Posts
timewithgod.blog-city.com — October 2007
2 Kings 24 & 25 Losing It All
nothing left
God had reached the end of His tolerance of Judah's sin. He'd warned and warned, but both Israel and Judah had failed to listen. Even after witnessing Israel's destruction, Judah had turned a deaf ear to God. There were some hard-to-stomach verses in here:
"The Lord commanded this to happen to the people of Judah, to remove them from His presence....And the Lord would not forgive these sins.... All this happened in Jerusalem and Judah because the Lord was angry with them. Finally, He threw them out of His presence.... Nebuzaradan set fire to the Temple of the Lord and the palace and all the houses of Jerusalem. Every important building was burned. The whole Babylonian army ... broke down the walls around Jerusalem."
God's chosen people, living in His Promised Land, had chosen to worship idols rather that the God of the universe. Warnings upon warnings had been issued, yet they would not listen. They were hell-bent, not heaven-bound.
My commentary says, "The nation had failed under Moses, had failed under the judges, and now had failed under the kings. The people refused to listen to God's Word, refused to be moved by the tears of the prophets, ... and had hardened their hearts and stiffened their necks until God appointed the Assyrians and the Babylonians to teach them that the wages of sin is death. The Captivity served its purpose well -- it purged the heart of God's chosen people of idolatry."
Father, I had once let my heart grow cold toward You, and for awhile, You left me to my sin. Yet just as You called back these people in love, so You called me back. Thank You for Your awesome love, and help me to model it for my sons. Please let them grow closer to You so that they will never have to endure life without You for a season.
Your Brother In Christ,
Gary Ford
Gary Ford
Judges 1 Viewing the beginning after reading the ending
Let's roll
The last time I'd read through this book, God had directed me to read it after having just finished 1&2 Kings, and that's where I'm feeling led again. It's amazing to, in effect, read the ending of the nation and then come back to the start of it. The massive moral hemorrhages of 2 Kings are immediately evident here as tiny bleeders. For instance:
-- Judah laced the faith to take their own land, requesting help from Simeon
-- Instead of killing the ruler of Bezek as God had commanded, they maimed and imprisoned him.
-- "The Lord was with the men of Judah ... but they could not force out the people living on the plains...but they could not make the Jebusite people leave Jerusalem .... but they let [the collaborator at Bethel] go free .... The people of Manasseh did not force the Canaanites out of their towns....but they did not force the Canaanites to leave their land ... The people of Ephraim did not force out all the Canaanites...The people of Zebulun did not force out all the Canaanites...The people of Asher did not force out all the Canaanites...The people of Naphtali did not force out all the Canaanites... The Amorites forced the Danites back into the mountaintops."
Compromise. Giving ground on our original intents. As Chuck Swindoll said, "It makes us victims instead of victors." We have grand designs but end up with something far from what we'd dreamed. They did, too, and their story should warn us not to let it happen again. When we compromise with sin, it amounts to allowing a chronic infection to continue unchecked in our bodies. We will always be less than we can or should be, because of it. And we soon get to the point where we give up and live with it.
With sin, it amounts to believing and admitting "that's just me. It's the way God wired me. I can't help it." Hear the compromise? Whether it's pornography, cursing, lust, drunkenness, lying, or even overeating, coming to that conclusion isn't just compromise. It's defeat. Israel didn't see that, and if they could have read 2 Kings, they'd never have compromised.
Father, I know that real change takes real work. Some things may be lifelong struggles. But compromise on moral issues is Satan's way of keeping his foot in the door. Help me to slam it shut. I'd like nothing better than to completely sever his little scrawny foot -- the foot of the beast who's done so much to draw me away from You over the years. I want him to have to hobble around on that sore little stump for all eternity. Help me to be mad enough with him to fight him tooth and toenail. Let's roll...
Your Brother In Christ,
Gary Ford
Gary Ford
Judges 2 -- The Dangers of Failing to Teach Our Children
their hearts may turn from God
One sentence cried out more than any other to me today: "Their children grew up and did not KNOW the Lord or what He had done for Israel."
I think about what I want my boys to know about God -- in fact, what I want every boy I teach to know about Him. I also think about what I want them to know about the capabilities of their own hearts.
My commentary pointed out "two divergent truths" showing up in this book:
1) "the desperate wickedness of the human heart -- it's ingratitude, stubbornness, rebellion, and folly"
vs.
