The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing,
majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of
him and what came to my mind and heart in Galatians 5:11b,
"In that case the offense of the cross has been abolished."
While discussing the tension Paul had with those who taught the
Gentile believers were to keep the laws in the old testament, he
mentions the "offense" of the cross. Why would the cross of Jesus
Christ be an offense? Simply put, to recognize Jesus Christ paid the
penalty for all our sins, is to acknowledge all our sins. Something is
wrong with us if we need him to pay for our sins. It is an offending
message, needfully so. No one is saved from something they are not
endangered by. We won't reach for salvation if we don't know we are
lost. I believe the offense of the cross will result in our culture at
some point concluding that evangelizing children will be a form of
child abuse. Wait and see if I am not wrong on that...
Many people refuse to embrace Jesus Christ in faith. When he was here
he told Nicodemus why that would be so, "This is the verdict: Light
has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light
because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the light,
and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be
exposed." John 3:19-20.
We may be a pillar of the community, we may give to all kinds of
wonderful charitable organizations, we may comport ourselves properly
in mixed company, we may be kind to our dogs and have good table
manners, but the truth is we all are sinful and we all need to be
saved from God's wrath for our sins. "All have sinned and fall short
of the glory of God." Romans 3:23. The trouble for many, as far as
Jesus was concerned, is they would rather cling to their sins than
turn to God in faith and trust. His observation of mankind is, "Many
are invited, but few are chosen." Matthew 22:14. Why are they not
chosen? As we read John 1:12, "To all who received him, to those who
believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God."
God has elected or chosen for himself all who will turn to him in
faith as a response to the invitation, the gospel. A turn to God
results in a turning from our past ways and committing ourselves to
living for God. Some people are simply too interested in the things
they are currently immersed in than turn to God.
To be reminded of God is to revisit that fateful decision to reject
God's offer, his invitation. Consequently, not only is the cross of
Jesus Christ offensive because of its claims on our sinfulness, but
any mention of God, any reminder, any symbol that places the cross of
Jesus Christ in front of an unbeliever can be confrontive and
offensive. This is a big reason atheists are so animated in their
opposition to public displays of crosses, to nativity scenes on public
squares at Christmas time, having the ten commandments posted anywhere
they may see them. Why would you want to be reminded that you have
turned your back on God's gift of joining his family because you
desire to cling to a life that excludes him?
All the wishful thinking, all the "banking" on the notion that just
maybe the Christians are wrong, that the gospel is a hoax, that God
doesn't exist won't wash away the painful reminder that those who have
rejected the gospel are on very thin ice and headed for that "fiery
lake of burning sulfur", Revelation 21:8. Who wants to be reminded of
that all during the Christmas season? Rejection of God spawns recoil,
animosity, confrontation. All of which I find a good thing. No one
should feel confident and comfortable in this life rejecting God's
offer of forgiveness through Jesus Christ.
I think the perspective of feeling picked on when the atheists and
agnostics take action to have Christmas displays removed, to have
crosses removed, to have the ten commandments taken down is not the
best response and represents the wrong outlook. We should expect
unbelievers to feel offended, to feel a need to oppose any display
reminding them of their fateful choice of rejecting the gospel,
rejecting God's offer of forgiveness. Rather, we should exult in being
on the offense, we should embrace the opportunity to challenge
unbelievers who oppose us. I don't care a whit about my "rights" when
compared to the need for us to get the gospel in front of as many
people as often as we can.
When a governor wants to call it a "holiday tree", when a school wants
to scrub the traditional Christmas carols from the "winter
celebration" program, when the football team is told it can't pray
before the game or the valedictorian is told to remove God from the
speech, I'm far less concerned about "my rights" as I am about the
opportunity such occasions provide for championing the gospel and
furthering the message.
This Christmas season, lets all get out there and be offensive!
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share
what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to
hear from you!
Trevor Fisk
trevor.fisk@gmail.com
Friday, November 30, 2012
Thursday, November 29, 2012
The petty personal revenge of a Nazirite - Ruminating in the Word of God
The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing,
majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of
him and what came to my mind and heart in Judges 13:24-25,
"The woman gave birth to a boy and named him Samson. He grew and the
Lord blessed him, and the Spirit of the Lord began to stir him while
he was in Mahaneh Dan, between Zorah and Eshtaol."
Samson's birth to a previously barren woman was heralded by the angel
of the Lord. She was told he was to be set apart as a "Nazirite", one
dedicated to the Lord, "the boy will be a Nazirite of God from birth
until the day of his death." Judges 13:7.
The Lord used Samson to deliver Israel from a forty year domination of
the Philistines. What we read is something startling. Samson's
victories we read of over the Philistines came about through his
pursuit of Gentile women, Philistine women. In the accounts of two
wives and a prostitute we read of Samson's exploits. And, although the
"Lord blessed him, and the Spirit of the Lord began to stir in him",
his conquests over the Philistines never had lofty origins in a desire
to see Israel freed from the domination of the Philistines but through
a more petty motivation: personal revenge.
The first account is of a nameless Philistine woman who Samson
insisted be his wife over his parent's objections. The outcome is
that, burning with anger after the Philistines used his wife to win a
bet over a riddle, he killed thirty Philistine's to pay off the debt.
Later, after learning his wife's father had given her to another, he
burned up the fields of grain, vineyards and olive groves of the
Philistines. When the Philistines killed his wife and her father over
it, "He attacked them viciously and slaughtered many of them." Verse
15:8. This he did after telling them, "Since you've acted like this, I
won't stop until I get my revenge on you." Verse 15:7. When the
Philistines gathered to attack Judah for Samson's slaughter of the
Philistines and Judah went to arrest Samson, it resulted in Samson
killing another thousand Philistines with the jawbone of a donkey.
This, after telling the men of Judah, "I merely did to them what they
did to me." Verse 15:11. Again, personal revenge.
The second account is of the Philistine prostitute. Not much is
provided us except that the Philistines wanted to kill Samson and laid
in wait at the city gate in Gaza where Samson spent the night with the
prostitute. But he had gotten up in the middle of the night and
performed an enormous feat of strength by ripping down the massive
doors of the city gate, together with their posts, and dragged them up
a hill.
The third account is of Samson's love for, yet, another Philistine
woman, Delilah. When the Philistines used her to capture Samson, gouge
out his eyes, and humiliate him by using him for slave labor, he took
his revenge on the Philistines by calling out to the Lord, "O
Sovereign Lord, remember me. O God, please strengthen me just once
more, and let me with one blow get revenge on the Philistines for my
two eyes." Verse 16:28. Being empowered by the Lord one last time,
Samson took his personal revenge upon thousands of Philistines at the
temple of Dagon by pushing the temple's pillars over.
Samson was a man devoted to the Lord and empowered with super-human
strength to free Israel from Philistine domination. He is among the
heroes of faith in Hebrews 11 where we read, "the world was not worthy
of them", Hebrews 11:38, and "These were all commended for their
faith" Hebrews 11:39. Yet, here is a man who defied his parents
counsel, chased after pagan women the Lord warned against, made use of
prostitutes and carried out his exploits for purely personal revenge.
What to make of it?
I find an interesting observation in the Hebrews chapter. In 11:40 we
are told of Samson and the other heroes that, "God had planned
something better for us so that only together with us would they be
made perfect."
What I take from the accounts of Samson is that being set apart from
the Lord, having the Spirit begin "to stir" in us, being empowered and
strengthened by the Lord does not make us sinners perfect. The Lord
takes us and uses us, in spite of our sinfulness, our weaknesses and
our frailties to carry out his agenda, his purposes. Further, faith is
the door through which we have opportunity to be perfected in our
sinfulness and weaknesses - but it doesn't happen immediately and
automatically, as Samson's life illustrates. In the sacrifice of Jesus
Christ we have the opportunity for perfection, "by one sacrifice he
has made perfect forever those who are being made holy." Hebrews
10:14. It is that "being made holy" part that tells us that those who
embrace the Lord in faith are on the path to perfection, but that
perfection will not come till resurrection day when we finally leave
that stubborn and persistent sinful nature behind. As Paul tells us,
"we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly
as we wait eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our
bodies. For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no
hope at all. Who hopes for what he already has? But if we hope for
what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently." Romans 8:23-25.
In the meantime, although we may disappoint the Lord, ourselves and
others from time to time, it does not mean we cannot be used by the
Lord for his purposes. After all, the perfect things the Lord
accomplishes in this life are never through perfect people when he
uses us. He accomplishes what he does through us perfectly due to his
perfection - not ours.
On another note, do you know of any other literature that is nearly as
honest and straightforward about the shortcomings of its heroes? One
thing I love about the Scriptures is the refreshing honesty and
truthfulness as they portray the events and realities of this life.
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share
what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to
hear from you!
Trevor Fisk
trevor.fisk@gmail.com
majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of
him and what came to my mind and heart in Judges 13:24-25,
"The woman gave birth to a boy and named him Samson. He grew and the
Lord blessed him, and the Spirit of the Lord began to stir him while
he was in Mahaneh Dan, between Zorah and Eshtaol."
Samson's birth to a previously barren woman was heralded by the angel
of the Lord. She was told he was to be set apart as a "Nazirite", one
dedicated to the Lord, "the boy will be a Nazirite of God from birth
until the day of his death." Judges 13:7.
The Lord used Samson to deliver Israel from a forty year domination of
the Philistines. What we read is something startling. Samson's
victories we read of over the Philistines came about through his
pursuit of Gentile women, Philistine women. In the accounts of two
wives and a prostitute we read of Samson's exploits. And, although the
"Lord blessed him, and the Spirit of the Lord began to stir in him",
his conquests over the Philistines never had lofty origins in a desire
to see Israel freed from the domination of the Philistines but through
a more petty motivation: personal revenge.
The first account is of a nameless Philistine woman who Samson
insisted be his wife over his parent's objections. The outcome is
that, burning with anger after the Philistines used his wife to win a
bet over a riddle, he killed thirty Philistine's to pay off the debt.
Later, after learning his wife's father had given her to another, he
burned up the fields of grain, vineyards and olive groves of the
Philistines. When the Philistines killed his wife and her father over
it, "He attacked them viciously and slaughtered many of them." Verse
15:8. This he did after telling them, "Since you've acted like this, I
won't stop until I get my revenge on you." Verse 15:7. When the
Philistines gathered to attack Judah for Samson's slaughter of the
Philistines and Judah went to arrest Samson, it resulted in Samson
killing another thousand Philistines with the jawbone of a donkey.
This, after telling the men of Judah, "I merely did to them what they
did to me." Verse 15:11. Again, personal revenge.
