Before jumping into my deep dives, I thought I would share some background. I decided to dive deep into one verse from each book of the Bible over the course of the year. It should take about 4-6 mornings to unpack the following:
• context (historical and biblical)
• connotations and denotations
• connections (verses around it and cross-references)
• character (God’s and mine)
• commission (how can I go out and do it)
I do hope you enjoy and I looked forward to feedback.
Then you will have success if you are careful to observe the decrees and laws that the Lord gave Moses for Israel. Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or discouraged.
1 Chronicles 22:13 (NIV)
https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1+Chronicles+22%3A13&version=NIV
When embarking on this year-long journey of unpacking a verse from each book, I got a little help from “Reverend” Google to find the right list. I really didn’t read the scripture before jotting each one in my Bible’s table of contents which meant I didn’t notice the pattern I was about to partake in. Let me digress for a moment before getting back to my point.
When it comes to memorization, my brain doesn’t always connect the scripture to their exact “addresses.” I am fairly “versed” at the Bible. However, unless I was giving a formal teaching, I find it a little pretentious quoting and citing with specificity. Maybe it is just my experiences, but I have often seen it as showboating. ‘Look at me, I memorized scripture’ .
To me, many in a casual conversation just want the Cliffs Notes version. When I am sharing the Gospel or having a conversation with other believers, I usually say things like “Somewhere in Matthew” or “I believe in Genesis it says” before giving them a gist of what God is sharing. I find that to be a little less in your face. Then, that allows room to encourage the listener to see for themselves. I’d prefer to leave the bowl, box, and milk on the counter, rather than “spoon feeding” an already made breakfast.
Digression over!
1 Chronicles 22:13 is the third instance (click on links to Deuteronomy and Joshua to see those posts) in this study where “strong and courageous” make an appearance – I didn’t plan that. This motif is making me think about a few things. While I feel I am standing on solid ground and ready to face challenges, I wonder if the enemy is bathing me with bravado. Am I putting on only a façade of faith? Maybe my relationship with Jesus is built with just veneer walls? Is the enemy providing the doubt now even as I write this?
There are so many questions. and that’s ok. Author and pastor, Andy Stanley of North Point Church in Atlanta, Georgia shared that “Doubts can be healthy, if we handle them in the right way.” In Genesis, we see the story of Jacob “wrestling with God.” I think this is a beautiful metaphor. We all wrestle with God in any given time of our life. In episode 14 of my go to source BEMA Podcast, Marty Solomon poses this idea:
Has he wrestled literally with God externally, or is the man saying “You’ve wrestled with God internally? The fact that you’re coming to grips with who you are, the fact that you’re coming to grips with your name and your identity, and the essence of how you’re living that out, that is where you’re wrestling with God in your life.”
https://docs.google.com/document/u/1/d/e/2PACX-1vQJcmP1_NGVpz2tS4oGFO5HpQNiNXRfNFEe2maNhdoTmf1sQdnQH1se_zym33UUwG7_Hl1ysxBqADI1/pub
This is some powerful stuff (if you are not listening to BEMA, I would highly recommend it). It is ok to have doubt, i.e. wrestling internally. I feel it makes us stronger in our faith. We can reflect upon where we are in our journey and then realize that we get to live out our faith knowing that God is there, always.
Strong and courageous, that is what God keeps reminding me. Since this is a formal teaching, let me quote and cite specifically one of the letters to Timothy:
for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.
2 Timothy 1:7 (ESV)
We combat our fears by knowing that God has given us the heart (see a previous lesson), the love, and the ability to manage ourselves in the most godly way possible. Be in the word and be of the word, not of the world. Know and understand what God is asking us to do. Pray on it often and remain steadfast in His wisdom. Doubts are normal, just don’t let the enemy control them. Let those questions lead you to the strength and courage we are reminded to have so many times in His word.
Before jumping into my deep dives, I thought I would share some background. I decided to dive deep into one verse from each book of the Bible over the course of the year. It should take about 4-6 mornings to unpack the following: • context (historical and biblical) • connotations and denotations • connections (verses around it and cross-references) • character (God’s…
“Doubts can be healthy…”
Incoherent ramblings today, that’s all this is
“Religion sucks; being religious is pointless.”
