David's prayer for his son Solomon at the end of First Chronicles includes a request: "Grant to Solomon my son a whole heart" (1 Chronicles 29:19). It is fairly obvious that this appeal is for more than a physical wholeness. Solomon did not have a heart impairment. Rather, David, having experienced his own trials and temptations, knew the kind of commitment his son would need to possess to follow God's commands and statutes.
The readings in Ezekiel this week are a great demonstration of those who don't act with their whole heart. In Chapter 16, we are given the image of the faithless bride to represent how God's people treated him. Sure at the beginning, when he saved them and "made [them] flourish like a plant in a field" (Ezekiel 16:7), they were ready to commit, but the commitment was not wholehearted, for, in no small amount of time, God goes from describing the people as his bride to a "whore" (16:15). This metaphorical bride takes what she's been given and uses it for "shrines" (16:16), for "images of men" (16:17), and for "sacrificing children" (16:20). Consequently, God's states, "How sick is your heart" (16:30).
To be whole is to be more than free from defect; it is also to be "undivided" and "integral" (Webster's, 1970, p.1019). Wholehearted people don't promise one thing only to go do something else. Rather, they commit to the promise and are an essential and fundamental contributor to the promise's completion. Have you ever set out to do something, worked hard to meet your goal, and then experienced full satisfaction at your accomplishment? This deep pleasure perhaps was the result of genuine effort - a determination to not give up when roadblocks occurred. I would suggest that it is this type of wholeheartedness that prevents one from making "a shipwreck of [one's] faith" (1 Timothy 1:19).
Admittedly, it is easy and understandable in this day and age - with its stabbings, mass shootings, and terrorism - to speculate and wonder, "Where is God?" But we should never let this speculation make us lose heart for the important, life-saving charges given us. Ezekiel 18:5-9 shares, "If a man is righteous and does what is just and right - if he does not [...] lift up his eyes to the idols [...], does not defile his neighbor's wife [...], does not oppress anyone, but restores to the debtor his pledge, commits no robbery, gives bread to the hungry and covers the naked with a garment, [...] withholds his hand from injustice, [...] walks in my statues, and keeps my rules by acting faithfully - he is righteous; he shall surely live." I don't know about you, but these directions seem worthy and valuable, something one could commit to regardless of the speculation that follows others' poor choices.
Ultimately, I don't want to be the person who loses sight of what matters and end up like him who "loved to curse" and "did not delight in blessing" enough so that curses and misery was his reward (Psalms 109:16-20). I believe what it says in Ezekiel 16:43, that our deeds are returned upon our own heads. So along with David, I pray for a whole heart. I don't want to commit to speculation, to wondering about the "ifs" and "buts." Rather, I will devote my time and efforts to a "love that issues from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith" (1 Timothy 1:5). For isn't this all that really matters in the end?
Monday, July 25, 2016
Sunday, July 17, 2016
"In their sight"
This week's readings were imposing. Ezekiel's visions of the four living creatures with their human, lion, ox and eagle heads are grandiose. David's preparations, with his organization of Levites, priests, and musicians, on behalf of his son Solomon, who is to build the house of the Lord, are significant. Even the transition of leadership from Moses to Joshua is impressive as it happened before the whole congregation. A part of me wonders how li'l me could even dare attempt any interpretation of these passages. However, one thing I am confident of is the blessing given to those who seek to understand God. Proverbs 8:35 states, "Whoever finds me finds life and obtains favor." So under such encouragement, I will proceed with what stood out to li'l me this week.
"In their sight" is a common phrase that was used. When Moses is about to pass along his leadership role to Joshua, God requests that the transition occurs in "sight" of the entire congregation (Numbers 27:19). I'm all but certain that the impressive handover was to make Joshua's authority as official as possible. There was to be no doubt about who was in charge.
The phrase "in their sight" is used again when God is instructing Ezekiel about how he is to carry his "exile baggage" - a symbol for how the rebellious house of Judah will be treated. It appears seven times within the first seven verses of chapter 12. The strangeness of Ezekiel's symbolic actions - digging through walls and bringing his baggage through them (Ezekiel 12:5) - loses luster if no one is there to see it. Through Ezekiel, God is trying to get people's attention.
