I am hoping to start blogging again more frequently after a 2 month break. One new project is to blog some of my ESL lesson plans and ideas (including pdf's of worksheets I have created, etc.) That will be located at www.eslchristina.blogspot.com
Check in there to see what teaching resources, etc. I have collected or created in/for my recent ESL classes.
Saturday, October 18, 2008
Monday, July 7, 2008
Deuteronomy 4: 9-14
I am not going to lie, sometimes getting started on these passages of 'remember the law' seems a tedious undertaking, and such is this morning's portion.
In the previous passage Moses has just reminded the Israelites that keeping the law is key to keeping the land, and that through the law nations around them will recognize Israel's unique relationship with God.
V. 9 - "Only be careful, and watch yourselves closely so that you do not forget the things your eyes have seen or let them slip from your heart as long as you live. Teach them to your children and to their children after them."
I think it is interesting that remembering 'what their eyes have seen' or their experiences is such a vital part of the command to keep the law. It is important enough that they are supposed to pass it down generation to generation so that those who did not share in the experience have the experience so firmly passed down that it becomes personal to them as well...emotional DNA, built into their government, culture and religion.
It reminds me of the lyrics (themesong, if you will) from the Fantastiks - "try to remember and if you remember, then follow, follow, follow." There is no doubt that remembrance of our human experiences affects how we react to our circumstamces and doubtless Moses (by way of God) knew this truth.
V. 10-13 - Moses then tells them a specific thing to remember - the giving of the Ten Commandments. He reminds them with specifics like the location, and the reason.
Mt. Horeb (Mt. Sinai) was the location where God gave the Israelites the 10 commandments. Moses reminds them what it looked like, sounded like, felt like, and perhaps even smelled like ("blazed with fire to the very heavens, with black clouds and deep darkness...You heard the sound of words but saw no form; there was only a voice.") This was one of the defining moments for the nation of Israel - the giving of the law which would set them apart and mark them as God's chosen people. It was following this law which identified them to the nations around them and throughout the ancient world. God wrote these laws down for them (providing a tangible reminder.)
At this point it seemed pertinent to read the passage where the Law was given : Exodus 19 & 20. I smile a little because while reading the passage Moses seems like the ringmaster at some grand three ring circus production. There was smoke and fire and trumpets and thunder and lightening. This was certainly a spectacle to be remembered. This was not some quiet Sunday morning gathering to be shuffled into the back of collective memory and grouped with a thousand other like experiences. This was a once in a lifetime (ok, once in a world's lifetime) event and it was going to be remembered! (Except that often it wasn't because humans are resillient forgetters.)
Which causes me to ponder how absolutely God has intervened in my life and how those moments have changed me and yet how easily I forget them when trouble comes.
V 14 - Then Moses reminds them that God instructed Moses to teach them the laws "you are to follow in the land that you are crossing the Jordan to possess." The giving of the Law was always focused on the possession of the Land and the fulfillment of the promise. Lately (the past two decades or so) it seems there has been a large focus on the Bible as narrative (a cohesive story that reads from beginning to end with God's overarching theme of redemption always as the lead story.) Passages like this remind me that God never forgets the subplots; never forgets the smaller promises and prepared Israel thoroughly not just for the day when the coming Messiah would return, but for every other step along the way: the law -> the land -> the Love.
TWO sidenotes that struck me deeply while reading through this passage. First, a reference to my discussion of the first verses from my Torah Portion where God again denies Moses entry to the land. In re-reading the events leading up to the giving of the Ten Commandments I found the passage where Moses DOES strike the rock at God's command (which seems to be different from the Numbers 20 passage.) Exodus 17: 1-7 which I have to admit does seem more God focused than Moses focused. So, there is more to ponder there - since the concept of God denying Moses what appeared to be a desire of Moses' heart does cause me to want more understanding than I currently have. (And, I might have to accept that not entering the land was part of Moses' story and not mine, so I might not get all the answers, though it seems that Biblical characters are there for our instruction and therefore perhaps we are to consider their portions and our portions with some comparison??? I dunno....)
The second sidenote was a 'you've got to be kidding me' moment. These occur regularly as I start to study more about Jewish commentaries and the New Testament. In looking up the Mt. Sinai situation (the multiple names for the same place, location disputes, etc.) I found an odd reference to a Jewish commentary about the mountain on Wikipedia. This phrase stuck out to me: "In Classical rabbinical literature, Mount Sinai became synonymous with holiness; indeed, it was said that when the Messiah arrives, God will bring Sinai together with Mount Carmel and Mount Tabor, rebuild the Temple upon the combined mountain, and the peaks would sing a chorus of praise to God." Little bells started going off in my head. Mt. Sinai - the mountain of the Law where Moses had gone to meet God. Mt. Carmel - where God again appears as fire to decimate the bull, the rocks and even the water in the ditch where Elijah challenged the prophets of Baal to a 'greatness of the gods' contest. And Mount Tabor - any guesses? Well, first and less significant: "In the days of Second Temple, Mount Tabor was one of the mountain peaks on which it was the customed to light beacons in order to inform the northern villages of holidays and of beginnings of new months." (According to Wikipedia.) But here is what you are going to find most significant. This is the mountain where God appeared as a cloud and again spoke to what we might consider a remnant of Israel regarding His plan for their salvation.
Here is where I made another important discovery - contrary to popular opinion, not everything is yet on the internet! Search as I may I could never find the Yalkut Shimoni in English. (There was one site that seemed to offer it for 29.95 but I am not sure in what language.) Here it is in Hebrew; make of it what you will. I need 391 which is the reference for the aforementioned commentary of the three mountains. The Yalkut appears to be a compilation of commentary from previous Hebrew scholars. I want to know if this prophecy or commentary originally predates Christ and whether it would have been common knowledge among scribes and Jewish scholars in the first century. (As it appears the prophecy was in fact fulfilled. Comments, anyone?)
