Promises to Keep

Jephthah made a vow before God: “If you give me a clear victory over the Ammonites, then I’ll give to God whatever comes out of the door of my house to meet me when I return in one piece from among the Ammonites—I’ll offer it up in a sacrificial burnt offering.” Judges 11:29-31 ESV)

Promises to Keep

Jephthah, one of the Judges of Israel, should have known better.  First, he made a bad vow.  I really bad vow.  God had already promised the Israelites under Jephthah that the Ammonites would lose.  Why did Jephthah make this foolish promise to God?  It was unnecessary.

And even worse, it was a promise to God that Jephthah would do something terribly unrighteous.  As it happened the person who came out of Jephthah’s door after Israel’s victory was Jephthah’s beloved daughter.  But no matter who it was… God does not ask for, condone, or accept such human sacrifices.  Israel’s neighbors did such things.  But not God’s people.

And then, Jephthah actually KEPT that vow.  He murdered his daughter to keep his own wrongly-motivated vow.  Adding evil upon evil.

He should have known better.

But Jesus is the perfect leader.

He makes GOOD promises.  Helpful promises.  Gracious promises.  Loving promises. 

And then, He keeps them, because they are always just the right promises to keep.

We need a good leader, and that is Jesus.  We need a properly reliable leader, and that, too, is Jesus.

Strength

When the rule of Rehoboam was established and he was strong, he abandoned the law of the Lord, and all Israel with him. (II Chronicles 12:1 ESV)

Strength

Rehoboam was the anointed King of Judah, after Jeroboam’s civil war that split Israel into two parts. At first, Rehoboam raised an army to smash Jeroboam in his Samaritan capital, and maybe could have won. He had a huge army. And Jeroboam’s sinfulness would seem to have guaranteed Rehoboam’s victory.

But God sent a prophet to Rehoboam and told him to stand down.

King Rehoboam obeyed. (It is good to read of his following the Lord, despite his instincts, strategic sense,) But after his power in Judah was firmly firm… backed up, he probably believed, by the power of God… he changed.

Power does that to us.

We need leaders.

And human leaders, once they have strength, usually lean towards tyranny, Cincinnatus aside.

But not King Jesus.

Jesus actually DOES have strength, not merely strength delegated to Him by God. Jesus has all power and authority, and is the only one who could legitimately grab MORE and MORE power, and never be called a Tyrant.

But instead, Jesus uses His power for His people.

He is the leader we need. And He is the leader we have. Listen to Him.

Easy Choice

And the people, the leaders of Gilead, said one to another, “Who is the man who will begin to fight against the Ammonites? He shall be head over all the inhabitants of Gilead.” (Judges 10:18 ESV)

Easy Choice

We humans often end up with poor leaders.  In the case of the Judges of Isreal, Gideon was the ninth Judge.  And each of the previous eight failed the Lord in some way or another.

Certainly, the judges did excellent things.

But they were never enough.

The proof is in the continued end result:  God’s people again and again and again turned away from Him.  The judges were never enough for actual salvation.  They could not be.

Only one leader saves.  King Jesus.

This continues through the Old Testament.  Saul, David, Solomon, and all the rest.  Even when they did good things, were never enough.  They could not be.

Unlike the chanters at Christ’s trial… “we have no King but Jesus.”

This is not a political post.  It is a post that declares that whoever we claim as leader, whether through election, appointment, or tyranny… is never going to be enough.

So stop looking there.

We have no King but Jesus… and He is necessary and grand.

THE Clue

This Christian life is a great mystery, far exceeding our understanding, but some things are clear enough:

                        He appeared in a human body,

                              was proved right by the invisible Spirit,

                                    was seen by angels.

                        He was proclaimed among all kinds of peoples,

                              believed in all over the world,

                                    taken up into heavenly glory. (I Timothy 3:16 The Message)

THE Clue

In most mysteries, among the myriad of clues and evidence, there is usually ONE clue that connects the dots, clarifies the solution, and/or brings epiphany.  Lieutenant Columbo had his “AH HA” moment.  Scooby and the Gang suddenly saw behind the villain’s scary disguise.  Piorot observed that insignificant bit of data that his grey matter had collected.

