A couple months ago I started sporadically riding the MAX to work. This provided me a solid hour plus of straight reading.
This has allowed me to rapidly progress through the Bible from Genesis to (as of today) Luke.
It is interesting to note there are several ways to read the Bible.
One of the more popular and, arguably, useful, ways of course is slowly and contemplatively. Take some time to mull over a verse, follow the train of thought, and see connections that way.
But there proves to be some merit, also, to a more cursory pass through. Reading at a rather frenetic pace of 50 - 60 pages per hour with no time allowed for pursuing tangents allows for an overview that draws together a lot of thoughts perhaps more difficult to pull together when it is months between reading say...Exodus and Micah.
This is not to say it is superior. Clearly, the more time you spend considering what you have read, the more depth it will add to your Spiritual comprehension.
At the same time, much like a class in Western Civilization typically bypasses deep looks into cause and effect in favor of a broad overview, a rapid read-through beginning to end gives a different view than more typical reading patterns.
Just something to think about.
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
Saturday, May 22, 2010
David: A reason for Hope
I like to get to work 20 - 30 minutes early, sit in my car and read the Bible from beginning to end, as a separate thing from my more steady, focused devotional reading. It presents a very different look and from time to time, certain things catch my attention, usually because it somehow eluded me or I just missed in prior readings.
One would be some rather surprising actions by David, the "Man after God's own heart".
Now. do not get me wrong..I think he was exactly as the Bible says, a great man of God who tried to walk in God's ways. It is a foundational belief that must be true for the Bible to be that which it purports to be, God's Word. But that does not mean he was perfect.
For example, he is rightly praised for not once but twice having the opportunity to lift his hand against God's anointed, but he refused to do so.
Why, then, was he working with the Philistines? The Philistines were the deadly enemies of the Israelites in the time of Saul, and for a year and four months David not just lived in the land of the Philistines (I Samuel 27:7), but he engaged in genocidal raids (I Samuel 27:8-11...And David saved neither man nor woman alive..."). It is intriguing to note the area he raided was "the south of Judah" (p.10)
This was a benefit to the Philistines in that it allowed them to devote their troops to the war with Israel instead of with the Geshurites, Gezrites, and Amalekites. This is evidenced by the statement that Israel abhorred David.
It got to the point where David and his men were marching against Saul (chapter 29)in the battle that saw Saul die, only to be sent back because the Philistines did not trust him. If David was loyal to God's anointed, as the Scripture is often interpreted due to his sparing of the life of Saul, why would he be willing to march against his own people?
It is also interesting to note the vast number of not just wives but concubines* David had...of course we know of Ahinoam the Jezreelitess, Abigail (formerly Nabal's wife), Michal, Maacah, Haggith, Abital, and Eglah, and then in II Samuel 5:13 he takes yet more.
It is also interesting to note the viciousness often demonstrated in his victories. Take, for example, how he measured the Moabites with the line.
I have read several descriptions of what this means, and the one that makes the most sense has to do with height...anyone over a certain height was executed.
Generally, people either pass over that passage or, as I recently read, say "God certainly didn't condone the butchery".
Really? Where, exactly, does He condemn it? It was a matter of record that nations of evil were to be slain, every living thing...including the animals. So why would this be different? It was done ion the context of God establishing David's kingdom.
David also seemed to be lacking in his parenting attentions. He said nothing to Amnon after Amnon raped his sister. He later allowed his son Adonijah to act in ways that soon led to the death of Adonijah.
He allowed Ziba to profit by half of Meshibosheth's household through deceit and treachery.
He gave seven men guilty only (as far as we know) of being sons of Saul to be executed by the Gibeonites for the actions of Saul.
He issued a census that led to pestilence in the land.
So we have a picture of a man of violence who slew massive populations, who married many women and had others to whom he was not married*, who was questionable in his parenting...and this is the man who was after God's own heart.
It is illuminating that a person whom, in the eyes of the world today would be considered a "warlord", an international criminal for his genocidal attacks, and evil man for his polygamy and relations with women to whom he was not married...is capable not only of salvation but of greatness before God.
