Jeremiah 9:23-24:
This is what the Lord says:
“Don’t let the wise boast in their wisdom,
or the powerful boast in their power,
or the rich boast in their riches.
But those who wish to boast
should boast in this alone:
that they truly know me and understand that I am the Lord
who demonstrates unfailing love
and who brings justice and righteousness to the earth,
and that I delight in these things.
I, the Lord, have spoken!
Thursday, 24 February 2011
Tuesday, 15 February 2011
Day 45 (Valentine's Day) - A verse about money
This verse leapt out from our reading today -
Proverbs 3
9 Honour the Lord with your wealth
and with the best part of everything you produce.
10 Then he will fill your barns with grain,
and your vats will overflow with good wine.
I know that some people are frustrated that there has been so much talk at St Paul's recently on the extremely worrying financial position of the church. Indeed, it would be fair to say that noone is more frustrated at having to mention it that Chris, because he wants us to look focus on everything God is doing in and through his people in Tervuren. However, the reality is that we are currently looking at a critical shortfall, which potentially could mean that we are unable to meet our commitments.
How to respond? Do we grumble and groan that they are banging on about money yet again? Do we harden our hearts as we and all of God's people are prone to do (Ps 95:8)?
Or do we instead turn and repent of our greed and idolatry and seek to honour God with our wealth, with the best part of our produce? Surely this is the correct response - as we offer up ourselves daily to be a living sacrifice, as we seek to renew our minds daily, to take up our cross daily, as we seek daily to become more like Jesus, shouldn't we seek to honour God every day with our wealth, with the best of what we have.
Proverbs 3
9 Honour the Lord with your wealth
and with the best part of everything you produce.
10 Then he will fill your barns with grain,
and your vats will overflow with good wine.
I know that some people are frustrated that there has been so much talk at St Paul's recently on the extremely worrying financial position of the church. Indeed, it would be fair to say that noone is more frustrated at having to mention it that Chris, because he wants us to look focus on everything God is doing in and through his people in Tervuren. However, the reality is that we are currently looking at a critical shortfall, which potentially could mean that we are unable to meet our commitments.
How to respond? Do we grumble and groan that they are banging on about money yet again? Do we harden our hearts as we and all of God's people are prone to do (Ps 95:8)?
Or do we instead turn and repent of our greed and idolatry and seek to honour God with our wealth, with the best part of our produce? Surely this is the correct response - as we offer up ourselves daily to be a living sacrifice, as we seek to renew our minds daily, to take up our cross daily, as we seek daily to become more like Jesus, shouldn't we seek to honour God every day with our wealth, with the best of what we have.
Thursday, 10 February 2011
Days 36-38 - Thoughts on Job
I know this is slightly out of sequence, but I have been mulling over Job for a couple of days now. One of the points that I had in mind when starting Job was to try to be clear what is was that Job's friends said about God that was inaccurate.
My impression is that they had a very simplistic, almost binary view of God and God's law - if everything was fine and you were healthy and wealthy, you must be righteous; if you were suffering it was because you must have sinned. Yet at the beginning of Job, God pronounces that Job is righteous (1:8). Indeed we can only be righteous in God's sight, if God imputes His righteousness to us. 2 Cor 5:21 tells us that God does this through Jesus and his death for us on the cross. The basic truth is that we cannot earn the status of righteousness through our own actions. As Elihu says in Job 35:6-8:
6 If you sin, how does that affect God?
Even if you sin again and again,
what effect will it have on him?
7 If you are good, is this some great gift to him?
What could you possibly give him?
8 No, your sins affect only people like yourself,
and your good deeds also affect only humans.
The point is God is God and we are not. This and this were quite helpful in this.
There were a few verses which stood out for me:
Job 9:33-35 -
33 If only there were a mediator between us,
someone who could bring us together.
34 The mediator could make God stop beating me,
and I would no longer live in terror of his punishment.
35 Then I could speak to him without fear,
but I cannot do that in my own strength.
Also 16:21 - "I need someone to mediate between God and me, as a person mediates between friends."
Compare that with1 Tim 2:5, "For there is only one God and one Mediator who can reconcile God and humanity—the man Christ Jesus".
