So i am now up to date with reading schedule having spent most of this afternoon reading Joshua. A few scattered thoughts...
Josh 1:8 - mediate day and night on the Book of the Law - good advice to fill our minds and souls with the word of God - not just reading but reflecting, thinking, praying it.
Josh 9 - Gibeonites come with a tempting offer and the Israelites accept making the fatal flaw of not 'inquiring of the Lord'. Wondered how many times i have made decisions in ministry on impulse rather than pausing to inquire what God's will is. Wonder how many churches make decisions based on anything and everything but God's will and wisdom, another sobering challenge.
Josh 10 - the sun stands still at Joshua's command. Powerful are the words of one under God's authority - even elements of creation obey the authority of God's command.
Josh 11:20 - "For it was the Lord Himself who hardened their hearts to wage war against Israel, so that He might destroy them totally, exterminating them without mercy, as the Lord had commanded Moses." Maybe there will be more, but for me this is the most horrible verse of Scripture i have ever come across. Big struggles with it.
Josh 12:9-24 - a little less heavy - when listing the conquered kings why not just say 'one each' rather than list them all and individually mark 'one' next to them? Strange.
Josh 18:3 - Joshua's frustration at the tribes saying to them 'how long before you take up your inherited land'. I've felt a similar frustration in ministry many times with churches and individuals - why not just take what God has offered you! Don't be afraid, don't hang on the sides with fear and suspicion, - embrace what God has done for you!
Josh 21:45 'Not one of the Lord's good promises to the house of Israel failed, every one was fulfilled.' Great is Thy faithfulness, O God my Father...
Josh 24:14-15 Joshua sets down a clear choice for the people - serve God or idols. It's your choice but think carefully, turn from your wicked ways and trust in the Lord. Good evangelistic text again, ending with his own decision, 'as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.'
Monday 26 September 2011
late and guilty thoughts on deuteronomy
I was deeply humbled and convicted yesterday when an older lady in one of my congregations came to tell me how much she was enjoying reading the Bible from cover to cover. I had no idea she had joined in the exercise as she isn't coming to our groups but is reading alone at home and being enriched by the reading. This lady is in her 80's, and currently full-time carer for her husband having little sleep etc as most of her time is taken up caring. Yet she has remained disciplined enough to stay up to date with our reading schedule. Me, O great leader that i am, am currently three weeks behind so have very guiltily read virtually the whole of Deuteronomy this morning with Joshua to go this afternoon.
So just a few spattering of thoughts on Deuteronomy...
There's a lovely feel to Deuteronomy - much of it is told in a story, as though Moses is sat round the fire late at night recalling the exploits of God and His people. It merges into laws and commands have-way through for a period, before returning to narrative about Moses. This is a pleasant alteration from endless regulations found in Numbers.
Deut 1:31 - lovely image of God carrying ~Israel like a dad carries his young son- something i'm able to relate to easily at the moment. Think this is the first point where there is such a sensitively described image between God and Israel. They are not just a group he orders about for their benefit, but a people He deeply feels for and cares about.
Deut 3:21 - any scholars around who have bothered to read this are surely gonna have to explain to me why the size of Og's bed is important??!!
Deut 3:24 - Moses utters a beautiful creed of praise before he pleads his case for the people. 'For what god is there in heaven or earth who can do the deeds and mighty works you do?
Deut 8:3-5 - God's loving discipline - taken out of context this passage and my comments could seem harsh, but we are introduced to the sense that God allows hardship and that sometimes that can be for our good. Not always is this the case, but too often we dismiss God's action or non-action in pain and distress because we (quite fairly) want it easier. There is much to learn of God's mercy and grace in the hard times. Although we wish it not for ourselves or others, so often as we experience difficulty we learn lessons we could never learn any other way, and see different facets of God's character we would never discover. Hardship can sometimes be a blessing.
Deut 9:6 - God isn't giving the promised land to Israel because of their great track record and their reward. He gives it out of grace. This is a great protestant, NT message which is great to proclaim - The only thing we contribute to our salvation is the sin from which we're saved to badly quote Archbishop Temple, but this verse seems somewhat at odds from later in Deut where God's blessing and giving of the land is totally dependant on righteous obedience. hmmm?
Deut 9:17 - the replacement tablets of stone is explained - they appear in Ex 20 but with no explanation
Deut 10:20 - lovely verses acclaiming the goodness of God and calling people in light of his mercy and compassion to obey and revere him. Good model, focus on God's goodness and request obedience based on his character, rather than frightened submission through fear and terror.
Deut 14:28 - tithing once again commanded, - good to learn how often it crops up in the law, so it isn't just an obscure verse in Malachi 3 after all. However, i've always been taught that all the tithe goes to the storehouse i.e. the church for the church to do good with it - but here Moses suggests giving directly out of tithe to poor, fatherless etc - challenges current practice for me.
Deut 13-15 - again any scholars who haven't given up in despair of my appalling exegesis - if you can tell me what the sudden fascination with deer and gazelle's are all about i'd be interested to know.
Deut 22:5 - cross dressing forbidden in strong terms. Strange how it seems to crop up in church pantomimes so often?
Deut 30:11ff - trainspotting verse - great evangelistic text - 'choose life'
Deut 33:27 - wonderful promise of God's everlasting arms underneath us as He is our refuge. Actually a promise given to an Israeli tribe but as its nice and reassuring has been adopted by Christians for ages.
Lastly Moses dies. Found it surprisingly sad. I watched Spooks yesterday and Tariq died and was sad as i like Tariq and have seen him over a few series develop as a fictional character. Something similar with Moses. Having spent most days of the last couple of months with him it was sad to see His passing and really poignant his death before entering the promised land. Loads of great lessons from Moses to learn about leadership and pastoring people - much to chew on and take hold of. Hope he's cheering me on as i seek to lead what very occasionally feels like a 'stiff-necked people!'
