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Psalm 5:2, Romans 12:19

Give it to God

Filed Under: Devotions by Chuck
February 8, 2023

The Psalmist uses an impassionate approach to God. The ESV (English Standard Version) calls it a “cry.” The Psalmist says, “Pay attention to the sound of my cry, my King and my God, for I pray to you.” One commentary explains, “His situation was one of deep distress, and the earnestness of his entreaty indicates how fully he would rely upon the Lord for a just solution. He is not directing mere words to the Lord, but a sighing or “groaning” (Revised Standard Version), a “meditation,” “the murmur of my soul” (Moffatt), an agonized cry. This is no casual prayer! It is an impassioned appeal for justice, and as such it is addressed to God as King; that is, as the all-wise and righteous ruler to whom judgment belongs.”[1] It describes the cry of a soul in great turmoil. The same Hebrew word is used in Psalm 39, verse 3, to describe the internal passion associated with the plea. It says, “My heart became hot within me. As I mused, the fire burned; then I spoke with my tongue.”

Some translations turn the phrase “King and God” around to say, “My God and my King.” I think that was done so that no one would think the singer was talking about both the King and God. The text seems clear that there is only one person who is appealed to in the Psalm who was both God and King. God’s reign has long been mentioned in the Bible, as far back as Exodus 15:18, when Mariam sings her song of deliverance through the waters of the Red Sea. She sings, “Our God will reign forever and ever.” So, Craigie says, “It was to God that the psalmist turned in prayer, not to a human king, for God was the absolute Lord and the only one who could answer prayer.”[2]

There are quite a few Imprecatory Psalms in the Psalter. I don’t always trust Wikipedia, but they define these psalms well and identify which ones qualify for this category. It says that imprecatory psalms “Invoke judgment, calamity or curses upon one’s enemies or those perceived as the enemies of God.” The article goes on to say, “Major imprecatory Psalms include Psalm 69 and Psalm 109, while Psalms 5, 6, 11, 12, 35, 37, 40, 52, 54, 57, 59, 59, 79, 83, 94, 137, 139 and 143 are also considered imprecatory. As an example, Psalm 69:24 states toward God, “Pour out Your indignation on them, and let Your burning anger overtake them.” Craigie says they are “expressions of vindictiveness.” C. S. Lewis didn’t like them either and said they are breaths of “refined malice,” He thought they bordered on being “devilish.” William Holladay says they display “a very different spirit” to the teaching of the New Testament. But I believe this approach misses the phrase we see in this verse where the psalmist emphasizes, “for I pray to you.” He is not getting revenge. He’s not striking out against his enemies. Instead, he is entrusting them to God.  God told the Israelites in Deuteronomy 32:35 that he would execute vengeance when appropriate at the right time. That verse says, “Vengeance is mine, and recompense, for the time when their foot shall slip.” Paul quotes this verse interpreting for Christians. He says in Romans 12:19, “Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, ‘Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.’” Sometimes our hearts “burn” for justice and, at times, even vengeance. This seems to be the basis of David’s impassioned plea in Psalm 5. But he is giving it to God. We see several examples of David demonstrating this trait in his own life with his enemies.

[1] Tesh, S. Edward, and Walter D. Zorn. 1999. Psalms. The College Press NIV Commentary. Joplin, MO: College Press.

[2] Craigie, Peter C. 1983. Psalms 1–50. Vol. 19. Word Biblical Commentary. Dallas: Word, Incorporated.

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Job 1:2-3, James 5:11

The Patience of Job!

Filed Under: Devotions by Chuck
February 7, 2023

Job lived a good, productive life. We seem to get the idea that his life resulted from his fear of God and honorable lifestyle. He was blessed with all the things a man could have asked for during those days. Job 1:2-3 tells us, “There were born to him seven sons and three daughters. He possessed 7,000 sheep, 3,000 camels, 500 yoke of oxen, and 500 female donkeys, and very many servants, so that this man was the greatest of all the people of the east.”

