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 Luke 23:35,39 ,
"He saved others; let him save himself if he is the Christ of God, the
Chosen One." "Aren't you the Christ? Save yourself and us!"
These are among the insults hurled at Jesus as he hung on the cross.
The first I quoted was by the on-lookers and the rulers of the Jews.
The second by one of the criminals that was crucified along with
Jesus.
These insults betrayed a misunderstanding of what Jesus Christ came to
do. As Jesus told his followers after his resurrection, "This is what
is written: The Christ will suffer and rise from the dead on the third
day, and repentance and forgiveness of sins will be preached in his
name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem." Luke 24:46-47. Prior to
this, also following his resurrection, Jesus approached a disciple
named Cleopas and a companion heading for Emmaus. The two were
discussing Jesus' crucifixion and "their faces were downcast". Jesus
told them, "'How foolish you are, and how slow of heart to believe all
that the prophets have spoken! Did not the Christ have to suffer these
things and then enter his glory?' And beginning with Moses and all the
Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures
concerning himself."
These accounts manifest the great misunderstanding of what "the Christ
of God" was sent to do. Jesus Christ did not come as a great ethical
teacher to rehabilitate the misbehaving. Some today are still confused
about this. "The Christ of God" did not come to provide national
superiority for Israel or any other nation. Some today are still
confused about this. "The Christ of God" did not come to end "social
disparities", "injustice", the plight of the poor or the sick or the
infirm. Some today are still confused about this. "The Christ of God"
did not come to authenticate my theology or your denomination. Some
today are still confused about this. "The Christ of God" did not come
to bring peace and tranquility among the nations or remove crime from
our streets. Some today are still confused about this.
I have to think, given the misunderstanding, the misinterpretation,
the confusion, the ignorance, the arguments, the assumptions about
Jesus Christ that continue to persist today, it must be that people
look about themselves, and as they observe what they see as wrong with
our lost and fallen world living an estranged existence from God, they
seek to conform the purpose for which Jesus Christ came to whatever it
is they wish would change.
Jesus Christ, as God's one and only Son, came to planet earth with his
own agenda, his own objective and he achieved exactly what he came to
do. What he came to do was to take the sins of all mankind for all
time upon himself and pay the penalty for all of that sin by taking
our punishment on himself as he died on that cross. As noted in Luke
24:46-47, Jesus came to suffer and then rise from the dead on the
third day so that the gospel could go out to all nations. As the
apostle John observes, "He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and
not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world." 1 John
2:2. In a couple of chapters later John tells us, "This is love: not
that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning
sacrifice for our sins." 1 John 4:10.
As the Christ, Jesus is many things. But what he came to do was to
offer himself upon a cross to satisfy his Father's justice for my sin
and your sin, making a way for us to enter into his family. All he
asks of us is to trust in him. Believe in him. May we all reflect that
in our lives today.
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, October 31, 2012
Tuesday, October 30, 2012
Is that the Lord's hand in my life? - 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 7:22,
"When the three hundred trumpets sounded, the Lord caused the men
throughout the camp to turn on each other with their swords."
In a stunning account we read how Gideon, with a force of only 300
men, routed the vast army of the Midianites. And, did so with the aid
of trumpets and jars - not the typical weapons of warfare. Gideon
certainly had plenty of opportunity to recognize just who it was that
provided the victory. Indeed, the Lord had pared Gideon's original
fighting force of thirty-two thousand down to three hundred for the
specific purpose of insuring the Israelites not make the mistake that
the victory was of their own doing. "The Lord said to Gideon, 'You
have too many men for me to deliver Midian into their hands. In order
that Israel may not boast against me that her own strength has saved
her...'", and then the Lord tells Gideon to send most of the fighting
men home. See Judges 7:2-8. So, to be sure, it wasn't Gideon with 300
fighting men that routed the Midianites, but the Lord using Gideon and
the 300 men with trumpets and jars.
While Gideon had ample revelation to know what the Lord was doing
during this event, not all of the Lord's acts are as obvious to the
observer when things take place.This brings to mind a reoccurring
thought that comes to me. When events take place in my life, in the
lives of those around me, in our nation and so forth, am I recognizing
just who is responsible when something happens? In other words, am I
recognizing the wonderful and/or fearful works of the Lord on my
behalf, on behalf of others, when such acknowledgement is due? And, on
the flip side, do I recognize the events that are not the cause of the
Lord, but that possibly he gets the blame for? "Acts of God" is a
disclaimer often found in insurance policies and other places. Are
they always really specific acts of God? Or, as when people, who have
endured very difficult events in their lives, such as the loss of a
child and so forth, can become embittered toward the Lord for "taking"
the life of a loved one. Is it always the Lord that causes these kinds
of circumstances when they take place?