It gives hope to those of us of lesser abilities for both good and evil.
*Concubines may have been considered women to whom he was married or may not...there is some debate on the matter. Abishag the Shunamite leaves little to debate, however, though the claim is explicit that they did not have relations, yet lay together.
One would be some rather surprising actions by David, the "Man after God's own heart".
Now. do not get me wrong..I think he was exactly as the Bible says, a great man of God who tried to walk in God's ways. It is a foundational belief that must be true for the Bible to be that which it purports to be, God's Word. But that does not mean he was perfect.
For example, he is rightly praised for not once but twice having the opportunity to lift his hand against God's anointed, but he refused to do so.
Why, then, was he working with the Philistines? The Philistines were the deadly enemies of the Israelites in the time of Saul, and for a year and four months David not just lived in the land of the Philistines (I Samuel 27:7), but he engaged in genocidal raids (I Samuel 27:8-11...And David saved neither man nor woman alive..."). It is intriguing to note the area he raided was "the south of Judah" (p.10)
This was a benefit to the Philistines in that it allowed them to devote their troops to the war with Israel instead of with the Geshurites, Gezrites, and Amalekites. This is evidenced by the statement that Israel abhorred David.
It got to the point where David and his men were marching against Saul (chapter 29)in the battle that saw Saul die, only to be sent back because the Philistines did not trust him. If David was loyal to God's anointed, as the Scripture is often interpreted due to his sparing of the life of Saul, why would he be willing to march against his own people?
It is also interesting to note the vast number of not just wives but concubines* David had...of course we know of Ahinoam the Jezreelitess, Abigail (formerly Nabal's wife), Michal, Maacah, Haggith, Abital, and Eglah, and then in II Samuel 5:13 he takes yet more.
It is also interesting to note the viciousness often demonstrated in his victories. Take, for example, how he measured the Moabites with the line.
I have read several descriptions of what this means, and the one that makes the most sense has to do with height...anyone over a certain height was executed.
Generally, people either pass over that passage or, as I recently read, say "God certainly didn't condone the butchery".
Really? Where, exactly, does He condemn it? It was a matter of record that nations of evil were to be slain, every living thing...including the animals. So why would this be different? It was done ion the context of God establishing David's kingdom.
David also seemed to be lacking in his parenting attentions. He said nothing to Amnon after Amnon raped his sister. He later allowed his son Adonijah to act in ways that soon led to the death of Adonijah.
He allowed Ziba to profit by half of Meshibosheth's household through deceit and treachery.
He gave seven men guilty only (as far as we know) of being sons of Saul to be executed by the Gibeonites for the actions of Saul.
He issued a census that led to pestilence in the land.
So we have a picture of a man of violence who slew massive populations, who married many women and had others to whom he was not married*, who was questionable in his parenting...and this is the man who was after God's own heart.
It is illuminating that a person whom, in the eyes of the world today would be considered a "warlord", an international criminal for his genocidal attacks, and evil man for his polygamy and relations with women to whom he was not married...is capable not only of salvation but of greatness before God.
It gives hope to those of us of lesser abilities for both good and evil.
*Concubines may have been considered women to whom he was married or may not...there is some debate on the matter. Abishag the Shunamite leaves little to debate, however, though the claim is explicit that they did not have relations, yet lay together.
Sunday, February 14, 2010
Do we Underestimate the Violent Capacity of God?
Genesis 1:26 And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness...
Genesis 3:24 So he drove out the man; and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden Cherubims, and a flaming sword which turned every way,...
Genesis 6: 13 And God said unto Noah, ... vs. 17 ...and, behold, I, even I, do bring a flood of waters upon the earth, to destroy all flesh, wherein is the breath of life, from under heaven; and everything that is in the earth shall die...
There are several things to consider from these accounts of the first beginning of life on earth...for of course, Noah and his family would repopulate the earth, along with the animals they saved in the ark, after that destruction God foretold was accomplished.