The Psalmist, 127:3-5 tells us that the man with a “quiver” full of children is blessed by God. Job’s quiver was undoubtedly full. The seven sons were important because men needed large families to prosper in an agricultural economy. The number seven is also important in the Bible because it represents completeness or perfection. In the book of Revelation, which brings about the complete fulfillment of Christ’s reign on earth, it is used 54 times. If you include “sevenfold” and “seventh,” you get 860 times! I think there are two reasons why seven is the number for completion. First, it’s because God finished his creation and rested on the 7th day. God “completed” His work. Further, in Hebrew, the word for completeness has the same consonants as the word seven.[1] Seven sons are mentioned several times in the bible with regard to God’s blessings.  Naomi lost her husband and her two sons when they left Israel to dwell in Moab to escape the famine. One of the sons married a Moabite woman named Ruth. Ruth committed herself to taking care of Naomi and accompanied her when she returned home to Israel. When she got home and settled in with Ruth, Naomi’s friends praised Ruth and said to Naomi that Ruth was “more to Naomi than seven sons” (Ruth 4:15). When Hannah finally has a child, she says, “The barren has borne seven” (1 Samuel 2:5). Ash comments, “What more could a man want than seven sons! Well, I guess some daughters as well. And three is a good number. And seven plus three equals ten, which is also a good number. They are all good numbers and speak of an ideal family.”[2]

Job was the most “patient” example in the Old Testament. James referred to him several times. In James 5:11, he reminds his readers of “The patience of Job.” Joseph Caryl comments on Job’s wealth and patience. He says, “The greatness of his estate is set forth, that the greatness of his patience might appear. For a man to be made poorer, that was but poor and mean before, it is no great matter though he bear it; for a man to have but little that never had much is no great trial of his patience: but for a man to have nothing at all, that had as it were all things, and to be patient under it, this shows the proof of patience.  To a man that is born a slave, or a captive, captivity and bondage is no trouble, it does never exercise his patience, he is scarce sensible of the evil because he never knew better.  But for a king that is born free and has power over others, for a king that is in the height of freedom and liberty to become a slave and a captive, is such a one patience has a perfect work if he bear it.  So for Job, a man that once abounded in all manner of outward good things, to be ousted and emptied of all, that tried his patience to the full.”[3]

[1] https://bibleproject.com/podcast/significance-7/#:~:text=God%20stopped%20on%20the%20seventh,is%20a%20symbol%20of%20completeness.

[2] Ash, Christopher. 2014. Job: The Wisdom of the Cross. Edited by R. Kent Hughes. Preaching the Word. Wheaton, IL: Crossway.

[3] http://www.scripturestudies.com/vol13/m4/wis.html

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Esther 1:3-4

Pride Comes before the fall

Filed Under: Devotions by Chuck
February 6, 2023

We love to peer into the private lives of the rich and famous. We are infatuated with their homes, parties, clothes, yachts, bodies, affairs, and scandals. It’s always been that way. Our fascination with fame and fortune is nothing new. Just as reporters give us much more information than we need to know about Johnny Depp, Brittany Spears, Hillary Clinton, Tiger Woods, and many others, so ancient reporters shared fascinating stories about famous kings and queens. The book of Esther seems to begin like an episode of “Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous.” The writer of Esther begins his account with the report of the king showing off his army and all his riches at a large drinking party. Esther 1:3-4 says, “The army of Persia and Media and the nobles and governors of the provinces were before him, while he showed the riches of his royal glory and the splendor and pomp of his greatness for many days, 180 days.”

It begins with an extravagant drinking party at King Ahasuerus’ palace, where the reader is introduced to some intimate details of the royal family. The party lasted for 180 days followed by another 7-day party during which every commoner in the city was invited to attend and to participate freely in the endless supply of wine!  The motive behind the king’s actions is revealed in Verse 4.  The party was a time “when he showed the riches of his glorious kingdom and the splendor of his excellent majesty for many days…” At the same time, his queen, Vashti, was throwing her own party with the women of the King’s palace. As they both showed off for their friends, their pride was to be the key issue to bring about their downfall. Vashti was going to assert her will over the kings and that would be the end of her.

