Have you ever had that job that was simply the toughest job you’ve ever had to deal with?
For me that’s parenting. HARD! There’s the constant battling over little, itty-bitty things. Things like simply putting on appropriate clothing.
But all kidding aside, the Bible puts responsibility for training kids squarely upon our shoulders. Parents are told to train their kids in God’s ways, to talk about it in the home, on the road, everywhere. The Bible points out that if you do the right things when the kids are young they won’t stray far as adults.
Keep in mind that this is NOT a promise from God. Sometimes parents do everything right and kids still choose the wrong paths. But there is a general principle – a truism – that says when we instill things in our kids then those things will stay with them.
One of my favorite folk songs is Teach Your Children, recorded by Crosby, Stills, Nash, & Young.
You, who are on the road, must have a code, that you can live by.
And so, become yourself, because the past, is just a good bye.
Teach, your children well, their father’s hell, did slowly go by,
And feed, them on your dreams, the one they picked, the one you’re known by.
One thing we want our children to learn and care about is their education (spiritual and secular). So we talk about things at the dinner table. We ask what they’ve been talking about in Sunday School. We ask about spelling tests, books they’ve read – stuff like that.
We’ve found that turning learning into a game has worked really well. For example, we play a game called “First Letters.” We pick a letter of the alphabet. Then we go around the table clockwise and each person has to come up with word beginning with that letter (kids can come up with anything, parents have to come up with a word with at least 3 syllables).
Simple, but it is a fun way to talk about words and learning.
All said and done, school and church can only do so much to train kids. It’s really up to us: the parents (and also relatives, friends, and church families). When we engage kids in their learning they’ve got a much better shot of holding onto it as they grow up.
And for faith and for facts, this is a good thing.
Sound off! How have you helped kids engage in learning (sacred or secular)?
Salvation is a funny word that Christians like to throw around. Sometimes it feels like we use it so much that we’ve lost the sense of what it really means. Put simply, salvation is the idea that this world is not the end but that there is an eternal afterlife. Those who are “saved” spend eternity in the presence of God. Those who are “unsaved” spend eternity outside the presence of God.
In honor of last night’s debate on the question of the origin of the world (creation vs. evolution) here’s a little reminder:
The Bible says in Ephesians 2:8-9
For it is by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.
The Apostle Paul also writes in Romans 10:13
For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.
Did you catch what the Bible lists as the requirements for salvation? It’s faith. Those who call on Jesus as savior are those who are saved.
Did you catch what the Bible DOESN’T list as a requirement for salvation? Your view of how the universe began. Or your view of how the universe will end. Or your view on what church should look like, sound like, feel like, etc.
That means that even evolutionists can go to heaven. GASP! I know this is really gonna tweak some people, but the Bible is clear that salvation is offered to those who believe. There is no benchmark of belief that says, “You start at saved level ALPHA but don’t have access to heaven until you reach saved level FOXTROT.”
If we understand what the Bible is saying then we see that there will be people in heaven who disagree with some of our most dearly held ideologies.
In the big picture, we need to be okay with that. It’s all about Jesus. I happen to believe that the cosmos has a divine foundation – that YAHWEH was the creative force driving the car. If someone else who calls on the name of Jesus says he believes that God started the evolutionary ball rolling, my disagreement with that issue should not prevent me from worshipping alongside him as a fellow disciple of Jesus.
Difficult as it may be, we are called to do better. It’s time to lay down our pet issues for the sake of the kingdom. The only real issue is Jesus Christ. If you’re with him, then you’re with me.
And one day we’ll be worshipping him together for eternity.
Our culture sure does love to come up with idea of what a “real” man looks like, sounds like, acts like. Some of the funniest jokes play off of society’s notion of masculinity.
So here are some of my all time favorite video clips that play with this idea of what makes a “real” man.
