Facebook is the church

In a recent editorial entitled “Will Facebook kill the church?” (May 2010), the author responds to growing concern over the power that social networking has over “church attendance.” One of the main precepts of modern Christianity (one that surprisingly comes straight from the Bible) is that the church is the body of believers, not a building. To say that Facebook and other social networking sites are aiding in the decline of church attendance is actually opposite of reality.

Before Facebook, Twitter, blogs and the like, members of the church would meet together once or twice a week, unless they were closer friends in which case they might call on the phone or visit one or two more times per week. As more and more members of the church join social networking sites, it allows the “true church” to attend to each other not just once or twice a week, but several times every day.

No longer do we go through the regular social niceties and shallow small talk of weather, sports and gossip. Now, we are privy to the true concerns of the body: we see daily the heartfelt prayers, concerns, petitions, celebrations, and praise of the rest of the body. We know instantly if there is a problem with a member of the body who needs to be lifted up. We can see if someone is struggling with sin and needs the help of the church. For once in our modern life, the church is actually behaving like a body.

Facebook is not killing the church, it is breathing new life into it that has been missing since the dawn of the Industrial Age its accompanying large urban cities. We are witness to a glorious new dawn insomuch that the “church” is not contained in a single building once or twice a week, but rather is fluid, mobile, borderless, and constant. Church attendance should not be measured only between 10 o’clock and noon on Sunday mornings, but rather, how the body interacts on a consistent, daily basis. Perhaps the question we should be asking is, “Are buildings killing the church?”
Ryan G. Corcoran
Wichita, Kansas

Ryan: What gripped me the most in today’s reading was the description of Solomon’s throne room. From one perspective, we read this passage (1 Kings 10:14-21, et al.) and think about how magnificent the throne room was and imagine what it must have been like to walk amongst all the cedar and gold. We read that there were carved lions, and a throne of ivory and gold. As wonderful as all of that sounds, read the passage again (on p. 609 of the Daily Bible) and then immediately read the description of God’s throne room in heaven in the book of Revelation (Rev. 4:1-11). Solomon’s puny throne room pales in comparison. I believe that the Holy Spirit includes the description of both throne rooms so that we can understand the difference between man’s splendor and that of the Lord. Where Solomon’s throne room had only six steps (one short of the perfect seven), God’s throne had seven huge lampstands. Solomon had 12 stationary carved lions atop those six steps, but God had twenty-four elders with crowns who never stopped saying “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty” (Rev. 4:8). Solomon had pillars of cedar, but God had a sea that looked like glass, “clear as crystal.” Even Jesus himself referenced “Solomon in all his splendor,” but then proceeded to say how his (Solomon’s) splendor was nothing compared to even the lilies of the field. God and his creation will always be far superior to anything man can create.

Samantha: As much as I want to talk about the architecture of Solomon’s palace or his unbelievable riches or his fascinating breadth of knowledge (describing plant life? teaching about animals, birds, reptiles, and fish? wow!), a small, seemingly out-of-place verse cued my memory:

“When I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or command locusts to devour the land or send a plague among my people, if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land” (2 Chronicles 7:13-14).

When I heard this verse I immediately remembered how, after Hurricane Katrina and 9/11 happened, several prominent “Christian” preachers spoke out saying that these disasters were a direct result of America’s sins against God. I was very angry with these men for taking scriptures such as this one out of context. It is true that in the Old Testament salvation depended on obedience; without obedience God said he really would withhold rain and send plagues. And he did, many times. However, God does not operate in this way under the new covenant. Because of Jesus, salvation comes from the grace of God and not from anything we have done to attain it (Eph. 2:8). In addition, when someone sinned in the OT it often affected the entire Israelite nation (the 10 spies, for example). In the new covenant, sin is now a personal issue between the sinner and God–not the entire nation. This may sound harsh, but the United States of America is not God’s chosen nation. That was Israel in the OT. Today, God’s chosen people are Christians, who belong to every nation on earth.

Ryan: Today, I was struck by 2 Chronicles 6:32-33 where Solomon prays for the foreigners. In my own words, Solomon prays that as the foreigners pray to a god they do not believe in (the God of Israel), to grant them their prayers so that their eyes would be opened to the power and glory of the one true God–”so that all the peoples of the earth may know your name and fear you, as do your own people Israel, and may know that this house I have built bears your Name” (2 Chron. 6:33). I believe that this should also be our prayer today. As God’s chosen people are no longer contained to a single geographic area, the “foreigners” are simply those who are not a part of the church. And as we know from 1 Corinthians 3:16-17 and 2 Corinthians 6:16, we (Christians) are also now the “house” that “bears [His] Name.” So our prayer should be that all those who are lost in the world today will pray to the God they do not know and that their prayers be answered in such a way that they know that this temple–the body of believers–bears the name of the one true God.

Samantha: Reading about the celebration that surrounded the temple dedication filled me with a sense of wonder over the magnitude of music, praise, sacrifices, and prayer. Not only was it a once-in-a-lifetime experience to move the ark of the covenant into the brand new temple, but they did it during the festival of trumpets (2 Chronicles 5:3, a.k.a., Rosh Hashanah) which added even more excitement and special meaning to the occasion (more on that festival later). After Solomon’s heartfelt prayer, I can imagine being completely overwhelmed as fire came down from heaven to consume the sacrifices and the glory of the King of the Universe so completely filling the temple that the priests couldn’t even complete their duties! While we don’t get to see God’s glory in a physical manifestation today, we can still take that same sense of wonder and awe at seeing how he works through us and the people around us each day. When you recognize His work, no matter the situation, take time to put your face on the ground and praise Him, for “He is good; his love endures forever” (2 Chronicles 7:3).

Ryan: Thanks to all “those miserable psalms,” it’s been a while since I’ve gotten to do a nice solid math post. Having gotten to read about Solomon’s building of the Temple of the Name of the Lord, we got another day of reading with lots of numbers. The one that struck me the most and made me want to dig a little deeper was “The Sea” (2 Chron. 4:2-5, 2 Chron. 4:10, 2 Chron. 4:6c). The Sea was a (very) large basin filled with water that was primarily used for the priests’ washings. It measured roughly 15 feet across and 7.5 feet deep; in other words, enough for an average U.S. male (6-feet tall) to stand in the water and still have 1.5 feet of water above him, and have 2.5 average males floating on the surface from edge to edge. The Bible account says the volume was “three thousand baths” (2 Chron. 4:5), which NIV converts to roughly 17,500 gallons. Other sources (and my own calculations) put it closer to 10,000 gallons. The weight of 10,000 gallons of water is approximately 42 tons. The bowl itself would have been (very) roughly 9.14 cubic meters of solid bronze, and weighed roughly 84.6 tons, for a grand total of 126.6 tons. That’s the weight of a little more than 37 Ford F-150s sitting atop the 12 cast bronze bulls’ behinds.

Samantha: If only they had cameras back in Solomon’s time! I’m sure the temple was even more magnificent in person than how we picture it from the description. There is a great site called the 3D Bible Project where they have 3D modeled Noah’s Ark, Moses’ tabernacle, and Solomon’s Temple. With a quick download of the viewer software, you can walk into the temple as if you were there and see the altar of sacrifice, the basin, the walls of gold, the beautiful curtain, and enormous cherubim guarding the ark of the covenant. If you’re a visual learner, this tool is an excellent way to get an idea of the scale and grandeur of the house of the Name of the LORD, the God of Israel. Interestingly, what I found missing in the reading today was any indication from God on instructions for the temple. When Moses built the tabernacle, it was repeatedly instructed by God to, “Make this tabernacle and all its furnishings exactly like the pattern I will show you” (Exodus 25:9). In this case, God didn’t ask for a temple; in fact, at first God was opposed to it and told David that instead of David building a house for him, he would build up David’s house. God later gave permission for Solomon to build the temple, but not because he needed it! Our God was perfectly content to dwell in a tent so that he could move around with his people (2 Sam. 7).

Ryan: We read today of an event that I have already referenced several times in which Solomon asks for (and is granted) wisdom beyond that of other men (1 Kings 3:12). What I did not remember before reading this story today was that God indicated that because Solomon asked for wisdom, and not riches or fame or the death of an enemy, God chose to not only bless him with wisdom, but also with the riches and honor for which he did not ask. (I always knew that King Solomon was rich and famous, but I always just figured that was a result of the wisdom.) The LORD knows our hearts, and he knows what we will ask him for before we even ask him for it. He also knows why we are asking for it, something that often times we do not even know ourselves. When we pray for things for ourselves, God knows two things we don’t: he knows our true motives for asking, and he knows whether or not we would be able to handle whatever it is we have asked him for. He then takes the answers to those two questions, runs it through his filter of “If it is in the LORD’s will”, and then he issues his decision on his time. So the next time you think that God didn’t answer your prayer because it wasn’t in His will, ask yourself whether your motives were pure and if you truly could handle the outcome if your prayer had been answered the way you hoped.

Samantha: Twice now we’ve seen a person run to the altar of sacrifice in the tabernacle and grab on to the horns on the corners of the altar. First, Adonijah in 1 Kings 1:50 and then Joab in 1 Kings 2:28. Every article inside the tabernacle is oozing with symbolism, but for now I’ll contain my shiny object syndrome and focus on the horns. In addition to being the cord tie-down spot for the sacrifices (think roasting pig, only instead of a pole through it, its limbs tied to the four corners of the altar), the horns were also a place of refuge or asylum. Exodus 21:12-14 indicates that if a person accidentally murdered another, he could go and touch the horns to receive mercy. If the person were guilty of premeditation then he was to be taken and put to death. In both cases in 1 Kings we see that the men were both guilty (for different reasons) and were put to death. I found a fantastic sermon by Charles Spurgeon, delivered on March 23, 1884, entitled, “The Horns of the Altar.” His sermon is on how Joab thought he could get mercy by holding the horns on the altar, but how his life wasn’t right so it didn’t do him any good. Then the sermon goes on to give examples of things we hold on to but won’t do us any good. It finishes by saying that we need to cling to the spiritual altar of Jesus instead, and let go of all other false hopes. It is an excellent sermon to read–powerful, convicting, and right on the mark. Go read it. 5 minutes tops. Go. Thank me later.

For a fun read, check out The Brick Testament’s incarnation of the story of Solomon and the prostitutes.

Ryan: Tomorrow, May 12, is my father’s birthday. (And, now that Mother’s Day has passed, we’re approaching the season for Father’s Day, too.) It’s hard for a son not to think about his father when he reads the words that David son of Jesse spoke from his deathbed to King Solomon:

“‘I am about to go the way of all the earth,’ he said. ‘So be strong, show yourself a man, and observe what the LORD your God requires: Walk in his ways, keep his decrees and commands, his laws and requirements, as written in the Law of Moses, so that you may prosper in all you do and wherever you go…’” (1 Kings 2:2-3).

I’m sure it was very heartening for David to watch his son on the throne through the eyes of God in Heaven. King Solomon had his share of failures, just as his father before him, but overall was a very successful king and well-liked. Solomon went down in the history books as the wisest man who ever lived, and the man responsible for building the first Temple of God in Jerusalem. It’s very difficult, living in the American mentality of “go it alone” and “do whatever makes you happy,” to think about to what lengths men would go to in order to please their fathers. In that vein, I pray that I have made my father proud of the man I have become. Happy Birthday, Dad!

Samantha: Ryan mentioned Father’s Day, so I’ll mention Mother’s Day and what a treat it must have been for Bathsheba to see her son Solomon crowned king after David! I never really thought much about Bathsheba until I read Francine River’s Lineage of Grace #4: Unspoken. Bathsheba is a woman in the line of Jesus, and her life is an excellent example of God’s redemption and grace. The book of course fills in historical details and narrative around the Biblical account and you really get a deep look into her character and what life could have been like for her. Talk about The Scarlet Letter–she definitely wore that her entire life. Everyone knew what happened, and by law she should have died as a consequence of her sin with David. No doubt the other wives of David scorned her and she probably lived a very lonely and isolated life in the palace. The fact that her son, Solomon, was the only one of David’s sons to be worthy to lead Israel speaks to her character and trust in the Lord. This book is emotional and gives you an entirely different (and real-life!) perspective on sin, grace, and redemption.

Ryan: “This concludes the prayers of David son of Jesse.” (Psalm 72:20). I found this verse to be absurd in its existence. What would have been more accurate perhaps, is “This concludes the written prayers of David son of Jesse.” The “psalter” includes at least 73 psalms written by David, but there are several others which have no author recorded, but are likely to be David’s as well. As of today, I have written down at least 20 prayers. But that in no way “concludes the prayers” of myself. How many prayers have I offered to God in a group setting that were impromptu? How many blessings offered to God before a meal? And then, to multiply that number by factor unknowable but to God, how many prayers have I offered up silently? As we have all learned by now, David was a man after God’s own heart. I can guarantee that David spent more time in prayer than I ever will in my lifetime. To think that 73 psalms could even possibly come close to “concluding” his prayers is ridiculous. You could almost substitute David’s name in the last verse of the book of John: “[David offered] many other [prayers] as well. If every one of them were written down, I suppose that even the whole world would not have room for the books that would be written” (John 21:25, with changes to subject and direct object).

Samantha: How fitting to end the Messianic psalms with a psalm about the majesty of the eternal king! I noticed some parallels between David’s psalm and John’s vision of heaven in Revelation. Psalm 45:3-7 paints a picture of a great warrior who is victorious in his pursuit of truth and justice; girded with sword and clothed with splendor and majesty, nations fall beneath his feet. This description made me think of the picture of Jesus in Revelation 19:11-16, who is called Faithful and True, riding a horse, leading the armies of heaven, and out of his mouth is a sword to strike down nations as he delivers his perfect justice. Likewise, the bride wearing a beautiful gown adorned with gold in Psalm 45:7-15 made me think of the wedding feast of the Lamb in Revelation 19:6-8, where the bride (us, the church!) is brought before the groom in fine linen. These two parallels were just the ones that initially caught my eye–there are plenty more in this psalm. Nothing puts things in perspective like thinking about eternity in heaven with the king!

Ryan: Today marks the beginning of a couple of days of “Messianic psalms.” These are psalms that reference the Messiah, either directly or indirectly. Psalm 22, specifically, is full of “prophecies” that are very plainly seen in the life of Jesus. Let’s recount a few: the opening sentence, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” was spoken by Jesus just before he died. “Scorned by men and despised by the people. All who see me mock me; they hurl insults, shaking their heads” (see Matthew 27:39). “I am poured out like water” (see John 4:14 & John 19:34). “They have pierced my hands and my feet” (see John 20:27). “They divide my garments among them and cast lots for my clothing” (see Matthew 27:35). “The poor will eat and be satisfied” (see Matthew 14:20). A few more verses aren’t fulfilled in the written word, but in our daily life: “Posterity will serve him; future generations will be told about the LORD. They will proclaim his righteousness to a people yet unborn–for he has done it.” Being that here we are about 3,000 years after this psalm was written and we’re writing a blog post on the Internet that is available to billions of souls worldwide, I’d say this psalm’s closing line is quite accurate.

Samantha: I’ve never been in a war, but I was in a fist fight in 5th grade (I won.). The image in Psalm 27 of an entire army coming at you, weapons drawn, is very intimidating. When I read the psalm I pictured myself standing in an open field, unarmed, watching my impending doom approach. Yikes! But the psalm says, “Though an army besiege me, my heart will not fear; though war break out against me, even then will I be confident” (Psalm 27:3). Standing there, knowing what is coming (think Braveheart), and yet being completely calm and confident that the Lord will be there to save you–that seems so difficult! To me, sometimes it is easier to give in to panic and worry over something that is tangible, that you can see, rather than to have faith that God, who is unseen, will come through for you. But when I remember that God is the creator of the universe, my worries seem silly and insignificant. After all, “The LORD is the stronghold of my life—of whom shall I be afraid?” (Psalm 27:1).

With apologies to Tristan & Leslie:

Ryan: As we are  slowly wrapping up the book of Psalms, it is fitting that one of the last psalms we read is Psalm 111, which includes the very famous line, “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom.” The next major character we will be reading about (May 11!) is Solomon, David’s son, future king of Israel who is responsible for building the first temple in Jerusalem. Solomon, like his father, was God-fearing (though he made his share of mistakes, as do we all); he prayed for wisdom through discernment: “give your servant a discerning heart to govern your people and to distinguish between right and wrong” (1 Kings 3:9). The prayer so pleased God that He granted Solomon his prayer and blessed Solomon with such wisdom that he is often called the wisest man who ever lived. We all should take our cue from Psalm 111 (and Solomon) and lean not on our own understanding, but begin to fear the LORD so that we may be blessed with wisdom and discernment.

Samantha: I have a new favorite Bible verse after doing the Beth Moore Psalms of Ascent study: “If you, O LORD, kept a record of sins, O Lord, who could stand?” (Psalm 130:3). That really puts me back in my place! It makes me think of all the stupid, heartless, careless, mean things I’ve done to others; I don’t deserve God’s mercy one bit. The pages of records of my sins would stack up taller than me! And yet despite this, he still chooses to forgive me. God has taken my stack of records, shredded them, and destroyed them so that they no longer exist. “But with you there is forgiveness; therefore you are feared” (Psalm 130:4). 

Ryan: The imagery presented in Psalm 42 is so very powerful: “As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, O God.” Whether you believe in Jehovah God or not, it’s hard to deny that humans are hard-wired to have a need to worship something. From pagan sun gods to fertility gods to money gods, humankind has always had some innate desire to worship a deity more powerful than themselves. The existence of a multitude of gods, of course, has also led to conflict between the believers of different deities, almost in a childish “my dad can beat up your dad” kind of way. This conflict was as present before the common era as it is today, if not even more so. The Sons of Korah wrote, “My tears have been my food day and night, while men say to me all day long, ‘Where is your God?’” (Psalm 42:3, emphasis added). Notice, though, that the only gods with lasting power are those that fulfill that longing that makes our soul thirst, that “satisfy with honey from the rock” (Psam 81). So many of the old gods are long since forgotten, but Yahweh remains; Jehovah Sabaoth – the LORD of hosts, El Elyon – The Highest One.

Samantha: I think Rube Goldberg machines are so cool. They are machines that solve a very simple task in a very complicated way (think of the game Mouse Trap). Leave it to humans to make simple things difficult! In a spiritual way, this is a great example of how God gives us simple commands to follow (love God, love others) and how we make them complicated. God started with 10 commandments in Exodus 20; the Jews added to them until there were 613 laws! Despite those laws the people still worshiped foreign gods, there were still civil wars amongst them and there was still social injustice. God made it easy, and thus laments that, “‘If my people would but listen to me, if Israel would follow my ways, how quickly would I subdue their enemies and turn my hand against their foes!’” (Psalm 81:13-14). When we make life unnecessarily complicated we miss out on God’s blessings and help!

As another treat, here is a recording of Ryan and Samantha as part of a quartet singing As The Deer, as recorded by the Zoe Group:

Ryan: The heading in the chronological Bible for Psalm 12 is “Misuse of the gift of speech.” This brought to mind a tweet I saw on Twitter.com the other day: “‘God gave me two ears and one mouth, and I try to respect the ratio.’ -Charlie Crist” (cheeky_geeky). Another great quote is from Abraham Lincoln: “Better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak out and remove all doubt.” We have a gift of speech here in this country that is increasingly being taken for granted. People don’t realize that just because they may have the freedom to say what is on their mind, it’s not always appropriate or constructive, or helpful for building others up. David wrote, “Everyone lies to his neighbor; their flattering lips speak with deception. May the LORD cut off all flattering lips and every boastful tongue” (Psalm 12:2-3). While I enjoy our freedom of speech, sometimes I always wish I had the freedom to cut off every boastful tongue and deceptive lip.

Samantha: When I was younger I had a habit of telling on myself whenever did something I wasn’t supposed to. I hated being in trouble so I guess I figured it was better to get the problem out in the open in the hopes of a less severe punishment. After reading Psalm 32 I’m glad I didn’t keep any sin hidden! David’s description of what guilt does to your body sounds awful: he felt like his body was wasting away and his energy was sapped. When he confessed God forgave him and removed his guilt. “Blessed is the man whose sin the LORD does not count against him” (Psalm 32:2)!

Ryan: What beautiful music we read in our daily Bible reading today! Between the hymn that Samantha is writing about (below), the instrumental praise band in Psalm 150, and the countless contemporary Christian songs that use Psalm 139 as source material, we have enough music to bring glory to God for quite a while! In these four chapters, we read the word “praise” 33 times. All of our music should bring glory to our Father, no matter if it’s sung, played on instruments, or just thought in our heads. God loves to hear our songs, provided that we really are praising Him through them. It does not matter if you’re singing a cappella if you are singing for your own glory. In the same way, it does not matter if you’re playing a Bach hymn on the piano if in your heart you are bringing glory to the One who created you. As we’ve learned time and time again, it’s what is in our hearts that matters most to God, not rituals, laws, and sacrifices.

