365 Reflections

When life gets difficult, God goes on trial. Why is this happening? Where is God when it hurts? What is the point of this suffering? Why is life so unfair? That is the issue at stake in Ezekiel 18. During their early years in exile, the people of Israel started to question God’s fairness. If the nation sinned in the past, why should the children of that nation suffer in exile for 70 years? Chapter 18 opens with God asking them about a proverb they invented about children suffering for the sins of their fathers. Ezekiel 18:2–4 (ESV) “What do you mean by repeating this proverb concerning the land of Israel, ‘The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the children’s teeth are set on edge’? 3 As I live, declares the Lord GOD, this proverb shall no more be used by you in Israel. 4 Behold, all souls are mine; the soul of the father as well as the soul of the son is mine: the soul who sins shall die. Every generation has this sort of question. Why should I suffer because of the poor choices of ...

Deuteronomy 24:17-18 (ESV)   “You shall not pervert the justice due to the sojourner or to the fatherless, or take a widow’s garment in pledge,  18 but you shall remember that you were a slave in Egypt and the Lord your God redeemed you from there; therefore I command you to do this. Oh how much better we may treat one another if we all remembered that who we are is the result of God's grace and goodness. Israel was given many laws regarding how to treat each other in Deuteronomy. Here in chapter 24, all of the laws are horizontal in nature. Do not take essential items in pledge. Do not kidnap and slave trade another human being. Leave lots of leftovers from harvest for the poor. Let the punishment fit the crime (Deuteronomy 25). The interesting thing about this particular set of laws is that right int he middle of the list is a call to remember where they came from. The Lord redeemed them from slavery in Egypt. Yet how did they get to Egypt in the first place? B...

Deuteronomy 19:7–10 (ESV) Therefore I command you, You shall set apart three cities. 8 And if the Lord your God enlarges your territory, as he has sworn to your fathers, and gives you all the land that he promised to give to your fathers— 9 provided you are careful to keep all this commandment, which I command you today, by loving the Lord your God and by walking ever in his ways—then you shall add three other cities to these three, 10 lest innocent blood be shed in your land that the Lord your God is giving you for an inheritance, and so the guilt of bloodshed be upon you. I have already spoken about the cities of refuge mentioned in Numbers 35 and how they serve as a type of Christ for sinners to avoid the wrath of sin and how at the death of the high priest, the man slayer might return home. So too in Christ, we have the right to return home since our high priest has died for us. Here in Deuteronomy God gives Moses an additional command concerning the cities. Remember ...

Impartial Judges, Respected Priests and Humble Kings were to be the marks of the governing bodies of ancient Israel. When we read Deuteronomy 16-17 today, we have come to expect that God's standards are such. But we must put ourselves in the position of Israel. They were saved from a nation who worshipped their king (Pharaoh) and lived luxuriously off the backs of Israeli slave labor. They saw the priest fawn over Pharaoh and do his bidding, they were familiar with judges who had one rule for Egyptians and one for Israel. They also would have been familiar with the nations in Canaan who most likely lived similarly in such matters pertaining to their governance. What we find in Deuteronomy 16-17 is nothing less than the most unexpected code of conduct for an ancient people concerning their national policies. Today we herald these values as essential to a thriving country. They come from the Nation God founded and freed. First, Israel was to have impartial judges. Deuteronomy 16...

Numbers 16:43–47 (ESV) And Moses and Aaron came to the front of the tent of meeting, 44 and the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 45 “Get away from the midst of this congregation, that I may consume them in a moment.” And they fell on their faces. 46 And Moses said to Aaron, “Take your censer, and put fire on it from off the altar and lay incense on it and carry it quickly to the congregation and make atonement for them, for wrath has gone out from the LORD; the plague has begun.” 47 So Aaron took it as Moses said and ran into the midst of the assembly. And behold, the plague had already begun among the people. And he put on the incense and made atonement for the people. In this strange moment we see something revealed through Moses to teach us about Jesus. Incredibly, after the Earth opens and swallows the rebels from the beginning of this chapter, the people of Israel have the audacity to complain against Moses for "killing" the Lord's people. How unreal.  The Lord ...

At the end of Leviticus 24 is a curious story about a boy who blasphemes the name of God. Leviticus 24:10–12 (ESV)   Now an Israelite woman’s son, whose father was an Egyptian, went out among the people of Israel. And the Israelite woman’s son and a man of Israel fought in the camp, 11 and the Israelite woman’s son blasphemed the Name, and cursed. Then they brought him to Moses. His mother’s name was Shelomith, the daughter of Dibri, of the tribe of Dan. 12 And they put him in custody, till the will of the Lord should be clear to them. Why is this here? And how does it relate to the passage to come about the legal system God enacts called, "lex talionis" or "eye for an eye"?  The first thing this passage reveals is more information as to Israel's relationship with Egypt. We have a mixed marriage. An Egyptian man took a Hebrew slave as his wife and produced offspring. Then perhaps that man left Egypt with the Israelites out of fear of the Lord? We can...

