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Here come da’ Judge!  Here come da’ Judge!  Well, God predicted it would happen and we’re seeing it unfold here again in the book of Judges.

Israel is quickly forgetting God, turning away from Him and spiraling down into destruction.  As they insist on disobeying Him He allows them to suffer the consequences of the curse He predicted.  While He once was leading them and fighting for them, He is now opposing and resisting them.  He is allowing them to suffer the consequences of their disobedience (sounds like Romans 1, doesn’t it?).

The book of Judges opens with this description…

“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, who saved them out of the hands of these raiders.  Yet they would not listen to their judges but prostituted themselves to other gods and worshiped them…Whenever the LORD raised up a judge for them, he was with the judge and saved them out of the hands of their enemies as long as the judge lived; for the LORD relented because of their groaning under those who oppressed and afflicted them.  But when the judge died, the people returned to ways even more corrupt than those of their ancestors, following other gods and serving and worshiping them.  They refused to give up their evil practices and stubborn ways.” Judges 2:15-19

What plays out over 21 chapters are the stories of 12 judges who are raised up to judge (or lead) Israel.  Even though they are rescued from their troubles they always end up rebelling even more.  The book ends with the words, “In those days Israel had no king; everyone did as they saw fit.” Judges 21:25

In fact, the reality that Israel had no king is mentioned four times near the end of Judges (17:6; 18:1; 19:1; and 21:25).  This suggests perhaps that if Israel had a king things would have been better.

This leads us to the book of Ruth (today’s reading) which seems almost like an interruption in the story.  Judges ends with the words, “In those days Israel had no king,” and 1Samuel begins the story of Israel selecting her first king.  So why Ruth and why here?

Remember how the story of Judah and Tamar (Gen 38) seemed to interrupt the story of Joseph in Genesis?  This story was necessary to preserve the story of the line of promise.  The Promised One was coming through the line of Judah,

“The scepter will not depart from Judah, nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet, until he to whom it belongs shall come and the obedience of the nations shall be his…” (Genesis 49:10)

Judah and Tamar are in the line of Jesus (Matthew 1:3a) and we pointed out last week that the Jericho prostitute, Rahab, was also in the line of Jesus (Matthew 1:5).  We’ll read today how Ruth, a Moabite, demonstrates true faithfulness and becomes the great-grandmother of King David (also in the line of Jesus – Matthew 1:5).

So the story of the promise of God is carried through, even in the midst of stories that spell out nothing but tragedy as we see Israel consistently going their own way and forsaking God.

As we approach Good Friday and Resurrection Sunday this weekend, I can’t help but be reminded of how the story of Israel is really the story of our lives.

How often have we insisted on going our own way?  Of doing our own thing?  Demanding that He bless us?

Are we really so different from them?

Without the continuing line of promise being played out in our history could any of us stand?  Would any of us have any hope?

May you have a blessed Easter this year, thinking about and being thankful for a God who loves us with a love that is beyond our comprehension…and a Son who gave of Himself and was obedient to death, even death on a cross, that you and I could have a renewed relationship with Him… and proclaim Him to others.

Happy Easter!

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Wow, what a week!  After Genesis – Deuteronomy we’ve actually read an entire book in only 7 days (Joshua)!  How can we summarize an entire book in one blog?  Well we’ll give it a shot.  In fact, an overview like this can bring clarity to what we’re reading, particularly when we go back and reread the book in the future.

The book of Joshua opens with God assuring Joshua that He will never leave him or forsake him (Joshua 1:5b) and telling him to be, “strong and courageous“.  In fact I counted at least 4 times in chapter one where God tells Joshua to be, “strong and courageous” (vv. 6, 7, 9 & 18) and it’s not the last time we hear this encouragement.  God also tells him in chapter one to, “Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it.  Then you will be prosperous and successful.” (v. 9)

Have you ever considered that following God might be a frightening thing to do?  What might I have to give up?  What might people say?  What might they do?

