It was a hot Oklahoma day. The sand was deep on the red dirt road. My bicycle tires were bogging down in the sand. My 8-year-old legs were worn out from our 6.5-mile-one-way trip to Yost Lake. It sounded like a great idea when my older brother suggested it. “Let’s ride out to the lake and back.” I think the temperature peaked out that day at over 100 degrees. When we were in eyesight of the lake, our dog Lucky headed straight for it and without hesitation dove in the water to cool off. The swimming beach was on the other side of the lake. At that time it cost $0.25 for non-members to enter. My brother and I did not have the quarter to pay, nor did we have our swimsuits with us. But the entrance guard was a friend of ours so he gave us some cool water to drink and let us sit in the shade of his guard shack to cool off a little while. Then we headed back home. Whenever we hit the thick sand, I did not have the momentum to keep the bike going. As a result, I had to get off and push my bike through the sand. I was exhausted and frustrated from pushing my bike. My brother was frustrated with me for not being able to keep up. He had the strength to keep going through the sand. I didn’t have it. A little ways down the country road we came across the railroad tracks. The railroad tracks formed the hypotenuse of a right triangle with the country road and highway as the legs. My brother had a great idea. “Let’s take the railroad tracks back. It’ll be a lot shorter.” He had no problem negotiating the railroad ties. I couldn’t do it. Now instead of pushing my bike through four miles of occasional deep sand, I was pushing it
constantly on railroad ties. I was hot, tired, frustrated, crying and grumbling against my brother.
I think, that was a day that I could identify with the Israelites. They had been almost a year and a half in the desert. The spies returned home with the news that while the land was indeed a land of milk and honey, the inhabitants were giants. Sitting camped in the southern Negev desert, they were hot, tired,dirty, and frustrated. They did more than a little grumbling against Moses. Joshua and Caleb sought to intercede for Moses and Aaron. The congregation picked up stones to kill Moses, Aaron, Joshua and Caleb. They would have done it too, except that at the last moment God let His glory appear. He was ticked. They had not just rebelled against Moses, but against the Lord. Ever wonder what His glory looked like when it appeared? Whatever it looked like, it was scary enough to stop the mob action dead in its tracks. They learned a new form of the fear of the Lord.
Do you suppose the children of Israel could hear the conversation which transpired between Moses and the Lord? When God appeared in His glory, why did He threaten to kill all the Israelites? He knows the beginning from the end. He knew that He was not going to kill them. Why did He threaten this? I think He wanted to instill a greater fear of Himself in the Israelites, and He wanted to teach us the importance of intercession for others, even those who would kill us. Jesus modeled that intercession upon the cross when uttered, “Father, forgive them for they know not what they do!” Stephen modeled it when he was dying and cried out, “Lord, do not charge them with this sin.” Moses, unlike Jesus and Stephen, was spared death at this point, and he was successful in interceding for them! What was his appeal? It was God’s own glory! After all, what kind of glory would it be if God took them out of Egypt only to kill them in the desert? This incident is recorded to cause us to know the importance of His glory!
The Israelites also heard the delayed sentence which was pronounced upon them. Everyone, except Caleb an Joshua, twenty years old and older would die in the desert never being able to enjoy what should have been theirs. So what importance do you think we should put on the glory of God today? I should put my everything upon it! Life may feel like I
am bogged down in the sand. I may feel like I am pushing a bike across railroad ties. I may feel like grumbling against my brother. But remember,He wants to show His glory not only to me but also in me. So keep on pushing! He will show it! Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john
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PSALM 125
Last summer Jesse and I possessed the good fortune to stand in the midst of the city of David. It certainly is not the highest peak around. The Mount of Olives towers to the east. Mt. Moriah and Scopas tower to the north. Other peaks loom on the west. To the south reach peaks, which on the other side lays Bethlehem. I suppose that those mountains afforded some protection for the city of David. But I guess the issue is not how much protection the mountains provide, but that they surround the city. As the mountains surround Jerusalem, so the Lord surrounds His people. He surrounds me.
Because He surrounds me, the rule of the wicked cannot remain in my life. He will not allow it. The wicked may touch and rule elements of my life briefly, but it cannot rest there, for evil cannot remain in His presence. He will cause the wicked to leave in order keep me from falling into his snare. Sometimes it feels like evil surrounds me completely, but if I look out into the distance, I see His peaks towering in the distance. He still surrounds me. He still is working to remove the scepter of the unrighteous from my life. He won’t let iniquity rest in me. Now that is glory! Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john
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ISAIAH 36
The Rabshakeh was partially right. Hezekiah had torn down some altars. Listen to 2 Kings 18:4:
He removed the high places and broke the sacred pillars, cut down the wooden image and broke in pieces the bronze serpent that Moses had made; for until those days the children of Israel burned incense to it, and called it Nehushtan.