Red Herrings abound.  But there is usually that ONE Clue.

I always wanted a secret decoder ring from a cereal box.  I do not recall ever having one.  But the idea of a cool ring that could be used to unravel mysterious messages seemed invaluable.

Living for Jesus is tough, at times.  God’s Way, while extravagantly amazing, sometimes is hard to understand.  We like things to make sense, but sometimes God’s requirements of us, and God’s actions in the painful parts of life, and following God’s instructions blindly is complex and difficult.

We want to understand His mystery.

And the only way to understand God’s mysteries is through Jesus Christ.  Every mystery in the Bible requires THE Clue to understand.  Every mystery in the Universe requires THE Clue to understand.  Every mystery in every situation requires THE Clue to understand.

Christ bridges the eternal with the finite.  Christ bridges God’s justice and mercy.  Christ demonstrates loving the unlovely.  Christ offers hope to the hopeless.  Christ entered darkness to bring light. 

We need THE Clue.  And He arrived, keeps arriving, and will arrive.

Presence of God

But will God indeed dwell with man on the earth? Behold, heaven and the highest heaven cannot contain you, how much less this house that I have built! (I Chronicles 6:18 ESV)

The Presence of God

God had told both David and Solomon that He did not need a place to dwell on earth.  It is enough, for God, to dwell in the hearts of His people.  Yet God instructed both David and Solomon that a temple should be built.

This is not a contradiction.

Rather, it points out that that God’s people need God’s presence more than God needs our presence.

And God knows that we need His presence.

God’s presence provides joy (Psalm 16:11), protection (Psalm 91:1); peace (Exodus 33:14); removal of obstacles (Isaiah 8:10); necessary rest (Matthew 11:28). His presence transforms us, fixes us, and burns away all unrighteousness and sin (Colossians 3:18)!

We need His presence.

But earth cannot contain Him.  In fact, heaven and earth cannot contain Him.  But Jesus can and does!

The temple was always only a temporary place, as beautiful as it was.  Only divine Jesus can contain our infinite God.

The nation Israel could not contain Him.  Only human Jesus, in the expanded kingdom of the Church can contain our saving God.

Jesus is necessary because only Jesus delivers us into the Presence of God, and the Presence of God into us.

Roads

Now may our God and Father himself, and our Lord Jesus, direct our way to you… (I Thessalonians 3:11 ESV)

Roads

There is a road nearby that I travel fairly frequently. That road seems closed more often than it is open. Finding an alternative route is frustrating, time-consuming, and disappointing.

I often have wondered why the civil engineers cannot seem to find a better way from north to south along that stretch of country-side?

I am sympathetic to their task, however. Sometimes roads are difficult to plan, create, and maintain. The landscape, geographic features, water patterns, and probably private property issues can make road-building problematic.

In life, too, some roads are tough to build. The chasm between broken hearted spouses makes for difficult road building. The walls we masoned in the past make for painful road planning. Heart highs and lows, rivers of tears, and the weakness of our hearts make some roads impossible for us to plan, build, and maintain.

But Jesus says, “I am the WAY.” He is the connector of the sundered. He is the direction in our life-journeys. He is the road on which we travel, uniting our sinful souls to our Holy God. And only He can do it.

Follow His road to the Father. Walk His road, obeying in (and through) Him. Travel His road that takes weary pilgrims Home.

His road is necessary… and His road is the only Way.

Free

To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood  and made us a kingdom, priests to his God and Father, to him be glory and dominion forever and ever. (Revelation 1:5,6 ESV)

Free

Before John saw visions of His future, and the establishment of God’s Kingdom in heaven and on earth, Jesus tells John some great news… more than that, it is necessary news.

Jesus frees us from our sins.

Because of what Jesus did in His life, His death, and His resurrection, sin does not hold us captive.  Even if you do not remember a ‘pre-Jesus’ time in your life, you WERE a slave to sin.  But Jesus freed every one of His people.

He took our punishment. He defanged Sin’s power.  He bought us forgiveness of our debt to God.