In 1969, in Pass Christian, Mississippi, a group of people were throwing a “hurricane party” at the Richelieu Apartments as a storm named Camille approached the gulf. When the Police chief pulled up with his lights flashing, he explained that the apartments were in the direct line of the predicted storm and that they needed to clear out. A man with a drink in his hand stepped out onto the second-floor balcony and yelled back, “you clear out, we’re not going anywhere!” Joined by another group of men who laughed and cheered behind him, the police chief continued his rounds. Scientists clocked Camille’s wind speed at over 205 MPH when it hit the coast. News reports later showed that the worst damage came at the little settlement of motels, go-go bars, and gambling houses known as Pass Christian, Mississippi, where some twenty people were killed at a hurricane party in the Richelieu Apartments. Nothing was left of that three-story structure but the foundation; the only survivor was a five-year-old boy found clinging to a mattress the following day. The wisdom of the ages once again proves correct. Proverbs says, “pride always precedes a fall!”  Ephesians 5:1 tells us, “Do not get drunk with wine, which will only ruin you…” The big party that the King threw was leading to something

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Nehemiah 1:3-4

First Things First!

Filed Under: Devotions by Chuck
February 5, 2023

Messengers from Jerusalem came to Babylon, and Nehemiah questioned them about the state of things in Israel.  Nehemiah tells us, “And they said to me, ‘The remnant there in the province who had survived the exile is in great trouble and shame. The wall of Jerusalem is broken down, and its gates are destroyed by fire.’ As soon as I heard these words I sat down and wept and mourned for days, and I continued fasting and praying before the God of heaven.” Nehemiah was a patriot! His heart was for his country and his people. It crushed him to hear the bad report about Jerusalem. Nehemiah’s grief was so great that he sat down, wept, and mourned for days. But he felt that he had to act.

What should he do? Drucker, the great leadership guru, talks a lot about prioritizing one’s projects and making sure you start with the right thing. The chapter on this is called “First things First.” This, he argues, is the secret of effectiveness. You have to make sure you do the right thing first, and you must focus on just one thing at a time. Don’t let other things, lesser things, distract you. What things really are “first things”?[1] Nehemiah’s idea of “first things” are not the same as Druckers. Boice says, “Some managers would put relationships with people first. Others would stress personal thought time and time for planning. These are important, but it is significant that when the problem of the broken walls of Jerusalem was presented to Nehemiah, the first priority of this great and (later) very successful leader was prayer. The first thing he did was unburden his heart to God. Why do you suppose Nehemiah started here? There may be several reasons. For one thing, he was a man who prayed frequently about everything. Prayer was a habit for him, as we will see. But I suspect also that, in this case at least, Nehemiah prayed for the simple reason that no one but God could accomplish what needed to be accomplished if the walls of the city were to rise again.”[2]

I usually wait until I’ve messed things up so bad that I have no choice but to turn to God. When advised to pray about something, have you ever heard someone say, “has it come to that?” Don’t you think it should start with that? Whenever we find ourselves in circumstances that appear to require our action, we should stop and pray about it. Sometimes I’ve found that the best thing one can do is nothing. Just wait and trust God to work. Sometimes God will take care of the problem before I have time to act. Grieving and praying, however should not be used as excuses for inaction. When Joshua faced defeat at AI, he fell down on his face and wept. God said to him, “wherefore liest though thus upon thy face? Get thee up!” I’ve always loved that phrase “get thee up.” Nehemiah was indeed preparing to act, but first things first. He needed to seek God. Boice concludes his remarks on the leadership style of Nehemiah by saying, “Prayer made Abraham Lincoln the man he was, and for the same reason. He said on one occasion, ‘I have been driven many times to my knees by the overwhelming conviction that I had nowhere else to go. My own wisdom and that of those about me seemed insufficient for the day.’ Is this what makes a leader? The world may not think so, but the Bible teaches that this is the first and greatest dynamic: the leader and God.”