From the hilarious but not really “family friendly” Robin Hood: Men in Tights…
From one of my favorite Old Spice commercials…
From Bluefish TV: Man Candles = MANDLES…
And finally, from comedic duo Rhett and Link – an epic rap battle about manliness…
I was at a men’s pancake breakfast not too long ago and we had the chance to talk about what makes a man. I asked the men to come up with some characteristics in line with biblical behavior that are a better gauge of “what makes a man.” Here are 5 qualities they came up with:
1. A real man takes care of his family
2. A real man serves others before himself
3. A real man makes himself accountable to others
4. A real man hears both sides before making evaluations/judgments
5. A real man is charitable with his time and resources
Notice that what these men came up with have nothing to do with athletic ability. They have nothing to do with engineering, handyman, or mechanical ability. They have nothing to do with fashion sense or artistic taste.
This world is often so obsessed with what makes a man but we limit our understanding to shallow and superficial qualities.
We can do better.
Let’s look beyond the surface.
What about you? What would you add to the list? What makes a real man?
That’s all I’ve got today. I’m gonna go eat bacon and watch the football game. 😉
Image courtesy of stockimages / FreeDigitalPhotos.net
What makes you joyful?
At my church’s Wednesday night adult group once we were talking about joy. It’s one of those things that the Apostle Paul talks about as “The Fruit of the Spirit.” That is to say, when the Spirit of God is in us one of the things that should be produced in us is joy.
So we split into two groups (men and women) to come up with the top 5 things we think the average person in America thinks would bring them joy. If you had to pick 5, what would you think the average person would say?
Here’s what our men came up with:
1. Propane – yes, we lived in the Midwest. If you weren’t aware there was a propane shortage there. Go ahead, read all about it. It was leaving many people without heat (or paying exorbitant prices). Yes, having propane would make many joyful.
2. Financial windfall/winning the lottery. I’ve got 100 problems and 90 of them would be resolved if I had more money. That would definitely make me joyful!
3. Romance/significant other. I just want someone to share my life with. That would make me joyful.
4. Good health. I’m sick and tired of being sick and tired. I would be so much happier if I had good health.
5. Helping others. I get such a good feeling when I help others.
Were these close to what you came up with?
The problem with all of these answers is that they are connected to temporary things. None of them is permanent. Cold weather, bills, people, health, and good feelings all come and go. If we look to these things for our joy then we’re always going to be chasing.
That kind of joy is a pipe dream.
It’s not the kind of joy we see in the Bible when Peter writes:
He has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you…. In this you rejoice, though now for a little while…you have been grieved by various trials. (1 Peter 1:3-6)
Finding joy in the middle of trials and tough time feels impossible, yet time and time again the Bible talks about joy in the midst of suffering. You see, from the Bible’s perspective, joy isn’t based on temporary things and events. Though such things might give us joy for a bit they will eventually fade. It is when we are able to shift focus and take our eyes off of this world and focus on what’s coming for us later that we can know joy no matter what we face in this life.
It’s about holding on to our eternal circumstances over our temporary trials.
I might not know what you’re going through. It may be excruciating. But we know and believe that one day we will rest easy in the presence of Yahweh. All the wrongs will be made right. All the hurts will be healed. We will know a permanent and lasting joy unlike anything we have ever experienced.
Until that day, that hope anchors us here and now. May we learn to say with the Apostle Paul:
I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. (Philippians 4:11)
Image courtesy of mapichai / FreeDigitalPhotos.net
The year was 1992. The place was Barcelona, Spain. You see, it was the Summer Olympics. The U.S. Track & Field coaches put together a real doozy of a team. Guys like Michael Johnson and Quincy Watts, fast as blazes, joined the team. These were some of the fastest individuals in the world. Do you know what happens when you take the fastest individuals in the world and put them on the same relay-race team? Lightening. Watch this.
Four men running with the same purpose – to cross that line before anyone else while still holding the baton, running faster than 20 miles per hour! But if you take any one of them out of the race and the team is no good. You need someone to pass the baton and you need someone to receive the baton. Only then can the team move towards to goal – winning the race.