The second account is of the Philistine prostitute. Not much is
provided us except that the Philistines wanted to kill Samson and laid
in wait at the city gate in Gaza where Samson spent the night with the
prostitute. But he had gotten up in the middle of the night and
performed an enormous feat of strength by ripping down the massive
doors of the city gate, together with their posts, and dragged them up
a hill.
The third account is of Samson's love for, yet, another Philistine
woman, Delilah. When the Philistines used her to capture Samson, gouge
out his eyes, and humiliate him by using him for slave labor, he took
his revenge on the Philistines by calling out to the Lord, "O
Sovereign Lord, remember me. O God, please strengthen me just once
more, and let me with one blow get revenge on the Philistines for my
two eyes." Verse 16:28. Being empowered by the Lord one last time,
Samson took his personal revenge upon thousands of Philistines at the
temple of Dagon by pushing the temple's pillars over.
Samson was a man devoted to the Lord and empowered with super-human
strength to free Israel from Philistine domination. He is among the
heroes of faith in Hebrews 11 where we read, "the world was not worthy
of them", Hebrews 11:38, and "These were all commended for their
faith" Hebrews 11:39. Yet, here is a man who defied his parents
counsel, chased after pagan women the Lord warned against, made use of
prostitutes and carried out his exploits for purely personal revenge.
What to make of it?
I find an interesting observation in the Hebrews chapter. In 11:40 we
are told of Samson and the other heroes that, "God had planned
something better for us so that only together with us would they be
made perfect."
What I take from the accounts of Samson is that being set apart from
the Lord, having the Spirit begin "to stir" in us, being empowered and
strengthened by the Lord does not make us sinners perfect. The Lord
takes us and uses us, in spite of our sinfulness, our weaknesses and
our frailties to carry out his agenda, his purposes. Further, faith is
the door through which we have opportunity to be perfected in our
sinfulness and weaknesses - but it doesn't happen immediately and
automatically, as Samson's life illustrates. In the sacrifice of Jesus
Christ we have the opportunity for perfection, "by one sacrifice he
has made perfect forever those who are being made holy." Hebrews
10:14. It is that "being made holy" part that tells us that those who
embrace the Lord in faith are on the path to perfection, but that
perfection will not come till resurrection day when we finally leave
that stubborn and persistent sinful nature behind. As Paul tells us,
"we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly
as we wait eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our
bodies. For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no
hope at all. Who hopes for what he already has? But if we hope for
what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently." Romans 8:23-25.
In the meantime, although we may disappoint the Lord, ourselves and
others from time to time, it does not mean we cannot be used by the
Lord for his purposes. After all, the perfect things the Lord
accomplishes in this life are never through perfect people when he
uses us. He accomplishes what he does through us perfectly due to his
perfection - not ours.
On another note, do you know of any other literature that is nearly as
honest and straightforward about the shortcomings of its heroes? One
thing I love about the Scriptures is the refreshing honesty and
truthfulness as they portray the events and realities of this life.
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share
what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to
hear from you!
Trevor Fisk
trevor.fisk@gmail.com
Wednesday, November 28, 2012
The terrifying experience of proximity to the Lord - Ruminating in the Word of God
The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing,
majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of
him and what came to my mind and heart in Judges 13:22,
"'We are doomed to die!' he said to his wife. 'We have seen God!'"
This is the cry Manoah, Samson's father, made to his wife when he
realized they had just been in company with the angel of the Lord. The
angel visited the couple to prepare them for Samson's birth. We are
told when they made an offering to the Lord in the angel's presence,
"the Lord did an amazing thing while Manoah and his wife watched: As
the flame blazed up from the altar toward heaven, the angel of the
Lord ascended in the flame. Seeing this, Manoah and his wife fell with
their faces to the ground." Judges 13:19b-20. It was only then Manoah
realized he had been visited by the angel of the Lord.
I don't know about you, but from time to time I have thought it would
be fascinating and wonderful to have some kind of a visit from the
Lord, or one of his angels. I suspect what may have been missing from
my musing is the recoil and horror those who have actually had a visit
experienced. I think of the nation of Israel at the foot of Mt. Sinai.
"When the people saw the thunder and lightning and heard the trumpet
and saw the mountain in smoke, they trembled with fear. They stayed at
a distance and said to Moses, 'Speak to us yourself and we will
listen. But do not have God speak to us or we will die.'" Exodus
20:18-19. Another instance is Isaiah at his commissioning. Having had
a vision of God on his throne he cried, "'Woe to me!' I cried. 'I am
ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of
unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the Lord Almighty.'"
Isaiah 6:5.
At times of reflection I have recognized more fully, as many do I am
sure, my own sinfulness. Apart from the purifying and cleansing nature
found within the atonement of Jesus Christ for my sins, I am compelled
to feel I would recoil in the presence of the Lord's pristine
perfections, the beauty of his multifaceted character, the absolute
purity of his unadulterated nature that remains impenetrable, without
wrinkle and consistent for all eternity. How is one to stand in the
presence of that?! I don't think you do. Paul told Timothy God "lives
in unapproachable light, whom no one has seen or can see." 1 Timothy
6:16. That "unapproachable light" must be the transcendent and awesome
glory of God that radiates from his being.
Even Moses, when he had been in the presence of the Lord on Mt. Sinai
and now reflected that glory when he came down the mountain found his
family fleeing from him, so great was that radiant glory! "When Moses
came down from Mount Sinai with the two tablets of the Testimony in
his hands, he was not aware that his face was radiant because he had
spoken with the Lord. When Aaron and all the Israelites saw Moses, his
face was radiant, and they were afraid to come near him. But Moses
called to them; so Aaron and all the leaders of the community came
back to him, and he spoke to them." Exodus 34:29-31. Moses had to
chase after them!
Since I have not had a visit myself (and given the accounts of those
who had, I suspect it is for the best), I take the word of those who
have had an encounter "of the third kind" with God. His glory is so
magnificent as to be unapproachable and his presence so overwhelming
because of his character and nature, he is terrifying to encounter.
Especially for one who is plagued with the frailties of sinfulness and
weakness as I am.
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share
what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to
hear from you!
Trevor Fisk
trevor.fisk@gmail.com
majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of
him and what came to my mind and heart in Judges 13:22,
"'We are doomed to die!' he said to his wife. 'We have seen God!'"
This is the cry Manoah, Samson's father, made to his wife when he
realized they had just been in company with the angel of the Lord. The
angel visited the couple to prepare them for Samson's birth. We are
told when they made an offering to the Lord in the angel's presence,
"the Lord did an amazing thing while Manoah and his wife watched: As
the flame blazed up from the altar toward heaven, the angel of the
Lord ascended in the flame. Seeing this, Manoah and his wife fell with
their faces to the ground." Judges 13:19b-20. It was only then Manoah
realized he had been visited by the angel of the Lord.
I don't know about you, but from time to time I have thought it would
be fascinating and wonderful to have some kind of a visit from the
Lord, or one of his angels. I suspect what may have been missing from
my musing is the recoil and horror those who have actually had a visit
experienced. I think of the nation of Israel at the foot of Mt. Sinai.
"When the people saw the thunder and lightning and heard the trumpet
and saw the mountain in smoke, they trembled with fear. They stayed at
a distance and said to Moses, 'Speak to us yourself and we will
listen. But do not have God speak to us or we will die.'" Exodus
20:18-19. Another instance is Isaiah at his commissioning. Having had
a vision of God on his throne he cried, "'Woe to me!' I cried. 'I am
ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of
unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the Lord Almighty.'"
Isaiah 6:5.
At times of reflection I have recognized more fully, as many do I am
sure, my own sinfulness. Apart from the purifying and cleansing nature
found within the atonement of Jesus Christ for my sins, I am compelled
to feel I would recoil in the presence of the Lord's pristine
perfections, the beauty of his multifaceted character, the absolute
purity of his unadulterated nature that remains impenetrable, without
wrinkle and consistent for all eternity. How is one to stand in the
presence of that?! I don't think you do. Paul told Timothy God "lives
in unapproachable light, whom no one has seen or can see." 1 Timothy
6:16. That "unapproachable light" must be the transcendent and awesome
glory of God that radiates from his being.
Even Moses, when he had been in the presence of the Lord on Mt. Sinai
and now reflected that glory when he came down the mountain found his
family fleeing from him, so great was that radiant glory! "When Moses
came down from Mount Sinai with the two tablets of the Testimony in
his hands, he was not aware that his face was radiant because he had
spoken with the Lord. When Aaron and all the Israelites saw Moses, his
face was radiant, and they were afraid to come near him. But Moses
called to them; so Aaron and all the leaders of the community came
back to him, and he spoke to them." Exodus 34:29-31. Moses had to
chase after them!
Since I have not had a visit myself (and given the accounts of those
who had, I suspect it is for the best), I take the word of those who
have had an encounter "of the third kind" with God. His glory is so
magnificent as to be unapproachable and his presence so overwhelming
because of his character and nature, he is terrifying to encounter.
Especially for one who is plagued with the frailties of sinfulness and
weakness as I am.
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share
what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to
hear from you!
Trevor Fisk
trevor.fisk@gmail.com
Tuesday, November 27, 2012
Our unconstrained Lord - Ruminating in the Word of God
The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing,
majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of
him and what came to my mind and heart in Judges 14:1-4,
"Samson went down to Timnah and saw there a young Philistine woman.
When he returned, he said to his father and mother, 'I have seen a
Philistine woman in Timnah; now get her for me as my wife.' His father
and mother replied, 'Isn't there an acceptable woman among your
relatives or among all our people? Must you go to the uncircumcised
Philistines to get a wife?' But Samson said to his father, 'Get her
for me. She's the right one for me.' (His parents did not know that
this was from the Lord, who was seeking an occasion to confront the
Philistines; for at that time they were ruling over Israel.)"
In Exodus 20:12 we read the fifth commandment, "Honor your father and
your mother". Proverbs tells us things like, "Listen, my son, to your
father's instruction and do not forsake your mother's teaching. They
will be a garland to grace your head and a chain to adorn your neck."
Proverbs 1:8-9. Listen to this one, "My son, keep your father's
commands and do not forsake your mother's teaching. Bind them upon
your heart forever; fasten them around your neck. When you walk, they
will guide you; when you sleep, they will watch over you; when you
awake, they will speak to you. For these commands are a lamp, this
teaching is a light, and the corrections of discipline are the way to
life, keeping you from the immoral woman, from the smooth tongue of
the wayward wife." Proverbs 6:20-24.