Nothing else gives that freedom.  Moderns look to political process, or economic success, or establishment of a safe place to find freedom.

But those things are just slavery in a different form.

Jesus is freedom because He paid, pays, and will pay for us.

This is the best news in the Bible.

And it is all because of Jesus.

Mysteries

…that their hearts may be encouraged, being knit together in love, to reach all the riches of full assurance of understanding and the knowledge of God’s mystery, which is Christ,  in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. (Colossians 2:2,3 ESV)

Mysteries

One reason modern folk like our phones is that it gives us the impression that we are connected with everything we want to know.  We can check the veracity of politicians or entertainers.  We can remember those things that used to languish on the edge of our mind.  We can determine definitions of words, mathematical formulae, and exact dates of events in the past.

Lately I have been struck with how often that magical internet leads me astray.  My searches are affected by my search parameters.  Information gleaned is just as likely to be incorrect as an old People Magazine, Readers’ Digest, or coffee shop lecturer.

At those moments of unsureness, I am reminded that Jesus knows, understands, and controls every unknown data point, every factual fact, and every unsolvable mystery in the universe.

Nothing (or no one) else is as reliable, inexhaustible, or goodly-in-purpose as Jesus.

We flounder in the dark, and He is THE source of light.  We fear in ignorance, and He is THE source of knowledge.  We admit we do not understand reality, and He is THE lodestone of all Truth.

Without Him, we know nothing.

Worthy

And some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, rebuke your disciples.” He answered, “I tell you, if these were silent, the very stones would cry out.” (Luke 19:39-40- ESV)

Worthy

Some of us praise a Football Quarterback, until they stop winning.  Some of us praise a political leader, until his humanity is revealed.  Some of us praise a culinary delight, until the price goes up.  Some of us praise our family, until they forget a birthday, anniversary, or food allergy.

We humans are created to praise someone. 

And we Christians have Someone who deserved, deserves, and will always deserve our praise!  In fact, His praiseworthiness is so absolute and obvious that Jesus says if the people stopped, the very created rocks would praise Him.

In fact, they actually are!

We should probably be concerned when we find ourselves praising a human too readily and easily.  We should probably be concerned when we find ourselves praising a geographical feature to completely and unabashedly.  We should probably be concerned if we find ourselves praising a philosophy, political view (or party), or idea too enthusiastically and blindly.

But we can praise Jesus!  Confidently, honestly, openly, gladly, and sincerely!  And we need that.

His Easy Yoke

…yet you did not return to me,” declares the Lord. (Amos 4:6)

…yet you did not return to me,” declares the Lord. (Amos 4:8)

…yet you did not return to me,” declares the Lord. (Amos 4:9)

…yet you did not return to me,” declares the Lord. (Amos 4:10)

…yet you did not return to me,” declares the Lord. (Amos 4:11)

His Easy Yoke

Everything that happens to God’s people happens to bring our attention, our devotion, and our love back to God where it belongs, ever since creation.  Particularly, chapter 4 of Amos’s book describes many things that happened to the people of God.  Troubles, trials, and tribulations.  Yet God notes, sadly, that they did not return to Him.

The pathway back to God, necessary ever since Adam’s rebellion, is hard.  That pathway involves humility, confession, profession, awareness, honesty, obedience, submission, and rejection of our own paths.

But there is an easier path… or as Jesus calls it, an easier yoke.

The Israelites needed the pathway of Jesus.  And God provided that path.  After failing century after century, the Messiah was THE way to return to God.  Everything else had been too hard, too painful, too impossible. 

God’s requirement has not changed.  The pathway to Him is exactly as it always has been.  It involves humility, confession, profession, awareness, honesty, obedience, submission, and rejection of our own paths.  And we cannot travel that pathway any more than the Israelites of Amos’s time could.

But the other path, the easy yoke, the Jesus Way is open before us, too.

But not because it is ‘another’ Way.  But rather, that Jesus takes the pathway for us.  HE is humble, takes our sins, causes our profession, is aware, is honest, obeyed, submitted, and follows Jahweh’s path… all the way to the cross, through the empty tomb, and to God’s right hand.