"Wait and see." "Seeing is believing." "You got to see it to believe it." All of these clichés communicate the powerful connection between sight and belief. Sure, we can be told about others' experiences, and this can be quite persuasive; however, there is nothing quite like witnessing it with one's own eyes.
For example, this weekend, I was visiting with friends, and while we were sitting on the sidewalk of Main Street, eating ice cream, watching the cars go by, a previous student of mine, from a district miles away from where my friends and I were enjoying dessert, stuck his head out of a passing car and shouted, "Ms. Black?!" I waved, and my friends laughed wholeheartedly after witnessing this coincidental encounter. My family's response to my retelling of it though was more mild - they smiled and said, "That's nice." Seeing with one's eyes what would otherwise be heard or read adds a layer of personal experience that can enhance the message.
I would dare suggest that this is why Paul talks about putting "no obstacle in anyone's way" related to how one acts (2 Corinthians 6:3). If we are to be God's children, then our actions should demonstrate such, through "great endurance" in afflictions and hardships, by practicing patience and kindness and "truthful speech" (2 Corinthians 6:4-8). We need to give those around us something noteworthy to pay attention to, so that, as we are "in their sight," they witness the manifestation of God in our lives.
"In their sight" is a common phrase that was used. When Moses is about to pass along his leadership role to Joshua, God requests that the transition occurs in "sight" of the entire congregation (Numbers 27:19). I'm all but certain that the impressive handover was to make Joshua's authority as official as possible. There was to be no doubt about who was in charge.
The phrase "in their sight" is used again when God is instructing Ezekiel about how he is to carry his "exile baggage" - a symbol for how the rebellious house of Judah will be treated. It appears seven times within the first seven verses of chapter 12. The strangeness of Ezekiel's symbolic actions - digging through walls and bringing his baggage through them (Ezekiel 12:5) - loses luster if no one is there to see it. Through Ezekiel, God is trying to get people's attention.
"Wait and see." "Seeing is believing." "You got to see it to believe it." All of these clichés communicate the powerful connection between sight and belief. Sure, we can be told about others' experiences, and this can be quite persuasive; however, there is nothing quite like witnessing it with one's own eyes.
For example, this weekend, I was visiting with friends, and while we were sitting on the sidewalk of Main Street, eating ice cream, watching the cars go by, a previous student of mine, from a district miles away from where my friends and I were enjoying dessert, stuck his head out of a passing car and shouted, "Ms. Black?!" I waved, and my friends laughed wholeheartedly after witnessing this coincidental encounter. My family's response to my retelling of it though was more mild - they smiled and said, "That's nice." Seeing with one's eyes what would otherwise be heard or read adds a layer of personal experience that can enhance the message.
I would dare suggest that this is why Paul talks about putting "no obstacle in anyone's way" related to how one acts (2 Corinthians 6:3). If we are to be God's children, then our actions should demonstrate such, through "great endurance" in afflictions and hardships, by practicing patience and kindness and "truthful speech" (2 Corinthians 6:4-8). We need to give those around us something noteworthy to pay attention to, so that, as we are "in their sight," they witness the manifestation of God in our lives.
Thursday, July 14, 2016
Be Smarter Than a Donkey
(Yes, so I missed posting this last Sunday. I had my weekly "essay" planned; however, I was in the middle of moving boxes from one place to the next. I finally found time to publish the post today. I am planning on my next post for this coming Sunday, as usual.)
In this week's readings, Numbers 22 presents this bizarre story about a man and his donkey. Balaam, a diviner, is traveling to meet Balak, a Moabite prince, to discuss the idea of cursing the Israelites. Along the way, an angel of the Lord blocks the road, and most certainly would have prevented Balaam's arrival in Moab, perhaps by death. However, Balaam's donkey sees the angel and keeps turning aside or away from the path. When Balaam begins to beat the donkey for its seemingly wayward nature, the donkey speaks and defends itself. "What have I done to you, that you have struck me these three times? [...] Am I not your donkey, on which you have ridden all your life long to this day? Is it my habit to treat you this way?" (Numbers 22:28-30). At this moment, Balaam's eyes are opened, and he sees the angel of the Lord, who states, "Behold, I have come out to oppose you because your way is perverse [...]. The donkey saw me and turned aside before me these three times. If she had not turned aside [...], surely just now I would have killed you and let her live" (Numbers 22:32-33).
