Bible Bits: Taking of vows

In a Bible Class a week or so ago, we were discussing the Judge, Jephthah.  Jephthah had made a vow to the Lord before heading into battle against the enemies who had been oppressing Israel.  Jephthah vowed, “If you will give the Ammonites into my hand, then whatever comes out from the doors of my house to meet me when I return in peace from the Ammonites shall be the Lord's, and I will offer it up for a burnt offering” (Judges 11:31-32).  

Jephthah was probably convinced that the first thing to run out of his house would have been a goat, a sheep, or an ox which was finally set free from the stall.  Instead, it was his daughter.  While the Bible is rather discreet in describing what happened, it seems certain that Jephthah offered up his only daughter as a human sacrifice.

The astounding part of keeping this vow is that it forced Jephthah to do what God calls an abomination in his eyes.  So, the question is raised: Why did Jephthah keep the vow to do what violated God's word?  Why didn't he renege?  Wouldn't God have preferred violating a vow to avoid a human sacrifice?

This is not the only incident where something like this happened.  When the Israelites were entering the Promised Land, the Lord told them to make treaties with no people in that land.  They could make treaties with distant nations, but not with locals.  The people from Gibeon, locals, feared the slaughter that would come if they faced Israel.  So, they disguised themselves, presented themselves as foreign nationals, and forged a treaty with Israel.  Even though the Gibeonites lied, the people of Israel honored their covenant.

From the book of Joshua: "Joshua summoned them, and he said to them, 'Why did you deceive us, saying, "We are very far from you," when you dwell among us? Now therefore you are cursed, and some of you shall never be anything but servants, cutters of wood and drawers of water for the house of my God.' ... So he did this to them and delivered them out of the hand of the people of Israel, and they did not kill them" (Johsua 9:22-23,26).  Once again, the people of Israel defied God's instructions for the sake of keeping their vow.  Why didn't they excuse themselves because the Gibeonites lied?

Perhaps someone has a better answer than I do, but here are my thoughts.  When God chooses to deal with us, he deals with us in words.  God is always faithful to his word.  Of course, God does not make foolish vows, but God never reneges on his words, either.  If that is how God regards words, he expects us to be careful with our words because we are bound to keep them.  The vows we make should be vows that we are in control of keeping, such as a marriage vow, a vow to tell the truth in a witness stand, confirmation vows, ordination vows, etc.  We should not be careless or frivolous with vows, especially when we can do nothing to guarantee them.  

That is why Jesus instructed us, “Again you have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not swear falsely, but shall perform to the Lord what you have sworn.’  But I say to you, Do not take an oath at all, either by heaven, for it is the throne of God, or by the earth, for it is his footstool, or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King.  And do not take an oath by your head, for you cannot make one hair white or black.  Let what you say be simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’; anything more than this comes from evil" (Matthew 5:33-37).

God takes words very seriously, especially vows.  With vows, we are calling on God to hold us to our word.  God does not take lightly our invoking of his name--whether specifically stated or implied.  After all, who else holds you accountable when you swear?  Since God always is faithful to his word, he holds us accountable for ours.  Apparently, the people of Israel would rather be found faithful to their words than to avoid the evil which resulted from foolish vows.  And while the Bible does not comment on God's reaction, it seems that God expected words and vows to be kept, regardless of the cost.

BIBLE BITS -- Matthew 21

Matthew 21:14 reads, "And the blind and the lame came to him in the temple, and he healed them."  This is a short verse, and it is easy to breeze right past it.

However, a little pondering would have us saying, "Wait a minute.  How could the lame people come to Jesus?  They can't walk.  And how would the blind people come to Jesus?   They can't see him?"

In the case of the blind, I suppose it could be argued that they could hear Jesus preaching.  That's reasonable.   But it does not account for how the lame came to Jesus.

In both cases, I suspect that friends for family brought the blind and the lame to Jesus.  They would be eager for Jesus to provide his healing touch to them, knowing that having sight or strength restored would be a great blessing and make life much easier.

This is almost always the case: Family and friends bring people to Jesus.  It could be parents who bring their baby to the font for baptism.  But fewer people are growing up in homes where church attendance is normal.  More and more, people are growing up without attending church or knowing what the Bible says.  

Therefore, the people who know Jesus and cherish his word are going to be the people who bring their friends and family to church.  Who better knows the peace, the comfort, and the hope of Jesus than those who hear his word?  Especially when we know that there is no salvation outside of Jesus, we will want to bring our family and friends to hear his word and receive his blessings.

