Creating, collecting, and sharing thoughts and ideas. And learning along the way.
When the Afternoon Rises Up to Greet You
When the Face in the Window is Prettier than Anything Else!
JUDGES 17:1-18:31 | JOHN 3:1-21 | PSALM 104:1-23 | PROVERBS 14:20-21
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The story of Micah and his idols is a most curious one. Micah, a young man, is said to have stolen from his mother and then comes clean to her. The mother is thrilled and takes part of the money and gets an idol made. Micah installs this idol in his house, and then just for good measure, he hires a young man from the priestly tribe of Levi to be his household priest.
Imagine that: a Levite serving as priest and tolerating a molten image under the same roof as he! What was Israel coming to?!
Well, not much, I suppose, because the text does state “In those days Israel had no king; everyone did as they saw fit.” It does show us, however, the dichotomy that existed in the minds and affairs of the children of Israel in how they sought to worship Yahweh, the God of their fathers, while still holding on to their desire to practice idolatry.
Well, if all this sounds a little bizarre, that was just what it was: most bizarre. And things get even more strange when a group of Danites (from the tribe of Dan) go out scouting for a new settlement, and along the way chance upon the Levite residing in Micah’s house and lure him to follow them and be their household priest!
Not only that, they also take the idols from within Micah’s house—as if those things were necessary for the priest to carry out his priestly duties—and make off with them to a new town called Laish (which they promptly rename Dan). Micah is left high and dry and watches all this happen before his very eyes. If there’s a lesson in all of this, we are yet to learn it.
Turning now to our reading in the book of John, we encounter one of the most famous passages in the New Testament: the story of Nicodemus, the Pharisee who comes to Jesus inquiring about the meaning of becoming “born again.” Jesus explains to Nicodemus that it is not a bodily rebirth but a birth of the spirit.
He goes on to say probably the most often quoted verse in the entire Bible: 16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
Furthermore, Jesus goes on to say this: 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. 18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son. 19 This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. 20 Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed. 21 But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what they have done has been done in the sight of God.
Turning now to our psalm of the day, we find the psalmist praising the handiwork of an Almighty God in whose hands the changing seasons lie. The passage of time that results in night and day is God’s doing. David says:
19 He made the moon to mark the seasons,
and the sun knows when to go down.
20 You bring darkness, it becomes night,
and all the beasts of the forest prowl.
21 The lions roar for their prey
and seek their food from God.
22 The sun rises, and they steal away;
they return and lie down in their dens.
23 Then people go out to their work,
to their labor until evening.
Finally, one last verse from the book of Proverbs that is reminiscent of Jesus’ command that replaced the entire law of Moses. Solomon, king of Israel, and author of these verses, writes this:
21 It is a sin to despise one’s neighbor, but blessed is the one who is kind to the needy.
May God bless the reading and reflection of His Word.
“Mommy, these flowers look good enough to eat!”
As Balanced as Can Be
When the Love is Bigger and Sweeter than the Most Magnificent Cake
JUDGES 15:1-16:31 | JOHN 2:1-25 | PSALM 103:1-22 | PROVERBS 14:17-19
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We continue with Samson’s story to learn that the man was indeed endowed with superhuman strength. His wife deceives him in trying to learn the secret of his strength and when he loses a bet with his in-laws, he goes off in a huff, but when he returns he learns that his wife has been given away in marriage to another man. Bad move, Father-in-law!
Samson goes berserk and wreaks havoc, but in the aftermath, both wife and father-in-law are burned to death by their own people. Well, that is the first sad episode in Samson’s life, but it is said that Samson then goes on to become a leader of Israel, and serves in that capacity for twenty years following this incident.
But more bad things are in store for Samson, and soon we learn of his liaison with another young woman by the name of Delilah. Charmer that he is, Delilah is all over him, but like his wife, she too is curious to learn of Samson’s secret, and when she succeeds in learning it and betraying him to the Philistines, it is the beginning of the end for Samson. The secret, of course, is that his strength lay in his uncut hair, but when the hair is gone thanks to Delilah who cuts it by stealth, Samson is easily captured by the Philistines and is made into a punching bag. But it’s not over until it’s over.
And what we see here is a story of second-chances. Despite the many mistakes that Samson has made over his lifetime in running with the wrong crowd and loving the wrong women, his last plea to God for mercy is answered, and what we then see is Samson’s last superhuman feat: he pulls down the roof of the temple to which he had been blinded and tied. And thus ends Samson’s story. A flawed leader but one not too proud to beg for forgiveness at the very end, and one who is avenged by divine intervention.
Turning to our reading in the book of John, we find Jesus at the wedding in Cana. What happy imagery: the Lord partaking in the pleasures of one of the most fundamental cornerstones of human civilization—the institution and associated rituals of the state of matrimony! Jesus is attending the wedding celebrations of a friend and is approached by his own mother (who knows her son can surely help out!) with a request to replenish the wine jars.
At first it seems as if Jesus is reluctant to draw attention to himself by performing a miracle, but then he relents and instructs the people to fill the jars with water. Simple as that. Fill the jars with water, pour it out into a cup, and voila, you have the best wine that you’ve ever tasted! I believe that it happened just like that!
Next we find Jesus clearing the Temple courts. This is the only place where we find an account of something Jesus made with his hands: a whip made out of cords that he presumably used to chase all the vendors out of what looked more like a marketplace than a Temple.
And when asked by what authority he is doing this, Jesus simply replies, “Destroy this temple, and I will raise it again in three days.” He is, of course, referring to his own body as the Temple, and it would be not just the disciples but even those very elders in the Temple who had posed that question to him who will clearly recall Jesus’ words much later.
Our Psalm for today is Psalm 103, a famous one that is often read as a benediction. I reproduce it here in its entirety in the King James Version (KJV) that I am most familiar with. It is not one that I have committed to memory, but it would certainly serve me in good stead to do it.
1Bless the LORD, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name.
2Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits:
3Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases;
4Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies;
5Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle’s.
6The LORD executeth righteousness and judgment for all that are oppressed.
7He made known his ways unto Moses, his acts unto the children of Israel.
8The LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy.
9He will not always chide: neither will he keep his anger for ever.
10He hath not dealt with us after our sins; nor rewarded us according to our iniquities.
11For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is his mercy toward them that fear him.
12As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us.
13Like as a father pitieth his children, so the LORD pitieth them that fear him.
14For he knoweth our frame; he remembereth that we are dust.
15As for man, his days are as grass: as a flower of the field, so he flourisheth.
16For the wind passeth over it, and it is gone; and the place thereof shall know it no more.
17But the mercy of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear him, and his righteousness unto children’s children;
18To such as keep his covenant, and to those that remember his commandments to do them.
19The LORD hath prepared his throne in the heavens; and his kingdom ruleth over all.
20Bless the LORD, ye his angels, that excel in strength, that do his commandments, hearkening unto the voice of his word.
21Bless ye the LORD, all ye his hosts; ye ministers of his, that do his pleasure.
22Bless the LORD, all his works in all places of his dominion: bless the LORD, O my soul.
Finally, one verse from the book of Proverbs that I present as food for thought (also in the KJV):
17He that is soon angry dealeth foolishly: and a man of wicked devices is hated.
How to Await One’s Spouse