First off, we are created in the image of God. When that is told to us, have you ever stopped to consider whether it meant physically, mentally, emotionally, or are our echoes of the nature of God a combination of two or even all three of those attributes?
Mankind has developed a well-earned and oft-demonstrated capacity for violence, warfare, and bloodshed. Many would say that is the antithesis of God, yet I find it illuminating that before man ever demonstrated violence...yes, even before Cain slew Abel...God put in place a cherubim carrying a sword.
It seems not unreasonable then to extrapolate that swords were the creation not of man's desire to kill each other but pre-existed his awareness of and capacity for violence.
An interesting thought that bears a great deal of research and consideration. Of course, the research portion is considerably hampered by the fact that all we have to go on is the Bible, and it has little to say about the subject. We must beware of drawing too many conclusions from a matter mentioned in passing.
Yet when the earth grew corrupt, God demonstrated other attributes. First, regret. Second, revulsion for the ways of man. Third, a tremendous capacity for near-total elimination of life.
It was not just man but plants, animals, fish, birds...all would be eliminated in a wave of violence. Indeed, chapters seven and eight of Genesis deal with the devastation of the earth and the few who were saved from it.
We are falsely taught that "God is love" with the implicit understanding that the actual, complete and total comment is "God is love ONLY" when in truth God shows a tremendous capacity to hate that which is evil.
We are told in the New Testament that the Law and, one might suppose, the Old Testament, is a tutor to lead us to Christ.
This is relevant because it would behoove society today to realize that God is, by His own admission, a jealous God. The terror implicit in Hebrews 10:26-31 for those who would reject God has been tempered by a society trained to picture God as meek, simpering, loving without remorse, regret, or reservations when in truth, He is a God who, when disobeyed, stores up mighty vengeance the like of which the world has not seen and can scarce comprehend.
Yes, there is a loving side of God. John 3:16 explicitly states the depth of His love. But it is a love that requires response, not willful and proud disobedience.
It is sad that people would simplify God below the complexity of human beings. Man is capable of hating and loving, of many complex interactions in between. We would do well to realize we are a reflection of God, and take into account that He may carry those emotions with far greater impact.
Genesis 3:24 So he drove out the man; and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden Cherubims, and a flaming sword which turned every way,...
Genesis 6: 13 And God said unto Noah, ... vs. 17 ...and, behold, I, even I, do bring a flood of waters upon the earth, to destroy all flesh, wherein is the breath of life, from under heaven; and everything that is in the earth shall die...
There are several things to consider from these accounts of the first beginning of life on earth...for of course, Noah and his family would repopulate the earth, along with the animals they saved in the ark, after that destruction God foretold was accomplished.
First off, we are created in the image of God. When that is told to us, have you ever stopped to consider whether it meant physically, mentally, emotionally, or are our echoes of the nature of God a combination of two or even all three of those attributes?
Mankind has developed a well-earned and oft-demonstrated capacity for violence, warfare, and bloodshed. Many would say that is the antithesis of God, yet I find it illuminating that before man ever demonstrated violence...yes, even before Cain slew Abel...God put in place a cherubim carrying a sword.
It seems not unreasonable then to extrapolate that swords were the creation not of man's desire to kill each other but pre-existed his awareness of and capacity for violence.
An interesting thought that bears a great deal of research and consideration. Of course, the research portion is considerably hampered by the fact that all we have to go on is the Bible, and it has little to say about the subject. We must beware of drawing too many conclusions from a matter mentioned in passing.
Yet when the earth grew corrupt, God demonstrated other attributes. First, regret. Second, revulsion for the ways of man. Third, a tremendous capacity for near-total elimination of life.
It was not just man but plants, animals, fish, birds...all would be eliminated in a wave of violence. Indeed, chapters seven and eight of Genesis deal with the devastation of the earth and the few who were saved from it.
We are falsely taught that "God is love" with the implicit understanding that the actual, complete and total comment is "God is love ONLY" when in truth God shows a tremendous capacity to hate that which is evil.