First, Hezekiah removed the high places. So what is so wrong with having high places? Originally, the Lord had instructed the people that they should only bring their sacrifices to the door of the tabernacle. (See Leviticus especially chapter 4.) The purpose for that was so that the Levites and Priests could instruct the people in the knowledge of the Lord. But in a day when travel was mostly by foot, going to the tabernacle was too difficult to spend days travelling in order to worship the Lord. I am sure it was much easier to incorporate some of the ways of the Canaanites to worship Yahweh. Why not just worship the Lord where it was convenient. Why not just worship the Lord on a nearby hill or mountain. After all, the hills and mountains are closer to the heavens. Why travel for days to the tabernacle? So, many began sacrificing, as did their neighbors, on the high places around them.
Second, Hezekiah tore down the altars. Centuries before when the children of Israel needed something to help them focus upon the Lord at their high places, what were they to use? Well, their neighbors used poles to help them worship. The poles represented the male sexual organ. The reason for that symbol was to represent fertility. What they wanted more than anything else was for God to bless them in their fields, fertility. That was the road to health, wealth and prosperity. If Yahweh was the true God, would He not be the one who blesses them with fertility. But they had not been coming to the tabernacle to be taught by the Levites and Priests. Consequently they did not believe that they were transgressing the Lord’s commands, particularly the one found in Lev. 26:1-2:
‘You shall not make idols for yourselves; neither a carved image nor a sacred pillar shall you rear up for yourselves; nor shall you set up an engraved stone in your land, to bow down to it; for I am the LORD your God. 2 You shall keep My Sabbaths and reverence My sanctuary: I am the LORD.
It is not clear how much the people understood of Hezekiah’s righteous acts. But it is clear that he understood his acts. As the enemy always does, he twists the righteous acts and teaching of a man to cause ‘believers’ to turn on the truth. The Rabshakeh points out that Hezekiah has torn down these altars and poles. And he uses that knowledge to threaten the people of God. The Rabshakeh had defeated all of the Northern Nation of Israel. He had invaded most of the Southern Nation of Judah and now surrounded Jerusalem. What would the people do? What would Hezekaih do? The Rabshakeh appeals to them to use common sense and surrender to him. Can Yahweh truly deliver?
Today the Enemy has surrounded the church. The church has in many senses fallen into the way the world worships. We use it to approach our holy God. What do we do? If it is not of God, it should be torn down. If we do not, He will, Lev 26:30,31. How can we discern what is of God and what is not? The leaders on the Jerusalem wall said not a word. They took the Rabshakeh’s message to Isaiah. What would he do? He sought God for this was an issue concerning God’s glory! Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john
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LUKE 23:26-56
Have you ever been falsely accused? Everybody has at one time or another. Think back on that occasion. How did you feel about your accusers? How did you feel about the truly guilty ones? How did you feel in general? Did you even stop to think about what was going on in the minds of those around you including your accusers? If you did think about them, were they thoughts of forgiveness? My basic and usual reaction is defensive. Is yours? It probably is. But not Jesus. His thoughts were toward others.
Carrying His cross down the streets of Jerusalem, He collapsed beneath the load. I would have been having a major pity party at the time. Not Jesus. Women were mourning for Him alongside the street. He tells them their pity is misdirected. He knows of a coming day when the city will be sacked. His concern is for them. Before He came to the cross He was innocent, holy and pure. Before becoming flesh, He was the adoring focus of all the heavenly creatures and constantly proclaimed holy by them. Before His arrest He was protected by angels and ministered to by them. Now He hung between criminals, was mocked by the gawkers and abused by the soldiers. And concerning those He prayed, "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do." Hanging on the cross one of the criminals blasphemed Him. The other thief recognized Jesus' innocence. He begged remembrance when Jesus was to come into His Kingdom. (Now there is amazing faith.) Jesus promised Him that that very day they would be together in Paradise.
It is not recorded in Luke's Gospel, but it is in others. Jesus cried out, "My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?" Jesus felt that even God had accused Him. He had. But His accusation was just. The Father placed our sin upon Jesus and then condemned and judged Him. False? Yes and No at the same time. Sinner? Yes, in our place. Sinner? No, before this time, nor since. In the midst of the weight of the judgment upon Him against our sin He says, "Father, into Your hands I commit My spirit." The Father's true/false accusation killed Him. But He was willing to take it in our place. There is no hint of hatred or defensiveness in Jesus on the cross. Forgiveness and love flowed as freely as His blood. Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john
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