There was a spiritual man a long time ago who needed to learn this lesson. His name was Elijah. Elijah loved God and always stood up for God, even when most of the people around him seemed to be going a different direction. It’s hard to go against the crowd. Our human nature tends to conform to the world around us. That is one reason it is so important to surround ourselves with good people that will build us up. Good people tend to make us better. Bad people tend to drag us down. But Elijah stood up for God even when others turned against him. But the opposition got so bad at one point that Elijah had to high-tail it out of there – he literally ran for his life and holes up in a cave.
9 There he came to a cave and lodged in it. And behold, the word of the LORD came to him, and he said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” 10 He said, “I have been very jealous for the LORD, the God of hosts. For the people of Israel have forsaken your covenant, thrown down your altars, and killed your prophets with the sword, and I, even I only, am left, and they seek my life, to take it away.” 11 And he said, “Go out and stand on the mount before the LORD.” And behold, the LORD passed by, and a great and strong wind tore the mountains and broke in pieces the rocks before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind. And after the wind an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake. 12 And after the earthquake a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire. And after the fire the sound of a low whisper. 13 And when Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his cloak and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave. And behold, there came a voice to him and said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” 14 He said, “I have been very jealous for the LORD, the God of hosts. For the people of Israel have forsaken your covenant, thrown down your altars, and killed your prophets with the sword, and I, even I only, am left, and they seek my life, to take it away.”
Like Elijah, sometimes we feel like we’re running alone. Can’t you just hear Elijah? “God, this is supposed to be a relay and there are supposed to be other runners with me! I’m the only one left. How am I supposed to run alone? I can run fast for a little bit, but then I get tired and will collapse!” Do you ever feel like you’re running the race alone? That feeling hits us in every area of life. As parents sometimes we feel that way. You’re tired and just cannot run another step. In our jobs sometimes we feel that way. “Why am I the only one pulling my weight around here? There should be other employees to help out!”
In our ministries at church sometimes we feel that way. “God, I’m here to serve you but nobody will do it with me – I’m burned out and fed up!” Has this ever been you? I’ve been there. We feel like we’re running the race alone, and everyone knows that you can’t win a relay race with only one runner. But then God answers.
“There are others who will run with you!”
In fact, God says, “Not only are you NOT alone, there are 7,000 more God-fearing people who are on your side!”
How cool is that?!?
In our human weakness we like to hold on to that suffering servant role. “It’s just me, only me. I’m the only one!” And here comes God who gives us a gentle nudge and says, “Hey, you’re not as alone as you think you are.” God will always have people on His side. Though it may be hard to recognize at times, we never truly run alone. God has people who are ready, willing, and able to run with you.
We need to find people who are willing to help us, people who have already been running the race and are willing to pass the baton to us. This means finding mentors, teachers, and others who can help us on our journey. Proverbs 12:15 tells us:
“A fool’s way is right in his own eyes, but whoever listens to counsel is wise.”
We become wiser and better prepared if we surround ourselves with people who have run the race and can give us good, godly input. Just the other day I ran an idea by someone and said, “I was thinking about this, what do you think?” And he said, “Well, I tried that once and this was the result and what I discovered.” It altered how I thought about things, and I was glad I took the time to hear him out.
Have you been intentional about putting good people in place who can speak into your life? Not just anyone, mind you. Sometimes people ask advice and counsel from the WRONG people. Ladies, why do you seek relationship advice from your girlfriend when she doesn’t know how to have a healthy relationship with a man?
“Girl, this is what you should tell that man…”
“Really? Did it work for you?” Make sure that your counselors are not telling you simply what you want to hear. Good people build us up. Bad people drag us down. Surround yourself with good people who can pour into you.
Have you set up people in your life that can mentor you, train you, and pass the baton to you? No matter what our age we always need good counsel. It is time to drop the bad counsel and the people that drag you down. It is time to surround yourself with people who will build you up and speak God’s truth to you
If you give money to God, He’ll give money to you. NOT so we can get rich, but so that we can live generous lives & be a blessing to others!
Boy that sure makes us feel good, doesn’t it?
It’s a promise of getting money (which we all love) and it comes our way when we first give money to God.
Here’s the kicker – the part that makes us feel better about the whole exchange is that the money that God gives us needs to be used to bless others.
Everyone got that?