Just as the blind could not find their way to Jesus and the lame had no strength to come on their own, so those who are unbelievers have neither insight nor ability to come to Jesus.  They need to be brought.

Dear Father in heaven, make us such good friends and family to our loved ones so that we bring them to their Savior.

BIBLE BITS -- Matthew 19

This post of Bible Bits also serves as a pastoral concern about marriage and divorce.

When the Pharisees came to Jesus to ask about marriage and divorce, Jesus made it clear that divorce was not a part of God's plan.  Moreso, divorce is rebellion against God's plan.  When Jesus declared, "What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate" (Matthew 19:6), it was not a mere encouragement.  It was divine Law.  It still is divine Law.  Marriage is a gift of God.  Marriage is blessed by God.  Marriage has been established by God to be a life-long union between one man and one woman.  People who dissolve a marriage for any reason rebel against and reject what God has established.  

God has designed marriage to be a great blessing for a man and a woman.  That does not mean it is easy.  Two people, both sinners, often compete with each other for preference, for pride, and for personal interests.  Both can be lazy, selfish, sarcastic, and resentful.  Both husband and wife have goals and can look at the other as a hinderance to those goals.  Such sins make marriage bitter.  

The Pharisees sought a way out of that.  Moses was their out.  “Why then did Moses command one to give a certificate of divorce and to send her away" (Matthew 19:7)?  This was a concession, not a command.  A certificate of divorce was only given as a way for a woman to be publicly known as a divorced woman.  It was done only for the sake of order.  The Pharisees seemed to think this was God's stamp of approval on divorce.  But that would be like saying vandalism is okay as long as one pays the fine for it.  A fine is not a fee which grants permission to vandalize.  It is a punishment and a deterrent because vandalism is wicked.

Even the apostles seemed to be alarmed by Jesus' words when he spoke so strongly against divorce.  When they recognized that God offers no escape clause, they said, “If such is the case of a man with his wife, it is better not to marry.”  But he said to them, “Not everyone can receive this saying, but only those to whom it is given.  For there are eunuchs who have been so from birth, and there are eunuchs who have been made eunuchs by men, and there are eunuchs who have made themselves eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom of heaven. Let the one who is able to receive this receive it” (Matthew 19:10-12).  

Jesus' point about eunuchs is mainly that most people are not designed for a celibate life.  God created us to be sexual beings.  That was established by God's blessings back in the Garden of Eden.  "God said to (Adam and Eve), 'Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it'" (Genesis 1:28).  Therefore, the sexual drive to reproduce is common to all people.  There are some who do not have a drive and are perfectly content to remain single.  They are the eunuchs Jesus spoke about in the verses above.  This contentment is a gift.  The norm, however, is to be marriage, then sex, then--as God chooses to bless it--children.

The sexual drive God instills in people is properly carried out in marriage.  It is for the mutual benefit of husband and wife who work together for the good of their family.  It is especially good for children to have this father-and-mother care.  Those who chose to act outside of God's design subject themselves hardships that God did not intend.  And God's wrath runs hot against the men who impregnate women, abandon them, and reject any responsibility for their actions.  There is nothing manly about this.  It is selfish and cowardly at the highest level.  If a man is unwilling to bind himself to a woman for life, he should not do it for a night either.  Women, it is for your benefit that God forbids sex before marriage.  You will spare yourself much fear and grief if you refrain from the bed until marriage.

So, why does God make such a big deal about marriage being an unbreakable bond?  Because it is a reflection of Jesus Christ and his Church.  Jesus is fully committed and faithful to his Bride, the Church.  The Church, then, is also to be faithful to her Groom, Jesus.  The Church is by no means the best Jesus can do until he finds a better option.  He does not use the Church for his own selfish gains.  He loves his Church despite its weaknesses and blemishes.  He continually forgives the sins against him.  Jesus gave up everything for the Church so that she can be his for all eternity.  The Church, in turn, recognizes that there is no greater love than what Jesus gives to her.  The Church willingly submits to Jesus Christ for her own blessing and benefit.  Marriage is to be a reflection of that mutual love.

Just as Jesus does not look for ways to get out of his commitment to the Church and just as the Church will find no greater love than in Jesus, neither should husbands or wives flee from their marriage vows.

Yes, marriage can have its challenges.  But there is no greater earthly bond than a husband and wife.  Each serves the good of the other.  Each is to seek the good of the other.  Each should confess their sins against the other so that each can forgive each other and strive for a joyful union.  

Rather than seeking to get out of a marriage, each should be concerned about what he or she is putting into the marriage.  That will result in the blessings God has always intended them to have.

