Always Giants to be Killed - 1 Chronicles 20-24

1 Chronicles 20:3 - 21:1 (ESV)
3 And he brought out the people who were in it and set them to labor with saws and iron picks and axes. And thus David did to all the cities of the Ammonites. Then David and all the people returned to Jerusalem.

4 And after this there arose war with the Philistines at Gezer. Then Sibbecai the Hushathite struck down Sippai, who was one of the descendants of the giants, and the Philistines were subdued. 5 And there was again war with the Philistines, and Elhanan the son of Jair struck down Lahmi the brother of Goliath the Gittite, the shaft of whose spear was like a weaver's beam. 6 And there was again war at Gath, where there was a man of great stature, who had six fingers on each hand and six toes on each foot, twenty-four in number, and he also was descended from the giants. 7 And when he taunted Israel, Jonathan the son of Shimea, David's brother, struck him down. 8 These were descended from the giants in Gath, and they fell by the hand of David and by the hand of his servants.

21:1 Then Satan stood against Israel and incited David to number Israel.

There always seems to remain a few giants in the land that need to be killed.  The stories in the Old Testament are written for our learning and admonishment:

1 Corinthians 10:11 (ESV)
Now these things happened to them as an example, but they were written down for our instruction, on whom the end of the ages has come.

These events were not only real, historical happenings, they are lessons and word pictures for us to learn how to live with God and walk before Him in holiness.   In the above passage there is separation between verse 3 and verse 4 of this passage (inserted by those who arranged the ESV text).   It is regretful that they separated these verses, because it teaches us something about what it is like to serve God and walk with Him.   David was given much victory under God’s power and authority.  He subdued the land.   He even tells young Solomon that fact later when charging the young man to build the Temple (27:6-9).   What we learn, however, in this text, that even though God gave the nation peace there was still a few giants that needed to be conquered.   There were physical giants sent to oppose David and the kingdom (vs. 4-8) and there was a spiritual giant sent by Satan (21:1) in David’s ego.   We never really have absolute peace in our lives, even when living for God.   Satan and our flesh are constantly at war with God and the Spirit in our live.   That dynamic is a constant struggle (read Romans 6-8 to see Paul’s version of the struggle).   We have to realize that we are constantly in a state of war with Satan and the flesh and the world around us.  Giants will rise up to fight us all the time.  That is why, like David, we need to surround ourselves with great men and woman of God who can fight with us and for us.  That is the community God intended to provide us.   The is the victory God intends for us.  

Leadership vs Follower-ship Problems - Numbers 13-17

 Numbers 17:1-7 (ESV)

The LORD spoke to Moses, saying, “Speak to the people of Israel, and get from them staffs, one for each fathers' house, from all their chiefs according to their fathers' houses, twelve staffs. Write each man's name on his staff, and write Aaron's name on the staff of Levi. For there shall be one staff for the head of each fathers' house. Then you shall deposit them in the tent of meeting before the testimony, where I meet with you. And the staff of the man whom I choose shall sprout. Thus I will make to cease from me the grumblings of the people of Israel, which they grumble against you.” Moses spoke to the people of Israel. And all their chiefs gave him staffs, one for each chief, according to their fathers' houses, twelve staffs. And the staff of Aaron was among their staffs. And Moses deposited the staffs before the LORD in the tent of the testimony.

In chapters 14 and 16 of Numbers we read about two rebellions to overthrow Moses’ and Aaron’s leadership.   Prior to that, in chapter 12, Moses and Aaron’s sister, Miriam, attempted a similar coup.   Even though God established Moses’ leadership by calling him from the wilderness, the people of Israel were not impressed.   The above passage is God's "once and for all" plan.  He is going to establish their leadership once and for all in the eyes of the people.  You would have thought that the miracles in Egypt would have done this.  You would have thought that the miracle at the Red Sea would have done this.  But, no, the people still rebelled.   Leadership is often challenged by those who simply do not wish to follow.   This is less the leadership style and acumen.   It has more to do with the failure of others to follow.   Follower-ship is not a learned and/or taught character quality.  It is assumed that if you are not leading you will be following. That is probably a false assumption.   In this case, God is going to demonstrate through ANOTHER miracle that Moses and Aaron are the leaders of God’s choice.   Remember, when Miriam tried to lead, God caused her to be overcome with leprosy.   When Korah tried to take over as the leader, God opened up the earth and swallowed  the entire clan.   Now God proposes a dead branch that brings for leaves and flowers.   God needs to intervene on the behalf of leaders to make sure followers know who God put in charge.   It is God who selects leaders.    Follower-ship is a quality we all need to learn.   

Be Holy! 2 Timothy 1-2

2 Timothy 2:20-21 (ESV)
Now in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and silver but also of wood and clay, some for honorable use, some for dishonorable. Therefore, if anyone cleanses himself from what is dishonorable, he will be a vessel for honorable use, set apart as holy, useful to the master of the house, ready for every good work.

God has prepared us and is preparing us to be “ready for every good work” He has for us.   We have to realize that even though this world is full of beauty, interests and intrigue, we have been called to something far greater than what we see each day.   God has created us to be “vessels of gold and sliver.”   God has made us to be for “honorable use.”   We are “set apart as holy.”    Notice what Paul told the church in Thessalonica:

1 Thessalonians 4:3 & 7 (ESV)
For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you abstain from sexual immorality; ... For God has not called us for impurity, but in holiness.

God has already “sanctified” us; while at the same time He is constantly “sanctifying” us.  We have the reality of being “sanctified” and the every day experience of being “sanctified.”   We we read about is that God is able to distinguish those who are really holy from those who simply say they are holy.   There were some in the church who claimed to be one thing and were quit the other.   God knows those who are His and which vessels are which.    We are to yield in faith as God continues to perfect in practical form what He has already perfected in positional form.   We are to be holy!

He Knows Us and We Know Him - John 10-12

 John 10:7-14 (ESV)

So Jesus again said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. All who came before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly. I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. He who is a hired hand and not a shepherd, who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees, and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. He flees because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep. I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me,

He knows us and we know Him.   Those who own an animal can relate a little to Jesus’ words in the above text.   Those who call to their dog can see an immediate response, because the dog knows the owner’s voice.  The stranger has little or no control over the animal.  Now, we are not animals, but Jesus point in the above words is to teach us about how Jesus knows us (as the shepherd) and we know Him (as the sheep).   The stranger will not be heard or take care of the sheep.  The stranger will run when danger comes.   Jesus is promising to keep us and protect us and talk to us.   He is the good shepherd who will lay His life down for the sheep.    We can rejoice in the voice, the care, and the sacrifice of the shepherd.  The world’s fake shepherds promise these things, but will eventually fail and even turn on us to become wolves in our lives.   Jesus is the good shepherd and promises to walk with us and care for us forever.   He knows us and we know Him.    

God is NOT like Man - Hosea 8-14

Hosea 11:5-9 (ESV)
They shall not return to the land of Egypt,
but Assyria shall be their king,
because they have refused to return to me.
The sword shall rage against their cities,
consume the bars of their gates,
and devour them because of their own counsels.
My people are bent on turning away from me,
and though they call out to the Most High,
he shall not raise them up at all.
How can I give you up, O Ephraim?
How can I hand you over, O Israel?
How can I make you like Admah?
How can I treat you like Zeboiim?
My heart recoils within me;
my compassion grows warm and tender.
I will not execute my burning anger;
I will not again destroy Ephraim;
for I am God and not a man,
the Holy One in your midst,
and I will not come in wrath.