Samantha: As we read Psalm 148 I kept noticing phrases that reminded me of a song, but I couldn’t quite place it. Some of the phrases that stuck out were “all ye fruitful trees and cedars,” praise his name “young men and maidens, aged men and children small.” Figured it out yet? “Hallelujah Praise Jehovah“! There are a few translation differences, but this song follows Psalm 148 almost verbatim. I love, love, love this song not just because I enjoy the old-style harmony, but because the words call on everything to praise God: angels, sun and moon and stars, the heavens and seas, weather, mountains, animals, birds, kings, princes, aged men and children small. Look around at everything the Lord has created–it has all been created to give him praise! Every part of creation speaks (sings!) to his majesty and glory. “Let them praise the name of the LORD, for his name alone is exalted” (Psalm 148:13).

Ryan: Psalm 136 is a song (or “poem” as the heading in our chronological Bible calls it) that is written in “call-and-response” form. Call and response is one of the oldest forms of music known to man. It involves a leader issuing the “call” and the congregation responding, often with the same phrase, as is the case with “His love endures forever.” I’m confident that many of the psalms we’ve already ready would likely have been sung in this manner, but none of them are so obviously written with that purpose in mind. Call and response singing (often called antiphon, Greek for “opposite voice”) is still the most common form for the Eastern and Greek Orthodox churches, is used substantially in African Christian music (and folk music, for that matter), and responsorial readings (spoken) are still very common among the Catholic and Protestant churches. Many of the restoration churches have moved away from them, not because they are unbiblical in any way, but more as just another way to differentiate  themselves. In my opinion, if the restoration churches really wanted to restore the church back to its first-century self, they would include more call-and-response, because I guarantee the early church employed this technique extensively. Stay tuned below for a beautiful performance of an a cappella performance of a Russian hymn, His Love Endures Forever, that employs some call-and-response.

Samantha: Psalm 124 is part of the psalms of ascent that were sung on the way up the steps of the temple. Everyone would have sung it together, led by the priests. The psalm starts out “If the LORD had not been on our side—let Israel say—” (Psalm 124:1). The part “let Israel say” is where the priests are trying to get everyone to sing along together. It is like at a music concert where the lead singer instructs the audience “everybody now!” Then the verses are about all the ways that we could have been lost: swallowed alive, swept away by flood waters, trapped like a bird in a fowler’s snare. The more you talk about the worst case scenarios, the more thankful you are at how you were saved! For those of us who are “lifers” at church, we don’t always appreciate grace to its fullest because we’ve always grown up knowing God and knowing the right ways to follow him. For those who came to the Gospel later in life–especially those people who have dark pasts and made bad mistakes–they understand grace on a deeper level because they’ve seen the worst scenario and can now compare it to the glorious salvation that God provided them. 

Ryan: How cool is it that the longest chapter in the entire Bible is all about how wonderful is the word of God? If you search Psalm 119 in the King James Version for “Thy Word,” you’ll learn that the phrase occurs 39 times, or in approximately 22% of all the 176 verses in that chapter. Some highlights: “I rejoice at thy word, as one that findeth great spoil” (Psalm 119:162 KJV), “Your word is very pure; Therefore Your servant loves it” (Psalm 119:140 NJKV), and of course, “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path” (Psalm 119:105 KJV). There is a hymn that we sing today that was originally written by Michael W. Smith and Amy Grant that is based on that passage. An interesting sidebar of commonality with yesterday’s post: during some of the “darkest” times in my life, my cassette tapes of Amy Grant always found their way into my rotation, in between the “gangsta” rap and Seattle grunge alternative punk rock. It is truly amazing what power the Word of God has over all who hear it. Even those who try to reject it (as I did) are influenced by the grace, love, and forgiveness that is contained in the Word of the LORD, often without even realizing it.

Samantha: Psalm 119 is certainly the acrostic of all acrostics! I’m not much of a creative writer (as demonstrated by my factual–and mostly dry–blog posts), but I am good at finding patterns and formulas. Reading the Hebrew-English version at Mechon-Mamre is really neat because you can see that every line of this psalm starts with each successive  letter of the alphabet. The entire psalm is built around a central theme of, “Blessed are they who keep his statutes and seek him with all their heart” (Psalm 119:2). Just thinking through how the psalm is constructed amazes me: the longest chapter in God’s word is organized overall by the alphabet, where the stanzas of each section start with that section’s letter, and then multiple verses inside the section are written about the same topic/theme but in different ways. If I were writing this psalm I would have had it nailed in one sentence, but that would be boring and missing the point. Psalms are expressive ways that make you think deeply about how a topic makes you feel, and I was moved at how God’s word is living and active and how this psalm is applicable to us today even though it was written 3,000 years ago. Therefore, “My heart is set on keeping [his] decrees to the very end” (Psalm 119:112).

Ryan: Today marks an important event in the year-long daily Bible blogging experiment: the first YouTube video from the movie Godspell. If you were living under a rock in the 1970’s (or weren’t born yet) and have not yet heard/watched Godspell, you owe it to yourself and to your children and your children’s children to go watch it. I believe that Godspell played a larger role than did any one person in my eventual decision to follow Christ. How can I make such a bold statement, you ask? I will tell you a story (and try to keep it short). It’s Fall of 1992. I’m a freshman in high school. I’m infatuated with a girl in the junior class who was a musician. The school drama department produces Godspell, and said girl plays in the pit orchestra. Naturally, I go to all four performances. Four times I watch as Jesus gathers his disciples. Four times I listen as Jesus teaches them about the New covenant. Four times, Jesus is betrayed by Judas, and four times he is crucified. I buy the original broadway cast soundtrack, and listen to it no less than once a day for the next month, and then no less than once a month for the next eight years. When I meet my future wife, she is amazed at my knowledge of the book of Matthew even though the rest of my Bible knowledge is lacking. Long story long, God imparted His Word on my heart through the music of a broadway musical. In a manner of speaking, you could say that I was saved through the Godspell of Stephen Schwartz. So what does that have to do with today’s reading? Psalm 103 is one of the songs sung in the musical…read the King James Version and watch the embedded video below.

Samantha: Psalm 104 paints a majestic picture of God riding on his chariot of clouds, looking over his vast creation. The psalm praises God for creating the world and everything in it: the heavens, seas, earth, the animals, and food. It so beautifully describes what the Lord has provided to us here on earth, and how everything has a place and a purpose. I love nature and learning how the world around me operates; this psalm describes specific animals, natural processes like water, oceans, and springs, and how the sun and moon set seasons. I praise God almost everyday for the natural world–for the butterfly that floated past me as I was at a stoplight, for the birds I see gathering worms, for the crops and gardens growing that provide us with food. “How many are your works, O LORD! In wisdom you made them all” (Psalm 104:24).

Ryan: There are some parts of the body of Christ that believe that worship of the Lord God Almighty can only include a cappella music. I can understand a congregation’s desire to “play it safe” by using a cappella music, arguing that there are no examples of instrumental music being used in worship in the New Testament. However, to then extend that concern to then make the argument that God hates all worship performed with instrumental music is at best errant, and at worst, prideful and arrogant. While time does not permit to provide a full discussion on the matter, count up how many times you’ve read the words harp, lyre, trumpet, horn, “stringed instruments,” and then try to tell me that God hates instrumental music. Today, we read, “make music to the LORD with the harp, with the harp and the sound of singing, with trumpets and the blast of the ram’s horn” (Psalm 98:5-6a). “But Ryan,” I can hear you saying, “that’s in the old testament. We’re not under the old law anymore.” Point conceded; however, all Christians admit that God is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow, and as such, there has never been anything which God loved in the Old Testament that he then turned and hated in the New. You can “play it safe” if you want to (and there’s nothing wrong with that), but do NOT point at your brother who is making joyful noise to the Lord on his guitar and call him a sinner.

Samantha: The more I read of God’s works in the Old Testament, the more I want to worship him. Growing up, we had an amazing black preacher at my nearly all-white congregation. Brother Dulan would give some of the most passionate and moving sermons that made even the stiffest white people say amen out loud and praise God. He’d often give us a hard time for being so stiff and emotionless. He’d tell us to sing it like we meant it, and to not be afraid to praise God. In our congregation now I am almost appalled when people sit there absolutely silent, proverbial crickets chirping in the background, in response to a lesson on grace or forgiveness. God washed away our sins with the blood of his Son-how can you NOT shout to God with joy?? Jesus told the Jews that “‘if [my disciples] keep quiet, the stones will cry out” (Luke 19:40). We need to learn from David and Jesus and let go of our silly inhibitions so that we can praise our Lord in a manner that gives him the glory for what he’s done for us! Don’t just sit there–praise him!

Ryan: Since all of us today have grown up in the modern era where most, if not all, “nations” on the earth are technically “states,” it’s very easy for us to get confused while reading the nationalistic parts of the Old Testament. Generally, a nation is defined by culture and ethnicity, while a state is political and/or geographical. You’ve probably heard the term “nation-state” before; this term is used to describe a situation where those two definitions are present simultaneously (Japan is a nation-state). With the definitions behind us, let’s look more accurately at the Scriptures: “Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD, the people he chose for his inheritance” (Psalm 33:12). So, not to step on any toes here, folks, but the United States of America is NOT the nation that is referenced in Psalm 33. The nation referenced here was initially Jews, but has now expanded to Christians: “you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God” (1 Peter 2:9, emphasis added). Regardless of who is in the Oval Office, or what party is in control of the Congress, the “holy nation” will remain intact, as it knows no borders. With around 2 billion people who proclaim some belief in Jesus Christ worldwide, the holy nation is independent from any one political state on the earth (Praise be to the LORD).

Samantha: I loved the vivid imagery of God’s voice in Psalm 29. We talk about how powerful God is, but we don’t always think about the power in his voice alone. We’ve recently had some thunderstorms in our area, but they pale in comparison to God’s voice, which is described in this psalm as thundering over the waters and like flashes of lightning. We also live in tornado alley and have seen some pretty horendous damage from tornadoes, namely how they can uproot massive trees. God’s voice alone is so powerful it can shatter the cedar trees of Lebanon and twist mighty oak trees. His voice can make mountains skip! Now we see why David says, “Ascribe to the LORD the glory due his name” (Psalm 29:2)!

Ryan: The atheist humanist movement that is quickly grabbing the industrialized societies by the throat is very appealing on the outside. The theory goes, as long as you’re nice to people, and you’re generally a “good person,” then that’s all that really matters. As long as you’re not hurting someone else, what does it really matter what you’re “in to”? In other words, there’s no such thing as absolute sin, only relative sin. The problem with that is what about the things that go on while no one’s watching? What about what goes on in your head that no one else can see? Do you think it really doesn’t matter if a married man indulges with pornography while his wife is absent? Of course it matters. Do you think it really doesn’t matter that inside you harbor angry, vengeful thoughts against someone, as long as you’re nice to their face? Of course it matters. Those kinds of sins are a cancer. They start out small, indetectable. They grow, and slowly begin to affect how you act on the outside. Paul writes, “Don’t you know that a little yeast works through the whole batch of dough?” (1 Corinthians 5:6). There is One who sees all, though. David writes in Psalm 19, “Who can discern his errors? Forgive my hidden faults. Keep your servant also from willful sins; may they not rule over me. Then I will be blameless, innocent of great transgression.” You can try to tell yourself that that’s simply a “slippery slope” argument, and that you won’t fall into it. Ya, good luck with that.

Samantha: Christians are charged with spreading the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and somehow (“Oh, I just don’t know who it could be”), we’ve been distracted by “morality issues,” materialism, and politics. Today’s reading was very comforting to me, because it talks about how the heavens and skies speak of God and how every language can understand that message. So even if the very people charged with spreading the Gospel fail, God will still shine through.

“The heavens declare the glory of God;
the skies proclaim the work of his hands.

Day after day they pour forth speech;
night after night they display knowledge.

There is no speech or language
where their voice is not heard.

Their voice goes out into all the earth,
their words to the ends of the world” (Psalm 19:1-4).

Ryan: Alfred Lord Tennyson wrote, “‘Tis better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all.” Gimli (Lord of the Rings) said, “I have looked last upon that which is fairest. Henceforth I will call nothing fair unless it be her gift to me.” And the Sons of Korah write in Psalm 84, “Better is one day in your courts than a thousand elsewhere; I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of the wicked.” The running theme here is that when you encounter the epitome of something, all else is pale in comparison. We can get a glimpse of what it’s like to spend one day in the court of the LORD our God by reading the awesome book of Revelation, as John was given only the images he needed relate to the churches to whom the letter is addressed. And as for an application for our daily lives, for you Christians who have felt and witnessed the power, glory, and majesty of God, how can you ever give that up for the fleeting things of this world that “though in the morning it springs up new, by evening it is dry and withered” (Psalm 90:6)?

Samantha: One of my favorite ways to worship God is to sing to him when I’m by myself. Sure, singing a capella in a congregation of 700 is amazing, but I have to admit that when I sing in church I’m not really worshiping. Likewise, when I sing a solo or sing with a group, my training as an instrumentalist kicks in and I only think about the music and performing. The only way I can truly worship God in song is when I’ve let go of the sheet music, the rhythms, performance anxiety, and the people around me. It is then that I can let my true emotions out, which is normally hard for me to do! The car is a great place to sing, although one time I must have been a little loud, judging by the strange looks a pedestrian gave me. There have been many times where something great happened that day and I sang praise all the way home. There was a time I was in so much pain that I sang-shouted at God all the way home. “I sing for joy at the works of your hands” (Psalm 92). When I can spot God in everyday life, I’m filled with praise, awe, and joy at what our God has done, and it makes my heart want to sing! (Can you spot the songs I’ve referenced in this post?)

Ryan: Having spent many years of my life as an agnostic, one of the things I struggle with is reading/listening to/watching atheists argue their side of the existence of God debate. I struggle with it for two reasons: first, a larger percentage (in my experience) of atheists think more logically and at a deeper level than most Christians. Second, I struggle with it because it would be so easy to slip back into that lifestyle. Atheists love to point fingers and tell Christians that they are dumb, non-thinking people who just go along with whatever they are told. Psalm 73 paints the atheist this way: “They scoff, and speak with malice…Their mouths lay claim to heaven, and their tongues take possession of the earth” (Psalm 73:8-9). Having been on both sides of this debate, I’m here to say that believing and following God is hundredfold harder than not. It’s hard to listen to people who believe differently than you ridicule you for your beliefs when you did nothing to them. It’s hard to resist the desires of the flesh while the world around you indulges. And it’s hard to worship our Father in heaven while the loudest voices you hear every day are telling you He doesn’t exist. “But as for me, it is good to be near God. I have made the Sovereign LORD my refuge; I will tell of all your deeds” (Psalm 73:28).

Samantha: I really loved the flow and timing of Psalm 73. Asaph starts off the psalm by describing what could have been our culture, where the wicked are rewarded, live prosperous, healthy lives, and are carefree. I could sympathize with him when he talked about how he felt his righteousness was in vain. Back in my high school years, it was sometimes hard for me to see the “rich kids” wearing the latest fashions, driving shiny sports cars, and going on lavish vacations, when I had second-hand clothing, drove a car almost as old as me, and had never been on a vacation. Those kids had everything life could offer, they even went to church, and yet at the time they lived very sinful lives. I felt like I was all alone in my efforts to follow God, and it was hard to reconcile how those students were prosperous and I wasn’t. Just like Asaph said in the psalm, “When I tried to understand all this, it was oppressive to me till I entered the sanctuary of God; then I understood their final destiny” (Psalm 73:16-17). Knowing the end of the story, how good always triumphs over evil, makes all the difference in how you respond to situations like my high school experience. Rather than feeling like your faith is in vain, remember that, “Surely God is good to Israel, to those who are pure in heart” (Psalm 73:1).

Ryan: One thing you definitely don’t read in the psalms (at least we haven’t yet) is how those who are righteous are those who do their offerings and sacrifices regularly and orderly, those who worship at the temple every Sabbath, or those who make every effort to appear holy to their neighbors. No, instead what you read is, “He whose walk is blameless…does his neighbor no wrong and casts no slur on his fellowman” (Psalm 15:2-3, emphasis added). We also read, “The mouth of the righteous man utters wisdom, and his tongue speaks what is just” (Psalm 37:30). When reading through these psalms, I was reminded of the book of James, one of my favorites from the New Testament. In it, James writes,

“If anyone considers himself religious and yet does not keep a tight rein on his tongue, he deceives himself and his religion is worthless. Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.” (James 1:26-27)

God wants our hearts, and he wants us to love others more than ourselves. Everything else is secondary.

Samantha: My grandma once gave me a framed poem of my name, where each line of description began with a letter from my name. I learned later that is called an acrostic, where each line starts with a letter that spells out a word, or just spells out the alphabet. In Psalm 37 we read what is an acrostic in the original Hebrew. Looking at the Hebrew version at Mechon Mamre, you can see the beginning letter of each line in bold (remember Hebrew is read right to left). Using the Hebrew alphabet you can compare the two and see that each line is a successive letter. How cool is that? Poems don’t have to be boring–it’s like a hidden puzzle!

Ryan: Psalm 144 ends with, “Blessed are the people of whom this is true; blessed are the people whose God is the LORD.” The Jews have a strong tradition in issuing blessings. In Fiddler on the Roof, when someone asks the rabbi if there is a blessing for a sewing machine, the rabbi replies, “There’s a blessing for everything!” According to Sitting at the Feet of Rabbi Jesus, the Jews developed the tradition in order to heed the words of Moses, “you shall bless the LORD your God for the good land which He has given you” (Deut. 8:10 NASB). While Christians often ask for a blessing at a meal, Jews will issue a blessing, “Blessed is he who brings forth bread from the earth.” These little short prayers, if you will, are called berakhah, and faithful Jews will fill their day with them, from the moment they wake up to the moment they close their eyes to sleep, often issuing dozens if not hundreds of them each day. Ann Spangler writes, “When you start to make a habit of blessing God, you will discover that daily life can begin to feel like Christmas morning” (Sitting, p. 99).

Samantha: In our reading today we covered Psalm 120 and Psalm 121, both labeled as psalms of ascent. Two summers ago I had the privilege of studying all the psalms of ascent (Psalm 120-134) in the Beth Moore study,  Stepping Up: A Journey Through the Psalms of Ascent. These psalms were pilgrim songs, sung by the Jews on their way to Jerusalem to celebrate the feasts. Many pilgrims traveled several days to get to Jerusalem, over rocky hills, and often at the mercy of bandits (think Good Samaritan). Psalm 121 would be very comforting to me along the journey, knowing that God will “not let your foot slip” or that “he who watches over you will not slumber” (Psalm 121:3). The journey is never easy, but God is there constantly to help you through it. When you falter, he is right there to steady you. When you sleep, he keeps watch. I will definitely sleep better tonight knowing that no matter what is out there, the God of the Universe is protecting me!

Ryan: H.C. Leupold referred to Psalm 88 as “the gloomiest psalm found in the Scriptures” (Truth for Today Commentary: Psalms 51-89, p. 661). I would have to agree with that statement. It was so depressing to read that I had to include the clip from Monty Python and the Holy Grail where God refers to “those miserable psalms” (see below). It lacks that thread of hope that David always wove in through all of his songs and prayers. This psalm is written from the perspective of one who has yet to obtain a reprieve from a very difficult situation afflicting him. Whether the author himself was going through such a time when he wrote it is unknown, but he definitely has been through a similar situation at some point, as have most of us. We have all had a time in our lives when it seems like God is not listening to our prayers, or that he simply doesn’t care about us and there is no end in sight to the pain we are enduring. It’s extremely difficult to maintain our hope during those times, but remember that even Jesus felt once in his life like God had forsaken him, and yet just three days later, he conquered the immutable boundary we call death.

Samantha: Today’s reading made me think of songs that we sing in church in this generation. After every couple verses I would say, “that verse is in this song” or “I just sang along to that in the car”. Several songs (psalms) that stood out to me were On Eagles’ Wings (Psalm 91), Come Let Us Worship & Bow Down and the Chris Tomlin version Come Let Us Worship (Psalm 95:6-7), and the Sons of Korah version Come Let Us Sing (Psalm 95:6-11). These are just the songs I found on YouTube–there are many more out there. I am amazed that poetry written three thousand years ago is still popular today, just with updated music!

Ryan: Paul wrote to the church in Ephesus, “through faith in him we may approach God with freedom and confidence” (Ephesians 3:12). I take that to mean, in one sense, that with the greater faith that we have, the more confidence we can approach God in our prayers. If that is true, then David’s faith must be out of this world. I think to the prayers that I often pray (”if it be Your will…,” “please, LORD…,” “I’d love it if…,” etc.) and how weak, or timid, they are in terms of the language I use. I then think of the words that David offers up: “Rescue me…,” “Deliver me…,” “Do not forsake me…,” etc. These are bold, direct imperative commands, as opposed to my grammatically conditional prayers. I understand cognitively what Paul told the Ephesians, but David “gets it” in his heart. We should all take a lesson from the man “after God’s own heart” and realize that we are not small, insignificant beings unworthy of God’s time and attention, but rather, his “valued possession” (Exo. 19:5) worthy to bring to him direct requests and commands.