Ok. Enough exploration for now. More to follow certainly! Grace and Peace.
In the previous passage Moses has just reminded the Israelites that keeping the law is key to keeping the land, and that through the law nations around them will recognize Israel's unique relationship with God.
V. 9 - "Only be careful, and watch yourselves closely so that you do not forget the things your eyes have seen or let them slip from your heart as long as you live. Teach them to your children and to their children after them."
I think it is interesting that remembering 'what their eyes have seen' or their experiences is such a vital part of the command to keep the law. It is important enough that they are supposed to pass it down generation to generation so that those who did not share in the experience have the experience so firmly passed down that it becomes personal to them as well...emotional DNA, built into their government, culture and religion.
It reminds me of the lyrics (themesong, if you will) from the Fantastiks - "try to remember and if you remember, then follow, follow, follow." There is no doubt that remembrance of our human experiences affects how we react to our circumstamces and doubtless Moses (by way of God) knew this truth.
V. 10-13 - Moses then tells them a specific thing to remember - the giving of the Ten Commandments. He reminds them with specifics like the location, and the reason.
Mt. Horeb (Mt. Sinai) was the location where God gave the Israelites the 10 commandments. Moses reminds them what it looked like, sounded like, felt like, and perhaps even smelled like ("blazed with fire to the very heavens, with black clouds and deep darkness...You heard the sound of words but saw no form; there was only a voice.") This was one of the defining moments for the nation of Israel - the giving of the law which would set them apart and mark them as God's chosen people. It was following this law which identified them to the nations around them and throughout the ancient world. God wrote these laws down for them (providing a tangible reminder.)
At this point it seemed pertinent to read the passage where the Law was given : Exodus 19 & 20. I smile a little because while reading the passage Moses seems like the ringmaster at some grand three ring circus production. There was smoke and fire and trumpets and thunder and lightening. This was certainly a spectacle to be remembered. This was not some quiet Sunday morning gathering to be shuffled into the back of collective memory and grouped with a thousand other like experiences. This was a once in a lifetime (ok, once in a world's lifetime) event and it was going to be remembered! (Except that often it wasn't because humans are resillient forgetters.)
Which causes me to ponder how absolutely God has intervened in my life and how those moments have changed me and yet how easily I forget them when trouble comes.
V 14 - Then Moses reminds them that God instructed Moses to teach them the laws "you are to follow in the land that you are crossing the Jordan to possess." The giving of the Law was always focused on the possession of the Land and the fulfillment of the promise. Lately (the past two decades or so) it seems there has been a large focus on the Bible as narrative (a cohesive story that reads from beginning to end with God's overarching theme of redemption always as the lead story.) Passages like this remind me that God never forgets the subplots; never forgets the smaller promises and prepared Israel thoroughly not just for the day when the coming Messiah would return, but for every other step along the way: the law -> the land -> the Love.
TWO sidenotes that struck me deeply while reading through this passage. First, a reference to my discussion of the first verses from my Torah Portion where God again denies Moses entry to the land. In re-reading the events leading up to the giving of the Ten Commandments I found the passage where Moses DOES strike the rock at God's command (which seems to be different from the Numbers 20 passage.) Exodus 17: 1-7 which I have to admit does seem more God focused than Moses focused. So, there is more to ponder there - since the concept of God denying Moses what appeared to be a desire of Moses' heart does cause me to want more understanding than I currently have. (And, I might have to accept that not entering the land was part of Moses' story and not mine, so I might not get all the answers, though it seems that Biblical characters are there for our instruction and therefore perhaps we are to consider their portions and our portions with some comparison??? I dunno....)
The second sidenote was a 'you've got to be kidding me' moment. These occur regularly as I start to study more about Jewish commentaries and the New Testament. In looking up the Mt. Sinai situation (the multiple names for the same place, location disputes, etc.) I found an odd reference to a Jewish commentary about the mountain on Wikipedia. This phrase stuck out to me: "In Classical rabbinical literature, Mount Sinai became synonymous with holiness; indeed, it was said that when the Messiah arrives, God will bring Sinai together with Mount Carmel and Mount Tabor, rebuild the Temple upon the combined mountain, and the peaks would sing a chorus of praise to God." Little bells started going off in my head. Mt. Sinai - the mountain of the Law where Moses had gone to meet God. Mt. Carmel - where God again appears as fire to decimate the bull, the rocks and even the water in the ditch where Elijah challenged the prophets of Baal to a 'greatness of the gods' contest. And Mount Tabor - any guesses? Well, first and less significant: "In the days of Second Temple, Mount Tabor was one of the mountain peaks on which it was the customed to light beacons in order to inform the northern villages of holidays and of beginnings of new months." (According to Wikipedia.) But here is what you are going to find most significant. This is the mountain where God appeared as a cloud and again spoke to what we might consider a remnant of Israel regarding His plan for their salvation.
Here is where I made another important discovery - contrary to popular opinion, not everything is yet on the internet! Search as I may I could never find the Yalkut Shimoni in English. (There was one site that seemed to offer it for 29.95 but I am not sure in what language.) Here it is in Hebrew; make of it what you will. I need 391 which is the reference for the aforementioned commentary of the three mountains. The Yalkut appears to be a compilation of commentary from previous Hebrew scholars. I want to know if this prophecy or commentary originally predates Christ and whether it would have been common knowledge among scribes and Jewish scholars in the first century. (As it appears the prophecy was in fact fulfilled. Comments, anyone?)