“I am God and not man ...”.   We can rejoice in that one statement in this section.  In these few verses we are giving a brief view of the glory of God.   The book of Hosea is written to show that there are consequences when God’s people go away from Him to serve other gods and fill their own sensual desire.   God is a jealous God and does not compete with the things of the world for our love.   However, notice what this passage shows.  God is angry at Israel for their turning their back on Him.  His wrath is full.    Yet, note the turmoil within God’s heart.   He states:

“... My heart recoils within me;
my compassion grows warm and tender.
I will not execute my burning anger;
I will not again destroy Ephraim;
for I am God and not a man,
the Holy One in your midst,
and I will not come in wrath.” 

Mankind, once angry at someone for something, often can’t turn it off.  We tend to remain angry.   Even though we are told not to let our anger linger, we are to resolve it quickly (Ephesians 4:26).   God’s character is bring His children back and to remember His covenant to the house of Israel.  God’s glory is that He can have wrath toward sin and still love His children.   Note how Hosea ends this chapter:

Hosea 11:10-12 (ESV)
They shall go after the LORD;
he will roar like a lion;
when he roars,
his children shall come trembling from the west;
they shall come trembling like birds from Egypt,
and like doves from the land of Assyria,
and I will return them to their homes, declares the LORD.
Ephraim has surrounded me with lies,
and the house of Israel with deceit,
but Judah still walks with God
and is faithful to the Holy One.

God is faithful to the promises He has made.  Although His wrath is real, God’s love sill holds His promises.   What a great picture of the glory of God; of who He is and how He interacts with His children.  He is not like man.  

God Fights the Battle/Wins the War - Proverbs 20-21

 Proverbs 21:31
The horse is prepared for the day of battle, But victory belongs to the Lord.

The above proverb has mulitple applications to our lives. The immediate context speaks about a battle or war, obviously. Plain and simply put, we can train our hands to fight a war but if we are victorious it will depend entirely on God. Most of us don't think this way in our society. We tend to think that the stronger, the more trained, the more equipped will eventually triumph. However, the training may be in our control, but victory is His will. We can apply this principle to any discipline or situation we find ourselves facing. Our ability to prepare, in reality, also comes from God. Let us not think that we do anything of virture or worth without His enablement. We do, however, have a responsibility to "prepare" for victory. David prepared for victory by using his sling and stones while guarding the sheep. He was smaller in stature and less equipped. Yet, God gave the victory. Daniel had less "resources," (not even having a stone and a sling). Yet, armed with his tool of prayer he closed the mouth of lions. Moses had a staff and whipped the entire Egyptian's army. Elijah simply bent his knees in prayer and closed the heavens from raining.  We don't need a lot, we only need what God gives us and use that to its fullest extent. Prepare the horse but trust God for the victory.

This proverb, also, gives us a look at the partnership we have with God in the battle's we face. We are to trust in God for the victory but we are to prepare our resources for the battle. The horse (our strength, our skill, our size) is to be prepared for whatever battle we are about to face. We are to train and practice what God has given us for resources. But, we are not to trust in that preparation as the means of the victory. God is to be our trust. God will use those resources (as with Joshua) or even diminish those resources (as with Gideon). We might have the sword provided, but God will simply use the sling (David). We might have the sun stand still (Joshua) to make sure we can use our army to complete the battle. God will do some amazing things. We are simply responsible to prepare our resources.

Mental Illness Treatment - Psalms 102-104

Psalms 102:1-2 (ESV)
Hear my prayer, O LORD;
let my cry come to you!
Do not hide your face from me
in the day of my distress!
Incline your ear to me;
answer me speedily in the day when I call!

The title for this Psalm in the ESV is:

A PRAYER OF ONE AFFLICTED, WHEN HE IS FAINT AND POURS OUT HIS COMPLAINT BEFORE THE LORD.

When we read it we see someone in deep suffering who is crying out to God for answers. We do not know who wrote the song, but we do know their condition.  Note:

Psalms 102:3-9 (ESV)
For my days pass away like smoke,
and my bones burn like a furnace.
My heart is struck down like grass and has withered;
I forget to eat my bread.
Because of my loud groaning
my bones cling to my flesh.
I am like a desert owl of the wilderness,
like an owl of the waste places;
I lie awake;
I am like a lonely sparrow on the housetop.
All the day my enemies taunt me;
those who deride me use my name for a curse.
For I eat ashes like bread
and mingle tears with my drink,

In 1 Kings 19 we read that Elijah was depressed.  Could this be his cry for mercy?  Could it be Job.  He certainly could have written those words.  Could it have been Moses?  Jeremiah?  Disobedient Jonah in the belly of the fish?   We really don’t know, but God’s people and leaders (as we can see) are not exempt from depression and mental struggles.   What is God’s answer to this dilemma in this author’s life and those mentioned as going through a time of deep despair like this?   Throughout the song we read of God’s greatness.  We are told of His power.  We are told of His creation. At the very end of the song we are told about God’s immutability (He does not change).   Why would not the answer to this writer’s suffering be something about “why” he is suffering?  Why would not the answer to this writer’s suffering be a promise of deliverance from the circumstances he was facing?   The fact that God points to His divine creation  and divine character is the answer to our suffering.   In the midst of great despair, God does not often move the situation from us.  Instead, God comes down and walks with us through it.  He wants us to look at Him, in faith, and not focus on the circumstances or situation that is causing the pain and suffering.  We are to see His glory.  Note what the writer wants from his suffering: 

Psalms 102:18-22 (ESV)
Let this be recorded for a generation to come,
so that a people yet to be created may praise the LORD:
that he looked down from his holy height;
from heaven the LORD looked at the earth,
to hear the groans of the prisoners,
to set free those who were doomed to die,
that they may declare in Zion the name of the LORD,
and in Jerusalem his praise,
when peoples gather together,
and kingdoms, to worship the LORD.

Great Leaders have Great-Leader-Partners - 1 Chronicles 15-19

 1 Chronicles 18:12-17 (ESV)

And Abishai, the son of Zeruiah, killed 18,000 Edomites in the Valley of Salt. Then he put garrisons in Edom, and all the Edomites became David's servants. And the LORD gave victory to David wherever he went. So David reigned over all Israel, and he administered justice and equity to all his people. And Joab the son of Zeruiah was over the army; and Jehoshaphat the son of Ahilud was recorder; and Zadok the son of Ahitub and Ahimelech the son of Abiathar were priests; and Shavsha was secretary; and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was over the Cherethites and the Pelethites; and David's sons were the chief officials in the service of the king.

Great leaders surround themselves with other great leaders.   Prior to the above passage we were told that God put David in leadership.   We read in this passage told that the LORD gave David victory in wherever he did.   What we also see, however, is that God not only gave David victory, but also gave him great leadership to serve with him.   There is no great leader who is also afraid to have other great leaders serve with them and around them.   David was okay with giving others power, prominence and authority.   These leaders are all willing to serve with David and behind David.  That tells us that they were also willing to have God as their leader.  This is why David was not intimidate or threatened by other leaders.  David knew they were also willing to follow God.  Those who serve together should first follow God together.  When everyone is following God, it matters not who is in charge.   

