Motives are Seen by God - 2 Kings 1-5

2 Kings 5:21-27 (ESV Strong's)
21 So Gehazi followed Naaman. And when Naaman saw someone running after him, he got down from the chariot to meet him and said, “Is all well?” 22 And he said, “All is well. My master has sent me to say, ‘There have just now come to me from the hill country of Ephraim two young men of the sons of the prophets. Please give them a talent of silver and two changes of clothing.’” 23 And Naaman said, “Be pleased to accept two talents.” And he urged him and tied up two talents of silver in two bags, with two changes of clothing, and laid them on two of his servants. And they carried them before Gehazi. 24 And when he came to the hill, he took them from their hand and put them in the house, and he sent the men away, and they departed. 25 He went in and stood before his master, and Elisha said to him, “Where have you been, Gehazi?” And he said, “Your servant went nowhere.” 26 But he said to him, “Did not my heart go when the man turned from his chariot to meet you? Was it a time to accept money and garments, olive orchards and vineyards, sheep and oxen, male servants and female servants? 27 Therefore the leprosy of Naaman shall cling  you and to your descendants forever.” So he went out from his presence a leper, like snow.

Motives are Seen by God

In the above story we have the follow up of the healing of the rich man, Naaman.   Naaman, helped of his disease, is willing to pay big money to Elisha for the healing.   But, Elisha rejects this payment and sends Naaman on his way.  Elisha’s servant, Gehazi, is not about, however, to miss an opportunity.  He sees the possibility of securing the goods from Naaman.   His elaborate story seems plausible to Naaman.  Elisha has suddenly discovered the need to clothe and care for two additional prophets in his midst.  So, Elisha changes his mind about payment. Naaman, being more than willing to express things, is duped into giving “reasonable” goods.  In 2 Kings 4:27 Gehazi learned that God does keep things from Elisha.  He must have assumed this plot would be one of those things God would hide, as well.  But, God didn’t.  Everything is open before His eyes.  Note what the writer of Hebrews states:

Hebrews 4:12-13 (ESV Strong's)
12 For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. 13 And no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account.

God does not miss our motives.   God sees what is in our hearts.  He works with our hearts over our behaviors:

Matthew 5:27-28 (ESV Strong's)
Lust
27 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ 28 But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart.

We ought not try to sell God’s power and truth.  God knows our motives.

Questions Clarify vs Statements the Condemn - Leviticus 10-12

Leviticus 10:17-20 (ESV Strong's)
17 “Why have you not eaten the sin offering in the place of the sanctuary, since it is a thing most holy and has been given to you that you may bear the iniquity of the congregation, to make atonement for them before the LORD? 18 Behold, its blood was not brought into the inner part of the sanctuary. You certainly ought to have eaten it in the sanctuary, as I commanded.” 19 And Aaron said to Moses, “Behold, today they have offered their sin offering and their burnt offering before the LORD, and yet such things as these have happened to me! If I had eaten the sin offering today, would the LORD have approved?” 20 And when Moses heard that, he approved.

Questions Clarify vs Statements the Condemn

Questions seek to clarify, while statements seem to condemn.   In this story (Leviticus) of misunderstanding between Moses and his brother Aaron we have a great example of how to avoid further conflict in a conflicting moment.   The principle we should follow in a problem is to never let how we handle a problem, become a new problem and a more predominant problem.  When Moses "thought" his brother Aaron should have offered a sacrifice in a different manner he could have immediately "condemned" Aaron.  After all we just read the story of Aaron's two sons offering an improper offering and both of the were immediately consumed by fire (see last years devotional).   So, everyone was rather sensitive about "doing the sacrifice" in the proper manner.   If Moses would have made a condemning statement, not only would the situation escalate, he would have been wrong.   But, instead of "confronting" Moses sought to "clarify."   Instead of using an "!", Moses used a "?" at the end of his sentence.  That difference between a straight line and a curved line can make the difference between a bent conversations and a solution.    Once Moses asked a question and Aaron answered it, the thing "seemed" right to Moses.   We do so much poor work in the conflict world when we use periods and exclamation points behind our sentences rather than question marks.   In the next conflict you have make sure you seek to clarify with questions rather than condemn with statements ... hard statements!

Christ is Preached!!! Philippians 1-2

Philippians 1:12-18 (ESV Strong's)
The Advance of the Gospel
12 I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel, 13 so that it has become known throughout the whole imperial guard and to all the rest that my imprisonment is for Christ. 14 And most of the brothers, having become confident in the Lord by my imprisonment, are much more bold to speak the word without fear.
15 Some indeed preach Christ from envy and rivalry, but others from good will. 16 The latter do it out of love, knowing that I am put here for the defense of the gospel. 17 The former proclaim Christ out of selfish ambition, not sincerely but thinking to afflict me in my imprisonment. 18 What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is proclaimed, and in that I rejoice.
Yes, and I will rejoice,

Christ is Preached!!!

Perhaps one of the most hidden sins in the Body of Christ is the envy one church has for another.   The under current of judgment about what “their” ministry has and mine does not, flow freely in our churches.   In the above passage the Apostle Paul is reporting from prison.  He is telling the church at Philippi that his current situation has fallen out to the furtherance of the gospel.   Although the Body of Christ should be in harmony and grieving together about this tragedy, some in the church were using Paul’s situation to self promote.   They were using Paul’s prison as as stepping stone to their own careers and recognition.   What was Paul’s response? Paul just rejoiced that Christ was preached.  Paul was so gospel oriented that he did not get into the pettiness of their envy.   Paul had one goal in life: Preach Christ ... in every way, in every place, in every manner.   Preach Christ and forget what the other church, pastor, believer is doing.   Be Christ focused.

Envy - Luke 15-16

Luke 15:27-30 (ESV Strong's)
27 And he said to him, ‘Your brother has come, and your father has killed the fattened calf, because he has received him back safe and sound.’ 28 But he was angry and refused to go in. His father came out and entreated him, 29 but he answered his father, ‘Look, these many years I have served you, and I never disobeyed your command, yet you never gave me a young goat, that I might celebrate with my friends. 30 But when this son of yours came, who has devoured your property with prostitutes, you killed the fattened calf for him!’

Envy

In Psalms 73 we read these words:

Psalms 73:1-2 (ESV Strong's)
1 Truly God is good to Israel,
to those who are pure in heart.
2 But as for me, my feet had almost stumbled,
my steps had nearly slipped.

It isn’t the same as the “good” son in the story of the Prodigal Son, but it is close.  Both Aspah (the writer of the Psalm) and the “good” son, in the above text, were envious of someone else.   One of God’s commandments has to do with the heart of coveting what others have.   That was the problem of the “good” son.  He saw his rebellious brother come home and receive honor and a celebration.  But, he had not received any “party with my friends” treatment.  As believers we can often be victim of the same type of envy.  We covet our neighbors “peaceful” life.  We covet the position someone else gets at work.   We covet a role in church.  We covet a talent or gift others have.   God warns us about envy and how it can destroy your life.  The “good” son suffered from envy and did not fully enjoy the blessings God gave someone else.  That is the real sin behind envy.  God gives gifts and blessings to others.  When we covet them and desire them for ourselves we both deny God the sovereign role in their lives and we under value what God is giving us in our lives.  