His easy yoke is necessary, and grand.

Too

Shamgar son of Anath came after Ehud. Using a cattle prod, he killed six hundred Philistines single-handed. He too saved Israel. (Judges 3:31 ESV)

Too

When the author of the book of Judges is what the judges did, he notes that Shamgar (and others) too saved Israel.

He writes this for two reasons.  First, there were a number of folk that God used during those tumultuous times to save Israel from enemies such as Moab, Canaan, Midian, and Philistia.  Each judge did amazing things, but then they died, and other one was needed to save Israel, too.

But the second reason is bigger.  Behind the scenes of every verse in the Bible is the Messiah, the Christ, the Word made flesh, Emmanuel.  And when each of those judges defeated God’s enemies, they did not do so alone. 

God Himself saved Israel.  But He used others of His servants to save Israel, too.

Not equal partners.  Not necessary additions to the power of God.  Not harnessed side by side as they fought for God’s truth.

But maybe (although it does not appear obvious in this verse and others like it), God is telling us that the Trinity saved Israel… and then almost like an afterthought… Shamgar did, too.

I am not meaning to belittle or insult the cattle prod wielding warrior. 

But no matter how skilled, brave, dangerous, and popular he was… he was a ‘too’ to the arm of Christ Jesus.

And this is true for us, too.

We are used by God to save His people… too.  We little Christs (Christians) speak His Words, demonstrate His love, follow His lead, do His acts, live for Him… too.

Without Him we aren’t anything.

With Him, we do His work, too.

Finally

Then the people of Israel cried out to the Lord, and the Lord raised up for them a deliverer, Ehud, the son of Gera, the Benjaminite, a left-handed man. (Judges 3:15 ESV)

FINALLY

When I was a child my mom baked a particular Christmas Cookie.  It was a golfball-sized ball of a particular dough, covered lightly with powdered sugar.  They were my favorite cookie.

Years later, when my taste-memory started to demand one of those cookies, she did not remember what they were.  I did know the ingredients.  My mom tried to bake them again for me, but never got it quite (or even close to) right.

I sampled cookies that looked like my favorites for many years, without success.  Some cookies were similar, but they never had what was just right.  I tried so many for so long.  I had almost given up.  But I knew what I wanted.  I knew what I yearned for.  I knew what I needed.

Then recently I found those cookies again.  At Walmart. 

I finally found what I had yearned for, and attempted. With each attempt falling short.

Those imperfections along the way had given rise to clearer understanding of my search parameters.  Those failures along the way had not imbittered me, drawing anger against other cookies… those failures instead made me rejoice more deeply when I found the right cookies.

God’s people…  we need a King.  And the kings and leaders that Israel were given fell short.  But rather than pout at those failing judges, perhaps they learned to yearn for the Right King.  And when He was born, God-followers rejoiced.  People like Mary and Joseph, the Shepherds, the Magi, Simeon, and Anna said, like I did on Cookie Day… “FINALLY!!!”

And our failing leaders, in whatever sphere, give us the same opportunity.  When our kings, and presidents, and congressmen, and mayors, and counselors, and pastors, and elders, and parents, and bosses fail us… look again to the King God gives us, and say again and again, “FINALLY.”

Jesus is the leader we need, and finally have.

Personal

When God, your God, throws the nations out of the country that God, your God, is giving you and you settle down in their cities and houses, you are to set aside three easily accessible cities in the land that God, your God, is giving you as your very own. Divide your land into thirds, this land that God, your God, is giving you to possess, and build roads to the towns so that anyone who accidentally kills another can flee there. (Deuteronomy 19:1-3 ESV)

Personal

The God of the universe is not, for Christians, a far-off all-powerful being. 

The God of the universe is not, for Christians, a god who does not know us.

The God of the universe is not, for Christians, impersonal, irrelevant, or ignorant of us.

Notice the repeated phrase in these verses.  It actually shows up more strongly in Hebrew.  God is not merely a God, He is your God.  God is not merely a nation-moving powerhouse.  He is your God.  God is not merely a provider for the world.  He is your God.