As I read this story, I felt such sympathy toward the donkey. Here she is taking care of her master while he blindly and foolishly beats her, never even stopping to wonder if something was wrong. I thought to myself, "Surely people can be smarter than a donkey, can't they?" Then I began to read 1 Chronicles. Chapter 17 speaks of the covenant God makes with David, who is so understandably in awe at the extent of God's promise that he starts his prayer with, "Who am I, O Lord God, and what is my house, that you have brought me thus far? And this was a small thing in your eyes, O God. You have also spoken of your servant's house for a great while to come, and have shown me future generations" (1 Chronicles 17:16-17). The covenant God makes with David will last for generations, and one would think, especially based on this prayer, that it would be something David would remember. Yet four chapters later, David is feeling proud about his dominion and demands a census, something even his military commander, Joab, finds "abhorrent" (1 Chronicles 21:6). David wants to know how much man power he has. The consequence of this arrogance? A pestilence so bad that 70,000 of the men David counted fall. David, clothed in sackcloth, notes, "Was it not I who gave command to number the people?" (1 Chronicles 21:17). Honestly, this is a frightening tale. One haughty decision cost David so much.
Jeremiah 51:17 comments about Babylon, "Every man is stupid and without knowledge." They put their faith in idols that have "no breath" and are a "work of delusion" (51:17-18). Proverbs 9:13 declares, "The woman Folly [...] is seductive [...]. She sits at the door of her house; she stakes a seat on the highest places of town, calling to those who pass by [...] 'Whoever is simple, let him turn in here!'" Based on these passages as well of the story of David, it would appear that "being smarter than a donkey" can be a Herculean task. How do one overcome a natural state of stupidity?
Thankfully, 2 Corinthians paints a counteracting picture. First, it recognizes the power of person's choices. Chapter 2, verse 5 notes, "[...] if anyone has caused pain, he has caused it not to me, but in some measure - not to put it too severely - to all of you." Too many times, we, like David, think our actions only affect ourselves. We rarely pay attention to the ramifications of what we do, and this gets us into trouble. If we are to "be smarter than a donkey," it would be prudent to see ahead and consider the path we are on. What lives might be touched by the decisions we make?
Second, when one's keeps God at the center, a positive boldness ensues. "[W]here the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom" (2 Corinthians 3:17). We have access to one who has done "mighty deeds" (Psalm 106:2), who has "an abundance of [...] steadfast love" (Psalm 106:7), and who has saved and redeemed from the "hand of the foe" and the "power of the enemy" (Psalm 106:10). If in our choices we seek his guidance, we can "be smarter than a donkey" and live in his world with a surprising boldness.
In this week's readings, Numbers 22 presents this bizarre story about a man and his donkey. Balaam, a diviner, is traveling to meet Balak, a Moabite prince, to discuss the idea of cursing the Israelites. Along the way, an angel of the Lord blocks the road, and most certainly would have prevented Balaam's arrival in Moab, perhaps by death. However, Balaam's donkey sees the angel and keeps turning aside or away from the path. When Balaam begins to beat the donkey for its seemingly wayward nature, the donkey speaks and defends itself. "What have I done to you, that you have struck me these three times? [...] Am I not your donkey, on which you have ridden all your life long to this day? Is it my habit to treat you this way?" (Numbers 22:28-30). At this moment, Balaam's eyes are opened, and he sees the angel of the Lord, who states, "Behold, I have come out to oppose you because your way is perverse [...]. The donkey saw me and turned aside before me these three times. If she had not turned aside [...], surely just now I would have killed you and let her live" (Numbers 22:32-33).