God Disciplines Spiritual Adultery - Ezekiel 13-18

Ezekiel 16:26-34 (ESV Strong's)
26 You also played the whore with the Egyptians, your lustful neighbors, multiplying your whoring, to provoke me to anger. 27 Behold, therefore, I stretched out my hand against you and diminished your allotted portion and delivered you to the greed of your enemies, the daughters of the Philistines, who were ashamed of your lewd behavior. 28 You played the whore also with the Assyrians, because you were not satisfied; yes, you played the whore with them, and still you were not satisfied. 29 You multiplied your whoring also with the trading land of Chaldea, and even with this you were not satisfied.
30 “How sick is your heart, declares the Lord GOD, because you did all these things, the deeds of a brazen prostitute, 31 building your vaulted chamber at the head of every street, and making your lofty place in every square. Yet you were not like a prostitute, because you scorned payment. 32 Adulterous wife, who receives strangers instead of her husband! 33 Men give gifts to all prostitutes, but you gave your gifts to all your lovers, bribing them to come to you from every side with your whorings. 34 So you were different from other women in your whorings. No one solicited you to play the whore, and you gave payment, while no payment was given to you; therefore you were different.

God Disciplines Spiritual Adultery

In the above passage, Ezekiel is completing the thoughts established in the preceding verses.  He has outlined the fact that Israel, as a nation, has establish idols and worshipped those idols, contrary to God their Father, who birthed them and made them His bride.   The Prophet goes on to tell the nation how God feels about them seeking glory and relationships with the countries around them (those countries were also idol worshipers).   In verse 30, above, we read God’s condemning words:

30 “How sick is your heart, declares the Lord GOD, because you did all these things, the deeds of a brazen prostitute,

Idolatry is a sickness of the heart. It is sin, but it is a sin that God abhors because it places the idol before God, Himself.  When we sin, by worshipping idols, (money, self, spouses, children, careers, power, etc), we are like the nation of Israel and we commit spiritual adulatory.    Israel didn’t act like a prostitute, who sells herself for money.  Israel was an adulterous woman who sought out lovers, other than God, Himself.   When we go and pursue sin and worship the creation rather than the Creator we do the same things.  God hates idolatry.   We often worship our own needs before we obey God and that is the essence of idolatry.    We should note, that as God displaces Israel for their spiritual adulatory, so, too, will He discipline today’s believer.  

The Naive are Noticed - Proverbs 7

Proverbs 7:6-8
For at the window of my house, I looked out through my lattice,
And I saw among the naive, and discerned among the youths
A young man lacking sense, Passing through the street near her corner; and he takes the way to her house,

In this beloved chapter, Solomon tells us a story of a young man who wanders into the area where a hooker resides.  He falls to her temptations and is destroyed in the end.   It is a sad story and one that bears repeating in the ears of many.   In verse six of the story the narrator (Solomon?) is looking through his window at the street below and sees the young man.  My question is two-fold: One for the narrator and one for us?  1). If you see the young man why don't you stop him?   2). Do you and I bother to look and when we see the young man do we take the interest to stop him?   I assume question number one, for the narrator, is, that the story is not about him but about what the young, naive boy does.   But, I think we all should use this as a mirror into our own lives and ask are we looking for these people and if we see them are we doing anything?  Each day we watch others travel go down the same road to destruction.   We seldom stop them from following the path of destruction.   James 5 tells us we can save a soul from death, when we intervene.  In Galatians 6 we are told to help those who fall into sin.   I believe the story is here for us to learn from it.   But, we ought to learn as much about how to stop the destruction of the naive as much as what happens to them if they are not stopped.

Do you ever look through your window at the world around you and see what Solomon saw? Solomon saw a young man and followed his path to provide a story. We have people all around us going through the same things in front of us. Solomon didn't tell the story and look to stop the young man. The Holy Spirit wanted us to see this story to learn form it. But, one of the items to learn is that we see young, naive men all the time who are doing the same things. We have some responsibility to stop them from going to the way to her house - to pass by here place (see the end of the chapter). We should take time to look through our windows. We should take time to see the naive around us and provide direction for them when we see them.

God is Seen by Faith - Psalms 75-77

Psalms 77:16-20 (ESV Strong's)
16 When the waters saw you, O God,
when the waters saw you, they were afraid;
indeed, the deep trembled.
17 The clouds poured out water;
the skies gave forth thunder;
your arrows flashed on every side.
18 The crash of your thunder was in the whirlwind;
your lightnings lighted up the world;
the earth trembled and shook.
19 Your way was through the sea,
your path through the great waters;
yet your footprints were unseen.
20 You led your people like a flock
by the hand of Moses and Aaron.

God is Seen by Faith

The above song is very similar to parts of the son Moses wrote after leading the nation of Israel through the Red Sea.   As we read the words of this part of the passage we can see some very visible markers of God’s presence among the people of God.   Note:

1.  Clouds pouring out rain.
2.  Skies giving out thunder.
3.  Lightning lighted up the world.
4.  The earth shook.

Yet, in the midst of that the writer writes:

“... yet your footprints were unseen.”

Even though God was with them, leading them, protecting them, he was unseen by them.  They were lead by human agents, Moses and Aaron. This is how God works.   God has chosen to work through human agents to accomplish his task.  We follow God through faith,   We can see his actions, but not Him.   We can see the results of his work but not Him.   We can feel His presence in our lives, but we do not see Him.   We follow Him by faith alone.  But, He is there with lightning, thunder and parting the seas.  

God uses Lying Spirits - 1 Kings 18-22

1 Kings 22:19-23 (ESV Strong's)
19 And Micaiah said, “Therefore hear the word of the LORD: I saw the LORD sitting on his throne, and all the host of heaven standing beside him on his right hand and on his left; 20 and the LORD said, ‘Who will entice Ahab, that he may go up and fall at Ramoth-gilead?’ And one said one thing, and another said another. 21 Then a spirit came forward and stood before the LORD, saying, ‘I will entice him.’ 22 And the LORD said to him, ‘By what means?’ And he said, ‘I will go out, and will be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets.’ And he said, ‘You are to entice him, and you shall succeed; go out and do so.’ 23 Now therefore behold, the LORD has put a lying spirit in the mouth of all these your prophets; the LORD has declared disaster for you.”