Job 13:16 - "But this is what will save me - I am not godless. If I were, I could not stand before him".
Compare this with 2 Tim 2:11-13
11 This is a trustworthy saying:
If we die with him,
we will also live with him.
12 If we endure hardship,
we will reign with him.
If we deny him,
he will deny us.
13 If we are unfaithful,
he remains faithful,
for he cannot deny who he is.
But the one verse I have taken away with me is 19:25-27, which gives a clear a statement of believe in the resurrection as anything in the Old Testament:
25 “But as for me, I know that my Redeemer lives,
and he will stand upon the earth at last.
26 And after my body has decayed,
yet in my body I will see God!
27 I will see him for myself.
Yes, I will see him with my own eyes.
I am overwhelmed at the thought!
My impression is that they had a very simplistic, almost binary view of God and God's law - if everything was fine and you were healthy and wealthy, you must be righteous; if you were suffering it was because you must have sinned. Yet at the beginning of Job, God pronounces that Job is righteous (1:8). Indeed we can only be righteous in God's sight, if God imputes His righteousness to us. 2 Cor 5:21 tells us that God does this through Jesus and his death for us on the cross. The basic truth is that we cannot earn the status of righteousness through our own actions. As Elihu says in Job 35:6-8:
6 If you sin, how does that affect God?
Even if you sin again and again,
what effect will it have on him?
7 If you are good, is this some great gift to him?
What could you possibly give him?
8 No, your sins affect only people like yourself,
and your good deeds also affect only humans.
The point is God is God and we are not. This and this were quite helpful in this.
There were a few verses which stood out for me:
Job 9:33-35 -
33 If only there were a mediator between us,
someone who could bring us together.
34 The mediator could make God stop beating me,
and I would no longer live in terror of his punishment.
35 Then I could speak to him without fear,
but I cannot do that in my own strength.
Also 16:21 - "I need someone to mediate between God and me, as a person mediates between friends."
Compare that with1 Tim 2:5, "For there is only one God and one Mediator who can reconcile God and humanity—the man Christ Jesus".
Job 13:16 - "But this is what will save me - I am not godless. If I were, I could not stand before him".
Compare this with 2 Tim 2:11-13
11 This is a trustworthy saying:
If we die with him,
we will also live with him.
12 If we endure hardship,
we will reign with him.
If we deny him,
he will deny us.
13 If we are unfaithful,
he remains faithful,
for he cannot deny who he is.
But the one verse I have taken away with me is 19:25-27, which gives a clear a statement of believe in the resurrection as anything in the Old Testament:
25 “But as for me, I know that my Redeemer lives,
and he will stand upon the earth at last.
26 And after my body has decayed,
yet in my body I will see God!
27 I will see him for myself.
Yes, I will see him with my own eyes.
I am overwhelmed at the thought!
Day 40 - Psalm for the day
Reading through the bible as we are doing presents particular difficulties when reading the psalms, as the tendency is to want to linger over each of them. I have no obvious suggestion to offer on this, but to try and enjoy them as much as time allows. One psalm struck me today in our times of uncertainty, particularly verse 7. Enjoy!
Psalm 39
For Jeduthun, the choir director: A psalm of David.
1 I said to myself, “I will watch what I do
and not sin in what I say.
I will hold my tongue
when the ungodly are around me.”
2 But as I stood there in silence—
not even speaking of good things—
the turmoil within me grew worse.
3 The more I thought about it,
the hotter I got,
igniting a fire of words:
4 “Lord, remind me how brief my time on earth will be.
Remind me that my days are numbered—
how fleeting my life is.
5 You have made my life no longer than the width of my hand.
My entire lifetime is just a moment to you;
at best, each of us is but a breath.” Interlude
6 We are merely moving shadows,
and all our busy rushing ends in nothing.
We heap up wealth,
not knowing who will spend it.
7 And so, Lord, where do I put my hope?
My only hope is in you.
8 Rescue me from my rebellion.
Do not let fools mock me.
9 I am silent before you; I won’t say a word,
for my punishment is from you.
10 But please stop striking me!
I am exhausted by the blows from your hand.
11 When you discipline us for our sins,
you consume like a moth what is precious to us.
Each of us is but a breath. Interlude
12 Hear my prayer, O Lord!
Listen to my cries for help!
