True Holy War; Ps 46, 2 Chron. 20

May the mumbling commence!

Many of us have heard about holy war or jihad.  But, what exactly is holy war?  And who declares it?  I believe the Lord’s intent was made clear the first time a holy war happened – at the shore of the Red Sea.  When the Lord led Israel out of Egypt, He did so with His mighty outstretched arm.  His power moved the pillar of cloud and flame between the Egyptian army and the Israelite people.  His power divided the Red Sea.  And His power released the Red Sea in destruction of Pharaoh and his entire army.

What was asked of Israel in all this?  Be still and witness.  Show your faith in the Lord and walk between the walls of congealed water that was the Red Sea.  They showed their faith in the Lord by this action.  In all the rest of the battle, they were only witnesses.

"Be still, and know that I am God;

I will be exalted among the nations,

I will be exalted in the earth." (Ps 46:10)

Israel’s response on the far side of the Red Sea was worship in song.  Now, let’s flash forward to another example of Israel’s faith in God juxtaposed against incredible odds during the reign of Jehoshaphat, king of Judah.  Read his prayer below from 2 Chronicles 20:6b-12 –

"O Lord, God of our fathers, are you not the God who is in heaven? You rule over all the kingdoms of the nations. Power and might are in your hand, and no one can withstand you.  O our God, did you not drive out the inhabitants of this land before your people Israel and give it forever to the descendants of Abraham your friend?  They have lived in it and have built in it a sanctuary for your Name, saying, 'If calamity comes upon us, whether the sword of judgment, or plague or famine, we will stand in your presence before this temple that bears your Name and will cry out to you in our distress, and you will hear us and save us.' 

But now here are men from Ammon, Moab and Mount Seir, whose territory you would not allow Israel to invade when they came from Egypt; so they turned away from them and did not destroy them.  See how they are repaying us by coming to drive us out of the possession you gave us as an inheritance.  O our God, will you not judge them? For we have no power to face this vast army that is attacking us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are upon you."

Jehoshaphat led the people in seeking the Lord in the midst of attack.  Read the Lord’s response from 2 Chronicles 20:15-17 –

He said: "Listen, King Jehoshaphat and all who live in Judah and Jerusalem! This is what the Lord says to you: 'Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army. For the battle is not yours, but God's.  Tomorrow march down against them. They will be climbing up by the Pass of Ziz, and you will find them at the end of the gorge in the Desert of Jeruel.  You will not have to fight this battle. Take up your positions; stand firm and see the deliverance the Lord will give you, O Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Go out to face them tomorrow, and the Lord will be with you.'"

Stand firm and see the deliverance of the Lord.  This promise from the Lord, after the discernment of the people led to worship.  Judah went to battle armed with song, and God provided the victory!  A hymn-sing won the day!  Read about it below:

After consulting the people, Jehoshaphat appointed men to sing to the Lord and to praise him for the splendor of his holiness as they went out at the head of the army, saying: "Give thanks to the Lord, for his love endures forever." 

As they began to sing and praise, the Lord set ambushes against the men of Ammon and Moab and Mount Seir who were invading Judah, and they were defeated.  The men of Ammon and Moab rose up against the men from Mount Seir to destroy and annihilate them. After they finished slaughtering the men from Seir, they helped to destroy one another.  (2 Chron. 20:21-23)

And the reward was far greater than they could imagine!  We need no weapons or armor other than the Lord and our witness to His greatness.  Let us burst forth in song and praise and allow the Lord to declare and execute any holy war that is necessary. 

Enough mumbling for now… 

Peace Out

Seeking the Truth of the Lord; 1 Kings 22

May the mumbling commence!

There is a way of seeking the Lord and discovering the truth.  In the story recorded in 1 Kings 22 and 2 Chronicles 18, we see some red flogs to watch out for when we seek the truth of the Lord.  Read a portion of 1 Kings 22:

Jehoshaphat replied to the king of Israel, "I am as you are, my people as your people, my horses as your horses."  But Jehoshaphat also said to the king of Israel, "First seek the counsel of the Lord." 

So the king of Israel brought together the prophets – about four hundred men – and asked them, "Shall I go to war against Ramoth Gilead, or shall I refrain?"

"Go," they answered, "for the Lord will give it into the king's hand." 