God uses Lying Spirits

Yes in the above passage, we have a discussion going on between the king of Israel, Ahab, and the profit of God, Micaiah.   Ahab is challenging Micaiah to tell him the truth.  The prophet wants to accommodate. He wants to tell the king the truth. The king had wanted to go to war and was seeking counsel as to whether or not it was from God or not. A number of false prophets had come to the king to say yes he should go to war. At this point the king invites a true prophet of God to speak truth into his life. This is where the above paragraph fits in.  Micaiah Tells the king about a scene that was playing out in heaven. A number of the host of God came forward and God ask them what they should do with the king, and the King’s request. One of the host, we would assume a spirit being, volunteers to go to be a lying spirit to the false prophets.  The spirit goes and enters the false prophets and tells a lie to the king.  Micaiah, a true prophet of God, is sent to sort it all out.  What we see in the above passage is a marvelous glimpse into how God works in regards to evil in this world. God does not create evil, but he does allow evil to do its work. And he harness is evil for his own purpose. Note:

Isaiah 45:7 (ESV Strong's)
7 I form light and create darkness;
I make well-being and create calamity;
I am the LORD, who does all these things.

God creates calamity by removing his grace which allows evil to triumph and calamity to form. God does not have to initiate it, he just hast to remove his grace from the world and evil will take over. God will use evil to accomplish his purposes. Read the first two chapters of the book of Job as an illustration. God use the evilness of the Jewish religious leaders and the evilness and Pilate’s heart to crucify his son.  God certainly can use a lying spirit to deceive the world.  He just removes his grace.

Throw Blood - Leviticus 7-9

Leviticus 7:2 (ESV Strong's)
2 In the place where they kill the burnt offering they shall kill the guilt offering, and its blood shall be thrown against the sides of the altar.

Leviticus 7:14 (ESV Strong's)
14 And from it he shall offer one loaf from each offering, as a gift to the LORD. It shall belong to the priest who throws the blood of the peace offerings.

Leviticus 8:18-19 (ESV Strong's)
18 Then he presented the ram of the burnt offering, and Aaron and his sons laid their hands on the head of the ram. 19 And he killed it, and Moses threw the blood against the sides of the altar.

Throw the Blood

In the sacrificial system of the Old Testament, blood had a significance. It actually had a primary significance. We read that there is no forgiveness of sin where there is no shedding of blood:

Hebrews 9:22 (ESV Strong's)
22 Indeed, under the law almost everything is purified with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins.

Since there is life in the blood, any shedding of blood is the giving of a life. It is the significance of life. All of our DNA is captured in our blood. When Moses, in Exodus 24:6, sprinkled blood on the altar and then on the people, he was indicating that the sacrifice was acceptable to God (sprinkled on the altar) and that the people would be obedient to the covenant. The blood sealed the covenant. In the garden of Eden when Adam sinned, God’s first act was to shed blood of an animal to get the skin to cover Adam shame. We see in the picture the blood was necessary to cover for sin.  In the above text, Aaron, the priest, is being instructed on how to cover guilt sin.  Thank you when Aaron sprinkled the altar with blood, it was showing that got excepted to sacrifice by receiving the blood on the altar.  The significance of blood in our salvation cannot be understated. We are sealed with the eternal blood of the covenant.

Hebrews 13:20 (ESV Strong's)
20 Now may the God of peace who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great shepherd of the sheep, by the blood of the eternal covenant,

The blood that the author is referring to, is the blood of Jesus Christ as it was spilled out for us.

The Purpose of Spiritual Growth - Ephesians 4-6

Ephesians 4:14 (ESV Strong's)
14 so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes.

The Purpose of Spiritual Growth

This verse is taken out of the middle of a long, GREEK sentence.   Paul, in this section, is telling the church about the purpose of the church teachers.   The teachers are to speak truth and that truth is to grow the members of the body of Christ to bring them to maturity.   In this verse he tells them something about maturity:

1.  GROWTH IS NATURAL!  If we are growing in Christ, we will no longer be children.   This simply speaks to the natural part of growth.  We expect children to grow.   That is natural.   It is also natural for believers to grow.   We should see it.  

2.  GROWTH IS STABLE!  If we are growing in faith we will not be tossed around in the waves of false teaching.  Perhaps a word picture is would be the difference between a little boat and a big boat in the waves of a sea.   The larger the boat the less the waves impact their direction.  If we are growing we are less impacted by the false teachings of this world.

3.  GROWTH IS DISCERNING!  Those who are growing in Christ are able to discern the differences between the schemes of man and the doctrine of Christ,   False teachers have always been and will always be.   The growing believer will know the difference between the “Paul the Apostle” teachers of live and the “Paul on the Network News” of life.  Growth develops discernment.

Paul expects us to grow.  That is the natural aspect of Christian development.  

Time Is Short - Luke 13-14

Luke 13:6-9 (ESV Strong's)
The Parable of the Barren Fig Tree
6 And he told this parable: “A man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard, and he came seeking fruit on it and found none. 7 And he said to the vinedresser, ‘Look, for three years now I have come seeking fruit on this fig tree, and I find none. Cut it down. Why should it use up the ground?’ 8 And he answered him, ‘Sir, let it alone this year also, until I dig around it and put on manure. 9 Then if it should bear fruit next year, well and good; but if not, you can cut it down.’”

Time Is Short

The above parable needs to be connected to Luke 13:1-5 ...

1 There were some present at that very time who told him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. 2 And he answered them, “Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans, because they suffered in this way? 3 No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish. 4 Or those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them: do you think that they were worse offenders than all the others who lived in Jerusalem? 5 No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.”

Jesus was asked about an apparent recent devastation of death.  His response was to use it to emphasize the shortness of life and the judgment that follows.  He does not attempt to explain the reason for the disaster. Instead, He gives us these truths, between the statement and the parable:

1. Disasters happen ... to everyone. No one can escape them.  We live in a fallen world and that puts everyone in sin’s harmful way.  The question is not, “Why do bad things happen to good people (there are NO good people)?”   The question is, “Why do good things happen to bad people?”

2.  Repentance is necessary for all.  He tells them in 1-5 that they must repent, or they will all perish.  Jesus, like always, is speaking spiritually ... He means that without repentance from sin, man will perish in spiritual death.

3. Repentance, however, must lead to fruit, which is the connection between the statements of Jesus and His parable.   The fig tree represents mankind (Israel in specific, but mankind in general).  Man has been given great opportunity.   To be planted in the vineyard, the fig tree would have every opportunity for growth.    Since the fig tree was planted in the vineyard it would have all the watering fertilizer and attention it needed to grow. However in our story the fig tree did not grow. Therefore it meets certain judgments.  The vinedresser wanted another opportunity for it to grow before it was judged worthy to have the opportunity that was given. The application is is that mankind has been giving opportunity after opportunity to grow and produce spiritual fruit. Time is running out however.

4.  The last point is, judgment is coming. The vinedresser in our story, is God. God is giving a certain fix time for men to repent and produce fruit. Mere words, as the Pharisees were doing in their interactions with Jesus, is not enough. There must be fruit worthy of repentance.