God promises us, not just Joshua, to never leave us or forsake us.  He also instructs us to be strong and courageous as we follow Him, to do so with all our hearts, and to trust Him.  His instruction to Joshua to, “Keep this Book of the Law…” is also an instruction to us.

How can we keep it on our lips?

How can we meditate on it day and night?

How can we do everything written in it?

Daily Bible reading, memorization and practice will allow us to follow Him this way.  Reading gets us familiar with His Word.  Memorization allows us to be “studying” or meditating on it even when it is not in our hands.  If we read and memorize we can begin to put into practice what it says remembering that He will never leave us and never forsake us.  Be strong and courageous!

In chapter two we learn from a prostitute (one who is later found to be in the line of Jesus – Matthew 1:5) that God’s fame is known the world over.  The world is watching and they can see that, “the LORD your God is God in heaven above and on the earth below” (Joshua 2:11b emphasis mine)

The opening half or more of the book describes the divisions of the land among the tribes of Israel and the plan for cities of refuge, as instructed by Moses.  The land is being conquered just as Moses instructed and Joshua is carrying out.

As the eastern tribes return home (Ruben, Gad and the half tribe of Manasseh) to the land east of the Jordan River, Joshua praises them for their obedience and instructs them to, “be very careful to keep the commandment and the law that Moses the servant of the LORD gave you:  to love the LORD your God, to walk in obedience to him, to keep his commands, to hold fast to him and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul.” (Joshua 22:5)

Sound familiar?  It’s almost like a commissioning, isn’t it?

As the tribes to the west of the Jordan are ready to settle down, near the end of Joshua’s life, Joshua renews the covenant with them yet again.  Notice that the text describes Joshua as very old (Joshua 23:1-2) at this point.  This conquering of the Promised Land took time.  It did not happen overnight.

In this covenant renewal Joshua points out that they now live on land they did not toil for, in cities they did not build and they eat from vineyards and olive groves that they did not plant (24:13).  God described this back in Deut 6:10-11 as He described the land that He would give them.

Now Joshua once again pleads with them to follow God with complete devotion and a singleness of purpose.  Notice in 24:14 and 24:23 he tells them to throw away the foreign gods that are among you.  They still had them!!!  Almost as if exasperated Joshua tells them, “But if serving the LORD seems undesirable to you, choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living.  But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD.” (24:15)

The people emphatically respond that they will serve the LORD (24:16-18; 21).  The book records that they followed through on their commitment (24:31), at least this generation did.

Unfortunately we read yesterday, in the opening chapters of Judges, that the next generation of Israelites did not obey the LORD (Judges 2:10-13) and we begin to see the fulfillment of all the curses that God had described to them in Deuteronomy 28 and that Joshua had reiterated before he passed on.

Do you think we will ever learn?

Your turn!

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“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.”  These words begin the greatest story ever told; a story that still has an ending yet to come.

In Moses day, near the end of his life, he and all of Israel had been a part of the most incredible drama ever to be played out in our history.  Each character had a mix of good days and bad days.  Some were more good than bad, while others were seemingly tragic from start to finish.

Had the invention of modern cinema been around in their day they may very well have seen a trailer of the next installment of The Bible!  Have you ever seen a movie that you knew was only Part 1?  Having not read the book you viewed the trailer (or preview) of Part 2, but couldn’t completely imagine how it would play out.  You’d have to be patient and wait for its release to see it for yourself.  Chances are it doesn’t play out exactly as you imagine, but if it is in the style of most modern stories, all the good things get wrapped up in the end and the story concludes in an amazing way.

The story which begins, “In the beginning, God created…” has left some people to ask, “Why?”

• Why did He create us?
• Did He know we would reject Him?
• Did He know He would grieve that He had made us?
• Did our sin surprise Him and He’d have to form a plan B?
• Why even give us a choice to sin if He knew we’d take it?