BIBLE BITS -- Matthew 5

There has been a trend of people claiming that Jesus never said he was God.  If you want to find a verse in the Bible where Jesus states, "You know what?  I am God.  For real.  Divine through and through.  The Lord Almighty.  That's ME!", you won't find it.  However, if you consider Jesus' words, they can only be uttered by someone who is God--or by someone who is guilty of rank blasphemy.  The charge of blasphemy was made by Jesus' enemies repeatedly.  So, they understood what Jesus was saying, even if Jesus' enemies today do not.

As one example of Jesus' words being a claim for divinity, consider the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5.  Jesus quoted the Law of Moses six times, and each time, Jesus commented on the Law and strengthened it.  He taught that our attitudes and thoughts are just as damning as our actions if they violate the Law of God.  But consider how Jesus made his claims.

"You have heard that it was said..." (verses 21,27,31,33,38,43) and then Jesus quoted the Law.  But he followed up, "But I say to you...." (verses 22,28,32,34,39,44).  What gives Jesus the authority to intensify the Law?  And not only to intensify it, but to base his intensifying on a "because I said so"?  It can only be this: He is God.  

As God, he offers commentary on his own word.  He does not nullify the Law or overturn it.  He restates and reinforces it.  Only God has the authority to do that.  Therefore, by his words, Jesus declares, "I am God."

BIBLE BITS -- Psalms 50 and 51

When God created mankind, the Bible says, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness" (Genesis 1:26).  Mankind is to be a reflection of God--knowing what God wants, desiring to do what God wants, and able to do what God wants.  God loves and blesses mankind with all he needs to live; mankind, in turn, lives to honor God and love others whom God has created.

But sinners have turned this on its head.  Rather than striving to be like God, sinners go our own way.  What's more, we presume that God is like us.  We have made God in our own image.  We assume that God's justice is our justice, that God's opinions match our opinions.  We assume that God likes what we like and that God hates what we hate.  And when God does not act according to our assessment of what is good and right, we convict God of being ignorant, inconsiderate, or incompetent.  

This sinful mindset has not escaped God's notice.  In Psalm 50, we read, "But to the wicked God says: 'What right have you to recite my statutes or take my covenant on your lips? For you hate discipline, and you cast my words behind you. If you see a thief, you are pleased with him, and you keep company with adulterers. You give your mouth free rein for evil, and your tongue frames deceit. You sit and speak against your brother; you slander your own mother's son. These things you have done, and I have been silent; you thought that I was one like yourself. But now I rebuke you and lay the charge before you" (Psalm 50:16-21, emphasis added).

When we give heed to the word of God, we recognize just how unlike God we are.  It is not God who needs correction; he is pure and holy.  It is we who need redemption from our sinful rebellion and arrogance.  And then it is we who need to be corrected in our hearts, minds, and actions.  

The solution is found in the very next Psalm: "Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from your presence, and take not your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and uphold me with a willing spirit" (Psalm 51:10-12).

Jesus Christ has purified us from all unrighteousness through holy baptism.  There, he cleanses us of all sin through his holy, precious blood.  There he applies to us the benefits of his sufferings, death, and resurrection.  He not only cleanses our status, but he converts our hearts to acknowledge that his word is good and right.  He gives us his Holy Spirit so that we conform to him.  This is how the image of God is being restored in us, to be perfected at the resurrection of the dead.

God is not like us.  God converts and transforms us to be like him.  This is our prayer, our goal, and our assurance by the working of the Holy Spirit.

BIBLE BITS -- Psalm 49

In the past, I had run into quite a few Jehovah's Witnesses.  They are rather slow to get to a confession which puts them outside the Christian Chruch.  They say that Jesus is NOT "God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God" (Nicene Creed).  To deny that Jesus is God is to deny the Christian faith, as the Athanasian Creed also confesses very pointedly: "Furthermore, it is necessary to everlasting salvation that he also believe faithfully the incarnation of our Lord Jesus Christ. For the right faith is, that we believe and confess that our Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, is God and Man; God of the Substance of the Father, begotten before the worlds; and Man of the substance of His mother, born in the world; Perfect God and perfect Man..."  Note: "It is necessary for everlasting salvation" to believe that Jesus is God.  

I don't expect Jehovah's Witnesses to acknowledge that these creeds are a correct confession of the Bible, especially when the Jehovah's Witnesses have their own unique translation of the Bible which conveniently (and falsely) "translates" verses to validate their false teachings.