Samson was set aside for the Lord before he was born, "the boy is to
be a Nazirite, set apart to God from birth", Judges 13:5. As such he
was chosen specifically by the Lord for his purposes. Knowing things
ahead of time, the Lord raised Samson up to be one of Israel's
"deliverers" we read of in Judges. What catches my eye is that the
Lord intended Samson to take a direction with his parents that
contradicted the fifth commandment as well as the yet to be written
axioms in Proverbs, as well as many other Scriptures that speak to the
importance of following our parent's counsel.
Just when I think I have it all "figured out", I discover I really
don't know much. What is clear is that there is the "normative", that
which I should follow to live a life pleasing to the Lord, that which
he has spoken to. And, yet, there is the "non-normative", that which
the Lord is doing that may run contrary to the former. The Lord is not
constrained and does things in ways I may never understand. The beauty
of it is I really don't need to understand. What I read is that
Samson's insistence on a Philistine wife was "from the Lord" even
though it was not consistent with the fifth commandment and other
Scriptures relative to following parental counsel.
I think I feel more comfortable knowing God transcends my simple
understanding of things. As such, it is mine to accept, to embrace and
to use in my worship and adoration of him. How about you?
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share
what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to
hear from you!
Trevor Fisk
trevor.fisk@gmail.com
majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of
him and what came to my mind and heart in Judges 14:1-4,
"Samson went down to Timnah and saw there a young Philistine woman.
When he returned, he said to his father and mother, 'I have seen a
Philistine woman in Timnah; now get her for me as my wife.' His father
and mother replied, 'Isn't there an acceptable woman among your
relatives or among all our people? Must you go to the uncircumcised
Philistines to get a wife?' But Samson said to his father, 'Get her
for me. She's the right one for me.' (His parents did not know that
this was from the Lord, who was seeking an occasion to confront the
Philistines; for at that time they were ruling over Israel.)"
In Exodus 20:12 we read the fifth commandment, "Honor your father and
your mother". Proverbs tells us things like, "Listen, my son, to your
father's instruction and do not forsake your mother's teaching. They
will be a garland to grace your head and a chain to adorn your neck."
Proverbs 1:8-9. Listen to this one, "My son, keep your father's
commands and do not forsake your mother's teaching. Bind them upon
your heart forever; fasten them around your neck. When you walk, they
will guide you; when you sleep, they will watch over you; when you
awake, they will speak to you. For these commands are a lamp, this
teaching is a light, and the corrections of discipline are the way to
life, keeping you from the immoral woman, from the smooth tongue of
the wayward wife." Proverbs 6:20-24.
Samson was set aside for the Lord before he was born, "the boy is to
be a Nazirite, set apart to God from birth", Judges 13:5. As such he
was chosen specifically by the Lord for his purposes. Knowing things
ahead of time, the Lord raised Samson up to be one of Israel's
"deliverers" we read of in Judges. What catches my eye is that the
Lord intended Samson to take a direction with his parents that
contradicted the fifth commandment as well as the yet to be written
axioms in Proverbs, as well as many other Scriptures that speak to the
importance of following our parent's counsel.
Just when I think I have it all "figured out", I discover I really
don't know much. What is clear is that there is the "normative", that
which I should follow to live a life pleasing to the Lord, that which
he has spoken to. And, yet, there is the "non-normative", that which
the Lord is doing that may run contrary to the former. The Lord is not
constrained and does things in ways I may never understand. The beauty
of it is I really don't need to understand. What I read is that
Samson's insistence on a Philistine wife was "from the Lord" even
though it was not consistent with the fifth commandment and other
Scriptures relative to following parental counsel.
I think I feel more comfortable knowing God transcends my simple
understanding of things. As such, it is mine to accept, to embrace and
to use in my worship and adoration of him. How about you?
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share
what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to
hear from you!
Trevor Fisk
trevor.fisk@gmail.com
Friday, November 16, 2012
Who decides our blessings? - Ruminating in the Word of God
The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing,
majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of
him and what came to my mind and heart in Judges 11:23-24,
"Now since the Lord, the God of Israel, has driven the Amorites out
before his people Israel, what right have you to take it over? Will
you not take what your god Chemosh gives you? Likewise, whatever the
Lord our God has given us, we will possess."
This is the closing argument provided by Jepahthah in his message to
the king of Ammon who had called his army to camp at Gilead to attack
Israel. Ammon's grievance was that Israel had taken land from the
Ammonites when they came out of Egypt. Jephthah's response was that
God gave Israel the land from the Amorites because they had opposed
them when leaving Egypt. We are told the king of Ammon paid no
attention to the message and war ensued. In Judges 11:32 we read,
"Then Jephthah went over to fight the Ammonites, and the Lord gave
them into his hands. He devastated twenty towns from Aroer to the
vicinity of Minnith, as far as Abel Keramim. Thus Israel subdued
Ammon."
I note two important points in Jephthah's closing argument. The first
is that Jephthah acknowledged it was the Lord who had provided the
original victory of Israel over the Amorites resulting in their
possession of the land "from the Arnon to the Jabbok and from the
desert to the Jordan." Verse 22. This is an important point for us. We
live in a day where the notion that the Lord has brought about or
provided our nation with success, blessings, prosperity, freedom or
any other advantage we may enjoy is vehemently denied and a thought
that is recoiled from. Just how long does a nation think it might
enjoy what the Lord has provided when it denies and are hostile toward
the one who provided? This is a serious issue today that transcends
politics and religion. This is an issue that may find its expression
in political campaigns, op-ed pieces, Sunday morning sermons and
fodder for pundits but it is being fought out in a spiritual theater
of intense warfare for the hearts and lives of all people.
A second point is that Jephthah declares, "Whatever the Lord our God
has given us, we will possess." When the Lord gives a nation
something, there is a responsibility not only to recognize the giver,
but to approach the possession of it with careful stewardship. Again,
this is another important point for us today. We also live in a day
where we question the validity and appropriateness of what the Lord
has given us as a nation. Consider the arrogance and conceit inherent
in such a thing! Ruthless, overbearing and misguided anti-colonial and
social justice sentiments demand we relinquish what God has
legitimately given us as a nation. If the Lord has blessed us with
something, who are we to reject it? What is his to give is not to be
rejected when he gives it. To do so would be to question God's
fairness, God's justice. To do so would be antithetical to his
purposes and his agenda. Again, the rejection of what God gives a
nation ultimately points to an intense conflict in the spiritual realm
where the hearts and lives of people are at stake. The big picture of
this life's purpose is that God is building his kingdom. Over and over
in the pages of Scripture we read of the acts of God to accomplish
this end.
We live in a day when all trace of God is to be erased from the public
square. No free exchange of ideas are tolerated when speaking up for
the things of God. We live in a day when man questions what God gives
to substitute what fits his own desires. We live in a day when men
feel they know better when it comes to the disposition of life,
liberty and property. Rejecting God's determination of what is an
abomination and replacing it with his own determination of what is
fair and just is pursued in our day.
Just how far will a nation get as our Creator looks on? I refer us to
Jephthah's insights, a man who learned a thing or two after Israel had
had the tar beat out of it by God himself.
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share
what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to
hear from you!
Trevor Fisk
trevor.fisk@gmail.com
majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of
him and what came to my mind and heart in Judges 11:23-24,
"Now since the Lord, the God of Israel, has driven the Amorites out
before his people Israel, what right have you to take it over? Will
you not take what your god Chemosh gives you? Likewise, whatever the
Lord our God has given us, we will possess."
This is the closing argument provided by Jepahthah in his message to
the king of Ammon who had called his army to camp at Gilead to attack
Israel. Ammon's grievance was that Israel had taken land from the
Ammonites when they came out of Egypt. Jephthah's response was that
God gave Israel the land from the Amorites because they had opposed
them when leaving Egypt. We are told the king of Ammon paid no
attention to the message and war ensued. In Judges 11:32 we read,
"Then Jephthah went over to fight the Ammonites, and the Lord gave
them into his hands. He devastated twenty towns from Aroer to the
vicinity of Minnith, as far as Abel Keramim. Thus Israel subdued
Ammon."
I note two important points in Jephthah's closing argument. The first
is that Jephthah acknowledged it was the Lord who had provided the
original victory of Israel over the Amorites resulting in their
possession of the land "from the Arnon to the Jabbok and from the
desert to the Jordan." Verse 22. This is an important point for us. We
live in a day where the notion that the Lord has brought about or
provided our nation with success, blessings, prosperity, freedom or
any other advantage we may enjoy is vehemently denied and a thought
that is recoiled from. Just how long does a nation think it might
enjoy what the Lord has provided when it denies and are hostile toward
the one who provided? This is a serious issue today that transcends
politics and religion. This is an issue that may find its expression
in political campaigns, op-ed pieces, Sunday morning sermons and
fodder for pundits but it is being fought out in a spiritual theater
of intense warfare for the hearts and lives of all people.
A second point is that Jephthah declares, "Whatever the Lord our God
has given us, we will possess." When the Lord gives a nation
something, there is a responsibility not only to recognize the giver,
but to approach the possession of it with careful stewardship. Again,
this is another important point for us today. We also live in a day
where we question the validity and appropriateness of what the Lord
has given us as a nation. Consider the arrogance and conceit inherent
in such a thing! Ruthless, overbearing and misguided anti-colonial and
social justice sentiments demand we relinquish what God has
legitimately given us as a nation. If the Lord has blessed us with
something, who are we to reject it? What is his to give is not to be
rejected when he gives it. To do so would be to question God's
fairness, God's justice. To do so would be antithetical to his
purposes and his agenda. Again, the rejection of what God gives a
nation ultimately points to an intense conflict in the spiritual realm
where the hearts and lives of people are at stake. The big picture of
this life's purpose is that God is building his kingdom. Over and over
in the pages of Scripture we read of the acts of God to accomplish
this end.
We live in a day when all trace of God is to be erased from the public
square. No free exchange of ideas are tolerated when speaking up for
the things of God. We live in a day when man questions what God gives
to substitute what fits his own desires. We live in a day when men
feel they know better when it comes to the disposition of life,
liberty and property. Rejecting God's determination of what is an
abomination and replacing it with his own determination of what is
fair and just is pursued in our day.
Just how far will a nation get as our Creator looks on? I refer us to
Jephthah's insights, a man who learned a thing or two after Israel had
had the tar beat out of it by God himself.
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share
what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to
hear from you!