Ok. Enough exploration for now. More to follow certainly! Grace and Peace.
Tuesday, July 1, 2008
Deut. 4:1-8
It seems curious and yet appropriate that following the passage where Moses was forbidden to enter the land (again) and God told him to stop asking, that Moses instructs the Israelites in obedience.
1 - following the commands seems to be a condition upon which Israel will take possession of the land.
2 - Moses warns against adding or subtracting to the law
Matthew Henry's commentary has this to say about v. 2:
This instruction is repeated through out scripture in several places:
Deuteronomy 12:32
"See that you do all I command you; do not add to it or take away from it."
Ecclesiastes 3:14
"I know that everything God does will endure forever; nothing can be added to it and nothing taken from it. God does it so that men will revere him."
Galatians 3:15
"Brothers, let me take an example from everyday life. Just as no one can set aside or add to a human covenant that has been duly established, so it is in this case."
What God has given us is perfect and holy. Perhaps if I can finally get to the point that I believe that all instruction necessary for righteousness has already been given me and that I cannot add to or take away from my inheritance in both the Law and the fulfillment of the Law, I would learn to live a life not constantly plagued with self doubt. Ultimately, as Paul mentions in the Galatians passage, the totality of the covenant is contained in the promise given to Abraham and its fulfillment in Christ.
3,4 - Reminds the Israelites about the consquences of turning to idols and the rewards of remaining faithful. (Numbers 25:1-9)
There entire remained of the old testament seems a proof text for this verse.
5 - Moses taught the Israelites God's law so they would know His law when they entered the land.
It seems that an assumption could be made the this passage implies that if the Israelites could not learn the Law while wandering in the desert with food and water supplied for them, then they certainly wouldn't get it through their skulls once the reached the point of fighting for and maintaining their land. What if they hadn't wasted their time in the desert? Personal life application....proably!
6 - By keeping the Law the Israelites would show to the other nations how wise and understanding they are.
This I find interesting...in the Old Testament it was through obedience to the Law that Israel would glorify their God and draw the attention of the Nations. In the New Testament the Law has been replaced by Love as the medium through which a lost world will find redemption.
7 - Moses reminds the Israelites how special they are to have a God who is near to them whenever they pray unlike any other nation.
8 - And that the laws and decrees show the greatness of the Israeli nation.
Not their land, not their amazing victories, not their wealth or fame but their law.
It amazes me that no matter what area of scripture I dive into, or how opaque the text is at first reading, it is always so rich upon contemplation and study, and I know I have just scratched the surface of the knowledge and revelation it contains for me.
So today's lyrics are from Hillsong:
From the Inside Out
A thousand times I've failed
Still your mercy remains
And should I stumble again
Still I'm caught in your grace
Everlasting, Your light will shine when all else fades
Never ending, Your glory goes beyond all fame
In my heart, in my soul, Lord I give you control
Consume me from the inside out Lord
Let justice and praise become my embrace
To love You from the inside out
Your will above all else, my purpose remains
The art of losing myself in bringing you praise
Everlasting, Your light will shine when all else fades
Never ending, Your glory goes beyond all fame
In my heart, in my soul, Lord I give you control
Consume me from the inside out Lord
Let justice and praise become my embrace
To love You from the inside out
Chorus 2x
Everlasting, Your light will shine when all else fades
Never ending, Your glory goes beyond all fame
And the cry of my heart is to bring You praise
From the inside out Lord, my soul cries out
1 - following the commands seems to be a condition upon which Israel will take possession of the land.
2 - Moses warns against adding or subtracting to the law
Matthew Henry's commentary has this to say about v. 2:
He charges them to preserve the divine law pure and entire among them, v. 2. Keep it pure, and do not add to it; keep it entire, and do not diminish from it. Not in practice, so some: "You shall not add by committing the evil which the law forbids, nor diminish by omitting the good which the law requires." Not in opinion, so others: "You shall not add your own inventions, as if the divine institutions were defective, nor introduce, much less impose, any rites of religious worship other than what God has appointed; nor shall you diminish, or set aside, any thing that is appointed, as needless or superfluous." God's work is perfect, nothing can be put to it, nor taken from it, without making it the worse. See Eccl. 3:14. The Jews understand it as prohibiting the alteration of the text or letter of the law, even in the least jot or tittle; and to their great care and exactness herein we are very much indebted, under God, for the purity and integrity of the Hebrew code. We find a fence like this made about the New Testament in the close of it, Rev. 22:18, 19.
This instruction is repeated through out scripture in several places:
Deuteronomy 12:32
"See that you do all I command you; do not add to it or take away from it."
Ecclesiastes 3:14
"I know that everything God does will endure forever; nothing can be added to it and nothing taken from it. God does it so that men will revere him."
Galatians 3:15
"Brothers, let me take an example from everyday life. Just as no one can set aside or add to a human covenant that has been duly established, so it is in this case."
What God has given us is perfect and holy. Perhaps if I can finally get to the point that I believe that all instruction necessary for righteousness has already been given me and that I cannot add to or take away from my inheritance in both the Law and the fulfillment of the Law, I would learn to live a life not constantly plagued with self doubt. Ultimately, as Paul mentions in the Galatians passage, the totality of the covenant is contained in the promise given to Abraham and its fulfillment in Christ.
3,4 - Reminds the Israelites about the consquences of turning to idols and the rewards of remaining faithful. (Numbers 25:1-9)
There entire remained of the old testament seems a proof text for this verse.
5 - Moses taught the Israelites God's law so they would know His law when they entered the land.
