Musical Message

It's a fact that most of the scripture I remember, I do so because it is associated with a song. Thus I have decided that Eugene Paterson's next project should be to take his Message and set it to music. That way those of us who rely on music as an aid to memory will be able to commit more of the bible to memory :-)

Testing times

Suffering through exam time myself, any mention of testing makes me a little jumpy. Hence when I was reading through Exodus 15 and 16 in The Message, the following lines caught my attention:

That's the place where God set up rules and procedures; that's where he started testing them.

And again:

'I'm going to test them to see if they will live according to my Teaching or not.'

Do you think God really tests us? To me, the word test means that you start out not knowing the answer and finish knowing the answer. In God's case, He already knows the answer - of what value is the test then?

Egyptian Strike

Reading through the Exodus account in "The Message", what are traditionally referred to as the "plagues" are instead called "strikes". I wonder what type of strike Eugene had in mind - the offensive war-time strike, the baseball "three strikes and you're out" or the trade union stop-work type strike.

Perhaps all three?

Home is where I hang my hat

At a party tonight I was discussing the concept of "home" with some people, one of whom produced the phrase that is the title of this post. My immediate reaction was one of horror, for whilst I am not naturally a sentimental person I do form attachments to some places.

For instance I consider my parents place in Nowra to be "home" in many senses, despite the fact that I only really lived there for a combined time of about 4-5 months. (For some reason, my parents decided that since I was moving out of home, they needed to move to a bigger house - go figure!) Similarly I still consider the church I attended in Bomaderry to be my "home" church, again in spite of the fact that I have been away from that church almost as long as I was a part of the church.

As his story unfolded, he explained that he has moved 26 times during the course of his life, and that the house his parents live in now is not the house he grew up in. Thus he has very few memories associated with any of these places.

And so the question I am left to ponder is, "How do we define home?". Is it based on the memories associated with a place? Perhaps with the people who are there?

Still waiting.....

I was given a copy of Eugene Peterson's "The Message" for my birthday, and have resolved to read it cover to cover. I found it amusing that the end of Genesis 2, where Adam is commenting on the fact that Eve is suddenly on the scene reads as follows:

The Man said, "Finally! Bone of my bone, flesh of my flesh! Name her Woman for she was made from Man" Genesis 2 (The Message)

That "Finally!" immediately got associated with the way I sometimes feel when my wife emerges from the bathroom after spending (seemingly) hours preparing to face the world. Or when she announces "I'm ready to go" after wandering around the house collecting everything she might possibly need whilst we are out.

It seems that the first man was made to wait for the first woman, and the tradition has stuck.....

Biblical Reincarnation

The disciples asked him, "Why then do the teachers of the law say that Elijah must come first?"

Jesus replied, "To be sure, Elijah comes and will restore all things. But I tell you, Elijah has already come, and they did not recognize him, but have done to him everything they wished. In the same way the Son of Man is going to suffer at their hands." Then the disciples understood that he was talking to them about John the Baptist.

- Matthew 17:10-13

Is this passage telling us that Elijah and John the Baptist were the same person? Or is it in some way metaphorical?

Blessings and Curses

I find it interesting that Joshua 8 seems to treat the terms "the Law" and "the blessings and the curses" as the same thing. I suppose, in the end, the Law is simply a list of natural consequences - some action have good consequences (blessings) and others bad consequences (curses).

Jesus' grief

Matthew 14 gives us an example of how Jesus deals with his grief. Having heard of the death of his cousin, John the Baptist, he seeks to withdraw to a solitary place. I believe, however, that he was seeking opportunity to pray for John, rather than to go away feeling sorry for himself.

We see almost immediately, however, that even in his grief he is selfless. Where you or I may have taken offence at the intrusion of crowds of people into our grief, the bible tells us that "he had compassion on them". He then goes on to provide for their needs, rather than focussing on his own needs.

I thought heaven was forever

Never again will there be in it
an infant who lives but a few days,
or an old man who does not live out his years;
he who dies at a hundred
will be thought a mere youth;
he who fails to reach a hundred
will be considered accursed.