Give money to God. God gives money to you. Go and bless others with what God has given you in return.
Here’s the thing. IT’S GARBAGE! TOTAL BALONEY!
Boy, this really got me steamed up today.
There’s no equation by which we can coerce God into giving us cash. Moolah. Greenbacks.
I know plenty of righteous poor people who give to God and never get money in return. God’s not a bank paying you interest on your investment.
Telling people that if they give then God will give back is ludicrous.
“But Pastor, what about the poor woman who gave her last two coins?”
What about her?
That’s a great story, but the point is not, “Give to God and he’s gonna give you more in return.” There is no Heavenly CashBack Plan. The point of the widow giving is about the heart of the giver.
Jesus says, “So what if you give a little out of your abundance? Look at this poor woman who gave a lot out of her poverty!” Her heart was in the right place – not because she wanted God to return her money ten-fold, but because she prioritized giving to God above everything else. She gave until she had nothing left to give.
What a heart.
I’m not there. I haven’t met a whole lot of people who are. But shouldn’t that be our goal? Can we grow and mature and get to the point that we’re willing to commit to God 100% of everything we have and everything we are?
Jesus said, “The poor you will have with you always.” There’s not divine get-rich plan. Giving to God may get you no earthly reward. Don’t believe anyone who tells you differently.
At the same time, when we cultivate generous hearts then we reap unseen rewards. We may never experience them in this lifetime – but that’s not the point.
So examine your heart and your motivations for giving.
So this week a friend send me this video to watch. I was laughing so hard I nearly died laughing.
Seriously, it was pretty bad. Fortunately my wife was able to revive me. Then I watched it again.
Have at it:
While it’s incredibly funny, the video highlights an all-too-true reality: We judge people based on external qualities and then form opinions based on those judgments. I know what you’re thinking:
“Oh boy – here we go again. Another post on race.”
Well…yes. While some deny it or try to trivialize it, the truth is that this is a common experience in the world. As husband to a mixed-race woman I’ve been there and have heard people ask:
“So…what are you?”
“Where are you from originally?”
Here’s a true story – Years ago we were interviewing for a church position. We had sent in a resume, photograph, sermon sample, etc. The search committee called me to conduct a phone interview. Over the phone one of the deacons asked, “What ethnicity is your wife?” My response? “Um, why does it matter?”
We did not end up going to that church.
Our problem is that, in these questions we pretend that we’re not racist. But we are. If we weren’t racist why would we even need to ask the question? I know, know. You’re just curious. You just want information.
Baloney.
That’s the kind of question you ask when you have a real relationship with and you end up having a conversation about family trees. It’s not something you ask someone superficially.
The Apostle Paul tried to address the way we view each other and the ways those views play out in behavior. He said that there is no class distinction in Christianity. There is not race distinction in Christianity. There is no gender distinction in Christianity. In Jesus the playing field is leveled. We are no longer this or that. We simply are. When you ask a person what he is and where he comes from you are taking away his ability simply to be.
That’s not Christian. Well, I suppose it too often IS Christian.
I get a lot of questions from people. Some are deep, some are fun. Here are some of my favorites and my brief responses to them. If you’d like to talk about any of them more in depth I’d be happy to converse. So away we go!
– Is a believer’s baptism valid if the minister that performed it later renounces the faith?
Interesting question! Yes, it is still valid. Salvation comes by God’s grace through faith, not by immersion. Baptism is an outward sign of what God’s doing in the heart. The pastor doing the baptism doesn’t save or confer salvation.
– What are your thoughts on the future of organ music in churches?
Depends on the type of organ. A Hammond B3 rotary sound is popular again. I do think that the era of the pipe organ is waning. That’s okay, though, because musicianship is fluid and not static. Who plays the lyre in worship anymore? 🙂
– What do you think of the doctrine of the inerrancy of the bible? Do you see any errors or real contradictions?
I believe that the Bible is inspired. I think that inerrancy is a human way to try to protect the Bible because we don’t have a big enough view of God to believe simultaneously in inspiration & humanity within the text. That being said, I don’t think the Bible contains “contradictions” the way that angry atheists do when they try to poke holes in Scripture.