In my mind, true worship is the acknowledgement of both the wonderful
perfections and qualities of our Creator as well as his wonderful and
fearful acts on our behalf. For me to be able to worship the Lord
acceptably, it seems to me that I need to know something of the Lord's
character and nature as well as to be able to recognize when it is him
who acts. "Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be
shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with
reverence and awe, for our 'God is a consuming fire.'"
May we all grow in our ability to recognize the Lord's hand when he
moves in our lives!
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 7:22,
"When the three hundred trumpets sounded, the Lord caused the men
throughout the camp to turn on each other with their swords."
In a stunning account we read how Gideon, with a force of only 300
men, routed the vast army of the Midianites. And, did so with the aid
of trumpets and jars - not the typical weapons of warfare. Gideon
certainly had plenty of opportunity to recognize just who it was that
provided the victory. Indeed, the Lord had pared Gideon's original
fighting force of thirty-two thousand down to three hundred for the
specific purpose of insuring the Israelites not make the mistake that
the victory was of their own doing. "The Lord said to Gideon, 'You
have too many men for me to deliver Midian into their hands. In order
that Israel may not boast against me that her own strength has saved
her...'", and then the Lord tells Gideon to send most of the fighting
men home. See Judges 7:2-8. So, to be sure, it wasn't Gideon with 300
fighting men that routed the Midianites, but the Lord using Gideon and
the 300 men with trumpets and jars.
While Gideon had ample revelation to know what the Lord was doing
during this event, not all of the Lord's acts are as obvious to the
observer when things take place.This brings to mind a reoccurring
thought that comes to me. When events take place in my life, in the
lives of those around me, in our nation and so forth, am I recognizing
just who is responsible when something happens? In other words, am I
recognizing the wonderful and/or fearful works of the Lord on my
behalf, on behalf of others, when such acknowledgement is due? And, on
the flip side, do I recognize the events that are not the cause of the
Lord, but that possibly he gets the blame for? "Acts of God" is a
disclaimer often found in insurance policies and other places. Are
they always really specific acts of God? Or, as when people, who have
endured very difficult events in their lives, such as the loss of a
child and so forth, can become embittered toward the Lord for "taking"
the life of a loved one. Is it always the Lord that causes these kinds
of circumstances when they take place?
In my mind, true worship is the acknowledgement of both the wonderful
perfections and qualities of our Creator as well as his wonderful and
fearful acts on our behalf. For me to be able to worship the Lord
acceptably, it seems to me that I need to know something of the Lord's
character and nature as well as to be able to recognize when it is him
who acts. "Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be
shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with
reverence and awe, for our 'God is a consuming fire.'"
May we all grow in our ability to recognize the Lord's hand when he
moves in our lives!
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, October 29, 2012
How strong does faith need to be? - 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 7:9-10,
"During that night the Lord said to Gideon, 'Get up, go down against
the camp, because I am going to give it into your hands. If you are
afraid to attack, go down to the camp with your servant Purah and
listen to what they are saying. Afterward, you will be encouraged to
attack the camp.' So he and Purah his servant went down to the
outposts of the camp."
When the Lord told Gideon to attack the camp of the Midianites, he
provided Gideon an opportunity to assuage his fear. He could go down
to the Midianite camp and listen to one man telling another that his
dream meant the Lord was going to give the Midianites into Gideon's
hands. Gideon's response to this was to worship God and call his men
to action.
It is hard to be critical of Gideon. The Lord had pared his army of
thirty two thousand troops down to just 300 to fight against a
Midianite army so vast, they were described as "...swarms of locusts.
It was impossible to count the men and their camels". Judges 6:5. I am
certain any right-minded person would be fearful against such odds.
However, the Lord had told Gideon he would give the Midianites into
his hands - but he wasn't reassured until he heard the interpretation
of a dream from within the enemy camp.
Gideon had already been given marching orders by the Lord. He knew
what the Lord wanted him to do. Yet Gideon asked for a "sign" to
insure he was hearing the Lord correctly, that it really was the Lord
who was speaking to him. As a result we read about how Gideon prepared
a sacrifice for the Lord and the angel of the Lord consumed the meat
and the bread with fire right in front of him by simply touching it
with his staff, "fire flared from the rock". Verse 6:21. Gideon
exclaimed, "Ah, Sovereign Lord! I have seen the angel of the Lord face
to face!" 6:22.