Don’t ignore my tears.
For I am your guest—
a traveler passing through,
as my ancestors were before me.
13 Leave me alone so I can smile again
before I am gone and exist no more.
Psalm 39
For Jeduthun, the choir director: A psalm of David.
1 I said to myself, “I will watch what I do
and not sin in what I say.
I will hold my tongue
when the ungodly are around me.”
2 But as I stood there in silence—
not even speaking of good things—
the turmoil within me grew worse.
3 The more I thought about it,
the hotter I got,
igniting a fire of words:
4 “Lord, remind me how brief my time on earth will be.
Remind me that my days are numbered—
how fleeting my life is.
5 You have made my life no longer than the width of my hand.
My entire lifetime is just a moment to you;
at best, each of us is but a breath.” Interlude
6 We are merely moving shadows,
and all our busy rushing ends in nothing.
We heap up wealth,
not knowing who will spend it.
7 And so, Lord, where do I put my hope?
My only hope is in you.
8 Rescue me from my rebellion.
Do not let fools mock me.
9 I am silent before you; I won’t say a word,
for my punishment is from you.
10 But please stop striking me!
I am exhausted by the blows from your hand.
11 When you discipline us for our sins,
you consume like a moth what is precious to us.
Each of us is but a breath. Interlude
12 Hear my prayer, O Lord!
Listen to my cries for help!
Don’t ignore my tears.
For I am your guest—
a traveler passing through,
as my ancestors were before me.
13 Leave me alone so I can smile again
before I am gone and exist no more.
Friday, 4 February 2011
Day 35 - Nehemiah
Yesterday at the end of the book of Ezra, we read how the people shivered in the rain as they gathered in the square before the temple. Today I walked up to the plaza in front of the western wall in the pouring rain, and it was very cold. My feet have yet to thaw out.
The passage from today's reading that stood out to me was the further repetition in Nehemiah chapter9 of the history of God's people - how they have been showered repeatedly with God's blessing, and how when God has delivered them from trouble, they trun away as the comforts and luxury of life in peace and security crowd out out awareness of our need for God.
Walking toward the Old City, there are plenty of new buildings being put up - shops, top of the range housing, offices - and these are all a reminder how God moves and shapes the affairs of men in allowing His people to return to the land He promised them. The stonework in these buildings is beautiful, a glorious light-honeyed yellow, almost as transluscent as Minas Tirith in Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings. And the awareness that this city is special because God chose to allow his temple to be built here is everywhere here. And yet.... It is very easy to be so overwhelmed by the sights and miss the reason they are here, the living God. It is not a new problem either. Mark 13:1-2, "As Jesus was leaving the Temple that day, one of his disciples said, “Teacher, look at these magnificent buildings! Look at the impressive stones in the walls.”
Jesus replied, “Yes, look at these great buildings. But they will be completely demolished. Not one stone will be left on top of another!”
One thing that is very obvious is sabbath. All the shops shut at 3, and even the cafe we were in for lunch threw us out then. If you are not going to worship, or celebrating with family and friends, this can seem lonely, long drawn-out and even oppressive. Yet, if you have those things, it is wonderfu to have worshipping God as the sole focus of activity for the day. This is something that I have never had that sense of before.
Nehemiah is a man of action, not naive to the be unaware of the ruses and oppostion of those trying to prevent him completing his task, but above all, the image I take away from Nehemiah is of a man of prayer. It is prayer that bookends the story, gives him clarity of vision, boldness of action and a humility before the God who makes all things possible. He is not a bad example to follow.
The passage from today's reading that stood out to me was the further repetition in Nehemiah chapter9 of the history of God's people - how they have been showered repeatedly with God's blessing, and how when God has delivered them from trouble, they trun away as the comforts and luxury of life in peace and security crowd out out awareness of our need for God.
Walking toward the Old City, there are plenty of new buildings being put up - shops, top of the range housing, offices - and these are all a reminder how God moves and shapes the affairs of men in allowing His people to return to the land He promised them. The stonework in these buildings is beautiful, a glorious light-honeyed yellow, almost as transluscent as Minas Tirith in Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings. And the awareness that this city is special because God chose to allow his temple to be built here is everywhere here. And yet.... It is very easy to be so overwhelmed by the sights and miss the reason they are here, the living God. It is not a new problem either. Mark 13:1-2, "As Jesus was leaving the Temple that day, one of his disciples said, “Teacher, look at these magnificent buildings! Look at the impressive stones in the walls.”