I can only grow, when I know
Because your heart was responsive and you humbled yourself before the Lord when you heard what I have spoken against this place and its people—that they would become a curse[a] and be laid waste—and because you tore your robes and wept in my presence, I also have heard you, declares the Lord.
2 King 22:19 (NIV)
https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2%20Kings%2022%3A19&version=NIV
I was thinking since the last post what this post would be about. Obviously its focus is on 2 Kings but what else would drive it. Honestly, as I type, I am still thinking 🤣
This verse’s central idea is repentance. Josiah realized the wrong of his people, showed humility, and began the process of restoration. The OT gets a real bad reputation for vengeance and wrath, yet it is a collection of faith, trust, and love as the last person one would consider helps restore the relationship the people had with God.
What will it take for society now to be restored? Who will be the least that helps bring the monumental most? The 1700s and 1800s had what historians call the “Awakenings” and as the latest faith-based blockbuster attests, the 1900s had the “Jesus Revolution.” Was Kentucky just a small catalyst to the colossal transformation that is to come? I hope so.
I think Josiah models here what we are to do. Tearing the clothes was a sign of humility. We must remember that many in these cultures did not have a wardrobe full of the latest fashion. What shall we tear away from that may be only limited in number? Do we give up our electronics? Personal transportation? TV? Our jobs? This is more than a 40-day fast as those clothes more than likely were never sewn back together.
I think the best line in 2 Kings 22:19 is “Because your heart was responsive“. A few posts back, I showed that Biblical Hebrew implies that the “heart” means the “will.” This line indicates that God had a plan and Josiah followed through. He let God’s will be done.
This post is a model for the dangers of being ill-prepared 😂. I am pretty sure this was more incoherent ramblings than scholarly work. There’s always next week!
Before jumping into my deep dives, I thought I would share some background. I decided to dive deep into one verse from each book of the Bible over the course of the year. It should take about 4-6 mornings to unpack the following: • context (historical and biblical) • connotations and denotations • connections (verses around it and cross-references) • character (God’s…
“Doubts can be healthy…”
Incoherent ramblings today, that’s all this is
“Religion sucks; being religious is pointless.”
I can only grow, when I know
and said:
“Lord, the God of Israel, there is no God like you in heaven above or on earth below—you who keep your covenant of love with your servants who continue wholeheartedly in your way.
1 King 8:23 (NIV)
https://my.bible.com/bible/2692/2SA.7.22
I become a teenager in the 80s, ok in the last year of it, but I think it still counts. While late to the game, my understanding of its opulent pop culture is pretty vast as I did live vicariously through my older sister.
Sometimes as I read God’s Word, infamous scenes from bubblegum flicks or lyrics from MTV gems “pop” into my head. Does that happen to you? I am not sure why it happens but I can only guess that it is God’s way of keeping His message relevant to me.
My wife often laments that she can’t keep track of my train of thought; honestly sometimes I can’t either. I had one while reading and unpacking 1 Kings 8:23. It mentions the “covenant of love” and you guessed it, I immediately thought of Huey Lewis! That led me on a search for what God is showing me. I came to this:
You don’t need money, don’t take fame
Power of Love – Huey Lewis
Don’t need no credit card to ride this train
I see a TO DON’T list in the wisdom this verse lays out. God was saying to me that there is nothing in the way of what He has for me. We don’t have to do a single thing for God to love us.
Last week, a person commented on a link of this blog that they “aren’t religious” and that they “don’t need religion.” I am sure they were hoping to offend me, as many keyboard warriors propose. I probably shocked her and will possibly some of you. I said that I agreed with her. Religion sucks; being religious is pointless. At this venture my readers, you are going, but wait, you write about God? use scripture? teach His word? You are correct. I think those things have nothing to do with religion. It is of my opinion that:
Some may be cheering and some may be jeering by now. I get it. Habits, even when they seem good are hard break. Some may even believe they were divine because someone told them it was in the Bible. Change is hard.
I know a beautiful soul who refuses to come to my church because it may offend her long dead Irish parents, but she doesn’t attend any church! Due to religion (instead of relationship) she thinks that she will feel some wrath. Since the message won’t take place in an ornate cathedral or that some systematic routine created by man won’t repetitiously be performed, she will anger her parents. I just keep praying and asking God to soften her heart and open her mind, eyes, and ears to His truth, and that she lays aside the guilt man lays on for not following made up rules.