Trevor Fisk
trevor.fisk@gmail.com
Thursday, November 15, 2012
God's compassion afforded sin - Ruminating in the Word of God
The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing,
majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of
him and what came to my mind and heart in Judges 10:11-14,
"When the Egyptians, the Amorites, the Ammonites, the Philistines, the
Sidonians, the Amalekites and the Maonites oppressed you and you cried
to me for help, did I not save you from their hands? But you have
forsaken me and served other gods, so I will no longer save you. Go
and cry out to the gods you have chosen. Let them save you when you
are in trouble!"
OK. I know I used a dicey phrase in the subject line... but I really
wanted to catch your attention because of something wonderful
believers have encountered that Israel lacked in the book of Judges.
Follow me on this...
The book of Judges illustrates the truth Paul presents in Romans 3.
Mankind is sinful. His observation of mankind in general is clearly on
display in the history of Israel. We all have a bent to turn from our
Creator, go our own way and follow the promptings of our own sinful
nature. As Paul quotes Psalm 14 and 53, as well as Ecclesiastes 7:20,
"There is no one righteous, not even one; there is no one who
understands, no one who seeks God. All have turned away, they have
together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even
one." Romans 3:10-12. Apart from God's intervention we just drift
further away from the One who created us for his own purposes.
As we read in Romans 8:20-21, God brings distress, frustration into
our lives to draw us to him, "For the creation was subjected to
frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who
subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from
its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the
children of God." This we see played out again and again on a national
level as God brought enemies against Israel in the midst of their
abandonment of God to bring the nation back to him.
Again and again we see Israel brought to her knees and cry out to God.
Again and again God, in his wonderful mercy, compassion and kindness,
lifted the suffering from Israel through judges or leaders. He would
bring them relief as his purpose in bringing enemies against them
became accomplished.
Here is the frustrating dilemma of sin: as soon as the suffering and
threat was eliminated, the removal of the very stimulus that brought
them to their knees before God, the Israelites would follow the
promptings of their sinful natures and turn their backs on God yet
again. We might consider that God's blessings of relief, peace and
prosperity for Israel provided opportunity and set the stage for
Israel falling into sinful rebellion all over again. In a sense, God's
compassion for the nation afforded the Israelites the opportunity to
rebel against him. To be sure, it was not God's compassion that caused
the sinful rebellion, but the sinful impulses of the nation. What a
dynamic on display in the book of Judges! Sin in the heart of man
turns God's compassion into an opportunity for sinful rebellion! Each
time we see this cycle take place. And, I am reminded, it isn't just
the thick-headed Israelites, it is also me. I know all too well the
promptings of my own sinful nature.
But thanks be to God! The promptings that influence the things I
think, do and say are no longer monopolized by an overbearing sinful
nature! God, in his wonderful kindness has provided us an unspeakable
gift in the Holy Spirit. In announcing his new covenant that he would
establish through Jesus Christ, he said, "I will put my law in their
minds and write it on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will
be my people." Jeremiah 31:33. This he has accomplished by sending his
Holy Spirit into all the hearts that have embraced him in faith since
the Pentecost following Jesus ascension to heaven. "I am going to send
you what my Father has promised; but stay in the city until you have
been clothed with power from on high." Luke 24:49. As we read in
Romans 8:9, "You, however, are controlled not by the sinful nature but
by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does
not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ."
How wonderful that on a personal level we do not have to be caught up
in the kind of cycle the nation of Israel was caught up in the
historical accounts we read of in Judges. How wonderful God saw fit to
bless those who have embraced him in faith with his indwelling Holy
Spirit that we can live a new life!
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share
what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to
hear from you!
Trevor Fisk
trevor.fisk@gmail.com
majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of
him and what came to my mind and heart in Judges 10:11-14,
"When the Egyptians, the Amorites, the Ammonites, the Philistines, the
Sidonians, the Amalekites and the Maonites oppressed you and you cried
to me for help, did I not save you from their hands? But you have
forsaken me and served other gods, so I will no longer save you. Go
and cry out to the gods you have chosen. Let them save you when you
are in trouble!"
OK. I know I used a dicey phrase in the subject line... but I really
wanted to catch your attention because of something wonderful
believers have encountered that Israel lacked in the book of Judges.
Follow me on this...
The book of Judges illustrates the truth Paul presents in Romans 3.
Mankind is sinful. His observation of mankind in general is clearly on
display in the history of Israel. We all have a bent to turn from our
Creator, go our own way and follow the promptings of our own sinful
nature. As Paul quotes Psalm 14 and 53, as well as Ecclesiastes 7:20,
"There is no one righteous, not even one; there is no one who
understands, no one who seeks God. All have turned away, they have
together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even
one." Romans 3:10-12. Apart from God's intervention we just drift
further away from the One who created us for his own purposes.
As we read in Romans 8:20-21, God brings distress, frustration into
our lives to draw us to him, "For the creation was subjected to
frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who
subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from
its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the
children of God." This we see played out again and again on a national
level as God brought enemies against Israel in the midst of their
abandonment of God to bring the nation back to him.
Again and again we see Israel brought to her knees and cry out to God.
Again and again God, in his wonderful mercy, compassion and kindness,
lifted the suffering from Israel through judges or leaders. He would
bring them relief as his purpose in bringing enemies against them
became accomplished.
Here is the frustrating dilemma of sin: as soon as the suffering and
threat was eliminated, the removal of the very stimulus that brought
them to their knees before God, the Israelites would follow the
promptings of their sinful natures and turn their backs on God yet
again. We might consider that God's blessings of relief, peace and
prosperity for Israel provided opportunity and set the stage for
Israel falling into sinful rebellion all over again. In a sense, God's
compassion for the nation afforded the Israelites the opportunity to
rebel against him. To be sure, it was not God's compassion that caused
the sinful rebellion, but the sinful impulses of the nation. What a
dynamic on display in the book of Judges! Sin in the heart of man
turns God's compassion into an opportunity for sinful rebellion! Each
time we see this cycle take place. And, I am reminded, it isn't just
the thick-headed Israelites, it is also me. I know all too well the
promptings of my own sinful nature.
But thanks be to God! The promptings that influence the things I
think, do and say are no longer monopolized by an overbearing sinful
nature! God, in his wonderful kindness has provided us an unspeakable
gift in the Holy Spirit. In announcing his new covenant that he would
establish through Jesus Christ, he said, "I will put my law in their
minds and write it on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will
be my people." Jeremiah 31:33. This he has accomplished by sending his
Holy Spirit into all the hearts that have embraced him in faith since
the Pentecost following Jesus ascension to heaven. "I am going to send
you what my Father has promised; but stay in the city until you have
been clothed with power from on high." Luke 24:49. As we read in
Romans 8:9, "You, however, are controlled not by the sinful nature but
by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does
not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ."
How wonderful that on a personal level we do not have to be caught up
in the kind of cycle the nation of Israel was caught up in the
historical accounts we read of in Judges. How wonderful God saw fit to
bless those who have embraced him in faith with his indwelling Holy
Spirit that we can live a new life!
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share
what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to
hear from you!
Trevor Fisk
trevor.fisk@gmail.com
Tuesday, November 13, 2012
Distress and deliverance - Ruminating in the Word of God
The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing,
majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of
him and what came to my mind and heart in Judges 6:14,
"The Lord turned to him [Gideon] and said, 'Go in the strength you
have and save Israel out of Midian's hand. Am I not sending you?'"
As the Israelites repeatedly turned from the Lord, the Lord brought
them distress, that they might recognize their need of him. He did
this out of his love for Israel as he is, has been, and ever will be
the only means by which any nation might find deliverance, resolution,
salvation, extrication from the collective sinful nature of its people
and the consequences that collective sinful nature brings. God loves
the people of the world and seeks to draw as many into his kingdom as
he can. The only purpose any nation exists is to find its place in
God's great agenda of building his kingdom. When a nation ultimately
ceases to respond to the Lord, as well as his attention-getting
efforts, it ceases to be useful to this end and discovers the
threshold of God's ultimate judgment in the ash heap of the world's
failed nations.
It is apparent that distress is one means the Lord uses to draw
nations to himself, that they might reach out to him. "From one man he
[God] made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole
earth; and he determined the times set for them and the exact places
where they should live. God did this so that men would seek him and
perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from each
one of us." Acts 17:26-27.
As Israel would come to it's senses through divinely crafted distress,
and cry out to the Lord, he would raise up a judge or leader to
provide his deliverance. In the book of Judges there is a succession
of these the Lord used. He always, or often worked through someone. We
read of some thirteen people in the book of Judges (if my count is
right) followed by Eli in 1 Samuel and Samuel prior to the kings that
began to reign in Israel.
If I didn't know any better, I might think the Lord uses these
accounts, which seem to follow a pattern of repetition in many
respects, to get it through my thick head that God provides
deliverance out of a love for people and he seems to do so through a
deliverer. In Judges we read of folks like Othniel, Ehud, Shamgar,
Deborah, Gideon, Abimelech, Tola, Jair, Jephthah, Ibzan, Elon, Abdon
and Samson who served as Judges or leaders in the nation when the Lord
provided deliverance.
On a personal level, I discover I have my own sinful nature that
leaves me in need deliverance. A brief reading of Romans tells me
without God's intervention I face his certain judgment for my sin -
here is the distress I face. I discover he has, just as in the history
of the life of Israel, provided a deliverer for me. "This is good, and
pleases God our Savior, who wants all men to be saved and to come to a
knowledge of the truth. For there is one God and one mediator between
God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for
all men..." 1 Timothy 2:3-6a. Just as the judges in Israel's history,
God uses him to bring me deliverance from my distress.
It is interesting to see how God uses the history of Israel to teach
us about how he does what he does, even in our day. "For everything
that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through
endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope."
Romans 15:4.
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share
what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to
hear from you!
Trevor Fisk
trevor.fisk@gmail.com
majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of
him and what came to my mind and heart in Judges 6:14,
"The Lord turned to him [Gideon] and said, 'Go in the strength you
have and save Israel out of Midian's hand. Am I not sending you?'"
As the Israelites repeatedly turned from the Lord, the Lord brought
them distress, that they might recognize their need of him. He did
this out of his love for Israel as he is, has been, and ever will be
the only means by which any nation might find deliverance, resolution,
salvation, extrication from the collective sinful nature of its people
and the consequences that collective sinful nature brings. God loves
the people of the world and seeks to draw as many into his kingdom as
he can. The only purpose any nation exists is to find its place in
God's great agenda of building his kingdom. When a nation ultimately
ceases to respond to the Lord, as well as his attention-getting
efforts, it ceases to be useful to this end and discovers the
threshold of God's ultimate judgment in the ash heap of the world's
failed nations.