Jesus uses this disaster to teach a valuable lesson. Repentance is necessary for all men and that repentance mass produce fruit. Absent repentance and fruit, judgment will come.

Discipline Should Produce Fruit - Ezekiel 7-12

Ezekiel 12:15-16 (ESV Strong's)
15 And they shall know that I am the LORD, when I disperse them among the nations and scatter them among the countries. 16 But I will let a few of them escape from the sword, from famine and pestilence, that they may declare all their abominations among the nations where they go, and may know that I am the LORD.”

Discipline Should Produce Fruit

The above passage are the words of God to the prophet Ezekiel.  God is telling him that the purpose of God’s grace to allow a remnant to escape God’s punishments is to allow them to come to their senses and confess their sins to their captors.   In the end the discipline is to assure that God is glorified.   God has a purpose for all discipline.   He does not punish for naught.   When these remnant were sent to another land, it was for the purpose of them coming to their senses and acknowledging that God was right in the punishment.   That would result in God being glorified ... both by them and by their captors,   That is the purpose of God’s discipline of His children:

Hebrews 12:5-11 (ESV Strong's)
5 And have you forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as sons?
“My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord,
nor be weary when reproved by him.
6 For the Lord disciplines the one he loves,
and chastises every son whom he receives.”
7 It is for discipline that you have to endure. God is treating you as sons. For what son is there whom his father does not discipline? 8 If you are left without discipline, in which all have participated, then you are illegitimate children and not sons. 9 Besides this, we have had earthly fathers who disciplined us and we respected them. Shall we not much more be subject to the Father of spirits and live? 10 For they disciplined us for a short time as it seemed best to them, but he disciplines us for our good, that we may share his holiness. 11 For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.

Godly discipline yields the fruit of righteousness!

God Hates - Proverbs 5-6

Proverbs 6:16-19 (ESV Strong's)
16 There are six things that the LORD hates,
seven that are an abomination to him:
17 haughty eyes, a lying tongue,
and hands that shed innocent blood,
18 a heart that devises wicked plans,
feet that make haste to run to evil,
19 a false witness who breathes out lies,
and one who sows discord among brothers.

God Hates

We have heard many times, that God is love! That is certainly a truth found throughout Scripture. You cannot read the Bible very much without seeing the truth that God loves.  Very few nominal Christians or those were non-believers, would believe that God also hates. We do not see very many billboards lining or highways with the words, “God hates.”  Yet, if you read the above passage, you can’t help but understand that God, in his character, truly does hate. We could, to come our moral psychology, claim that God loves everyone but hate sin. It is doubtful that that statement would be denied by most theologians. However, you can’t help but read the above passage and see that God hates people to so discord. He hates people who tell falsehood and lies.  However you characterize it, we certainly do know that God hates. So, how does that change how we engage with people in society?  One might say, if God hates, then it’s OK for me to heat! The struggle we have, is that we are sinful man and women. God is perfect. That means God has perfect love. That means God has perfect hatred. God can love in a way that only he can love. God can hate in a way that only God can hate.  God is pure in his hatred. She truly can’t distinguish between the sin and the sinner. He can distinguish between the sinner who is repenting and the sinner who is not repenting.  But, we can rejoice that God does love. And we can rejoice that God does hate. God cannot be pure and holy and not have hatred for sin.

In Fear Turn to God’s Sovereignty - Psalms 72-74

Psalms 74:12-17 (ESV Strong's)
12 Yet God my King is from of old,
working salvation in the midst of the earth.
13 You divided the sea by your might;
you broke the heads of the sea monsters on the waters.
14 You crushed the heads of Leviathan;
you gave him as food for the creatures of the wilderness.
15 You split open springs and brooks;
you dried up ever-flowing streams.
16 Yours is the day, yours also the night;
you have established the heavenly lights and the sun.
17 You have fixed all the boundaries of the earth;
you have made summer and winter.

In Fear Turn to God’s Sovereignty

In Psalms 74 we are read9ing a lament about the nation of Israel’s loss of their land, their Temple and their people to captivity.   The writer is bemoaning these losses in the first few verses.   What is the solution?  He turns to the power and sovereignty of God.  He focuses on these areas, centered around the “salvation” of God.  The writer wants his readers to know that aGod has the power redeem them.  He demonstrates this in this way:

1.  God is sovereign over all creatures. Just like the invading armies came to destroy Israel, God has the power to destroy them like he destroyed great sea creatures.

2.  God is sovereign over all his creation, in particularly the seas in the rivers. God makes them flow where he wants him to flow. So too, can he redeem Israel and have them return to the land.

3.  God is so sovereign over his creating the day in the night. He created the sun in the moon. He makes the World spin on its axis.  He certainly can rescue Israel from their captivity.

4.  God sets the boundaries of the world. He sits the boundaries for the summer in the winter. If he sets the boundaries for the seasons, he can certainly set the boundaries for mankind.

When we were in fear, and in doubt, and in calamity, our focus out to be on the sovereignty of God. That he is still in control.

How Soon We Forget Gods Power and Miracles in Our Lives. - 1 Kings 14-17

1 Kings 17:17-21 (ESV Strong's)
17 After this the son of the woman, the mistress of the house, became ill. And his illness was so severe that there was no breath left in him. 18 And she said to Elijah, “What have you against me, O man of God? You have come to me to bring my sin to remembrance and to cause the death of my son!” 19 And he said to her, “Give me your son.” And he took him from her arms and carried him up into the upper chamber where he lodged, and laid him on his own bed. 20 And he cried to the LORD, “O LORD my God, have you brought calamity even upon the widow with whom I sojourn, by killing her son?” 21 Then he stretched himself upon the child three times and cried to the LORD, “O LORD my God, let this child's life come into him again.”

How Soon We Forget Gods Power and Miracles in Our Lives.

The context of these verses is found in the story of Elijah and the drought in the land.  After God declared a drought across the land, via the words of Elijah, God sent him to another country.  He sent him to a widow in Zeraphath.  He immediately provides for the widow by giving her abundant, lasting supplies (in the midst of a famine and drought).

1 Kings 17:16 (ESV Strong's)
16 The jar of flour was not spent, neither did the jug of oil become empty, according to the word of the LORD that he spoke by Elijah.

It would seem to most of us that having a jar of flour that never runs out would be quite amazing.  My wife thinks that would be awesome.  This woman, of all woman, had it made.  But, then her son dies.  That changed the priorities of her life.  Notice how quickly one miracle was forgotten when another tragedy came into her life.   This happens to most believers.  We get so caught up in our current day we forget the blessing s of yesterday.  God is ever present, however.  His character stays the same each day.  His promises are sure each day.  But we quickly forget that God can do a miracle any day, everyday, all day.  God will bring back her son with another miracles.   She will once again see the hand of God in her life.  We should look at the present circumstances through the eyes of God past faithfulness to us and through the lens of the future promises for us.  