Godly Leaders are not Jealous Leaders - Numbers 9-12

 Numbers 11:26-30 (ESV)

Now two men remained in the camp, one named Eldad, and the other named Medad, and the Spirit rested on them. They were among those registered, but they had not gone out to the tent, and so they prophesied in the camp. And a young man ran and told Moses, “Eldad and Medad are prophesying in the camp.” And Joshua the son of Nun, the assistant of Moses from his youth, said, “My lord Moses, stop them.” But Moses said to him, “Are you jealous for my sake? Would that all the LORD'S people were prophets, that the LORD would put his Spirit on them!” And Moses and the elders of Israel returned to the camp.

Godly leaders are not threatened by the actions of others.  In the above passage we read about two men who were given the Spirit of God and demonstrated that Spirit by prophesying.   Moses had complained to God that he was all alone in his leadership position over Israel.  God directed him to find 70 men of leadership qualities to assist him in leadership.   Once the men were selected, God gave them a portion of the same Spirit that was upon Moses. All 70 of them began to give forth prophesy, which demonstrated their gift of the Spirit.   This is the way the Spirit of God worked in the Old Testament.  The Spirit came on men for the purpose of service.  These two men, in the above text, continued to prophesy after the other 68 at ceased to do so.  Joshua, still young in his leadership, took offense to this.  But, Moses was not offended.  In fact, Moses saw it as a powerful sign that he was being given help from God.  Those who are lead by God are not threatened or hindered by others who are lead by God.   There was no jealousy.  There was no envy.  Those who are called by God rest in God’s calling.  They don’t need to be the ONLY ones called by God.  They don’t view themselves as dependent upon themselves.  They recognize that God has many who are called to lead along side them.  We might want to remember Elijah who was afraid he was the only prophet left in the country in his fight against King Ahab (1 Kings 18).   When called to serve God we ought not be jealous of others called to do the same.    

Church Leaders Set Examples - 1 Timothy 4-6

1 Timothy 4:12-16 (ESV)
Let no one despise you for your youth, but set the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity. Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to exhortation, to teaching. Do not neglect the gift you have, which was given you by prophecy when the council of elders laid their hands on you. Practice these things, immerse yourself in them, so that all may see your progress. Keep a close watch on yourself and on the teaching. Persist in this, for by so doing you will save both yourself and your hearers.

Be an example in your Christian walk to others.  That was Paul’s instruction to young Pastor Timothy.  Timothy was the pastor of the church in Ephesus.   Ephesus was a very wicked town.  They worshipped the goddess Diana.  Diana was the goddess was often associated with the Greek God, Artemis, as well.  The town of Ephesus was completely sold out to this mythical worship: 

Acts 19:23-28 (ESV)
About that time there arose no little disturbance concerning the Way. For a man named Demetrius, a silversmith, who made silver shrines of Artemis, brought no little business to the craftsmen. These he gathered together, with the workmen in similar trades, and said, “Men, you know that from this business we have our wealth. And you see and hear that not only in Ephesus but in almost all of Asia this Paul has persuaded and turned away a great many people, saying that gods made with hands are not gods. And there is danger not only that this trade of ours may come into disrepute but also that the temple of the great goddess Artemis may be counted as nothing, and that she may even be deposed from her magnificence, she whom all Asia and the world worship.”
When they heard this they were enraged and were crying out, “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!”

The city was completely sold out to this false worship. So, what is Paul’s instruction to Timothy? Be an example of true speech, conduct, love, faith and purity.   There is nothing more powerful than the example of a believer of Christ in the midst of non-believers of false gods.  The contrast can’t be more clear.  We, as believers, are to be examples of Christ followers.  The contrast between day and night is powerful.  Light exposes the dark.   Paul instructs Timothy to “immerse” himself in these Godly practices so that “all may see your progress.”   Why? Because, he states, “... by doing so you will save both yourself and your hearers.”   Church leadership should be good teachers.  But, church leadership should first and foremost be good examples.   

Christ Cares for the Castaways - John 7-9

John 9:35-41 (ESV)
Jesus heard that they had cast him out, and having found him he said, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?” He answered, “And who is he, sir, that I may believe in him?” Jesus said to him, “You have seen him, and it is he who is speaking to you.” He said, “Lord, I believe,” and he worshiped him. Jesus said, “For judgment I came into this world, that those who do not see may see, and those who see may become blind.” Some of the Pharisees near him heard these things, and said to him, “Are we also blind?” Jesus said to them, “If you were blind, you would have no guilt; but now that you say, ‘We see,’ your guilt remains.

When others cast us out, Jesus is there to catch us.   The above story is the conclusion of the events where Jesus heals a blind man.   The man is healed and then instantly confronted by the jealous religious leaders of the day about being healed on the sabbath.  The man was insignificant to the religious big-shots.   They actually didn’t even know him.  They had to find his parents to confirm that he was indeed blind.  The man apparently had take up a begging spot along the side of the road.  Note:

John 9:1 (ESV)
As he passed by, he saw a man blind from birth.

Perhaps this is the first sign that Jesus cares for those who have been cast aside.   The religious leaders would have seen this man day after day; probably more times than Jesus did.  Yet, they didn’t even know him.  Here we see their lack of empathy and lack of obedience to care for the poor of the world around them.   After hearing about the man’s blindness, confirming the story multiple times, their concern was not to rejoice in the healing of a man’s sight, but that Jesus would do so on the Sabbath.  Note:

John 9:16 (ESV)
Some of the Pharisees said, “This man is not from God, for he does not keep the Sabbath.” But others said, “How can a man who is a sinner do such signs?” And there was a division among them.

The leaders eventually try to make a mockery of the man because they were so filed with jealousy and rage about his being healed by Jesus.  So, the man returns to Jesus and is accepted.   The religious leaders are so enamored by their own narrative that they fail to see the glory of Christ and the way Jesus accepts and cares for those in need.  Jesus calls those who are less favored in the world.  He confounds the wise.  He looks for the broken hearted.  Those are who He cares for.  He resist the proud and gives grace to the humble.   

God’s Promise Gives Comfort in Discipline - Hosea 1-7

Hosea 1:10-11 (ESV)
Yet the number of the children of Israel shall be like the sand of the sea, which cannot be measured or numbered. And in the place where it was said to them, “You are not my people,” it shall be said to them, “Children of the living God.” And the children of Judah and the children of Israel shall be gathered together, and they shall appoint for themselves one head. And they shall go up from the land, for great shall be the day of Jezreel.

God’s promises gives us comfort even in when we are being disciplined.   God, in Hosea, is speaking to the nation of Israel about their sin and His punishment of it. In fact, the verses just prior to the above words are about God rejecting them and being angry with them.   Yet, right on the heals of that we read about the above promise. This is the same promise that God gave Abraham when He called him out of his home land.  Note what the writer of Hebrews tells us about that promise to Abraham:

Hebrews 11:12 (ESV)
Therefore from one man, and him as good as dead, were born descendants as many as the stars of heaven and as many as the innumerable grains of sand by the seashore.

God is about keeping His promises.   God sends His word as a comfort to us.  Note what Paul tells the church at Rome:

Romans 15:4 (ESV)
For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.