Why…indeed.  Some have attempted to explain that God didn’t know we would reject Him and that Jesus was His way of fixing the problem we created.  In fact, we sometimes even describe the Gospel that way.

Was Jesus really God’s, “Uh oh!  I better do something” resolution?  Well…no.  God knew what would happen even before He created the world.  God always knows what will happen before it plays out.

As we get into the New Testament later this year we’ll explore the passages that explain Jesus’ timelessness, but what about here?  What about within the pages of the Torah, the Pentateuch, the first 5 books?  Does God know even here what will happen soon?  Later in the OT?  Even in the NT?

Deueronomy 17 describes what a king should and shouldn’t be like.  In fact the mere reality that Israel would request a king was sinful (see 1Samuel 8), but God knows they will.  He says in Deut 17:1 “When you…say, ‘Let us set a king over us like all the nations around us.’”  He knows they will.

This chapter describes not only what a king should do, but what he should not do.  Tragically we’ll see when we read through the life of Solomon, that at the end of his life his reign could be described very accurately by listing the do nots of Deuteronomy 17.  God knows.

Jumping ahead a little, how about the blessings & curses for obedience & disobedience listed in Deuteronomy 28?  Did you notice that the descriptions of the curses, what will happen as a consequence of disobedience, are nearly 4X longer than the descriptions for the blessings?  Why do you think that is?

He (through Moses) begins chapter 29 with this amazing statement, “Your eyes have seen all that the LORD did in Egypt to Pharaoh, to all his officials and to all his land.  With your own eyes you saw those great trials, those signs and great wonders.  But to this day the LORD has not given you a mind that understands or eyes that see or ears that hear.” (vv. 2-4).

Jesus will make similar statements in the Gospels.  Why?  For us it doesn’t always seem to make sense.  But the chapter ends with, “The secret things belong to the LORD our God” (v. 29a).  God knows the beginning and the end (and all points in between) and He is putting something together.

After this long list of curses and consequences in chapter 30 God describes how He will welcome them back into relationship with Him when they repent and return to Him with all their hearts.  He says, “The LORD your God will circumcise your hearts and the hearts of your descendants, so that you may love him with all your heart and with all your soul, and live.” (v. 6).

Moses finishes his plee with Israel by describing these blessings and curses as life and death.  He concludes by exclaiming, “choose life!” (v. 19), but God reveals to him in Deuteronomy 31:16, “these people will soon prostitute themselves to the foreign gods of the land they are entering.  They will forsake me and break the covenant I made with them.”  God knows.

“When I have brought them into the land flowing with milk and honey, the land I promised on oath to their ancestors, and when they eat their fill and thrive, they will turn to other gods and worship them, rejecting me and breaking my covenant.” (v. 20).  God knows.

In the hymn that God commands Moses to teach the Israelites as a testimony against them for when they actually do turn away, He tells them that He will make them (Israel), “envious by those who are not a people; I will make them angry by a nation that has no understanding.” (v. 32:21).  Paul identifies these people as the Gentiles (in other words all those who are not Israel…in other words, us!) in Romans 10:19.

But Moses declares to Israel near the end of Deut 32, “Take to heart all the words I have solemnly declared to you this day, so that you may command your children to obey carefully all the words of this law.  They are not just idle words for you – they are your life.  By them you will live long in the land you are crossing the Jordan to possess.” (vv. 46-47).  God knows.

God knows what we will do… more importantly He knows what He will do.

What will you do?

Have you wandered away from Him?  In your actions?  In your attitude?  In your heart?

He longs for you to return to Him.  He will renew your heart so that you can, “love Him with all your heart and with all your soul, and live.” (30:6b).

Choose life!

…your turn.

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Woo Hoo!  Book 5!!!  We’re almost through the first 5 books of the Bible, called the Pentateuch (pentateuch actually means ‘five books’).  So this week it is Deuteronomy.