As I read this story, I felt such sympathy toward the donkey. Here she is taking care of her master while he blindly and foolishly beats her, never even stopping to wonder if something was wrong. I thought to myself, "Surely people can be smarter than a donkey, can't they?" Then I began to read 1 Chronicles. Chapter 17 speaks of the covenant God makes with David, who is so understandably in awe at the extent of God's promise that he starts his prayer with, "Who am I, O Lord God, and what is my house, that you have brought me thus far? And this was a small thing in your eyes, O God. You have also spoken of your servant's house for a great while to come, and have shown me future generations" (1 Chronicles 17:16-17). The covenant God makes with David will last for generations, and one would think, especially based on this prayer, that it would be something David would remember. Yet four chapters later, David is feeling proud about his dominion and demands a census, something even his military commander, Joab, finds "abhorrent" (1 Chronicles 21:6). David wants to know how much man power he has. The consequence of this arrogance? A pestilence so bad that 70,000 of the men David counted fall. David, clothed in sackcloth, notes, "Was it not I who gave command to number the people?" (1 Chronicles 21:17). Honestly, this is a frightening tale. One haughty decision cost David so much.
Jeremiah 51:17 comments about Babylon, "Every man is stupid and without knowledge." They put their faith in idols that have "no breath" and are a "work of delusion" (51:17-18). Proverbs 9:13 declares, "The woman Folly [...] is seductive [...]. She sits at the door of her house; she stakes a seat on the highest places of town, calling to those who pass by [...] 'Whoever is simple, let him turn in here!'" Based on these passages as well of the story of David, it would appear that "being smarter than a donkey" can be a Herculean task. How do one overcome a natural state of stupidity?
Thankfully, 2 Corinthians paints a counteracting picture. First, it recognizes the power of person's choices. Chapter 2, verse 5 notes, "[...] if anyone has caused pain, he has caused it not to me, but in some measure - not to put it too severely - to all of you." Too many times, we, like David, think our actions only affect ourselves. We rarely pay attention to the ramifications of what we do, and this gets us into trouble. If we are to "be smarter than a donkey," it would be prudent to see ahead and consider the path we are on. What lives might be touched by the decisions we make?
Second, when one's keeps God at the center, a positive boldness ensues. "[W]here the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom" (2 Corinthians 3:17). We have access to one who has done "mighty deeds" (Psalm 106:2), who has "an abundance of [...] steadfast love" (Psalm 106:7), and who has saved and redeemed from the "hand of the foe" and the "power of the enemy" (Psalm 106:10). If in our choices we seek his guidance, we can "be smarter than a donkey" and live in his world with a surprising boldness.
Sunday, July 3, 2016
The Best Salsa Move
In my salsa dancing class, my instructor did a 30-minute lesson on technique. One move required the follower (typically, a lady) to close her eyes and be guided about the room by the leader (typically, a gentleman), all through the mere touch of hands. For the movement to work properly, there needed to be an exactness in the leader's efforts. He couldn't simply walk any which way he felt. Rather, he had to apply the right hand pressure, he needed to step with his whole body and not just with his foot and leg, and he ought to be watching out for other couples.
A similar theme of meticulousness was present in this week's readings. First Corinthians 14:33 states, "For God is not a God of confusion but of peace." God would like for us to experience the orderliness of his presence, like a follower should experience from her leader. I, dancing as a follower, can attest to how confusing it felt when the right pressure wasn't applied in my hands or when my partner moved with his feet instead of the center of his body. Because my eyes were closed, all directions had to be communicated accurately through touch. Otherwise, I became confused and followed too late, bumped into my partner's toes, and/or crashed into another couple.
God - not wanting his people to "bump into others' toes" - provides them with precise directions, all for their benefit.
Now in order for a salsa move to be executed flawlessly, the follower has her own responsibility - she must truly be willing to be led. One could be dancing with the most exact leader in the world, but if she isn't willing to follow, the dance will be spoiled. Quite frequently, this is the type of follower God's people chose to be. They would refuse to be led and confusion - or worse - ensued. Chapter 13 of 1 Chronicles demonstrates this with the tragic story of Uzzah. Here we have King David who so desires to retrieve God's ark that, even though exact instructions have been provided previously by the Lord about how it should transported, he and his men travel to Kiriath-jearim and carelessly place the ark on a cart. And when the oxen stumble, "Uzzah [puts] out his hand to take hold of the ark" (13:9), and he is fatally struck down. Later, when King David seeks to move it again, he says to the heads of the Levites, "Because you did not carry it the first time, the Lord our God broke out against us, because we did not seek him according to the rule" (15:13). God had given instructions so that he could be represented with the ark; he didn't want his people to suffer but to benefit. But when they chose to ignore his directions, the consequences were costly.
