Amid all the prophecies of woe against various nations, this one verse stood out:
Isaiah 26:3-4
The LORD gives perfect peace
to those whose faith is firm.
So always trust the LORD
because he is forever
our mighty rock.
.
Sunday, 28 February 2010
Wednesday, 24 February 2010
An epitaph
A while back, I posted a song I'd like to have played at my funeral. Earlier this week, I read a verse which I would like to have as an epitaph. In the 19th century, prominent church figures and missionaries were often asked for a single verse as a verse for their life. I would like to have Psalm 119:141:
"Everyone calls me a nobody,
but I remember your laws. "
"Everyone calls me a nobody,
but I remember your laws. "
Wednesday, 17 February 2010
Job 37
Job 37:6-10
Snow and heavy rainstorms
make us stop and think
about God's power,
and they force animals
to seek shelter.
The windstorms of winter strike,
and the breath of God
freezes streams and rivers.
Snow and heavy rainstorms
make us stop and think
about God's power,
and they force animals
to seek shelter.
The windstorms of winter strike,
and the breath of God
freezes streams and rivers.
Tuesday, 16 February 2010
Spin, Chronicles and a Rescue Story
I am catching up on here with last week's readings, and I will post something on Job later, I hope. I found the contrast between the history in Kings and Chronicles fascinating. Chronicles covers a lot of the same ground as kings, but from a simple reading it comes from a post-exilic perspective, with very little on the Kings of Israel after the schism on the death of Solomon.
The spin doctors were at work on David's life too. My bible helpfully highlights where the story appears in another book, and so 1 Chr 20 has this note "this is also told in 2 Samuel 11:1; 12:26-31". What is the missing chunk? The story of Bathsheba, Uriah the Hittite and David's sin. Chronicles does include the story of the census however.
Chronicles has a greater focus on the priestly and temple life. Possibly this is because the author of Chronicles was a priestly scribe (I haven't looked into this, I'm afraid). It also mentions the repentance of Manasseh. I discussed this with Nick Page last year, and he said there was a theory that this was preistly spin post facto to fit into a theology that linked long life to God's blessing. If Manasseh reigned for more than 50 years, there had to be some sign of rightousness to account for this long reign. The Lynn Austin novel on this is a good read, albeit just a novel.
Reading of the problems of the people in Ezra and Nehemiah, not least the problems with inter-marriage, remind me that the great rescue that God provides is just the beginning not the end destination. It was true then for the Jews, and it is true to use as Christians. Today is the 24th anniversary of when I became a Christian. A lot has changed, but far too little of my character shows that I am new creation. I know I cannot reach perfection this side of glory, but I am so frustrated with my own failings. But I just need to KBO as Churchill said.
I have been thinking of what happened to us as a family in Sweden in 2002. At the end of the morning, we were packing up. Miriam was changing Grace's nappy, and I was making shade. I saw Ruth (who was 3and a half then) going to wash her bucket out in the lake. 10 seconds later, I turned round and she was nowhere to be seen. I ran and saw the top of her head under the surface and pulled her out. It was only 20 minutes later that the shock and impact of what nearly happened hit us. My point here is that Ruth was a very small girl when she was saved, but is now growing into a young lady with her life stretching before her. Yet, as a Christian, I am very prone to staying as an infant, immature in faith, in a comfort bubble, and not growing in maturity, with all the challenges, ups and downs, and frustrations and rewards that it brings. Have I moved on since I was rescued? Yes, but not enough.
Phil 3:7-16 "But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith. I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead.
Pressing on Toward the Goal
Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.
All of us who are mature should take such a view of things. And if on some point you think differently, that too God will make clear to you. Only let us live up to what we have already attained. "
The spin doctors were at work on David's life too. My bible helpfully highlights where the story appears in another book, and so 1 Chr 20 has this note "this is also told in 2 Samuel 11:1; 12:26-31". What is the missing chunk? The story of Bathsheba, Uriah the Hittite and David's sin. Chronicles does include the story of the census however.