[1] Peter F. Drucker, The Effective Executive (New York: Harper & Row, 1985), 100.

[2] Boice, James Montgomery. 2005. Nehemiah: An Expositional Commentary. Grand Rapids, MI: BakerBooks.

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Ezra 1:1-4

There’s Only One Great King!

Filed Under: Devotions by Chuck
February 4, 2023

“In the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled, the Lord stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, so that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom and also put it in writing: ‘Thus says Cyrus king of Persia: The Lord, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth, and he has charged me to build him a house at Jerusalem, which is in Judah. Whoever is among you of all his people, may his God be with him, and let him go up to Jerusalem, which is in Judah, and rebuild the house of the Lord, the God of Israel—he is the God who is in Jerusalem. And let each survivor, in whatever place he sojourns, be assisted by the men of his place with silver and gold, with goods and with beasts, besides freewill offerings for the house of God that is in Jerusalem.’”

Williams says, “Cyrus himself need not have known that it was God who ‘stirred up’ his spirit and directed his thoughts to the restoration of his people. On the other hand, it might well have been that God used his servant Daniel, who was still in the king’s service, to influence Cyrus and even to inform him of Jeremiah’s prophecy, which he knew about. Either way, it was the sovereign God directing events, which teaches us as Christians to view what is happening on the international scene from the divine perspective. As we watch the news programs on TV, and see the world scene with its rebelliousness and political unrest, and shaky foundations, we might become fearful for the future. But in it all, the judgments and purposes of God are being worked out.”[1]

According to the “Cyrus Cylinder,” we see that he made similar proclamations regarding all the gods of the peoples of the land that had been previously conquered and enslaved by Babylon. His purpose was only political.  He referred to himself as the “great king” to whom God had given “all the kingdoms on earth.” The truth revealed to us in Ezra is that this “Great King” was a pawn in the hands of the only Great King, the Lord God Himself. He used Cyrus as an instrument to accomplish His purposes with His own people, and when God was done with Cyrus, he let him go the way of all nations before him. Remember Shelley’s poem, Ozymandias? The earth’s so-called “Great Kings” are just like him.

I met a traveler from an antique land

Who said: Two vast and trunkless legs of stone

Stand in the desert. Near them, on the sand,

Half sunk, a shattered visage lies, whose frown

And wrinkled lip and sneer of cold command

Tell that its sculptor well those passions read

Which yet survive, stamped on these lifeless things,

The hand that mocked them and the heart that fed.

And on the pedestal, these words appear:

“My name is Ozymandias, king of kings:

Look on my works, ye Mighty, and despair!”

Nothing beside remains. Round the decay

Of that colossal wreck, boundless and bare

The lone and level sands stretch far away.

God alone is sovereign. He is sovereign over the kings of the earth, and he is sovereign over the lives of men and women as well.

[1] Williams, Peter. 2006. Opening up Ezra. Opening Up Commentary. Leominster: Day One Publications.

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2 Chronicles 1:2-3

Forgotten Sins!

Filed Under: Devotions by Chuck
February 3, 2023

When David was established as King in Jerusalem, the first thing he did was gather the nation’s leaders to find the Ark of the Covenant. 2 Chronicles 1:2-3 tells us that Solomon’s first deed was also to lead the nation to seek God. “Solomon spoke to all Israel, to the commanders of thousands and of hundreds, to the judges, and to all the leaders in all Israel, the heads of fathers’ houses. And Solomon, and all the assembly with him, went to the high place that was at Gibeon, for the tent of meeting of God, which Moses the servant of the Lord had made in the wilderness, was there.” Just as David’s first act as King was a public demonstration of worship of the God of Israel, so too was Solomon’s first act.