Hurst will happen. We cannot avoid them. Psalm 94 is a call for the God of vengeance to do something about the harm being done to His people: Psalm 94:1–2 (ESV) 1 O Lord , God of vengeance, O God of vengeance, shine forth! 2 Rise up, O judge of the earth; repay to the proud what they deserve! Psalm 94:5–7 (ESV) 5 They crush your people, O Lord , and afflict your heritage. 6 They kill the widow and the sojourner, and murder the fatherless; 7 and they say, “The Lord does not see; the God of Jacob does not perceive.” Some people are awful. We see them in the middle east and on the streets of America's cities. People who don't give a care about God and act like His rule is a myth. They can drive us crazy if we let them. Psalm 94 is a better response. Instead of getting mad at those who do wrong, pray for the Lord of vengeance to shine forth, rise up and judge. There's a reason why God's vengeance is called for. Because we tend toward R...

It's very easy to misread Psalm 82. The opening line sounds like the Psalmist is going to lament to God... but that's not the case.... Psalm 82:1–2   God stands in the divine assembly; he administers judgment in the midst of the gods. 2 “How long will you judge unjustly and show favoritism to the wicked? Selah The key to understanding this passage is the understanding of "gods" in verse 1. Who are the "gods?" other divine beings? No. God wouldn't sit with them because they don't exist. He alone is the GOD of all. God is addressing the "gods" and speaking to them about their unjust favoritism. Jesus uses this Psalm when confronted with the leaders of His day. It was subtle way of pointing them to this Psalm and further the exposure of their sins. The "gods" of this verse are the rulers of nations and peoples, those who run the government, the church, the civic organizations that are supposed to help protect and se...

We are commanded NOT to repay evil for evil. Peter wrote: 1 Peter 3:9 (ESV) Do not repay evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary, bless, for to this you were called, that you may obtain a blessing. In that case, we have a clear contradiction in the Psalms: Psalm 41:8–10 (ESV) 8 They say, “A deadly thing is poured out on him; he will not rise again from where he lies.” 9 Even my close friend in whom I trusted, who ate my bread, has lifted his heel against me. 10 But you, O Lord , be gracious to me, and raise me up, that I may repay them! Now, of course the Psalmist is a human writing scripture from a human's perspective of feeling betrayed by a close friend. He wants to repay. We all do when friends turn against us. But this verse becomes clear when you realize that Jesus quoted verse 9 at the last supper in reference to Judas: John 13:18 (ESV) I am not speaking of all of you; I know whom I have chosen. But the Scripture will...

It is well known in Bible circles the phrase, "It is God's to avenge." It comes from Romans 12:19 which quotes it from Deuteronomy 32:35. God has been saying this to us for a long time. The reason why we are not to take revenge is because when God does it - we will be commanded to rejoice: In Revelation, when harlot Babylon is destroyed, this is God's command to his martyred saints: Revelation 18:20 (ESV) 20 Rejoice over her, O heaven, and you saints and apostles and prophets, for God has given judgment for you against her!” It may seem strange to rejoice over the collapse of anything. But to feel uncomfortable about it is proof you might not be aware of the damage sexual immorality and overabundance of prideful wealth can do to a nation...  Revelation 18:3 (ESV)   For all nations have drunk the wine of the passion of her sexual immorality, and the kings of the earth have committed immorality with her, and the merchants of the earth hav...

The depravity of mankind is overtly evident in Revelation 16. Judgment after judgment from God upon the Earth and all the inhabitants keep doing is turning away from Him or cursing Him in anger. These people who hated God's prophets and saints are getting what God deems appropriate. So records John: Revelation 16:5–7 (ESV) And I heard the angel in charge of the waters say, “Just are you, O Holy One, who is and who was, for you brought these judgments. 6 For they have shed the blood of saints and prophets, and you have given them blood to drink. It is what they deserve!” 7 And I heard the altar saying, “Yes, Lord God the Almighty, true and just are your judgments!” God is just. He is not going to let the murderers and destroyers get away with their abominable acts. We can take comfort from Revelation in this fact. The Bible is a long story of the sad state of sin brought upon the world by Adam and Eve. But the end is sweet redemption and justice. The justice of God is the...