It seems that an assumption could be made the this passage implies that if the Israelites could not learn the Law while wandering in the desert with food and water supplied for them, then they certainly wouldn't get it through their skulls once the reached the point of fighting for and maintaining their land. What if they hadn't wasted their time in the desert? Personal life application....proably!
6 - By keeping the Law the Israelites would show to the other nations how wise and understanding they are.
This I find interesting...in the Old Testament it was through obedience to the Law that Israel would glorify their God and draw the attention of the Nations. In the New Testament the Law has been replaced by Love as the medium through which a lost world will find redemption.
7 - Moses reminds the Israelites how special they are to have a God who is near to them whenever they pray unlike any other nation.
8 - And that the laws and decrees show the greatness of the Israeli nation.
Not their land, not their amazing victories, not their wealth or fame but their law.
It amazes me that no matter what area of scripture I dive into, or how opaque the text is at first reading, it is always so rich upon contemplation and study, and I know I have just scratched the surface of the knowledge and revelation it contains for me.
So today's lyrics are from Hillsong:
From the Inside Out
A thousand times I've failed
Still your mercy remains
And should I stumble again
Still I'm caught in your grace
Everlasting, Your light will shine when all else fades
Never ending, Your glory goes beyond all fame
In my heart, in my soul, Lord I give you control
Consume me from the inside out Lord
Let justice and praise become my embrace
To love You from the inside out
Your will above all else, my purpose remains
The art of losing myself in bringing you praise
Everlasting, Your light will shine when all else fades
Never ending, Your glory goes beyond all fame
In my heart, in my soul, Lord I give you control
Consume me from the inside out Lord
Let justice and praise become my embrace
To love You from the inside out
Chorus 2x
Everlasting, Your light will shine when all else fades
Never ending, Your glory goes beyond all fame
And the cry of my heart is to bring You praise
From the inside out Lord, my soul cries out
Monday, June 30, 2008
His portion
He is jealous for me,
Loves like a hurricane, I am a tree,
Bending beneath the weight of his wind and mercy.
When all of a sudden,
I am unaware of these afflictions eclipsed by glory,
And I realise just how beautiful You are,
And how great Your affections are for me.
And oh, how He loves us so,
Oh how He loves us,
How He loves us so
Yeah, He loves us,
Oh how He loves us,
Oh how He loves us,
Oh how He loves.
Yeah, He loves us,
Oh how He loves us,
Oh how He loves us,
Oh how He loves.
We are His portion and He is our prize,
Drawn to redemption by the grace in His eyes,
If grace is an ocean, we’re all sinking.
So Heaven meets earth like a sloppy wet kiss,
And the heart turns violently inside of my chest,
I don’t have time to maintain these regrets,
When I think about, the way…
He loves us,
Oh how He loves us,
Oh how He loves us,
Oh how He loves.
Yeah, He loves us,
Oh how He loves us,
Oh how He loves us,
Oh how He loves.
Well, I thought about You the day Stephen died,
And You met me between my breaking.
I know that I still love You, God, despite the agony.
...They want to tell me You're cruel,
But if Stephen could sing, he'd say it's not true, cause...
Cause He loves us,
Oh how He loves us.
Oh how He loves us.
Oh how He loves.
Yeah, He loves us,
Oh how He loves us,
Oh how He loves us,
Oh how He loves.*
-- John Mark MacMillan
Loves like a hurricane, I am a tree,
Bending beneath the weight of his wind and mercy.
When all of a sudden,
I am unaware of these afflictions eclipsed by glory,
And I realise just how beautiful You are,
And how great Your affections are for me.
And oh, how He loves us so,
Oh how He loves us,
How He loves us so
Yeah, He loves us,
Oh how He loves us,
Oh how He loves us,
Oh how He loves.
Yeah, He loves us,
Oh how He loves us,
Oh how He loves us,
Oh how He loves.
We are His portion and He is our prize,
Drawn to redemption by the grace in His eyes,
If grace is an ocean, we’re all sinking.
So Heaven meets earth like a sloppy wet kiss,
And the heart turns violently inside of my chest,
I don’t have time to maintain these regrets,
When I think about, the way…
He loves us,
Oh how He loves us,
Oh how He loves us,
Oh how He loves.
Yeah, He loves us,
Oh how He loves us,
Oh how He loves us,
Oh how He loves.
Well, I thought about You the day Stephen died,
And You met me between my breaking.
I know that I still love You, God, despite the agony.
...They want to tell me You're cruel,
But if Stephen could sing, he'd say it's not true, cause...
Cause He loves us,
Oh how He loves us.
Oh how He loves us.
Oh how He loves.
Yeah, He loves us,
Oh how He loves us,
Oh how He loves us,
Oh how He loves.*
-- John Mark MacMillan
my portion thoughts, findable later
Deut 3:21-29
v 21 - the two kings were Sihon, King of Heshbon (Deut. 2:24-32) & Og, King of Bashan (Deut. 3:1-11).
With Sihon, Moses offered peace for safe passage through the land, but Sihon refused because God had made his spirit stubborn. (v 29) I find this interesting because Moses offered the 'right' or peaceful alternative but God arranged the spirit of his advesary to offer war instead. Then Israel passed through the land and destroyed everything - men, women, children. The saved the livestock and took it with them. They did not touch the land of the Ammonites.
Og's kingdom met with the same fate and again Israel took the livestock with them.
Both victories were examples of God's provision for Israel in the face of unthinkable odds. 3:5 mentions that the cities were fortified - not easily conquerable as nomadic settlements might be.
v 22 - "Do not be afraid of them; the Lord your God himself will fight for you."
v 23-25 - Moses pleads with God for entry into the promise land.
v 26-29 - God told Moses that he should stop asking; however, God did grant Moses a view of the land and told him where to go to see it. He instructed Moses to commission Joshua to lead the people to inherit the land that God had promised them.