The story told us by the Chronicler is said to be from the priestly perspective. The book of Kings tells us about Solomon from the kingly perspective. In Kings, we learn about Solomon’s weaknesses. In Kings, we learn about his use of slavery of Israelites to build the Temple and his Palace. We read about his susceptibility to the allurements of women, especially foreign women and how he multiplied wives and horses in contrast to the instructions in the Law. He tolerated and even participated in pagan rituals in cooperation with his wives. In the accounts recorded in the book of the Kings, we see all the weaknesses and sins of David and his son Solomon. We even see how Solomon became David’s son after he murdered Bathsheba’s husband. What’s up with this? McConville explained this well, “The Kings and Chronicles accounts, taken together, become another testimony—alongside the whole biblical picture of David—to the way in which God deigns to use great sinners in the work of his kingdom, so much so that the OT’s latest picture of Solomon does not even remember his sins.”[1]

The priestly approach to the life of Solomon ignores his sin. As the intercessors for the people, priests presented the sacrifices to God which would make atonement for their sins. God would forgive and forget.  Isaiah 43:25 says clearly, “I, yes, I, am He who blots out your transgressions for My own sake and remembers your sins no more.” Solomon called the nation to the tent which contained the altar upon which sacrifices were made through which sins were forgiven.  Without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness of sin. Thus, Solomon took the people to the altar of sacrifice. As we read in the book of Hebrews, “But when Christ appeared as a high priest of the good things that have come, then through the greater and more perfect tent (not made with hands, that is, not of this creation) he entered once for all into the holy places, not by means of the blood of goats and calves but by means of his own blood, thus securing an eternal redemption.” Quoting from Isaiah, the writer of Hebrews tells us, “For I will be merciful toward their iniquities, and I will remember their sins no more.”

[1] McConville, J. G. 1984. I & II Chronicles. The Daily Study Bible Series. Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox Press.

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1Chronicles 1:5-7

Not a fairy tale

Filed Under: Devotions by Chuck
February 2, 2023

The book of 1 Chronicles begins with the genealogy from Adam to Noah and his three sons. It then lists many descendants of Noah’s sons. Noah had three sons: Ham, Shem, and Japheth. There have been a lot of words written about which was the oldest. You’ll find them listed throughout the Bible in various orders. When all the words are read and the biblical evidence considered, I believe the order is Japheth was Noah’s oldest son, born when Noah was 500 years old. Shem was born second when Noah was 503 years old, and Ham was Noah’s youngest son. We might ask why Shem is often listed first. Shem is listed first because he was most important in propagating the Godly line that led from Noah to Abraham, through whose seed (Jesus Christ, the Son of God) all the nations of the earth would be blessed.”[1] We then have to answer the question as to why Shem is listed last in the genealogy, we see here at the beginning of the book of First Chronicles. Most suggest it is because the writer wants to emphasize the importance of Shem’s genealogy which connects Adam with the Messiah. But he begins with Japheth. Verses five through seven say, “The sons of Japheth: Gomer, Magog, Madai, Javan, Tubal, Meshech, and Tiras. The sons of Gomer: Ashkenaz, Riphath, and Togarmah. The sons of Javan: Elishah, Tarshish, Kittim, and Rodanim.”