The “encouragement of the Scriptures” is a promise in and of itself to grab hold of each day.  God wants to comfort us.  His discipline is out of love (Hebrews 12:11-14).   It serves a purpose in our lives.   But, along with the discipline we have the promises of God that he loves us and will keep all the promises He has made to us.   

Friendship Should be Built on the Right Elements - Proverbs 19

Proverbs 19:4 (ESV)
Wealth brings many new friends,
but a poor man is deserted by his friend.

Proverbs 19:6 (ESV)
Many seek the favor of a generous man,
and everyone is a friend to a man who gives gifts.

Proverbs 19:7 (ESV)
All a poor man's brothers hate him;
how much more do his friends go far from him!
He pursues them with words, but does not have them.

Friendships are weird!   Almost everyone has friends.  Some have more, some of less.  There are few that have none, but, it does happen.    Before looking at the above three verses from this chapter, look at what Solomon stated in another proverb about friends and being friendly:

Proverbs 18:24 (KJV)
A man that hath friends must shew himself friendly: and there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother.

Being a friend begat friendships, according to Solomon.  But, he does realize that there are some certain elements that impact friendship.   Note:

1. Wealth impacts friendship (v. 4).  When people have money they have more and more friends.   People are attracted to people with means.   People with money have bigger homes so they can entertain more friends.   People with money have more worldly successes so they meet more people, to make them friends.  The poor man has little to offer and therefore has less and less friends.   

2.  Generosity impacts friendship (v. 6.  This might, as above, appeal more to those of wealth, but not necessarily.   Anyone can be generous.  Granted a wealthy person can afford to be more generous.   But, anyone of any means can be generous with their time, their love, their knowledge.   Generous people make friends more than stingy people, is Solomon’s point.   

3. Poverty impacts friendship (v. 7a).  This is more than simply the opposite of verse four, above.   It is true that wealth attracts friends and poverty does not, but verse seven goes beyond that.  Not only does poverty NOT attract people in friendships, it can actually propel them away.   In the above proverb we see that even the “brother” of the poor man deserts him.  

4. Empty words impact friendship (v. 7b).  The above proverb talks about the poor man pursuing his/her brother.   But, since they only have words, those he/she is pursuing are not enticed.   Those types of people are probably not worth pursuing, but that is not Solomon’s focus.  He simply is making the point that words alone seldom attract a following.   This might be the worse type of friendship to pursue.  

The point of the book of Proverbs is to teach us about the fear of the Lord that creates wisdom in our life choices.   The point of these verses is that many friendships are based upon some shallow elements.  These elements do impact friendship, make not mistake about that truth.  But, true friendship is about having Godly wisdom.  That might be what the end of Proverbs 8:24 states: “ ... there is a friend who stickers closer than a brother.”   God, through Christ’s finish work and the ministry of the Holy Spirit, will stick close to those who have great wisdom ... which comes from the fear of the Lord. That is the type of commodity we want to offer those around us. That is the basis of great friendship.  

God is Good - Psalms 99-101

Psalms 100:5 (ESV)
For the LORD is good;
his steadfast love endures forever,
and his faithfulness to all generations.

God is good!   Probably the first prayer to utter before our meals in our home was:

“God is great, God is good, let us thank Him for this food.” 

Confessing that God is good is a necessary part of the believer’s worship.   In this brief psalm we are told to worship God and make a joyful noise to him and to enter the worship place with praise and adoration for God.  Why?  Because God is good!!  James, in his epistle, adds this thought to God being good:

James 1:17 (ESV)
Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.

We, in our human mind, have a different mindset as to what is good.   We think of good as things that benefit us, in our journey of life.   We don’t think of suffering as good.  However, notice what the psalmist wrote here:

Psalms 119:71 (ESV)
It is good for me that I was afflicted,
that I might learn your statutes.

In our walk with God, we are not to determine what the goodness looks like that walk.  We are to simply rejoice and worship the fact that God is good and that His goodness is extended to those He loves who come to Him in faith.   We can rejoice that whatever the road ahead holds, we are receiving goodness from a good God.  

God Establishes Leadership with Evidence - 1 Chronicles 10-14

1 Chronicles 14:1-3 (ESV)
And Hiram king of Tyre sent messengers to David, and cedar trees, also masons and carpenters to build a house for him. And David knew that the LORD had established him as king over Israel, and that his kingdom was highly exalted for the sake of his people Israel.
And David took more wives in Jerusalem, and David fathered more sons and daughters.

God establishes kingdoms.  Note what song writer Aspah writes in the psalms:

Psalms 75:7 (ESV)
but it is God who executes judgment,
putting down one and lifting up another.

Note what Daniel wrote while serving three kingdoms:

Daniel 2:21 (ESV)
He changes times and seasons;
he removes kings and sets up kings;
he gives wisdom to the wise
and knowledge to those who have understanding;

David “knew” that the Lord had established his kingdom.   The Chronicle writer is laying the foundation in this book about David’s rise to power and the return of his lineage to Jerusalem, from captivity.   In this section of the book (10-14) we read of David being put into power by the people of Israel, he was building an army, the nations around him were giving him gifts, his family was growing and, more importantly, he was bring the Ark back to the center of worship for the nation.   When David looked at all this evidence he knew his kingdom was established by God.   Leaders today could only hope to have this evidence of leadership.  David had followers.  David had warriors to fight for him ... even risk their life for him.  David had commercial industry and trade with foreign entities.   David had a lineage and heritage as a succession plan.   David was established by God to be the leader by the words of Samuel years earlier.  In fact, it was those words that the men of Hebron first leaned into to make David the king:

1 Chronicles 11:1-3 (ESV)
David Anointed King
Then all Israel gathered together to David at Hebron and said, “Behold, we are your bone and flesh. In times past, even when Saul was king, it was you who led out and brought in Israel. And the LORD your God said to you, ‘You shall be shepherd of my people Israel, and you shall be prince over my people Israel.’” So all the elders of Israel came to the king at Hebron, and David made a covenant with them at Hebron before the LORD. And they anointed David king over Israel, according to the word of the LORD by Samuel.

God establishes kingdoms with tangible evidence of the leaders position.   If you are a leader and God establishes your leading, God will add the evidence to it. If you have no evidence, you are not a leader.  

God Takes Our Vows Seriously - Numbers 5-8

Numbers 6:1-4 (ESV)
The Nazirite Vow
And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, “Speak to the people of Israel and say to them, When either a man or a woman makes a special vow, the vow of a Nazirite, to separate himself to the LORD, he shall separate himself from wine and strong drink. He shall drink no vinegar made from wine or strong drink and shall not drink any juice of grapes or eat grapes, fresh or dried. All the days of his separation he shall eat nothing that is produced by the grapevine, not even the seeds or the skins.

Vowing to set yourself apart to God is a serious matter.   God takes any vow very seriously:

Ecclesiastes 5:4-5 (ESV)
When you vow a vow to God, do not delay paying it, for he has no pleasure in fools. Pay what you vow. It is better that you should not vow than that you should vow and not pay.

In the above text we read about the Nazirite vow. The Hebrew word for Nazirite is:

nâziyr; separate, i.e. consecrated (as prince, a Nazirite); hence (figuratively from the latter) an unpruned vine (like an unshorn Nazirite): — Nazarite (by a false alliteration with Nazareth), separate(-d), vine undressed.