My buddy and I used to play Nintendo (not Switch or Wii, but the real deal original). There was one game back in ’80s called Contra. The cool part about Contra was that you could achieve unlimited lives by pushing the following sequence on the controller:
UP, UP, DOWN, DOWN, LEFT, RIGHT,
LEFT, RIGHT, B, A, B, A, START
When you did the ritual, you always won the game, no matter what. All you had to do was follow a pattern programmed by man, to achieve infinite lives. Thankfully, God is not like that. He just wants to love and be loved. There is no sequence to follow to achieve our eternity but in that of His great grace and providence we get it.
Because of this “covenant of love” and the power that comes with it, we need NOT have to:
Because of this “covenant of love” and the power that comes with it, we GET to:
There is so much freedom by not being religious. In Philippians 3, Paul warns us of “those dogs” and that they spread a TO DO lists instead of RELATIONSHIPS. Elliot’s Commentary defines the “dogs” as the Judaizing party. These Judaizers, along with the Pharisees were religious. It was crimes against so-called religion that put Jesus on the cross. Why would I want to lay claim to being part of an institution that places things in the way of a meaningful covenantal love with our Creator?
Now, some may be saying “but what about…?” Yep, there are things we should do daily: pray, be in His word, fellowship, and share the Gospel. However, those are things that become GET TO DOs and not HAVE TO DOs…there is a huge difference.
I leave religion in the dust and put my faith in relationship. You should too. Think about this: a loving relationship inspires us to do more for the other, to get to know, and to grow. That is exactly what God wants in this Power of Love oops, sorry my train of thought again… I meant Covenant of Love.
https://twitter.com/66Verses/photo
I can only grow, when I know
‘For this reason You are great, Lord God ; for there is no one like You, and there is no God except You, according to all that we have heard with our ears. ‘
2 Samuel 7:22 (NASB)
https://my.bible.com/bible/2692/2SA.7.22
I co-teach a Bible 101 class on Tuesdays. This past week, we looked at the various versions of our beautiful living word and briefly discussed the difference between paraphrased texts like The Message and approximate translations such as King James. It is my belief there is no perfect version. To me, they are all perfect. Each has a purpose. So much so, even one of my class participants remarked that they had a better understanding because we read the same scripture from different versions. Whether translation or paraphrase, tackling more than one provided exactly what that person needed to get to heart of the idea.
Long preface to get to my point: I live in NIV because that is what my church family uses. I have, thus far, in my 66 verses journey unpacked from it. However, for 2 Samuel, like one of my Bible 101 participants, I noticed something in NASB that I didn’t see in NIV or a few other versions. Let’s compare:
“How great you are, Sovereign Lord! There is no one like you, and there is no God but you, as we have heard with our own ears.”
2 Samuel 7:22 (NIV)
‘For this reason You are great, Lord God ; for there is no one like You, and there is no God except You, according to all that we have heard with our ears. ‘
2 Samuel 7:22 (NASB)
I love the praise “how great you are” – it brings harmony; “For this reason…” – however, brings questions. Context is key when reading and understanding His word. One of my favorite teachers refrains:
“always ask what the ‘therefore‘ is there for.”
Pastor Kurtis Thompson, Revelation Church
For this reason, as written in NASB, is such an example. We must go back to the text before it to get what comes after it. God blessed David; that’s what we need to know to go forward. Here in 2 Samuel 7:22, David continues to praise and pray. and saying, “hey, gimme a temple and kudos for my stuff and my legacy.” These are the “for this reason” that David offers praises and thanksgiving.
Now, I am just going to leave these questions here to chew on for a moment…
God is a purpose-driven promise-keeper. David recognizes this in his prayer. Even though God did not allow the temple to be built, He still fulfilled promises for David’s house. God has reasons we cannot imagine. The Working Preacher shares this about 2 Samuel 7:22:
“David is a model…as he reminds us that God’s promises, gifts and grace cannot be understood as a formula or even a reward.”
Sara M. Koenig
We are to pray with expectations, but perspective is key. David is the exact teacher of this perspective. The previous verse supports this mindset: “...according to your will, you have done this great thing…” (part of 2 Samuel 7:21, NIV). When you pray, do you expect the outcome based on what you want or do you pray with expectation that God provides for what you need? I would be lying to you if I said I get this right every time.