Samantha: David is in anguish in many of these psalms. He’s been chased, falsely accused, plotted against, and scorned. Any normal person might cave in under such pressure, but David retains hope by recalling the Lord’s power and might over all the evil in the world:

“I will remember the deeds of the LORD; yes, I will remember your miracles of long ago. I will meditate on all your works and consider all your mighty deeds. Your ways, O God, are holy. What god is so great as our God? You are the God who performs miracles; you display your power among the peoples. With your mighty arm you redeemed your people, the descendants of Jacob and Joseph” (Psalm 77:11-15).

The God we worship today in 2010 is the very same God that parted the Red Sea, the same God who forgave David, and the same God who created the earth. Wow! It is easy for earthly things to distract us and make us feel overwhelmed (Satan is good at his job!), but following David’s example of dwelling on God’s mighty deeds will quickly put things back in perspective.

Ryan: I am very curious about how old David was when he wrote most of these songs and poems. I remember being a teenager, filled with angst, and coming up with poetry that I couldn’t even dream of today. Your emotions are at such at heightened state at that age that often they bubble over and the only way to express them is through song. Just yesterday, a former student wrote on Facebook, “I finished my poem. I really don’t mean for them to come out as kind of sad as they do it just happens.” To that, I replied with the quote from Jesus, “For out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks” (Matthew 12:34). At the time he was speaking, Jesus was referring to the evil things that the Pharisees would say. However, the converse is also true: he continues, “The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in him, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in him” (Matthew 12:35). So how do we know that David was a man after God’s own heart? Because we can see the overflow of his heart through his many Psalms. The wonderful praise and heartfelt petitions come straight from David’s heart and reveal his truest nature, just as did the poems and songs we wrote as teenagers.

Samantha: Another Jesus moment in the Psalms today! Remember the story of Jesus going to the temple in Jerusalem for Passover and then clearing the moneychangers out of the temple in John 2? The disciples watched Jesus do this, and they “remembered that it is written: “Zeal for your house will consume me” (John 2:17). Talk about letting the word dwell in you, that you can recall an appropriate scripture at any moment (Col. 3:16)! The verse they thought of comes straight from our reading today in Psalm 69. In this psalm David talks about the evil that is committed against him even though he is blameless, and how God will provide salvation. Like the psalm from Day 110, take a few minutes to go back and re-read Psalm 69 from Jesus’ and his disciple’s perspective.

Ryan: When I attended the Presbyterian church when I was younger, they had a big colorful banner that hung from the ceiling that read, “Be still, and know that I am God.” I used to stare at that banner during the sermons (instead of listening), and meditate on a God that not only had the power to calm the tumultuous seas (Matthew 8:27), but also our tumultuous inner emotions and thoughts. Later in life, I studied Taoism and it, along with Zen, had a profound impact on my ability to cope with stress in my life. Then coming full circle, when I started attending the church of Christ, I was introduced to the hymn called “Be Still and Know.” Those that know me know that I am a pretty laid back person, and it takes quite a bit to get me stressed out. My secret should be plainly obvious by now. At all times, I am still, and know that He is God, and I am not.

Samantha: Our world is filled with problems. We’ve seen lots of natural disasters recently: typhoons, earthquakes, erupting volcanoes. We’ve seen lots of political turmoil: communism in North Korea, US republicans versus democrats, nuclear weapon concerns in Iran. Then there’s ethical concerns with companies like Monsanto patenting plant genes, or how four companies control the US food supply. There are people in our own country who go to bed hungry, people around the world who don’t have clean drinking water, and people who have disabilities. Don’t forget the religious conflict between Israel and Palestine or the Catholic church scandals. Everywhere we turn there are serious problems in our world. What silver lining shines through these problems? God is the Master of the Universe. “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging…The LORD Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress” (Psalm 46:1-3, Psalm 46:11).

Ryan: I doubt there’s anything that can be said about Psalm 23 (“The LORD is my shepherd…”) that hasn’t been said already, so I don’t think my adding one more paragraph will help. Instead, I’d like to pull one verse out of today’s reading to discuss: “I love the house where you live, O LORD, the place where your glory dwells” (Psalm 26:8). Of course, in David’s time, the “house” where God lived was the tabernacle, and soon to be the temple. But it was indeed a specific place where one could go and worship. Today, each believer is the house where God lives, and His glory dwells in us. Paul wrote in his first letter to the sinful Corinthian church, “Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit lives in you? If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy him; for God’s temple is sacred, and you are that temple” (1 Corinthians 3:16-17, emphasis added). So my question to you is, do you love the house where God lives? In an age and nation that not only permits, but often celebrates obesity, substance abuse, body modification, and sexual impurity, I’m terribly afraid that the house where God lives is under siege. Let us all work together to clean and rebuild the temple of the LORD our God.

Samantha: I almost jumped out of my skin when David said “Into your hands I commit my spirit” (Psalm 31:5). Sound familiar? The only other place that phrase occurs in the Bible is when Jesus says it right before he dies (Luke 23:46). Jews had the Scriptures memorized backwards and forwards, and how much more did Jesus know them! They applied them to every part of their lives, and this psalm that David writes is no exception. The picture is of a righteous person being overtaken by their enemies and how God will rescue, redeem, and deliver them. I went back and re-read Psalm 31 from the perspective of Jesus as he was hanging there on the cross, and I highly recommend you do the same! It is astounding (and so like the Holy Spirit!) how the words of David were so applicable to Jesus’ situation over 1,000 years after the psalm was written. They are just as appropriate to us today; this set of psalms is for anyone who is feeling cornered, betrayed, forgotten, overwhelmed, or defeated. No matter your situation, God will deliver those who love him. “Be strong and take heart, all you who hope in the LORD” (Psalm 31:24).

Ryan: In reading the psalms in which David prays for deliverance from enemies and deliverance from oppression, I couldn’t help but draw comparisons to some of Martin Luther King Jr.’s speeches. In particular, from Psalm 6:3-4, “How long, O LORD, how long? Turn, O LORD, and deliver me.” A deep study of the Psalms, in my opinion, gives you such a greater understanding of the emotions that were ever-present, ever-boiling during the Civil Rights movement of the 1960’s. Take this section from MLK’s speech entitled, “Our God is Marching On”:

“‘How long will justice be crucified, and truth bear it?’…. How long? Not long, because the arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice…. How long? Not long, because: ‘Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord;’”

The feelings of oppression and downtroddenness that were felt by the African American community for well over 200 years are similar to those of David, a righteous man living in a nation of people who rebel against God. I realize that the pre-Civil Rights era was a “different time”, but to think that people who called themselves followers of Christ could treat other human beings the way they did (and often, sadly, in “the name of God”) is repugnant in God’s sight. But “You hear, O LORD, the desire of the afflicted; you encourage them, and you listen to their cry, defending the fatherless and the oppressed, in order that man, who is of the earth, may terrify no more” (Psalm 10:17-18).

Samantha: A week or so ago a friend posted a comment on Facebook about how he has a hard time dealing with injustice. Other people replied about various injustices that bothered them. What I thought was interesting is that many people think we have to deal with it on our own, in this life. I pointed out that our God is “the God who sees” (Genesis 16:13), and he says “it is mine to avenge; I will repay” (Deut. 32:35). It may bother us now, but it bothers God more! Beth Moore pointed out in her study on Daniel that the Lord is the Ancient of Days–he’s the judge from the first day until the last day, he’s seen every injustice that’s ever taken place, and he’ll be the final judge of it all. There will never be an unsolved murder in God’s court, no suspects get away, no guilty set free. David’s psalm today echoes those thoughts:

“The LORD is in his holy temple;
the LORD is on his heavenly throne.
He observes the sons of men;
his eyes examine them…
For the LORD is righteous,
he loves justice;
upright men will see his face” (Psalm 11:4, 7).

David's farewell PowerPoint

1 Chron. 26:12-32, 1 Chron. 27:1-34, 1 Chron. 23:1b, 1 Chron. 28:2-21, 1 Chron. 29:1-22

Ryan: As always happens when we read passages with a lot of numbers, I have to do a little bit of math and research to find a way to put the numbers into perspective. Going through the list of all the military commanders and their battalions, the total number of troops adds up to 288,000 (1 Chron. 27:1-15). To compare that to a modern-day number, that would be (very) roughly the size of the 2008 U.S. Army Reserve combined with the U.S. Air National Guard. So, not even up to the size of our “regular” army, which is 543,000 active troops (in 2008). However, I didn’t stop there. I wanted to compare that number to the total population of the earth. Best estimates put the total earth population during David’s time at somewhere between 30 and 50 million (I used 40M). That would put David’s army at approximately .73% of the entire earth population. By contrast, the entire United States military (3 million, including all reserves and guards) equals only .05% of the entire earth population. David’s army was over 14 times larger than the United States, by proportion. Think the United States is a superpower? We’d be an ant in the eyes of King David.

Samantha: Today’s reading was reminiscent of when God instructed Moses to build the tabernacle and the people then brought freewill offerings (Exodus 35-39). They followed the pattern God had given them and were blessed. The same is true for David’s preparation for the temple. Even though he didn’t get to build it, David followed the plans God had given him through the Spirit and made sure that the best materials were brought in and prepared ahead of time for Solomon. The people, like in Moses’ day, brought in abundant offerings (1 Chron. 28-29). 

Ryan: Yet another “job-that-we-could-do-without-if-we-followed-the-Bible”: career counselors. Most of what we read today was simply a list of who was going to do what job. And how did they decide who was going to do which job? They cast lots. How would you have liked it if instead of filling out those insipid career aptitude tests, that the school counselor came in and said, okay, here’s a 6-sided die. Roll and look up on this list to see what job you get to do when you graduate (if you’re lucky, you’d get a counselor who plays Dungeons & Dragons and so would have a 12- or 20-sided die to use instead). “All of them trained and skilled in music for the LORD–they numbered 288. Young and old alike, teacher as well as student, cast lots for their duties” (1 Chronicles 25:7-8). In some ways, I would have hated that, but in other ways, I would have loved that too. It sure takes the guess work out of “what do I want to be when I grow up?”

King David's Lyre: Echoes of Ancient Israel by Michael Levy

Samantha: As David makes preparations for the Lord’s temple he appoints musicians. “All these men were under the supervision of their fathers for the music of the temple of the LORD, with cymbals, lyres and harps, for the ministry at the house of God. Asaph, Jeduthun and Heman were under the supervision of the king. Along with their relatives—all of them trained and skilled in music for the LORD -they numbered 288″ (1 Chron. 25:6-7). If you’ve never heard ancient music from a lyre check out the link below!

http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/king-davids-lyre-echoes-ancient/id295165096

Ryan: As I read through today’s reading, I ran across the name “Satan” in 1 Chronicles 21:1. I thought to myself, “Well, there’s a name I haven’t heard in a while.” So, I went to the handy biblegateway.com and searched for “Satan” and discovered that the reason we haven’t heard it for a while, is that this is the absolute first reference to the name “Satan.” He is referred to as the serpent in the Garden of Eden, but other than that, this is really the first encounter we have with Satan. What caught my attention even more is that Satan is only mentioned 18 times in the Old Testament, 15 of which are in the book of Job. His name appears 36 times in the New Testament, which is significant since there are 12 more books in the Old versus the New. One of Satan’s strongest tactics is making us believe that we are perfectly capable without the LORD, and that’s exactly what he does to David. David wants to take a census “so that I may know how many there are” (1 Chron. 21:2, emphasis added). Instead of trusting in God that His army is exactly as big as it needs to be, David wants to find out for himself so he can make his own plans, instead of relying on God’s plans.

Samantha: Who knew God created the Love and Logic method? The fact that God gave David choices reminded me of dinnertime with some of the awesome mothers at church saying to their children, “you can eat two green beans or you can eat three peas–it is your choice.” Another component of the Love and Logic is making punishments fit the crime. Today’s punishment of a plague seemed very harsh to me, but then I remembered back in Exodus when Moses was instructed to count the people: “When you take a census of the Israelites to count them, each one must pay the LORD a ransom for his life at the time he is counted. Then no plague will come on them when you number them” (Ex. 30:12). All people belong to the Lord, including soldiers. It was a sin for David to count his fighting men as though they belonged to him. David chose the punishment of plague and learned his lesson. 

Ryan: So here’s a weird-but-true coincidence in a modern day connection to today’s daily Bible reading: in today’s Wichita Eagle there was an article reporting that an Olathe man who had cursed a police officer with expletives and giving him “the finger” had won a lawsuit to repeal a disorderly conduct charge. This man had apparently felt that cursing the cop was an appropriate response for making his children cry. The courts decided that his behavior was covered under the first amendment, and ordered that the city pay his $5,000 fine. In 2nd Samuel 19:15-23, we read that Shmei was granted mercy (and a stay of execution) for hurling curses (and more) toward King David (see April 13). I guess once Shmei realized that he was supporting “the wrong team,” so to speak, he changed his tune and threw his support to Team David. He begged for forgiveness for cursing the King, and despite his officers’ advice to the contrary, the King pardoned him for the act. It goes to show you that there really is nothing new under the sun.

Samantha: I was pretty astounded that after David was restored as king after the Absalom coup, that now there’s another attempted coup! “So all the men of Israel deserted David to follow Sheba son of Bicri. But the men of Judah stayed by their king all the way from the Jordan to Jerusalem” (2 Sam. 20:2). It seems to me that these people are so easily swayed and move from one leader to the next, never satisfied. It reminded me of the passage in Timothy where we’re warned, “For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear” (2 Timothy 4:3). Even though God has anointed Jesus as our king there will always be defectors who move from doctrine to doctrine to suit their desires.

Absalom's Monument - Source: Wikipedia

Ryan: I always feel terrible when I laugh, accidentally or not, at another’s misfortune. Having said that, the scene we read today where Absalom’s hair gets caught in the tree, causing him to be “left hanging in midair, while the mule he was riding kept on going” has to be the absolute funniest thing we have encountered so far in the Bible. This was a story I did not remember reading before today, and so was totally taken by surprise. And to read such a tale in the Bible, which we always perceive as stoic and dry, made it all the funnier. Sadly, the humor of the situation quickly fades thanks to the viciousness of Joab and his men. As if getting humiliated by getting your enormous afro (don’t forget his hair weighed about five pounds, according to 2 Samuel 14:26) caught in the tree wasn’t enough, poor Absalom was slaughtered while he was defenseless. While his death may have been warranted, David still mourned for his lost son, even if he was his enemy in battle.

Samantha: You know how sometimes when we’re in a hurry we use phrases like “so and so said that” or “and such.” Usually the person we’re talking to can figure out what we me mean by the context, but if you’re reading those phrases in writing it can be a little ambiguous. I laughed when we read the account of the battle plans today: “Hushai told Zadok and Abiathar, the priests, ‘Ahithophel has advised Absalom and the elders of Israel to do such and such, but I have advised them to do so and so.’” Ha! Was the scribe in that much of a hurry when he recorded this? What is “so and so”? That seems, um, sort of an important piece of information to have. Then, as the men deliver these “such and such” battle plans to David they say, “Set out and cross the river at once; Ahithophel has advised such and such against you” (2 Sam. 17:15, 21). Clearly the message made it through, but we’ll never know if it was because David was clairvoyant or the messengers really did give the details. 

Ryan: It seems like for “godly” men, these guys we’re reading about lately sure do a lot of scheming. I feel like we’ve already mentioned this recently, but if these men spent even half as much time consulting God through prayers, meditations, petitions, etc., as they did in plotting and scheming, things would go so much better. Try this for an exercise: count up how many times you’ve read in the past week or so that someone consulted the LORD’s advice, or bowed in prayer before the LORD, or even cast lots to discover His will. Now count up how many times someone has gone to battle, or killed someone, or tried to kill someone, or thought about killing someone. Which one of those numbers is higher? Now try this exercise: count up how many times you’ve made decisions in the past week without consulting God, or how many times you’ve taken credit you’ve done something without acknowledging the gifts with which the LORD has blessed you. So which group do you belong to?

Samantha: I felt sad for David today as he left Jerusalem a temporarily-overthrown king. It was bad enough that his own son staged a coup, but as David was traveling he was heckled by a member of Saul’s family. The heckling included insults, stone throwing, and showers of dirt (really?). David instructed his guards to “Leave him alone; let him curse, for the LORD has told him to. It may be that the LORD will see my distress and repay me with good for the cursing I am receiving today” (2 Sam. 16:11-12). This reaction immediately made me think of Jesus’ teaching in the Beatitudes: “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you” (Matt. 5:11-12). To many people this seems completely backwards–how can you rejoice in persecution? It’s all in your perspective; the apostle Paul explained how God was able to work through his weaknesses and use it to spread the Gospel. “That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong” (2 Cor. 12:10). Yes, it hurts to have insults (or rocks!) hurled at you, but take them in stride because the Lord will see your distress and reward you.

As an extra treat, here is Samantha and Ryan singing A Shield About Me (from Psalm 3) as part of an acapella quartet:

Ryan: And herein lies another perfect example of how 99% of all problems could be avoided by improved communication. At every point in the Amnon & Tamar story, there is a situation that could have been made better through communicating. First, Amnon could have approached Tamar and explained his feelings for her, and she could have proposed the idea of getting married at that time. Of course Amnon was “frustrated to the point of illness” (2 Samuel 13:2) because of his incestuous feelings, so I don’t think he was thinking clearly (I think the illness here is referring to an illness of the head). Next we read that “When King David heard all this, he was furious” (2 Samuel 13:21); except that for two years, the king did absolutely nothing about it. Likewise, Absalom “never said a word to Amnon, either good or bad” (2 Samuel 13:22). For two years, Absalom let his anger fester and burn inside him until the point where he commits fratricide. Then, instead of repenting and confessing, Absalom goes into exile for three years. It’s so frustrating when you have the benefit of hindsight to watch these kinds of situations spiral out of control from annoying to fatal.

Samantha: Tamar seems to be one of the few people who made any sense today (like her namesake from Genesis 38), so I was really angry reading what happened to her in today’s reading. With her reasoning ability, knowledge of the Law, and status she had great potential for a wonderful life. All that was taken away by the vile actions of a mentally ill man, the evil advice from his shrewd “friend,” and the inaction of her cowardly brother. According to the Law (Deut. 22), Amnon should have married Tamar right then to keep her from disgrace–but that didn’t happen. Therefore, she was forced to live out the rest of her life in shame and isolation in her family’s house. The Archaeological Study Bible has a good article on the importance of virginity in ancient cultures–and how a woman’s virginity was central to her character and identity (p. 367).

Ryan: There is a great lesson to be learned from the manner in which David handled the death of his son. Sure, we can talk about grieving for loved ones who have died and how to deal with the stages of grief. But instead, I’d like to use it as a parallel to our “Great Commission” to spread the Gospel to the lost. Read the words of David: “While the child was still alive, I fasted and wept. I thought, ‘Who knows? The LORD may be gracious to me and let the child live.’ But now that he is dead, why should I fast? Can I bring him back again? I will go to him, but he will not return to me” (2 Sam 12:22-23). Every day, we encounter people who are still living but have not yet claimed the redemption of God’s Son as their own. It is for these people that we should be fasting and weeping to God daily in order to help bring them to the LORD. Once they die, we will no longer have any ability to help save them. Mourning for those who died without the hope of salvation will do nothing to save them–we failed the task we were given.

Samantha: A few days ago we read about King David sending a delegation to the Ammonites to express sympathy for the death of their king, who had shown kindness to David. The new king returned the favor by completely humiliating David’s men (1 Chron 19:1-5). According to the Archaeological Study Bible, this act was equivalent to a declaration of war (p. 454). After what is thought to be two years of siege, Joab and David captured the city, and David symbolically took the crown off the head of their king and put it on his own (1 Chron, 20:1-3). While it may not seem like it (since it was in yesterday’s reading), this is the very same battle where David sent Uriah the Hittite to his death (2 Sam. 10-11). Interestingly, this is also the same town where, back in Deuteronomy, the iron bed of Og, King of Bashan, was on display (Deut. 3:11). The reason I bring all this up is because I thought it was interesting that all these things happened in the same place, the Ammonite capital Rabbah (see map). Our reading is spread out between different books and different days, and it can be really hard to keep the story line straight! Sometimes I feel like I need to have my maps handy, along with my Israeli tour guide, museum scrolls, archaeological dig team, and time machine. Having the chronological Bible helps immensely for narratives like this.