Vine makes this observation about the word:

(Vine's Complete Expository Dictionary) nazir (נָזִיר, 5139), “one who is separated; Nazarite.” There are 16 occurrences of the word in the Old Testament. The earliest use of nazir is found in Gen. 49:26: “The blessings of thy father... shall be on the head of Joseph... that was separate from his brethren” (cf. Deut. 33:16). Some modern-speech translators have translated nazir in these two verses as “prince” (NIV, NEB, NAB). The KJV and RSV render the phrase “separate from his brethren.” This interpretation might be justified by assuming that Joseph was separated from his brethren to become the savior of his father, his brethren, and their families.

The key concept is that when we make a Narizite vow we are telling God that we are going to separate ourselves to Him.  We are leaving something to place our focus on God.   We don’t need to take a Nazirite vow to be saved.  But, once we are saved the same concept that the Old Testament nation of Israel took in a Nazirite vow, we take today in our willingness to live holy and separate lives toward God through Christ.   Note how Peter stated it;

1 Peter 1:13-15 (ESV)
Called to Be Holy
Therefore, preparing your minds for action, and being sober-minded, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct,

Today, our Nazirite vow is to live holy, separate and sanctified lives for Christ.   God takes that seriously, was well.    The entire New Testament is an instruction manual on how to live a Nazriite type vow to Christ today.   

Reject Sound Doctine - Shipwreck your Faith - 1 Timothy 1-3

 1 Timothy 1:18-20 (ESV)
This charge I entrust to you, Timothy, my child, in accordance with the prophecies previously made about you, that by them you may wage the good warfare, holding faith and a good conscience. By rejecting this, some have made shipwreck of their faith, among whom are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I have handed over to Satan that they may learn not to blaspheme.

Reject sound doctrine and fail to wage a strong war for holiness and you will make shipwreck your faith.   In the book of 1 Timothy, Paul is instructing the young pastor to stand for firm and sound doctrine, based upon the gospel.   Paul tells Timothy that false teachers are sneaking into the church to speak about another doctrine, a doctrine based upon myths and genealogies and speculation, all coming from a misrepresentation of the Law.   Paul is not only warning Timothy to avoid them and fight them, he wants Timothy to hold to sound doctrine.  He wants him to hold to a doctrine that will impart holiness.   To further his argument, Paul points out two teachers in the church who have not done what Timothy is instructed to do.   Paul believes that Hymenaeus and Alexander have made “shipwreck” their faith by “rejecting” these very instructions Paul is giving to Timothy.   Note what this word, “rejecting,” means in this passage:

apōtheō; or ἀπωθέομαι apōtheomai; to push off, figuratively, to reject: — cast away, put away (from), thrust away (from).

When you leave the dock on a boat you “apōtheō,” you cast away.  You are leaving something.   These two are examples of those who had no real faith, but rejected it when things got tough and they saw something better in their lives.   Paul is wearing Timothy to NOT do that.  He wants him to stay tied to the dock of sound doctrine and hold tight to those trues.   But, if your reject sound doctrine you will make shipwreck your faith. 

God Allows Suffering to Show His Power - John 5-6

 John 6:1-6 (ESV)
After this Jesus went away to the other side of the Sea of Galilee, which is the Sea of Tiberias. And a large crowd was following him, because they saw the signs that he was doing on the sick. Jesus went up on the mountain, and there he sat down with his disciples. Now the Passover, the feast of the Jews, was at hand. Lifting up his eyes, then, and seeing that a large crowd was coming toward him, Jesus said to Philip, “Where are we to buy bread, so that these people may eat?” He said this to test him, for he himself knew what he would do.

Jesus brings us to the edge of hardship to prove His love for us and to demonstrate His power to us.   That is the point of the above passage.   Throughout Scripture, God uses pain, suffering, discipline, hardships, challenges, etc. to bring us to the point where we call out to Him for help.  Note how the writer of Hebrews makes this point in his letter to a group of Hebrew believer who were tempted to give up on their faith:

Hebrews 12:12-13 (ESV)
Therefore lift your drooping hands and strengthen your weak knees, and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be put out of joint but rather be healed.

God allows us to be lame and out of joint so that we can find healing through the power of His Son!!   Notice these times when God did the same thing:

1. God allowed the nation of Israel to be slaves to demonstrate His power to the Egyptians (Exodus 7:5).

2. God brought the Israelites to Goliath so that God could use a boy with a slingshot to show His power (1 Samuel 17). 

3. God allowed Jonah to run away and be swallowed by a fish to get him to see the power of God (Jonah).

4. God brought the nation of Israel to the banks of the Red Sea in front of them and the Egyptian army behind them to show His power (Exodus 14).

God brings us to the occasions of not having enough food to cause us to turn to Him for answers and power.   God wants us to trust Him and see His power but that calls upon a need for the power and for a need for trust.  That is the point of God brining 5,000 hungry people to the disciples.  It is interesting that God brought 3,000 people to the church after Peter’s first sermon.   Then more and more people were added.  All those people had to be fed.   This is one of the problems of the early church (Acts 3-5).   Yet, God meet the need through the power of Christ. God uses suffering and need to show us His presence and power.  

Dealing with Stress and Challenges - Daniel 7-12

Daniel 9:1-3 (ESV)
In the first year of Darius the son of Ahasuerus, by descent a Mede, who was made king over the realm of the Chaldeans— in the first year of his reign, I, Daniel, perceived in the books the number of years that, according to the word of the LORD to Jeremiah the prophet, must pass before the end of the desolations of Jerusalem, namely, seventy years.

Then I turned my face to the Lord God, seeking him by prayer and pleas for mercy with fasting and sackcloth and ashes. 

Reading God’s Word and understanding it, will eventually cause us to seek God in prayer and cry for mercy and help.   Daniel has had a view visions by now.  As he serves in these foreign lands, he has not forgot his roots and his training and teaching.  Remember, it was him who refused to eat the kings food upon arrival in Babylon.  Remember, also, it was him who refused to stop praying and was tossed into a lion’s den as a result.  Now God has ushered a number of confusing and challenging visions into his mind.  God has given him some insights that no other prophet has heard to this point.  Daniel needs clarity.  He has followed a pattern in his life so far.  In the above passage we see that in the midst of this confusion and challenge, he follows his same pattern of behavior.  When confused he goes to God’s word.  He states that, “... I, Daniel, perceived in the books ...”.   The books are the copies of the Torah, probably the copies of (or portions) of the books of the Kings.  Daniel probably had access to some of Jeremiah, Ezekiel and the writings from other prophets.  As Daniel reads these words, he is convicted.   As a result of his conviction he is bent to his knees in prayer.  This is Daniel’s stress management system.  See the reality around you, listen to the Spirit of God within you, turn to the Word of God before you and lift your voice to the God above you.   That is the method Daniel uses to deal with stress, with confusion, with challenges and the unknown.   We should follow that method:

1. Face the World of God around you.

2. Listen to the Spirit of God within you.

3. Dig into the Word of the God before you.

4. Turn to Prayer to the God above you. 

A Wife is a Gift - Treat Her That Way - Proverbs 17-18

 Proverbs 18:22 (NASBStr)
He who finds a wife finds a good thing
And obtains favor from the Lord.