Jesus replied, “Yes, look at these great buildings. But they will be completely demolished. Not one stone will be left on top of another!”
One thing that is very obvious is sabbath. All the shops shut at 3, and even the cafe we were in for lunch threw us out then. If you are not going to worship, or celebrating with family and friends, this can seem lonely, long drawn-out and even oppressive. Yet, if you have those things, it is wonderfu to have worshipping God as the sole focus of activity for the day. This is something that I have never had that sense of before.
Nehemiah is a man of action, not naive to the be unaware of the ruses and oppostion of those trying to prevent him completing his task, but above all, the image I take away from Nehemiah is of a man of prayer. It is prayer that bookends the story, gives him clarity of vision, boldness of action and a humility before the God who makes all things possible. He is not a bad example to follow.
Day 34 - 2 Chronicles and Ezra
I am typing this while sitting on the plane flying to Israel, where I shall be staying in Jerusalem. The European Friends of Israel have organised a policy conference with more than 80 MEPs and over 300 assorted hangers-on (staff such as myself) also being flown out. So numerous are we, that we are being split into 5 separate flights, and a tremendous amount of organisation and preparation has been carried out. In this light, the careful listing and counting and enumerating of people and objects that we read in Ezra seems an early variant of this trip that I am on.
One thing that strikes me in reading Ezra was that the very people one would expect to be most committed to carrying out God's plan to its fulfilment - the 'professionals', the priests and the Levites - were the least committed on the event. Ezra has to beg for some Levites to come along with them.
This was also the case when Josiah wants to go about the restoration of the temple. He gives the instruction, but the professionals drag their feet.
One small detail that I found intriguing. 2 Chr 35:3 talks about Josiah telling the Levites to put the ark of the covenant back in the sanctuary and not to keep moving it around. Why were they moving it around? The ark was placed in the Holy of Holies in the temple by Solomon, and was not moved. So what has happened? Nick Page has written a book which deals with the question of what happened to the ark, but this focuses more on the exile to Babylon. Intriguingly, Lynn Austin's novel Among the Gods posits a theory that the ark was smuggled out of Jerusalem during the reign of the evil king Manasseh and moved to a community of Jews on Elephantine Island in the Nile. Remarkably, there is archaeological evidence that such a proposition cannot be dismissed out of hand.
That is really nothing more than an interesting digression. The main point is that God fulfilled his side of the covenant, His people did not, even though His mercy has been shown time and time again. With the impinging of the rise of world empires on the land of Israel, we can see how God is the mover in the great tides of history, something we should remember when considering what is happening in the Arab world at the moment.
One thing that strikes me in reading Ezra was that the very people one would expect to be most committed to carrying out God's plan to its fulfilment - the 'professionals', the priests and the Levites - were the least committed on the event. Ezra has to beg for some Levites to come along with them.
This was also the case when Josiah wants to go about the restoration of the temple. He gives the instruction, but the professionals drag their feet.
One small detail that I found intriguing. 2 Chr 35:3 talks about Josiah telling the Levites to put the ark of the covenant back in the sanctuary and not to keep moving it around. Why were they moving it around? The ark was placed in the Holy of Holies in the temple by Solomon, and was not moved. So what has happened? Nick Page has written a book which deals with the question of what happened to the ark, but this focuses more on the exile to Babylon. Intriguingly, Lynn Austin's novel Among the Gods posits a theory that the ark was smuggled out of Jerusalem during the reign of the evil king Manasseh and moved to a community of Jews on Elephantine Island in the Nile. Remarkably, there is archaeological evidence that such a proposition cannot be dismissed out of hand.
That is really nothing more than an interesting digression. The main point is that God fulfilled his side of the covenant, His people did not, even though His mercy has been shown time and time again. With the impinging of the rise of world empires on the land of Israel, we can see how God is the mover in the great tides of history, something we should remember when considering what is happening in the Arab world at the moment.
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