Ryan: There are people in this world who refuse to go to church or even attempt to draw nearer to God because they feel that “the things that they’ve done” are just too big to be forgiven. I do think, however, that the story of David is one of the strongest arguments to counter those feelings. While men have a way of assigning ranks or values to different sins, to God, sin is sin, and no one sin is greater than any other. No matter what you’ve done in your life, I seriously doubt it can compare to David: he lusted after a woman to whom he was a peeping Tom, he invited this woman to his bedroom, knowing full well that she was married, had sex with her and got her pregnant, then got her husband drunk and sent him off to war with the instructions to make sure that he got killed in battle. In our man-made system of ranking sins, I’d say that one is right up there. But amazingly, he was forgiven! After Nathan rebuked David for his sin, David repented in his heart and confessed, “‘I have sinned against the LORD.’ Nathan replied, ‘The LORD has taken away your sin. You are not going to die’” (2 Sam. 12:13). David made no sacrifices or offerings, and yet Nathan proclaimed that David’s sin was taken away! We learn why this is even possible through David’s prayer for forgiveness in Psalm 51:16-17 — “You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it; you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.”

Samantha: I couldn’t help but laugh out loud at the part where Joab is preparing his messenger with what to say to King David when he delivered the news of Uriah’s death. Joab pretended to be David and said to the messenger, “Why did you get so close to the city to fight? Didn’t you know they would shoot arrows from the wall? Who killed Abimelech son of Jerub-Besheth? Didn’t a woman throw an upper millstone on him from the wall, so that he died in Thebez? Why did you get so close to the wall?” (2 Sam. 11:20-21). It is good to know that military leaders know their history, but Abimelech might not be happy with Joab’s knowledge–Abimelech didn’t want people to know he was killed by a woman! “Abimelech went to the tower and stormed it. But as he approached the entrance to the tower to set it on fire, a woman dropped an upper millstone on his head and cracked his skull. Hurriedly he called to his armor-bearer, ‘Draw your sword and kill me, so that they can’t say, “A woman killed him.”‘” (Judges 9:52-54). Looks like God wanted everyone to know that he was killed by a woman!

Ryan: The story of David bringing Mephibosheth into his house and having him sit at his table every night, and restoring all of Saul’s land to him and his family is a wonderfully touching story. I feel that it greatly mirrors our own relationship with God. During those days, if you were offspring of a former (ousted) king, you would most likely be put to death so that you would never be able to attempt to reclaim the throne. So in one sense, Mephibosheth “deserved” to die, simply for being offspring of David’s enemy. However, because he was Jonathan’s son–and David loved Jonathan as he loved himself–Mephibosheth was not only spared, but treated as family. In the same way, if it were not for Jesus, we would also deserve to die for being slaves to sin. But, because of God’s love for His Son, we are not only spared for his sake, but we are also given the promise of a share in the most prime real estate in the universe.

Samantha: Ever since the Garden, God has been trying to get back in touch with and dwell among men. He accomplished that through the tabernacle, the portable tent that contained the ark of the covenant. When David presents the idea of building a permanent dwelling, the Lord responds, “I have not dwelt in a house from the day I brought the Israelites up out of Egypt to this day. I have been moving from place to place with a tent as my dwelling” (2 Sam 7:6). I love how the Lord pursues us, wants to be with us, and fights in the trenches with us. He is active in our lives and dwells inside us today as the Holy Spirit. He is with us wherever we go and we are never alone.

Ryan: Another first we read about today! While I’m sure they’ve already had them in the past, during today’s reading, we learn about the first song leader mentioned in the Bible. Of course, we had also had the lead trumpet players, harpists, and percussionists as well. “Kenaniah the head Levite was in charge of the singing; that was his responsibility because he was skillful at it” (1 Chron. 15:22). I just found the wording of that quote interesting, because it called to mind two passages–the first from Exodus when they were building the tabernacle when God appointed master craftsmen to do the work, and the second from Romans 12:6-9 where Paul is instructing the church members that they each have an important role to play in the church, and that whatever God tells them to do, they should do cheerfully.

Samantha: I really enjoyed listening to David recount the oral history of the Israelites back to Abraham. It seems like it has been a while since the people have been reminded of who they are and why they are here. God’s plan is one big picture and it is important to know that you’re a part of that picture and that your life serves a bigger purpose.

Ryan: I don’t think anyone could ever accuse David of being an “armchair” Jew. He’s not one to sit back and let others do the worshiping while he sits in his pew and enjoys the view. The song that we got to read today that was recorded in 2 Samuel 22 comes straight from David’s heart, and it’s an outpouring that is unparalleled in today’s contemporary Christian music. The music we hear today–while uplifting, encouraging, and memorable in its own right–is often theologically shallow, and rarely contains more than 2 short verses and a chorus that is repeated ad nauseum. David’s song has ten long verses, filled with praise, thanksgiving, and history. I doubt that this song we read would be a top-40 hit today, but then again, I seriously doubt that any of today’s top 40 hits will be quoted 3,000 years from now either.

Samantha: Many people read about poor Uzzah and are angry with God and don’t understand why he was struck dead–after all, he was only trying to help. After studying about the tabernacle, the ark, and how holy God is, it should make perfect sense why Uzzah received the punishment he did. God was very specific on how the ark was to be transported; rings were constructed so that acacia wood poles could be used to carry it (Exodus 25:10-15). David and the Levites simply did not inquire of the Lord to learn the proper way to move the ark–they just did what they thought was best, regardless of the instructions. David took a shortcut by placing it on a cart instead of having Levites carry it. Uzzah’s death caused David to go back to the word of the Lord and read the instructions before finally moving the ark to Jerusalem (1 Chronicles 15). Today we have the benefit of having God’s word written down and easily accessible, and yet we (individually and collectively) still take shortcuts and try to obey and worship God our own way, regardless of the instructions. God may not strike us down like he did Uzzah, but we need to be on our guard because ignorance of the law is not an excuse.

Ryan: Now, we all know that the Israelites had a way of being cyclical in their obedience to the LORD, but this is amazing. As we were reading today’s daily Bible reading, both of the scenes that Samantha and I commented on yesterday were repeated almost to the letter. For example, see yesterday’s post about how a young man was killed for confessing to the murder of Saul. Now, read 2 Samuel 4:8-12. Even though having Ish-Bosheth out of the way would have been good for the reunification of Israel, David did not tolerate the murder of an “innocent” man (I wouldn’t go as far as David does by calling him innocent, but at least most of his killings were in the context of war). The young men responsible for killing Ish-Bosheth were likewise put to death (“Eye for eye; tooth for tooth”–Exodus 21:24). In my opinion, all of these nonsense killings are born out of an environment of death. Since the time of Moses, there have not been many leaders who “preached the word,” so to speak. We’ve had Joshua, the judges, Saul, and now David–all military leaders. When all people see around them is killing and murder, that is going to be their first instinct in reacting to tense situations, instead of relying on the LORD.

Samantha: I feel like I’m having déjà vu! Yesterday we read about David’s lament over Saul, and today we read about David’s lament over Abner (2 Sam. 2). While the circumstances of each man’s death are different, David reacts in much the same way by mourning, putting to death the evil men who brought “good news” (1 Sam. 3:9-12), and lamenting that mighty warriors have fallen (2 Sam. 1:19, 2 Sam. 3:38). In a land filled with inconsistencies, it is refreshing to have a leader whose actions are consistent with the Lord’s teachings and instructions.

Ryan: Apparently, no one ever told David, “Don’t kill the messenger.” After Saul committed suicide (according to 1 Samuel and 1 Chronicles), a young Amalekite went to David and told him that he himself was the one to kill Saul. I’m sure he thought to himself that since David was Saul’s enemy, surely David would reward him handsomely for removing the thorn from his flesh. Instead, David wept bitterly, and had his guards kill the young man as punishment for killing Saul. I don’t know if you’ve ever done something like that before, but I know I have–I’ve taken credit for something I didn’t do thinking that I was going to be rewarded but only turn around and be punished for doing the very thing I didn’t do. (Luckily, my punishment wasn’t as severe!) And once again, we see why the ten commandments are so applicable to every day life–thou shalt not lie!

Samantha: Saul’s life as king was filled with pride, jealousy, and one bad decision after another. He was particularly harsh towards David, who had done no wrong against Saul. Even after all the horrible things that Saul had done, when it came time to mourn for him David lamented the Lord’s anointed, “and ordered that the men of Judah be taught this lament” (2 Sam. 1:18). If anyone had a right to be angry, bitter, and hold a grudge against Saul it was David. But what we see is quite the opposite; David didn’t make any personal attacks or talk about how bad Saul was or how glad he was that he had perished in battle. David’s example demonstrates why he was called a man after God’s own heart (1 Sam. 13:14).

Ryan: We frequently think of David as a great warrior, which indeed he was, but I think we often overlook his prowess as a military leader. Sure, Joshua was great, but David shows moments of brilliance. We read today how David and his men protected the fields of a very influential farmer (which admittedly didn’t turn out how David intended, but God still claimed a victory). We also read of David and his men sneaking into Saul’s camp, not to kill him, but to scare them and in turn earn what we would call in today’s vernacular “political capital.” In a move that even Jack Bauer would appreciate, David even went deep “undercover” and lived and fought with the Philistines to gain their trust. Throughout all of his victories, though, David never got a big ego and believed that it was he and he alone that was responsible for these victories. David always sought the will of God, as one instance was recorded in 1 Samuel 30:8, “David inquired of the LORD, ‘Shall I pursue this raiding party? Will I overtake them?’” A wise lesson to be learned from the father of the wisest man who ever lived: always consult the will of God and don’t ever think you did something all on your own.

Samantha: I was surprised at the amount of food that Abigail sent to David and his men: “two hundred loaves of bread, two skins of wine, five dressed sheep, five seahs of roasted grain, a hundred cakes of raisins and two hundred cakes of pressed figs” (1 Sam. 25:18). Back then they didn’t have grocery stores–everything was grown and made by hand. That can be hard to imagine for us “servantless American cooks” who have the advantage of mass production! There’s a fantastic cookbook, called The Good Book Cookbook, that uses history and archaeology to recreate Biblical recipes. I made Sarah’s bread with my Bible class once and it took four hours total for one loaf (not including time to grind the grain, which they had to grow and grind themselves–no pre-packaged milled flour!). The wine had to be made from the harvest of grapes, fruit, or grain, and then fermented for at least a few months. The sheep Abigail provided had to be killed and dressed, which takes a few hours. The grain she provided had to have been cultivated (planted, irrigated, harvested) and then roasted; it measured about 2 gallons–that’s about six of the 43-ounce value size boxes of our cereal today. To top if off she provided 100 raisin cakes and 200 fig cakes. Her husband was very wealthy and no doubt she had many, many servants to help her prepare this enormously time consuming gift for David!

Ryan: Just because someone sounds like he is a godly person, does not necessarily mean that he is a godly person. We see a great example of this in 1 Samuel 23:19-25 out of today’s daily Bible reading. The Ziphites go to Saul and essentially “rat out” David’s hiding location in Horesh, in exchange for good treatment. I seriously doubt that God would be in the least bit pleased by that action, but Saul replies, “The LORD bless you for your concern for me” (1 Samuel 23:21). I’m sure that all the people around Saul–and Saul himself–all believed they were in the right. And Saul sure sounded the part, as well; he offered blessings and curses all in the name of God. Godly men don’t issue orders to kill priests of the LORD, and godly men don’t pursue an innocent man in order to kill him out of jealousy. We encounter people like this all the time, people who use the name of God in order to further their own agenda: Shepherds who scam their flock out of their money; preachers who break the law in order to raise more capital for the building fund, etc. It pains me to have to say this, but be warned: not everyone who says, “The LORD bless you,” necessarily cares one iota about either your well being or the will of the Father.

Samantha: I think it took a lot of courage for David to not kill Saul when he had the perfect opportunity. Instead of giving into fear and selfishness, David took a completely different turn. “He said to his men, ‘The LORD forbid that I should do such a thing to my master, the LORD’s anointed, or lift my hand against him; for he is the anointed of the LORD.’” (1 Sam. 24:6). When we are in a difficult situation it can be really hard to take a step back and look at the big picture. If David had only thought of himself and how much he would like to stop being hunted by Saul, then he likely would have killed Saul when he had the chance. Instead, David listened to his conscience (read: Holy Spirit) and he was able to think beyond just the circumstances of his immediate situation.

Ryan: Once each year, Samantha and I devote 12 hours (usually over the course of three different Saturdays) to the re-watching of The Lord of the Rings trilogy (extended editions). [I'm sure you've notice more than one reference to LotR if you've been following this blog very long.] In the third film, The Return of the King, Aragorn takes possession of the sword of Isildur, and in doing so, stakes his claim on the throne of Gondor. That scene played out in my head as we read through the scene in 1 Samuel 21:7-9 when David is staying in Nob. He asks the priest, Ahimelech if there were any swords or spears to be had, and Ahimelech responds, “The sword of Goliath the Philistine, whom you killed in the Valley of Elah, is here; it is wrapped in a cloth behind the ephod.” To this, David replies, “There is none like it.” In my opinion, there are many parallels to be explored here, most of which were likely not accidents on J.R.R. Tolkien’s part. For me, this is truly the beginning of David’s reign as king, as immediately after this, he amasses about four hundred men to follow him instead of Saul, and claiming Goliath’s sword as his own is tremendously symbolic of the power from the Lord that has come upon him.

Samantha: I am really thankful that David took the time to write down his songs. Rarely do we get to a glimpse of the internal feelings of a Bible character in the first person. With these psalms you see his perspective on situations, feel his anguish, rejoice in his successes, or cry with him in grief. It is easy to relate to David because he is so open about his thoughts and he shares how he talked to, pleaded with, and praised the Lord.

Ryan: My comments today are more reflective of the Daily Bible itself, rather than today’s content. In the middle of today’s reading, the editor of this chronological study Bible inserted the entirety of Psalm 59, in which “David prays for God’s strength” (p. 411). Most of the time when we read the Psalms, we tend to lump them together as a cohesive book, instead of what it actually is: a songbook of lyrics to songs written over the course of many years. Even though we cognitively understand that David wrote most of the psalms, we (read: I) have a tendency to just picture David sitting down by candlelight writing psalm after psalm, instead of writing a song by campfire (for example) as he is on the lam from Saul (1 Samuel 19:18). To my knowledge, there is no definitive proof that this is the exact time when David wrote Psalm 59 (there were several times when David was running from Saul), but given some of the stanzas, it fits well. “Deliver me from evildoers and save me from bloodthirsty men….for you are my fortress, my refuge in times of trouble” (Psalm 59:2, Psalm 59:16).

Samantha: If there is one thing in this world that hurts my feelings it is being wrongfully accused when I’m innocent, or more accurately, being told I’m wrong when I know I’m in the right. With all my training in debate and data analysis I can use facts and numbers to prove that I’m right, but being told I’m wrong still stings because I tend to take it personally. I can feel the desperation of David’s anguish when he says, “What have I done? What is my crime? How have I wronged your father, that he is trying to take my life?” (1 Sam. 20:1). David had the numbers to prove that he only brought good to Saul’s life (even if Saul didn’t see it that way). When this happens to us today we should think about Peter’s encouragement to, “Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God” (1 Peter 2:12). 

Ryan: Who doesn’t know the story of David and Goliath? And what could I possibly write about that hasn’t already been written before? Even people who have next to no Bible knowledge whatsoever are very familiar with David and Goliath. So what makes this one story so great that it crosses into the human collective consciousness? It is the account of the ultimate underdog–a nine-foot tall seasoned warrior is bested by a young shepherd with no armor and only a slingshot and a stone for a weapon. At some point in our lives, we all feel like “a David”, who is underexperienced and undergeared, so pretty much 100% of the human population can identify with David in this story. [There was also a movie a couple years ago called Facing the Giants, that drew heavily on this emotion as source.] The only thing that we can do  when we are in that situation is the exact same thing that David did: put our faith in God and God alone to save us. “All those gathered here will know that it is not by sword or spear that the LORD saves; for the battle is the LORD’s, and he will give all of you into our hands” (1 Samuel 17:47).

Samantha: In the Digging for the Truth episode called The Search for King David (iTunes link), Josh Bernstein looks at the story of David and Goliath and how a mere slingshot brought down the giant. An expert is brought in to demonstrate how to use a slingshot like David’s and shows the audience how even a little skill with this weapon can be deadly. The boy David no doubt practiced with his slingshot and honed his skill, which came in handy when he had to fight off the lion and bear attacking his sheep (1 Sam. 17:34-37). I always like to think that every experience we have in life prepares us for the next thing–to me this is the case with David and his slingshot. God provided the experiences and training necessary for David to be successful!

“David ran quickly toward the battle line to meet him. Reaching into his bag and taking out a stone, he slung it and struck the Philistine on the forehead. The stone sank into his forehead, and he fell facedown on the ground. So David triumphed over the Philistine with a sling and a stone; without a sword in his hand he struck down the Philistine and killed him” (1 Sam. 17:48-50).

[Side note: this is also a great physics lesson in conservation of energy: "If you were David, how would you maximize the kinetic energy and speed of the stone? Would you use a heavy or a light stone, and strong or weak elastic bands?" I think I would have understood physics better if we had gotten to play with slingshots in our lab!]

Ryan: I love Samuel’s words to Saul that were recorded in 1 Samuel 15:22-23. They take on so much more meaning having read through all of the laws and sacrifices and offerings just a few weeks ago. Having so much time (and ink!) devoted to the recording and reading of the laws about sacrifices, you definitely get the sense that they are of utmost importance to God. And while they are important, we learn from Samuel that they aren’t the pinnacle of worship to God. Samuel says, “Does the LORD delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the voice of the LORD? To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams.” I’m sure at the time, this seemed like such a weird thing to hear from the prophet of God, but now having access to the teaching of Jesus, that statement is much more understandable. Caring for a sick man took greater importance than observing the Sabbath, for example (John 7:23). Even though I have no children of my own, I can attest from having a couple hundred children in my classroom, that obedience truly is better than sacrifice. In the letter to the Hebrews, the author reminds these people who are so well trained in offerings and sacrifices, “do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased” (Hebrews 13:16). In other words, the best sacrifice one can make is complete obedience.

Samantha: Maybe it’s just me, but when the instructions from the Lord were to “totally destroy everything,” it doesn’t seem like there’s much room for interpretation there (1 Sam. 15:3). For some reason Saul apparently heard the instructions as, “totally destroy everything…except whatever you think looks good to keep.” I’m sure that he truly thought he was doing something good by bringing back the best of the animals for sacrifice and bringing back King Agag alive. Nevertheless, he failed to carry out exact orders and that is considered disobedience. That’s where we get into trouble today, too–God gives us specific instructions in his word and we think we’re doing the right thing by adding a few of our own touches. That’s why we have so many denominations in Christianity! We need to be careful, lest Jesus tell us,

“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’” (Matthew 7:21-23).

Ryan: When I first decided that I was going to discuss Jonathan eating the honey from today’s reading, I originally was going to make a “strong Christian vs. weak Christian” argument. But after re-reading that section (1 Samuel 14:24-45), I’ve come to a different–and in my opinion, better–conclusion. The key verse is 1 Samuel 14:43 where Jonathan retorts to his accuser, “I merely tasted a little honey with the end of my staff. And now must I die?” Even though Jonathan was not aware of the order to not eat any food, he still violated that command, and is guilty and therefore worthy of punishment. Today, we do the exact same thing, except for the fact that we have all of God’s commands at our fingertips at all times. We make excuses, (“oh, there’s only a little bit of nudity in this movie,” or “I merely cursed at that guy in my head, that’s not so bad, right?”) but ultimately, we are all guilty of the sin we committed, and are worthy of any punishment that God would assign us. [Fortunately, that punishment has already been taken for us, but that should not make us complacent in our sinning!]

Samantha: I think we’ve learned another definition of stupidity in 1 Samuel 13. King Saul gets the bright idea to attack the Philistine outpost (way to poke the proverbial sleeping giant!) without first seeking the favor of God. The Philistines come out with their forces: 3,000 chariots, 6,000 charioteers, soldiers as numerous as the sand, and, oh, they have weapons. They have all the weapons in the land because they have the only blacksmiths. Israel has two (2) swords. Just the sight of the Philistines’ camp scares the defenseless Israelites, who retreat by hiding in caves, pits, and cisterns. Saul is left with 600 soldiers to fight the Philistines. To rally the troops (and because Samuel was late), Saul took it upon himself to make the sacrifice to the Lord–a huge, disobedient mistake that cost him his kingship. Saul tried to do everything himself, apart from the Lord. Sometimes we become independent, thinking we can do it all ourselves, despite knowing that, “Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall” (Proverbs 16:18).