Not only this, Gideon further asked for a sign from the Lord to
provide assurance that he really would save Israel through him. He
asked the Lord to make the morning dew collect only on a fleece and
not the ground. The Lord did so. Gideon asked again, this time to make
the morning dew collect on the ground but keep it off the fleece. The
Lord did so.
Gideon further revealed his challenged faith by following through on
the Lord's command to tear down his father's Baal altar and "Asherah"
pole and replace them with an altar to the Lord. Gideon did so - but
only at night, "So Gideon took ten of his servants and did as the Lord
told him. But because he was afraid of his family and the men of the
town, he did it at night rather than in the daytime." Judges 6:27.
Gideon is acknowledged as a man of faith in Hebrews 11:32-38. He is
listed among those whose faith was such that it is said, "the world
was not worthy of them." As I note in these passages in Judges, I find
some fascinating things about this faith of Gideon, a faith he is
honored in the Scriptures for, a faith that yielded the world unworthy
of him.
The first is Gideon had faith, but it was a faith that needed
nurturing, it required authenticating responses from the Lord. I don't
know what kind of yardstick might be used to measure faith, but from
these accounts it was anything but a "perfect faith".
The second - and most astonishing - is the Lord worked with what faith
Gideon had, met him where his faith took him and provided what Gideon
would need to accomplish what the Lord had for him to do. Gideon had
faith and where that faith was weak, the Lord encouraged and
strengthened it.
I wish I were a great man of faith. Because I am not, these passages
about Gideon hold great interest for me. My faith may not be perfect,
but that does not mean there is no hope for me. How much faith does it
take to gain a standing of righteousness in God's sight? From Gideon,
I learn that the Lord does in fact work with those who have an
"imperfect faith".
Don't ask me what an "imperfect faith" is, because I couldn't say.
What I can say is that Gideon's faith required encouragement,
strengthening. In my mind it was not a perfect faith. Yet he was a man
of faith, acknowledged with great honor in the Scriptures. How much
faith does it take? Does faith have to be "perfect" in order to secure
our salvation?
I am reminded of Jesus' statement when his apostles asked him to
increase their faith, "If you have faith as small as a mustard seed,
you can say to this mulberry tree, 'Be uprooted and planted in the
sea,' and it will obey you." Luke 17:6. In Matthew 17:20-21 we read,
"I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed,
you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there' and it will
move. Nothing will be impossible for you."
Perhaps many of us can relate to the father of a demon possessed boy
who begged Jesus to heal him. When Jesus told him "Everything is
possible for him who believes", the man exclaimed, "I do believe; help
me overcome my unbelief!" Jesus healed the boy.
I do believe the Lord aids us when we respond to him with a faith as
small as a mustard seed. What I see in Judges 6 is that the Lord can
work with those of us who have imperfect faith. Faith, yes. We need to
believe, we need to trust. And when we may begin to question how
strong our faith is, I find comfort in the accounts of Gideon. If
nothing else, Judges is book all about faith. A lack of faith, a
little faith and how the Lord responds to what faith we do or do not
have.
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 7:9-10,
"During that night the Lord said to Gideon, 'Get up, go down against
the camp, because I am going to give it into your hands. If you are
afraid to attack, go down to the camp with your servant Purah and
listen to what they are saying. Afterward, you will be encouraged to
attack the camp.' So he and Purah his servant went down to the
outposts of the camp."
When the Lord told Gideon to attack the camp of the Midianites, he
provided Gideon an opportunity to assuage his fear. He could go down
to the Midianite camp and listen to one man telling another that his
dream meant the Lord was going to give the Midianites into Gideon's
hands. Gideon's response to this was to worship God and call his men
to action.
It is hard to be critical of Gideon. The Lord had pared his army of
thirty two thousand troops down to just 300 to fight against a
Midianite army so vast, they were described as "...swarms of locusts.
It was impossible to count the men and their camels". Judges 6:5. I am
certain any right-minded person would be fearful against such odds.
However, the Lord had told Gideon he would give the Midianites into
his hands - but he wasn't reassured until he heard the interpretation
of a dream from within the enemy camp.
Gideon had already been given marching orders by the Lord. He knew
what the Lord wanted him to do. Yet Gideon asked for a "sign" to
insure he was hearing the Lord correctly, that it really was the Lord
who was speaking to him. As a result we read about how Gideon prepared
a sacrifice for the Lord and the angel of the Lord consumed the meat
and the bread with fire right in front of him by simply touching it
with his staff, "fire flared from the rock". Verse 6:21. Gideon
exclaimed, "Ah, Sovereign Lord! I have seen the angel of the Lord face
to face!" 6:22.