He Shall Be Forgiven - Leviticus 4-6

Leviticus 4:20 (ESV Strong's)
20 Thus shall he do with the bull. As he did with the bull of the sin offering, so shall he do with this. And the priest shall make atonement for them, and they shall be forgiven.

Leviticus 4:26 (ESV Strong's)
26 And all its fat he shall burn on the altar, like the fat of the sacrifice of peace offerings. So the priest shall make atonement for him for his sin, and he shall be forgiven.

Leviticus 4:31 (ESV Strong's)
31 And all its fat he shall remove, as the fat is removed from the peace offerings, and the priest shall burn it on the altar for a pleasing aroma to the LORD. And the priest shall make atonement for him, and he shall be forgiven.

Leviticus 4:35 (ESV Strong's)
35 And all its fat he shall remove as the fat of the lamb is removed from the sacrifice of peace offerings, and the priest shall burn it on the altar, on top of the LORD'S food offerings. And the priest shall make atonement for him for the sin which he has committed, and he shall be forgiven.

He Shall Be Forgiven

In each of the above passages we read the words, “he shall be forgiven.”   Perhaps the greatest feeling someone can experience is the grace of forgiveness.  Imagine you accidentally cut of the car behind you and the driver instantly forgives you and expresses that forgiveness with a gentle wave and a smile.   Imagine you offend or hurt your spouse in some way and he/she instantly forgives you with a warm s,ole and soothing hug.  Imagine at work you mess up, unintentionally, and lose a big account or an important customer.  But, your boss does no fire you, he/she instead forgives you and takes you to lunch.   Or, even better, you sin against a holy and righteous
God, numerous times, and this same God not just forgives you, but gives up His Son to die for those very sins.  Imagine!  

To Do His Will - Ephesians 1-3

Ephesians 1:1 (ESV Strong's)
1 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God,
To the saints who are in Ephesus, and are faithful in Christ Jesus:

Ephesians 1:5 (ESV Strong's)
5 he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will,

Ephesians 1:9 (ESV Strong's)
9 making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ

Ephesians 1:11 (ESV Strong's)
11 In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will,

Ephesians 5:17 (ESV Strong's)
17 Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.

Ephesians 6:6 (ESV Strong's)
6 not by the way of eye-service, as people-pleasers, but as bondservants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart,

To Do His Will

Then Greek word for “will” in the above passage is:
“thelema.”  A brief definition is:

VINE: What one wishes or has determined shall be done of the purpose of God to bless mankind through Christ of what God wishes to be done by us  commands, precepts will, choice, inclination, desire, pleasure.

Paul was an apostle by “God’s will.”   God adopted us based upon His will.  God is making known the mystery of his will to us.   We are to seek understand the will of God.  We are to be doing the will of Christ from the heart.  God has willed us to be His Sons and has placed His Will in our hearts.  He is equipping us to do His will - not our own.

Hebrews 13:20-21 (ESV Strong's)
20 Now may the God of peace who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great shepherd of the sheep, by the blood of the eternal covenant, 21 equip you with everything good that you may do his will, working in us that which is pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.

Remember, Jesus came to give us truth that we might escape untruth:

2 Timothy 2:25-26 (ESV Strong's)
correcting his opponents with gentleness. God may perhaps grant them repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth, and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, after being captured by him to do his will.

Avoid Anxiety - Don’t Worry - Luke 11-12

Luke 12:22-31 (ESV Strong's)
Do Not Be Anxious
22 And he said to his disciples, “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat, nor about your body, what you will put on. 23 For life is more than food, and the body more than clothing. 24 Consider the ravens: they neither sow nor reap, they have neither storehouse nor barn, and yet God feeds them. Of how much more value are you than the birds! 25 And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? 26 If then you are not able to do as small a thing as that, why are you anxious about the rest? 27 Consider the lilies, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 28 But if God so clothes the grass, which is alive in the field today, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, how much more will he clothe you, O you of little faith! 29 And do not seek what you are to eat and what you are to drink, nor be worried. 30 For all the nations of the world seek after these things, and your Father knows that you need them. 31 Instead, seek his kingdom, and these things will be added to you.

Avoid Anxiety

The art of worrying has become a natural pastime,  it is almost a badge of courage in modern society.  People worry about everything. We do not realize that when we worry we are actually denying the power of God in our lives.  Jesus’ answer to worry is to see the character of His Father.   God is the great Provider.  When we worry we deny his glory.  Our worrying is a sin that denies the power of God.   Jesus gives examples of how God cares for us.  He uses very obvious and practical illustrations. Flowers, our hair and our height are examples of things we have no control over.   God is in control of these things. As He is over all life.  Our worry denies that truth.

Convey - NOT Convince! Ezekiel 1-6

Ezekiel 2:3-7 (ESV Strong's)
3 And he said to me, “Son of man, I send you to the people of Israel, to nations of rebels, who have rebelled against me. They and their fathers have transgressed against me to this very day. 4 The descendants also are impudent and stubborn: I send you to them, and you shall say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD.’ 5 And whether they hear or refuse to hear (for they are a rebellious house) they will know that a prophet has been among them. 6 And you, son of man, be not afraid of them, nor be afraid of their words, though briers and thorns are with you and you sit on scorpions. Be not afraid of their words, nor be dismayed at their looks, for they are a rebellious house. 7 And you shall speak my words to them, whether they hear or refuse to hear, for they are a rebellious house.

Convey - NOT Convince!

Those who speak God’s Word should memorize, meditate and memorialize the above passage.   Ezekiel is being sent to deliver a message to God’s people, Israel.  They were a disobedient people.  God is sending Ezekiel to them to further speak to them about this disobedience.   God is telling His messenger, Ezekiel, to worry not about their response.  In fact, God knows their response.    God knows they will disobey the words of Ezekiel.   Why?  Because they already disobeyed the words of God:

Ezekiel 3:7 (ESV Strong's)
7 But the house of Israel will not be willing to listen to you, for they are not willing to listen to me: because all the house of Israel have a hard forehead and a stubborn heart.

Pastors and preachers and priest tend to want to “convince” the world around them of the “rightness” of their message, SO THAT there is a change in behavior of the listener.  But, sometimes (even often), the listener refuses to hear.   Ezekiel is to simply deliver the message.   He is not to worry about response.  The minister of God is not to convince; they are to convey.   That is the role God gave Ezekiel. That is the role He gives us.  We are to convey, not convince.  God’s job is to convince.  

Fail to Ponder - Prepare to Wander - Proverbs 4

Proverbs 4:26 (NASV)
Watch the path of your feet
And all your ways will be established.

Proverbs 4:26 (ESV)
Ponder the path of your feet;
then all your ways will be sure.