What does that word mean?  Anyone?  Anyone?  Beuller?  Beuller?  Beuller?…

Oops… showing my age.

Anyway, the word deuteronomy is not exactly an everyday word.  It surely isn’t as common as numbers and, although a little more difficult, leviticus is at least possible to figure out if you consider that the Levites were the tribe chosen to serve God as priests.

So what does deuteronomy mean?  Well it took me years to learn this (or maybe to ask the question), but it’s name actually makes a lot of sense.  The word is Greek.  Deutero meaning “second” and nomos meaning “law”, this book is essentially entitled, “Second Law” or “The Law a Second Time”.

As we read the Pentateuch we see Israel (formed and described in Genesis) being lead out of Egypt (Exodus) with the promise of a land all their own, The Promised Land.  However Israel rebels (several times) and God finally rules that the adult generation (all those 20 or older) will not enter the Promised Land (Leviticus).  They will wander the wilderness until their children are old enough to inherit it.  The children will enter the Promised Land, but not their parents.

In Leviticus we learn of the Law that the Levites will be in charge of keeping before God (in fact all of Israel must keep the Law, but only the Levites will serve God at the tabernacle).

In Numbers we see a census being taken of Israel, the establishment of the Levites as priests, the dedication of the Tabernacle, the exploration of Canaan by the 12 spies, and the subsequent rebellion of the people when 10 spies bring a negative report.  The punishment makes, “going along with the crowd” a lesson we should all learn.  Right?

So in the middle of Numbers (22-24) we have this weird story about a talking donkey (see last week’s blog) and a prophet-for-hire named Balaam.  After King Balak (king of Moab) is unsuccessful enticing Balaam to curse Israel we find out (later in chapter 31) that Balaam gave the king some parting advice.  Balaam advised that the Moabite women should seduce the Israelite men into turning against their God.

We read in chapter 25 that these women were successful and the Israelite men stirred up the wrath of God, perhaps for the last time.  As a result 24,000 leaders were killed for this act of immorality and idolatry.

This represented the end of the “older generation”; those whom God had condemned to the wilderness and would not allow to enter the Promised Land.

So we see in Numbers 26 another census.  This was to number those who would enter the Promised Land.  We see later in Numbers 31 that the Israelites kill Balaam as they attack the kings of the Midianites.

So that pretty much brings us up to this week’s reading (Deut 1-16).  This understanding of the word deuteronomy meaning, “second law” or “the law a second time” helps us understand that Moses is once again giving the Law to Israel (this time to the younger generation) as they prepare to enter the Promised Land.  The Law is restated and expanded upon in this final book of the Pentateuch.

There are all kinds of things to mention in these chapters that I could go into for pages and pages.

However, I thought I’d simply mentioned a few of them and ask you to begin interacting with the Blog a little more.  Feel free to comment on any of the following topics or ask your own questions on these or other passages!

So..

• We see the theme of teaching the Scriptures to your children mentioned several times (4:9-10 and The Shema 6:4-9) followed by a promise that with obedience comes blessing
• A promise that even after we have rebelled, if we seek God with our whole heart we will find Him (4:29).
• Even though we can get caught up in the “letter of the law” Moses makes sure we realize that it is really all about the heart (8:2)
• God promises that one day He will send a ‘prophet’ like Moses (in other words, Jesus).  [oops!  That’s from today’s reading in chapter 18.]

So interact with us!

Make your comments!

Ask your questions!

Let’s make this a dialogue…

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Almost two months in and things just can’t get weirder!  A talking donkey?!?  Are you kidding me?!?  This makes even less sense than that awkward story of Judah seemingly inserted into the middle of Joseph’s story in Genesis (see Week 2(&1) blog).

Actually the story of Balaam’s Donkey (Numbers 22) is one of my favorite stories in the Bible!  More over, it’s true!  Now some of you, like I at first, may have a difficult time believing that this actually happened.  I mean, whether donkeys are actually intelligent or not, there are physiological issues with the throat, mouth, tongue and teeth of a donkey (all necessary components of speech) that suggest (ok, demand) that speech is impossible for this humble beast of burden.  So how could this be true?