Not only this, Gideon further asked for a sign from the Lord to
provide assurance that he really would save Israel through him. He
asked the Lord to make the morning dew collect only on a fleece and
not the ground. The Lord did so. Gideon asked again, this time to make
the morning dew collect on the ground but keep it off the fleece. The
Lord did so.
Gideon further revealed his challenged faith by following through on
the Lord's command to tear down his father's Baal altar and "Asherah"
pole and replace them with an altar to the Lord. Gideon did so - but
only at night, "So Gideon took ten of his servants and did as the Lord
told him. But because he was afraid of his family and the men of the
town, he did it at night rather than in the daytime." Judges 6:27.
Gideon is acknowledged as a man of faith in Hebrews 11:32-38. He is
listed among those whose faith was such that it is said, "the world
was not worthy of them." As I note in these passages in Judges, I find
some fascinating things about this faith of Gideon, a faith he is
honored in the Scriptures for, a faith that yielded the world unworthy
of him.
The first is Gideon had faith, but it was a faith that needed
nurturing, it required authenticating responses from the Lord. I don't
know what kind of yardstick might be used to measure faith, but from
these accounts it was anything but a "perfect faith".
The second - and most astonishing - is the Lord worked with what faith
Gideon had, met him where his faith took him and provided what Gideon
would need to accomplish what the Lord had for him to do. Gideon had
faith and where that faith was weak, the Lord encouraged and
strengthened it.
I wish I were a great man of faith. Because I am not, these passages
about Gideon hold great interest for me. My faith may not be perfect,
but that does not mean there is no hope for me. How much faith does it
take to gain a standing of righteousness in God's sight? From Gideon,
I learn that the Lord does in fact work with those who have an
"imperfect faith".
Don't ask me what an "imperfect faith" is, because I couldn't say.
What I can say is that Gideon's faith required encouragement,
strengthening. In my mind it was not a perfect faith. Yet he was a man
of faith, acknowledged with great honor in the Scriptures. How much
faith does it take? Does faith have to be "perfect" in order to secure
our salvation?
I am reminded of Jesus' statement when his apostles asked him to
increase their faith, "If you have faith as small as a mustard seed,
you can say to this mulberry tree, 'Be uprooted and planted in the
sea,' and it will obey you." Luke 17:6. In Matthew 17:20-21 we read,
"I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed,
you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there' and it will
move. Nothing will be impossible for you."
Perhaps many of us can relate to the father of a demon possessed boy
who begged Jesus to heal him. When Jesus told him "Everything is
possible for him who believes", the man exclaimed, "I do believe; help
me overcome my unbelief!" Jesus healed the boy.
I do believe the Lord aids us when we respond to him with a faith as
small as a mustard seed. What I see in Judges 6 is that the Lord can
work with those of us who have imperfect faith. Faith, yes. We need to
believe, we need to trust. And when we may begin to question how
strong our faith is, I find comfort in the accounts of Gideon. If
nothing else, Judges is book all about faith. A lack of faith, a
little faith and how the Lord responds to what faith we do or do not
have.
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, October 23, 2012
Going round and round with 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 6:6,
"Midian so impoverished the Israelites that they cried out to the Lord
for help."
The occurrence of the Midianites impoverishing Israel was brought on
by the Lord himself. He made it happen and it was a result of Israel
turning its back, yet again, on him. In verse 1 we read, "Again the
Israelites did evil in the eyes of the Lord, and for seven years he
gave them into the hands of the Midianites."
The question for me is why. Why this cycle is repeated so often in
Israel's history? Could not the Lord fashion out of Israel a people
that would follow him, be true to him and live in his blessings and
bountiful provision? How much nicer might it be to read an account of
a people chosen by the Lord who lived in a way that honored him and
experienced his wonderful blessings! When it comes to reading Israel's
history, rather than having an uplifting and inspirational story, we
have recorded for us cycles of sinful Israel turning its back on the
Lord, then experiencing hardship from the Lord, then crying out to the
Lord for deliverance, and the Lord, in his compassion, then bringing
Israel relief. Then the cycle begins all over again with Israel, yet
again, turning its back on the Lord once the hardship is removed.
Of course, the answer to that is the world we live in doesn't provide
for a people who will be true to the Lord - and it is not just Israel.