But Jehoshaphat asked, "Is there not a prophet of the Lord here whom we can inquire of?" (4b-7)

Why did King Jehoshaphat question the conclusion of the 400 prophets?  Perhaps it was because they spoke as one.  I know from growing up in a large family that it is near impossible to have 100% agreement on anything – even something as trivial as what’s for dinner.  Too much agreement is a red flag.  Read further from 1 Kings 22:

The king of Israel answered Jehoshaphat, "There is still one man through whom we can inquire of the Lord, but I hate him because he never prophesies anything good about me, but always bad. He is Micaiah son of Imlah."

"The king should not say that," Jehoshaphat replied… 

All the other prophets were prophesying the same thing. "Attack Ramoth Gilead and be victorious," they said, "for the Lord will give it into the king's hand."  The messenger who had gone to summon Micaiah said to him, "Look, as one man the other prophets are predicting success for the king. Let your word agree with theirs, and speak favorably."  

But Micaiah said, "As surely as the Lord lives, I can tell him only what the Lord tells me."

When he arrived, the king asked him, "Micaiah, shall we go to war against Ramoth Gilead, or shall I refrain?"

"Attack and be victorious," he answered, "for the Lord will give it into the king's hand." 

The king said to him, "How many times must I make you swear to tell me nothing but the truth in the name of the Lord?" (8;12-16)

Now King Ahab questioned Micaiah’s prophecy.  I believe Ahab questioned Micaiah’s words because they so closely matched the words of the other prophets.  When pressed, Micaiah spoke the word of the Lord.  Read it below:

Then Micaiah answered, "I saw all Israel scattered on the hills like sheep without a shepherd, and the Lord said, 'These people have no master. Let each one go home in peace.'" 

The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, "Didn't I tell you that he never prophesies anything good about me, but only bad?" 

Micaiah continued, "Therefore hear the word of the Lord: I saw the Lord sitting on his throne with all the host of heaven standing around him on his right and on his left.  And the Lord said, 'Who will entice Ahab into attacking Ramoth Gilead and going to his death there?' "One suggested this, and another that.  Finally, a spirit came forward, stood before the Lord and said, 'I will entice him.'  

'By what means?' the Lord asked.

'I will go out and be a lying spirit in the mouths of all his prophets,' he said.

'You will succeed in enticing him,' said the Lord. 'Go and do it.' 

So now the Lord has put a lying spirit in the mouths of all these prophets of yours. The Lord has decreed disaster for you." (22:17-23)

A lying spirit had infected all the king’s prophets so that Ahab would fall in battle.  The other prophets vehemently denied Micaiah’s accusation.  The kings of Israel and Judah still went to war, but Ahab tried to use deception.  Deception does not work when the Lord’s hand is in something.  Ahab went to battle disguised while Jehoshaphat went in royal attire; yet a random arrow killed Ahab anyway, while Jehoshaphat was protected.  Hmm… Was it really a random arrow?  I think not.  The Lord guided the arrow to Ahab and protected Jehoshaphat from attack in a case of mistaken identity.

The Lord’s justice will be done.  So, let’s seek his truth even when it hurts. 

Enough mumbling for today… 

Peace Out

Joyful Generosity; Ps 104

May the mumbling commence!

God has given us much!  The proper response is generosity – generosity toward others, because our Lord often comes in the form of strangers.  Think about some examples of this kind of visitation – when the three visitors  came to Abraham (and later tow of them came to Lot), when Elijah came to the widow of Zarephath, when Jesus walked along with Cleopas to Emmaus…  If these examples do not inspire you, then think about the parable of the sheep and goats from Matthew 25.

I believe the call to be generous is clear.  Generosity to others is an integral part of worshiping God.  It is what we are created to do – worship God generously by the way we relate to Him and to others.  It lifts the spirits of the giver and the receiver.  It embellishes our songs and prayers and meditations more than any instrument or five-dollar words could ever embellish.

Let us be cheerful in our generosity to others.  In this way, we will be pleasing to the Lord – just as the psalmist wrote:

I will sing to the Lord all my life;

I will sing praise to my God as long as I live. 

May my meditation be pleasing to him,

as I rejoice in the Lord. (Ps 104:33-34)

Enough mumbling (meditating) for now…

Peace Out

"Xtreme" Faith and Hospitality; 1 Kings 17-19

May the mumbling commence!