It is apparent that distress is one means the Lord uses to draw
nations to himself, that they might reach out to him. "From one man he
[God] made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole
earth; and he determined the times set for them and the exact places
where they should live. God did this so that men would seek him and
perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from each
one of us." Acts 17:26-27.
As Israel would come to it's senses through divinely crafted distress,
and cry out to the Lord, he would raise up a judge or leader to
provide his deliverance. In the book of Judges there is a succession
of these the Lord used. He always, or often worked through someone. We
read of some thirteen people in the book of Judges (if my count is
right) followed by Eli in 1 Samuel and Samuel prior to the kings that
began to reign in Israel.
If I didn't know any better, I might think the Lord uses these
accounts, which seem to follow a pattern of repetition in many
respects, to get it through my thick head that God provides
deliverance out of a love for people and he seems to do so through a
deliverer. In Judges we read of folks like Othniel, Ehud, Shamgar,
Deborah, Gideon, Abimelech, Tola, Jair, Jephthah, Ibzan, Elon, Abdon
and Samson who served as Judges or leaders in the nation when the Lord
provided deliverance.
On a personal level, I discover I have my own sinful nature that
leaves me in need deliverance. A brief reading of Romans tells me
without God's intervention I face his certain judgment for my sin -
here is the distress I face. I discover he has, just as in the history
of the life of Israel, provided a deliverer for me. "This is good, and
pleases God our Savior, who wants all men to be saved and to come to a
knowledge of the truth. For there is one God and one mediator between
God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for
all men..." 1 Timothy 2:3-6a. Just as the judges in Israel's history,
God uses him to bring me deliverance from my distress.
It is interesting to see how God uses the history of Israel to teach
us about how he does what he does, even in our day. "For everything
that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through
endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope."
Romans 15:4.
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share
what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to
hear from you!
Trevor Fisk
trevor.fisk@gmail.com
Monday, November 12, 2012
Do you know what lurks in the spiritual realm? - Ruminating in the Word of God
The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing,
majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of
him and what came to my mind and heart in Judges 13:17-18,
"Then Manoah inquired of the angel of the Lord, 'What is your name, so
that we may honor you when your word comes true?' He replied, 'Why do
you ask my name? It is beyond understanding.'"
The account of Samson's parents is an astonishing story. In a cycle
oft repeated in the book of Judges, Israel, yet again, turned from the
Lord and found herself under his judgment. We are told, "so the Lord
delivered them [the Israelites] into the hands of the Philistines for
forty years." After this period of time the Lord visited a couple,
Manoah and his wife. They would become the parents of the deliverer,
Samson, that the Lord would raise up to free Israel from the grip of
the Philistines following the forty years.
At first "the angel of the Lord" visited Manoah's wife and told her
she would bear a son that would be dedicated to the Lord as a
"Nazirite". As such she was not to drink alcohol or eat unclean food.
When Samson was born he was to never cut his hair, "No razor may be
used on his head." She reported this visit to her husband who prayed
to God for direction on how to raise such an unusual child. The angel
returned to Manoah's wife and when she retrieved her husband, he asked
the angel "What is to be the rule for the boy's life and work?" The
angel repeated what he had told Manoah's wife. After inviting the
angel to stay and have a meal (which the angel refused), Manoah asked
the angel his name so he could honor the angel when the boy was born.
What the angel had to say is what is striking to me this morning. The
angel told Manoah that his name was "beyond understanding" or
"wonderful", such that it was pointless for Manoah to ask it.
Apparently, the angel's name was beyond Manoah's ability to grasp it
in one way or another.
As is for many, I am sure, the interaction of angels and mankind is
just fascinating to me. A visit from heaven, a realm we know very
little of, yet exists as certainly as any other place we know of, is a
reminder that there is far more to life than we perceive. To have a
visitor from there is astonishing. Only in the accounts of a very few
events we read of in Scripture do we know of such contacts. Yet, in
some of the accounts, there seems to exist the teasing possibility of
much more interaction between heaven and earth that we might imagine,
much more going on.
Such an example comes to mind in Genesis 28 where we read of a vision
that Jacob had, "He had a dream in which he saw a stairway resting on
the earth, with its top reaching to heaven, and the angels of God were
ascending and descending on it." It turns out this dream was a vision
of a reality kept from us. Of the place, Bethel, Jacob said, "How
awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God; this
is the gate of heaven." Genesis 28:17.
I suspect there is much that surrounds us that we are entirely unaware
of. Just as when I watch a dog exploring with his nose a whole
dimension I know nothing of, there is that which is imperceptible,
that which we only get a peek of from time to time in the Scriptures -
a reality surrounding us that would astonish us to stumble upon.
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share
what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to
hear from you!
Trevor Fisk
trevor.fisk@gmail.com
majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of
him and what came to my mind and heart in Judges 13:17-18,
"Then Manoah inquired of the angel of the Lord, 'What is your name, so
that we may honor you when your word comes true?' He replied, 'Why do
you ask my name? It is beyond understanding.'"
The account of Samson's parents is an astonishing story. In a cycle
oft repeated in the book of Judges, Israel, yet again, turned from the
Lord and found herself under his judgment. We are told, "so the Lord
delivered them [the Israelites] into the hands of the Philistines for
forty years." After this period of time the Lord visited a couple,
Manoah and his wife. They would become the parents of the deliverer,
Samson, that the Lord would raise up to free Israel from the grip of
the Philistines following the forty years.
At first "the angel of the Lord" visited Manoah's wife and told her
she would bear a son that would be dedicated to the Lord as a
"Nazirite". As such she was not to drink alcohol or eat unclean food.
When Samson was born he was to never cut his hair, "No razor may be
used on his head." She reported this visit to her husband who prayed
to God for direction on how to raise such an unusual child. The angel
returned to Manoah's wife and when she retrieved her husband, he asked
the angel "What is to be the rule for the boy's life and work?" The
angel repeated what he had told Manoah's wife. After inviting the
angel to stay and have a meal (which the angel refused), Manoah asked
the angel his name so he could honor the angel when the boy was born.
What the angel had to say is what is striking to me this morning. The
angel told Manoah that his name was "beyond understanding" or
"wonderful", such that it was pointless for Manoah to ask it.
Apparently, the angel's name was beyond Manoah's ability to grasp it
in one way or another.
As is for many, I am sure, the interaction of angels and mankind is
just fascinating to me. A visit from heaven, a realm we know very
little of, yet exists as certainly as any other place we know of, is a
reminder that there is far more to life than we perceive. To have a
visitor from there is astonishing. Only in the accounts of a very few
events we read of in Scripture do we know of such contacts. Yet, in
some of the accounts, there seems to exist the teasing possibility of
much more interaction between heaven and earth that we might imagine,
much more going on.
Such an example comes to mind in Genesis 28 where we read of a vision
that Jacob had, "He had a dream in which he saw a stairway resting on
the earth, with its top reaching to heaven, and the angels of God were
ascending and descending on it." It turns out this dream was a vision
of a reality kept from us. Of the place, Bethel, Jacob said, "How
awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God; this
is the gate of heaven." Genesis 28:17.
I suspect there is much that surrounds us that we are entirely unaware
of. Just as when I watch a dog exploring with his nose a whole
dimension I know nothing of, there is that which is imperceptible,
that which we only get a peek of from time to time in the Scriptures -
a reality surrounding us that would astonish us to stumble upon.
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share
what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to
hear from you!
Trevor Fisk
trevor.fisk@gmail.com
Friday, November 9, 2012
Having the Holy Spirit come and acting wickedly - Ruminating in the Word of God
The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing,
majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of
him and what came to my mind and heart in Judges 11:29,
"Then the Spirit of the Lord came upon Jephthah."
From my perspective Jephthah represents just how far Israel had
wandered from her God. As Jephthah faced his military challenge of the
Ammonites, he felt compelled to make a vow to God to perform a human
sacrifice of whomever walked out his door when he returned home if God
would provide him the victory. "I will sacrifice it as a burnt
offering." Judges 11:31b. How far this nation had sunk in depravity!
To think that God's chosen people had gotten to the point that they
felt twisting his arm through human sacrifice was the way to gain his
help is astonishing. God wanted their hearts, not a human burnt
offering.
It strikes me that God's judgment of Jephthah may have been
orchestrated by God himself in having his only child come out that
door on the fateful day. It wasn't a servant or anyone else, it was
his only child! I'm just speculating here...
Jephthah's gamble crushed him, "Oh! My daughter! You have made me
miserable and wretched, because I have made a vow to the Lord that I
cannot break." No, I don't buy that for a minute. She didn't make him
miserable and wretched, he made himself miserable and wretched for
attempting to barter with God through human sacrifice.
Astonishingly, all this took place after "the Spirit of the Lord came
upon Jephthah"! What we learn from this is that God's Spirit can come
upon anyone to carry out what he desires, even when they act sinfully.
Further, at this time, even though the Holy Spirit enabled someone to
do what God had decided does not mean they had been transformed into
God's character and nature. Jephthah here is manifesting just how
sinful and removed he and the nation had become from God.
Yet, I read of Jephthah in Hebrews 11:32-40 where he in mentioned in a
list of those "commended for their faith", those of whom "the world
was not worthy". Jephthah was a man of faith. As noted in many places,
faith does not make a person perfect. David and Bathsheba, Abraham
lying, etc.
This is not the only example we see of someone being filled with God's
Spirit while doing evil. The fascinating account of King Saul having
the Spirit come upon him, resulting in him prophesying in the midst of
his insane attempt to murder David is another example of this, 1
Samuel 19. What I glean from this is that God is able to use anyone.
He is able to have his Spirit come upon people to accomplish things,
and, strikingly, it is not necessarily an indication of whether God is
pleased with them or things they may do. They may just be as sinful as
you and me!
I should mention that I certainly recognize the new ministry of the
Holy Spirit following Jesus' ascension to heaven. He told his
followers to stay put in Jerusalem till he sent them the Holy Spirit,
which happened on the following Pentecost. Today the Holy Spirit has a
wonderful part in the lives of believers by transforming us into the
image of Jesus Christ himself. Something we don't necessarily see in
some of the accounts in Israel's history.
Interesting, isn't it?
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share
what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to
hear from you!
Trevor Fisk
trevor.fisk@gmail.com
majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of
him and what came to my mind and heart in Judges 11:29,
"Then the Spirit of the Lord came upon Jephthah."
From my perspective Jephthah represents just how far Israel had
wandered from her God. As Jephthah faced his military challenge of the
Ammonites, he felt compelled to make a vow to God to perform a human
sacrifice of whomever walked out his door when he returned home if God
would provide him the victory. "I will sacrifice it as a burnt
offering." Judges 11:31b. How far this nation had sunk in depravity!