It is all mankind. The entire world lives in sinful rebellion against
its Creator. In its pursuit of sin, it has a compunction to turn from
the Lord. It matters not the people of Israel were chosen by God due
to the faith of the nation's patriarchs. The truth is we all have
sinful hearts, Jews and Gentiles alike.
This involvement of the Lord in Israel's history is a message for us
all. That message is that we, as humans, are fallen with a sinful
nature and no matter how many efforts we may make at "reforming"
ourselves, at attempting to live up to rules and laws, we simply are
in a hopeless sinful condition. We need to be saved - saved from God's
own judgment of us for our sinful condition. Saved from our proclivity
to sin, saved from ourselves. The Lord wants us to know this so that
we might reach out to him for the salvation he offers.
In Romans 8:20-21 we read why the Lord brought misery upon Israel and
why he does so to all mankind. "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 is a message for us all. The Lord uses the
futility and hardships in life to draw us to him, that we might reach
out to him and so be saved. He does not want to see us slip from a
life of comfort and ease into the lake of fire his own sense of
justice requires.
Jesus died for our sins. He has made payment that we might escape
God's judgment. God wants us to know of our sinful condition and
experiencing the frustration of our condition, reach out to him and
the forgiveness he provides. All he asks is that we trust in him.
The accounts in Israel's history of this are numerous. My apologies to
all, as there are thick-headed skulls like mine who need to hear it
over and again, as it is in God's grace to make sure I get this very
important message!
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 6:6,
"Midian so impoverished the Israelites that they cried out to the Lord
for help."
The occurrence of the Midianites impoverishing Israel was brought on
by the Lord himself. He made it happen and it was a result of Israel
turning its back, yet again, on him. In verse 1 we read, "Again the
Israelites did evil in the eyes of the Lord, and for seven years he
gave them into the hands of the Midianites."
The question for me is why. Why this cycle is repeated so often in
Israel's history? Could not the Lord fashion out of Israel a people
that would follow him, be true to him and live in his blessings and
bountiful provision? How much nicer might it be to read an account of
a people chosen by the Lord who lived in a way that honored him and
experienced his wonderful blessings! When it comes to reading Israel's
history, rather than having an uplifting and inspirational story, we
have recorded for us cycles of sinful Israel turning its back on the
Lord, then experiencing hardship from the Lord, then crying out to the
Lord for deliverance, and the Lord, in his compassion, then bringing
Israel relief. Then the cycle begins all over again with Israel, yet
again, turning its back on the Lord once the hardship is removed.
Of course, the answer to that is the world we live in doesn't provide
for a people who will be true to the Lord - and it is not just Israel.
It is all mankind. The entire world lives in sinful rebellion against
its Creator. In its pursuit of sin, it has a compunction to turn from
the Lord. It matters not the people of Israel were chosen by God due
to the faith of the nation's patriarchs. The truth is we all have
sinful hearts, Jews and Gentiles alike.
This involvement of the Lord in Israel's history is a message for us
all. That message is that we, as humans, are fallen with a sinful
nature and no matter how many efforts we may make at "reforming"
ourselves, at attempting to live up to rules and laws, we simply are
in a hopeless sinful condition. We need to be saved - saved from God's
own judgment of us for our sinful condition. Saved from our proclivity
to sin, saved from ourselves. The Lord wants us to know this so that
we might reach out to him for the salvation he offers.
In Romans 8:20-21 we read why the Lord brought misery upon Israel and
why he does so to all mankind. "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 is a message for us all. The Lord uses the
futility and hardships in life to draw us to him, that we might reach
out to him and so be saved. He does not want to see us slip from a
life of comfort and ease into the lake of fire his own sense of
justice requires.
Jesus died for our sins. He has made payment that we might escape
God's judgment. God wants us to know of our sinful condition and
experiencing the frustration of our condition, reach out to him and
the forgiveness he provides. All he asks is that we trust in him.
The accounts in Israel's history of this are numerous. My apologies to
all, as there are thick-headed skulls like mine who need to hear it
over and again, as it is in God's grace to make sure I get this very
important message!
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, October 22, 2012
Have you been touched by the Lord's activity lately? - 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 5:28-30,
"Through the window peered Sisera's mother; behind the lattice she
cried out, 'Why is his chariot so long in coming? Why is the clatter
of his chariots delayed?' The wisest of her ladies answer her; indeed,
she keeps saying to herself, 'Are they not finding and dividing the
spoils: a girl or two for each man, colorful garments as plunder for
Sisera, colorful garments embroidered, highly embroidered garments for
my neck— all this as plunder?'"