Well, there are different interpretations of this miracle.  Some who believe the story believe that the donkey actually spoke and reasoned (he answered Balaam and followed the conversation).  This view asserts that God temporarily gave the donkey the cognitive abilities that humans enjoy.

Another view suggests that it was actually God speaking through the donkey; therefore it wasn’t really the donkey thinking and following the conversation, but God speaking to Balaam.  The Angel of the Lord, who stood in the path to oppose Balaam, asked the same questions the donkey asked.

Personally, I believe it was the donkey speaking.  Moreover the text is written as an historical narrative, which means, the genre of the writing suggests the author believed it to be historical fact.  It is not written with figurative language or poetic styling.  The author is reporting this as history.

Also Peter who comments on it as if it were fact mentions this story again in the New Testament.  “But he (Balaam) was rebuked for his wrongdoing by a donkey, an animal without speech , who spoke with a human voice and restrained the prophet’s madness.” (2Peter 2:15-16) [emphasis mine]

For me, if God can literally speak the universe into existence (Genesis 1), why would it be difficult for Him to make one of His creation behave in a way we would find inconsistent with its physiology, but God would deem completely compatible with His plan and Glory?  For me, it really is a simple matter of faith.  The Bible reports it as fact and I take it at face value.

Maybe you’re not on the same page with me right now.  That’s ok. I’m not out to convince you with fancy speech or lofty rhetoric (see 1Corinthians 2:1-10).  I’m simply explaining what I see and understand.  You should wrestle with this and ask God for clarity that only He can give.

So, having said that…

There is much more going on here than simply a talking donkey!

Chapter 22 can be so enthralling that we miss what God is doing with this story.  If you don’t continue to read and connect chapter 22 with chapters 23 & 24 you miss the deeper significance of Balaam’s talking donkey.

As we follow the story in chapter 22 we see how Balaam is getting more and more enraged with the behavior of this “stupid” animal.  He is finally so out of his mind with anger that he doesn’t realize that it is rather unusual to have a conversation with a donkey!  He actually carries on with his beast as if this happens every day!  Three times the donkey changes direction and irritates Balaam, who is on his way to “curse” Israel for King Balak.

Move on to chapter 23 and we see this same story play out all over again.  Did you catch that?  Yes, the story of the talking donkey (or ‘ass’ as this animal is traditionally called) is played out all over again, only this time there is a complete role-reversal going on.

In chapter 23 the role of the donkey is now played by Balaam (speaking the words that God puts in his mouth – just as God opened the mouth of the donkey to speak to Balaam) and the role of Balaam (from chapter 22) is now played by King Balak, king of the Moabites.

In chapter 22 the donkey makes unexpected maneuvers 3 times.  In chapter 23, Balaam makes unexpected maneuvers 3 times.  King Balak expects Balaam to curse Israel, but each time Balaam blesses them.  Each time King Balak gets more and more enraged with Balaam (just as Balaam grew more and more enraged with his donkey each time in chapter 22).

Balaam’s story began with us seeing the greed and disobedience of a man who is out for profit and gain, not God’s glory and Israel’s blessing.   Balaam, the stubborn prophet, is opposed by his donkey, a stubborn ass.  Even after the encounter with the Angel of the Lord Balaam still makes brash statements, “if you are displeased, I will go back” (Numbers 22:34).  What does he mean, “IF”?!?!  He’s still holding out hope for financial gain.

It takes all of chapter 23 for Balaam to realize that he truly can only say what God tells him to say.  So chapter 24 opens with Balaam finally submitting to God from his heart and God sending his Spirit upon him to speak even more boldly 4 or 5 more times.

So here’s the question for this week…

It took God speaking through a stubborn beast, speaking through a jackass, to get through to Balaam.