Have you ever heard of the “X-Games?”  They are all about “Xtreme” sports.  Today’s Scripture reading contains examples of “Xtreme” faith and hospitality.  Both “Xtreme” faith and hospitality have their source in God.  Let’s first examine “Xtreme” hospitality.  In 1 Kings 17-19, there is a contest between Baal and the Lord.  By the word of the prophet Elijah (the power of DABAR), the Lord stopped rain from falling for years.

The Lord modeled hospitality first.  Elijah went to a brook by the command of God.  There, Elijah had a source of water; and the Lord sent ravens (unclean birds!) to bring Elijah food – bread and meat – in the morning and evening.  Sounds suspiciously like manna and quail!  The Lord provides – then and today.

Sometimes the Lord provided through people.  When the brook dried up because of the drought, the Lord sent Elijah to a widow of Zarephath (that was the hometown of Jezebel – the evil queen of Samaria!).  This foreigner – the widow of Zarephath – showed “Xtreme” hospitality to Elijah.  She was preparing for what she thought would be the last meal for her and her son.  It was at that time when Elijah approached he for the water and bread.  The flour in her cupboard was almost gone!  The oil had almost run dry.

“Xtreme” hospitality requires “Xtreme” faith.  When the widow did as Elijah asked, she found that each time she went to the jar of flour and oil there was always enough for one more meal – for herself, Elijah and her son.  There was NOT suddenly plenty. “Xtreme” faith is revealed day-to-day and step-by-step.  The Lord provided, then, through a foreign widow.  The Lord will provide now through… Who?  You and me?  Are we willing to have the “Xtreme” faith and hospitality of this widow?

This “Xtreme” faith must have inspired Elijah for his contest on Mount Carmel with the prophets of Baal.  Elijah showed “Xtreme” faith in this contest.  Elijah taunted the prophets of Baal and Asherah.  They had first chance to demonstrate the power of their gods.  They called upon them from morning till night.

Then Elijah took his turn.  He rebuilt the altar of the Lord.  He prepared the bull.  He had twelve large jars of water dumped on the altar – water that gathered in a trench around the altar.  What a waste of precious water in the time of a drought!  But fire from heaven would come in the form of lightning – a sign of rain!

“Xtreme” faith and hospitality in the Lord is NEVER wasted.  Our God provides for those who trust in Him.  Our God rains – or is it reigns!

Enough mumbling for now…

Peace Out

Going to the Lord for Healing; 2 Chron. 17 & 20

May the mumbling commence!

Who do we rely on for our protection and sense of safety?  Who do we rely on for our healing?  The way we answer these questions are important.  These questions are related to one another, and both of them reflect where we seek our journey for wisdom and hope.

And, for those of us who are leaders, the question has extra-special significance.  The way leader choose (both religious and political and a combination thereof) guides how the people under their care choose.  The standard is always higher with those who have been entrusted with much – whether that wealth is in material possessions, political power, or knowledge.

A leader can live a mostly righteous life but slip up only a few times and lead the people astray.  King Asa of Judah, for example, chose not to go to the Lord for healing of a physical ailment.  It ended up costing him his life (2 Chronicles 16:12-14).

The example of Asa lived on in his son Jehoshaphat – with all its strengths and weaknesses.  The Chronicler notes a weakness in verse 33 of 2 Chronicles chapter 20.  “The high places, however, were not removed, and the people still had not set their hearts on the God of their fathers.” 

This weakness resulted from drift – as my good brother in the Lord, Paul Hoffman, calls it.  Jehoshaphat tried to use his wealth of knowledge, power and material possessions wisely – for the Lord.  Read about it below from 2 Chronicles 17:

The Lord established the kingdom under his control; and all Judah brought gifts to Jehoshaphat, so that he had great wealth and honor.  His heart was devoted to the ways of the Lord; furthermore, he removed the high places and the Asherah poles from Judah.  In the third year of his reign he sent his officials Ben-Hail, Obadiah, Zechariah, Nethanel and Micaiah to teach in the towns of Judah.  With them were certain Levites – Shemaiah, Nethaniah, Zebadiah, Asahel, Shemiramoth, Jehonathan, Adonijah, Tobijah and Tob-Adonijah – and the priests Elishama and Jehoram.  They taught throughout Judah, taking with them the Book of the Law of the Lord; they went around to all the towns of Judah and taught the people. (5-9)

Jehoshaphat had removed the high places and Asherah poles.  He had also sent officials and Levites armed with the Book of the Law of the Lord.  They were armed to teach the people of Judah about the Lord.  Jehoshaphat, in his early reign, trusted wholeheartedly in the Lord.  This trust showed in his actions, as he removed the idols and their place of worship from the land.  By doing this, he also put to an end improper worship of the Lord.