Here are several verses from the victory song sung by Deborah, judge
or leader of Israel, and Barak, called on by the Lord to vanquish an
enemy of Israel. Sisera was the commander of King Jabin's army, a king
of Canaan who had "cruelly oppressed the Israelites for twenty years."
Through Deborah, a prophetess as well as leader of Israel, the Lord
told Barak to take ten thousand men from Naphtali and Zebulun to the
Kishon River where the Lord would give Sisera into his hands.
The song, commemorating Deborah's and Barak's victory over Sisera, is
recorded for us in Judges 5. In the song, verses 28-30 picture
Sisera's mother's painful and unfulfilled wait of her son's arrival
home following the battle. This poignant and painful passage depicts
the human reality of an historical account of war in ancient Israel.
It pictures the empty hope of a woman who lost a son. A woman looking
ahead to relish in the spoils that would be hers, were the Israelites
to be defeated. "Colorful garments embroidered, highly embroidered
garments" she anticipated that would be given her from her victorious
son. They would not be arriving, neither the son.
The would be spoils, the "girl or two for each man" this mother
anticipated would have been daughters of Israel. The spoils
anticipated would have been the possessions of Israel. Rightfully,
Deborah and Barak relish in the victory celebration that these are
denied Sisera and his mother. Indeed, Sisera's mother is denied his
return. I am reminded the accounts I read in Scripture represent real
people that went through very real experiences, painful experiences as
well as experiences to celebrate and rejoice in.
I am likewise reminded that the Scriptures are not simply the domain
of dry and dusty theology, the domain of clergy and theologians as
grist for their perspectives and points of view. The Scriptures are
for us all. Among its writings are accounts of real people who lived
in a world touched by our Lord for his purposes, his agenda. They tell
us of the great acts of the Lord in this very same world we live in,
this world in which we must, just as the personalities we meet in its
pages, respond in one way or another to our Lord's very same purposes
and agenda.
As this sinful and rebellious world continues in its rejection of God,
we all experience the Lord's intervention in one way or another. As
this world continues its existence in its present form, we will
continue to experience events that will be both just as painful and
just as much a cause for celebration and rejoicing as the accounts we
read of, whether in Genesis or Judges, whether Luke or Acts. Accounts
of real people experiencing the ultimate reality of the Lord's acts
guided by his own purposes, his own agenda.
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 5:28-30,
"Through the window peered Sisera's mother; behind the lattice she
cried out, 'Why is his chariot so long in coming? Why is the clatter
of his chariots delayed?' The wisest of her ladies answer her; indeed,
she keeps saying to herself, 'Are they not finding and dividing the
spoils: a girl or two for each man, colorful garments as plunder for
Sisera, colorful garments embroidered, highly embroidered garments for
my neck— all this as plunder?'"
Here are several verses from the victory song sung by Deborah, judge
or leader of Israel, and Barak, called on by the Lord to vanquish an
enemy of Israel. Sisera was the commander of King Jabin's army, a king
of Canaan who had "cruelly oppressed the Israelites for twenty years."
Through Deborah, a prophetess as well as leader of Israel, the Lord
told Barak to take ten thousand men from Naphtali and Zebulun to the
Kishon River where the Lord would give Sisera into his hands.
The song, commemorating Deborah's and Barak's victory over Sisera, is
recorded for us in Judges 5. In the song, verses 28-30 picture
Sisera's mother's painful and unfulfilled wait of her son's arrival
home following the battle. This poignant and painful passage depicts
the human reality of an historical account of war in ancient Israel.
It pictures the empty hope of a woman who lost a son. A woman looking
ahead to relish in the spoils that would be hers, were the Israelites
to be defeated. "Colorful garments embroidered, highly embroidered
garments" she anticipated that would be given her from her victorious
son. They would not be arriving, neither the son.
The would be spoils, the "girl or two for each man" this mother
anticipated would have been daughters of Israel. The spoils
anticipated would have been the possessions of Israel. Rightfully,
Deborah and Barak relish in the victory celebration that these are
denied Sisera and his mother. Indeed, Sisera's mother is denied his
return. I am reminded the accounts I read in Scripture represent real
people that went through very real experiences, painful experiences as
well as experiences to celebrate and rejoice in.