2) "God's longsuffering, patience, love, and mercy."
I want my sons to hear about both. I want them to be able to examine actions and events in their own lives and compare them to similar events in the Bible, to help them clearly understand God's stance regarding their responses to the world. I want them to be able to stop and consider, before taking actions, what God would desire in each situation. I also want them to not be afraid to admit sin and ask for forgiveness. I don't want a spiritual callous to form over their hearts.
Father, give them discernment and a heart that beats for You. Help them to ask me about spiritual matters in the same way they ask about physical matters. Let them keep their lives balanced on Your principles. Show me how to daily talk with them about Your handiwork in their lives that day.
Your Brother In Christ,
Gary Ford
Gary Ford
Judges 3 Maintaining Our Spiritual Edge
through adversities
The Israelites had failed to obey God while capturing the Promised Land. They had either been tricked into letting their enemies remain in the land or had failed in their attempts to remove them. The result was an intermixing of cultures that led them into idolatry.
In this chapter, it mentioned something that at first blush appears to be God not helping His people to fulfill His commands. It said, "These are the nations the Lord did not force to leave. He wanted to test the Israelites..."
It would seem that He had already tested them -- with the Canaanites who'd inhabited the land before them, and whom they were to have driven out. They hadn't been "A" students, either.
But we miss something very important if we don't keep reading: "....who had not fought in the wars of Canaan. The only reason the Lord left those nations in the land was to teach the descendants of the Israelites who had not fought in those wars HOW to fight."
To me, that brings up an interesting proposition: Suppose that the Israelites had obeyed fully and had driven all former residents from the Land. Would they have had peace forever? I think not, for I believe God would have brought invaders from outside the land against them. He knew that those who do not train for war would be easy pickings for the ungodly who would come to attack them. The world is an evil place, and God was preparing His people as part of His love and protection of them.
Brought down to a personal level, the daily trials we face can be seen as God's ongoing classroom of holiness, where He lets us encounter opposition to strengthen us in holiness. Otherwise, our spiritual stamina might atrophy the way someone who never practices the piano will eventually lose their "touch" and become much less than they once were.
Father, it's tough to thank You for the difficulties that come my way. But when I look at them not as random events, but instead as classrooms designed by You to sharpen my spiritual side, my attitude about them should change. Help me to do just that, and keep me spiritually sharp and prepared for battle.
Your Brother In Christ,
Gary Ford
Gary Ford
Judges 4 & 5 -- The Cost of Hesitation
in answering God
These chapters say a lot about our attitudes in working with God. There are those who are ready, willing, and able to become involved on a moment's notice. There are those who hesitate, but finally agree to join in, and there are those who decide not to become involved when called. In this story, we see each group represented.
Those who immediately stepped up found themselves in the center of God's blessing and protection. God honored them for their faithfulness.
Those who hesitated yet later agreed were still used, but their hesitation cost them the privilege of experiencing God's triumphs through them. Instead, others were used in better ways, and missed opportunities left those who held back for a time with the knowledge that they could have experienced so much more.
Finally, there were those who simply decided to tell God "No". The knowledge of what they had done (or not done, primarily) stuck with them for a lifetime, floating on a sea of regret.
Father, there's only one way to really experience full victory with You -- that's by heeding Your voice when You call and not backing down in hesitation or worry. After all, You are the maker of the universe, and You have planned since before time began for us to take the best paths with You. Help me to say "Yes" immediately, and I did when You spoke to me in the tiny village of Svir Stroy, Russia. How You have blessed me indeed!
Your Brother In Christ,
Gary Ford
Gary Ford
Judges 6 -- Not Letting Our Fear Stop Us From Obeying
we're immortal after all
God called Gideon "Mighty Warrior", but he seemed to have a hard time living up to that name at first. When God appeared to him, he was threshing his wheat inside a winepress because he was afraid that marauding bands of nomads would see him and steal his wheat.
Also, when he was tasked by God to tear down his father's Baal and Asherah idols, he waited until night, so no one would see him.
In fear of hearing God incorrectly, he asked God twice for confirmation about what he'd been ordered to do.
My commentary says that, while many people fault Gideon for his fear, the fact remains that he did indeed do what he was asked. He obeyed yet he was cautious. That is so much better than disobedience.