Chronicles has a greater focus on the priestly and temple life. Possibly this is because the author of Chronicles was a priestly scribe (I haven't looked into this, I'm afraid). It also mentions the repentance of Manasseh. I discussed this with Nick Page last year, and he said there was a theory that this was preistly spin post facto to fit into a theology that linked long life to God's blessing. If Manasseh reigned for more than 50 years, there had to be some sign of rightousness to account for this long reign. The Lynn Austin novel on this is a good read, albeit just a novel.
Reading of the problems of the people in Ezra and Nehemiah, not least the problems with inter-marriage, remind me that the great rescue that God provides is just the beginning not the end destination. It was true then for the Jews, and it is true to use as Christians. Today is the 24th anniversary of when I became a Christian. A lot has changed, but far too little of my character shows that I am new creation. I know I cannot reach perfection this side of glory, but I am so frustrated with my own failings. But I just need to KBO as Churchill said.
I have been thinking of what happened to us as a family in Sweden in 2002. At the end of the morning, we were packing up. Miriam was changing Grace's nappy, and I was making shade. I saw Ruth (who was 3and a half then) going to wash her bucket out in the lake. 10 seconds later, I turned round and she was nowhere to be seen. I ran and saw the top of her head under the surface and pulled her out. It was only 20 minutes later that the shock and impact of what nearly happened hit us. My point here is that Ruth was a very small girl when she was saved, but is now growing into a young lady with her life stretching before her. Yet, as a Christian, I am very prone to staying as an infant, immature in faith, in a comfort bubble, and not growing in maturity, with all the challenges, ups and downs, and frustrations and rewards that it brings. Have I moved on since I was rescued? Yes, but not enough.
Phil 3:7-16 "But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith. I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead.
Pressing on Toward the Goal
Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.
All of us who are mature should take such a view of things. And if on some point you think differently, that too God will make clear to you. Only let us live up to what we have already attained. "
Sunday, 7 February 2010
Consequences and 1 Chr 1-9
Just a quick posting after more of an outpouring yesterday.
Ploughing through the minutiae of the genealogies in 1 Chronicles 1-9, I am struck by the following two thoughts:
i) these records were incredibly important to those concerned, and we will get a flavour of this when we read Ezra and Nehemiah soon;
ii) what was done has consequences. Reuben sleeping with his father's concubine led to his rights as the firstborn being passed on to the tribe of Joseph (Gen 35:22; 1 Chr 5:1). The allocation of duties to the different Levite clans in the desert remained down the centuries. The allocation of towns to Levites by Joshua. Decisions at one point in time had long term consequences. But seldom, if ever, do I think my every day decisions will have any lasting impact. Ultimately, in the end, only faith, hope and love endure, and the greatest of these is love.
As a postscript, I'd like to thank Pam Olive, anonymous, alex b and all the others, royalty or not, for all their comments. They are a real encouragement as we go through this together, nearly a third of the way through. Keep them coming.
Ploughing through the minutiae of the genealogies in 1 Chronicles 1-9, I am struck by the following two thoughts:
i) these records were incredibly important to those concerned, and we will get a flavour of this when we read Ezra and Nehemiah soon;
ii) what was done has consequences. Reuben sleeping with his father's concubine led to his rights as the firstborn being passed on to the tribe of Joseph (Gen 35:22; 1 Chr 5:1). The allocation of duties to the different Levite clans in the desert remained down the centuries. The allocation of towns to Levites by Joshua. Decisions at one point in time had long term consequences. But seldom, if ever, do I think my every day decisions will have any lasting impact. Ultimately, in the end, only faith, hope and love endure, and the greatest of these is love.
As a postscript, I'd like to thank Pam Olive, anonymous, alex b and all the others, royalty or not, for all their comments. They are a real encouragement as we go through this together, nearly a third of the way through. Keep them coming.
Saturday, 6 February 2010
What a sorry tale!
Today we reached the end of 2 Kings, and read about the sacking of Jerusalem and the people of Judah being carried off into exile. And what a depressing read this has been over the last few days, much more so than previous times. There is a sorry procession of bad kings, lots of bloodshed, and complete abandonment of God, even though he never once forgets his promise to his people. All the travails and turmoil that follow are a direct result of the people turning away, and the kings are held responsible.