What now? Well, just remember those questions I posed about blessings and legacy. I am sure that sort of reflection upon them will either bring warm tingles or a gut punch. Praise and pray often, with expectation of needed provisions – not receipt of wants. Next, move! I will give a nod to my pastor, Matt Grohocki “though we may never be ready, we must be willing.” My pastor is right, we move even when it is not what we expect. God is in control of our legacies and blessing, we just need to be open to what they are.
I will wrap up today’s post by paraphrasing Pastor Rick Warren’s thoughts on prayer. He shared that prayer is a mix of speaking and listening, but we tend to do most of the talking. I could plug in a million bits of scripture that say we need to do more listening but instead, I will turn to the great 90s poet, Rob Van Winkle. Rob, aka Vanilla Ice, remarked “stop, collaborate and listen.” Work with God, not against and let him do most of the talking.
https://twitter.com/66Verses/photo
I can only grow, when I know
As I was reading your preface I couldn’t help but think of my journey this year. I had a dilemma. I had a fellow Christian who seemed to me to be very legalistic. She felt I and others shouldn’t do something. I was like…. The Bible preaches unity and here I am with the Holy Spirit and there she is with the Holy Spirit but we have a difference of opinion…. Reminded me of your Bible versions. I think all are essential and some of us are more the message and others are more king James, but both are bibles….
7 But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”
1 Samuel 16:7 (NIV)
In Homer’s The Odyssey, the hero Odysseus is warned of an enchanted island and that he is to “steer clear of it, for the Sirens are beautiful but deadly.” While rarely does one think of Greek lore and mythology as a go to to explain God’s will, this tale fits so well. You see, God is not attracted to luring voices and external beauty, He has much more depth and greater insight than we can imagine. Our worldly selves steer towards outward appearances and sometimes that comes with consequences.
Isiah 55:8 reminds us that we must fit our everything into God’s agenda — not the other way around. So often we squeeze God in our day, overlooking the fact that it’s His day to begin with and by His grace, God allows us to be glad in it. Overlooking things is a pattern in our worldly selves.
Samuel, in chapter 16, was commanded by the Lord to find the next king. Like most of the world would have done, he was drawn to one of Jesse’s most attractive sons, Eliab. Samuel also used tradition of “behor” or first birthrights to dictate his decision. The text indicates that Eliab had features that reminded Samuel of Saul. He was tall and handsome and one could assume strong with commanding presence. Samuel would have easily overlooked all the other features of all Jesse’s sons.
What is it with man and our need to be surrounded by shiny things? The so- labeled: weak, weary, feeble, grotesque, nerd, geek, outcast, and so forth are rarely our go to’s. Think about the “Forbidden Favoritism” story told in the book of James. The rich man adorned in gold gets the front row seating; the poor man, we can assume wearing rags, must stand in the back out of sight.
Are we trying to deflect our own insecurities when we gravitate towards beauty? I wonder how many great leaders never emerged from their outer shell casted upon them by the world. Thankfully, Samuel gets schooled by God when he wanted to anoint Eliab. God was not looking for a great FACE, he was looking for a great FAITH.
The word that stands out most in this verse is the last one, heart. In Hebrew, it means soul, thoughts, emotions and in context it implies a willingness. It is this willingness to act, based upon what cannot be seen, is what we call faith. You know, because you know. You do, because something inside of you says it’s what is right. 1 Kings 8:39 shows that Solomon understood how the heart worked and that God is the steward of it. A simple math equation would look like this:
Each and every time you tackle the text, when you see “the heart” remind yourself that unless it is talking about the core, blood pumping organ, it more than likely means how the inner self exhibits faith through thoughts, emotions, and actions.
As we have heard many times over, we are all created in God’s image, a masterpiece if you will. In my opinion, I don’t really think that means our outward appearance. This verse proves it. I think it means that our unseen soul aligns with the Almighty God’s heart. We must let His will be done. We (and I do include myself) must be more worried about His presence and not ours or others presentation. Look for the next leader that is more concerned about grooming his or her insides than primping and prodding their worldly shell. Look for a leader that is not on some enchanted paradise, singing songs, and drifting you to their looks. Ironically, look for the next leader in the vast pool of the overlooked, just like Jesus.
https://twitter.com/66Verses/photo
I can only grow, when I know
[…] combat our fears by knowing that God has given us the heart (see a previous lesson), the love, and the ability to manage ourselves in the most godly way possible. Be in the word and […]
LikeLike
17 Where you die I will die, and there I will be buried. May the Lord deal with me, be it ever so severely, if even death separates you and me.”