We have all heard the phrase, "If mommy is happy, everyone is happy."  This modern day "proverb" is quoted and laughed about by many.    It escalates the woman in the marriage to be a controlling and dominant figure.   It would be foolish to think that is not true in many marriages around the globe.  However, that is not God's view.  Solomon (a man who married many women ... a devotional for another day) tells us in this proverb that finding a good wife is a "good thing" and is something that shows "favor" from God.   So, God uplifts the woman in the marriage as a "gift" from God ... someone special, to be adored and honored.   When man's ways please God then God, in His grace ("favor") provides man with the gift of a wife.  In our society the "finding of a good woman" is a mindset of men. They, like wild hunters, search the land for the "catch" of their life.   However, God sees it completely different.   Man may search and "find" the woman of his dreams.  But, that woman is not someone he was "lucky" to find, or "skilled" to find, or "fortunate" to find.  That woman is a gift from God who is showing favor to the man.  Thank God today for your spouse.   Only God can provide such great gifts.   And then, prepare to treat that spouse as a gift from God.   The mindset that the wife is a gift from God elevates how you would then, treat the gift.   If the wife is looked at as though she were a “catch,” or a “find,” or a “lucky find,” then we would treat that wife incredibly different.  But, Solomon is telling us that a wife is a “good gift” from God and shows His “favor” (the Hebrew word for “grace”) on us. Note James take on God’s gifts:

James 1:17 (ESV)
Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.

God has given believing husbands a gift .  God has shown His favor on him.   In return we are to honor and cherish that gift.  We are not called to chisel it and hone it and shape it the way we want.  We are called to love it and honor it like we would our own bodies:

Ephesians 5:28 (ESV)
In the same way husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself.

A wife is a good gift from God.   Honor her in that way!!

God Puts Other gods to Shame!! - Psalms 96-98

Psalms 97:6-7 (ESV)
The heavens proclaim his righteousness,
and all the peoples see his glory.
All worshipers of images are put to shame,
who make their boast in worthless idols;
worship him, all you gods!

God puts other gods to shame!!  The comparison in the above two verses is impossible to miss.  We have, in one corner, the God of the universe.  He makes His glory known in the heavens.   This morning, on a morning bike ride, the sun was a stunning red ball in the sky.  It was hard to miss that picture of God’s glory.  The night before was clear and a bit crisp, but the stars shown from one corner of heaven to the other.   It would have been hard to miss and it would we as equally as hard to deny the awesomeness of their existence.  Notice what King David said in an earlier psalm:

Psalms 19:1-3 (ESV)
A PSALM OF DAVID.
The heavens declare the glory of God,
and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.
Day to day pours out speech,
and night to night reveals knowledge.
There is no speech, nor are there words,
whose voice is not heard.

When we cast our eyes to the heavens we see the most amazing aspects of God’s creation.   We see that God is a majestic creator who has given us a small glimpse of His character and his power.   

The opposite of all this is as equally read in the above two verses.   The idols of man are NOTHING compared to the power of the God.  Man has also created some interesting and awesome things.   We worship them often.  Our phones might be the one clear picture of man’s ingenious creative ability and man’s desire to worship something other than God.  If we defined worship as that which we focus on the most, can’t live without and take with us wherever we go, the modern day cell phone would fit that description.   Yet, in a few years it will be replaced by something so often we will wonder why we were so attached to it.   God is not like that. God puts man’s idols to shame. If we look at the complexity of just one star or the beauty of just one sunset, we will see that God puts the idol to shame. Isn’t it interesting that man’s idol (possibly a phone) is used to take picture of God’s greatest creation.   Stopping on the bike ride to capture the red ball of fire in the sky with an iPhone tells you which is really awesome.  The sun didn’t stop to take a picture of the phone.  The phone was used to take a picture of the sun.   That is God’s creation, His heavens, declaring the glory of God and putting man’s idols to shame.   

Who Does All The Jobs at Church? 1 Chronicles 5-9

 1 Chronicles 9:28-32 (ESV)

Some of them had charge of the utensils of service, for they were required to count them when they were brought in and taken out. Others of them were appointed over the furniture and over all the holy utensils, also over the fine flour, the wine, the oil, the incense, and the spices. Others, of the sons of the priests, prepared the mixing of the spices, and Mattithiah, one of the Levites, the firstborn of Shallum the Korahite, was entrusted with making the flat cakes. Also some of their kinsmen of the Kohathites had charge of the showbread, to prepare it every Sabbath.

Does the average church member know who sets out the Sunday morning donuts and prepares the morning coffee?  Probably not, but they still enjoy them.   Does the average church member know who cuts the church grass, cleans the toilets, fixes the leaking pipe, prepares the communion elements, wipes down the nursery toys, has the bottle of water ready for the pastor, makes sure the burnt out light from last week is fixed this week, knows were the fire extinguishers and checks their expiration date, dusts the pictures in the foyer, and/or makes sure the temperature in the auditorium is set exactly right to meet the needs of everyone on Sunday morning?  Probably not, but they still take advantage that those things are all done.   In the above passage we are seeing a similar list of “things” that had to be done for the Temple worship in regard to the nation of Israel.   God was concerned that those jobs, listed above, were completed by the right time, by the right people, from the right tribe.   God had an order.   Someone has to be called upon to do these type of roles.  We ought not take them from granted.   Imagine what would happen if their were not enough donuts and/or coffee. Imagine what would happen if the heating or air conditioning was not cared for and the comfort level of those attending was impacted.  Imagine if the security for the day didn’t do their job.   God has roles for our assemblies and we ought to value, recognize and thanks those who fill these roles. They were so important to God that they were listed in the Chronicles of the Old Testament.  

God Loves People - Numbers 1-4

Numbers 1:44-46 (ESV)
These are those who were listed, whom Moses and Aaron listed with the help of the chiefs of Israel, twelve men, each representing his fathers' house. So all those listed of the people of Israel, by their fathers' houses, from twenty years old and upward, every man able to go to war in Israel— all those listed were 603,550.

God loves people.  God created man to have fellowship with Him.   God choose Abraham so that He would have a nation to have fellowship with.  They would be His people.  In the above passage we read that twelve men (the son’s of Jacob/Israel) would become over one-half million men.   This number does not include the tribe of Levi, or women and children.  This is a lot of people for God to fellowship with.   God loves people.   Of course, these people would rebel against Him.  But, that is what brought the need for Messiah (Christ) and Christ built the church ... out of people.   Notice what the writer of Hebrews writes to us about God and people:

Hebrews 8:10-12 (ESV)
For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel
after those days, declares the Lord:
I will put my laws into their minds,
and write them on their hearts,
and I will be their God,
and they shall be my people.
And they shall not teach, each one his neighbor
and each one his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’
for they shall all know me,
from the least of them to the greatest.
For I will be merciful toward their iniquities,
and I will remember their sins no more.”

Notice that it reads, “... I will be their God, and they shall be my people.”   This is God’s purpose, plan and passion.   God loves people and wants to fellowship with them.   He wants us to love people, as well.  We are to love His people.   We are to have that fellowship and desire to walk with Him and His people.  God intended us to live in community and in fellowship with Him in that community.   God promised Abraham he would have children like the sands of the sea and the stars of the heavens.   That is the church and the body of believers living in community and fellowship with each other and with God and through Christ and by the power of the Spirit.  