But not because of how desirable we are.   Not because of our value as skilled members of His team.  Not because He needs us.

But only because of Jesus.

Jesus, though His life, and death, and life, bridges the gap.  And He is the only bridge.

Jesus, through His life, and death, and life, gives us relationship with God.  And He is the only Way.

Jesus, through His life, and death, and life, makes God personal to us, and us to Him.  And Jesus is that person that makes Him personal.

Adoption

See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. (I John 3:1 ESV)

Adoption

I’ve had reason lately to think about adoption.  While I was blessed greatly by the parenting of my mom and dad, I was sometimes a little jealous of my younger brother.

He was adopted.

And occasionally it struck me that my parents were stuck with me.  Abortion not being an option, I was unexpectedly conceived and was born to my loving folks.

But my adopted brother… was chosen, and was parented by our parents almost because they went out of their way to welcome him to our family.

We are adopted children of God.

Without that adoption, we would remain outside of His family.  We would not be chosen by Him, loved by Him, provided for by Him, and redeemed by Him.

And that fantastic adoption only happened because of our brother, Jesus Christ.

Without His sacrifice, without His transference of familial relationship, without His embracing of us through His love, we would not be God’s children.

Jesus is necessary for our necessary adoption.

Humility

Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus,  who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, (Philippians 2:4-6 ESV)

Humility

I once had a conversation with an honest arrogant man.  He declared that he wanted to be humble, that he knew that he should be humble, that he could see that being humble would give rise to blessings.  But he said:

“I just can’t do it.  I can’t be humble.”

It IS hard to be humble.

But perhaps if that man had better understood Jesus, he might have been able to grasp humility.

Jesus Himself, alone among people, had every right to be proud, arrogant, and self-centered.  But instead He chose humility.  He chose to put the interests of others above His own.

And we can follow Him.  He gives us His example.  And He empowers us to imitate Him.  No one else, nothing else, no other way gives His people an avenue to amazing humility.

I know it is amazing because Jesus did it.  I know it is a blessing because Jesus did it.  I know it is admirable because Jesus did it.

Jesus alone did it.

And only with our eyes only on Him, can we be humble.

Choices

And if it is evil in your eyes to serve the Lord, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served in the region beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell. (Joshua 24:15 ESV)

Choices

My dog does not always want to go outside when I ask him the phrase, “wanna go outside?”  But he is trained.  He sulks, walks slowly, and finally stands ready for me to open the door.  It SEEMS like I am asking him a question, but I am not really giving him a choice.

He is just a dog.

And while King Jesus has every right to demand that we do what HE wants us to do, He surprisingly gives us a choice. 

But Jesus is amazingly kind and understanding.

Predestination aside, Jesus gives us choices.

Not because we can outsmart Him, or out guess Him, or out maneuver Him…

Not because we know more than HE does what is best for us…

Not because we have some power over Him that He bows to in giving us choices…

But because He is THAT powerful, THAT loving, THAT wise, and THAT undemanding…

The Israelites were given choices… and the choices they made did not turn out as they expected.  Yet their choices led to the Messiah, sin’s defeat, death’s end, and the Kingdom of God being fully manifested.

Jesus shows His power by giving us choices that no one else would or does.

Jesus shows His love by giving us choices that no one else would or does.

Jesus shows His providence by giving us choices that no one else would or does.

He alone gives us freedom, and guarantees that our freedom will lead us to Him.

Endurance

For the day of the Lord is great and very awesome; who can endure it? (Joel 2:11 ESV)

Endurance

Our windchill was negative 21 degrees. 

Driving and RV through a Colorado pass one winter, I lost visibility for nearly 30 minutes.

DeAnne and I were both unemployed in the months leading up to our wedding.

While doing touristy things with a friend in Sydney, Australia, we ended up walking after dark through a druggie-occupied, high-murder spot.

I survived them all.

Statistically, these were dangerous situations.  But I am Christ’s adopted sibling. 

There is no guarantee that I wouldn’t have had tragic harmful results in those situations.  BUT there is a guarantee that Jesus (as well as the other persons of the Trinity) is it work in my life and the world in the exact way that I needed.