To think that God's chosen people had gotten to the point that they
felt twisting his arm through human sacrifice was the way to gain his
help is astonishing. God wanted their hearts, not a human burnt
offering.
It strikes me that God's judgment of Jephthah may have been
orchestrated by God himself in having his only child come out that
door on the fateful day. It wasn't a servant or anyone else, it was
his only child! I'm just speculating here...
Jephthah's gamble crushed him, "Oh! My daughter! You have made me
miserable and wretched, because I have made a vow to the Lord that I
cannot break." No, I don't buy that for a minute. She didn't make him
miserable and wretched, he made himself miserable and wretched for
attempting to barter with God through human sacrifice.
Astonishingly, all this took place after "the Spirit of the Lord came
upon Jephthah"! What we learn from this is that God's Spirit can come
upon anyone to carry out what he desires, even when they act sinfully.
Further, at this time, even though the Holy Spirit enabled someone to
do what God had decided does not mean they had been transformed into
God's character and nature. Jephthah here is manifesting just how
sinful and removed he and the nation had become from God.
Yet, I read of Jephthah in Hebrews 11:32-40 where he in mentioned in a
list of those "commended for their faith", those of whom "the world
was not worthy". Jephthah was a man of faith. As noted in many places,
faith does not make a person perfect. David and Bathsheba, Abraham
lying, etc.
This is not the only example we see of someone being filled with God's
Spirit while doing evil. The fascinating account of King Saul having
the Spirit come upon him, resulting in him prophesying in the midst of
his insane attempt to murder David is another example of this, 1
Samuel 19. What I glean from this is that God is able to use anyone.
He is able to have his Spirit come upon people to accomplish things,
and, strikingly, it is not necessarily an indication of whether God is
pleased with them or things they may do. They may just be as sinful as
you and me!
I should mention that I certainly recognize the new ministry of the
Holy Spirit following Jesus' ascension to heaven. He told his
followers to stay put in Jerusalem till he sent them the Holy Spirit,
which happened on the following Pentecost. Today the Holy Spirit has a
wonderful part in the lives of believers by transforming us into the
image of Jesus Christ himself. Something we don't necessarily see in
some of the accounts in Israel's history.
Interesting, isn't it?
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share
what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to
hear from you!
Trevor Fisk
trevor.fisk@gmail.com
Thursday, November 8, 2012
- Ruminating in the Word of God
The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing,
majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of
him and what came to my mind and heart in Judges 10:11-16,
"The Lord replied, 'When the Egyptians, the Amorites, the Ammonites,
the Philistines, the Sidonians, the Amalekites and the Maonites
oppressed you and you cried to me for help, did I not save you from
their hands? But you have forsaken me and served other gods, so I will
no longer save you. Go and cry out to the gods you have chosen. Let
them save you when you are in trouble!' But the Israelites said to the
Lord, 'We have sinned. Do with us whatever you think best, but please
rescue us now.' Then they got rid of the foreign gods among them and
served the Lord. And he could bear Israel's misery no longer."
I am struck with the wording that the Lord "could bear Israel's misery
no longer." After providing the Israelites deliverance from their
enemies, Israel turned its back on the Lord to go serve other Gods.
Yet again, they cried out to the Lord for help, acknowledging their
sin. Since he could not bear their misery he raised up a Jephthah to
subdue Israel's enemies once again.
This the Lord did after telling them he would no longer save them. The
theology of many in our day will not allow for the Lord to change his
mind and do what he just said he would not do. Apparently the Lord did
not consult the great minds of today and did as he pleased. What he
was pleased to do was to change his mind and save Israel yet again
when they cried out to him and repented of their sin and rebellion
against him. They got rid of their idols and served the Lord.
I am reminded that our God is not constrained with a prescripted
creation, that all that happens is preordained. The Scriptures never
tell us that all that happens has been determined ahead of time.
Certainly many things are predetermined, but not all things. When the
Lord created us, he was pleased to do so by incorporating within us a
will. The Lord interacts with us as we exercise that will. I am
mindful of Jeremiah 18:6-10, "'O house of Israel, can I not do with
you as this potter does?' declares the Lord. 'Like clay in the hand of
the potter, so are you in my hand, O house of Israel. If at any time I
announce that a nation or kingdom is to be uprooted, torn down and
destroyed, and if that nation I warned repents of its evil, then I
will relent and not inflict on it the disaster I had planned. And if
at another time I announce that a nation or kingdom is to be built up
and planted, and if it does evil in my sight and does not obey me,
then I will reconsider the good I had intended to do for it.'"
The Lord interacts with us in "real time". Don't let anyone tell you
anything different.
The other thing that catches my eye in the above passage is that the
Lord's heart was moved, "he could bear Israel's misery no longer."
Where the nation deserved nothing but the Lord's condemnation and
judgment, he extends is compassion. I can't begin to tell you how much
that means to me! Were it not for this compassion and kindness, where
would I be?
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share
what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to
hear from you!
Trevor Fisk
trevor.fisk@gmail.com
majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of
him and what came to my mind and heart in Judges 10:11-16,
"The Lord replied, 'When the Egyptians, the Amorites, the Ammonites,
the Philistines, the Sidonians, the Amalekites and the Maonites
oppressed you and you cried to me for help, did I not save you from
their hands? But you have forsaken me and served other gods, so I will
no longer save you. Go and cry out to the gods you have chosen. Let
them save you when you are in trouble!' But the Israelites said to the
Lord, 'We have sinned. Do with us whatever you think best, but please
rescue us now.' Then they got rid of the foreign gods among them and
served the Lord. And he could bear Israel's misery no longer."
I am struck with the wording that the Lord "could bear Israel's misery
no longer." After providing the Israelites deliverance from their
enemies, Israel turned its back on the Lord to go serve other Gods.
Yet again, they cried out to the Lord for help, acknowledging their
sin. Since he could not bear their misery he raised up a Jephthah to
subdue Israel's enemies once again.
This the Lord did after telling them he would no longer save them. The
theology of many in our day will not allow for the Lord to change his
mind and do what he just said he would not do. Apparently the Lord did
not consult the great minds of today and did as he pleased. What he
was pleased to do was to change his mind and save Israel yet again
when they cried out to him and repented of their sin and rebellion
against him. They got rid of their idols and served the Lord.
I am reminded that our God is not constrained with a prescripted
creation, that all that happens is preordained. The Scriptures never
tell us that all that happens has been determined ahead of time.
Certainly many things are predetermined, but not all things. When the
Lord created us, he was pleased to do so by incorporating within us a
will. The Lord interacts with us as we exercise that will. I am
mindful of Jeremiah 18:6-10, "'O house of Israel, can I not do with
you as this potter does?' declares the Lord. 'Like clay in the hand of
the potter, so are you in my hand, O house of Israel. If at any time I
announce that a nation or kingdom is to be uprooted, torn down and
destroyed, and if that nation I warned repents of its evil, then I
will relent and not inflict on it the disaster I had planned. And if
at another time I announce that a nation or kingdom is to be built up
and planted, and if it does evil in my sight and does not obey me,
then I will reconsider the good I had intended to do for it.'"
The Lord interacts with us in "real time". Don't let anyone tell you
anything different.
The other thing that catches my eye in the above passage is that the
Lord's heart was moved, "he could bear Israel's misery no longer."
Where the nation deserved nothing but the Lord's condemnation and
judgment, he extends is compassion. I can't begin to tell you how much
that means to me! Were it not for this compassion and kindness, where
would I be?
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share
what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to
hear from you!
Trevor Fisk
trevor.fisk@gmail.com
Wednesday, November 7, 2012
Vitiating the Lord's Compassion - Ruminating in the Word of God
The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing,
majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of
him and what came to my mind and heart in Judges 8:22-27,
"The Israelites said to Gideon, 'Rule over us—you, your son and your
grandson—because you have saved us out of the hand of Midian.' But
Gideon told them, 'I will not rule over you, nor will my son rule over
you. The Lord will rule over you.' And he said, 'I do have one
request, that each of you give me an earring from your share of the
plunder.' (It was the custom of the Ishmaelites to wear gold
earrings.)... Gideon made the gold into an ephod, which he placed in
Ophrah, his town. All Israel prostituted themselves by worshiping it
there, and it became a snare to Gideon and his family."
We are told in Judges 6 that the Midianites oppressed the Israelites
for seven years. So great was the devastation Midian brought on Israel
that they had to flee to shelters they made in mountain clefts, caves
and strongholds. They had become so impoverished, that in the midst of
their sin, rebellion and idolatry, they cried out to the Lord for
deliverance. It was then that the Lord raised up Gideon, and through
him and a mere 300 troops, the Lord brought relief for the Israelites
and their deliverance from the Midianites.
From the account we learn that the Lord did so out of his own
compassion for Israel. From a broader standpoint, the whole of it was
to gain Israel's attention, that they not have to face an even greater
judgment from him - a judgment they would eventually encounter. The
Lord's compassion and kindness found its expression for Israel in the
victory he provided the nation. The victory itself provided some
booty, and promptly that booty became an object of Israel's further
sin, rebellion and idolatry: the golden ephod Gideon made.
A person might think the Lord's compassion would bring a desire and a
devotion for him from his people. I am reminded of Paul's challenge,
"Do you show contempt for the riches of his [God's] kindness,
tolerance and patience, not realizing that God's kindness leads you
toward repentance?" Romans 2:4. Here we see Israel taking the very
evidence of God's compassion, the booty from the victory God provided,
used in sinful and rebellious idolatry against their God of
unfathomable compassion!
These are the very people of whom Jesus lamented, "O Jerusalem,
Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how
often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers
her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing!" Luke 13:34.
These are the very people for whom the Lord came and died a miserable
death on that cross that they might have opportunity to enter into
God's kingdom, to have a place at his table, to enjoy the Lord in
paradise for an eternity! As a nation, Israel typifies all mankind,
and all mankind has been the recipient of God's wonderful love and
compassion.
How is it this love and compassion of our God remains extended to us,
even when the manifestation of that love and compassion becomes an
object of sin, rebellion and idolatry? What kind of unfathomable love
is this?!
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share
what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to
hear from you!
Trevor Fisk
trevor.fisk@gmail.com
majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of
him and what came to my mind and heart in Judges 8:22-27,
"The Israelites said to Gideon, 'Rule over us—you, your son and your
grandson—because you have saved us out of the hand of Midian.' But
Gideon told them, 'I will not rule over you, nor will my son rule over
you. The Lord will rule over you.' And he said, 'I do have one
request, that each of you give me an earring from your share of the
plunder.' (It was the custom of the Ishmaelites to wear gold
earrings.)... Gideon made the gold into an ephod, which he placed in
Ophrah, his town. All Israel prostituted themselves by worshiping it
there, and it became a snare to Gideon and his family."