Ryan: Now that we’ve seen it happen several times now, I am amazed at how often the sons of the spiritual leaders of Israel go astray. We saw it happen in today’s reading with Samuel (1 Samuel 8:3), just yesterday with Eli and his two sons, and we also witnessed two of Aaron’s sons being destroyed by fire. There are many other examples (Jacob, Noah, etc.), but what gets me is how, when this kind of thing happens today, we react completely opposite of God. More often than not, if an elder’s children become a little rebellious or stop going to the same congregation, that elder’s flock will try to find a way to remove him as an elder because he suddenly doesn’t meet up with the qualifications in 1 Timothy 3:4. Now I realize there are too many variables to say that it’s wrong in every case to remove an elder for this reason, but you don’t see God punishing Noah, Jacob, Aaron, Eli, or Samuel for the sins of their sons. If a man is a good spiritual leader of an entire flock, but one of his own children is the wayward sheep, do you get rid of the shepherd? Or, do you realize, as God does, that every person makes his own decisions and has the free will to disobey God regardless of how strong of a leader his/her father is?

Samantha: I must be in a spy movie mood today because when I read Samuel’s instructions I immediately thought it sounded like a top-secret mission: “Then you will go on from there until you reach the great tree of Tabor. Three men going up to God at Bethel will meet you there. One will be carrying three young goats, another three loaves of bread, and another a skin of wine. They will greet you and offer you two loaves of bread, which you will accept from them” (1 Samuel 10:3-4). This reminded me a funny Failbooking post that you should read sometime. But seriously, I was astonished at how the Lord had this entire scenario planned out before it even happened. What a non-coincidence that Saul just happened to go looking for lost donkeys and then his servant suggests going to see Samuel. Around the same time God spoke to Samuel saying, “About this time tomorrow I will send you a man from the land of Benjamin. Anoint him leader over my people Israel.” And then when Saul and Samuel met on the road, “the LORD said to [Samuel], ‘This is the man I spoke to you about; he will govern my people’” (1 Samuel 9:16-17). The Lord has a plan and will always put the right people in the right place at the right time to carry out his purpose.

Ryan: Today’s five chapters of reading provides enough material to spend at least a week’s worth of blog posts discussing. I’d like to look briefly at 1 Samuel 4:3-5. The Israelites, following a devastating defeat at the hand of the Philistines, have an “Aha!” moment and realize that the reason they were defeated was because they did not have the Ark of the Covenant going before them in battle (or so they believed). They went to Shiloh, got the ark, went back to battle and not only lost the battle again, but also lost possession of the ark. So what happened? The Israelites had been victorious in countless battles when the ark was going before them, why didn’t it work this time? I believe it was because the Israelites were trying to use the ark as a trinket–a sort of “good luck charm”–without having the faith necessary to back it up. In all those previous battles, it wasn’t the ark that won the battles, but the LORD. “For the LORD your God is the one who goes with you to fight for you against your enemies to give you victory” (Deut. 20:4). I believe we do the exact same thing today; we will wear a crucifix necklace or put a “Jesus fish” (Ichthys) on the back of our car and think that we are protected. Like the Israelites, no trinket or good luck charm will help us. Only through a faith in our LORD will we be saved: “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith…” (Ephesians 2:8).

Samantha: I was amazed at the Philistines’ reaction to the Israelites bringing the Ark to battle. “When they learned that the ark of the LORD had come into the camp, the Philistines were afraid. ‘A god has come into the camp,’ they said. ‘We’re in trouble! Nothing like this has happened before. Woe to us! Who will deliver us from the hand of these mighty gods? They are the gods who struck the Egyptians with all kinds of plagues in the desert’” (1 Sam. 5:6-8). It has been about 350 years since the plagues, and yet the Philistines knew what God had done to the Egyptians and feared the same would happen to them. What does that say about our God when even our enemies know of his deeds and fear him? What does that say about us who constantly doubt and disbelieve his promises to us?

Ryan: “If a man sins against another man, God may mediate for him; but if a man sins against the LORD, who will intercede for him?” (1 Samuel 2:25). Who indeed? Through all the many laws and decrees that we spent weeks poring through in Deuteronomy, Leviticus and Numbers, there were all sorts of offerings that could be made if one sinned against other men, or even against the will of God, but I don’t really remember any offerings that could be made on behalf of the priest himself if he defiantly went against God’s rules for serving at the tabernacle. Eli’s sons were “treating the LORD’s offering with contempt” (1 Samuel 2:17), which goes beyond some of the more “simple” sins. It would be good for any Levitical priest to remember the examples made of Nadab and Abihu, or Korah and his followers. God has little to no patience for His priests in regard to disobedience. But, as I mentioned a couple days ago, all of us today are priests, so what do WE do when we sin against God? Who will intercede for us? There is only one who is able; there is only one who is worthy. “Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for [the priests]” (Hebrews 7:25).

Samantha: Only a few times in my life have I been so upset that I felt sick to my stomach; I have never been bullied to the point where I stopped eating. I can’t begin to imagine the heartache, bitterness, and depression Hannah must have felt as a result being bullied year after year, especially for something over which she had no control. I thought it was noteworthy that she immediately felt better only after she completely poured her heart out to God. After her prayer, “Eli answered, ‘Go in peace, and may the God of Israel grant you what you have asked of him.’ She said, ‘May your servant find favor in your eyes.’ Then she went her way and ate something, and her face was no longer downcast” (1 Samuel 1:17-18). The Lord has a way of filling our hearts with peace when we turn our cares over to him. Ecclesiastes says, “Go, eat your food with gladness, and drink your wine with a joyful heart, for it is now that God favors what you do” (Ecc. 9:7). Hannah was able to eat because she had released her heartache, bitterness, and depression by trusting in God. “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit” (Romans 15:13).

Ryan: “In those days Israel had no king; everyone did as he saw fit” (Judges 21:25). A couple of years ago, I participated in Northside’s Bible Bowl (www.ksbiblebowl.org); the material for testing was the book of 1 Samuel. As we will soon read, the people of Israel come to Samuel, a prophet of the Lord and Israel’s last judge, and say “appoint a king to lead us, such as all the other nations have” (1 Samuel 8:5). At the time I was doing the study, that sounded like such a childish thing to say (I wanted to respond, “and if the other nations jumped off a bridge, would you do it to?”). However, as we conclude the era of the Judges, it is actually very understandable why they would make such a request. With Benjamites–one of the clans of Israel–behaving in such a “vile” and “disgraceful” way (Judges 19:23), and the other eleven tribes rising up together to punish them by the sword, the nation of Israel is in total disarray. I’m sure God’s people didn’t look any different to outsiders than did the pagans. It was necessary for a strong leader to step up and lead the people of Israel back to the God-centeredness that had been missing since the death of Joshua. Again as we will soon read, Israel’s first king, Saul, unfortunately did not live up to that expectation.

Samantha: In my favorite Michael Crichton book, Timeline, there’s a quote that reads: “If you don’t know history, you don’t know anything. You’re a leaf that doesn’t know it’s part of a tree.” I found that to be very true in today’s story–a Levite who should have known scripture/history backwards and forwards didn’t make the connection between his current situation and a similar event that happened in the past. The same scenario that happened to Lot at Sodom (Genesis 19:1-8) went one step farther in today’s reading with gruesome and devastating consequences. What happened in today’s story was a direct result of Israel following the customs of their pagan neighbors instead of following God. Back before Moses died, God warned the Israelites that, “if your heart turns away and you are not obedient, and if you are drawn away to bow down to other gods and worship them, I declare to you this day that you will certainly be destroyed. You will not live long in the land you are crossing the Jordan to enter and possess” (Deut 30:17-18). Today’s reading showed a fulfillment of this–only the Israelites didn’t need enemy nations to destroy them, they did just fine on their own through civil war.

Ryan: We read today about a dangerous precedent that was set for the first time here in the book of Judges. Unfortunately, it was a precedent that has been followed several times throughout history. I’m referring to the instance of a wealthy man hiring someone to be “their” priest (Judges 17:10). While it was not uncommon during these times for pagan priests to be hired by individuals, this is the first example we’ve seen of it happening among the Israelites. This was also very common in the Catholic church, as many times throughout the history of the British Empire, the monarchy more or less “owned” the church, and could dictate doctrine to the church, instead of the other way around (one example of this is the translation of the King James bible). Why any priest would agree to that is beyond me. Now, apply that to the New Testament rules: “But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God” (1 Peter 2:9). We are all priests; we belong to God. We are NOT for hire. Never let someone with power, money, or influence make you bow to their wishes instead of the will of God.

Samantha: Was anyone else baffled by Micah’s mother’s comment, “I solemnly consecrate my silver to the LORD for my son to make a carved image and a cast idol” (Judges 17:3)?? How can someone say in the same sentence that they are dedicating something to the Lord and then turn right around and say they will directly defy this same God by making a pagan idol? While this may seem like a stretch, I think this is what James was referring to in the New Testament when he said, “Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers, this should not be. Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring?” (James 3:10-11). We should constantly think of this scripture, especially when we’re upset about something, such as the current political climate. For example, singing on Sunday “this world is not my home…my treasures are laid up somewhere beyond the blue” and then the rest of the week complaining about the government and taxes. James would say “this should not be,” since God is the one who establishes governments (Romans 13), Paul instructed us to not complain about anything (Philippians 2:14), and above all, Jesus commanded us to not worry (Matthew 6:25-33). Be about your Father’s business constantly and consistently.

"Death of Samson" by Gustave Doré

Judges 13-16

Ryan: The story of Samson here in the middle of Judges is like a nice little mini-novel (or novella, if you will), not unlike that of Joseph. Growing up, the only thing I knew about Samson was that he torn down some huge stone pillars and that he loved some girl named Delilah and there was some opera about it (see below). Of course children in Sunday school always learn about the donkey’s jawbone and the hair cutting, but I knew nothing of all that. I didn’t know about one of the coolest scenes in the Bible involving an angel (Judges 13:15-23). I didn’t know about Samson’s first wife or how she died. I didn’t know about how he killed a lion and then ate some honey from a honeycomb bees had started in the lions carcass (disgusting!). I didn’t know about the riddles and rhymes throughout the story (my favorite is in Judges 14:18). I didn’t know about how he tied three hundred foxes’ tails together in pairs and had them drag torches through the Philistines’ crops (one of the funniest scenes in the Bible so far, after Aaron’s “and out popped this calf!” line). And I didn’t know about how despite the fact that Delilah tried to deceive him four times, Samson relented and actually told her his secret (bright). So after reading this as an adult, what did I learn from the story of Samson? God uses some of the most colorful characters to accomplish His will. If he can use someone like Samson, he could certainly use me.

Samantha: I’ve always thought that Samson’s Incredible Hulk strength was awesome, but I was really put-off by the gore-filled kill fest (who kills 1,000 men with the jawbone of a donkey??). Reading the story again today gave me a new perspective on this story and why it is included in God’s word. For one, Samson was set apart before birth by God himself–an angel was sent to tell his parents that Samson would be a Nazarite, dedicated to the Lord. There was clearly a purpose to his life: “His parents did not know that this was from the LORD, who was seeking an occasion to confront the Philistines” (Judges 14:4). The Israelites were oppressed by the ruthless Philistines and God used Samson to free them (good thing it was Samson–he had the perfect personality to be confrontational!). While the death, lies, and betrayal in Samson’s story may seem out of character for a “man of God,” he fulfilled the purpose God had for him. We know this because he is mentioned in the faith chapter in Hebrews: “Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel and the prophets, who through faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, and gained what was promised” (Hebrews 11:32-33).

Ryan: Here in the Old Testament book of Ruth is a story of one of the best examples of living like a “Christian,” in the form of Naomi. Naomi, her husband, and her two sons were Israelites, and each son took a Moabite woman for a wife. When Naomi’s husband and two sons died, Naomi urged her two daughters-in-law to return to their “people” and to “their gods” (Ruth 1:15). Both women resisted at first, wanting to stay with their mother-in-law. Orpah [who, coincidentally, is Oprah Winfrey's misspelled namesake] did finally leave and go back to her mother. Ruth, on the other hand, insisted on going wherever Naomi went. I realize this book is about Ruth and not Naomi, but there’s obviously a lesson to be learned from Naomi. She did not attempt to convert Ruth and Orpah to Judaism (that we’re told), and even insisted they return to their original “gods.” She did not beat them over the heads with Bible verses, so to speak. She simply loved them for who they were and showed her daughters-in-law a large measure of grace and humility. She loved them and watched over them, to the point that neither one wanted to leave her and return to their own families. We don’t really know how much Naomi taught Ruth and Orpah about Jehovah, but we do know that she loved her daughters-in-law, and that was enough to win over Ruth to the point that she was grafted in to the line of the son of God himself. “By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another” (John 13:35).

Samantha: While I could recite the details, I really didn’t comprehend the story of Ruth until I read Francine Rivers’ Unshaken: Ruth (Lineage of Grace #3). Learning about the culture of that time is invaluable to seeing what it was really like for Ruth. She left everything she had to serve her mother-in-law, even when she had the chance to return home. She endured hardships and possibly ridicule because she was a foreigner (from an enemy country, no less), and she humbled herself with the poorest in Israelite society to glean grain behind the harvesters. The kindness and love she meets in Boaz is one of the most touching love stories the Bible has to offer. This is one of my favorite books in the Lineage of Grace series and I encourage you to go check it out from the library to bring a historical perspective to this beautiful love story.

Ryan: I have one question I’d like to ask Jephthah: “What were you thinking?!” So Jephthah had been thrown out of his house as a youngster, and the Israelites came crawling back to him when they needed a strong leader. He wanted to make a good impression and solidify his place as leader, and the only way to do that was to win the war decisively. In order to ensure his victory, he promised God, “If you give the Ammonites into my hands, whatever comes out of the door of my house to meet me when I return in triumph from the Ammonites will be the Lord’s, and I will sacrifice it as a burnt offering” (Judges 11:30-31). Now, I know times are different now than they were back then, but seriously, what else would be coming out of the door to his house to meet him coming back from the war? A sheep? A bull? I realize we’ve all made the same stupid promises to God (“God, if you _______ for me, I’ll never ________ again”), but this one was pretty stupid, in my opinion. The main difference between Jephthah’s stupid promise and our own, however, is that he actually kept his. We read in Judges 11:39 that he fulfilled his vow to sacrifice his daughter as a burnt offering. There is some speculation among commentators that he took advantage of the Israelite’s system of redemption and paid her redemption fee and handed her over to work in the service of the Lord instead of making her an actual human sacrifice, but either way, Jephthah totally destroyed the life of his own daughter just for some personal gain. Have you ever made a vow to the Lord simply to get some personal recognition?

Samantha: It sounds to me like the Ephraimites could use an attitude adjustment. It was like déja vu today, reading that “The men of Ephraim called out their forces, crossed over to Zaphon and said to Jephthah, ‘Why did you go to fight the Ammonites without calling us to go with you?’” (Judges 12:1). That sounds an awful lot like back in Judges 8:1: “Now the Ephraimites asked Gideon, ‘Why have you treated us like this? Why didn’t you call us when you went to fight Midian?’ And they criticized him sharply.” They seem to have a bad habit of ignoring their brothers’ call for help and then arriving after the battle’s over to say “why didn’t you call me??” If this were to happen in present-day I picture the Ephraimites letting these “calls” go straight to voicemail, or ignoring the emails or texts. They then show up the next day saying, “Dude, you should have called, we totally would have helped you out, man.”

Ryan: If there’s one thing we’ve learned from reading these Old Testament books is that it’s human nature to want to worship something. For some reason, people just can’t stand to worship a God who is unseen (though He’s definitely more “seen” in the Old Testament days than He is today!), so they have to create objects to worship. We saw this at the base of Mt. Sinai when Aaron “accidentally” made a golden calf for the Israelites to worship, and we see it in today’s daily Bible reading, when Gideon creates a golden ephod out of the spoils collected from their kills of the Midianites (Judges 8:24-27). At this point, the “real” ephod is still with the Tabernacle, which is currently at Shiloh, if I’m not mistaken. Shiloh and Orphah are only about 38 miles apart (a two-day trip by camel), so it’s not like it would be a horrible ordeal to make the journey to the Tabernacle. But instead, Gideon and his sons are “ensnared” by this new golden ephod which the entire family worshipped. If this golden ephod were wearable (my theory is that it was fashioned like a chain-mail ephod), it would be very easy to believe that Gideon and his sons would all fight over who got to wear the ephod that day. Sadly, we do this very thing today as well; we are just as guilty of this defiance as the Israelites. Before you argue with me, let me give you three very real examples–the television, the car, the computer. I would be willing to bet that all of you can think of at least one example in which one (or all) of those things became a snare to your family at one point.

Samantha: I’m dismayed at how easily the Israelites seem to abandon the one true God in favor of inanimate idols. I read a few articles that emphasized that pagan myths were as common in the culture of their day as advertisements are to us today–both lead God’s people astray. Not having science to explain the natural world, people back then needed a way to deal with the world around them, to come to terms with death or to explain seasons. For example, people often explained the seasons using myths like the Sumerian goddess Inanna’s Descent into the Underworld, whose cult is referenced in Ezekiel 8:14. The problem is that the Israelites (at this point in our reading) still think that they can believe these pagan myths and still follow God at the same time. For us today, this is the same as letting a little sin into your life thinking that just a little sin will be ok. 

Ryan: Gideon is one of the great Bible characters that are easier to relate to–he’s just a God-fearing believer in a pagan world who struggles with his own faith. Three times in Judges 6 Gideon asked for a sign from God. All three times, God obliged with a response. God knew that receiving these signs was what it was going to take to get Gideon to do what He needed him to do. Three lessons I learned from this part of Gideon’s story: first, that it’s okay to question God and ask Him for confirmation/affirmation of our course of action. Second, God will make sure that we have what we need in order to do His will. Lastly, God is patient, loving, and forgiving. If He were not, He would not have been so willing to entertain Gideon’s requests, and would have at best found someone else to take Gideon’s place, and at worst, struck Gideon dead instantly for questioning the Almighty. There are many other lessons to draw from the account of Gideon, such as God using the weak to shame the strong, and that God only needs a spark to reignite His people’s love for Him.

Samantha: Now we’ve officially entered the Israelite cycle: obedience, falling away, captivity, repentance, back to obedience. In my brain I have always associated Israel’s falling away with them completely forgetting how to serve God. I have always assumed that because the majority of Israelites were doing evil (serving false gods) that it meant everyone had stopped sacrificing and serving God. I was amazed to read that when the angel of the Lord visited Gideon that he asked the angel to wait while he went and prepared a young goat and unleavened bread as a sacrifice to God (Judges 6:19-24). He remembered how to sacrifice! It is easy to generalize and say that because most people have fallen away it means that no one is left that remembers or serves the Lord. We need to remember that our Lord always leaves a remnant to serve him. I know we’re not there yet, but remember Elijah’s comment that he was the only one left who served God? Even though he felt that way, the Lord said there were 7,000 others who were still faithful to Him (1 Kings 19:9-18, Romans 11). Even when you feel like you’re the only one left, rest assured that you’re not alone.

Ryan: While the Israelite community was very patriarchal in nature, the matriarchs of the household were also pivotal in all spiritual matters, not just in the home. Women were certainly excluded from almost all business dealings, but when it came to God and home, mothers were more involved than we may think. The mother of the house has a very large part of the Passover seder, and they even got to offer certain sacrifices, as we read just a few weeks ago. In today’s Bible reading, however, we see the first instance of a woman being placed in charge of men. Deborah was not a single woman–she had a husband, named Lappidoth–and yet she was not only above her husband, but also above the entire nation of Israelites. She was the chief justice and the commander in chief, so to speak, as she presided over court disputes and gave orders to the commander Israelite army, Barak. In today’s times, we might think that she climbed and clawed her way to the top of the “corporate ladder,” stepping on people on her way up. However, as we learned yesterday in Judges 2:16-19, the LORD hand-selected each judge and raised them up, guiding them all along the way. After reading this passage, it’s a little hard for many modern Christian denominations to justify relegating women to the pews while men to all the spiritual work. An old “joke” circulates now and then about how we allow women to pass Communion trays side-to-side, but not front-to-back. After seeing how God raised up Deborah, do you really think that’s where God wants women in His church?

Samantha: Deborah’s prophecy that “the LORD will hand Sisera over to a woman” turned out quite unexpectedly in my opinion (Judges 4:9). For one, the woman, Jael, was a member of the family descended from Moses’ brother-in-law. Her husband and their clan had left their alliance with the Israelites and joined forces with Jabin, a king of Canaan who reigned in Hazor. After the Israelite attack of Jabin’s army, only the commander Sisera was left. He escaped to the tent of Jael, who he thought would care for and hide him (Joshua 4:17). She initially follows the rules of hospitality and offers him something to drink and provides him a place to rest. Once he’s asleep, she turns on him and kills him with a tent peg through the temple. The Archaeological Study Bible notes that ancient readers would have been horrified at Jael’s killing of Sisera because she violated their peace treaty and violated the rules of hospitality (p.351). In light of the last 76 days of reading I now see her actions not as a crime, but as her obedience to the Lord. Even though her family had pledged allegiance to the enemy, I loosely compare Jael’s actions to those of Rahab, who believed and had faith in the one true God and committed treason by hiding the Israelite spies. Why else would Jael have gone out to meet the commander of the Israelite army and say, “Come,” she said, “I will show you the man you’re looking for” (Judges 4:22)? While we’re not told that she did this to serve the Lord, I would like to believe that she was. A takeaway for women from this story is that even though Jael was just a housewife in a family who had left the Lord–she was not a judge like Deborah, or a military leader like Barak, or even an Israelite warrior–she still was obedient to the Lord in the ways that she could be.