In the early 1700's Matthew Henry wrote a commentary on the Old Testament, The Gospels and Acts. Here is what he had to say about the text:
The part that puzzles me here is why Moses is told to stop asking for what we assume is the desire of his heart - to enter the land. After leading the Israelites out of Egypt and then wandering for 40 years, you would think that Moses 'deserved' to enter the Promised Land. But Moses had disobeyed God's instruction because of lack of trust (stated by the text) so God denied him entry into the Promised Land. (Numbers 20:1-13). I do not understand why Moses striking the rock instead of speaking to it as commanded levied upon him such punishment. God's accusation against Moses is that Moses did not trust God enough to honor Him as holy in the sight of the Israelites. (v. 12) Matthew Henry's commentary points us back to v. 10 and the pride of Moses:
Perhaps Moses was told to stop making his request to enter the land because it was in response to a punishment handed down by God because of Moses' pride and lack of faith. We are told to bring all things to God in prayer and make all requests and petitions known to Him, but perhaps once He has spoken definitively on the issue we are to accept His answer.
I appreciate Matthew Henry's summary of the Deut. text. This beginning of my Torah Portion reminds me again of the provision of God and the necessity that I accept my portion even when it does not appear to be what I desire. God still provided hope for Moses - though not of actual entry. Moses saw the land that God promised to give to Israel. Moses' eyes beheld the fulfillment of that promise, and in faith He believed that God would do all that He said that He would.
Hebrews 11:26 says,
And he saw his perceived reward (if only from a distance) but did not receive his reward (in a sense) because his story (his portion) was bigger than his single life. His portion stretched through the kingship of David, the captivity in Babylon, the time of the prophets, the promise in Malachi 4 and the promise of a Messiah, the Mount of Transfiguration, all the way through Hebrews 11:40 where the writer says, "God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect." And in some sense, I share my portion with Moses and he with I in the inheritance we have been promised that has not yet seen fulfillment.
v 21 - the two kings were Sihon, King of Heshbon (Deut. 2:24-32) & Og, King of Bashan (Deut. 3:1-11).
With Sihon, Moses offered peace for safe passage through the land, but Sihon refused because God had made his spirit stubborn. (v 29) I find this interesting because Moses offered the 'right' or peaceful alternative but God arranged the spirit of his advesary to offer war instead. Then Israel passed through the land and destroyed everything - men, women, children. The saved the livestock and took it with them. They did not touch the land of the Ammonites.
Og's kingdom met with the same fate and again Israel took the livestock with them.
Both victories were examples of God's provision for Israel in the face of unthinkable odds. 3:5 mentions that the cities were fortified - not easily conquerable as nomadic settlements might be.
v 22 - "Do not be afraid of them; the Lord your God himself will fight for you."
v 23-25 - Moses pleads with God for entry into the promise land.
v 26-29 - God told Moses that he should stop asking; however, God did grant Moses a view of the land and told him where to go to see it. He instructed Moses to commission Joshua to lead the people to inherit the land that God had promised them.
In the early 1700's Matthew Henry wrote a commentary on the Old Testament, The Gospels and Acts. Here is what he had to say about the text:
Verses 21-29 Moses encouraged Joshua, who was to succeed him. Thus the aged and experienced in the service of God, should do all they can to strengthen the hands of those who are young, and setting out in religion. Consider what God has done, what God has promised. If God be for us, who can be against us, so as to prevail? We reproach our Leader if we follow him trembling. Moses prayed, that, if it were God's will, he might go before Israel, over Jordan into Canaan. We should never allow any desires in our hearts, which we cannot in faith offer up to God by prayer. God's answer to this prayer had a mixture of mercy and judgment. God sees it good to deny many things we desire. He may accept our prayers, yet not grant us the very things we pray for. It God does not by his providence give us what we desire, yet if by his grace he makes us content without, it comes to much the same. Let it suffice thee to have God for thy Father, and heaven for thy portion, though thou hast not every thing thou wouldst have in the world. God promised Moses a sight of Canaan from the top of Pisgah. Though he should not have the possession of it, he should have the prospect of it. Even great believers, in this present state, see heaven but at a distance. God provided him a successor. It is a comfort to the friends of the church of Christ, to see God's work likely to be carried on by others, when they are silent in the dust. And if we have the earnest and prospect of heaven, let these suffice us; let us submit to the Lord's will, and speak no more to Him of matters which he sees good to refuse us.
The part that puzzles me here is why Moses is told to stop asking for what we assume is the desire of his heart - to enter the land. After leading the Israelites out of Egypt and then wandering for 40 years, you would think that Moses 'deserved' to enter the Promised Land. But Moses had disobeyed God's instruction because of lack of trust (stated by the text) so God denied him entry into the Promised Land. (Numbers 20:1-13). I do not understand why Moses striking the rock instead of speaking to it as commanded levied upon him such punishment. God's accusation against Moses is that Moses did not trust God enough to honor Him as holy in the sight of the Israelites. (v. 12) Matthew Henry's commentary points us back to v. 10 and the pride of Moses:
Verses 1-13 After thirty-eight years' tedious abode in the wilderness, the armies of Israel advanced towards Canaan again. There was no water for the congregation. We live in a wanting world, and wherever we are, must expect to meet with something to put us out. It is a great mercy to have plenty of water, a mercy which, if we found the want of, we should more own the worth of. Hereupon they murmured against Moses and Aaron. They spake the same absurd and brutish language their fathers had done. It made their crime the worse, that they had smarted so long for the discontent and distrusts of their fathers, yet they venture in the same steps. Moses must again, in God's name, command water out of a rock for them; God is as able as ever to supply his people with what is needful for them. But Moses and Aaron acted wrong. They took much of the glory of this work of wonder to themselves; "Must we fetch water?" As if it were done by some power or worthiness of their own. They were to speak to the rock, but they smote it. Therefore it is charged upon them, that they did not sanctify God, that is, they did not give to him alone that glory of this miracle which was due unto his name. And being provoked by the people, Moses spake unadvisedly with his lips. The same pride of man would still usurp the office of the appointed Mediator; and become to ourselves wisdom, righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption. Such a state of sinful independence, such a rebellion of the soul against its Saviour, the voice of God condemns in every page of the gospel.