Fail to Ponder - Prepare to Wander

This proverb follows the KISS method ... Keep it Simple Stupid!!!   When we read a verse like this we should be immediately drawn to the simplicity that is found in God's truth.   God has a simple system to "establish" us (keep us firm and secure).  The first line of this proverb outlines God's simply plan for us ... "watch" (which in our proverb is a real action word that actually means make the path of your feet level.)   God's simple plan is to "watch" our journey - make the way level - and if we do, we will be secure; stand fast; have safety.  The ESV uses the word "ponder." The word in the Hebrew actually means to "roll flat." When we go into rugged and slippery places we are not keeping the path of our feet "level" - we are not "watching" out, we are not "pondering" our path.   In Psalm 119:5 we read the same thing but David tells us a little more than his son, Solomon, does.  David tells us that God's Word keeps us on level ground.  So, God's simple truth is to follow God's Word and believe and we will find firmness at our feet ... our walk in life.   Of course, God's system is simple, but we are not.  Our desire for the slippery; the rugged; the full schedule! The rough and the edgy causes us to lose track of our feet and be led into places that are not firm or secure.   That is where faith in God's Word comes in.   We have to not only be "in" God's Word we have to obey it.   That is how we keep "watch" of our path.  God's Word is a light unto our path.  That is what gives us the ability to "watch" the path.  God's Word is what we watch.  When we do that our feet simply walk in firm places.

Th word “ponder” (watch) in the above verse is a Hebrew word that means “to make level.”  It is referring to our mind and it carries the sense of “sorting out your thoughts.”  When we hear the phrase, “level headed,” we get a good understanding of what this word means and how it is applied to the text.  When we “ponder” (using God’s Word) we are sorting out our thoughts and using God’s word to give us new thoughts.   We “level” our thinking due to the truths of God’s word.   When we fail to ponder we can prepare to wander.   We have no basis for our thoughts when we reject God’s Word.  If we want to ponder the path of our feet we have to sort out the thoughts in our mind.  

The Poor and Needy See God Differently - Psalms 69-71

Psalms 70:4-5 (ESV Strong's)
4 May all who seek you
rejoice and be glad in you!
May those who love your salvation
say evermore, “God is great!”
5 But I am poor and needy;
hasten to me, O God!
You are my help and my deliverer;
O LORD, do not delay!

The Poor and Needy See God Differently

In the above song by King David has come to a place in his life where his power and might can not save him.   He sees himself as “poor and needy” before God.  No one can see God in the right manner unless they see themselves as poor and needy.  This is why the first of Jesus’ Beatitudes is:

Matthew 5:3
Blessed are the poor and spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven.

Only those who are poor and spirit know the need for Christ.  Only those who are poor and needy see a need to have God in their lives.   The problem with our society today, is that even though they complain they don’t have all they need, in reality they are not needy enough to recognize that they need God via Christ.   David can cry out to God, “O LORD, do not delay,” because he is in desperate need.  We do not like times of desperate need in our lives. We work and fight to avoid those times. But, in reality, those are the greatest times to see the glory of God.  That is why David can say, “God is great!”  It is because he has come to realize he is so small.  

We simply know more about God in times of need than we do in times of fat!!!

Steadfastness - 1 Kings 10-13

1 Kings 11:4-8 (ESV Strong's)
4 For when Solomon was old his wives turned away his heart after other gods, and his heart was not wholly true to the LORD his God, as was the heart of David his father. 5 For Solomon went after Ashtoreth the goddess of the Sidonians, and after Milcom the abomination of the Ammonites. 6 So Solomon did what was evil in the sight of the LORD and did not wholly follow the LORD, as David his father had done. 7 Then Solomon built a high place for Chemosh the abomination of Moab, and for Molech the abomination of the Ammonites, on the mountain east of Jerusalem. 8 And so he did for all his foreign wives, who made offerings and sacrificed to their gods.

Steadfastness

One of the New Testament statements about “old men” is written by the Apostle Paul to young, preacher Titus.  Here is what he wrote to encourage Titus as he grows old:

Titus 2:2 (ESV Strong's)
2 Older men are to be sober-minded, dignified, self-controlled, sound in faith, in love, and in steadfastness.

They are to be “sound in faith, sound in love and sound in steadfastness.”   Paul often wrote about his own “finishing the race” well. To young pastor Timothy he wrote:

2 Timothy 4:7-8 (ESV Strong's)
7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. 8 Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing.

These verses all stand in contrast to what we read, above, for Solomon.  Despite the fact that Solomon was given the very wisdom of God and wrote thousands of proverbs about God’s wisdom, he failed in the end of his life.  He did not run with steadfastness.   He allowed his appetites for women to cause him to succumb.   This seems to be true in a lot of lives of believers. Their “addiction” to something, in the end, brings them down.   Paul tells us to run to the very end.  We are not to let our guard down. We are to remember that sin never sleeps and has no age limit on defeating us.   Sin does not give up. Sin has steadfastness.  Satan has steadfastness.  We need to, in the Spirit, have steadfastness.  

Accepted - Leviticus 1-3

Leviticus 1:3 (ESV Strong's)
3 “If his offering is a burnt offering from the herd, he shall offer a male without blemish. He shall bring it to the entrance of the tent of meeting, that he may be accepted before the LORD.

Accepted!!

In the spring of the year many high school seniors are waiting to hear back from college after college about their fall entry plans.   They, in good faith, sent out multiple college admissions applications, but they are looking for that ONE who will accept them into their college.  Colleges and universities around the country have created a lottery type mentality about their schools.   They ONLY “accept” a certain number of students, or a certain type of a student, or a certain percentage of a type of  person.   When the senior receives their “acceptance” letter (especially if it is from THAT university), the student (and their parents) begins to publish that they were “accepted” into University _______.  Those who did not get their first choice are less enthusiastic about their acceptance letters and, as a result, less into publishing.    Being “accepted” is a good thing.   In the above passage we have another form of “acceptance.”  But this is not to some brick and mortar money pit.  This is the ultimate acceptance.  It is not being accepted into a club, a school or a group of friends.   This is being accepted by God.    The book of Leviticus gives us God sacrificial system about being accepted by God.   God does not simply just accept us because we are made in His image.  His image was completely damaged by the sin in the garden of Eden, committed by Adam.   Adam disobeyed God.  As to all men and mankind.   Adam needed to be be forgiven by God.   The sin exposed Adam’s nakedness.   God “killed” an animal to clothe Adam and Eve.  The animal being killed was the first “shedding of blood” on the earth.  That symbolized the need for a sacrifice for sin.   The book of Leviticus is the laws and rules for those sacrifices that allow man to be “accepted” by God.   But, like the animal in the garden being a shadow of what was to come, so too, is the Levitical system of sacrifice.   What we read in Leviticus is a shadow of what Christ did on the cross for us. He became the sacrifice for us that we might be accepted by God.   All the offerings, sacrifices and rituals listed in Leviticus are for the purpose of pointing us to the sacrifice of Christ on the cross.   The writer of Hebrews, in the New Testament, said it this way:

Hebrews 10:1-10 (ESV Strong's)
Christ's Sacrifice Once for All
1 For since the law has but a shadow of the good things to come instead of the true form of these realities, it can never, by the same sacrifices that are continually offered every year, make perfect those who draw near. 2 Otherwise, would they not have ceased to be offered, since the worshipers, having once been cleansed, would no longer have any consciousness of sins? 3 But in these sacrifices there is a reminder of sins every year. 4 For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.
5 Consequently, when Christ came into the world, he said,
“Sacrifices and offerings you have not desired,
but a body have you prepared for me;
6 in burnt offerings and sin offerings
you have taken no pleasure.
7 Then I said, ‘Behold, I have come to do your will, O God,
as it is written of me in the scroll of the book.’”
8 When he said above, “You have neither desired nor taken pleasure in sacrifices and offerings and burnt offerings and sin offerings” (these are offered according to the law), 9 then he added, “Behold, I have come to do your will.” He does away with the first in order to establish the second. 10 And by that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.

Faith in Jesus Christ allows us to be “accepted” by God.  

Sow-Reap - Galatians 4-6

Galatians 6:6-8 (ESV Strong's)
6 Let the one who is taught the word share all good things with the one who teaches. 7 Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap. 8 For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life.

Sow-Reap

In this letter to the churches in the region of Galatia, Paul is writing to confront false teachers and to encourage the believers to not fall back to Judaism. They were being taught, but false teachers, to “add” the preachiness of Judaism (circumcision; ceremonial washings, etc.) to their Christianity.   Paul plainly tells them that this teaching is wrong:

Galatians 5:6 (ESV Strong's)
6 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything, but only faith working through love.

Yet, they continued to insist that doing the “works of the law” did “add” to their faith.  This is the context for the above verses.   It is a universal law when we consider the science of sowing and reaping.   The laws of the universe are set in stone.  It is why scientist can predict outcomes or accomplish great things in the name of science: God has established a scientific order to the universe.   Although God’s miracles transcend that science (God is not bound by the same scientific equations), God did design them.  He puts them in place to show order in the world.  Note what Job tells us about this science:

Job 26:7-10 (ESV Strong's)
7 He stretches out the north over the void
and hangs the earth on nothing.
8 He binds up the waters in his thick clouds,
and the cloud is not split open under them.
9 He covers the face of the full moon
and spreads over it his cloud.
10 He has inscribed a circle on the face of the waters
at the boundary between light and darkness.

God designed the earth with these laws.  That is why Paul can call upon the churches of Galatia to the law of sowing and reaping.  God is NOT mocked ... His laws are true and just and consistent.  You can’t mock God by thinking you can sow sin and not reap justice.   That does not happen.  It is a law of God as true as gravity.    It is a law of God as true centrifugal force.   We sow - we reap.  Paul was telling the false teachers that as they continue to mock God with their teaching they will reap corruptions to themselves and in the church.  Paul was telling the church if they reap the sin of disobedience and continue to practice Judaism as an avenue to Christ, they will reap sorrow.   This is a life law that has no alternative.  Whatever you sow, you reap!

We Have Power AND Security!!! Luke 9-10

Luke 10:17-20 (ESV Strong's)
17 The seventy-two returned with joy, saying, “Lord, even the demons are subject to us in your name!” 18 And he said to them, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. 19 Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall hurt you. 20 Nevertheless, do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.”

We Have Power AND Security!!

Earlier in chapter ten Jesus sends out seventy-two disciples.  Here was his instructions to them:

Luke 10:1-12 (ESV Strong's)
1 After this the Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them on ahead of him, two by two, into every town and place where he himself was about to go. 2 And he said to them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest. 3 Go your way; behold, I am sending you out as lambs in the midst of wolves. 4 Carry no moneybag, no knapsack, no sandals, and greet no one on the road. 5 Whatever house you enter, first say, ‘Peace be to this house!’ 6 And if a son of peace is there, your peace will rest upon him. But if not, it will return to you. 7 And remain in the same house, eating and drinking what they provide, for the laborer deserves his wages. Do not go from house to house. 8 Whenever you enter a town and they receive you, eat what is set before you. 9 Heal the sick in it and say to them, ‘The kingdom of God has come near to you.’ 10 But whenever you enter a town and they do not receive you, go into its streets and say, 11 ‘Even the dust of your town that clings to our feet we wipe off against you. Nevertheless know this, that the kingdom of God has come near.’ 12 I tell you, it will be more bearable on that day for Sodom than for that town.

When they return we hear that all that Jesus told them they would accomplish was accomplished.   The changes in the lives of others must have been amazing.  God changed lives through these seventy-two disciples.   They COULD have been boastful about these things. In one sense they were.   Yet, Jesus reminds them that even though all these great things happened, the greatest rejoicing should be over the fact not only do they have power for great things, but they also have their names “written in heaven.”   The fact that we have power over the enemy through the Spirit and the presence of the Father through the sacrifice of the Son gives us an assurance that is so profound and powerful to think about.   Rejoice that God is using us by empowering us and equipping us and keeping us!!!!

Do Not Fear! - Lamentations

Lamentations 3:55-57 (ESV Strong's)
55 “I called on your name, O LORD,
from the depths of the pit;
56 you heard my plea, ‘Do not close
your ear to my cry for help!’
57 You came near when I called on you;
you said, ‘Do not fear!’

Do Not Fear!

The phrase “do not fear” is stated multiple times in the Old and New Testament.  It is often followed by the words “believe” and “faith.”   In the above passage, Jeremiah continues his lament about the fall of Jerusalem and the captivity of Israel and Judah.   This funeral dredge is a heart-broken song of the bad that has happened to this disobedient people.    God has sent their enemies to overtake Judah and to destroy Jerusalem.   Those who rejected Jeremiah’s prophecy to repent and to give into God’s discipline, made Jeremiah’s life horrible.   In the midst of the song we see Jeremiah’s plea for help and God’s response:  Do not fear!!    God wants us to be in awe and fear Him, but He does not want us to be in awe and fear of other things.   When we are in fear of something we give it honor in our lives. We give it purpose.  We give it prestige.  It becomes the focal point for our lives.   Giving fear is giving honor to something.   In once sense, when we fear others and when we fear something in life we are idol worshipping that thing.   God is saying to us, “do not fear” those things, because He is bigger than all things.   Our “fear” (honor) ought to be solely for Him and Him alone.  That is why were are told, “the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.”   When we “fear” the Lord, we give Him ultimate honor in our lives.   God is saying “don’t fear those things, but rather, fear me.”  When we put God before those things in our lives that cause us to fear, we give him honor.   We properly worship when our fear is toward Him, instead of toward the thing that is capturing our worship via fear.  