Since ancient thinking, writing, and narrative were different than contemporary thought, word, and narrative, it doesn’t make sense to force our understanding on the Bible. Since the advent of the printing press our culture has been obsessed with “historical truth” and “fact.” Oral societies don’t function in these concepts the same way we do.
Two storytellers from oral societies could each tell their version of a story and be “truthful” even though their stories might have slight variances. This is merely a part of storytelling, not error. For example, when Jesus exorcises demons and sends them into a herd of pigs how many demoniacs were there? Mark says 1. Matthew says 2. Who is right? It doesn’t really matter. The point is not the number of demon possessed men but the power encounter between Jesus and the demons.
The Bible contains these kinds of differences, but we should not view them as error or contradiction – merely the result of multiple people telling the story. It does not minimize or reduce the power and potency of Scripture to say that God used flawed humanity to communicate Divine truth.
– Are you opposed to the legalization of gay marriage?
I am opposed to the legalization of same-sex MARRIAGE. I believe that marriage is a spiritual event, not a state-sanctioned event. That being said, I do not believe that Christians should forbid people from living the way they want, so I would not oppose the legalization of same-sex unions (and the rights that go with) from a political point of view – but I think the state should stay out of the “marriage” business (and out of all of the church’s business, actually) and leave that to the church.
– If you could have anything you want for dinner tonight, what would you have?
Easy! Hotdogs and Mac & Cheese. It’s my fave. I’m a man of simple tastes. 🙂
– What is the Ultimate Answer to Life, the Universe, and Everything?
Respect God, keep his commandments, and never take life so seriously you can’t laugh at yourself 🙂
– Is it wrong to get piercings? My parents are freaking out about one little thing…
It is not wrong to get piercings. The Bible does talk about obeying and honoring parents. If you’re having trouble convincing them but REALLY want one, I would recommend waiting until you’re out on your own. Honor them before seeking to exercise your Xian freedom. 🙂
– What was the worst thing you ever ate?
Wasabi. Didn’t know what it was…
– Is there a passage in the bible that addresses swearing?
No, the Bible never addresses profanity. There are some passages about wholesome talk, but in context they’re not about saying four letter words. Now it IS a good practice to use real words to communicate rather than expletives (you’ll offend fewer people) but God won’t condemn you for profanity.
– Who is your favorite person in the Bible?
I know you mean besides Jesus – no Christian can have a favorite person above Jesus. After Jesus, one of my favorites is David.
He’s a tragic character who made a lot of personal and professional flubs, yet he is still remembered as “a man after God’s heart”.
David gives hope to schmucks like me. Though I mess up God can still use me for His purposes.
I recently learned that Bill Nye (The Science Guy) is going to be involved in a public debate with Ken Ham, the founder of the Creation Museum. The primary point debated: “Is creation a viable model of origins?”
The tickets are already sold out – now the powers that be are contemplating streaming the debate, recording it for video, and other options for those of us who cannot attend.
To be honest, I really had no idea that Bill Nye was a vocal opponent to creationism. I’m not so naive as to think everyone believes the way I do – I had simply never heard him talk about it before. So with a little (very little) digging I found an interview he have regarding the upcoming debate:
Let’s look at and respond to three moments from the brief interview.
– At 0:35 Mr. Nye comments that people who want to teach that the earth is 10,000 years old is not in the best interest of the U.S. or the world.
This is a gross overgeneralization of the creation perspective. Even in the Evangelical camp there are different perspectives on the age of the earth. Some of us are Old-Earth creationists. Some of us are Young-Earth creationists.
Tolkien freaks are Middle-Earth creationists (bad-um-bum!).
No matter what one’s position on the age of the earth, a creationist’s worldview does not negate science. We don’t turn in our science card when we claim we believe that God laid the foundations of the world.
– At 1:40 Mr. Nye claims that we need to have a scientifically literate populace in order to solve the world’s problems.
