-6 "God has said, 'Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you."[Deuteronomy 31:6b] So we say with confidence, 'The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?'"[Psalm 118:6-7]
(verse 34) "I will not violate my covenant or alter what my lips have uttered."
Numbers 23:19 "God is not a man, that he should lie, nor a son of man, that he should change his mind. Does he speak and then not act? Does he promise and not fulfill?"
(verse 35) "Once for all, I have sworn by my holiness - and I will not lie to David-"
Hebrews 6:17: " Because God wanted to make the unchanging nature of his purpose very clear to the heirs of what was promised, he confirmed it with an oath."

(verse 36) "that his line will continue forever and his throne endure before me like the sun;"
Luke 1:31-33: "You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end."

(verse 37) "it will be established forever like the moon, the faithful witness in the sky."
Job 16:19-20: "Even now my witness is in heaven; my advocate is on high. My intercessor is my friend as my eyes pour out tears to God;"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RDncpDmqA88

Reflections on Proverbs 13:17-19

(verse 17) "A wicked messenger falls into trouble, but a trustworthy envoy brings healing."
Matthew 3:7b-8 "You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? Produce fruit in keeping with repentance."
I John 1:9: "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness."
Since John the Baptist and Jesus Christ, the message has been all about repentance and the forgiveness of sins.  The reputation of our God as a God of wrath and judgment should be wiped away due to his abounding Love and Mercy to all who call on His name.  As children of God, we must quit promoting enmity with God and bring the Glory due His name.  Truly, He can claim the vilest sinner on earth.

(verse 18) "He who ignores discipline comes to poverty and shame, but whoever heeds correction is honored."

Isaiah 45:24b "All who have raged against him will come to him and be put to shame."
II Timothy 1:7; "For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline."
Matthew 16:26-27; "What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul? For the Son of Man is going to come in his Father's glory with his angels, and then he will reward each person according to what he has done."

(verse 19) "A longing fulfilled is sweet to the soul, but fools detest turning from evil."
Psalm 119:102-103;  "I have not departed from your laws, for you yourself have taught me. How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth!"
Judges 3:4-5a; "They were left to test the Israelites to see whether they would obey the Lord's commands, which he had given their forefathers through Moses. The Israelites lived among the Canaanites"
Matthew 7:11-12; "If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him! So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets."
Until Tomorrow

Rick