Japheth is closely connected with the renowned father of the Greeks (Iapetos) and with the ancestor of the Aryans in India (Iyapeti). Japheth’s son Gomer is understood by ancient writers to have settled in the present-day area of Crimea just north of the Black Sea. As Gomer’s descendants moved west, they settled in modern-day Germany and Wales. Magog, Japheth’s second son, is associated with the region just southeast of the Black Sea known as Georgia. The Jewish historian Josephus says that Magog was the ancestor of the Scythians. Madai, the third son of Japheth, is the normal Hebrew word for the Medes of Media which is east of Assyria and southwest of the Caspian Sea. Javan, the third son of Japheth, is the original name of Ionia which is Greece. Javan, the fourth son of Japheth, had four sons—all of whom are associated with Greece. The first, Elishah, is identified with Alashiyah on the island of Cyprus. ‘Hellas’ is a form of Elishah from which Hellenist derives. Homer’s Iliad mentions this people in the form of Eilesian. Tubal and Meshech, the fifth and sixth respective sons of Japheth, are always found together in the Bible. Tubal may correspond to Tibarēni—the modern Russian city of Tobolsk—while Meshech is thought to preserve the name Muskovi—the former name of Russia and Moscow. Tiras, the seventh son of Japheth, is identified by Josephus as the Thracians but possibly also to include the Etruscans of Italy. Ashkenaz, Japheth’s first grandson, was known in Jewish circles as one who settled in what would become Germany, and even in the present day, German Jews are called Ashkenazi. His brother, Togarmah, is known to be the ancestor of the ancient Armenians, and this name is etymologically associated with modern-day Turkey.
Tarshish, the second son of Javan, is identified with Tartessos in Spain and with Carthage in North Africa. The third son, Kittim, is preserved in the name of Kition which is located on the island of Cyprus.[2]

Why should we care about these people? First, it shows us that the Bible is not a book of fairy tales and fables. It is an actual historical record of the truth of our past. Modern archeological discoveries verify the existence of these people. There have been no discoveries that have disproved the validity of the genealogy listed in the Bible. Also, God cares for the sons of Japheth. Jesus put it in Paul’s heart to take the Gospel to them. His missionary journeys were all to our ancestors. As non-Jewish descendants, we have been grafted into the family tree of God’s people.

[1] https://www.revealedtruth.com/bible-study/noahs-sons-was-shem-the-oldest/

[2] https://www.harvestbiblechurch.net

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2 Kings 1:2-3, 2 Corinthians 1:3

All The Wrong Places

Filed Under: Devotions by Chuck
February 1, 2023

Ahaziah had grown up in the wicked household of Ahab and Jezebel. He had inherited their propensity towards idol worship. His reign was short because he refused to look to God for answers to his problems but looked for help from pagan sources of the people of the land. “Now Ahaziah fell through the lattice in his upper chamber in Samaria, and lay sick; so he sent messengers, telling them, ‘Go, inquire of Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron, whether I shall recover from this sickness.’” Dilday has a great comment about this, “One reason so many in contemporary society are miserable is that they have repeated Ahaziah’s worst mistake: seeking help in the wrong place. They are searching for strength, fulfillment, and comfort in the wrong places. Some look for help in chemical reinforcement, mistakenly assuming that a prescription, a pill, a bottle, or an injection can provide life’s missing ingredient.”

“The worldwide epidemic of heroin and cocaine addiction has shocked us. Alcoholism continues to take its toll in traffic deaths and broken homes. These are painful reminders that the remedy for personal emptiness is not a chemical substance.” Just last year a 50-year-old actress, Anne Heche, raced her car down the street in California killing herself under the influence of Cocaine. A popular black preacher in America warns his congregation from time to time: ‘Some of you think you can drown your troubles in drink. But I want to remind you, Troubles can swim!’ Those who seek help in drugs are, like Ahaziah, looking in the wrong place.”

Verse three continues the story of Ahaziah’s injury. “But the angel of the Lord said to Elijah the Tishbite, Arise, go up to meet the messengers of the king of Samaria, and say to them, ‘Is it because there is no God in Israel that you are going to inquire of Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron?’” “Paul pointed to the only source that can fill man’s emptiness. Genuine comfort comes only through faith in God. It cannot be found anywhere else. Ahaziah failed to understand this basic truth.”[1] Elijah wanted Ahaziah to know that he needn’t turn to the resources of the pagans of the land. “Yes,” was the answer his questions demanded. “There is a God in Israel.” There is a God in the US also. There is a God of all the world. 2 Corinthians 1:3 says, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our afflictions.”

[1] Dilday, Russell, and Lloyd J. Ogilvie. 1987. 1, 2 Kings. Vol. 9. The Preacher’s Commentary Series. Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc.

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