Continuing with the first point, creationists do not disregard science. I personally know Christian scientists who very much believe in the scientific method and processes. Some of the great scientists in the past have been people who hold to a creationist worldview. Their science is not lessened or cheapened because they believe that life began from God rather than a cosmic accident.
– At 3:25 Mr. Nye claims that this issue is an economic concern.
Finally, Mr. Nye seems to think that economics comes into play. While he doesn’t explain fully, my guess would be he believes that a poor scientific community would ultimately create world instability and, thus, economic failure. How can people who believe words from an ancient text be innovative thinkers and problem solvers?
But his argument doesn’t stand the test of history, for innovations have long been brought on by religiously minded people. And Mr. Nye’s arguments seem to be straw men that never really address the issue of the debate:
“Is creation a viable model of origins?”
Rather than looking at the viability of the model, Mr. Nye resorts to setting up hypothetical problems that may be brought on if creation continues to be taught.
I think it’s clear where I stand – I believe that everything that is had to have a beginning. Even a Big Bang has to come from somewhere. I believe that God is the impetus behind the cosmos. I can’t say specifically how He did it, or give you the exact timeline. The Bible is a book to lead us to faith. It is not a science textbook.
But science does not negate my faith.
My faith does not diminish my understanding and interest in science.
God is big enough to deal with science.
It will be interesting to see how this debate plays out. Will you be watching?
**Sound off!** What’s your take on this debate and the issue of creation being a viable model of origins?
Help me out here – finish this expression: “Those who do not learn from history…”
Those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it? It means that the wise person sees what others have done and decides not to go the same route or make the same mistakes. The person who can look back and learn from the past has a better chance of making better decisions tomorrow. And if you don’t learn from the past, you will keep making the same mistakes over and over and over again!
There are times that we have seen our political and military leaders behaving this way ~ not learning from the mistakes of others, trying the same thing other people tried but expecting different outcomes. Back in the 1950’s the French had a little problem with a country in Southeast Asia called Vietnam. They could not get the locals in line and they could not overcome the native guerillas. 10 years later America goes marching in thinking we can do better. We did not really learn from the French mistakes. We made some of the exact same mistakes – mistakes that cost people their lives. It was complete idiocy.
There are also personal moments of idiocy. God gave me a wife to help keep track of all of the moments I act like an idiot. If we don’t learn from what happened in the past then we’re going to be doing the same stupid things people before us did. If we don’t learn from the past then we’re going to making the same bad choices we’ve always made.
In the OT you have the law, you have the prophets, you have wisdom and poetry writing, and then you have books like Joshua, Judges, Ruth, Esther, Kings, and Chronicles. These books are usually referred to as the histories. Part of what the histories are there for is to provide an example of how to and how not to live. This is especially true in the book of Judges. In Judges, everything in Israel turns on its commitment to Yahweh and living life according to Yahweh’s ethics.
Yahweh’s ethics? What the heck are those? That phrase refers to living life the way God wants his people to live. Are you worshiping God only, or are there other things influencing your spirituality? Are you taking care of people who need assistance; the widows, the orphans, showing hospitality to strangers or to the poor? You see, part of being one of God’s people is a directive to look outside ourselves and to take care of others. Finally, participating in a Yahwistic ethic means asking, “Are you maintaining a high standard of personal integrity?”
By the times of the judges, Israel has been failing miserably at right living! The book of Judges is a sad book that highlights the decline of the nation because they have turned their backs on their true king – Yahweh. The end of Judges (17:6) sums up perfectly the state of decline:
In those days there was no king in Israel; every man did that which was right in his own eyes.
Look at Jephthah. He’s an interesting guy, who has had the deck stacked against him from the very start. Have you ever felt that people or life (or even God) has something against you and that you can’t get a leg up no matter what you do? Have you been in a situation that doesn’t go your way and, even though it’s not your fault, there’s nothing you can do?
Jephthah is the firstborn son of a childless man. The only problem is that his mother was a prostitute. So later on, when his father has other sons from his legitimate wife, the legitimate sons give Jephthah the boot, telling him, “No half-breed is going to share in our inheritance. You’re not a full part of this family. Get out of here!” That’s painful stuff, being rejected by family, forced to live as an outsider. But what man rejects, God can use!