Moses too experienced the expense of not following God's direction. In Numbers 20, Moses is given instruction about how to bring water from rock. The Lord says, "Take the staff [...] and tell the rock before [the eyes of the congregation] to yield its water" (20:8), but Moses lifts his hand and strikes the rock with his staff twice and, as a result, is not allowed to lead the people into the land that will be given them (20:11-12). Admittedly, this seems like the Lord is a tad nit-picky. Moses did as asked but in a slightly different way. Yet, knowing the mishaps which occur when I as a follower have turned a different way from what my dance partner has instructed, one wonders how Moses' slight difference in approach may have affected whatever God sought to accomplish for his people.
This is probably why Jeremiah warns, "Cursed is he who does the work of the Lord with slackness" (48:10). God seeks to accomplish great things his people. Psalms 105 summarizes: he made covenants with Abraham and his descendants (105:7-11), he acted through Joseph to help his people with the famine (105:16-25), and he sent Moses to free them from slavery (105:26-38). And as partners in this work, they needed to be willing to trust his lead. Just like how it takes careful leadership and a willingness to follow for the best salsa move, so too does it work best between God and his people.
A similar theme of meticulousness was present in this week's readings. First Corinthians 14:33 states, "For God is not a God of confusion but of peace." God would like for us to experience the orderliness of his presence, like a follower should experience from her leader. I, dancing as a follower, can attest to how confusing it felt when the right pressure wasn't applied in my hands or when my partner moved with his feet instead of the center of his body. Because my eyes were closed, all directions had to be communicated accurately through touch. Otherwise, I became confused and followed too late, bumped into my partner's toes, and/or crashed into another couple.
God - not wanting his people to "bump into others' toes" - provides them with precise directions, all for their benefit.
Now in order for a salsa move to be executed flawlessly, the follower has her own responsibility - she must truly be willing to be led. One could be dancing with the most exact leader in the world, but if she isn't willing to follow, the dance will be spoiled. Quite frequently, this is the type of follower God's people chose to be. They would refuse to be led and confusion - or worse - ensued. Chapter 13 of 1 Chronicles demonstrates this with the tragic story of Uzzah. Here we have King David who so desires to retrieve God's ark that, even though exact instructions have been provided previously by the Lord about how it should transported, he and his men travel to Kiriath-jearim and carelessly place the ark on a cart. And when the oxen stumble, "Uzzah [puts] out his hand to take hold of the ark" (13:9), and he is fatally struck down. Later, when King David seeks to move it again, he says to the heads of the Levites, "Because you did not carry it the first time, the Lord our God broke out against us, because we did not seek him according to the rule" (15:13). God had given instructions so that he could be represented with the ark; he didn't want his people to suffer but to benefit. But when they chose to ignore his directions, the consequences were costly.
Moses too experienced the expense of not following God's direction. In Numbers 20, Moses is given instruction about how to bring water from rock. The Lord says, "Take the staff [...] and tell the rock before [the eyes of the congregation] to yield its water" (20:8), but Moses lifts his hand and strikes the rock with his staff twice and, as a result, is not allowed to lead the people into the land that will be given them (20:11-12). Admittedly, this seems like the Lord is a tad nit-picky. Moses did as asked but in a slightly different way. Yet, knowing the mishaps which occur when I as a follower have turned a different way from what my dance partner has instructed, one wonders how Moses' slight difference in approach may have affected whatever God sought to accomplish for his people.
This is probably why Jeremiah warns, "Cursed is he who does the work of the Lord with slackness" (48:10). God seeks to accomplish great things his people. Psalms 105 summarizes: he made covenants with Abraham and his descendants (105:7-11), he acted through Joseph to help his people with the famine (105:16-25), and he sent Moses to free them from slavery (105:26-38). And as partners in this work, they needed to be willing to trust his lead. Just like how it takes careful leadership and a willingness to follow for the best salsa move, so too does it work best between God and his people.
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