Perhaps Moses was told to stop making his request to enter the land because it was in response to a punishment handed down by God because of Moses' pride and lack of faith. We are told to bring all things to God in prayer and make all requests and petitions known to Him, but perhaps once He has spoken definitively on the issue we are to accept His answer.
I appreciate Matthew Henry's summary of the Deut. text. This beginning of my Torah Portion reminds me again of the provision of God and the necessity that I accept my portion even when it does not appear to be what I desire. God still provided hope for Moses - though not of actual entry. Moses saw the land that God promised to give to Israel. Moses' eyes beheld the fulfillment of that promise, and in faith He believed that God would do all that He said that He would.
Hebrews 11:26 says,
"He[Moses] regarded disgrace for the sake of Christ as of greater value than the treasures of Egypt, because he was looking ahead to his reward.
And he saw his perceived reward (if only from a distance) but did not receive his reward (in a sense) because his story (his portion) was bigger than his single life. His portion stretched through the kingship of David, the captivity in Babylon, the time of the prophets, the promise in Malachi 4 and the promise of a Messiah, the Mount of Transfiguration, all the way through Hebrews 11:40 where the writer says, "God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect." And in some sense, I share my portion with Moses and he with I in the inheritance we have been promised that has not yet seen fulfillment.
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
Saturday, June 21, 2008
Possessing my Portion
Have you ever noticed that when you learn a new word it seems to pop up everywhere? I have found in my life that often when I hear a new Word it works this same. This week's Word was Psalm 73. Kurt spoke about this passage at Warehouse 242 this past Sunday. His focus was to impress upon us all the significance of the portion which God has given to us, and the loss we experience when we consider the portion of others with envy and ignorance. He gave two beautiful examples of portion (one positive and one humblingly relate-able negative example)and how our portion and our inheritance is certain and it is enough. (You can hear Kurt's message here.)
This past year has provided a lot of time to reflect on my portion. To recognize that my portion may not be 'large' by the standards of others, but it is enough. There are so many 'criteria' that I impose upon God about what portion I will accept - perhaps I can only accept my portion if it includes marriage or if it includes the right job, or if it includes recognition, etc. When all my regular comforts and identifiers were distanced from me (my eloquence, my independence, my friendships, my social position, my material possessions)I realized that although those 'portions' might mean something to me, or to my peers they meant nothing to God. The portion that concerns Him is that which He has given me. My comfort should come in my certainty that my portion (regardless of how it may appear) is enough!
Asaph's Psalm more perfectly expresses my year than anything I can write here. I was at the end of my spiritual rope. I felt I had tied a knot and was hanging on with my fingernails to the belief that God would provide for me. With self-loathing and bitterness I watched the wicked around me prosper while I felt left behind and forgotten by the Savior around whom my life had been shaped. Asaph felt the same thing as a Levite relying on the obedience of the tribes of Israel for his 'portion' or his provision; as an obedient follower, he felt he had followed fruitlessly and was bitter and frustrated with God. Asaph realized, however, that although he could not change the world around him he could rely on God to remain faithful and hold onto him whether he [Asaph] understood his circumstances or not.
"As for me, it is good to be near God." God has given me a portion far greater than any I could compare myself to in shallow envy. I can seek self-satisfaction and find myself always oppressed by my circumstances, or I can recognize that God has a portion for me that is enough that I will never lack.
Tuesday night I attended a city-wide singles worship service called Charlotte One and the passage shared was Psalm 139 which seemed the perfect next step to my ponderings about my 'portion'. My portion is mine because God knows me! He knows me intimately down to the words on my tongue! He has prepared my portion for me because His heart is good; because he is the only one who has the right to do so - because He is God and He is the only one who knows me fully, the only one who ever would have the ability to know me fully, even so much better than I know myself.
As I ponder this word 'portion' I have a conversation with a friend about Messianic Judaism and she mentions to me that when she was in Jerusalem over her 30th birthday, she learned what her Torah 'portion' was. Every year the Torah (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers & Deuteronomy) is read (in weekly readings) during services and the same reading falls on the same week every year (according to the Jewish not he Gregorian calendar). The portion read during your brithday is your Torah Portion. There is also a corresponding Haftarah (the scriptures from the prophets, etc.) Before I muddle this too greatly, let me point you to a few sites where you can find your Torah portion:
The one that my friend Kaite suggested to me is found here,but I also found a site that provided a little more information on Jewish Birthdays here and some additional information on how your birthday and portion is determined here.
My Torah portion is VaEtchanan, Deuteronomy : 3:23-7:11 and my Haftarah portion is Isaiah 40:1 - 40:26. I have not had time to really ponder the Torah portion - it is the section where God forbids Moses to cross the Jordan, gives Israel the Ten Commandments, restates the authority of God, sets aside cities of refuge and gives instruction for entering the land.( here is some info about the passage and the Jewish holidays, etc. surrounding it.) The Haftarah portion is the very famous passage in Isaiah about Comforting Israel & God's greatness. (Which, incidentally leads me to ponder a message I heard by N.T. Wright talking about that passage.)