So Jephthah bolts; he heads for the hills. God has a funny way of preparing Jephthah for use, though. While he is away, he draws all sorts of worthless scallywags to him and they become land pirates. They raid other towns and form a band of pirates and thieves. It like Sons of Anarchy: Bible Edition.
Meanwhile, back at the ranch…Israel has turned away from God and served everything else under the sun except God. Isn’t that the way we are? We also go through cycles of drawing close to God. Then we slip and go through a period of drifting away. We have our own sin cycles, and we need to recognize when we’re in one so we can call out to God and say, “Hey, I need your help!” This time, though, God looks at the Israelites and says, “Okay, have it your way. I’m done with you.” And the Philistines and Ammonites invade and rule in Israel for almost 2 decades.
The people finally have enough and say, “God, we made a mistake. We should never have left you! We have sinned against you.” And God says, “When other people attacked you, didn’t I rescue you? Haven’t I always come to your aid? Haven’t I always been there for you? But you turn away from me and ignore me. You act as though I haven’t been here for you. So go ask your other gods to rescue you now. Let them get you out of the mess you’re in.” And Israel says again, “We have sinned. Do with us what you think fit, just rescue us today!” And take a look at 10:16
He couldn’t stand their griping any more.
We so often have an image of God as a loving father who is patient and quick to welcome us back with open arms. Well, that is one aspect of God’s character. But it is not the only aspect. God gets frustrated and angry when believers continually do dumb things when they should know better!
Those of you who have kids or spent any time with kids, has their behavior ever aggravated you? Angered you? Frustrated you? Do you love your kids any less when they behave like that? No, but that doesn’t take away the aggravation. This is the image we see of God in this story. The idiotic behavior of believers makes God say, “You know what…? Deal with it. I am not going to do this right now.” This really isn’t something new. People doing stupid things and turning away from God when they KNOW what they should be doing seems to get on God’s nerves.
The same thing happened in Exodus 33:3. This is right after the “Golden Calf Incident of ’76.” Oh, yeah, remember that? God’s people have grown inpatient waiting for God and Moses so they make their own sacred cow. This is right when God is about to send Israel into the Promised Land. God has enough and says this: “Go on to the land where milk and honey flow. I shall not go with you myself—you are a headstrong people—or I might exterminate you on the way.”
Clearly God gets frustrated by human behavior, and every once in a while he has to say, “I’m out. I won’t be part of this.” On the surface God’s behavior can seem harsh, even indecisive. I’m here, I’m not. I’m here, I’m not. But I don’t think God is being too harsh. I think he’s being realistic. Often times we won’t get in gear until we risk losing something dear and important to us. You know what I’m talking about. You know there are areas of your life that you refuse to change and will never change until you’re faced with a big enough consequence. And then see how fast you can change! This was the Israelites. God said, “I don’t want to deal with this – how many times do I need to come to your rescue?” So they toss out all of the idols and vow to serve God only – then comes the hunt for the savior/warrior.
And someone says, “Hey remember our half-brother we told to take a hike? He’s become a pretty successful commander leading raids. He’d probably be a good choice to lead our people into a fight against the Ammonites!” And they go and they ask Jephthah, “Jeph, please come be our military commander!” You’ve seen how nice people are when they want something from you? But don’t go pointing fingers too quickly. We’re all like that sometimes.
We’re always nice to people when we want something from them – we treat God the same way!
When you need something from God, what kind of reacquainting dance do you do? “Hey, God, I know it’s been a while, but if you could see fit to help out….”
Jephthah’s own family treats him this way calls them on it. “Aren’t you the guys who hated me and kicked me out? Why come to me when you are in trouble?” And they say, “But we are in trouble, that’s why we come to you now. Look, come fight for us. Be our military commander and also be the leader of the tribe.” You see, they’re getting desperate. They need help so they keep offering more and more in an attempt to win Jephthah over. And Jephthah says, “Lemme get this straight. I’ll come fight for you, AND you’ll restore my position within the tribe? I’ll be the head honcho?” And they say, “Yup, that’s what we’re asking.” So they shake hands and it’s a done deal.