Ryan: I don’t usually do this, but I’d like to respond to some of the commentary written by F. Lagard Smith for today’s reading. In today’s reading, we saw the Israelites intermarrying with the Canaanites, et al., and serving their gods (Judg. 3:6). This was obviously not something that the Israelites had set out to do; it was definitely not something that was planned, and absolutely not done for the glory of the Lord. It was done more out of complacency and familiarity. Smith’s commentary reads, “A strong spirit of compromise leads to intermarriage, idolatry, and immorality” (p. 346). Christians today do this all the time, and it leads us down the exact same path as the Israelites. Again, they (we) don’t do it on purpose (most of the time), but it’s more born either out of peer pressure or simply lack of will power. We will compromise on the decency of entertainment we consume (“well, since there’s really nothing better on, I guess I’ll watch this show…”). We will let a healthy camaraderie for a sports team turn into an unhealthy idolatry, and we will stay friends with or even date/marry those who do not pursue holiness simply for our own selfish desires or lack of confidence in the providence of God’s plan. We are just as guilty as the Israelites of turning away from God; we’re just a lot more subtle about it.

Samantha: Even when God is punishing His people for sin, He still makes sure they are taken care of and even helps them out a little. The first example in today’s reading was in Judges 2:15-16, where, “Whenever Israel went out to fight, the hand of the LORD was against them to defeat them, just as he had sworn to them. They were in great distress. Then the LORD raised up judges [leaders] who saved them out of the hands of these raiders.” Even though His hand was against them He still gave them a way of escape, so to speak. The second example was in Judges 3:1-2: “These are the nations the LORD left to test all those Israelites who had not experienced any of the wars in Canaan (he did this only to teach warfare to the descendants of the Israelites who had not had previous battle experience)…” The Lord is making this punishment a learning opportunity! The Israelites’ forefathers learned military skills in the wilderness and later in Canaan, but this new generation had not yet fought wars and didn’t have the skills that the Lord knew they would need. I think these examples show a glimpse of God’s unconditional love, in that he still provides for those who have disobeyed him. 

Ryan: It’s good to see that the sons of Jacob are still helping each other. We saw the Reubenites, Gadites, and half of Manasseh go and help their brothers conquer Canaan, even though they already had their land and they had to leave their wives and children there while they went away to fight (and you can imagine that some of them may not have made it back from battle). In today’s reading, we saw the Simeonites help Judah (Judg. 1:1-10, Judg. 1:16-19) in taking over their territory (Simeon was Judah’s neighbor to the north), as well as Issachar and Asher helping out the other half of Manasseh with their territory (Josh. 17:11-13). We can take this principle and apply it to our own lives today–we should all be helping our brothers in the pursuit of driving out all unholiness from our lives. Our church congregation encourages all men to participate in what we call “men’s accountability groups.” These are small groups (4-8 men) that get together at least once a week for Bible study, prayer, and encouragement. They can also be used as a support group if you are struggling with a particular sin. I have been a part of two different groups during my time at Northside, and I can attest that going to battle with your sins while partied with your brothers is far easier than trying to go it alone. If you are not a part of such a group (women can do this too), I encourage you to find brothers (or sisters) at your local congregation with whom to form a group. There are many good resources on the internet if you’re looking to start a group of your own (I just Googled “men’s accountability groups” and found several decent pages.)

Samantha: I was disheartened as tribe after tribe let just a few of the peoples of the land stay, even after God had instructed the Israelites to drive them out. Maybe they thought that just a few wouldn’t hurt–they could always put them to forced labor. God disagreed: “Why have you done this? Now therefore I tell you that I will not drive them out before you; they will be thorns in your sides and their gods will be a snare to you” (Judges 2:2-3). As a little yeast leavens the whole loaf, so a little sin quickly overtakes the unsuspecting. We can all relate to Jimmie and the White Lie or Larry Boy and the Fib from Outer Space, but what about more real-life, everyday things? What about going to an R-rated movie because it is an Academy Award Winner? Watching Desperate Housewives or The Bachelor because of the drama? Listening to political talk radio so you can keep up with the “news”? Eating the highest calorie Cold Stone creation just because you think you “deserve” it? These may seem silly, but if you are discerning you can easily spot the sin in each one of these examples. If we’re not careful we’ll be sucked in! It is really hard to be living in this world and to not be a part of it. The best example is Daniel, who lived in a very opulent and sinful Babylon–he could have had anything he wanted and yet he chose to not eat their food and prayed to God even when it was outlawed. Pray for the Holy Spirit to give you discernment so that you can see through Satan’s cleverly hid traps.

Ryan: In today’s reading, we see one of the most ubiquitous verses of the Old Testament: Joshua 24:15–”Choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve…But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.” Many people have this verse on a plaque, a poster, or some kind of fixture in their homes as a reminder that their decision to follow God was their choice, and it’s a choice to which we all must hold fast. When the people of Israel responded to Joshua, “No! We will serve the Lord” (Josh. 24:21), he responded with an even stronger warning: “You are witnesses against yourselves that you have chosen to serve the Lord” (Joshua 24:22). Those of us who have made the decision to follow Christ in baptism have likewise become witnesses against ourselves. On that day, we chose for ourselves that we would serve the Lord. And as witnesses against ourselves to that oath, the Lord will hold us accountable for our servitude. It may be a very good idea for you to find a way to mount this verse somewhere in your home or office, as we all need to be reminded that choosing to serve the Lord is a choice we make every single day when we wake up, when we go along the road, and when we lie down.

Samantha: The tribes of Reuben, Gad, and half of the tribe of Manasseh fulfilled their promise to Moses to help the remaining tribes secure their land, so they were finally able to go home to their families. Then, all of a sudden in Joshua 22:12 the other tribes gather to go to war against Reuben, Gad, and Manasseh. Whoa! What happened to having peace in the land? The other tribes heard that these 2 1/2 tribes built an altar and jumped to the conclusion that it was either their own tabernacle or an altar to a foreign god. After being warned so many times about those foreign gods it is easy to see why the other tribes assumed that these 2 1/2 tribes had fallen away. Instead of oh, I don’t know, talking to them?, the other tribes suit up for battle against their own brothers. I wish that I could say I have never experienced this, but I am all too familiar with church family–my own brothers and sisters–jumping to conclusions, ready to excommunicate me or others over what was really their own misunderstanding in the first place. Had communication actually taken place there would never have been a problem. At least in today’s reading the 2 1/2 tribes are given a chance to defend their altar building, and I can see the tears streaming down their faces as they give their sincere, heartfelt defense. They were just trying to do what was right. They were trying to follow God and help others to do the same. Once the other tribes listened and understood, they were pleased with their brothers and praised God. Once we have all the facts then we can make a decision, but jumping to conclusions without knowing the big picture only causes hurt and division.

Ryan: One thing that reading through The Daily Bible: In Chronological Order day by day does for you is give you more of the feeling that the Bible is one big book that tells one big story, instead of 66 books that are disconnected and independent stories. That being said, I view the “literary” Bible as a work in three parts (not unlike Lord of the Rings). Today’s reading is the climax of “book one”, with the denouement taking place tomorrow plus the first three verses of March 16 (the death of Joshua and Eleazar, and the burial of Joseph’s bones). What makes this the climax of the first part of the trilogy? It’s the fulfillment of the patriarchal promises we read about in Genesis, way back on January 6. Everything promised to Noah, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob is getting wrapped up right here in the end of the book of Joshua. Thanks to all the blood, sweat, and tears that Moses, Aaron, and now Joshua have shed, the Israelites have claimed their inheritance and have established a formal relationship with Jehovah, God of gods. “Not one of all the Lord’s good promises to the house of Israel failed; every one was fulfilled” (Josh. 21:45). Book Two of our trilogy will focus on what happens when man interferes with God’s plan–judges, kings, and prophets. And the final exciting conclusion of the trilogy? The New Covenant, of course.

Samantha: In one of my engineering classes in high school I learned how draw a cut and fill map. That type of map shows the measurements and topography of an area to determine which hills to “cut” and which valleys to “fill” in order to make a flat road surface. Drawing the map was easy; learning how to survey the land was hard and required precise surveying tools as well as geometry, physics, and calculus. Joshua didn’t have the Israelites do any earthmoving, but he did have them survey the land of Canaan to map out the area like a cartographer would. He called for three men from each tribe, and, “As the men started on their way to map out the land, Joshua instructed them, ‘Go and make a survey of the land and write a description of it’” (Joshua 18:8). These men went out Lewis and Clark style, making notes of cities, landscapes, resources, cultures, and made maps. I wondered how the Israelites did it, especially since calculus hadn’t been invented yet and they didn’t have modern surveying equipment. If you read about the ancient Egyptian builders they used a technique called rope stretching, where they had a rope with knots at intervals and they would stretch it out to determine length. They applied basic geometry and voila!, they had perfect squares and straight lines. They used this method to survey the land for the pyramids and to reset boundary lines after annual Nile flooding. I imagine the Israelites used similar methods to mark out their boundary lines.

Ryan: When I was a young boy, one set of grandparents always gave me a U.S. Savings Bond for Christmas. As you might expect a young child to feel, it was always a feeling of, <sarcasm>”Oh yea… a savings bond,”</sarcasm>. Since then, of course, those savings bonds have been very valuable to me and lasted way longer than any toy or even article of clothing I may have received. As we were reading through the exhaustive list of property boundaries and town and village allotments for all the tribes of Israel, I couldn’t help but think the Levites were sitting there thinking, <sarcasm>”Oh yea… we get to work at the Tabernacle as our inheritance,” </sarcasm>. All of their brothers got land, and lots of it. The Levites received the Lord as their inheritance (Joshua 13:33). Now that–in modern days–all that land has been conquered many times over and the Israelites (as a spiritual nation, anyways) no longer lay claim to any of it, now who do you think got the better end of the deal? When we feel like we’re getting the short end of the stick, so to speak, always remember the words of the Lord: “My grace is all you need” (2 Corinthians 12:9 NLT).

Source: eBibleTeacher.com

Samantha: For those of us who live in Wichita, we have a pretty good idea of the names and locations of the surrounding towns; most of us can locate Goddard, Derby, Valley Center, or Wellington. When it comes to Bible cities it is not as easy to picture them because most of us have not been to the holy land. That’s where maps like Google Earth or Bible Geocoding come in handy–they at least give us a general idea of the main cities, landmarks, and water features. Combining the map and the Bible’s specific descriptions of the areas we can map out where the tribes of Israel settled. On the map it is easy to spot the three tribes that settled east of the Jordan River (Joshua 13) and see that the tribe of Judah includes the town of Jerusalem.

Ryan: Whenever you’re leaving a job/city/church, you always have a feeling of concern about who is going to take your place, and whether they will be able to do “as good of a job” as you did. I’m sure Moses felt a little bit of that when God was showing Moses the promised land from atop Mt. Nebo. I think today’s Daily Bible Reading definitely proves that Joshua was the right man to take Moses’ place as leader of the Israelites. We read in Joshua 12 that Moses defeated two kings, while Joshua defeated thirty one. Now obviously, it wasn’t Moses’ job to defeat kings and conquer the promised land, so I’m not trying to hold that over him. All I’d like to point out is that Moses was a great spiritual leader, and Joshua is a powerful military leader. God puts into place the leaders he needs to do the exact job he wants done exactly when he wants it done. As we will learn (when we get there) from the book of Romans, “all authority comes from God, and those in positions of authority have been placed there by God” (Romans 13:1 NLT). So, that feeling I mentioned earlier? It is in reality a lack of faith that God has a plan for your job/city/church without you in it and that He can execute His plan faithfully.

Samantha: Today we read about Joshua’s conquests of the land of 31 different kings in Canaan. One of those towns, Hazor, is giving us clues about life 1,000 years before Moses, during the conquest, during the reign of Solomon, and of the time periods up to the current date. The archaeological remains of Hazor (pronounced Hahtzor) were discovered in 1875 and has since become the largest archaeological site in Israel. In 2005 it was named a UNESCO World Heritage site. The Hebrew University of Jerusalem has a great site on the current Hazor excavations, and the PBS show NOVA has a great video online showing the excavations at Hazor and what they’ve found so far. Biblical Archaeological Review also has some good articles on discoveries at the site. It amazes me that a thriving city older than Moses is still evident today and that archaeologists can dig down layer by layer to discover elements of life during each period to see the charred layer from when Joshua had the city burned, and dig down to the layers with 45-foot high walls and a municipal water system.

Ryan: Today, I’m not going to write about something that was in our Daily Bible Reading, but rather, I am going to write about something that was conspicuously not in our Daily Bible Reading. Having just finished reading about the life of Moses and the Israelites’ wandering in the desert, it’s still fresh in my mind how many times the Israelites complained to Moses and wailed at their (perceived) impending doom whenever Moses told them what God’s plan was. When we read the account of Joshua and the capture of Jericho, however, no complaining or questioning is recorded. No “God wants us to march where?” or “We do this for how many days?” or “How is shouting going to help anything?” No, with the obvious unfortunate exception of Achen, it seemed that the people followed God’s plan and did so without complaining. (I say it seemed that way because it’s entirely possible that there was some grumbling, but for whatever reason the Holy Spirit chose not to include it in the account.) I guess we’ll chock that one up to “new leader euphoria.”

Samantha: It seems to me that the battle of Jericho was more psychological than physical combat. From both the warrior and terrified city perspectives I imagine that everyone was prepared to rush immediately into battle; Jericho was “tightly closed up” in fear of their impending doom (Josh. 6:1). But instead God instructs the Israelite army to march once around the city each day for six days and then attack on day seven. No doubt that on the first day the Israelites marched around the city the people of Jericho were prepared for the worst. But when the Israelites didn’t attack them they probably felt a bit bewildered and confused. Maybe they thought that Israel had sized them up and decided that Jericho was too much for them. I’m sure they were surprised on day two when Israel marched around the city again, expecting them to attack. They didn’t on that day, or on days three, four, five, or six. That’s almost an entire week of just marching once around the city once per day. It sounds like The Boy Who Cried Wolf; after a while Jericho got used to it and stopped paying attention, thinking that Israel might never attack. It was probably a huge scare on day seven when the trumpets (bugles) started blaring and the army and priests shouting!

Ryan: As the Israelites crossed the Jordan, they took twelve stones and set them up as a memorial, “to serve as a sign…when your children ask you, ‘What do these stones mean?’ tell them that the flow of the Jordan was cut off before the ark of the covenant of the Lord” (Josh. 4:6-7). I’d like to share an example of one of our Sisters, Carla M., who used to attend the same congregation that Samantha and I do. At any point in her life when she has actively felt the hand of the Lord working in her life, she immediately finds a small, unique rock nearby. She takes that home and adds it to her collection. She then can tell her family exactly what God did for her, and that rock is her reminder of that event. I was told that she has literally dozens of rocks in her collection, and she can tell you exactly what each event means to her. In my opinion, this is a great example of using the Old Testament as our teacher, and applying what we learn from it to our daily lives. Carla and her family are a living testament to what God does in the lives of active Christians.

Samantha: I vividly remember being in Bible class when I was four years old and hanging the scarlet cord out of the window of a model two-story handmade wooden house (there were even wheat stalks on the roof!). I remember learning about the two spies and the woman that hid them on her rooftop, but is wasn’t until I read Francine River’s novella, Unashamed, that I actually thought about that woman and her perspective on life. In the book of Joshua, Rahab seems to come out of nowhere. A Canaanite prostitute who knew about the Lord and who wanted to serve the Lord was very rare at that time. She risked her own life to save the two spies because she knew that the Lord had already handed over their land to the Israelites, and she wanted to be a part of it. Unashamed will give you a new perspective on this woman, who is later grafted into the line of Jesus.

Source: David Bjorgen on Wikimedia commons

Ryan: After reading about God showing the promised land to Moses and his subsequent death on Mount Nebo, I got a strong urge to know what Moses saw. So I looked up Mount Nebo on Google Earth. It was interesting to see the terrain, but since Google still doesn’t have Street View on the top of Mount Nebo, it wasn’t really like being there in the first person. Then, thanks to the magic of Wikipedia, I found this picture taken from the summit of the half-mile high mountain ridge looking towards the Dead Sea (southwest). It truly is a wonderful vantage point to see the entire valley, including the cities of Jericho and Jerusalem. According to the article, six tombs have been found below a church basilica built there in the 4th century A.D. Also, even though protestant Christianity does not view the Apocrypha as inspired, the book of 2 Maccabees also cites Mount Nebo as the place where Jeremiah hid the tabernacle and Ark of the Covenant. How appropriate to bury the tabernacle and the ark alongside the man who worked with God face to face to give them to the Israelites!

Samantha: I’ve heard many presentations and been to seminars on workplace culture and how to change it for the better. One of the main points is always that many workplaces/churches/organizations are dependent on one central leader (“personality”) to guide them. While this is great when you’re starting from scratch or re-organizing, the eventual goal is to become a culture-led environment where each individual takes responsibility. The problem with having a personality-led group is when the leader leaves the people typically don’t continue the traditions or follow the methods that leader established. For the Israelites in today’s reading their personality was Moses. Moses tried continually to teach the Israelites about God’s laws and ways in the hopes of maturing their faith, but because they were dependent on him to intercede for them (Ex. 20:18-19), they never quite took responsibility for their own salvation. This is why Moses said to the Israelites, “I know that after my death you are sure to become utterly corrupt and to turn from the way I have commanded you” (Deut. 31:27-29). This is why I think our daily Bible reading is so important; knowing what it says yourself helps you to mature and become a more responsible Christian. This way, no matter who is in a leadership position you will be equipped to handle the word and will be ready in all circumstances.

Ryan: There’s a very interesting dichotomy in today’s reading if you were paying attention. At first, God says, “Be strong and courageous…The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you or forsake you. Do not be afraid” (Deut. 31:7-8). But then, almost the entire chapter of Deuteronomy 32 is devoted to God explaining how they (the Israelites) were going to mess up and how He would punish them and “hide [His] face from them” (Deut. 32:20). This is seemingly incongruous behavior on God’s part, but mostly due to our misunderstanding of what it means to “forsake.” The act of forsaking something is permanent–the end, forever. In ancient times, it usually meant death (Jesus exclaimed, “My God, why hast thou forsaken me?” Matthew 27:46 KJV). Contrary to that, the act of “hiding” something is usually temporary, and also implies that something or someone is in the process of or in need of seeking the hidden thing. To put it in parenting terms, we all know what Hide-and-Seek is, and the child understands (when old enough) that you’re playing a game, and that you’re not gone forever, just hiding. However, when a mother puts her baby in a bassinet on the steps to Notre Dame, she’s not coming back…ever. That mother has forsaken her child. So, while it is true that God will never forsake us permanently, He will (and has) occasionally hide His face from us in order to create in us that desire to seek Him.

Samantha: There was a point, when my arthritis was at its worst, that I stopped reading God’s word. Instead of depending on it to help me to my feet emotionally, I stopped. I stayed in my “pit” for a few years before coming out (and most people had no idea because I was good at hiding it). Knowing that there would be times when the Israelites would face trials and fall away, Moses encouraged the people to, “Take to heart all the words I have solemnly declared to you this day…they are not just idle words for you—they are your life” (Deut. 32:46-47). Looking back from my perspective now I realize what a huge missed opportunity that was for me. After doing a few Beth Moore studies and now this daily Bible reading I’ve experienced how the words in this book aren’t just historical records–they are living words that can bring even the most hurt soul back to life. When you realize that God speaks to you through His word in the Bible and through the Word, His son Jesus, you’re given a completely different perspective on this life, why we’re here, and why our lives are meaningful. “For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart” (Hebrews 4:12). God will heal you if you let Him, through His word.

Ryan: I am currently reading (other than my daily Bible reading) a book by Francine Rivers called The Prophet: Amos. It is one of her outstanding historical fiction novels in which she builds a narrative around the facts and dialogue that appear in the Bible. Today’s daily Bible reading reminded me of that book when we were reading all the curses that the Levites were to recite to Israel, and “then all the people shall say, ‘Amen!’” (Deut. 27:26). In Amos, the prophet goes to Bethel and pronounces–over the course of several months–curses on all the neighboring nations, starting with the nations that are most distant from Israel. Every time Amos cursed a nation which was their enemy, all the people shouted “Amen!” and heaped praises on Amos; however, they grew uneasy as he slowly worked his way through the curses of Israel’s nearest neighbors. Finally, when he proclaimed the curses on Israel and Judah, the people stopped shouting “Amen!” and were now themselves shouting curses upon Amos. A reminder: the word “Amen” means “so be it” or “let it be so.” We’re always quick to say “Amen” about the curses that will be brought upon others, but not quite as eager to say “so be it” about the curses that we bring upon ourselves through our own sin.