Father, I thank You for including Gideon's story and the story of Your grace to him in Your word. Though I don't want to fear or to let fear stop me from fulfilling your commands, it's great to see that You don't reject us when we have that fear. I have to simply remember that "Christians are immortal until Your work in our lives in done."
Your Brother In Christ,
Gary Ford
Gary Ford
Judges 7 -- Worshiping Then Warring -- Not Your Typical Quiet Time
"He first worshiped, then warred."That was my commentary's description of Gideon's response to hearing the enemy soldiers' conversation in verse 15. Something about those 5 words overrode all of the other amazing lessons a
"He first worshiped, then warred."
That was my commentary's description of Gideon's response to hearing the enemy soldiers' conversation in verse 15. Something about those 5 words overrode all of the other amazing lessons about trusting God.
It almost seems that many in America try to make us believe that we have no reason or right to go to war. They seem to see us as the biggest kid on the playground who, because of his size, must never attack anyone else, even in self-defense, as this would be "unfair". Instead, they would have us forever enduring the taunts and attacks of our enemies because they are somehow our own fault!
It also seems that any other people on the planet who would claim that their god directs them to attack must not only be tolerated, but in fact venerated because they are following their religious beliefs. But if we feel God-led to pursue military action, we are guilty of elevating ourselves to thinking that God would somehow claim to be on our side!
Here, Gideon is led by God to the edge of the enemy camp for the sole purpose of receiving reassurance -- the enemy soldier relates his dream, which is interpreted as the Israelite army soundly defeating their enemies. "When Gideon heard about the dream and what it meant, he worshiped God."
He knew that God had ordained that battle with the enemy. He knew that the cause was good and just. These soldiers were attacking his country. They did not believe in the one true God.
We have the same thing occurring today. Our cause is noble and just. Our God is the One True God. And yes, our soldiers do worship and then war. Perhaps those who fail to agree should be sent "home" to our enemies to see how well they are treated there.
Father, it infuriates me when I see how the world tolerates anything and anyone but You and Your followers. Please remove the nay-sayers from their self-appointed bully-pulpits just as You removed from Gideon's army those who were afraid of the fight. If they fail to support the army, they are against it.
Your Brother In Christ,
Gary Ford
Gary Ford
Judges 8 -- A Nation Divided Against Itself Cannot Stand
Selfishness and pride seemed to be at the root of Israel's problems, and this ties into yesterday's quiet time and what's happening in America even today.Gideon's band of 300 men, hand-picked by God, were still pursuing the Midianite
Selfishness and pride seemed to be at the root of Israel's problems, and this ties into yesterday's quiet time and what's happening in America even today.
Gideon's band of 300 men, hand-picked by God, were still pursuing the Midianite leaders. The leaders of the tribe of Ephraim started it all by feeling cheated out of the glory of helping defeat the invaders. Their anger boiled over because they weren't invited to the battle! Of course, God would have out-sorted them anyway.
Tired from the battle and the pursuit, Gideon asked the leaders of Succoth to provide bread to his weary band. But for these leaders, it wasn't enough that 120,000 of the 135,000 invaders had already died in battle. They probably doubted Gideon's ability to finish the job and refused to give him the requested bread until the two kings of the invaders were captured. They displayed an unwillingness to sacrifice, selfishness, and a petty nature.
Gideon next tried to get food at Peniel, but got the same reception. They hadn't been involved in the fight and didn't want to support those who had!
Once Gideon completed his mission, he made a point of returning to these two towns and making good on his promises of retribution. My commentary quoted two Jewish rabbis what stated that the leaders of Succoth were taken out to the desert, stripped naked, thrown into a thorn patch, and trampled into the thorns! The men of Peniel were killed and their tower was pulled down.
Stories from American history tell of how united our nation was during WWII. Almost every American sacrificed some of the essential things of life and was involved in recycling to aid the war effort. Many who weren't soldiers left their families to work in the defense industry to help provide what our troops needed. Naysayers were few and far between.
Today, what a different nation we have! Those not in power continually try to cut the throats (politically) of those who are. Looking out for #1 has replaced the attitude of sacrifice that prevailed in WWII. Rather than supporting and aiding the soldiers, they seek to cutoff funding to insure defeat, hoping to win political advantage.