To the removal, Jehoshaphat added the instructions, commands, and precepts of the Lord.  These laws were delivered by Levites, who knew the law well.  Along with the Levites, the officials of the king went.  These officials added both import and significance to the priests’ message.  All the people feared the Lord – even those alien nations around them.  It was obvious that God was with them…

Or rather – they had sought to be with the Lord, and they had found Him easily.  But it only takes a little drift over a period of time to destroy all the progress that was made, as we saw in the later Scripture passage in 2 Chronciles.

Let us remember these things when we are distressed.

Enough mumbling for now…

Peace Out

Endure and Be on the Lord's Side; 2 Chorn. 13-15

May the mumbling commence!

Before I start, one week at camp turned into two.  I have been blessed at camp with fifth and sixth graders two weeks ago and seventh and eighth graders this past week.  Now, it is time to catch up my mumbling blog...

What does it mean to have the Lord on your side?  What does it mean to wholly devote yourself to seeking the Lord?  Let’s look briefly at what the Chronicler says about these questions in 2 Chronicles 13-15.  We will learn that these two questions are intimately related.

Note the juxtaposition of the kingdom of Israel and Judah from 2 Chronicles 13:4-12.

Abijah stood on Mount Zemaraim, in the hill country of Ephraim, and said, "Jeroboam and all Israel, listen to me!  Don't you know that the Lord, the God of Israel, has given the kingship of Israel to David and his descendants forever by a covenant of salt?  Yet Jeroboam son of Nebat, an official of Solomon son of David, rebelled against his master.  Some worthless scoundrels gathered around him and opposed Rehoboam son of Solomon when he was young and indecisive and not strong enough to resist them. 

And now you plan to resist the kingdom of the Lord, which is in the hands of David's descendants. You are indeed a vast army and have with you the golden calves that Jeroboam made to be your gods.  But didn't you drive out the priests of the Lord, the sons of Aaron, and the Levites, and make priests of your own as the peoples of other lands do? Whoever comes to consecrate himself with a young bull and seven rams may become a priest of what are not gods. 

As for us, the Lord is our God, and we have not forsaken him. The priests who serve the Lord are sons of Aaron, and the Levites assist them.  Every morning and evening they present burnt offerings and fragrant incense to the Lord. They set out the bread on the ceremonially clean table and light the lamps on the gold lampstand every evening. We are observing the requirements of the Lord our God. But you have forsaken him.  God is with us; he is our leader. His priests with their trumpets will sound the battle cry against you. Men of Israel, do not fight against the Lord, the God of your fathers, for you will not succeed."

Israel had their golden calf idols.  In these idols, they rejected the Lord.  They also rejected the Lord’s anointed priests – the sons of Aaron and the Levites.  Judah, on the other hand, welcomed the sons of Aaron and the Levites.  These men of God knew how to seek the Lord, and they led all Judah in the prescribed ways.  If Israel fought these ways, they fought the Lord.  And Judah had a covenant of salt through the promise given by the Lord to David.  A covenant of salt?  What is the significance of salt?  I will use this week at camp to help uncover the significance of salt.

Let’s turn our attention to another passage – 2 Chronicles 15:1-7.  Read it below:

The Spirit of God came upon Azariah son of Oded.  He went out to meet Asa and said to him, "Listen to me, Asa and all Judah and Benjamin. The Lord is with you when you are with him. If you seek him, he will be found by you, but if you forsake him, he will forsake you.  For a long time Israel was without the true God, without a priest to teach and without the law.  But in their distress they turned to the Lord, the God of Israel, and sought him, and he was found by them.  In those days it was not safe to travel about, for all the inhabitants of the lands were in great turmoil.  One nation was being crushed by another and one city by another, because God was troubling them with every kind of distress.  But as for you, be strong and do not give up, for your work will be rewarded."  