Ruth 1:17 (NIV)
Flipping through my fount of subscription streaming services, I notice the latest romantic comedy staring Reese Witherspoon, Iman Vellani (from Ms. Marvel), and Tom Holland.
My brain says keep scrolling, but my fingers push play. I’m thrown off by the opening scene. It is weird that for a rom-com it starts off at a funeral. A young widow is being consoled by a grieving mother.
The next scene is one where a moving truck is helping to pack up a house and Reese Witherspoon’s character is getting ready to return to Alabama. So far, outside of a pallbearer tripping, not that funny. It did pick-up a little when Rauth, often called RayRay for short (Iman’s character) is begging to go with her mother-in-law. They start arguing, but in that funny banter kind of way. Amara (Reese) finally gives in and humorously, RayRay appears with all of her stuff already packed.
The fight was mostly over how “Bitty” (seems to be a very nickname-driven comedy) thought bringing her daughter-in-law to very old fashion Southern family would not be the right choice. RayRay could struggle to fit in the Bible belt being that she was Shite.
The moving truck leaves with Bitty’s car in tow. While a slow beginning, it started to get funnier. RayRay and Bitty get in an Uber with the worst driver ever, to the airport which made for a comical ride. RayRay has to absurdly get stripped search, and it played out well. It kind of reminded me of Mel Brookes-like satire by making light of profiling and bigotry. The flight was quiet and the ride to Amara’s hometown was uneventful.
Amara was welcomed with open arms, Rauth, not so much. It was clear that she was not welcome, being Muslim. I started to feel sad for her. Iman’s character came out as a sweet, generous, and devoted person.
A few days go by in this movie’s timeline. Being that Bitty’s family owned one of the largest farms in Alabama, it was only right that the two arrivals, get right to work. Enter Beaufort Forrest Long, one of Bitty’s cousin’s sons. He was the foreman of the farmhands and so, he was to oversee Bitty and RayRay too. Everybody called him Beau. He was the only person that seemed to pay any attention to RayRay with the respect and dignity she deserved.
Like most rom-coms, there is the typical flirtatiousness, the will they/won’t they, and of course the get together followed by the brief break up. Then a sense of homage to a classic where Beau is holding his iPhone over his head that plays In Your Eyes (an allusion to the famous scene from Say Anything).
She is slowly accepted into the community, especially after she gets saved and begins to follow Jesus. It ends with their marriage and an epilogue that has kids playing on a playground.
Well, about an hour and half of my life into it and it finally clicked. This was a story of devotion. First, RayRay was devoted to her mother-in-law, then RayRay became devoted to Beau, and finally, she became devoted to Jesus. It also had a tone of restoration.
I didn’t really watch a movie like this but I imagined after reading Ruth and focusing on v1:17, the whole story would make a great romantic comedy with a contemporary twist.
Ruth 1:17 is about devotion. It exemplifies a commitment to God, family, and relationship building even with people that are not your own. The whole story of Ruth shows that God is for everyone, not just for a select few. Ruth and Naomi represent the wondering people of Israel. Lost and waiting. They also symbolize hope and restoration.
In my unpacking this week, I noticed that English (Western) interpretation of Hebrew text continues to not do a good job of translating context and connections between certain words and stories. For example the word for separate is not heavy enough to imagine what Ruth is really feeling and doing. We see the word as split or two different parts. However, in Hebrew the word used is “Yaphrid” which specifically means to part from kin. Ruth is willing to remove herself from her heritage because of her devotion. Interestingly enough, she is a direct descendant of Lot, who “yaphrid” himself from Abraham and manned the city gates of evil and corruption. She is in fact, separating from generations of oppressive, paganist living.
She is a redeemer, reconnecting the family of Abraham by her act of stubbornness. If she was not persistent with Naomi, she would have never met Boaz, they would never would have had a grandson named Jesse and Jesse would have never had David. This list of faith-filled people goes on all the way to Jesus himself.