Every scene of the story so far is an exercise in negotiation. The Israelites try to negotiate with God. The tribe leaders negotiate with Jephthah. Now it’s Jephthah’s turn as he takes the lead as commander of the clan. He tries to negotiate with the king of the Ammonites. He sends a message saying, “Friend! There should be no trouble between us. In fact, there should be peace. How about you go your way with what your god has given you, and we’ll go our way with what Yahweh has given us?” But the king of the Ammonites doesn’t pay any attention to the message. And the spirit of the Lord comes upon Jephthah as he prepares for battle, but the man cannot stop negotiating. He once again tries negotiating with God.
“If you give me victory over the Ammonites, then the first person to meet me from the door of my house when I return from battle will belong to Yahweh, and I will offer him up as a burnt offering.” He’s trying to bribe God! “God, give this to me and in return I’ll give you….” How many times have we seen this in movies or television. It’s become a joke to the secular world. Someone is on hard times and turns to God saying, “If you get me out of this I promise I’ll…” but help arrives in the middle or at the end of the prayer and they quickly turn to heaven and say, “Um…never mind.” Why do we think we can bribe God?
Can God be bought off? There is no price high ENOUGH to buy off my God. That’s good news for us, because when God says, “I’ll never leave you, I’ll never abandon you” it means that no enemy could get between God and us. It means no one can say, “God, if you turn your back on Tom, then I promise that I’ll give you such-and-such.”
God can’t be bought by you or anyone else.
Jephthah should have known that. But he thinks he needs to give God an appropriate offering for a personal victory, and his personal victory ends up as a very personal loss, for when he returns home victorious, the first person out of the door to greet him is his daughter, his only child. And he is torn up because he think that his vow to God requires him to sacrifice his child on the altar. It shows how little he REALLY knows God. His daughter also thinks that he is bound, and she attempts to protect her father’s honor. “Father, let me go mourn for two months, then do to me what you have promised God you would do.” And when she returns from mourning with her friends, he did with her as he had vowed. She had never married.
Think about this for a second. She is his only child. What is the significance of pointing out that she was a virgin and had never married? By making a stupid vow, by thinking he could buy off God, he ended up exterminating his own bloodline. Where is the honor in this? There is no honor here. Human sacrifice is a characteristic of foreign, pagan worship, not Yahweh worship. Israel has gone through cycles of turning away from God and turning towards other gods.
Have you ever noticed that when your start spending time around new friends that your vocabulary changes? You start using words and phrases that you’ve never used before. When we spend time away from God, we pick up habits and practices that are not characteristic of someone who is a true worshipper of God. For the Israelites, human sacrifice is not a characteristic of worshipping Yahweh. It is a pagan act of worship.
The story shows that Jephthah, Israel’s leader, sacrifices like a foreigner, even though the sacrifice of his daughter is offered to Yahweh. Israel’s return to God is incomplete, it isn’t total, because they are still acting like foreigners and attributing their behavior as worship to God.
We keep doing the same things we always do yet expect things to change because we are “worshiping God.” That’s insanity. That’s idiocy. It’s time to break with the old way of doing things and turn whole-heartedly towards God and his ways. This means in the way we sacrifice or worship. This means in the way we treat God and others. This means in our family relationships. This means at our jobs and with our friends.
It’s time to stop doing things the way we’ve always done them or doing things the way outsiders do them and start doing things the way God wants us to do them. Don’t act like outsiders act and think that you are a true worshiper of God! If we don’t do things differently, nothing will change. We will never go deeper. So take a minute. Pause before the Lord. Ask God to show you what you have allowed to remain in your life as a foreigner that does not fit the picture of a true worshipper of God.
Are we willing to focus on God alone and let everything else fall by the wayside?
Will we give up negotiating with God and simply life the life he wants us to live?
draws all sorts of worthless scallywags to him and they become land pirates. They raid other towns and form a band of pirates and thieves. It like Sons of Anarchy: Bible Edition.
Chris Linzey 