Samantha: Back on March 5th I talked about methods of besieging cities and the Lord’s rule of not cutting down food trees for siege works. Today’s reading is an example of that. Deuteronomy 28:53-57 talks specifically about the gruesome reality of a city that is under attack and gives descriptions of how the people will suffer severe famine. Warning: gross-out factor is high.

“Even the most gentle and sensitive man among you will have no compassion on his own brother or the wife he loves or his surviving children, and he will not give to one of them any of the flesh of his children that he is eating. It will be all he has left because of the suffering your enemy will inflict on you during the siege of all your cities. The most gentle and sensitive woman among you…will begrudge the husband she loves and her own son or daughter the afterbirth from her womb and the children she bears. For she intends to eat them secretly during the siege and in the distress that your enemy will inflict on you in your cities.”

Do you remember Jesus’ warning in Matthew 24 about the fall of Jerusalem (that happened in 70 A.D.)? In The Wars of the Jews, the historian Josephus recounts how, for about six months, the Romans besieged the city (5.10 – 5.12). He described the scene as “a sight that would justly bring tears into our eyes.” The food supply had been cut off, and the resulting famine was so bad that,

“what was otherwise worthy of reverence was in this case despised; insomuch that children pulled the very morsels that their fathers were eating out of their very mouths, and, what was still more to be pitied, so did the mothers do as to their infants…they were not ashamed to take from them the very last drops that might preserve their lives” (5.10.3).

In my opinion, this is an example of what Deuteronomy 28:53-57 was talking about. In addition, the Romans used two other warfare tactics I mentioned on March 5th: taunting and storming the wall using banks made of wood. The taunting came from the Romans, who ate their ample supply of corn and other food right in front of the helpless starving Jews. That tactic didn’t lead to a surrender, so the Romans decided to storm the walls instead. They needed wood to build more banks, but unfortunately for them, “all the trees that were about the city had been already cut down for the making of the former banks” (5.12.4).

Ryan: We always love reading and talking about God’s love and the blessings that he pours on us. We read through a whole slew of them today: “the ground will yield its crops” (Lev. 26:4), “I will grant peace” (Lev. 26:6), “your enemies will fall by the sword before you” (Lev. 26:8), “I will look on you with favor” (Lev. 26:9), “I will keep my covenant with you” (Lev. 26:9), “I will put my dwelling place among you” (Lev. 26:11), “I will walk among you” (Lev. 26:12). It’s true that God gave the Israelites many blessings; however, if you look closely, that entire section begins with the word “If.” “If you follow my decrees and are careful to obey my commands…” (Lev. 26:3). That means all of those wonderful blessings that God just listed are all–every single one–conditional. It is up to the Israelites to obey God in order to receive those blessings. God may love us unconditionally (like a parent), but because of that love, He won’t always give us the world (also, like a parent).

Source: Flickr

Samantha: The Lord gave instructions about the Israelite’s clothing–He wanted their clothing to remind them of His commands. The tassels in Numbers 15:37-41 are called  tzitzit in Hebrew; they were first put on the four corners of the tunics and later tied onto the head coverings they wore for prayers, Sabbath (shabbat), and holidays. The head covering, or prayer shawl, is called a tallit. The tassels, tied in a very specific pattern, reminded them first of the 10 commandments, and later all 613 laws in the Old Testament. If you’d like to see a real, certified-by-a-Rabbi tallit go visit our church’s children’s wing—I purchased one for them when we had a culture lesson on Jewish worship rituals during the time of Jesus. What a neat thought, to “wear” God and His laws around with you all day. It gives additional meaning to the New Testament phrase ‘clothing yourself with Christ’ (Rom 13:14, Gal. 3:27). Now, instead of having 613 knots on 4 tassels on our garments, we simply have to clothe ourselves in the greatest commandment from God, as refined by Jesus: love.

Ryan: The phrase “do not ignore” kept jumping out at me during today’s reading. How many of us (and how often) have walked past someone in the street in need, driven past a stranded vehicle without offering assistance, sat comfortably while an elderly person or someone with a disability stood nearby? I’m afraid that of all the laws and commands that God has issued us, this one is by far the one I have violated the most. One night after church, I was driving home (alone) and passed a woman with a flat tire on the on-ramp to the interstate. It was late, dark, and misty. She was alone and was attempting to change her tire. I’m ashamed to confess that I drove right past her. The Holy Spirit prodded me to stop, but I ignored Him. When the next exit came, He told me to turn around and return to help her, but I ignored Him. Every time I passed an opportunity to turn around, He prodded me, and I ignored Him. Finally, six miles later, I relented and turned around and drove all the way back. When I got back to the on-ramp, the woman was still there, still trying to change her tire. I quickly helped her; she was almost done changing her tire. She got on her way safely, no thanks to me. I wish I could use this example to say, ‘See how good I am?’ but sadly, I was ashamed that it took me six miles of goading to finally listen to the Holy Spirit, and not to ignore Him.

Samantha: I’m definitely in a Lord of the Rings mood, especially after reading about Israelite warfare regulations. What made me think of it were the trees–God commanded that the warriors only use non-fruit trees to build their siege works. When the Israelites (or any other army, for that matter) went to siege a town they usually started by surrounding the city and then cutting off roads, food, and water supplies. To overcome the city they would employ several different methods: a Trojan horse-like lure, bullying into submission, or taking on the city wall. The wall was probably the most successful method, and they could do a few different things: use dirt to build a mound up the side of a wall so that the warriors could climb up and over, simply scaling the wall with rope, tunneling under the walls, or building “siege works” like battering rams (and later on catapults). To build siege works takes wood, and the Lord was very specific on what wood not to use. Did you catch the reason? So the warriors would have fruit to eat! “When you lay siege to a city for a long time, fighting against it to capture it, do not destroy its trees by putting an ax to them, because you can eat their fruit. Do not cut them down. Are the trees of the field people, that you should besiege them? However, you may cut down trees that you know are not fruit trees and use them to build siege works until the city at war with you falls.” (Deut. 20:19-20).

Ryan: I’m sure almost everyone reading this blog has been on a diet at some point in his/her life, whether for weight loss, medical tests/procedures, or even an abstention for religious reasons (a la “Lent”). Anyone who has been on a diet knows that the things you crave the most are the things that are prohibited! I can’t imagine being an Israelite listening to Moses declare the laws to the people and hearing the incredibly long list of all the animals, fish, birds, insects, etc. that I can’t eat. I almost think it would have taken less ink and paper if God had just told Moses what the Israelites can eat. However, it would probably be wise for most of us today to abstain from many of the foods prohibited to the Israelites, simply because you know that God’s dietary laws are going to be way more accurate than that of any fad diet author.

Samantha: I actually enjoyed reading through the listing of animals, unclean and clean. Ravens, white owls, katydid, monitor lizard, chameleon. I guess I’ve never really thought about how these same animals that we have now are generally the same ones they had 5,000 years ago. It is neat to think that Moses got to see a gecko without ever seeing the Geico commercials. But really, God did just create these creatures back in Genesis so by this point their species are not that old (only around 500 years between Moses and Abraham, for example). I wonder how difficult it was for the translators to figure out which animals were which? No doubt there were animals that have become extinct since that time, so scholars and translators in our time had to figure out what it meant, such as the “coney,” which a footnote says is like a hyrax or rock badger (Lev. 11:5).

Ryan: One of the many uses for a time machine would be to introduce the Israelites to common household bleach. If you were reading today’s daily bible reading, you surely noticed that if a house (or an article of clothing) continued to have an area of mildew spreading even after washing with water, that house had to be torn down and taken out of the town into a dump of uncleanness (articles of clothing had to be burned). Think about all the garments and houses that would have been spared by the liberal application of just some simple bleach and water. Unfortunately, household bleach such as we use today was not developed until the discovery of chlorine in 1774. It did not reach widespread use until the mid- to late-1800’s. While a whitening process for clothing, etc., was around as early as 3000 B.C., the process took weeks or even months. When you’re dealing with things like infectious skin diseases and destructive mildews, you need it fixed in days, not weeks. I guess God thought fire and destruction to be a better option than just giving the Israelites chlorine.

Samantha: It isn’t uncommon for people to break out in a skin rash, whether from itchy clothing, an allergic reaction, or pollutants in their environment. Not too many years ago I developed a small rash on the side of my forehead, but thought that maybe hairspray caused it and that it would disappear in a day or so. I didn’t think much about the rash, even after it started itching like crazy the next day. By the third day I woke up with the entire side of my face swollen and one eye swollen shut. After a trip to the immediate care clinic I was diagnosed with impetigo (what adult gets impetigo??). After heavy medication and a few days off from work it cleared up and healed just like new. I can’t imagine living in Israelite times and having this same problem! Today we read that “‘The person with such an infectious disease must wear torn clothes, let his hair be unkempt, cover the lower part of his face and cry out, “Unclean! Unclean!” As long as he has the infection he remains unclean. He must live alone; he must live outside the camp’” (Lev. 13:45-46). I totally understand the unkempt hair; I used my bangs to cover the rash on my forehead. I also see the point of warning those around you; I later learned that impetigo is extremely contagious and I could have easily infected those around me. Living outside the camp until healed also makes sense for the same reason. But I can tell you that during the experience of having impetigo I felt completely embarrassed, a little ashamed and isolated from everyone, and that was only for a short time. Imagine having a real skin disease like leprosy and not only having those feelings but also having to call out ‘Unclean! Unclean!”

Ryan: Some people try to argue that the Old Testament required the Jews just to follow a bunch of difficult rules and regulations, and when Jesus came, he did away with all the hard rules. Unfortunately, nothing could be further from the truth. Among the many rules and regulations we read today about marriage and sexual relations, is the command, “You shall not commit adultery” (Deut. 5:18). This included married women, as well as engaged women. But, Jesus raised the bar on that law too: “You have heard that it was said, ‘Do not commit adultery.’ But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart” (Matt. 5:27-28). Jesus didn’t take away any laws–he made them harder. It’s pretty easy not to have sex with another woman, but it’s way harder to not look at a woman lustfully. The book Every Man’s Battle by Stephen Arterburn, et al., is a wonderful tool to help men regain control of their eyes and take back their sexual purity that the world has trampled upon. In one poignant section about ‘looking at women lustfully’, Arterburn writes, “if a woman’s blouse falls open, you can’t say, ‘Hey, that’s in my sight line, I get to have that.’ No, you have to look away. Otherwise, you’re a thief. You need to leave that valuable creation in the hands of God and her husband or her future husband” (p. 72). Reading that book was the first time I had ever considered a young unmarried woman as someone’s “future wife.” Stay tuned below for a preview of the Every Young Man’s Battle DVD, available at www.newlife.com.

Samantha: My take away from today’s reading? Be different from the people around you. The people living around the Israelites had many worship and cultural practices that the Lord found wicked or detestable: child sacrifice, sexual impurity (which probably helped spread disease), certain food preparation, etc. For example, today we read a verse that said a man shouldn’t marry sisters (Lev. 18:18). I was reminded of Jacob marrying both Leah and Rachel and how their jealously of Jacob’s love led them to compete for it using children (Gen. 29-30). We also read about not marrying your sister or half-sister (Lev. 18:9). That made me think of Abraham and Sarah, who were half-siblings. Remember all the trouble Abraham caused both the Pharaoh (Gen. 12:10-20) and Abimelech (Gen. 20) by only saying they were siblings instead of being honest and saying they were also husband and wife? The Lord has now officially drawn the line to separate His people from these and other practices. “I am the LORD your God, who has set you apart from the nations” (Lev. 20:24).

Deuteronomy 21:10-14, Deut. 24:5, Deut. 22:13-21, Deut. 24:1-4, Lev. 18:1-5, Deut. 5:18, Lev. 18:20, Deut. 22:22-24, Lev. 19:20-22, Num. 5:11-31, Lev. 19:29, Deut. 23:17-18, Lev. 18:6-8, Lev. 20:11, Lev. 18:9, Lev. 18:11, Lev. 20:17, Lev. 18:10, Lev. 18:12-14, Lev. 20:19-20, Lev. 18:15, Lev. 20:12, Lev. 18:16, Lev. 20:21, Lev. 18:17, Lev. 20:14, Lev. 18:18-19, Lev. 20:18, Lev. 18:22, Lev. 20:13, Lev. 18:23, Lev. 20:15-16, Lev. 18:24-30, Lev. 20:24, Deut. 22:5

Ryan: There are so many good verses in today’s reading that teach about lending, borrowing, and monetary policies that we could do a whole study just on those. But there was one section that caught my attention more than others, particularly because of a New Testament connection.  Leviticus 19:35-57 and Deuteronomy 25:13-16 command that we use honest weights, measurements, and standards of lengths and quantities. “The Lord your God detests anyone who does [not do] these things, anyone who deals dishonestly” (Deut. 25:16). As my friend and teacher, Darrell O. likes to say, “and as it is in the Old Testament, so it is in the New Testament.” Jesus takes the same principle but expands it just as he does every law so that it doesn’t only include physical measurements and counts, but with our own perceptions of others. After the infamous verse, “Judge not, that ye be not judged…” (Matt. 7:1 KJV), Jesus continues, “For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you” (Matt. 7:2 NIV). Good advice, and a lesson I originally learned from a short scene in Karate Kid 2 (embedded below, clip in question ends after 49 seconds).

Samantha: In today’s reading, God noted that “There will always be poor people in the land. Therefore I command you to be openhanded toward your brothers and toward the poor and needy in your land” (Deut. 15:11). I wonder if churches today did their part to help the poor if we would even need a welfare system in our government? After all, didn’t Jesus tell the rich man to “sell your possessions and give to the poor” (Matt. 19:21)?

Numbers 5:5-10, Ex. 22:9, Ex. 7-8, Ex. 22:10-17, Ex. 21:33-34, Ex. 22:6, Ex. 22:5, Ex. 21:28, Ex. 21:29-32, Ex. 21:35-36, Lev. 24:18, Deut. 22:8, Deut. 24:14-15, Lev. 25:44-46, Deut. 23:15-16, Deut. 15:12-18, Ex. 21:1-11, Deut. 23:19-20, Ex. 22:25-27, Deut. 24:6, Deut. 24:10-11, Deut 15:1-11, Lev. 19:12, Num. 30:1-16, Lev. 19:11, Lev. 19:35-37, Deut. 25:13-16, Deut 21:15-17, Deut 25:5-10, Num. 27:1-11, Num. 36:1-13

Ryan: While the notion of “an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth” frightens me, there is one aspect of the Israelite law that we read about today that would be nice to include in modern practice. According to their law, only one witness to a murder was not sufficient for convicting him of the alleged murder, so at least two witnesses were required (Num. 35:30). In today’s courts, it is becoming more and more frequent that not only is one witness sufficient, but sometimes people are convicted by no witnesses–forensic evidence alone has been known to send people to prison. While forensic science has been known to make mistakes and convict people wrongly, I’m not going to argue that we should not use it. However, in cases/states where the death penalty is legal for murder cases, I do think that two witnesses should be required in order to apply that sentence. Otherwise, conviction based on forensic evidence alone should never yield a sentence greater than life in prison. Just my two cents.

Samantha: Many times murder is premeditated, but for those times when it was accidental, God instructed the Israelites to “select some towns to be your cities of refuge, to which a person who has killed someone accidentally may flee. They will be places of refuge from the avenger, so that a person accused of murder may not die before he stands trial before the assembly” (Numbers 35:11-12). As long as the murderer could get safely to the city of refuge closest them, they would be given a trial with at least two witnesses. If they were found guilty then punishment would ensue, but if they were found innocent they could live in that city until the death of the current high priest. If I were an Israelite at that time I would have found this to be a comforting law–to accidentally kill someone would be horrifying enough, but then to have that person’s closest relative hunting you down to exact punishment makes me think of the chase in the movie The Fugitive.

Exodus 21:13-14, Num. 35:20-21, Num 35:16-19, Num. 35:29-31, Num. 35:33-34, Ex. 22:2-3, Num. 35:22-25, Deut. 19:4-6, Num. 35:9-15, Deut 19:1-3, Deut. 19:7-10, Num. 35:26-28, Deut. 19:11-13, Num. 35:32, Ex. 21:22-25, Ex. 21:16, Deut. 24:7, Lev. 24:19-20, Ex. 21:26-27, Deut. 22:25-29, Ex. 21:15, Ex. 21:18-21, Deut. 25:11-12, Deut. 5:19, Ex. 22:3, Ex. 22:1, Ex. 22:4, Deut 19:14

Ryan: A couple years ago, I participated in the Kansas Bible Bowl that our church hosts each year. That particular year, we studied the book of 1 Samuel, named for the prophet of God who God sent to select Israel’s first king, Saul. Near the beginning of that book, we learn that the Israelites are grumbling, and asking Samuel for a king “such as all the other nations have” (1 Samuel 8:5). Before today’s daily bible reading, I did not know that God actually told the Israelites that they were going to make this request almost 400 years before they actually made it. In Deuteronomy 17:14, God says (paraphrased), “So, when you get to the promised land, you’re going to ask for a king like the other nations have.” I can almost hear the Israelites shouting in retort, “No! We would never want a man as king–we serve the Lord!” But as with everything else, God is right–he knows the failings of men, and he knew the Israelites’ faith would waver.

Samantha: I had an “Aha!” moment tonight when we read the section talking about justice and punishment. In reference to a criminal hung on a tree the instruction says, “If a man guilty of a capital offense is put to death and his body is hung on a tree, you must not leave his body on the tree overnight. Be sure to bury him that same day, because anyone who is hung on a tree is under God’s curse” (Deut. 21:22-23). That made me think of the verses in the New Testament that talk about Jesus being hung on a tree. I looked up Galatians 3:23 where it says, “Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: ‘Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree.’” There is a footnote on that verse that links back to Deuteronomy 21:23. I had never paid attention to that before! The more I read the Old Testament the more I can see how it looks forward to the coming of the Messiah. Likewise, the more I read the New Testament, the more I can see how it looks backward to show how Jesus fulfilled the Old Testament.

After fasting for three days with zero food and zero water, Esther puts on her royal robes in preparation to go before the king. I can’t imagine how heavy those robes must have felt to her weak and shaky body, but I can also imagine God granting her an inner peace to help her focus on the task at hand. She had to intercede on behalf of her people, and she would use her position as Queen of Persia (that is if she lived to do so). She entered the inner court and stepped directly in the line of sight of King Xerxes.

Source: Livius.org

Persian court protocol was very strict. We’ve already read about how once an edict is given it cannot be reversed, and now we read of how those who drop in on the king uninvited will face the punishment of death unless the king extends his scepter to them. Thankfully, Esther had won the heart of Xerxes, and presumably he saw past her audacity to enter uninvited and noticed that something was wrong.

Xerxes seems smitten with Esther, asking her repeatedly ‘what is it?’ or ‘what is your request?’ and offering her up to half the kingdom. When the defining moment comes, Esther chickens out and instead of telling him her people’s plight she invites the king and Haman to dinner. What? I know she had been fasting for three days and was famished, but this was her chance! This reminded me of A Christmas Story when Ralphie gets on Santa’s lap and forgets what he wants for Christmas and says “a football…yeah, a football.” The king and Haman go that day to a feast that Esther had prepared. Again Xerxes asks Esther for her request and she stalls a second time! She invites them to a banquet the next day and says that then she will answer his question.

It seems to me that Esther is stalling so that she can wait for the perfect moment to break the news. She knows full well that Haman is the person behind the edict to destroy the Jews and yet invites him to dinner with her and the king…twice. Why would she not just have dinner with the king alone and tell him? Esther is savvy and no doubt has a plan of how to break the news to have the biggest impact possible.

Mordecai learned about Haman’s plot and immediately went into crisis mode, tearing his clothes and donning sackcloth (think scratchy potato sack) and ashes. He clothed himself in humility and repentance in the hopes that God would hear his cries for mercy for God’s people. Jews throughout Persia did the same.

Mordecai didn’t just mourn at home–he went to the king’s gate and wailed loudly and bitterly. Remember this is where he worked, and where people came to appeal to the king, so everyone saw and recognized him. What a sad and pitiful sight he must have been! Word got back to Esther, who apparently had not heard about the horrific edict.

We’re not sure why, but when she heard that he was in sackcloth and ashes Esther sent Mordecai a change of clothes. To give her the benefit of the doubt, maybe she wanted him to change so that he could enter through the gate and come talk with her in person. Another reason could have been that she didn’t realize the gravity of the situation and wanted to help him save face. Whatever the reason, she sends the clothes and Mordecai refuses them. Esther then sends one of her trusted attendants, Hathach, to talk with Mordecai for her.