Christian Work Ethic - Friend or Foe? 2 Thessalonians

2 Thessalonians 3:15 (ESV)
Do not regard him as an enemy, but warn him as a brother.

What are we to do with those who talk about being brother/sisters in Christ, but walk as though they are not?  Paul is writing to the churches in the area of Thessalonica and is giving them warnings about idleness and hypocrisy.  There were many in the church at that time that so believed that the coming of Christ was so eminent, that they stop working altogether and were living off the church.  They were no longer contributing, but were simply idle.   They had become som heavenly minded, they were not earthly good.   Paul tells the church to have no company with them.   But, he then adds the above statement.   They should not “hang” with these people but they should not “hang” these people either.   The conduct of withdrawing from them was not foreign to Paul or the churches (see 1 Corinthians 5).  What Paul wants to make sure is that the church is not complicit with these idle worshippers and not companions with them.  But, he also did not want brothers in Christ, who had taken a solid doctrine the wrong way, to become enemies of the church.   We are not to treat other believers as enemies.  We are of the same body.  Note what Paul said in the beginning of this letter:

2 Thessalonians 1:3 (ESV)
We ought always to give thanks to God for you, brothers, as is right, because your faith is growing abundantly, and the love of every one of you for one another is increasing.

He wanted their love  for each other to increase.  But, he also knew that there were some who were NOT walking in good doctrine and, even after being corrected, continued to be a burden on the church.  These folks were to be admonished like a brother, but not treated as an enemy.   

Jesus Challenges the Bias of His Day! Or, Did He? John 3-4

 John 4:7-11 (ESV)

A woman from Samaria came to draw water. Jesus said to her, “Give me a drink.” (For his disciples had gone away into the city to buy food.) The Samaritan woman said to him, “How is it that you, a Jew, ask for a drink from me, a woman of Samaria?” (For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans.) Jesus answered her, “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that is saying to you, ‘Give me a drink,’ you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water.” The woman said to him, “Sir, you have nothing to draw water with, and the well is deep. Where do you get that living water?

Here is something to think about.  The following verses are taken from the story of Jesus at the well with the Samaritan woman who was an outcast in her society for being a Samaritan (Jews hated Samaritans … they were 1/2 Jew and 1/2 gentile) and she had been married several times and was currently living with a man that was not her husband.   

John 4:7-9 (ESV)
A woman from Samaria came to draw water. Jesus said to her, “Give me a drink.” (For his disciples had gone away into the city to buy food.) The Samaritan woman said to him, “How is it that you, a Jew, ask for a drink from me, a woman of Samaria?” (For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans.)

The interesting thing here is that Jesus talks to her (that was counter-culture for the day) even though she is a Samaritan (she points this out).   However, it is equally compelling that he (a man) compelled her to give him a drink (that is what men would do in those days).   Whereas he practice social justice by going across the diversity lines of her race, He did not in regard to her gender.    

But, yet talking to her, as a woman (especially with her reputation) He also crossed the lines of the culture as we can see from the disciples response when they returned to the well and found Him talking to her:

John 4:27 (ESV)
Just then his disciples came back. They marveled that he was talking with a woman, but no one said, “What do you seek?” or, “Why are you talking with her?”

We can see that Jesus was very much counter the culture of His day and reached out to cross the diversity lines.  It is interesting, however, that he compelled her to get Him a drink, which was very much the in-justice toward gender of the day.  

I don’t think it gives us permission to do one over the other, but I do think it shows us that these things are waters to navigate that often come with waves hitting us from multiple directions while we attempt to live out Christ in our lives.  The key here is that Jesus was trying to give her a spiritual lesson about the fact that He, Jesus, was the living water.   Her coming to draw water was the metaphor He used.  You could say, the lesson to be taught needed her to do the drawing.   (We should also note that when He came to the well He didn’t have anything to draw water out of the well, a point she will make later in the discussion - vs 11). 

In the story He broke several cultural norms and broke the diversity puzzle of the day.  Yet, Jesus also, while teaching a lesson that He is the water and bread of life, used the social injustice of the day to do so.   Interesting!!

I am NOT suggesting we continue in gender bias while breaking through on culture bias.   I am simply suggesting that navigating the waters of a culture to teach Kingdom truths is more complicated than people think.  

God Humbles Proud Leaders - Daniel 1-6

 Daniel 4:34-37 (ESV)
Nebuchadnezzar Restored
At the end of the days I, Nebuchadnezzar, lifted my eyes to heaven, and my reason returned to me, and I blessed the Most High, and praised and honored him who lives forever,
for his dominion is an everlasting dominion,
and his kingdom endures from generation to generation;
all the inhabitants of the earth are accounted as nothing,
and he does according to his will among the host of heaven
and among the inhabitants of the earth;
and none can stay his hand
or say to him, “What have you done?”
At the same time my reason returned to me, and for the glory of my kingdom, my majesty and splendor returned to me. My counselors and my lords sought me, and I was established in my kingdom, and still more greatness was added to me. Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and extol and honor the King of heaven, for all his works are right and his ways are just; and those who walk in pride he is able to humble.

God humble men!!   The above passage is taken from the story of King Nebuchadnezzar.   As even Nebuchadnezzar states, God put him a place of power.   The above passage is at the end of Nebuchadnezzar having a mental health breakdown.   For seven years he acted as an ox, eating grass and living in the field.  This is an extreme mental disorder.  Nebuchadnezzar has gone from being the most powerful man on the planet to the a mentally disturbed, homeless vagrant.   Prior this time, however, Nebuchadnezzar was full of pride.  Note what he said moments before the mental health episode took place:

Daniel 4:30-32 (ESV)and the king answered and said, “Is not this great Babylon, which I have built by my mighty power as a royal residence and for the glory of my majesty?” While the words were still in the king's mouth, there fell a voice from heaven, “O King Nebuchadnezzar, to you it is spoken: The kingdom has departed from you, and you shall be driven from among men, and your dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field. And you shall be made to eat grass like an ox, and seven periods of time shall pass over you, until you know that the Most High rules the kingdom of men and gives it to whom he will.”

God does not tolerate pride.  He will bring it to the place of humility.   In this case it was through a mental health breakdown.   God resist the proud and gives grace to the humble:

James 4:6 (ESV)
But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”

This is the lesson we learn from Nebuchadnezzar.   Our pride is before God and, as we see, our humility will be by the hand of God.  

Good Leaders Lead in a Good Manner - Proverbs 16

 Proverbs 16:10-15 (ESV)
10 An oracle is on the lips of a king;
his mouth does not sin in judgment.
11 A just balance and scales are the LORD'S;
all the weights in the bag are his work.
12 It is an abomination to kings to do evil,
for the throne is established by righteousness.
13 Righteous lips are the delight of a king,
and he loves him who speaks what is right.
14 A king's wrath is a messenger of death,
and a wise man will appease it.
15 In the light of a king's face there is life,
and his favor is like the clouds that bring the spring rain.

Leadership is a predominant subject in the book of Proverbs.   Solomon simply refers to it as the “king.”   Although we have very few “kings” today, we do recognize that kings live in the world of leadership.   In the above proverb we see several characteristics of good leaders.  Note:

1). Good leaders have something good to say.  They have truth on their lips (vs. 10).