There will be more postings about portions as I practice possessing my portion and considering it with thankfulness. (and possibly some electronic media artwork as ponderance and practice.)
This past year has provided a lot of time to reflect on my portion. To recognize that my portion may not be 'large' by the standards of others, but it is enough. There are so many 'criteria' that I impose upon God about what portion I will accept - perhaps I can only accept my portion if it includes marriage or if it includes the right job, or if it includes recognition, etc. When all my regular comforts and identifiers were distanced from me (my eloquence, my independence, my friendships, my social position, my material possessions)I realized that although those 'portions' might mean something to me, or to my peers they meant nothing to God. The portion that concerns Him is that which He has given me. My comfort should come in my certainty that my portion (regardless of how it may appear) is enough!
Asaph's Psalm more perfectly expresses my year than anything I can write here. I was at the end of my spiritual rope. I felt I had tied a knot and was hanging on with my fingernails to the belief that God would provide for me. With self-loathing and bitterness I watched the wicked around me prosper while I felt left behind and forgotten by the Savior around whom my life had been shaped. Asaph felt the same thing as a Levite relying on the obedience of the tribes of Israel for his 'portion' or his provision; as an obedient follower, he felt he had followed fruitlessly and was bitter and frustrated with God. Asaph realized, however, that although he could not change the world around him he could rely on God to remain faithful and hold onto him whether he [Asaph] understood his circumstances or not.
"As for me, it is good to be near God." God has given me a portion far greater than any I could compare myself to in shallow envy. I can seek self-satisfaction and find myself always oppressed by my circumstances, or I can recognize that God has a portion for me that is enough that I will never lack.
Tuesday night I attended a city-wide singles worship service called Charlotte One and the passage shared was Psalm 139 which seemed the perfect next step to my ponderings about my 'portion'. My portion is mine because God knows me! He knows me intimately down to the words on my tongue! He has prepared my portion for me because His heart is good; because he is the only one who has the right to do so - because He is God and He is the only one who knows me fully, the only one who ever would have the ability to know me fully, even so much better than I know myself.
As I ponder this word 'portion' I have a conversation with a friend about Messianic Judaism and she mentions to me that when she was in Jerusalem over her 30th birthday, she learned what her Torah 'portion' was. Every year the Torah (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers & Deuteronomy) is read (in weekly readings) during services and the same reading falls on the same week every year (according to the Jewish not he Gregorian calendar). The portion read during your brithday is your Torah Portion. There is also a corresponding Haftarah (the scriptures from the prophets, etc.) Before I muddle this too greatly, let me point you to a few sites where you can find your Torah portion:
The one that my friend Kaite suggested to me is found here,but I also found a site that provided a little more information on Jewish Birthdays here and some additional information on how your birthday and portion is determined here.
My Torah portion is VaEtchanan, Deuteronomy : 3:23-7:11 and my Haftarah portion is Isaiah 40:1 - 40:26. I have not had time to really ponder the Torah portion - it is the section where God forbids Moses to cross the Jordan, gives Israel the Ten Commandments, restates the authority of God, sets aside cities of refuge and gives instruction for entering the land.( here is some info about the passage and the Jewish holidays, etc. surrounding it.) The Haftarah portion is the very famous passage in Isaiah about Comforting Israel & God's greatness. (Which, incidentally leads me to ponder a message I heard by N.T. Wright talking about that passage.)
There will be more postings about portions as I practice possessing my portion and considering it with thankfulness. (and possibly some electronic media artwork as ponderance and practice.)
Friday, June 20, 2008
returning to time away at home
it was a long year away, of that i am sure. in hindsight, i see that it is true that a person can endure almost anything for a year; and despite the unbelievable frustrations, i don't feel that i just survived - i feel i learned.
a lesson is only as good as the length of time that its knowledge is retained. if it took 10 months for me to begin to hold the information God was heaping upon me, how horrible will it be to forget it as soon as the familiar again becomes comfortable.
life comes at you so quickly, especially stateside. media images are everywhere -- i had to ask my parents (who run the t.v. most of the time - watching FOX News) if i could please turn the t.v. off -- music is fine; but the visual images become noise in my brain.
sometimes people and places can become the same kind of noise. sometimes my thoughts alone crowd my head to the point that i am over stimulated (which might answer why i am up writing this blog after midnight.) the t.v. i can turn off - people and my thoughts...that is a bit harder. where is the balance between accepting too much input and holing yourself away and experiencing none.
this is a critical thing to ponder when i put it in real context - that of my quiet time and my prayer life. when there are so many people and so much stimulation it is hard to get away and consider prayer. friends are so much 'easier' to talk to than God. o.k. - i get it, that is a funny thing to say...but my external processing mechanism seems to work with people, where it seems to just be additional internal processing when i pray UNLESS i can stop the other input and focus on the Father. but will i take the time to do so?
one thing is certain to me about the lessons i learned in the D.R. - i will only retain them as long as God remains my focus and my anchor. input and images become idols as soon as they de-seat the Father from the throne He deserves. one of the ways that happens in my life is through over-socialization. being busy socially fills my felt need for quality time with the Father. i recognize that not everyone is built the same way i am; some folks do not replace God with other folks. maybe it is the particular burden of external processors to seek advice from others when they should be spending time with the Father. *shrug* i dunno, but i do know that people, in some form or other, often become my idols.
it is an amazing testimony to my sinfulness that i can known this, and still choose to do what i know is not good for me, nor best, nor most pleasing to God. even as I type this i can think of half a dozen things that i would rather do than quiet my heart and go before the Father. it is really all about instant gratification - talking to others makes whatever issue or topic i am discussing seem more manageable and meaningful. i think this is a valuable tool but i also think it can keep me from what 'feels' like a less prompt pay-off, namely prayer.