We are told in the New Testament that the Law and, one might suppose, the Old Testament, is a tutor to lead us to Christ.
This is relevant because it would behoove society today to realize that God is, by His own admission, a jealous God. The terror implicit in Hebrews 10:26-31 for those who would reject God has been tempered by a society trained to picture God as meek, simpering, loving without remorse, regret, or reservations when in truth, He is a God who, when disobeyed, stores up mighty vengeance the like of which the world has not seen and can scarce comprehend.
Yes, there is a loving side of God. John 3:16 explicitly states the depth of His love. But it is a love that requires response, not willful and proud disobedience.
It is sad that people would simplify God below the complexity of human beings. Man is capable of hating and loving, of many complex interactions in between. We would do well to realize we are a reflection of God, and take into account that He may carry those emotions with far greater impact.
Wednesday, December 30, 2009
It is not good for man to be alone
Companionship is a hot topic in today's world where so much personal interaction is quite impersonal, often done over the Internet or via cell phone, with little to no personal contact.
People complain about this on many levels, believing mankind has lost many social skills due to this.
Interestingly enough, there is Biblical precedent for this mindset.
Genesis 2:18 And then the LORD God said, "It is not good for the man to be alone; I will make him a helper suitable for him.
It is, at least in this passage, the companionship aspect of life for which woman was created for man. Despite the social concentration on sexual relations, it was the idea of being alone that was problematic for man, and that is the aspect that was addressed.
Nor, despite an oft-repeated false teaching on the matter, are Christians to refuse friendship with people of the world. I Corinthians 5 explains this clearly.
While Christians are, in fact, ordered not to associate with "Christians" who are immoral, covetous, swindlers, and so forth, they are simultaneously told that not associating with such people who are not believers is specifically not what was intended.
This thought accords well with the actions of Jesus, in fact. He was oft criticized for associating with the sinners of His time, with the tax-gatherers in preference to the "religious leaders' of the day, namely the Sadducees and Pharisees.
Yet over and over the religious world will take passages like II Corinthians 6:14, take them out of context and teach false doctrines that Christians should have no form of contact with the unbelievers.
It was foolishness such as this that led to the ridiculous extremes expressed by many hermit monks in the middle ages.
It is insistence on looking only at what is on the persons mind at the moment instead of putting a passage in context with the rest of the Holy Writings that leads preachers and teachers of the Scripture to speak falsehood in the name of God.
Now, this is not to advocate that Christians should go forth and spend all or most of their time with the liars, cheats, drunks, profane, idolaters, or whatever the sins of the people might be to the exclusion of all else.
Quite the opposite. The reasons Jesus had for His associations were to bring the truth to them and give them an opportunity for repentance.
We who would be like Christ should therefore do likewise.
Do not seek solitude to the exclusion of contact with others, nor yet refuse to use your time as Christ would have you use it.
Have friendship first with God and His people, and make room also for those to whom you might bring the light.
People complain about this on many levels, believing mankind has lost many social skills due to this.
Interestingly enough, there is Biblical precedent for this mindset.
Genesis 2:18 And then the LORD God said, "It is not good for the man to be alone; I will make him a helper suitable for him.
It is, at least in this passage, the companionship aspect of life for which woman was created for man. Despite the social concentration on sexual relations, it was the idea of being alone that was problematic for man, and that is the aspect that was addressed.
Nor, despite an oft-repeated false teaching on the matter, are Christians to refuse friendship with people of the world. I Corinthians 5 explains this clearly.
While Christians are, in fact, ordered not to associate with "Christians" who are immoral, covetous, swindlers, and so forth, they are simultaneously told that not associating with such people who are not believers is specifically not what was intended.
This thought accords well with the actions of Jesus, in fact. He was oft criticized for associating with the sinners of His time, with the tax-gatherers in preference to the "religious leaders' of the day, namely the Sadducees and Pharisees.