In our atomised, "democratic" and empowered society, it is not a comfortable thought that a whole people can suffer because of the stupidity of its leaders. We need look no further than the vitriol still being poured on Tony Blair over his decisions on the Iraq war. It seems so unfair that the ordinary person in the street is subject to judgement because of the leaders. And when we see the misfortune heaped on the civilian population, the mass slaughter of relatives of deposed kings, often as a result of God's clear judgement, it makes us wonder just what sort of God we are supposed to worship.
As so often these days, I find that Andrew Peterson has a song for the occasion. It is really a prayer for faith in the face of the sin and darkness all around us, but just as importantly within us. As I read through 1 and 2 Kings this time, I was sad, because I was acutely aware of what was coming. Even the stories of Elijah and Elishah, the good kings Hezekiah and Josiah seemed mere brief respites in a hurricane of apostasy. But just as the main character in C.S.Lewis' Till We Have Faces wears herself out while haranguing God, I found that what started off as the question, "how could God let this happen to his people, or do these things to his people", became "how could God's peole turn away from him?" and then, "how amazing and great is God's love, that after all this He still loves them enough always to leave a remnant as proof that He has still kept his covenant."
In Prince Caspian, Aslan tells Lucy that we can never know what might have been, and what might have happened to Israel and Judah if they had been faithful to God is one of the great imponderable questions. God finds a way to save his people time and again. He sends prophets to warn, exile to rebuke and finally a Messiah to die so that his faithless people can be brought back into the Covenant relationship with him.
Last year, I read the Chronicles of the Kings series of novels by Lynn Austin, which looks at the reigns of Hezekiah and Manasseh. These books are novels, but they are written by someone who loves the Lord, and manages to convey that love and joy through the books, and my mind often wandered off to those narratives to find respite from the impending storm.
We live by faith. It is a faith that points us towards the living, loving God, when everything around us would shut us off from him, when we simply have nothing left to say. But He is there. He lives. That is all we ever need.
In our atomised, "democratic" and empowered society, it is not a comfortable thought that a whole people can suffer because of the stupidity of its leaders. We need look no further than the vitriol still being poured on Tony Blair over his decisions on the Iraq war. It seems so unfair that the ordinary person in the street is subject to judgement because of the leaders. And when we see the misfortune heaped on the civilian population, the mass slaughter of relatives of deposed kings, often as a result of God's clear judgement, it makes us wonder just what sort of God we are supposed to worship.
As so often these days, I find that Andrew Peterson has a song for the occasion. It is really a prayer for faith in the face of the sin and darkness all around us, but just as importantly within us. As I read through 1 and 2 Kings this time, I was sad, because I was acutely aware of what was coming. Even the stories of Elijah and Elishah, the good kings Hezekiah and Josiah seemed mere brief respites in a hurricane of apostasy. But just as the main character in C.S.Lewis' Till We Have Faces wears herself out while haranguing God, I found that what started off as the question, "how could God let this happen to his people, or do these things to his people", became "how could God's peole turn away from him?" and then, "how amazing and great is God's love, that after all this He still loves them enough always to leave a remnant as proof that He has still kept his covenant."
In Prince Caspian, Aslan tells Lucy that we can never know what might have been, and what might have happened to Israel and Judah if they had been faithful to God is one of the great imponderable questions. God finds a way to save his people time and again. He sends prophets to warn, exile to rebuke and finally a Messiah to die so that his faithless people can be brought back into the Covenant relationship with him.
Last year, I read the Chronicles of the Kings series of novels by Lynn Austin, which looks at the reigns of Hezekiah and Manasseh. These books are novels, but they are written by someone who loves the Lord, and manages to convey that love and joy through the books, and my mind often wandered off to those narratives to find respite from the impending storm.
We live by faith. It is a faith that points us towards the living, loving God, when everything around us would shut us off from him, when we simply have nothing left to say. But He is there. He lives. That is all we ever need.
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