We are told in Judges 6 that the Midianites oppressed the Israelites
for seven years. So great was the devastation Midian brought on Israel
that they had to flee to shelters they made in mountain clefts, caves
and strongholds. They had become so impoverished, that in the midst of
their sin, rebellion and idolatry, they cried out to the Lord for
deliverance. It was then that the Lord raised up Gideon, and through
him and a mere 300 troops, the Lord brought relief for the Israelites
and their deliverance from the Midianites.
From the account we learn that the Lord did so out of his own
compassion for Israel. From a broader standpoint, the whole of it was
to gain Israel's attention, that they not have to face an even greater
judgment from him - a judgment they would eventually encounter. The
Lord's compassion and kindness found its expression for Israel in the
victory he provided the nation. The victory itself provided some
booty, and promptly that booty became an object of Israel's further
sin, rebellion and idolatry: the golden ephod Gideon made.
A person might think the Lord's compassion would bring a desire and a
devotion for him from his people. I am reminded of Paul's challenge,
"Do you show contempt for the riches of his [God's] kindness,
tolerance and patience, not realizing that God's kindness leads you
toward repentance?" Romans 2:4. Here we see Israel taking the very
evidence of God's compassion, the booty from the victory God provided,
used in sinful and rebellious idolatry against their God of
unfathomable compassion!
These are the very people of whom Jesus lamented, "O Jerusalem,
Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how
often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers
her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing!" Luke 13:34.
These are the very people for whom the Lord came and died a miserable
death on that cross that they might have opportunity to enter into
God's kingdom, to have a place at his table, to enjoy the Lord in
paradise for an eternity! As a nation, Israel typifies all mankind,
and all mankind has been the recipient of God's wonderful love and
compassion.
How is it this love and compassion of our God remains extended to us,
even when the manifestation of that love and compassion becomes an
object of sin, rebellion and idolatry? What kind of unfathomable love
is this?!
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share
what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to
hear from you!
Trevor Fisk
trevor.fisk@gmail.com
Tuesday, November 6, 2012
Divinely inspired distress - Ruminating in the Word of God
The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing,
majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of
him and what came to my mind and heart in Judges 10:6-10,
"Again the Israelites did evil in the eyes of the Lord. They served
the Baals and the Ashtoreths, and the gods of Aram, the gods of Sidon,
the gods of Moab, the gods of the Ammonites and the gods of the
Philistines. And because the Israelites forsook the Lord and no longer
served him, he became angry with them. He sold them into the hands of
the Philistines and the Ammonites, who that year shattered and crushed
them. For eighteen years they oppressed all the Israelites on the east
side of the Jordan in Gilead, the land of the Amorites. The Ammonites
also crossed the Jordan to fight against Judah, Benjamin and the house
of Ephraim; and Israel was in great distress. Then the Israelites
cried out to the Lord, 'We have sinned against you, forsaking our God
and serving the Baals.'"
Reflecting the depraved nature of mankind's sinful nature, Israel
engaged in worshiping the invented deities of the peoples they had
contact with. From the above account it seems they pursued any cult,
any religion, any "ism" but God himself. They displaced God in their
personal lives as well as the life of the nation. I note that it was
the Gentile nations in the midst of their activities of child
sacrifice and temple prostitution that the Israelites joined with. It
is not just Israel, it is all mankind.
God's sense of justice, his very own nature, demands judgment for sin
and rebellion. While I may wish God's love will preclude all judgment,
it is not going to be the case. The Bible that tells me God is love
also tells me that when Jesus Christ returns here from heaven it will
look like this, "I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a
white horse, whose rider [Jesus Christ] is called Faithful and True.
With justice he judges and makes war. His eyes are like blazing fire,
and on his head are many crowns. He has a name written on him that no
one knows but he himself. He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and
his name is the Word of God. The armies of heaven were following him,
riding on white horses and dressed in fine linen, white and clean. Out
of his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the
nations. 'He will rule them with an iron scepter.' He treads the
winepress of the fury of the wrath of God Almighty. On his robe and on
his thigh he has this name written: King of kings and Lord of lords."
Revelation 19:11-16.
In the following chapter we read about the fearful end of all sinners,
"Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. Earth
and sky fled from his presence, and there was no place for them. And I
saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books
were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The
dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the
books. The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades
gave up the dead that were in them, and each person was judged
according to what he had done. Then death and Hades were thrown into
the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death. If anyone's
name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the
lake of fire." Revelation 20:11-15.
Having said this, there is a very important observation to be made
regarding the Israelites relative to their suffering in Judges 10. The
Lord caused it and we are informed as to why the Lord brought about it
about. It resulted in Israel crying out to the Lord for deliverance.
The Lord used distress to get their attention that they might reach
out to him.
The scene provided us in Revelation of the great white throne judgment
is horrific and without any possible remedy. In light of that, the
Lord, in his great love for us will at times bring misery, suffering
or distress into our lives to draw us to him. Otherwise we may not
recognize our great need of his deliverance, seek his salvation and
make that choice to escape that "fiery lake of burning sulfur"
Revelation 21:8 to join his family, have a place at his table and
enjoy him in paradise for all eternity.
This is the point Paul was making in Acts 17:26-27, "From one man he
made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth;
and he determined the times set for them and the exact places where
they should live. God did this so that men would seek him and perhaps
reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of
us." As God does this he will often engage in something Paul observes
in Romans 8:20-21, "The creation was subjected to frustration, not by
its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope
that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay
and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God."
The Lord will bring distress, suffering and misery at times out of a
great love for us so that we sense our need of him, we sense our need
of deliverance, reach out to him and embrace him in faith. He does
this that we not bask in health, prosperity, comfort and a pleasant
existence that will keep us spiritually asleep until we find ourselves
left out of the Lamb's book of life and cast into that lake of fire.
Divinely inspired distress is an expression of God's great love for
each one of us.
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share
what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to
hear from you!
Trevor Fisk
trevor.fisk@gmail.com
majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of
him and what came to my mind and heart in Judges 10:6-10,
"Again the Israelites did evil in the eyes of the Lord. They served
the Baals and the Ashtoreths, and the gods of Aram, the gods of Sidon,
the gods of Moab, the gods of the Ammonites and the gods of the
Philistines. And because the Israelites forsook the Lord and no longer
served him, he became angry with them. He sold them into the hands of
the Philistines and the Ammonites, who that year shattered and crushed
them. For eighteen years they oppressed all the Israelites on the east
side of the Jordan in Gilead, the land of the Amorites. The Ammonites
also crossed the Jordan to fight against Judah, Benjamin and the house
of Ephraim; and Israel was in great distress. Then the Israelites
cried out to the Lord, 'We have sinned against you, forsaking our God
and serving the Baals.'"
Reflecting the depraved nature of mankind's sinful nature, Israel
engaged in worshiping the invented deities of the peoples they had
contact with. From the above account it seems they pursued any cult,
any religion, any "ism" but God himself. They displaced God in their
personal lives as well as the life of the nation. I note that it was
the Gentile nations in the midst of their activities of child
sacrifice and temple prostitution that the Israelites joined with. It
is not just Israel, it is all mankind.
God's sense of justice, his very own nature, demands judgment for sin
and rebellion. While I may wish God's love will preclude all judgment,
it is not going to be the case. The Bible that tells me God is love
also tells me that when Jesus Christ returns here from heaven it will
look like this, "I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a
white horse, whose rider [Jesus Christ] is called Faithful and True.
With justice he judges and makes war. His eyes are like blazing fire,
and on his head are many crowns. He has a name written on him that no
one knows but he himself. He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and
his name is the Word of God. The armies of heaven were following him,
riding on white horses and dressed in fine linen, white and clean. Out
of his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the
nations. 'He will rule them with an iron scepter.' He treads the
winepress of the fury of the wrath of God Almighty. On his robe and on
his thigh he has this name written: King of kings and Lord of lords."
Revelation 19:11-16.
In the following chapter we read about the fearful end of all sinners,
"Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. Earth
and sky fled from his presence, and there was no place for them. And I
saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books
were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The
dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the
books. The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades
gave up the dead that were in them, and each person was judged
according to what he had done. Then death and Hades were thrown into
the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death. If anyone's
name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the
lake of fire." Revelation 20:11-15.
Having said this, there is a very important observation to be made
regarding the Israelites relative to their suffering in Judges 10. The
Lord caused it and we are informed as to why the Lord brought about it
about. It resulted in Israel crying out to the Lord for deliverance.
The Lord used distress to get their attention that they might reach
out to him.
The scene provided us in Revelation of the great white throne judgment
is horrific and without any possible remedy. In light of that, the
Lord, in his great love for us will at times bring misery, suffering
or distress into our lives to draw us to him. Otherwise we may not
recognize our great need of his deliverance, seek his salvation and
make that choice to escape that "fiery lake of burning sulfur"
Revelation 21:8 to join his family, have a place at his table and
enjoy him in paradise for all eternity.
This is the point Paul was making in Acts 17:26-27, "From one man he
made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth;
and he determined the times set for them and the exact places where
they should live. God did this so that men would seek him and perhaps
reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of
us." As God does this he will often engage in something Paul observes
in Romans 8:20-21, "The creation was subjected to frustration, not by
its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope
that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay
and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God."
The Lord will bring distress, suffering and misery at times out of a
great love for us so that we sense our need of him, we sense our need
of deliverance, reach out to him and embrace him in faith. He does
this that we not bask in health, prosperity, comfort and a pleasant
existence that will keep us spiritually asleep until we find ourselves
left out of the Lamb's book of life and cast into that lake of fire.
Divinely inspired distress is an expression of God's great love for
each one of us.
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share
what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to
hear from you!
Trevor Fisk
trevor.fisk@gmail.com
Monday, November 5, 2012
Do curses work? - Ruminating in the Word of God
The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing,
majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of
him and what came to my mind and heart in Judges 9:56-57,
"Thus God repaid the wickedness that Abimelech had done to his father
by murdering his seventy brothers. God also made the men of Shechem
pay for all their wickedness. The curse of Jotham son of Jerub-Baal
came on them."
The account of Abimelech and the men of Shechem is quite a story in
Judges 9. Together, they plotted and murdered Abimelech's seventy
half-brothers so he could rule Sheckem. These seventy as well as
Abimelech were the sons of Gideon, the judge, or leader, that God
raised up to deliver Israel from the Midianites.