So just a few spattering of thoughts on Deuteronomy...
There's a lovely feel to Deuteronomy - much of it is told in a story, as though Moses is sat round the fire late at night recalling the exploits of God and His people. It merges into laws and commands have-way through for a period, before returning to narrative about Moses. This is a pleasant alteration from endless regulations found in Numbers.
Deut 1:31 - lovely image of God carrying ~Israel like a dad carries his young son- something i'm able to relate to easily at the moment. Think this is the first point where there is such a sensitively described image between God and Israel. They are not just a group he orders about for their benefit, but a people He deeply feels for and cares about.
Deut 3:21 - any scholars around who have bothered to read this are surely gonna have to explain to me why the size of Og's bed is important??!!
Deut 3:24 - Moses utters a beautiful creed of praise before he pleads his case for the people. 'For what god is there in heaven or earth who can do the deeds and mighty works you do?
Deut 8:3-5 - God's loving discipline - taken out of context this passage and my comments could seem harsh, but we are introduced to the sense that God allows hardship and that sometimes that can be for our good. Not always is this the case, but too often we dismiss God's action or non-action in pain and distress because we (quite fairly) want it easier. There is much to learn of God's mercy and grace in the hard times. Although we wish it not for ourselves or others, so often as we experience difficulty we learn lessons we could never learn any other way, and see different facets of God's character we would never discover. Hardship can sometimes be a blessing.
Deut 9:6 - God isn't giving the promised land to Israel because of their great track record and their reward. He gives it out of grace. This is a great protestant, NT message which is great to proclaim - The only thing we contribute to our salvation is the sin from which we're saved to badly quote Archbishop Temple, but this verse seems somewhat at odds from later in Deut where God's blessing and giving of the land is totally dependant on righteous obedience. hmmm?
Deut 9:17 - the replacement tablets of stone is explained - they appear in Ex 20 but with no explanation
Deut 10:20 - lovely verses acclaiming the goodness of God and calling people in light of his mercy and compassion to obey and revere him. Good model, focus on God's goodness and request obedience based on his character, rather than frightened submission through fear and terror.
Deut 14:28 - tithing once again commanded, - good to learn how often it crops up in the law, so it isn't just an obscure verse in Malachi 3 after all. However, i've always been taught that all the tithe goes to the storehouse i.e. the church for the church to do good with it - but here Moses suggests giving directly out of tithe to poor, fatherless etc - challenges current practice for me.
Deut 13-15 - again any scholars who haven't given up in despair of my appalling exegesis - if you can tell me what the sudden fascination with deer and gazelle's are all about i'd be interested to know.
Deut 22:5 - cross dressing forbidden in strong terms. Strange how it seems to crop up in church pantomimes so often?
Deut 30:11ff - trainspotting verse - great evangelistic text - 'choose life'
Deut 33:27 - wonderful promise of God's everlasting arms underneath us as He is our refuge. Actually a promise given to an Israeli tribe but as its nice and reassuring has been adopted by Christians for ages.
Lastly Moses dies. Found it surprisingly sad. I watched Spooks yesterday and Tariq died and was sad as i like Tariq and have seen him over a few series develop as a fictional character. Something similar with Moses. Having spent most days of the last couple of months with him it was sad to see His passing and really poignant his death before entering the promised land. Loads of great lessons from Moses to learn about leadership and pastoring people - much to chew on and take hold of. Hope he's cheering me on as i seek to lead what very occasionally feels like a 'stiff-necked people!'
Monday 5 September 2011
Needles in a Haystack
More instructions for ritual cleansing before the strange account of Moses bringing water from the rock. Just goes to show the importance of following God's specific instructions and not just getting the general gist, as Moses failure to obey exactly to the letter means he misses out on the promised land.
Aaron, the first high priest has died, and his son Eleazar succeeds him and then the slaughter and divinely sanctioned killing begins. Arad, then Sihon & Og are the first to suffer at the hands of the advancing Israelites. Lots of problems with these accounts (and the many that will follow for me). Doing my best to extract some post NT meaning from these passages, i conclude that purity of land and community is really important for God who is displaying His holiness and awesome nature to these Israelites - not sure it cuts it really, but there we go.
Great story of Balaam's donkey and Balaam the wizard's prophecies and predictions before another census of all the people. Instructions on inheritance when there are no male heirs around, more offertory instructions, festival commands and lessons on the importance of keeping vows. The Midianites are then mercilessly slaughtered before Reuben and Gad ask for the land east of the Jordan. The reading for this week concludes with a fairly tedious list of all the places Israel camped in their forty years wandering round the desert. No descriptions though, just there, and there, and there...
Anyway to the needles...
1) Balaam - wizard, commandeered to the Lord's service to speak blessing over God's people even though his King hired him to put spells on them. After Balaam fails to curse the Israelites, his employer complains and Balaam replies, "...I can't say whatever I please, I must speak only what the Lord puts in my mouth."
Great line for preachers! Always good to be reminded that we don't bring before congregations a set of ideas and propositions, but our task is to speak into their midst and into their lives, the Living, current, word of God. Balaams attitude gives Him a great chance of doing so!
2) Joshua's commissioning - Moses' sees the potential for a leaderless people once he's died and remarks that without a successor to him, Israel would be like a 'sheep without a shepherd'. I hadn't realised that this was an OT phrase, i thought it had been made up by Jesus when he talks of labourers needed for the harvest field. For me, it makes the statement of Jesus all that more significant, He draws on a phrase well-known to His hearers, spoken by one of their heroes, Moses, to connect with the people of His time.
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