Yet over and over the religious world will take passages like II Corinthians 6:14, take them out of context and teach false doctrines that Christians should have no form of contact with the unbelievers.
It was foolishness such as this that led to the ridiculous extremes expressed by many hermit monks in the middle ages.
It is insistence on looking only at what is on the persons mind at the moment instead of putting a passage in context with the rest of the Holy Writings that leads preachers and teachers of the Scripture to speak falsehood in the name of God.
Now, this is not to advocate that Christians should go forth and spend all or most of their time with the liars, cheats, drunks, profane, idolaters, or whatever the sins of the people might be to the exclusion of all else.
Quite the opposite. The reasons Jesus had for His associations were to bring the truth to them and give them an opportunity for repentance.
We who would be like Christ should therefore do likewise.
Do not seek solitude to the exclusion of contact with others, nor yet refuse to use your time as Christ would have you use it.
Have friendship first with God and His people, and make room also for those to whom you might bring the light.
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
Who speaks?
God, after he spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways, in these last days has spoken to us in His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the world. And He is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature
Hebrews, first chapter, verses 1- first part of verse 3
There was a time when God's truth may have been variable for various people. If so, that time was long past long before the final writers of the Holy Scriptures departed this vale of tears. In the final age, often referred to as the Christian Age as opposed to the Mosaic Age or the Patriarchal Age, there is but one way God speaks to us; through His Son.
Jesus left behind a record of the attitudes and teachings He dispensed while on earth, most of which was passed on to us through the writings that compose the New Testament. To the best of our knowledge, Jesus left no written record of His own, but rather entrusted His message to Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Paul, the writer of Hebrews, James, Jude and Peter.
There are many people, then and since, who believe they are wiser than Jesus. Oh, they will not say as much and, in fact, would find such an accusation ridiculous at best and highly offensive at worst.
Yet when we try to bind on others teachings which are not to be found in the Word which Jesus left, that is exactly what we are doing. If people would simply read the Word for what it is instead of trying to prove their great wisdom by finding in Scripture things which other Christians have overlooked for lo, these two millenniums, there would be much less confusion and problems within the Christian world.
The phrase, "We speak where the Bible speaks and are silent where the Bible is silent", attributed to Alexander Campbell, bears a great deal of truth. Consider the thought given oin the closing verses of Revelation 22, particularly verse 18.
I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book:if anyone adds to them, God shall add to him the plagues which are written in this book;
Even the most cursory examination reveals that he is speaking specifically of the book of Revelation, yet the concept is one that runs throughout the whole of the Bible.
Think on what happened when Balaam made a 'slight modification" to the message he had received.
Consider how Saul had his entire line wiped out when he took upon himself the authority and offices he was not qualified to take.
Consider how Jesus said not one jot or tittle would pass from the Law until all was accomplished (Matthew 5:18).
Galatians 1 is quite clear about the outcome for any who teaches a different Gospel. And one with things added to the teachings of Jesus is equally guilty of this charge as a teaching that takes away.
There is a reason things such as the "Boston Movement" are considered heretical by those who actually read the Scripture. Just as those who take away things such as the need for immersion (I Peter 3:21), those who add responsibilities not found in Scripture stand condemned before God, yet were you to ask anyone in the Boston movement, I suspect they would not think they were acting as if they were wiser than Jesus.
However, adding on to the Word of God is still doing just that. No man has the right or authority to do so. It is Jesus of whom God said He is the exact representation of the nature of God.
It would therefore behoove us to take that wisdom under advisement and seek only the purity of following the teachings of the representation of the nature of God, not the interpretations of fallible man, speaking where the Scripture is silent.
Monday, November 2, 2009
We Have Been Granted Everything
From time to time a person might find themselves encountering a tricky moral dilemma which is not specifically addressed in the Bible. All too often, the answer we might come up with relies greatly on our "intuition" or cleverness.
Should anyone question the decision, it is not unheard of for a Christian to claim it is a matter the Scripture does not cover or address. But is that accurate?