I am likewise reminded that the Scriptures are not simply the domain
of dry and dusty theology, the domain of clergy and theologians as
grist for their perspectives and points of view. The Scriptures are
for us all. Among its writings are accounts of real people who lived
in a world touched by our Lord for his purposes, his agenda. They tell
us of the great acts of the Lord in this very same world we live in,
this world in which we must, just as the personalities we meet in its
pages, respond in one way or another to our Lord's very same purposes
and agenda.
As this sinful and rebellious world continues in its rejection of God,
we all experience the Lord's intervention in one way or another. As
this world continues its existence in its present form, we will
continue to experience events that will be both just as painful and
just as much a cause for celebration and rejoicing as the accounts we
read of, whether in Genesis or Judges, whether Luke or Acts. Accounts
of real people experiencing the ultimate reality of the Lord's acts
guided by his own purposes, his own agenda.
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, October 18, 2012
Can the Lord use a wimp? - 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 6:14-16,
"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?' 'But
Lord', Gideon asked, 'how can I save Israel? My clan is the weakest in
Manasseh, and I am the least in my family.' The Lord answered, 'I will
be with you, and you will strike down all the Midianites together.'"
The Midianites were very oppressive to Israel. We are told, "Because
the power of Midian was so oppressive, the Israelites prepared
shelters for themselves in mountain clefts, caves and strongholds."
Verse 2. Additionally, they were strong in number, "They [the
Midianites] came up with their livestock and their tents like swarms
of locusts. It was impossible to count the men and their camels; they
invaded the land to ravage it." Verse 5.
This concern voiced by Gideon of his weakness was no feigned humility.
I am quite certain he was anything but what might be recognized as a
great warrior. He tells the Lord his clan was the weakest in Manasseh
and he was the least in his family. A perfect choice for the Lord!
Why a perfect choice? At a time when Israel evidenced little faith in
the Lord's promise to bring victory, the Lord demonstrated something
of his strength and faithfulness as the Almighty. The Lord can and
will bring victory when he says he will, leaving no need for concern
or fear. He can be trusted entirely and is entirely capable. The Lord
will not require a great warrior to bring victory. He can do more than
enough with and through the weakest among us.
Our weakness is the canvas upon which the Lord demonstrates his strength.
I am reminded of Paul's comment in this regard, "He [the Lord] said to
me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in
weakness.' Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my
weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. That is why, for
Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in
persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong."
2 Corinthians 12:9-10.
This is good news for me. When the Lord asks we do something, we need
not worry about strength and abilities. He always faithfully provides
us all we need. "And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so
that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will
abound in every good work." 2 Corinthians 9:8.
The Lord can do great things... even with a wimp!
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 6:14-16,
"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?' 'But
Lord', Gideon asked, 'how can I save Israel? My clan is the weakest in
Manasseh, and I am the least in my family.' The Lord answered, 'I will
be with you, and you will strike down all the Midianites together.'"
The Midianites were very oppressive to Israel. We are told, "Because
the power of Midian was so oppressive, the Israelites prepared
shelters for themselves in mountain clefts, caves and strongholds."
Verse 2. Additionally, they were strong in number, "They [the
Midianites] came up with their livestock and their tents like swarms
of locusts. It was impossible to count the men and their camels; they
invaded the land to ravage it." Verse 5.
This concern voiced by Gideon of his weakness was no feigned humility.
I am quite certain he was anything but what might be recognized as a
great warrior. He tells the Lord his clan was the weakest in Manasseh
and he was the least in his family. A perfect choice for the Lord!
Why a perfect choice? At a time when Israel evidenced little faith in
the Lord's promise to bring victory, the Lord demonstrated something
of his strength and faithfulness as the Almighty. The Lord can and
will bring victory when he says he will, leaving no need for concern
or fear. He can be trusted entirely and is entirely capable. The Lord
will not require a great warrior to bring victory. He can do more than
enough with and through the weakest among us.
Our weakness is the canvas upon which the Lord demonstrates his strength.
I am reminded of Paul's comment in this regard, "He [the Lord] said to
me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in
weakness.' Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my
weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. That is why, for
Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in
persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong."
2 Corinthians 12:9-10.
This is good news for me. When the Lord asks we do something, we need
not worry about strength and abilities. He always faithfully provides
us all we need. "And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so
that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will
abound in every good work." 2 Corinthians 9:8.
The Lord can do great things... even with a wimp!
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, October 17, 2012
Barak: a man of little faith - 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 4:8,
"Barak said to her [Deborah], 'If you go with me, I will go; but if
you don't go with me, I won't go.'"