- Isaiah 65:20

Taken literally, this verse seems to suggest that, whilst life in heaven will last for longer, nevertheless men will still "live out [their] years" - i.e. they will die eventually.

How do we reconcile this with the concept that "The second death has no power over them, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with Him for a thousand years" (Rev 20:6)

Don't get me wrong. I believe in the bible, that it is the infallible word of God. All I seek is to further my understanding, by bring what are to my mind inconsistencies into the light, and see what I learn by it.

The power of Words

For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned.

- Matthew 12:37

"Sticks and stones will break my bones, but words will never hurt me." As a child, I was taught to ignore what other people said about me, by reducing the importance placed upon their words.

God offers a different perspective, however, telling us that our words have the power to acquit or condemn us. Indeed James 3 describes the tongue as "a restless evil, full of deadly poison".

Useless Labour

Unless the Lord builds the house,
its builders labor in vain.
Unless the Lord watches over the city,
the watchmen stand guard in vain.

In vain you rise early
and stay up late,
toiling for food to eat-
for he grants sleep to those he loves.

- Psalm 127:1-2

I often find myself thinking, "It may be a little harder doing things my way, but the independence is worth it - I'll get there in the end."

God has a different perspective however. Without God, according to this Psalm, our labour is not only frustrating, but it is completely useless. I do not achieve anything when I go out on my own - I will not get there by myself.

Fortunately, God also has an answer. He freely offers to work with us in our labours, to stand watch with us and for us. He has made this promise through Jesus, by sending Him to establish the relationship and the closeness that we could not have otherwise.

Dirty fighting - Bible style

Smite the loins of those who rise up against him;
strike his foes till they rise no more.

- Deuteronomy 33:11b

In today's parlance, Moses appears to be calling on God to "kick them in the nads, and once they're down keep kicking until they're dead". Surely not......

One more Pearl

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.

- Matthew 7:6

This verse in particular reminded me of a story about a teacher who, having been completely ignored for an entire lesson, cried out upon hearing the bell, "Wait, I have one more pearl to cast...."

Some few of the students recognised the allusion, and were suitably chastened. I wonder how many of today's students, secondary or tertiary, would understand what was being said to them?

Not too hard

Now what I am commanding you today is not too difficult for you or beyond your reach. It is not up in heaven, so that you have to ask, "Who will ascend into heaven to get it and proclaim it to us so we may obey it?" Nor is it beyond the sea, so that you have to ask, "Who will cross the sea to get it and proclaim it to us so we may obey it?" No, the word is very near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart so you may obey it.

- Deuteronomy 30:11-14

So if it's not too difficult to obey, why does it seem so hard?

God is inclusive, not exclusive

Reading Isaiah 56 corrected an error in my thinking. I had always thought that God only became interested in the Gentiles after Christ had died and risen, with perhaps one or two exceptions.

I now know that God has always been willing to accept anyone who is willing to serve Him.

Let no foreigner who has bound himself to the Lord say,

"The Lord will surely exclude me from his people." ...

And foreigners who bind themselves to the Lord
to serve him, to love the name of the Lord ,
and to worship him, all who keep the Sabbath without desecrating it and who hold fast to my covenant - these I will bring to my holy mountain
and give them joy in my house of prayer. Their burnt offerings and sacrifices will be accepted on my altar; for my house will be called
a house of prayer for all nations."

The Sovereign Lord declares-
he who gathers the exiles of Israel:
"I will gather still others to them
besides those already gathered."

- Isaiah 56:3,6-8

Court records?

Reading Deuteronomy 25, I gained the impression that I was reading not so much a statement of law as a series of verdicts or judgments.

In our society, laws are established by the government, and then refined and interpreted by the courts. Perhaps Moses was in a similar position - God defined the law through the Ten Commandments, and Moses found himself having to pass down rulings (with God's guidance) on how the laws were to be interpreted.

To the Nth generation

According to Deuteronomy 24:

"Fathers shall not be put to death for their children, nor children put to death for their fathers; each is to die for his own sin."

I find it difficult to reconcile this with Exodus 20:5 which says:

You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me.