2). Good leaders are full of integrity.  They don’t have mixed ethics for one person verses the other (vs. 11).

3).  Good leaders abstain from evil.  They establish their leadership by doing good (vs. 12).

4).  Good leaders not only speak truth themselves, they surround themselves with those who also speak truth.  They do not tolerate deception in their leadership team (vs. 13). 

5).  Good leaders are not fearful to make difficult judgments and decisions that stop the bad behaviors of others (vs. 14). 

6). Good leaders speak praise and appreciation to those they lead.  They are not afraid to show goodness to those who do good (vs 15).  

Good leaders use God’s wisdom and power to accomplish good and wise things.  

God Disciplines His Children - Psalms 93-95

Psalms 94:12-15 (ESV)
Blessed is the man whom you discipline, O LORD,
and whom you teach out of your law,
to give him rest from days of trouble,
until a pit is dug for the wicked.
For the LORD will not forsake his people;
he will not abandon his heritage;
for justice will return to the righteous,
and all the upright in heart will follow it.

The opening line of this section of Psalm 94 would not settle with most people.   Who in today’s contemporary society would say, “blessed is the man whom you discipline?”  The writer of Hebrews will actually repeat these same words to those Hebrews who were suffering during the days of the early church:

Hebrews 12:3-7 (ESV)
Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted. In your struggle against sin you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood. 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.
For the Lord disciplines the one he loves,
and chastises every son whom he receives.”
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?

In this section of the song, the writer gives us several reasons why the “discipline” of the Lord is to be embraced.  We should embrace God’s discipline because: 

1). It is through discipline that God is teaching us His word.   This is a primary tool God sues to teach us about His laws and ways.  Note:
Psalms 119:71 (ESV)
It is good for me that I was afflicted,
that I might learn your statutes.

2).  It is through discipline that God moves us out of the way so that He can do work in the world around us.  Notice that the above verse states, “... to give him rest from the days of trouble, until a pit is dug for the wicked.”   What the writer is telling us is that God uses discipline to move us and guide us and separate us from the wicked.   We might think about the story of Lot to demonstrate that point.  

3).  Despite the “discipline” from the Lord, God returns  and will not forsake His people.   When the writer uses the world “blessed” he is meaning that God has perfectly good intent in bringing discipline into our lives.  He will always be there with us and will bring justice and His abiding presence.   

We ought not to fear the discipline of the Lord.  God uses for our good.  

God Knows the Mechanics at the Local Garage - 1 Chronicles 1-4

 1 Chronicles 4:14 (ESV)
Meonothai fathered Ophrah; and Seraiah fathered Joab, the father of Ge-harashim, so-called because they were craftsmen.

The above verse is pulled out a list of names that covers the first four chapters of 1 Chronicles.  The book of 1 Chronicles was written upon the return of the exiles from captivity.   It primarily focuses on the southern tribe of Judah.   It centers quickly on King David and his desire for worship and the worship temple.   In the first chapter we have the genealogies.  Part of the purpose of the genealogies is to trace the descendants of Abraham, through Judah, through David, which will eventually be the lineage of Jesus, the Messiah.   Most of the names we read mean little to the contemporary Christian.   It would be easy to simply jump these chapters.   Most of the reading is like reading a phone book of names.  But, at some points, the author (probably Ezra the priest) gives us some commentary on a name, or group of names.  This is what we have in the above verse.  The Ge-harashim was a valley near Jerusalem.  The valley was named after this group.  The name means, as stated “craftsmen” or “mechanics.”   Apparently this group of men had a garage in the valley.    The reason this jumps off the page is the insignificance of this in the big picture of things.  These individuals are not mentioned in the hero’s of faith in Hebrews 11.  They are not the subject of Sunday School Children’s lessons.   This is NO ONE’S favorite verse (it would be assumed).   But, it brings out something that the Holy Spirit, the author of this book, wanted the readers to know.   Nothing escapes the eyes of God.  What our occupations may be might not seem a big deal to those around us, but God takes note of what we do in our lives.  Nothing escapes His eyes:

Hebrews 4:12-13 (ESV)
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. 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 is watching us and is focused on the smallest parts of our lives.   We can rejoice that nothing escapes His eyes.  He even knows the mechanics at the local garage in the valley!!

Keep your Vows - Leviticus 25-27

 Leviticus 27:28-29 (ESV)
“But no devoted thing that a man devotes to the LORD, of anything that he has, whether man or beast, or of his inherited field, shall be sold or redeemed; every devoted thing is most holy to the LORD. No one devoted, who is to be devoted for destruction from mankind, shall be ransomed; he shall surely be put to death.

Leviticus 27:21 (ESV)
But the field, when it is released in the jubilee, shall be a holy gift to the LORD, like a field that has been devoted. The priest shall be in possession of it.

God takes what we vow very seriously.    When we vow to raise our children for Him and dedicate them to Him, He takes us at our word.  If after that dedication we try to take those children back, God counts that a breaking a vow.  That is the context for the above verses.   Verses 28 and 29 are a continuation of verse 21.   The illustration used is not about children but about a piece of land.  But, the principle is the same.  God counts our vows as His.   It is in reverence we should vow.  It is in reverence we should keep a vow.  Notice what Solomon would say about vows, years later than this passage:

Ecclesiastes 5:2-6 (ESV)
Be not rash with your mouth, nor let your heart be hasty to utter a word before God, for God is in heaven and you are on earth. Therefore let your words be few. For a dream comes with much business, and a fool's voice with many words.
When you vow a vow to God, do not delay paying it, for he has no pleasure in fools. Pay what you vow. It is better that you should not vow than that you should vow and not pay. Let not your mouth lead you into sin, and do not say before the messenger that it was a mistake. Why should God be angry at your voice and destroy the work of your hands?

God is concerned about what we vow.   We do ourselves harm and hinder our relationship with Him when we do not keep the vows we made to Him.  

Respect Church Leadership - 1 Thessalonians 4-5

1 Thessalonians 5:12-13 (ESV)
We ask you, brothers, to respect those who labor among you and are over you in the Lord and admonish you, and to esteem them very highly in love because of their work. Be at peace among yourselves.

The above admonishment to the church at Thessalonica but have been in the inspiration for this verse by the writer of Hebrews (or, vice versa depending on the date of each letter):

Hebrews 13:17 (ESV)
Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls, as those who will have to give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with groaning, for that would be of no advantage to you.

This was a theme in the early church.  Note that after Peter admonishes the elders fo the church to care for their flocks, he writes the following to the flock:

1 Peter 5:5 (ESV)
Likewise, you who are younger, be subject to the elders. Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”

Submission and respect to church leadership was a normative in the days of the early church.   There were some, of course (like today) who abused that privilege and instructions:

3 John 1:9-10 (ESV)
I have written something to the church, but Diotrephes, who likes to put himself first, does not acknowledge our authority. So if I come, I will bring up what he is doing, talking wicked nonsense against us. And not content with that, he refuses to welcome the brothers, and also stops those who want to and puts them out of the church.

Church leaders are to be respected and honored by follower-ship.  But, church leaders are not to lord over their followers.  They are, in humility, serve those they labor for.