Could God still speak through a stubborn jackass to get through to you?

Is he doing that right now?

Hmmm….

What do you think?

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As I was preparing to write this seventh blog entry, I was thinking about the many parallels with Exodus and the constant intervention of Moses.  Don’t these scenes seem to repeat themselves?

Things seem to begin well as the offerings at the dedication of the Tabernacle seem to indicate that all of Israel was fully following and fully dedicated to God (if you can overlook the Kohathite situation in chapter 4).  In fact we’re told that, “the Israelites did all this just as the LORD commanded” (Numbers 1:54 and similarly in Numbers 2:34).

So it seems things are off to a good start, but just as they grumbled at Mt. Sinai when Moses took too long on the mountain and they made a golden calf to worship, they began to grumble again (Numbers 11).  This time it is their appetites that aren’t satisfied.

When are our appetites ever satisfied in this world?

There is the rebellion and complaining about food just as when they first left Egypt.  There is the intervention of Moses, to protect the lives of the people of Israel and to protect the reputation of God (actually, as pointed out before, Moses is a type of Messiah, a type of the one to come… namely, Jesus).

There is the faithfulness of Joshua and Caleb and the fear and rebellion of the rest of Israel (Numbers 14-15).  Did you notice that the children, those innocent of the actual crime, had to pay the punishment as well?  There was forgiveness, but the consequence of their parents’ actions was not removed, not even from them.  As the Apostle Paul tells us, “None of us lives to himself, and none of us dies to himself” (Romans 14:7 – RSV).  In other words, what you do affects others!

As I was thinking about these parallels between the Exodus and the constant intervention of Moses (a precursor to Jesus), I was reminded about an unexpected hospital visit I made a few years ago.  You see, I was an on-call Chaplain at our hospital in Burlington and one night when I was on-call I had the following encounter.

I was called to the bedside of an elderly lady who was at the end of her 4-year battle with lung cancer.  The day before she was alert and talking with her whole family, complaining about the gas prices on the news even though she’d never driven a day in her life, according to her daughter.  This night she was in the ICU beginning Hospice care, as she was so surrounded by her family that many of us could not find room to sit.

Her daughter was quick to tell me that she’d been a life-long believer and valued prayer very highly.  Surrounded by her family I could picture Jesus preparing her room, almost ready for her arrival.

Here she is, this sinner at death’s door, surrounded by sinners in agony at the anticipation of her inevitable departure, being prayed over by a sinner who’s just been introduced to her and knows nothing about her except that she’s loved by many.

Then there’s Jesus!  Preparing a place for her, coming soon to get her.  Oh there are many rooms in His Father’s mansion and due to His great love for us, His sacrifice for us; He now intercedes for us just as Moses did for Israel, to protect us and to bring His Father Glory!

This pattern of sin, rebellion, repentance and restoration is repeated again and again throughout the Bible, I believe, to demonstrate not only God’s amazing grace and love for us, but through this to give us hope that He has always understood our fallen nature and wants us to understand His great patience, love and mercy.

He is, as Moses put it, “slow to anger, abounding in love and forgiving sin and rebellion…In accordance with your great love, forgive the sin of these people, just as you have pardoned them from the time they left Egypt until now” (Numbers 14:18-19).

Have you come to understand what He has done for you?

Have you confessed the multiple ways you’ve messed up and asked Him to forgive you?… to lead you?… to change you?… have you committed to following Him?

Since the time of being rescued from your “Egypt” have you once again grumbled from an ungrateful and unsatisfied appetite?

I don’t know about you, but I am sure grateful that He is slow to anger, abounding in love and forgiving sin and rebellion.  If He weren’t, who among us could stand?

“The LORD bless you and keep you…

The LORD make His face shine on you and be gracious to you…

The LORD turn His face toward you and give you peace.”

(The Aaronic Blessing, Numbers 6:24-26)

What’s on your mind this week?…

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