In II Peter 1, versus 2-3, we see a passage which seems to counter-act the idea that we can find ourselves in a situation where the true path to serving God might not be answered in the Bible.
Specifically, the passage says that the divine power of God has granted us everything pertaining to life and Godliness through the true knowledge of Him who called us.
If we therefore claim that God has not left instructions on how to deal with a particular situation, we reveal our own failure, not His. He says we do indeed have the tools we need to discern the correct path.
In fact, if we continue on in the chapter, we see a list of 9 qualities which we can, nay must possess, for if we possess them, verse 10 tells us that if we have these qualities and they are increasing, we are rendered "neither useless nor unfruitful".
It therefore behooves us to study these qualities relentlessly and, more importantly, actively seek to instill them in our lives.
It would seem clear from the passage that faithful study will bring us to knowledge of the principles God would have us live our lives by. If we cannot figure out the path God would have us take in a given situation, it is because we have not studied His word as we ought and have not figured out what moral excellence is, even though the Scriptures have the tools we need.
So study the passage. Study the qualities. Work to instill them in your life. And with the continued study of the Word of God, if you approach it to learn what God would have us do rather than approaching it to prove your own point, you will soon find that answers to what you ought to do are indeed revealed within the Word of God.
Grace and mercy to you all.
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
The Fruit of the Spirit
Galatians 5:22-23 is famous for being the Fruit of the Spirit.
If you take a few moments to consider that, you will quickly realize that the attributes listed there are things that belong in the lives of anybody who is a Christian.
Of course, one should take it in context and therefore should read Galatians through, then begin again a few verses prior to get the sense of why he would write that.
When you do, it quickly becomes apparent that this chapter is an excellent test of where you stand in your Christian life. If you have the listed qualities, you clearly have felt the effects of the Holy Spirit in your life. If not, then you will be demonstrating the things seen in verses 19-21.
So if there is such a clear demarcation of what qualities a Christian needs to possess, does it not behoove us to on a daily basis examine the specific actions we took that day and see whether or not they fall into the category of things approved by a person who demonstrates the Fruit of the Spirit?
Take the time to look at your action. Did it show the Biblical love? I do not mean the modern non-sensical version. True love is not an emotion, it is not something that you can "fall into" or, even worse, "fall out of". Love is something you do and there is a Scriptural definition of it.
Do your actions show the joy that comes from living in Christ, living spiritually with the desires and passions of the flesh? Are you showing the joy of your salvation in the things you say and do?
I could go through the entire list this way, but I think the point is obvious. Study these things, study your actions, and see if your life reflects having the Fruit of the Spirit or whether it reflects the sinful nature listed in the prior verses.
This will be a valuable benchmark in your Christian walk.
If you take a few moments to consider that, you will quickly realize that the attributes listed there are things that belong in the lives of anybody who is a Christian.
Of course, one should take it in context and therefore should read Galatians through, then begin again a few verses prior to get the sense of why he would write that.
When you do, it quickly becomes apparent that this chapter is an excellent test of where you stand in your Christian life. If you have the listed qualities, you clearly have felt the effects of the Holy Spirit in your life. If not, then you will be demonstrating the things seen in verses 19-21.
So if there is such a clear demarcation of what qualities a Christian needs to possess, does it not behoove us to on a daily basis examine the specific actions we took that day and see whether or not they fall into the category of things approved by a person who demonstrates the Fruit of the Spirit?
Take the time to look at your action. Did it show the Biblical love? I do not mean the modern non-sensical version. True love is not an emotion, it is not something that you can "fall into" or, even worse, "fall out of". Love is something you do and there is a Scriptural definition of it.
Do your actions show the joy that comes from living in Christ, living spiritually with the desires and passions of the flesh? Are you showing the joy of your salvation in the things you say and do?
I could go through the entire list this way, but I think the point is obvious. Study these things, study your actions, and see if your life reflects having the Fruit of the Spirit or whether it reflects the sinful nature listed in the prior verses.
This will be a valuable benchmark in your Christian walk.
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