I have found Psalm 49 to be especially helpful in this matter (though, to be honest, I don't know how the Jehovah's Witness translation handles this Psalm).  Psalm 49 states, "Truly no man can ransom another, or give to God the price of his life, for the ransom of their life is costly and can never suffice, that he should live on forever and never see the pit" (Psalm 49:7-9)

Jehovah's Witnesses will confess that Jesus is a man, and even a perfect man.  They confess that Jesus is a creation of God, the first creation, but a creation nonetheless.  As a creation, they claim that Jesus is not eternal and, therefore, not true God.  If that were true, what does Psalm 49 teach?  It teaches that Jesus cannot be the Savior; for, no man can redeem the life of another.  If Jesus is merely a perfect man, he has earned his place in the kingdom of God.  Good for him.  But he does nothing for anyone else.  How could he if no man can ransom another?

But Psalm 49 goes on: "But God will ransom my soul from the power of Sheol" (Psalm 49:15).  If Jesus is the Savior who delivers us from the grave and from hell (both valid translations for "Sheol"), then he has to be God.  As true man, Jesus is the legitimate substitute for man.  As true God, Jesus' payment counts for everyone.  It is necessary for salvation for this to be true, and it is necessary for salvation to believe this.  

Bible Bits -- 1 Samuel 6

1 Samuel 4 is the record of the Philistine army capturing the ark of the covenant from the people of Israel.  It was punishment for the people of Israel being unfaithful to the Lord.  It was particularly a punishment on the sons of Eli, the priest.  His sons were a disgrace to the office of the ministry--stealing from the Lord's altar and sleeping with the women who served at the temple.  They did not heed the warning of their father Eli, but neither did Eli remove them from office.  Both his sins died in the battle, and Eli himself died when he got the news that the ark of the covenant had been captured.

Israel had taken the ark of the covenant into the battle, treating it as a good luck piece.  It was as if they could harness the power of God and manipulate it for their own advantage.  The Philistines, apparently, viewed it the same way.  They brought it into the temple of their false god, Dagon.  But the Lord toppled their false god.  Dagon was found prostrate on the temple floor in the presence of the ark.  After the Philistines had erected their god, he was toppled again.  This time his head and his hands were broken off.

The Philistines moved the ark from town to town.  God's curse followed the ark.

This harkens back to the days of Joshua when the angel of the Lord appeared to him.  Joshua asked whose side the Lord was on.  The Lord responded, "No."  It is not that the Lord choose our side.  It is that we must be on his side.

In the case of Israel and Philistia, the Lord was on neither side.  Both had earned his wrath.  He could not manipulated by either one.

God's side was his promise.  A Savior would come through Israel, even if Israel often proved unfaithful to him.  Their unfaithfulness would not change God's faithfulness.  He would fulfill his promise.  A Savior would come.

Of course, the Savior has come.  Jesus faithfully completed all the works of salvation.  

Even if we do not see it now, every false god and faithless person will fall prostrate before the Lord.  Or, as Philippians states: "at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father" (Philippians 2:10-11).  It is our joy to confess Jesus and to bow the knee before him.  The Lord has brought us into his kingdom.  He has taken us to his side.  We do not try to manipulate the Lord; he has converted us.  There, we have peace and hope and comfort.

Bible Bits -- Job 11

The patriarch Job suffered intensely, apparently for no reason at all.  While God reveals the reason in chapters 1-2, those conversations were unknown to Job.  All Job knew is that he was violently robbed of his wealth, his flocks and herds, his servants, his children, his health, his prominence, and his honor.  Job endured all this misery without finding fault with God.

Well, eventually, Job's anguish began to pour out.  He demanded to know from God why he was being treated so badly.  He maintained his innocence and was confident of his faithfulness to God.  

Job had three friends who came to visit him.  They each believed they knew the reason for Job's suffering.  In each case, they believed Job was getting his just desserts.  They believed that God works by karma--you suffer for the bad you do.  Consider the words of one of Job's friends:  "For you say, ‘My doctrine is pure, and I am clean in God's eyes.’  But oh, that God would speak and open his lips to you, and that he would tell you the secrets of wisdom!  For he is manifold in understanding.  Know then that God exacts of you less than your guilt deserves" (Job 11:4-6).

Can you imagine how these words pierced Job's heart?  His friends had no actual charges to bring against Job other than, "You must have done something bad.  God doesn't do this to good people."  Their charges were fabricated, and their observations were heretical.  Where does God promise that we will only experience prosperity if we follow him?  Jesus says the opposite: We will have a cross.  And while the cross will be painful, it will ultimately be good.