Wisdom is God’s Tool of Protection - Proverbs 2-3

Proverbs 3:23-26 (ESV Strong's)
23 Then you will walk on your way securely,
and your foot will not stumble.
24 If you lie down, you will not be afraid;
when you lie down, your sleep will be sweet.
25 Do not be afraid of sudden terror
or of the ruin of the wicked, when it comes,
26 for the LORD will be your confidence
and will keep your foot from being caught.

Wisdom is God’s Tool of Protection

In the above passage, Solomon is instructing his son on the benefits of wisdom.   He is telling him that God’s wisdom is a tool God uses to protect us from the evil world around us.   When we “fear the Lord” (the beginning of wisdom) we obtain wisdom.  With that wisdom we are able to navigate the world around us and avoid the evil that men stir up in the world.   We can have sweet sleep. While others are in terror of the night, those who fear the Lord and obtain wisdom from Him can have sweet sleep.  Notice how the writer of Psalms 91 stated a similar truth:

Psalms 91:1-6 (ESV Strong's)
1 He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High
will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.
2 I will say to the LORD, “My refuge and my fortress,
my God, in whom I trust.”
3 For he will deliver you from the snare of the fowler
and from the deadly pestilence.
4 He will cover you with his pinions,
and under his wings you will find refuge;
his faithfulness is a shield and buckler.
5 You will not fear the terror of the night,
nor the arrow that flies by day,
6 nor the pestilence that stalks in darkness,
nor the destruction that wastes at noonday.

The world fears terror that they can’t see (the invisible ... by night) and can’t stop (the inevitable .. by arrows) and can’t hide from (the imaginative ... stalks at darkness) and they can’t prevent (the insurmountable ... wastes at noonday).   But, those who have wisdom have the Lord as their confidence.   We don’t trust in ourselves, we trust in the power and privileges and promises of God. That protects us from these evilness.  God gives us wisdom to make choices that prevent the destruction the world feels and offers.  

God Has a Lot of Chariots - Psalms 66-68

Psalms 68:17 (ESV Strong's)
17 The chariots of God are twice ten thousand,
thousands upon thousands;
the Lord is among them; Sinai is now in the sanctuary.


God Has a Lot of Chariots

In the ancient world there were “social” norms that indicated you were rich and strong.  Those who had more herds were ricer than those who had one little lamb (2 Samuel 12).   Those who had many horses were also deemed rich and powerful.    But, chariots were a real sign of strength and power.  If the song writers wrote the above passage today they might say that God, in His sanctuary, has armies, or weapons, or power.   What the writer is saying is that God has more power and strength than we can even image.  This was the point the Elijah tried to tell his servant when he was surrounded by man’s armies.  Note:

2 Kings 6:15-17
(ESV Strong's) 15 When the servant of the man of God rose early in the morning and went out, behold, an army with horses and chariots was all around the city. And the servant said, “Alas, my master! What shall we do?” 16 He said, “Do not be afraid, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them.” 17 Then Elisha prayed and said, “O LORD, please open his eyes that he may see.” So the LORD opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw, and behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.

God wants us to open our eyes to see that He is God and is full of power.  He has more power than we can ever imagine.  

Capitalism in the Kingdom - 1 Kings 5-9

1 Kings 5:7-10 (ESV Strong's)
7 As soon as Hiram heard the words of Solomon, he rejoiced greatly and said, “Blessed be the LORD this day, who has given to David a wise son to be over this great people.” 8 And Hiram sent to Solomon, saying, “I have heard the message that you have sent to me. I am ready to do all you desire in the matter of cedar and cypress timber. 9 My servants shall bring it down to the sea from Lebanon, and I will make it into rafts to go by sea to the place you direct. And I will have them broken up there, and you shall receive it. And you shall meet my wishes by providing food for my household.” 10 So Hiram supplied Solomon with all the timber of cedar and cypress that he desired,

Capitalism in the Kingdom

In the above passage we see the negotiation of a business deal.  Solomon, in his wisdom choose capitalism over conquest.   Solomon’s kingdom and army were so big, he could have wiped out Hiram (King of Tyre) and taken his timber.  But, Solomon recognized the skill sent Hiram’s people had for cutting timber:

1 Kings 5:6 (ESV Strong's)
6 Now therefore command that cedars of Lebanon be cut for me. And my servants will join your servants, and I will pay you for your servants such wages as you set, for you know that there is no one among us who knows how to cut timber like the Sidonians.”

So, Solomon negotiates a deal to pay for the timber.  Hiram designs a business model to supply the timber and to ship it to Solomon.   This put them into a mutual beneficial business deal.   That provided Solomon both peace and prosperity.   Capitalism has its many, many flaws.  But, business and commerce can be mutually beneficial to all parties when acted upon by God’s design and grace.   In the story of Laban and Jacob we see swindling and sabotage.   In the story of Solomon and Hiram we see benefit and reward.   The players in capitalism make it good or bad.  

God Designed, Design!!! Exodus 37-40

Exodus 39:9-14 (ESV Strong's)
9 It was square. They made the breastpiece doubled, a span its length and a span its breadth when doubled. 10 And they set in it four rows of stones. A row of sardius, topaz, and carbuncle was the first row; 11 and the second row, an emerald, a sapphire, and a diamond; 12 and the third row, a jacinth, an agate, and an amethyst; 13 and the fourth row, a beryl, an onyx, and a jasper. They were enclosed in settings of gold filigree. 14 There were twelve stones with their names according to the names of the sons of Israel. They were like signets, each engraved with its name, for the twelve tribes.

God designed, design!!

We love to go and look at new clothes.  We love to see the new fashions.  Doing a quick Google search you will find that the clothing industry is a 350+ billion dollar industry.  Just on clothing us.   We love a “sharp” look.  How many wives have emerged out of their walk-in closets and have asked their naive husbands, “Do I look good in this?”   Or, “How does this make me look?”  Or, “Which shoes look better with this outfit?”   Color combinations and design are not on everyone’s mind.   We can see that by simply walking down the street.  However, in the above passage God was not only creating a functional breast-piece for Aaron, the High Priest, He was designing it with a sense of beauty in mind, as well.  Just imagine these twelve stones, lined up in four rows, three stones to a row.   The second row was a emerald, a sapphire, and a diamond.   Those are probably the most familiar stones.   The beauty and design of the breast-plate would have secured the attention of everyone.   We need to understand that the character of God is not opposed to fancy designing, or beautiful things.  He created the aspect of design. Look at the back of your hand.  Look that ecosystem in your back-yard.  Look at the sky, full of starts, each night.   God loves design.  The fact that we can, as mankind, design a car, arrange a home, create a painting, or any other beautify things, is a demonstration of our being made in the image of God.  How many little children want to secure a crayon and simply draw something.  They are so proud of it.   Although their fingers have not yet matured their mind has already started the design process.   God is the creator of all design.  The fact that we do so, as well, it evidence of our being made in His image.   God designed, design!!