Through Hathach, Mordecai gives Esther the text of the edict, explains the fine print, and tells how much money Haman has promised the King’s treasury for the destruction of the Jews. Mordecai begs Esther to intercede on behalf of her people. At first Esther shys away from helping, giving the excuse that the king hasn’t called for her in a month, not to mention that approaching the king uninvited is against the law and is punishable by death. Mordecai sternly warns Esther that if she doesn’t help now, someone else will and she and her father’s family will perish. He encourages her that God has put her in this unlikely position for “such a time as this.” Esther gathers her resolve and instructs Mordecai to have all the Jews in Susa (and her own maids) fast for her for three days, no food or water, and on that third day she would approach the king.

Seed Thought: You’ve got to admit that Esther’s path to becoming queen was very unlikely. She was an orphan, she wasn’t of Persian heritage, and she was a Jew. Those attributes alone should have disqualified her from the running to becoming queen, but they didn’t. Xerxes fell in love with her and named her queen. Just like that. In hindsight it is easy to say that was God’s plan all along, but I wonder how she felt as these events were unfolding? For us today it is no different–we each have events that have brought us to where we are currently. Sometimes the path makes sense, sometimes it seems like nothing is coming together. Regardless of where you are at in life you are still in God’s plan, so rejoice when the Lord declares, “I know the plans I have for you” (Jeremiah 29:11).

The Fast of Esther Today: This past Thursday, February 25, 2010, was the Fast of Esther, still observed by Jews today in honor of when Esther fasted for three days before going to the King (Esther 4:16). It is normally observed on the 13th day of the month of Adar, but this year that fell on a Sabbath day (Saturday) so they bumped it to the preceding Thursday. I read an article this morning about a Jewish school’s girls basketball team in Washington state who forfeited a tournament game on Thursday because they were observing the Fast of Esther.

Ryan: I found it interesting in today’s reading that one could devote any number of things to God, be it their homes, animals, possessions, people (in their household, I’m assuming), or even their own lives (through the Nazarite vow). When one devoted something to God, it became a belonging of the Lord’s. Though the Bible doesn’t come right out and say it (at least not in this part of the Bible), I’m also assuming that the Levites could essentially use whatever was devoted to God for their own purposes as far as the assembly of the Lord was concerned. What I found even more interesting, however, is that one could redeem those possessions from the Lord without any hard feelings. You just pay a 20% upcharge, and whatever you devoted to God is yours again (ending the Nazarite vow was slightly different, but the idea is the same). Today, however, I don’t think that God would look too kindly into reclaiming your devotion, as the only thing you have to devote is yourself.

Samantha: Just yesterday I read a really interesting article on Animal Hybrids–the pictures are amazing. I learned that Napoleon Dynamite’s favorite animal, the liger (male lion with a female tigress), actually exists! There’s also a camel-llama hybrid called a “cama,” and the coolest looking zebra and horse combinations called zebriods: the zorse, zonkey, or zetland. These combinations all seem to be with animals in similar families, so I’m not sure if this would fall under what God was talking about when He said, “Do not mate different kinds of animals” (Lev. 19:19). Check out the article to see some amazing photographs of these creatures.

Ryan: One of the many things that separated the Israelites from the nations around them was their countless laws upon laws that dealt with cleanliness. I’m sure all of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites would all just point and laugh (“they’re all gonna laugh at you!”) at the Israelites when they were performing one of their zillions of cleaning rituals. But those laws kept the Israelites healthy when everyone around them were spreading diseases, most of them either sexually-transmitted or from the improper handling of dead bodies, for both of which God had very strict rules. If only the people during the Dark Ages would have followed God’s laws for the Israelites, events like the Black Plague may never have come to be.

Samantha: The Israelites certainly didn’t need hand sanitizer with all the regulations regarding bodily fluids, skin conditions, and dead bodies. God gave them detailed guidelines to follow to prevent the spread of disease: lots of washing! Maybe this is where the old saying “cleanliness is next to godliness” came from?

Ryan: There is one rather famous and iconic relic in the United States that is inscribed with a verse from today’s daily bible reading. The Liberty Bell that hangs in Philadelphia is inscribed, “Proclaim LIBERTY throughout all the Land unto all the Inhabitants thereof Lev. XXV X / By Order of the ASSEMBLY of the Province of Pensylvania for the State House in Philad / Pass and Stow / Philad / MDCCCLIII” (Lev. 25:10 KJV). The verse is referring to the Year of Jubilee which happened every 50 years in which slaves were freed, and land and homes were returned to their original owners (if sold out of poverty). Since the bell was cast prior to the Declaration of Independence, the “Independence Bell,” as it was originally known, was seen as a symbol of hope for the time in which the colonists would be freed from the tyranny of the British monarchy. During the 19th century, the bell was renamed the “Liberty Bell” by anti-slavery supporters who were now using the verse to support their argument for the liberation of African-American slaves. Once again, history shows how indelibly linked is the founding of our nation to the Bible.

Samantha: My dad is a crop farmer who no-tills (see no-till infographic), so I am familiar with crop rotation, soil composition, plant nutrients, planting and harvest. I was pleasantly surprised to read that God commanded the Israelites to leave their fields empty every seventh year (Lev. 25:1-7). When the surface of a field is not disturbed and is left alone, the plant matter that was there before starts to decompose and drop to the ground, covering the topsoil. My dad purposefully leaves the corn stalks in the field after the fall corn harvest and then plants wheat over the top of the corn stalks. The corn stalks decompose and provide a layer of organic matter over the soil to protect it from the elements. This is important because when the soil in a farmer’s field is bare and it rains, water easily carries off the top layer of soil which washes away the nutrients. By covering the topsoil with old plant matter it prevents rain from washing the soil and nutrients away. As the plant matter decomposes it continues to provide nutrients to the soil by way of the earthworms. Earthworms are crucial to the health of the soil–they eat the plant matter, mix the soil around, and naturally aerate the soil when they dig their tunnels. When the soil is continuously tilled (turned over) it kills the earthworms and prevents them from making the soil more nutritious. In my opinion, by instructing the people to leave the fields bare every seventh year God is teaching them soil conservation and responsible farming practices. The best part of the story is where God tells the Israelites, “You may ask, “What will we eat in the seventh year if we do not plant or harvest our crops?” I will send you such a blessing in the sixth year that the land will yield enough for three years. While you plant during the eighth year, you will eat from the old crop and will continue to eat from it until the harvest of the ninth year comes in” (Lev. 25:18-22).

After Mordecai’s reward is overlooked at the end of chapter 2 we arrive at chapter 3 where Haman is rewarded and elevated in Xerxes’ court. All the nobles and officials were to bow down to pay honor to Haman, but Mordecai refused to bow because he was a Jew who only bowed to the one true God. When Mordecai’s refusal and reason were brought before him, Haman “scorned the idea of killing only Mordecai” (Esther 3:6) and plotted genocide of the Jews living in Persia. Haman and his goonies cast the pur (lot) to choose the day and month of the genocide. What I find extremely interesting is that they cast the lot in the first month, Nisan, the day before the Passover feast that celebrates God delivering His people. Hold on to this thought–we’ll come back to it in later posts. The lot falls on the 12th month, meaning the genocide will take place in the month of Adar (February-March on our Gregorian calendar).

Haman cleverly persuades King Xerxes that it isn’t in his best interest to tolerate “a certain people” in his kingdom whose customs are different. In a scene reminiscent of Judas betraying Jesus for 30 pieces of silver, Haman then offers to pay silver to the King in exchange for the death of the Jews. The King told Haman to keep his money and then gives him his signet ring and permission to do with the people as he wished. Royal scribes wrote out Haman’s announcement in the languages of all the provinces and each proclamation was sealed with Xerxes’ signet ring and sent out by couriers throughout the kingdom.

Something that stuck out to me was how both Mordecai’s and Haman’s ancestry was continually pointed out. To the Jews, lineage meant everything. Tracing ancestry back to Abraham was their proof that they were saved. Mordecai’s family line is mentioned in Esther 2:5, showing that he is in the family of Kish. Kish was the father of King Saul, meaning that Mordecai is a Jew in the family line of Saul. This is important because Haman is referred to as the “Agagite” (Esther 3:1) and his ancestry is Amalekite (Esther 2:3). The Amalekites are the ones who attacked the Isrealites after they crossed the Red Sea (Exodus 17:8-16) and God declared that He would be at war with the Amalekites. Generations later King Saul was instructed to kill the Amalekites and their king, Agag (1 Samuel 15). So the “battle” between Mordecai and Haman is a continuation of Saul versus Agag–Israel’s continued war with the Amalekites starting back at the Exodus! Had King Saul obeyed the Lord, the book of Esther might not have come to be!

Seed Thought: Despite persecution, Mordecai the Jew followed God wholeheartedly, as demonstrated by his refusal to bow down to Haman. This is what separates him from his ancestor, King Saul, who didn’t rely on or follow God’s commands. To be as steadfast as Mordecai we’ve got to “Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings. And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast” (1 Peter 5:8-10).

Ryan: For the second day in a row, we get to combine judicial law (which, of course, derives much of its origins from biblical principles) with Levitical law. During the first part of today’s reading, we see laws regarding sins of omission, sins of commission, and fraud or theft. In each of these three cases, the guilty party is ordered to not only pay restitution, but also to add a fifth of the value of the restitution (Lev. 5:14-19, Lev. 6:1-7). In modern judicial language, this is called law of compensation. If you steal someone’s donkey, paying restitution would be giving the donkey back, or paying the owner for the value of the donkey. The law of compensation says that you not only give the donkey back or pay for it, but also add to it any loss the owner has suffered, whether it be damages or lost earnings, etc. In this case, God demanded that the amount of the compensation always be 20% regardless of the value of the item or sin. It never ceases to amaze me how citizens of this country want to “separate church and state” without realizing exactly how entwined the two have always been and are likely to always be. So many of our laws and ordinances either come straight from the Bible or have been adapted from the Bible through thousands of years of civil societies.

Samantha: I adore the musical seven-fold amen, which is most often attached at the end of a song we sing at church called The Lord Bless You and Keep You. I had never heard it growing up, and what a shame I didn’t! It is such a beautiful benediction that the priests spoke over the people. The Lord said His purpose for the blessing was to “put my name on the Israelites, and I will bless them” (Numbers 6:22-27). The Lord Bless You and Keep You and accompanying sevenfold amen that we sing today was written in 1900 by Peter C. Lutkin. He was an orphan who grew up in Chicago and became the first Dean of the Northwestern University School of Music. He was a church organist, composer, and he helped popularize a cappella music in the United States by starting the Northwestern A Cappella Choir in 1906. This song was originally called “Farewell Anthem with Sevenfold Amen” and was sung at the conclusion of the worship service. Another interesting non-musical sevenfold amen in the Bible: Revelation 7:12 (count the items in between the first and last ‘amen’).

Balawat Gates of Shalmaneser III of Assyria. Author: Mujtaba Chohan Source: Wikimedia Commons

Esther 2 concludes with Mordecai sitting at the King’s gate. The gate was more of a gate house than a simple backyard fence gate. Think of a medieval castle with a separate grand entrance outside the castle. The gate at Susa was imposing–according to the Archaeological Study Bible it measured nearly 44 yards across (nearly half a football field long!) and had a central room that was 23 yards square. It may have looked like the Gate of Nations at Persepolis. There was a massive statue of Darius that stood at the entrance, with inscriptions in three languages honoring the Persian god Ahuramazda. Imagine standing before such an incredible structure!

I imagine that Mordecai was patiently waiting at the gate to hear news about Esther. While he’s waiting he overhears the “bouncers” guarding the gate’s doorway plotting to kill the King. Somehow Mordecai gets word to Esther, who then informs the King. An investigation takes place proving Mordecai’s report to be true and the would-be assassins were put to death. All this is recorded in the King’s annals, but at the end of the chapter we don’t see Mordecai being rewarded, which was customary for people who had demonstrated “acts of loyalty.”

Seed Thought: I struggle with the pride of getting credit for my accomplishments. I wonder if Mordecai felt that way when he wasn’t recognized for saving the King’s life? I don’t think he warned the King for the purpose of getting the reward; he was concerned for Esther’s safety and well-being, but he was also obedient to God. “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving” (Colossians 3:23-24).

Ryan: I guess it has been building up inside me for several days, but what just hit me today is the sheer volume of blood involved in the worship of God. I think if we had a time machine and were able to go back and visit the Tabernacle (especially just before the first Temple was built, since it would have been in use for a long time by that point), I believe we would be utterly disgusted by the amount of blood everywhere. They sprinkled blood on the altar, on the horns of the altar, on the altar of incense, before the curtain, behind the curtain, on the mercy seat, poured all the excess down the base of the altar, and as we learned just two days ago, sprinkled it on the Tent of Meeting itself (Lev. 16:15-17). I won’t embed the video below, but if you’ve never seed a video of a livestock slaughterhouse, you might just Google it to get that experience. Think about how many bulls, rams, lambs, doves, etc. that were sacrificed for various reasons by the Israelites, a group of around 1.5 million people. If you extrapolate that number to the world’s population today (over 6 billion), you can see why God knew that this original plan of sacrifices and offerings was not sustainable. Thank you, Lord, for sending Your Son to the earth to be our sacrifice as well as our High Priest. “He did not enter by means of the blood of goats and calves; but he entered the Most Holy Place once for all by his own blood, having obtained eternal redemption” (Hebrews 9:11-12).

Samantha: It didn’t occur to me until reading Leviticus 5 today that even if we sin and don’t realize it we’re still guilty of that sin. At first that didn’t seem quite fair, since you didn’t know it was a sin and now you’re in trouble for it, but ignorance of the law isn’t an excuse. Ryan pointed out to me that even in the laws of the United States we practice something called ignorantia juris non excusat, or “ignorance of the law does not excuse.” If you think about it, if ignorance were allowed as an excuse then you could have criminals claiming ignorance to avoid punishment. This also assumes that the laws are clearly documented. In the Israelite’s case, the laws were painstakingly recorded in several places, and then new laws were added later on by the people to help them avoid breaking God’s original laws. The same is true for us today; there are sins that we are warned to avoid, and it is right there in the top selling book in history–the Holy Bible. But thanks be to God that we don’t have to go sacrifice every time we mess up now! Jesus’ blood already covers those who are saved. Speaking of Jesus’ blood (and in light of our reading today about the sequence of each sacrifice), here’s an amazing connection to ponder: “The high priest carries the blood of animals into the Most Holy Place as a sin offering, but the bodies are burned outside the camp. And so Jesus also suffered outside the city gate to make the people holy through his own blood” (Hebrews 13:11-12).

Ryan: It is often very difficult for us to relate to the myriad offerings made by the Israelites day in and day out. They are almost beyond most modern Christians’ comprehension. My NIV Study Bible has a nice little chart in it that breaks down all the different  types of offerings, with the requirements for each along with each one’s purpose. Of the five main types of offerings (burnt, grain, fellowship, sin, and guilt), the one that is most like our “offerings” today is the grain offering. Most churches today take up an offering each week that takes the form of a freewill monetary donation. As far as the offerer is concerned, this offering represents a “voluntary act of worship; recognition of God’s goodness and provisions; devotion to God.” If that description sounds accurate to you, then you may be surprised to learn that that is the exact purpose that the NIV Study Bible prescribes to the grain offering (p. 151). Three of the remaining offerings–burnt, sin, and guilt–are no longer necessary for us, as each of those were for the purpose of atonement for different types of sin (among other purposes). The last one, fellowship, would likely be included also in our freewill monetary offerings today, though theirs included a fellowship meal as well (our church actually does include a fellowship meal most Sundays immediately after the worship service).

Samantha: Like the Passover sacrifice of the family pet, er…lamb, the burnt offering from the herd had a similar connection to the person offering it as a sacrifice. The instruction from God read, “He is to lay his hand on the head of the burnt offering, and it will be accepted on his behalf to make atonement for him” (Lev 1:4). From today’s perspective it seems creepy to be touching the animal as it is being killed. Growing up I was witness to a cow being killed for a future dinner, but there was no laying on of hands. Through a Bible commentary I learned that the touching was symbolic for the transfer of sin–the person was giving their sin to this animal whose blood would be shed, and that blood would atone for their sin. Not only were they “transferring” their sin, they were watching something die in their place. The animal was their substitute on the bronze altar, being consumed by fire for the Lord. In the New Testament, Hebrews 8-10 shows us how what happened at the tabernacle was foreshadowing: God sent His son Jesus to be our substitute and how He took our sins upon himself on the cross so that he could die once for all. What an amazing sacrifice!

Samantha: Have you ever looked at your wall calendar and seen something called “Yom Kippur” or “Rosh Hashanah”? If you did your daily bible reading with us today, you read about the seven feasts God established for His people. To keep it simple I’ll divide it into two sections: spring feasts and fall feasts. The first spring feast is called Passover, which we read about in Exodus when God rescued His people from slavery in Egypt; this feast celebrates that deliverance. Even though it is celebrated around March or April of our calendar, this feast starts the Jewish religious year. The day after Passover is when the Feast of Unleavened Bread begins, which recalls the haste in which the Israelites made their bread during the Exodus and left out the yeast. This is celebrated for one week. On the second day of this feast is when the third feast begins: the Feast of Firstfruits. This celebrated the first harvest of the barley in the spring. Count out fifty days later and you’re at the Feast of Weeks. In the New Testament, its Greek name is Pentecost. On your wall calendar it appears in Hebrew as Shavout. This feast celebrates the wheat harvest. That concludes the description of the four spring feasts: Passover, Unleavened Bread, Firstfruits, and the Feast of Weeks. Now to the fall feasts: The Feast of Trumpets (Rosh Hashanah) which is now used to indicate the Jewish new calendar year; the Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur), where a scapegoat was used for atonement; and the Feast of Tabernacles (Sukkot), where the people dwelled in huts to remember the housing during the wilderness wanderings. I once heard a well-known preacher say from the pulpit “Sukkot? Whatever that means.” Now you know! I cannot wait until we get to the life of Jesus so that I can show you how Jesus has already fulfilled the four spring feasts and what that means for Christians today. The fact that there are still three unfulfilled feasts gives me goosebumps. God always tells us what He’s going to do before He does it, and I can’t wait for you to see it!

Exodus 23:14-17 (Ex. 34:23), Deut. 16:16-17, Ex. 34:24, Deut. 16:1-7 (Ex. 34:18), Num. 9:13-14, Lev. 23:4-8 (Num. 28:16-17, Deut. 16:8), Num. 28:18-25, Deut. 16:9-12. Lev. 23:9-21 (Ex. 34:22), Num. 28:26-31, Num. 29:1-6 (Lev. 23:23-25), Lev. 16, Lev. 23:26-32, Num. 29:7-11, Lev. 23:33-36, Lev. 23:39-43, Num. 29:12-38, Deut. 16:13-15, Lev. 23:37-38 Lev. 23:44 (Num. 29:39-40)

Ryan: Under the heading, “Laws against false spiritualists,” there was an interesting passage about prophets whose prophecies come true but then suggest following “other gods”. It reads,

“If a prophet…announces to you a miraculous sign or wonder, and if the sign or wonder of which he has spoken takes place, and he says, ‘Let us follow other gods’…you must not listen to the words of that prophet or dreamer. The Lord your God is testing you” (Deut. 13:1-3).

This passage lends a deeper understanding of the position of the Pharisees of Jesus’ time. If you were a Pharisee or teacher of the Law, you would know these laws inside and out. A verse like this would be ever-present in your mind. So here is Jesus, performing all kinds of signs and wonders, and saying, “follow me.” Is it really any wonder at all that they did not trust him? I’m terribly afraid that I myself would have sided with the Pharisees on this particular topic. (Granted, they were way off base on most other issues.) What do you think? If a parent tells you to not accept candy from strangers and get in their car, but then turns around and sends someone to get you who offers you candy and asks you to get in the car, would you do it? Would YOU believe the stranger if he said your parents sent him?

Samantha: Growing up on a farm, planting and harvest times were always the most stressful for our family. The weather was always unpredictable, the equipment unreliable, and more land than my Dad and Grandpa could manage. They both would be up before dawn, and not return until it had been dark for several hours. This would happen every day, seven days a week. On Sundays, Grandpa would go to church while Dad kept working, and then Grandpa would come home from church and go out to the fields to work with him. Today we read that, “Six days you shall labor, but on the seventh day you shall rest; even during the plowing season and harvest you must rest” (Exodus 34:21). Had we lived during Moses’ time, we would not have been allowed to continue working on the Sabbath. In farming, you have to work when the weather permits, or else the harvest or planting doesn’t get done. For the Israelites to stop farming required total reliance on God the provider (Jehovah-Jireh). Having a day of rest is a big stress reliever, and so is knowing that God will care for you, even if you are not working for 15% of your week. God knows that farming is dependent on the weather, and yet He still asks you to not work one day out of seven; don’t you think that He who controls the weather will tend your fields while you’re resting?

Deuteronomy 18:9-14 (Lev. 19:26, Lev. 19:31, Lev. 20:6-8), Ex. 22:18,