The theology of Job's friends is still alive and well today.  Many will teach you that, if you follow God's word, he will pour down so many blessings that you will not be able to keep them all.  But compare that with the Bible.  Ask Moses how much prosperity he saw.  Or Elijah.  Or Jeremiah.  Or the apostles.  Or Jesus.  We know that our glory comes after the resurrection.  We know our treasures are in heaven.  

If God chooses to bless us richly on earth, we will receive it with thanks.  However, God's love is not measured by how well we are feeling or by how prosperous or popular we are.  God's love is revealed in Jesus Christ and his forgiveness.  Job trusted that word despite everything else that he experienced.  His friends trusted their experiences and drew horrible conclusions.

God's word will never fail us, even when our wealth, health, or friends fail us.  The Lord's mercy endures through all of it.

BIBLE BITS: Luke 18

In the Gospel according to St. Luke, he records an incident in which mothers bring their babies to Jesus so that he would bless them.  Luke, however, does not actually use the word "bless" in his account.  The blessing is implied.  St. Luke wrote: "Now they were bringing even infants to him that he might touch them" (Luke 18:15).

The touch of Jesus is significant.  Jesus could certainly have spoken a word of blessing upon the children.  Or the mothers could have sung a psalm for their children which proclaims God's blessings upon his people.  But the touch of Jesus was important to them.  They made the effort to go to Jesus and to deliver their children to him.

This is significant for us today, too.  While we can take comfort in the word of God which delivers God's blessings to us (i.e., forgiveness of sins, new life, and salvation), the Lord knows that we need his touch.  God did not merely declare from heaven that he loves us and forgives us.  He became a man to connect himself to us, in fact, to unite himself to us.  In doing so, he exalts our humanity and, by his death and resurrection, will restore us to what God had created us to be.  He does not merely save our souls.  He saves us completely--body and soul, which is what God has created us to be.

When Jesus wants to connect with us today, he goes beyond his bare word to do so.  He could have issued Bibles to everyone and told us to read his word and said, "That is sufficient.  You need nothing more."  Instead, he chooses to touch us in physical ways.

He established the office of the holy ministry and sends out pastors who proclaim God's blessings, preach God's word, absolve God's people, and touch their lives.  When he brings us into his kingdom, he tells us to use water in connection with God's word to cleanse us of all sin.  Through the waters of holy baptism, he gives us his Holy Spirit.  When he strengthens and keeps us in the one, true faith, he gives us his body and blood in, with, and under the bread and the wine in holy communion.  

And even more, he connects us with each other.  We are all flesh-and-blood, body-and-soul people who get to support one another.  We do so not only with prayers, but also with human touch.  God designed us to have fellowship with one another.  We greet one another with handshakes and hugs.  In the early church where the culture called for it, they greeted one another with a holy kiss.  

Like those mothers who loved their babies and wanted Jesus to touch them and bless them, we also want to make the effort to come where Jesus touches us with his blessing.  In this way, we don't have to rely on how well we hear and understand God's word for our comfort.  We can have Jesus apply his blessings to us through things we can touch, taste, see, and smell.  

The blessings of Jesus came through his touch.  They still do.  

NOTE: The picture above is a painting by Lucas Cranach, the elder (1472 - 1553), on display in Frankfurt, Germany. (Source: Christ Blessing the Children by CRANACH, Lucas the Elder (wga.hu))

BIBLE BITS: Deuteronomy 13

There are many people who preach, claiming to have the truth.  Most are very passionate about what they say.  Some are very persuasive and popular.  How can we know who is a faithful prophet of God and who is not?  Since eternal well-being hangs in the balance, this is a crucial question, and we need to be sure of the answer.  While false prophets will suffer a harsh judgment for preaching falsely in the name of Jesus, those who are deceived by them will not be excused.  They will also perish.

The Lord knew that the people of Israel would experience false prophets, too.  The world has always had them.  How can you tell?  And why would God allow such things?

First of all, God never sponsors lies or deception.  But just as God does not turn you mute when you are about to gossip or bend the truth, so also God does not stop the false prophets from preaching deception.  He lets sinners do what sinners do.  The judgment comes later.

But God uses evil for his own purposes, too.  He warned the people of Israel (and we can apply this to ourselves as well): "For the Lord your God is testing you, to know whether you love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul" (Deuteronomy 13:3).  Will we be eager to believe the lie because it is so attractive, or will we cling to the truth out of love for God?  It not only puts our faith to the test, it also forces us to consult God's word to be sure we are being faithful to it.  Neither our desires nor our feelings are to be our guide.  God's word alone is truth.