When I first read this, my impression was that Gideon was being harsh, but seen in this light, it might be a suitable and fitting punishment for such treachery. Failing to support a godly man whom God put into leadership is still a sin today. I'll bet there are more than a few soldiers who'd be ready, willing, and able to throw some of these so-called "leaders" naked into a sticker patch.
Father, I pray that You will help our nation to unite behind our leaders to attack the enemy rather than try to gain political advantage by fighting against other Americans, for anyone who is not for You is against You.
Your Brother In Christ,
Gary Ford
Gary Ford
Judges 9 -- God working with evil spirits??
ruling over them
Several times in the Bible, we read that God sent an evil spirit. Up until this morning, I'd had real trouble with that and had difficulty reconciling it to what I've learned about God. Perhaps this morning God gave me a clue.
The leaders of Shechem had conspired with the son of Gideon's slave girl to make him their leader. As part of the deal, about 70 of Gideon's sons were killed -- all but the youngest. Verse 23 says, "Then God sent an evil spirit to make trouble between Abimelech and the leaders of Shechem so that the leaders of Shechem turned against him."
First, Abimelech was not IN God's will. Neither were the leaders of Shechem. They deserved punishment from God and removal from office for their disobedience. God can use any means He chooses to accomplish this, for He is sovereign.
I just imagined the unwritten dialogue here. God first called for the evil spirit, who probably thought, "Oh, no..." Of course, that spirit would not want to obey God but could not disobey Him. So it showed up.
God then said, "Go cause trouble..." The spirit's first reaction was probably, "Yippee! I like doing that!" I imagine that at some point, the spirit thought, "Now, wait! I can't be seen doing God's will! That wouldn't be what I'm about at all!" Yet it would be torn by its heartfelt need to cause evil. "How can I possibly THINK of obeying God??" it wondered. Of course, it has to end up obeying God by causing evil. What a sorry state it finds itself in.
I think we often can find ourselves in much the same position. We want to OBEY God, but our sin nature cries out, "No, this will feel much better! Unfortunately, we can never obey God by doing evil, as the evil spirit could. We also possess something that the evil spirit doesn't -- free will. We can choose to disobey. We are the only created beings who can. It is there that we find ourselves probably wishing at times that we didn't have free will -- to keep us from freely choosing to do something we really don't want to do. Yet it's that very free will that makes our worship of such importance and value to God, because it means that we freely choose to worship Him, unlike the rest of creation which only know to worship Him. And worship unbidden is the highest honor and love we can bestow on Him.
Father, please help us to use our free will in only that one instance -- to give worship to You that is not forced, but freely given. Help us not to use our free will to sin, for that becomes the polar opposite of what You hoped to get through Your free will gift to us. Also, make Satan stew in his own juices when You so easily force his evil spirits to obey You in Your sovereignty!
Your Brother In Christ,
Gary Ford
Gary Ford
Judges 10, 11, 12 --The Unworthy In Me
lots of it
The sidebar in my Bible today was by Oswald Chambers and it really caught my eye. It said, "Our Lord never insists on having authority; He never says, "Thou shalt..." He leaves us perfectly free -- so free that we can spit in His face, as men did; so free that we can put Him to death, as men did; and He will never say a word. BUT, when His life been created in me by His Redemption, I instantly recognize His right to absolute authority over me. It is a moral domination, "Thou art worthy..." It is only the unworthy in me that refuses to bow down to the Worthy. If when I meet a man who is more holy than myself, I do not recognize his worthiness and obey what comes through him, it is a revelation of the unworthiness in me. God educates us by means of people who are a little better than we are, not intellectually but "holily", until we get under the domination of the Lord Himself, and then the whole attitude of this life is one of obedience to Him .... The revelation of my growth in grace is the way in which I look upon obedience.... Obedience is only possible between equals. It is the relationship between a father and son, not between master and servant."
And we ARE His children....
Father, I want Your "moral domination" over me to continue. I recognize Your right to absolute authority over me. Please forgive me when the unworthy in me refuses to bow down to Your Worthiness. Thank You for those You send my way who are holier than me. Don't let my unworthiness cause me to miss what You have to say to me through them. I want to obey You because You are my Father. Help me not to want to hold onto that within me which is unworthy of You.
Your Brother In Christ,
Gary Ford
Gary Ford
No comments:
Post a Comment