The prophet Joel describes a horrific invasion aimed at God’s people in his day.  When he asks, “who can endure it?”  he knows the answer.

God’s people can endure.  And God’s people will endure.

And that endurance is what Jesus guarantees us.  That endurance is what Jesus alone guarantees.  That endurance is what Jesus alone guarantees because only He is powerful enough, loving enough, knows enough, and is present enough to enable us to endure.

We do not endure through our knowledge, skill, or devotion.  It is all Him.  If the verb tense would let us, we could say, in fact, that Jesus endures us.

Winning

What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is proclaimed, and in that I rejoice. (Philippians 1:18 ESV)

Winning

I once gave my allowance (an amazing 25 cents back then!) to an annoying neighborhood girl.  She had been following me around for days, and I wanted her to leave me alone.  In desperation, I gave her my allowance so she would toddle off to the local corner store. 

My mother observed, and praised me for my generosity.  But she was incorrect.  I was not generous.  My donation to Roxanne while on the surface commendable, had utterly selfish motivation.

Our motivations are often less than stellar.  Even when we perform a kind act, it is often for personal gain.  Even when we help someone, we maneuver for praise.  Even when we act unselfishly, we do it for selfish reasons.

But do not despair.

Because one of the amazing things Christ does is take our poor offerings, and use them for His glory.  No matter our poor efforts, unwilling choices, or selfish motivations, our King Jesus will still win.  His Kingdom comes.  His will is done.

In no other relationship or situation do our failures get turned into victories.   But Jesus does that for us, in us, through us, and in spite of us.

His gracious and merciful forgiveness actually extends to using our sinfulness to accomplish His amazing plans.

He always wins.  And He pulls us along with Him.

Ally

And he said, “If the Syrians are too strong for me, then you shall help me, but if the Ammonites are too strong for you, then I will help you.  Be strong, and let us use our strength for our people and for the cities of our God, and may the Lord do what seems good to Him.” (I Chronicles 19: 12,13 ESV)

Ally

In warfare, it is good to have an ally.  King David’s two commanders agreed to help each other, if needed, in Israel’s war against the Ammonites and the Syrians.  Alone, each would have failed, but a trustworthy ally bolstered their confidence, and the battle was won.

Interestingly, we might deduce that since the Lord did what seemed good to Him… it seemed good to the Lord to use allies to help.

We might not be fighting dastardly Ammonites, and treacherous Syrians, but we do fight God’s enemies.  And like David’s commanders, we look for allies. 

The most reliable of all allies, the most helpful of all helpers, the most sure source of assistance is our sacrificial Lord, Christ Jesus.

In whatever area we need help, Jesus will not forsake us.

In whatever struggle we hurt, Jesus is with us.

In whatever battle we fight, Jesus is our ally.

No other ally is loving enough, strong enough, able enough, or willing enough.

Christians need an ally.  And we have one.

Enthusiasm

And as the ark of the covenant of the Lord came to the city of David, Michal the daughter of Saul looked out of the window and saw King David dancing and celebrating, and she despised him in her heart. (I Chronicles 15:29 ESV)

Enthusiasm

We do not know much about Michal.  She might have been a kind, loving wife to David.  But at the least, there is one area she fell short.

She mocked his enthusiasm.

I once performed a Kenny Rogers song in front of my school.  I did it a little humorously, and it seemed that everyone was laughing in a pleasant way.  Later I found out that they were laughing because I was over-enthusiastic in my presentation.

I have a friend who snorts when she laughs.  We do not mean to, but whenever the group is laughing, we end up laughing at her wild nostril noises.

When cameras scan a sporting event’s audience, the camera seems to find those fans who are most enthusiastic, even to the point of silliness.

We frequently mock enthusiasm.  And we therefore push down creativity, honest reactions, and open emotions.  Perhaps particularly in worship.

But Jesus never mocks our enthusiasm for Him.

He rejoices at our unabashed worship.  He is pleased when we worship Him with all our heart, all our mind, and all our soul.

It is good that He is so worthy of our worship… because only He will gladly receive it.