By his warning, God makes it clear that the deceptions will have a strong appeal to them.  "“If a prophet or a dreamer of dreams arises among you and gives you a sign or a wonder, and the sign or wonder that he tells you comes to pass..." (Deuteronomy 13:1-2).  "If your brother, the son of your mother, or your son or your daughter or the wife you embrace or your friend who is as your own soul entices you secretly...." (Deuteronomy 13:6).  "If you hear in one of your cities, which the Lord your God is giving you to dwell there, that certain worthless fellows have gone out among you and have drawn away the inhabitants of their city..." (Deuteronomy 13:12-13).  Dazzling signs!  Siding with loved ones!  An entire city embracing the lie; it is so popular!  All these are ways we can be deceived.  Be aware that the devil plays dirty.  He will employ things that will pull us to the lie because of our affection for loved ones, popularity, and "proof."

Among the people of Israel, God's judgment was harsh and definitive: Put the false prophet to death.  God's people possessed the Promise.  God was jealous to preserve the nation through whom the Savior would come.  We do not have the same instructions.  We don't kill false prophets.  We are called on to expose them.  St. Paul wrote: "I appeal to you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and create obstacles contrary to the doctrine that you have been taught; avoid them" (Romans 16:17).  The false prophets may still invoke the name of Jesus, but if they are falsifying his words, they are proclaiming a different Jesus than the one in the Bible.

God's word speaks for itself.  We hear it, study it, and learn it so that we will not be pulled away from it--even if we love the ones who are pulling us away.  Our eternal well-being depends on it.

BIBLE BITS: Deuteronomy 11

The old covenant, in its briefest form, is spelled out in Deuteronomy 11.  The Lord promises to bless the people with safety, prosperity, and other blessings if they remain faithful to him.

The Lord, then, tells the people what it will take to remain faithful to him: “You shall therefore lay up these words of mine in your heart and in your soul, and you shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall teach them to your children, talking of them when you are sitting in your house, and when you are walking by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates, that your days and the days of your children may be multiplied in the land that the Lord swore to your fathers to give them, as long as the heavens are above the earth" (Deuteronomy 11:18-21).

We notice that the Lord is not speaking about just going to church, although they would have been expected to be faithful regarding the tabernacle and its sacrifices.  The word of God was not limited to the "professionals," the priests.  It was to be observed by each family, with the head of the house taking on the role as leader and pastor of his own family.  Notice how pervasive the word of the Lord was to be in their lives--at home and on the road, in their eyes, minds, and at their hands, in the morning and in the evening, with attention given to it whenever they enter or leave their homes or their towns.  The children were to know and learn these things from the earliest age.  In other words, the lessons would be taught and repeated until they were committed to memory.  After all, books were not available to them, so they had to memorize the lessons.

The Lord desires us to be just as faithful to him.  The word of God directs every moment of our lives.  The word of Christ guides our eyes and ears, minds and hands so that we avoid evil and do good, even if we are not aware of it.  It does so when the word of Christ is planted in you.  And if faith has been planted in you, it will need to be nurtured to grow and remain strong.

God may not grant us the same peace, prosperity, and blessings he did for Israel.  They lived under the old covenant.  But he does promise grace and every blessing to those who are devoted to his word.  The blessing which we all finally seek is life everlasting in the heavenly kingdom.  Therefore, we listen to our Savior, knowing and believing his promise which stands in peace and strife, in prosperity and poverty, in blessing and hardship: "My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand" (John 10:27-28).

BIBLE BITS: Leviticus 10 -- Addendum

I recall some years ago that we had a guest join us for worship.  I had met him a few weeks earlier.  Our conversation convinced me that he had saving faith in Jesus, although he said that he had not yet been baptized.  I informed him that we needed to correct that.

Then, on the Sunday he had joined us or worship, he came to the altar for Holy Communion.  (For the life of me, I can't remember if I had politely blessed him or actually gave him the sacrament.  I hope it was the former.)  In any case, I spoke with him after church.  I told him that it was appropriate that he be baptized before receiving Holy Communion.  Baptism is the adoption into the family, and Holy Communion is the family meal.

It made perfect sense to him, but I recall the look of horror on his face that he had done something out of order in God's house at God's service.  

Now, I did not threaten him with hellfire, and God did not strike him down, either.  But he demonstrated a proper respect for the holy things.  He knew that he had no right to approach God on his own terms, even though he intended no ill will.  God tells us how to approach him, and he had great respect for that.  And for that, I respected him all the more.

BIBLE BITS: Leviticus 10

Immediately after Aaron and his sons are anointed to serve as the Lord's priests, tragedy strikes.  Leviticus records, "Now Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, each took his censer and put fire in it and laid incense on it and offered unauthorized fire before the Lord, which he had not commanded them.  And fire came out from before the Lord and consumed them, and they died before the Lord" (Leviticus 10:1-2). 