“The Lord is with you when you are with him.  If you seek him, he will be found by you, but if you forsake him, he will forsake you.”  Is the Lord on our side?  That is NOT the question.  Better: Are we on the Lord’s side?  To be on the Lord’s side will take endurance.  It will take transformative change.  When these things become apparent to others, the Lord will draw others to you.  Read from 2 Chronicles 15:8-9 below –

When Asa heard these words and the prophecy of Azariah son of Oded the prophet, he took courage. He removed the detestable idols from the whole land of Judah and Benjamin and from the towns he had captured in the hills of Ephraim. He repaired the altar of the Lord that was in front of the portico of the Lord's temple.  Then he assembled all Judah and Benjamin and the people from Ephraim, Manasseh and Simeon who had settled among them, for large numbers had come over to him from Israel when they saw that the Lord his God was with him.

Remove the idols from your life.  Repair the altar of the Lord.  These two steps are related.  Leave the ways of the world behind, and pick up the way of the Lord.  Do these things, and you will be lasted for salvation. 

Enough mumbling for today… 

Peace Out

To Be Godly, Holy, Set Apart; 1 Kings 14 & 2 Chron. 12

May the mumbling commence!

I want to take a few words to let you know at the outset that I will be taking a vacation from technology for the next days.  I will be going to be a camp counselor and Bible Study leader at Camp Mount Hermon Junior Camp with a couple dozen or so fifth and sixth-graders.  I will still be doing my daily devotion and mumblings, but I will not be able to catch up the postings until this coming Saturday or Sunday (probably Sunday).  I appreciate your prayers as I seek to be leading the little ones to faith in Christ Jesus!

Anyways, today’s readings from 1 Kings 14 and 2 Chronicles 11 show that Israel was not alone in falling down in the Lord’s eyes.  The 1 Kings’ account is more descriptive about how Judah abandoned the Lord than the 2 Chronicles account.  It shows the bias for a favorable view of Judah in the Chronicler’s estimation.  The Chronicler only briefly mentions that Judah had abandoned the Lord and had been unfaithful to the Lord.  Read the descriptions of Judah misbehavior from 1 Kings 14:22-24 –

Judah did evil in the eyes of the Lord. By the sins they committed they stirred up his jealous anger more than their fathers had done.  They also set up for themselves high places, sacred stones and Asherah poles on every high hill and under every spreading tree.  There were even male shrine prostitutes in the land; the people engaged in all the detestable practices of the nations the Lord had driven out before the Israelites.

Talk about being caught red-handed!  They were worse than their fathers were.  I guess that’s the drift that a good brother in the Lord of mine, Paul Hoffman, talks about.  Just as Israel, they had their high places and Asherah poles.  These must have been leftover practices of the peoples that God had driven out before his chosen people.  There were even male shrine prostitutes!  This dirty laundry list makes the Chronicler’s mention of wrongdoing pale in comparison.

But there is more to show the Chronicler’s bias!  The Chronicler not only mentions in passing the failure of Judah to follow the Lord, the Chronicler also dug for the silver lining in the cloud.  As Shishak was bearing down on Jerusalem, the Chronicler inserted a visit from the prophet Shemaiah that is absent from the 1 Kings witness.  Read about it below:

Then the prophet Shemaiah came to Rehoboam and to the leaders of Judah who had assembled in Jerusalem for fear of Shishak, and he said to them, "This is what the Lord says, 'You have abandoned me; therefore, I now abandon you to Shishak.'" 

The leaders of Israel and the king humbled themselves and said, "The Lord is just." 

When the Lord saw that they humbled themselves, this word of the Lord came to Shemaiah: "Since they have humbled themselves, I will not destroy them but will soon give them deliverance. My wrath will not be poured out on Jerusalem through Shishak.  They will, however, become subject to him, so that they may learn the difference between serving me and serving the kings of other lands." 

When Shishak king of Egypt attacked Jerusalem, he carried off the treasures of the temple of the Lord and the treasures of the royal palace. He took everything, including the gold shields Solomon had made.  So King Rehoboam made bronze shields to replace them and assigned these to the commanders of the guard on duty at the entrance to the royal palace.  Whenever the king went to the Lord's temple, the guards went with him, bearing the shields, and afterward they returned them to the guardroom. 

Because Rehoboam humbled himself, the Lord's anger turned from him, and he was not totally destroyed. Indeed, there was some good in Judah. (2 Chron. 12:5-12)   

This just goes to show us a couple of things.  One: The victors write the histories; thus, the histories have the victor’s biases.  Two: Our concept of good is never good enough to please God.  We are called to be more than good; we are called to be godly!  We are called to be holy, set apart.

I give thanks this day for the grace and mercy of the Lord upon this pile of filthy rags that I would call a good life!

Enough mumbling for today…

Peace Out