God has not shown Himself to be on my schedule so far in my life. usually when i bring something to Him he does not provide an apparent(ly positive) answer to my inquiry in anything that would look to me like a timely fashion. God works according to His own schedule, and that makes me want to dig in my heels and chat with folks who (if from no other reason than politeness) have to respond to me in some way immediately. in fairness, however, were God to write on my wall the answer to whatever inquiry i have brought before Him undoubtedly i would have rationalized it away or argued its interpretation to the point that it was no longer divine at all -- but just as mundane and unknowable as the future always feels from the present.
time management is the beast i have yet to slay. the land i have yet to conquer. (more on the 'land' idea later.) perhaps, how i handle my time is the thing i need to be spending the most time handling -- especially in prayer. so here i go - with less than worthy excitement but more than priceless need to take my concerns (from lesson retention to time management) before the Father to ask Him to bless me though I am undeserving and teach me though I am slow to change.
a lesson is only as good as the length of time that its knowledge is retained. if it took 10 months for me to begin to hold the information God was heaping upon me, how horrible will it be to forget it as soon as the familiar again becomes comfortable.
life comes at you so quickly, especially stateside. media images are everywhere -- i had to ask my parents (who run the t.v. most of the time - watching FOX News) if i could please turn the t.v. off -- music is fine; but the visual images become noise in my brain.
sometimes people and places can become the same kind of noise. sometimes my thoughts alone crowd my head to the point that i am over stimulated (which might answer why i am up writing this blog after midnight.) the t.v. i can turn off - people and my thoughts...that is a bit harder. where is the balance between accepting too much input and holing yourself away and experiencing none.
this is a critical thing to ponder when i put it in real context - that of my quiet time and my prayer life. when there are so many people and so much stimulation it is hard to get away and consider prayer. friends are so much 'easier' to talk to than God. o.k. - i get it, that is a funny thing to say...but my external processing mechanism seems to work with people, where it seems to just be additional internal processing when i pray UNLESS i can stop the other input and focus on the Father. but will i take the time to do so?
one thing is certain to me about the lessons i learned in the D.R. - i will only retain them as long as God remains my focus and my anchor. input and images become idols as soon as they de-seat the Father from the throne He deserves. one of the ways that happens in my life is through over-socialization. being busy socially fills my felt need for quality time with the Father. i recognize that not everyone is built the same way i am; some folks do not replace God with other folks. maybe it is the particular burden of external processors to seek advice from others when they should be spending time with the Father. *shrug* i dunno, but i do know that people, in some form or other, often become my idols.
it is an amazing testimony to my sinfulness that i can known this, and still choose to do what i know is not good for me, nor best, nor most pleasing to God. even as I type this i can think of half a dozen things that i would rather do than quiet my heart and go before the Father. it is really all about instant gratification - talking to others makes whatever issue or topic i am discussing seem more manageable and meaningful. i think this is a valuable tool but i also think it can keep me from what 'feels' like a less prompt pay-off, namely prayer.
God has not shown Himself to be on my schedule so far in my life. usually when i bring something to Him he does not provide an apparent(ly positive) answer to my inquiry in anything that would look to me like a timely fashion. God works according to His own schedule, and that makes me want to dig in my heels and chat with folks who (if from no other reason than politeness) have to respond to me in some way immediately. in fairness, however, were God to write on my wall the answer to whatever inquiry i have brought before Him undoubtedly i would have rationalized it away or argued its interpretation to the point that it was no longer divine at all -- but just as mundane and unknowable as the future always feels from the present.
time management is the beast i have yet to slay. the land i have yet to conquer. (more on the 'land' idea later.) perhaps, how i handle my time is the thing i need to be spending the most time handling -- especially in prayer. so here i go - with less than worthy excitement but more than priceless need to take my concerns (from lesson retention to time management) before the Father to ask Him to bless me though I am undeserving and teach me though I am slow to change.
Friday, May 23, 2008
Our light and momentary afflictions
sometimes we have moments in our lives that we realize that the frustrations and even the sincere pains that we experience are really just moments of inconvenience in the perspective of eternity. we are surrounded by a world of pain and hopelessness; situations so far past our ability to understand and cope with that we shake our head speechless with wonder. we know that these things pass and that new struggles will replace them. we know that sometimes our struggles leave deep scars or spaced of emptiness in our lives and in our stories. this knowledge does not lessen the pain, but it also does not have to increase it. and I am thankful for the times that I realize that the cross that I have taken up willingly is the exact one crafted to fit most easily on my back and shoulders and that there is no shame in carrying with humility and with intention. I have been given only what God intends to provide for and no matter the horror of it, or the disappointment or the incomprehensible pain - whatever the trial, it is but a momentary and light affliction compared to the glory of walking in relationship with my Savior.
Thursday, May 22, 2008
The last three weeks
I won't bore all 5 of you with the details of the difficulties of life here, it is just more of the same. The immediate effect is that I had to change the address of my blog because certain people in positions of authority have been using their ability to access it to harrass me about my struggles and prayer requests etc.
The election was last Friday, and it went very smoothly. I have taken pictures and want to write more, but am swamped with finishing school.
I also want to update about my classes, how much I love my kids here, etc. But that too will have to wait! So check back later and I will describe all in more detail.
The election was last Friday, and it went very smoothly. I have taken pictures and want to write more, but am swamped with finishing school.
I also want to update about my classes, how much I love my kids here, etc. But that too will have to wait! So check back later and I will describe all in more detail.
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