In II Chronicles 11:13-17, the priests, Levites, and other faithful followers of the LORD flee Israel to Judah. Jeroboam was taking the people away from their prescribed worship to follow his own prescribed ways of worship. The problem is that only God can tell us how He wants to be worshiped. Jeroboam was worried that people would go to Jerusalem and be swayed back to following Rehoboam. He feared this even though God Himself said He would build Jeroboam a dynasty if he would just obey God.
Jeroboam did not believe God. This is the bottom line in all of our lives - do we believe God or our own wisdom. Choose carefully - your choice has eternal consequences - and some earthly ones, too.
Friday, May 31, 2013
Thursday, May 30, 2013
May 31 Ecclesiastes 3:1-17; 11:7-12:14 Life's Meaning is Only in God
Ecclesiastes is a study in the futility of life without God - it is meaningless and serves no long term purpose. All end in death - the wise and the fool and the wicked. Good can come to the bad as often as it comes to the good and vice verse.
But God has set eternity in the hearts of all of us - an innate knowledge that there is more than just this life. Some have called this a God-sized hole in our heart that only God can fill. Ecclesiastes tells us that we come from our Creator and we will return to Him for judgment. The book concludes with the conclusion of the matter - Fear God and keep His commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. Therein is the path of meaningful life - life that will continue on into eternity - with God or far from His presence.
But God has set eternity in the hearts of all of us - an innate knowledge that there is more than just this life. Some have called this a God-sized hole in our heart that only God can fill. Ecclesiastes tells us that we come from our Creator and we will return to Him for judgment. The book concludes with the conclusion of the matter - Fear God and keep His commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. Therein is the path of meaningful life - life that will continue on into eternity - with God or far from His presence.
Tuesday, May 28, 2013
May 29 Various Ecclesiastes - Meaninglessness of Human Pursits
The Teacher looked at the utter meaningless nature of purely human pursuits based on this world. The Teacher shows that the chase of human wisdom, pleasure, achievement, work, accumulation, wealth, etc. all lead to naught. None of these things ultimately satisfy any man or woman, but actually lead to despair and other issues.
There are so many people successful in the world's eyes - or others, like me, who finally achieve their goals in life - that end up asking themselves the question, "Is this all there is?" What we think is our penultimate pinnacle that we worked so hard to get, really isn't that satisfying - sometimes we see that there are others with more - and we want what they have too - but the problem is that there is always someone with more.
To find true joy in life, we all need to get to the place that things of this world will satisfy us - God made us to never be satisfied with the things of the world - at least as an end in themselves. Sold-out radical Christianity requires this learning.
There are so many people successful in the world's eyes - or others, like me, who finally achieve their goals in life - that end up asking themselves the question, "Is this all there is?" What we think is our penultimate pinnacle that we worked so hard to get, really isn't that satisfying - sometimes we see that there are others with more - and we want what they have too - but the problem is that there is always someone with more.
To find true joy in life, we all need to get to the place that things of this world will satisfy us - God made us to never be satisfied with the things of the world - at least as an end in themselves. Sold-out radical Christianity requires this learning.
Monday, May 27, 2013
May 28 Various Ecclesiastes - Life Doesn't Make Sense
Who wrote Ecclesiastes is a matter of debate - either Solomon or just some unnamed person who identifies himself as "Teacher," and uses Solomon as a foil.
The actual message of Ecclesiastes is also debated. One of the proposed messages is based on today's selections - life doesn't make sense. It can't be figured out - the wise man and the fool end up in the ground, eventually forgotten.
The fact that everything is "meaningless" or "vanity" makes one consider the purpose of life. We all die - just like an animal. So, does life have some purpose that is not evident by looking at life here on earth alone? Well, we know the answer to this question because we have the rest of the Bible, but let's see what the Teacher has for us.
The actual message of Ecclesiastes is also debated. One of the proposed messages is based on today's selections - life doesn't make sense. It can't be figured out - the wise man and the fool end up in the ground, eventually forgotten.
The fact that everything is "meaningless" or "vanity" makes one consider the purpose of life. We all die - just like an animal. So, does life have some purpose that is not evident by looking at life here on earth alone? Well, we know the answer to this question because we have the rest of the Bible, but let's see what the Teacher has for us.
Sunday, May 26, 2013
May 27 I Kings 11 Being Unequally Yoked
Once again, we come to a warning about being unequally yoked in marriage - to an unbeliever. Solomon, the wisest man who ever lived, also had a sexual lust problem - like his dad. His sexual lust led him to take on wives and concubines who were pagan idol worshippers. Instead of Solomon changing them, they changed Solomon - and the destiny of a nation for centuries!
People continuously look past these clear warnings in Scripture and wind up shipwrecking their faith and negatively impacting those around them for years and years - for generations. We all need to stop looking for commands - what must I do - and read the narratives like this and focus on what should I do and what can I do to be holy.
The LORD wants us to be holy as He is holy. Without holiness, no one will see the Lord.