Our reaction is that this is an extreme response to what appears to be a minor infraction.  To us, it may seem minor.  Clearly, God did not consider this a minor issue.  The Lord (note: this is the covenant name; the God of grace and mercy, the God who saves!) responded with fire, instant judgment, and death for two of Aaron's sons.

The next verse helps us to understand the issue: Then Moses said to Aaron, “This is what the Lord has said: ‘Among those who are near me I will be sanctified, and before all the people I will be glorified’” (Leviticus 10:3).  The Lord had given specific instructions about how the priests were to approach him.  They did not have the liberty to be lazy or careless about it.  God made his point in an extreme fashion in this violation at the very beginning of the worship at the tabernacle.  The message for Aaron and any future priests was clear: Do not mess with the Lord or take his word lightly.  You do not get to approach God according to your own designs.  God is very clear on this that he be regarded as holy.  If the priests don't revere God as holy, why would the people?  This was a First Commandment issue, and God underscored it in violent, definitive action.

We also ought to be careful about our worship.  While we might think that approaching God is no big deal, God clearly thinks otherwise.  When God came to dwell with mankind, he took steps to hide his glory under frail, human flesh so that we would not be struck down as Nadab and Abihu were.  So also, when we come to church, we ought to recognize that we are standing on holy ground.  This is not Target or Starbucks where they will bend over backwards to satisfy the customer.  This is the Lord's house.  We stand in the Lord's presence.  We should consider how the Lord wants us to approach him (although the odds of getting struck down are probably low; there were no similar judgments recorded in the Old Testament even though worship became corrupt as the years went by).  

As God's comments addressed the priests first of all, so today the pastor stands under God's watch first of all.  If the pastor is not reverent in his conduct at the altar, why should the people think God is worthy of reverence?  It is still a First Commandment issue.  The glory of God should be confessed by our actions as well as our words.  

BIBLE BITS: Matthew 5-7

One of the claims that is often made against Jesus is that he never claimed to be God, and that this title was assigned to him later by his apostles and the early Church.  If there is any truth to this claim, it would only be that you will never find a verse in the Bible where Jesus says, "Ahem.  Let me make this as clear as I possibly can: I am God Almighty, Immortal, Eternal.  And don't you ever doubt it!"

Nevertheless, Jesus makes many statements that he could only make if he is God.  If he is not God, then his statements are rank blasphemy and he can be dismissed as a nut-job.  Well, Jesus' enemies DID understand his words clearly enough.  Therefore, they DID accuse him of blasphemy, making himself equal to God.  And since there is only one God, not several who share equal status, then by making himself equal to God, he is saying he IS God!  And while Jesus' enemies did not use the phrase "nut-job," they did accuse him of being possessed by a demon.

So, while people today insist that Jesus never made any claims to be God, his enemies recognized that he did just that.

In today's personal Bible reading, we have one of those instances where Jesus says something that only God could say.  Several times in Matthew 5, Jesus utters a phrase like this: "You have heard that it was said....  But I say to you."  In most cases, the "it was said" phrase is one of the Ten Commandments.  Verse 21 is the 5th Commandment.  Verse 27 is the 6th Commandment.  Verse 38 paraphrases the 8th Commandment.  Jesus does not deny the Commandments.  He intensifies them.  By saying, "But I say to you..." he seems to be trumping the very words of God.  Who would dare do this--unless Jesus IS God?

But that is precisely the claim.  Jesus can speak as one having authority because he does have divine authority.  Jesus has divine authority because he is divine.  

Jesus has, indeed, claimed to be God.  I suppose many will dismiss him as a nut-job or demon-possessed.  It is the joy of the Church to confess with the apostle Thomas, "My Lord and my God" (John 20:28)!  And those who refuse to confess Jesus as Lord and God now will be forced to do it one day (Philippians 2:10-11).

BIBLE BITS: Exodus 12-14

When the Lord had sent plagues against the Egyptians, he made a distinction between Egypt and Israel after the third plague.  This was to show that the plagues were not random acts of nature.  God's people were special and set apart from the rest of the world.  God was not impressed with the superpower status of Egypt.  He was disgusted that they worshiped made up gods rather than pay heed to his words.  The plagues were a judgment upon Egypt--both for their mistreatment of God's people and against their false gods.  

After the Israelites left Egypt, the Egyptians regretted letting their free labor go.  So, Pharaoh and his army chased them down.  Israel was pinned between the Red Sea and the most formidable army on the face of the earth.  Perhaps you can appreciate the panic of the Israelites when they saw their predicament.  On the other hand, how quickly they had forgotten the Lord's favor and mercy in regard to the plagues which had just taken place in the previous weeks.