Was Jesus always serious?

Looking a this comic on gospelcom.net made me ask the question "Did Jesus ever play a practical joke?"

The bible doesn't seem to tell us much about Jesus's sense of homour. We get plenty of information about His other emotions: love, compassion, anger etc., but to the best of my knowledge, nowhere does it say "Jesus laughed".

Two waves of resurrection

Reading Revelation 20 today, I was a little confused about the order of things to come. It seems that some people will be raised from the dead, and will rule with Jesus for "a thousand years". So far as I can tell, it is those who are martyred that will receive this privilige. These will be "blessed and holy". During this time, Satan is bound and thrown into the abyss.

At the end of the thousand years, Satan is to be released, and after being defeated in battle, all the rest of the dead will be raised and "judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books."

So, in other words, some people get the equivalent of university "early entry". Something to think about.

Cities of refuge

God commanded the Israelites to set aside six cities devoted to sheltering people who have killed by accident. (check out Deutoronomy 19) I guess it must have been a relatively common problem, if the six cities were populated.....

How do we translate this into modern day terms? In a sense, we provide shelter for all people who kill, either intentionally or otherwise, in the form of our gaols. The motives seem to differ however. Biblically, it was to prevent him being killed in revenge, since he was innocent. Modern day rationale says rather that it is for the protection of society in general, in case it happens again, and in punishment.

Let the doctor see

Two independent sources today convicted me of the need to expose those things in me that are secret - don't worry, this won't be the forum!

One talked about the way when you go to the doctor, you must remove any bandages or other dressings that are covering the wound. It is only then that both the patient and the doctor can assess the damage and take the appropriate corrective action.

The other referred me to Ephesians 5, where Paul says "Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. For it is shameful even to mention what the disobedient do in secret. But everything exposed by the light becomes visible, for it is light that makes everything visible." (vv11-14)

As a christian, I often find myself avoiding any form of confession to anyone other than God, using such excuses as "It will hurt them too much," or "I wouldn't want to burden them with my problems." Nevertheless, God has given us to one another to help bear each other's burdens. Sharing our problems helps to keep us accountable to one another.

Biblical numerology

How much significance do the numbers in the bible have? Nowhere are they more prevalent than in Revelation. For example, see Revelation 13, where the beast has ten horns, seven heads, ten crowns, one fatal wound and forty-two months to rule.

The outer court

If I'm reading John's vision in Revelation 11 then us poor Gentiles are to be relegated to the outer court - that is the place in the temple of God that has been alotted to us.

Furthermore, it is not to be measured like the other parts of the temple - I wonder if that is because the outer court is insignificantly small or immeasurably large?

OT - How much is valid?

How much of the old testament should we be bound by? Deuteronomy 12 seems to offer as good a bunch of (seemingly) antiquated laws as any - sacrifice, worship tied to one place, destruction of all the artifacts of other religions.

How should we respond to passages like this? Paul says we are "not under the law, but under grace" (Rom 6:14). Does this mean that the OT has been superceded, that it no longer has value? If so, why is it included in what we term the Bible?

Perhaps it remains only so that we may know what sin is, as Paul suggests in Rom 7:7ff. If so, should we be at least attempting to be living within the law as presented in the OT?

First impressions

Interesting how easy it is to misjudge someone based on your first impressions - particularly when the only evidence you have is textual.

I have been reading through Isaiah, and had liked what I'd seen about Hezekiah. Here is a king who seems to be a man of some compassion, and to whom the Lord has granted a new lease of life (see Isaiah 38).

Today I reached chapter 39, and was very surprised to read Hezekiah's reaction to a prophecy of destruction, both against Jerusalem and against his descendants.

Whereas in Chapter 37 his reaction was to tear his clothes and put on sackcloth, now he rejoices because "There will be peace and security in my lifetime."

Retirement

Moses was 120 when he retired. (see Deuteronomy 31) By my calculations, given that the poeple of Israel wandered in the desert for forty years, this means that Moses was already 80 when God called him to lead the people out of Egypt!

To think we make people retire at age 65.