People continuously look past these clear warnings in Scripture and wind up shipwrecking their faith and negatively impacting those around them for years and years - for generations. We all need to stop looking for commands - what must I do - and read the narratives like this and focus on what should I do and what can I do to be holy.
The LORD wants us to be holy as He is holy. Without holiness, no one will see the Lord.
Saturday, May 25, 2013
May 26 Song of Songs Biblical Romantic Love
The Song of Songs (In Hebrew meaning the best song) is about romantic love between a man and a woman done in a Biblical manner. It is not a picture of Jesus and the church. The love between a man and a woman is necessary in the Bible because God invented it. It is only fitting that He give us a picture of what it should look like. In the second half of Chapter 4, God gives us an explicit wedding night scene and in v. 5:1, God blesses the proceedings.
The Song of Songs (sometimes called the Song of Solomon) is written as Hebrew poetry. It is wrapped in evocative images, which are very foreign to the 21st century reader. To fully understand what the writer is trying to convey, a serious reader needs to find a good commentary that unlocks all of the imagery.
Yes, there is hot, passionate sexuality in the Song, but there is also loving action and conversation between the lovers. God made sex and sexuality for total selfless release in marriage. Within those bounds, romantic love that includes sex is an integral part of the marriage relationship - and as shown in the Song, so is sexual anticipation between two lovers before marriage.
Sex is to wait until marriage - "Do not arouse or awaken love until it so desires" (vv. 2:7; 3:5; 8:4).
Marriage is to be total giving for a lifetime - "I belong to my lover and his desire is for me" (v. 7:10)
I encourage couples that I marry to include a reading of vv. 8:6-7, which is a release of the deepest desires of a woman. I know this to be true, because God told us and he is the Maker.
The Song of Songs (sometimes called the Song of Solomon) is written as Hebrew poetry. It is wrapped in evocative images, which are very foreign to the 21st century reader. To fully understand what the writer is trying to convey, a serious reader needs to find a good commentary that unlocks all of the imagery.
Yes, there is hot, passionate sexuality in the Song, but there is also loving action and conversation between the lovers. God made sex and sexuality for total selfless release in marriage. Within those bounds, romantic love that includes sex is an integral part of the marriage relationship - and as shown in the Song, so is sexual anticipation between two lovers before marriage.
Sex is to wait until marriage - "Do not arouse or awaken love until it so desires" (vv. 2:7; 3:5; 8:4).
Marriage is to be total giving for a lifetime - "I belong to my lover and his desire is for me" (v. 7:10)
I encourage couples that I marry to include a reading of vv. 8:6-7, which is a release of the deepest desires of a woman. I know this to be true, because God told us and he is the Maker.
- Song of Solomon 8:6-7 Place me like a seal over your heart, like a seal on your arm; for love is as strong as death, its jealousy unyielding as the grave. It burns like blazing fire, like a mighty flame. Many waters cannot quench love; rivers cannot wash it away. If one were to give all the wealth of his house for love, it would be utterly scorned.
Friday, May 24, 2013
May 25 Proverbs 30-31 More Than Knowledge
These two chapters of Scripture are written so different from the rest of God's Word. There are many sayings in these chapters that I could read about. But I will choose one verse that I may include in my sermon on Sunday.
Proverbs 30:5 Every word of God is flawless; He is a shield to those who take refuge in Him.
The 1st part of the verse says nothing surprising to even a casual student of the Bible. The word of God is inerrant - it contains only truth. Any one who consumes Scripture, takes on great knowledge. But the second half of the verse is surprising it seems to change thought - speaking now of God Himself. But it is not a change of thought - the Word of God is God - knowledge of His Word is to know Him. However, the second half of the verse challenges us to go beyond the knowledge OF God's Word - the knowledge OF Him.
The second half of the verse challenges us to trust IN God - to trust IN His Word - to act upon it. It promises that if we do - we will find safety - God Himself will be our shield - a defensive weapon against attacks - possibly from our enemies, Satan, and/or temptation.
God does not want us to merely believe IN Him or to believe words about Him, He calls us to believe Him period - to trust Him.
Proverbs 30:5 Every word of God is flawless; He is a shield to those who take refuge in Him.
The 1st part of the verse says nothing surprising to even a casual student of the Bible. The word of God is inerrant - it contains only truth. Any one who consumes Scripture, takes on great knowledge. But the second half of the verse is surprising it seems to change thought - speaking now of God Himself. But it is not a change of thought - the Word of God is God - knowledge of His Word is to know Him. However, the second half of the verse challenges us to go beyond the knowledge OF God's Word - the knowledge OF Him.
The second half of the verse challenges us to trust IN God - to trust IN His Word - to act upon it. It promises that if we do - we will find safety - God Himself will be our shield - a defensive weapon against attacks - possibly from our enemies, Satan, and/or temptation.
God does not want us to merely believe IN Him or to believe words about Him, He calls us to believe Him period - to trust Him.
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