Obadiah 1:11-12 2/27/2024*

“On the day you stood aloof while strangers carried off his wealth and foreigners entered his gates and cast lots for Jerusalem, you were like one of them. You should not gloat over your brother in the day of his misfortune...”

This  short book is a prophecy against Edom, who stood by as God’s people were ravaged in war. But it speaks to God’s opinion of our callousness.  The church could be accused of this same aloofness today.  We at times self-righteously stand by as our brothers are wrecked and looted by their sin, and God says that makes us just like the ones doing the looting. 

Arrogant self-righteousness is a problem.  It is the antithesis of humility and  gratefulness, so how can our hearts hold both? If we are rightfully overwhelmed by the grace that has been offered to us, how can we not offer that same grace to other people?  Celebrating over the devastation of others is dangerous, even if they deserve it… because we deserve it too. 

Still,  I am tempted to cheer when my enemies suffer ...  I tend to find it satisfying when people whose agendas I oppose are destroyed by their own virtue signaling.  I can be indifferent when people actively embrace sin and receive its outcome.  

But is that a biblical response?  Shouldn’t  I instead hurt for their blindness, and entrapment in sin? … Have I forgotten that I have been commissioned to fight for them, not against them?  I am clearly commanded to love my enemies… actively.  It doesn’t take outward rejoicing at their destruction … just standing aloof as they suffer is enough to anger my Lord. 

When I was lost in sin, Jesus did not celebrate the pain I brought on myself, He didn’t condescendingly say “I told you so” … He died for me… Now He tells me to love in the same way.  New or Old Testament, God doesn’t change, and  He does not expect aloofness from me. I should be running towards the fire to save others, since I was pulled from the fire myself … 

And just like Jesus’ love for me,  my love for sinners should be undeterred by their sin. 

“The only way love can last … is if it's unconditional. … love is not determined by the one being loved but rather by the one choosing to love.” - Stephen Kendrick

Leviticus 5:19 2/20/2024*

 “It is a guilt offering; he was certainly guilty before the Lord.”

This chapter is not what you would call “seeker sensitive”.  It provides no loopholes and allows no excuses when confessing sin.  This last verse emphasizes the theme of the chapter.  If you miss the mark – it is sin, and it is a capital offence as the penalty of sin is death.  

Guilt is not relative.  Post modern Christianity would do well to study this chapter.   Sin is sin… doesn’t matter if you agree… doesn’t matter if you think it’s minor…. doesn’t even matter if you don’t know you did it… You are guilty before the Lord which means you have a choice to make.  

Either stand and argue your innocence or confess your sin and repent. Sin’s definition is static. It is not evolving , it is not relative, and it is not up for debate. There is one Arbitrator, and He will serve as Judge and Jury.  He is aware of your sin, and there is no viable defense.

Paul reinforces this in 1 Corinthians 4:4 “For I am not aware of anything against myself; however, I am not vindicated by this, but the one who examines me is the Lord.”  So, Paul, who God used to write much of the New Testament, realized his awareness of his own transgressions was not comprehensive.  

There is sin in my life that I am aware of, and battling, but I also need to be still and ask God to reveal the sin I have managed to ignore.  You can’t see what you’re not looking for, so stop and evaluate your walk.  God doesn’t grade on a curve so don’t compare yourself to others, but to His perfection.  Schedule a recurring time to examine your heart.   Look for your own sin with the same intensity with which you investigate those who sin against you. 

Recognizing I am tainted by sin will make me “poor in spirit” and provide humility. I am no better than you. We are both broken without Christ.  Our sin made the cross necessary, and His love permitted the Cross to happen. We can never minimize the price He paid, nor entertain the thought that we don’t need it as badly as others.

“For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it.” - James

Zechariah 2:5 & 8-9 2/13/2024 *8*

5 “And I myself will be a wall of fire around it,’ declares the Lord, ‘and I will be its glory within.” 

8-9 “…for whoever touches you touches the apple of his eye - I will surely raise my hand against them…“

There is a mentality on some football teams that says, “If you hit one of us, you’re gonna have to fight us all”. That statement reflects the team’s attitude of unity and protection.  But that statement is even more ominous when the Lord of Armies makes it. 

These verses refer to Jerusalem. A city where God’s past and present protection is apparent.  But as born-again believers, we are the New Testament Jerusalem… We are His children, adopted and grafted into the vine and God has placed a protective wall of fire around us. The Great I Am, who never changes, says, “if you mess with my children, you’re going to answer to me”.  

It reminds me of a picture I have on my computer of a huge Polar bear sitting behind her cub in their den. The young cub is clearly seen but momma is in the shadows.  An enemy might assume the cub is an easy target until they catch a glimpse of its protector.  In the same way, I am not intimidating in my own strength, but I am formidable when I stand in the Shadow of my Father.

The New Testament definition of God’s chosen people has little to do with where you live, and everything to do with Who lives within you.  As a child of God my Father is the only audience that matters, and my life must be reflective of my commitment to His Glory. When He lives in my heart, He is the glory within me.  

With the Lord as my protector,  there is no fear or anxiety today. Even in the valley of the shadow of death… I will fear no evil. Anyone who threatens me – has threatened the apple of His eye and will learn that it is hazardous to disturb a cub who sits in the shadow of the Lion of Judah.

You will find it a stronghold in the day of trial to plead your adoption. You have no rights as a subject, you have forfeited them by your treason; but nothing can forfeit a child's right to a father's protection. - Spurgeon

Joshua 6:1-2 2/6/2024*

“Now Jericho was tightly shut because of the sons of Israel; no one went out and no one came in.  But the LORD said to Joshua, “See, I have handed Jericho over to you, with its king and the valiant warriors…”

When the Lord says He has done something – it means it is done. 

When God said Jericho had been handed over to Joshua nothing had changed to the human eye.  It was still a fortified city, locked up and impenetrable… No battle had been won; no prisoners taken; nothing had happened. Yet God talks about the victory in the past tense.

I bet the trips marching around the city every day for a week seemed peculiar.  The fact that there was no plan “B”, and plan “A” made no earthly sense -  must have caused anxiety among the Israelites.  What if they obeyed God for a week and then shouted at the city and nothing happened?  How humiliating would that have been?  Their enemies would have laughed in their faces.

There was no precedent for this type of attack plan, no science to lean on, in fact the shouting clearly wouldn’t move the walls... But perhaps it had something to do with moving God, because It showed complete dependance on Him and a willingness to follow Him unconditionally. 

Am I willing to risk ridicule to obey God, or do I insist on God’s plan making sense on a human level? … In other words, do I only obey if I approve of the strategy? 

What is God calling you to do that doesn’t make sense?  Is scripture pushing you to do things that will result in your ridicule unless God moves?... If so, then you know how Joshua and his friends must have felt. 

As children of God obedience is our calling, and when we obey, God moves.  It is impossible to please God without faith and true faith results in obedience. 

Can I view victories that the Lord has guaranteed, confidently as though the promise has already been fulfilled? Can I joyfully march around in circles if that is what God instructs me to do?

At the end of the day, I either believe God or I don’t, and If I believe Him – I march. 

“To trust God in the light is nothing, but trust him in the dark - that is faith.” -  Charles H. Spurgeon