The Lord's mercy upon Israel continued.  Exodus 14 records how God protected the people of Israel from the Egyptians: "Then the angel of God who was going before the host of Israel moved and went behind them, and the pillar of cloud moved from before them and stood behind them, coming between the host of Egypt and the host of Israel. And there was the cloud and the darkness. And it lit up the night without one coming near the other all night" (Exodus 14:19-20).

It was not a different God who stood between Israel and Egypt, a gracious God and a wrathful God.  It was the same God.  What was the difference?  The people of Israel lived under God's favor and the people of Egypt were outside the covenant.  So, Israel received the light from the Lord and Egypt remained in darkness.

So it is today.  Those who believe and are baptized are under God's favor.  Those who do not believe stand condemned.  It is not that there is a different God; God is unchanging.  God's favor comes only through Jesus Christ.  Only those who believe in Christ benefit from his saving work and receive God's favor.

BIBLE BITS: Genesis 40-42

Today's reading covered a portion of Joseph's interactions with his brothers during a time of famine.  Joseph was the overseer in charge of distributing the reserves of grain to keep people alive during a seven-year famine.  He happened to be on duty when ten of his brothers came as a group to buy food.

Joseph wanted to see if his brothers were any different from their past dealings with him.  Part of this testing included an accusation that they were spies, scouting out any weakness in Egypt.  Such a weakness would be pronounced during a famine.

When the brothers pleaded their case and their innocence, Joseph said he would dismiss all the brothers except one.  The rest would return to get their missing brother (Benjamin) if they were to receive any more food.  

While Joseph spoke to them in Egyptian and an interpreter was used to facilitate this conversation, the brothers began to bicker and argue with one another.  They were convinced that they were suffering because of the terrible way they had treated Joseph years earlier.  Apparently, their guilt was still eating at them all this time later.

In the midst of the bickering, Reuben states, "“Did I not tell you not to sin against the boy? But you did not listen. So now there comes a reckoning for his blood” (Genesis 42:22).  Of course, Joseph did not need the interpreter to understand them.  He heard every Hebrew word they uttered.

I wonder if Reuben's statement was the first time that Joseph learned of Reuben's compassion and attempt to save him from being sold into slavery.  Reuben was not present when Joseph was sold.  But here may be the first time he learned that Reuben actively pleaded for mercy upon Joseph.

This explains why Joseph seized Simeon, the second oldest, for imprisonment rather than Reuben.  Mercy was returned to Reuben in Joseph's treatment of him.

BIBLE BITS: Genesis 6-9

BIBLE BITS is an entry in accordance with my personal "Through the Bible in a Year" readings.  These will be little insights that I consider from each daily reading.  They will be posted when I have time and feel they are worth posting.  They are hardly exhaustive, just little bits of the Biblical text to ponder.  God bless your own pondering of the Scriptures.

BIBLE BITS from Genesis 6-9

Noah entered the ark on the 10th day of the 2nd month of his 600th year.  The waters came a week later--Noah's 600th year on the 17th day of the 2nd month (Genesis 7:11).  The waters remained on the earth for 150 days (after 40 days and nights of deluge), then they subsided.  

As the waters receded, Moses noted the time according to the days of Noah. (I will use dates of month / day / age of Noah to make it easier to ponder.)

The ark rested on Mt. Ararat. -- 7/17/600 (Genesis 8:4)

The mountain tops were visible. -- 10/1/600 (Genesis 8:5)

The waters were dried from the earth.  Presumably, the land was still saturated.  Noah removed the covering from the ark. -- 1/1/601 (Genesis 8:13)

The land was dried out. -- 2/27/601 (Genesis 8:14)

Then Noah left the ark.  Noah and his family were on the ark for over a year!  Why wait from 1/1/601 until 2/27/601 (almost two months!) to leave the ark?  Because only on the 27th day of the 2nd month of Noah's 601st year did the Lord tell Noah to leave the ark.  (In addition, Noah and his family sat in the ark for a week before the rains came.  Did he feel like a fool, just waiting there?)

I suppose Noah could have left the ark when he saw dry land.  The waters may have filled the valleys, but the mountain tops were dry for months before Noah actually left the ark.  I am sure he and his family were eager to be free from the confines of the ark, from the care of the animals, from the smell, etc....  They could have left the ark months, or at least a few weeks, before they did.  But Noah did nothing unless God told him so.  That is amazing faith.