Just one simple act of faith can change the world. If you were in a movie, what role would you play, what lines would you say, what story would you tell, how would make sure you changed the world?
9 But when they cried out to the Lord, he raised up for them a deliverer, Othniel son of Kenaz, Caleb’s younger brother, who saved them.
Judges 3:9 (NIV)
A young family scrimps and saves for what seems like forever to buy land and build a house of their own. After finally achieving what they set out to do, constructing it, and moving into their house, they burn it down. That is Judges in a nutshell. The Israelites entered the promised land, mingled amongst the worshippers of Baal, and then systematically began to forget about God.
Dispersed between the sin and the self-sabotage is a beautiful story of God’s forgiveness and restoration. I feel we get caught up in the mayhem to notice this is a love story between God and his fallen people. The theme between each blog post, to steal from Marty Solomon and BEMA, is to TRUST THE STORY and God’s message is that He Loves Us.
Judges superficially seems so disconnected and irrelevant stationed in the beginning of God’s story. You have the Israelites settling in, but then only to became complacent, disobedient, and conform to the world around them. I will argue that this is not disconnected, but in fact, sounds like a familiar cycle. I can even say one that I been caught up in. About 15 years ago I got saved (reached the Promised Land), settled in (gained new insights and friendships), ventured into complacency (took for granted God’s presence), had a mindset that I could keep making bad choices (disobedience), and justified my actions and attitudes by those around me (conformity).
In Judges 3:9, Othniel is chosen to lead Israel. This verse shows us that God provides people in our lives that understand reverence, restoration, and righteousness. Othniel, born into a leadership family, trusted the story and made sure the message spread throughout.
What catches my eye in this verse is that the Israelites, after 8 years of conformity, masked as diplomacy, “cried out” and God came through. This is that cycle we all fall into. Things are going well, we become complacent and fail to appreciate God’s presence. We start to worship other idols, take our problems to Mark ZuckerBaal, and continue down a path of disobedience (even if unintentional). We compromise our relationship with God by doing the opposite of Romans 12:2. Suddenly, we become taxed by the same world were conforming to, thrown into a pit, and sold off to slave traders. It is in this place we cry out to God.
God’s character is strong in this verse. He is faithful, committed, firm, fair, and He answers prayers. He also hears our praises. Today I ask you to do THREE things: first, I challenge you to dig deep and praise God for everything. Make it a list of His accomplishments in your life and those around you. Next, find an Othniel. We all need that born leader who keeps Jesus in the center and who will help us in our downs, but ground us in our ups. Finally, remind yourself daily that you don’t have to ONLY be in a position of oppression to appreciate the presence of God.
7 “Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go. 8 Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. 9 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”
Joshua 1:7-9 (NIV)
Reading the Bible is a beautiful experience. There are many times where you get those wonderful feelings in the pit of your belly that awaken the Holy Spirit. Then, there are times you are reading and wonder if you are “watching” a repeat. You so swear that you just read that.
That’s on purpose…emphasis is God’s great tool. The phrase, “strong and courageous,” appears eleven times in the Old Testament. God’s instructions are clear: He asks us to show “amats” and “chazaq” i.e., the willingness and mental fortitude, to express our faith. The 1980s soft rock crooner, Richard Marx, said in a popular hit “I will be right here, waiting for you.” God is the I in everything. We have to be willing, not ready (for we may never be), but obedient to God’s tugging. Why? He will be right there with you in every battle we face.
What does he ask us to do before facing our battles with strength and courage? Meditate on the word. In Hebrew, the word meditate used in this verse doesn’t have anything to do with emptying one’s mind, as a contemporary definition would imply. It instead implies that we repeatedly reflect, in other words “chew the cud.” When cows eat, grass goes into one stomach, the cow regurgitates it, swallows, and repeats it. This aids in digestion. According to an article on the University of Kentucky’s ag school site, “Dairy cows spend almost 8 hours a day chewing their cuds for a total of almost 30,000 chews daily. It can be said that a content cow is one who is seen chewing her cud.” Imagine if every believer spent that much time committed to meditating on the word?
Joshua was heading into the next phase of his life and leading the next generation of Israelites into theirs. Yes, these are fairly the same words that Moses imparted upon the people before his passing. God provided emphases and exclamations with purpose. We may actually respond to one of them!