In this account, Israel's judge, or leader, was Deborah. She was also
a prophetess. Through her the Lord commanded Barak, a son of Abinoam
from Kadesh in Nephtali to take ten thousand men from Naphtali and
Zebulun to Mount Tabor. From there the Lord would lure Sisera, the
commander of Jabin's army, to the Kishon River and "give him into your
hands", verse 7. Jabin was a Canaanite king who had "cruelly oppressed
the Israelites for twenty years" and the Israelites had cried to the
Lord for help.
When commanded by the Lord to take the army of Naphtali and Zebulun
fighters to vanquish Sisera, Barak refused to go unless Deborah went
with him. Although the Lord told Barak he would provide him the
victory, he looked to Deborah. This is reminiscent to me of when the
tribe of Judah was told by the Lord to be the first to go to vanquish
the Canaanites and that the Lord would be with them. Their first act
was to ask the Simeonites for help. Judges 1:1-3. Both accounts speak
to me of a lack of faith on the part of those asked by the Lord to go.
The Lord said "go" and he would provide the victory, and apparently it
was felt further help or aid beyond what the Lord would provide would
be needed. We are also told, when the Lord excoriated Israel's
disobedience, they were at fault for making covenants with various
peoples in the promised land to aid in their conquering others. It
eventually led to their downfall as they embraced the idol worship of
these peoples, Judges 2:1-5. Again, a lack of faith, as they did not
need to make covenants with the inhabitants of the promised land. The
Lord would have provided the victory.
What did this cost Barak? Deborah told him, "I will go with you. But
because of the way you are going about this, the honor will not be
yours, for the Lord will hand Sisera over to a woman." That woman, as
the story unfolds, would be Jael, the wife of Heber, a Kenite, that
is, a Gentile. She lured a fleeing and exhausted Sisera into her tent,
gave him milk to put him to sleep and then drove a tent peg through
his head.
The honor that would have been Barak's was squandered in his lack of
faith. Barak did lead the army (since Deborah went with him) and
Jabin's army was destroyed. But the real heroes of the account, in my
mind, are the two women of faith who stand out like shinning examples
to the rest of us, one a Jew and one a Gentile.
The Lord is truly worthy of all our faith and trust. May we all
emulate these great women of faith.
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 4:8,
"Barak said to her [Deborah], 'If you go with me, I will go; but if
you don't go with me, I won't go.'"
In this account, Israel's judge, or leader, was Deborah. She was also
a prophetess. Through her the Lord commanded Barak, a son of Abinoam
from Kadesh in Nephtali to take ten thousand men from Naphtali and
Zebulun to Mount Tabor. From there the Lord would lure Sisera, the
commander of Jabin's army, to the Kishon River and "give him into your
hands", verse 7. Jabin was a Canaanite king who had "cruelly oppressed
the Israelites for twenty years" and the Israelites had cried to the
Lord for help.
When commanded by the Lord to take the army of Naphtali and Zebulun
fighters to vanquish Sisera, Barak refused to go unless Deborah went
with him. Although the Lord told Barak he would provide him the
victory, he looked to Deborah. This is reminiscent to me of when the
tribe of Judah was told by the Lord to be the first to go to vanquish
the Canaanites and that the Lord would be with them. Their first act
was to ask the Simeonites for help. Judges 1:1-3. Both accounts speak
to me of a lack of faith on the part of those asked by the Lord to go.
The Lord said "go" and he would provide the victory, and apparently it
was felt further help or aid beyond what the Lord would provide would
be needed. We are also told, when the Lord excoriated Israel's
disobedience, they were at fault for making covenants with various
peoples in the promised land to aid in their conquering others. It
eventually led to their downfall as they embraced the idol worship of
these peoples, Judges 2:1-5. Again, a lack of faith, as they did not
need to make covenants with the inhabitants of the promised land. The
Lord would have provided the victory.
What did this cost Barak? Deborah told him, "I will go with you. But
because of the way you are going about this, the honor will not be
yours, for the Lord will hand Sisera over to a woman." That woman, as
the story unfolds, would be Jael, the wife of Heber, a Kenite, that
is, a Gentile. She lured a fleeing and exhausted Sisera into her tent,
gave him milk to put him to sleep and then drove a tent peg through
his head.
The honor that would have been Barak's was squandered in his lack of
faith. Barak did lead the army (since Deborah went with him) and
Jabin's army was destroyed. But the real heroes of the account, in my
mind, are the two women of faith who stand out like shinning examples
to the rest of us, one a Jew and one a Gentile.
The Lord is truly worthy of all our faith and trust. May we all
emulate these great women of faith.
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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