One of Gideon's sons, Jotham, escaped and cursed the men of Shechem
and Abimelech from the top of Mount Gerizim, "If then you have acted
honorably and in good faith toward Jerub-Baal [Gideon] and his family
today, may Abimelech be your joy, and may you be his, too! But if you
have not, let fire come out from Abimelech and consume you, citizens
of Shechem and Beth Millo, and let fire come out from you, citizens of
Shechem and Beth Millo, and consume Abimelech!" Judges 9:19-20.
We read that Jotham's curse is fulfilled three years later, Judges
9:22-24. "After Abimelech had governed Israel three years, God sent an
evil spirit between Abimelech and the citizens of Shechem, who acted
treacherously against Abimelech. God did this in order that the crime
against Jerub-Baal's seventy sons, the shedding of their blood, might
be avenged on their brother Abimelech and on the citizens of Shechem,
who had helped him murder his brothers." The full account of what took
place is found in chapter 9.
Here is a case where a curse "worked". Men plotted and carried out
evil and one of the survivors cursed the wicked men. What ever these
wicked men intended and looked forward to fell victim to the curse
given against them. I note several things about this account.
The curse was consistent with God's sense of justice and may be viewed
as a portending of God's certain judgment against the wicked. I also
see that the fulfillment of the curse came three years later, not
immediately. From this I see that God's justice is not always
immediate, but is always certain. Abimelech and the men of Shechem
were nothing but dead men from the day of the slaughter and of
Jotham's curse. We can glean enough from the account to know that it
was not Jotham's will that made the fate of these wicked certain
(although he certainly wanted it). It was not the verbal recipe of
words, (which many misunderstand where the power of a curse comes
from), that sealed the fate of these wicked men. It was God's sense of
justice and his certain judgment that insured Jotham's curse would
come to fulfillment. As Paul says in Galatians 6:7, "Do not be
deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows."
Do curses work? This one was certainly fulfilled. "The curse of Jotham
son of Jerub-Baal came on them." However, nothing in the account gives
credence to the notion that Jotham had a special ability or a "gift"
to utter potent curses. The account is about what and why God did what
he did, not Jotham. I am reminded of the fearful nature of God
justice, "We know him who said, 'It is mine to avenge; I will repay,'
and again, 'The Lord will judge his people.' It is a dreadful thing to
fall into the hands of the living God." Hebrews 10:30-31
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share
what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to
hear from you!
Trevor Fisk
trevor.fisk@gmail.com
majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of
him and what came to my mind and heart in Judges 9:56-57,
"Thus God repaid the wickedness that Abimelech had done to his father
by murdering his seventy brothers. God also made the men of Shechem
pay for all their wickedness. The curse of Jotham son of Jerub-Baal
came on them."
The account of Abimelech and the men of Shechem is quite a story in
Judges 9. Together, they plotted and murdered Abimelech's seventy
half-brothers so he could rule Sheckem. These seventy as well as
Abimelech were the sons of Gideon, the judge, or leader, that God
raised up to deliver Israel from the Midianites.
One of Gideon's sons, Jotham, escaped and cursed the men of Shechem
and Abimelech from the top of Mount Gerizim, "If then you have acted
honorably and in good faith toward Jerub-Baal [Gideon] and his family
today, may Abimelech be your joy, and may you be his, too! But if you
have not, let fire come out from Abimelech and consume you, citizens
of Shechem and Beth Millo, and let fire come out from you, citizens of
Shechem and Beth Millo, and consume Abimelech!" Judges 9:19-20.
We read that Jotham's curse is fulfilled three years later, Judges
9:22-24. "After Abimelech had governed Israel three years, God sent an
evil spirit between Abimelech and the citizens of Shechem, who acted
treacherously against Abimelech. God did this in order that the crime
against Jerub-Baal's seventy sons, the shedding of their blood, might
be avenged on their brother Abimelech and on the citizens of Shechem,
who had helped him murder his brothers." The full account of what took
place is found in chapter 9.
Here is a case where a curse "worked". Men plotted and carried out
evil and one of the survivors cursed the wicked men. What ever these
wicked men intended and looked forward to fell victim to the curse
given against them. I note several things about this account.
The curse was consistent with God's sense of justice and may be viewed
as a portending of God's certain judgment against the wicked. I also
see that the fulfillment of the curse came three years later, not
immediately. From this I see that God's justice is not always
immediate, but is always certain. Abimelech and the men of Shechem
were nothing but dead men from the day of the slaughter and of
Jotham's curse. We can glean enough from the account to know that it
was not Jotham's will that made the fate of these wicked certain
(although he certainly wanted it). It was not the verbal recipe of
words, (which many misunderstand where the power of a curse comes
from), that sealed the fate of these wicked men. It was God's sense of
justice and his certain judgment that insured Jotham's curse would
come to fulfillment. As Paul says in Galatians 6:7, "Do not be
deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows."
Do curses work? This one was certainly fulfilled. "The curse of Jotham
son of Jerub-Baal came on them." However, nothing in the account gives
credence to the notion that Jotham had a special ability or a "gift"
to utter potent curses. The account is about what and why God did what
he did, not Jotham. I am reminded of the fearful nature of God
justice, "We know him who said, 'It is mine to avenge; I will repay,'
and again, 'The Lord will judge his people.' It is a dreadful thing to
fall into the hands of the living God." Hebrews 10:30-31
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share
what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to
hear from you!
Trevor Fisk
trevor.fisk@gmail.com
Thursday, November 1, 2012
Who has your heart? - Ruminating in the Word of God
The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing,
majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of
him and what came to my mind and heart in Judges 8:33-35,
"No sooner had Gideon died than the Israelites again prostituted
themselves to the Baals. They set up Baal-Berith as their god and did
not remember the Lord their God, who had rescued them from the hands
of all their enemies on every side. They also failed to show kindness
to the family of Jerub-Baal (that is, Gideon) for all the good things
he had done for them."
What an indictment for any people! As soon as Gideon died, the leader
God used to deliver Israel from the devastation the Midianites brought
upon Israel, they forgot about God and "failed to show kindness" to
Gideon's family! How quickly they turned! It recalls for me how
quickly Americans turned from their renewed interest in the things of
God following the attack on 9/11. Just as soon as it appeared the
danger was over, so was their renewed interest in God. It isn't just
Israel, it is all people. The heart of mankind is is rife with a
sinful disregard and rejection of its Creator.
The promiscuous worship of idols for Israel, the immersion of our
nation in materialism and a "pop-culture" that reflects and even
celebrates a collective sinful nature demonstrates this disregard and
rejection of our Creator. As if the acts themselves are not bad
enough, I am reminded that they reflect the very expression of the
heart of mankind. Even when the nation of Israel did "all the right
things" it was their hearts the Lord wanted and did not get.
Later in Israel's history, in this regard, I recall the Lord's
observation, "These people come near to me with their mouth and honor
me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me." Isaiah 29:13.
It is our hearts the Lord desires. I get the feeling from time to time
that God is regarded as the great cosmic disciplinarian whose sole
purpose it is to make us behave, to keep us from our mischievousness
or at least keep it to a minimum.
As I read the Scriptures I sense the acts of sinful man grieve the
heart of God for the reason those acts manifest he does not have our
hearts. I am not saying he does not find our sinful acts abominable.
I'm certain he does. And I am just as certain that those acts are the
very things that inspire our Creator's wrath that will certainly find
its full expression in judgment. But there is a desire within the
heart of the Lord for us, a love for us that seeks our reciprocation.
I find it in verses such as, "Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the
prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to
gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her
wings, and you were not willing." Luke 13:34.
I suspect on judgment day, when all those who do not have their names
written in the Book of Life are cast into that fiery lake of burning
sulfur, just as God's sense of justice is satisfied on that day, at
the same time his heart will grieve. I believe he will grieve due to
the tremendous love he has expressed for all mankind in sending his
own Son of his love to die that miserable death on that cross such
that we might have our names written in that wonderful book.
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share
what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to
hear from you!
Trevor Fisk
trevor.fisk@gmail.com
majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of
him and what came to my mind and heart in Judges 8:33-35,
"No sooner had Gideon died than the Israelites again prostituted
themselves to the Baals. They set up Baal-Berith as their god and did
not remember the Lord their God, who had rescued them from the hands
of all their enemies on every side. They also failed to show kindness
to the family of Jerub-Baal (that is, Gideon) for all the good things
he had done for them."
What an indictment for any people! As soon as Gideon died, the leader
God used to deliver Israel from the devastation the Midianites brought
upon Israel, they forgot about God and "failed to show kindness" to
Gideon's family! How quickly they turned! It recalls for me how
quickly Americans turned from their renewed interest in the things of
God following the attack on 9/11. Just as soon as it appeared the
danger was over, so was their renewed interest in God. It isn't just
Israel, it is all people. The heart of mankind is is rife with a
sinful disregard and rejection of its Creator.
The promiscuous worship of idols for Israel, the immersion of our
nation in materialism and a "pop-culture" that reflects and even
celebrates a collective sinful nature demonstrates this disregard and
rejection of our Creator. As if the acts themselves are not bad
enough, I am reminded that they reflect the very expression of the
heart of mankind. Even when the nation of Israel did "all the right
things" it was their hearts the Lord wanted and did not get.
Later in Israel's history, in this regard, I recall the Lord's
observation, "These people come near to me with their mouth and honor
me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me." Isaiah 29:13.
It is our hearts the Lord desires. I get the feeling from time to time
that God is regarded as the great cosmic disciplinarian whose sole
purpose it is to make us behave, to keep us from our mischievousness
or at least keep it to a minimum.
As I read the Scriptures I sense the acts of sinful man grieve the
heart of God for the reason those acts manifest he does not have our
hearts. I am not saying he does not find our sinful acts abominable.
I'm certain he does. And I am just as certain that those acts are the
very things that inspire our Creator's wrath that will certainly find
its full expression in judgment. But there is a desire within the
heart of the Lord for us, a love for us that seeks our reciprocation.
I find it in verses such as, "Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the
prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to
gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her
wings, and you were not willing." Luke 13:34.
I suspect on judgment day, when all those who do not have their names
written in the Book of Life are cast into that fiery lake of burning
sulfur, just as God's sense of justice is satisfied on that day, at
the same time his heart will grieve. I believe he will grieve due to
the tremendous love he has expressed for all mankind in sending his
own Son of his love to die that miserable death on that cross such
that we might have our names written in that wonderful book.
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share
what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to
hear from you!
Trevor Fisk
trevor.fisk@gmail.com
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