What is the result of obeying? If we are willing, steadfast in our actions, and meditating, the outcome, according to this verse is success and prosperity. The Hebrew context for prosperity is Seleah: which means to accomplish what is intended. As for success, that is a different than what we think it is.
I am not a math whiz, in fact, quite the opposite. However, strangely enough, I often see formulas and equations when reading the Bible. I call it Bible Math. This verse can be turned into one:
You see, success, is not about financial or relational security, at least not within Biblical factors. Success means reaching a level of wisdom God ordains.
“You were made to be courageous” as Casting Crowns canted. For sure, God reminds us 11 times in His word. Just Do It!
Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord, your God goes with you; he will never leave you, nor forsake you.
Deuteronomy 31:6 (NIV)
There is a thin line between fear and courage. My early seasons of life were spent volunteering for my local fire department. It was once said about bravery: “The difference between courage and fear is, fear would be the people running away FROM the fire, terrified; courage is the people running TO the fire, terrified.”
The Hebrew words used here in Deuteronomy (thank you spell check!) are amat (courage) and chazaq (strength). Interestingly though, they are both rooted in the same context. חִזְק֣וּ (ḥiz·qū) and וְאִמְצ֔וּ (wə·’im·ṣū) imply a steadfast, obstinate type of strength. If you notice, the writer (actually, the POET), does this twice. The next line shares “afraid or terrified” which from Hebrew we can take that both mean some sort of fear, based physical reaction. I am thinking the poet knew what they were doing. We cannot overlook that this is an Eastern writer writing to an Eastern audience. There is so much context lost in our Western approach to reading and analyzing text. Also, depending on the source, up to a third of the Bible is poetry and almost all of it is narrative prose. When you understand this, it is a game changer as you read the Bible. Your one and only job is to Trust the Story.
In Deuteronomy 31, Moses is sharing what would be a farewell address. Deuteronomy is a Greek word meaning “second law” or more specifically, the retelling of the first law. Moshe is preparing the people to enter the Promised Land without him. The Israelites have endured decades of “wondering” and self-imposed misfortune because they just didn’t trust the story (your job and mine!)
Immanuel! Immanuel! If in Numbers 23:19 we see God’s true character for the first time in print, Deuteronomy 31 is one of the first examples we see of God’s willingness recorded. He will stand by us, no matter what. That is absolutely evident in the Israelites. I sure hope the people were listening and the IRONY was not lost on them. They gave up on God at times, but He remained AMAT. They challenged his authority, but He remained CHAZAQ.
Let us not forget, He is the everything and all, wrapped up in ONE! Today is the day to live out knowing that he will never leave or give up on you. Amen!
God is not human, that He should lie,
Numbers 23:19 (NIV)
not a human being, that He changes His mind.
Does He speak and then not act?
Does He promise and not fulfill?
If Leviticus is about WORSHIP, Numbers is about WALK. As believers, we have two reasonable and responsible actions to participate in when it comes to our faith. First, we must love the Lord, our God with all we got (Matthew 22:37). Remember, love is a verb and our action is to worship, surrender, and love with our mind, body, and soul our Lord and Savior.
In Numbers, it’s about how we go about our faith, also known as our walk. We worship and then we model to others what worshiping God looks like. Verse 23:19 shares that God neither wavers, nor does he lie. His truth, His promises, and His actions are dependable, forever and always.
If we were to measure up to only half of what is in this verse, I think we would still be on track. Of course, we must aim for perfection, but understand and accept that along the way, we may get disappointed. Paul shares in Romans that we are in a vortex of sin that we cannot always break free from. This is what separates us from God. As our verse this week clearly claims, twice, I might add, God is not human.
In James 1:17, it states “every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.” God provides life for us to live in his light. We unfortunately let temptation get in the way and bring about our own darkness. There is hope. With the faith that Jesus died for our sins, we can live a new life each and every day. Aiming for that so-called perfection that is Jesus.
In the Christian world, we often hear the comparison of walk versus talk. I want to add a new mindset to ponder. Does your worship match your walk? Are your hands raised on Sunday and in your pockets on Monday? Two of the often most skimmed books in the Bible are actually the most vital. Both lay out a framework. One outlines loving and worshiping God and the other sets one up to go out and do something about it.
66 Verses 
Leave a Reply