April 18

LEVITICUS 22
“Aliens are all about rules.” If you enjoyed Lilo and Stich, then you know what I am talking about. It would be easy, reading through the Pentateuch, to think God is all about rules. Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy sometimes seem like rule after rule after rule. But look at the oft repeated phrase from these books,

“32“You shall not profane My holy name, but I will be hallowed among the children of Israel. I am the LORD who sanctifies you, 33“who brought you out of the land of Egypt, to be your God: I am the LORD.”

But for this one recurring phrase, I might think that God is all about rules. A friend of mine, Corey, frequently says, “Every relationship has a set of rules.” Indeed that is true. I love my wife. I have never codified the rules we have for our relationship, but there are many, and rightly so. What kind of relationship would we have if I made love to other women? What kind of relationship would we have if I treated her like dirt, or she treated me like dirt? So with God, there are rules to a relationship with Him. The rules in the Pentateuch were established to give images which would guide the relationship between Yahweh and Israel for the next 1400 years.
Most people who would read this meditation have no problem with understanding the boundaries that need to be set in couple relationships. Yet as I have done counseling with a few couples who have had nothing to do with a holy environment (not brought up in church, never attended church or read the Bible), I am often struck by what seems to me to be an amazing lack of understanding of what should be obvious relationship rules which should be followed in a couple relationship. They instinctively get angry at their partner when those rules are broken, yet they don’t seem to recognize that those rules apply to themselves in order to foster a good relationship. They break the rules which protect a good relationship, but don’t recognize their own culpability. Unfortunately, I have had a few ‘churched’ people who paddle in the same boat.
But rather than focus on the rules today, I would like to focus on Him as the one who sanctifies us and leads us out of Egypt. The damage people do to one another by not following the relationship rules is lethal. It is filthy. It has to be cleansed in order for the relationship to be restored. So too in our relationship with the Lord, the damage we have done to our relationship with Him is lethal. It is filthy. It must be cleansed in order for our relationship to be restored. However, how do we cleanse ourselves? It is like trying to cleanse ourselves when we are in a desert with no access to soap or water. It just cannot be done. God knows. He takes the initiative to cleanse us. Can you imagine a man desiring to make love to a prostitute whose 100 previous customers were infected with AIDS, and then she rolled in a sewer before coming to the man? I don’t want to imagine it, but I believe that our sin makes us like that before our Holy God. It is impossible for us to cleanse ourselves of such filth. Yet his love for us is so great that He takes the initiative to cleanse us when we could not cleanse ourselves. That is what He means by, “I am the Lord who sanctifies you.” It is only right that in response to such great love that we should hallow Him and love Him back.
He also is the One who took them out of Egypt. Living in Egypt is a picture of slavery, of being bound in sin. My brother used to raise and show pigs at county and state fairs. For the show we would always wash the pig and groom it to make it look nice for the show. However, as soon as we had the pig back home, it would always head for the pond or mud. Why? The nature of a pig is such that to remain cool it must have wet skin. Hence, if it is warm, it will always head for a pond or the mud. A pig is in bondage to its thermostat. It must remain cool. We are in bondage to our sin nature. We feel a compulsion to sin. But Jesus will deliver us out of that bondage. He sets us free.
One would think that if we focused on His sanctifying power and His bondage breaking power, we would realize His awesome love, mercy and grace. Oh, that gives me such great hope! It tells me of His great glory! Indeed we serve a glorious King. Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john

PSALM 108
There were only 6 teams in the league. We played 10 games each season. We had a spring season and a fall season. In this soccer club, I was my son’s coach. That was kind of a laugh. At the beginning of the first game, I had never observed a soccer game in its entirety. The club had sent me to a coaching clinic to teach me how to coach youth soccer. It was a good clinic. It emphasized making soccer fun for the kids while teaching them the basic techniques for developing good soccer skills. There was a marked difference between what I was taught in the clinic and what I had experienced as youth baseball player. Yet there is still that competitive spirit in me that desires to win. While the years progressed, I progressed as a coach. I certainly wanted to make the experience fun for the kids and to help them increase their skills in soccer, but part of the game being fun is that you win on occasion. It’s no fun to be constantly beaten. In terms of win loss, the first season was a disaster. But I think we did win the recognition of the most improved team.
As the years progressed, the core kids on the team progressed along as a team. The kids improved in their soccer skills, and we began to win a little more. Most of the teams remained intact as we aged. There was one coach whose team I never could beat. I remember after the 4th or 5th time that his team beat us, it had been a very close game, instead of what had been a rout the first time we played them. I went to him after the game to congratulate him on another victory. I could not resist saying, “One of these days we are going to win.” He just smiled and walked on. A good coach wants his players to develop to their fullest potentials, and he wants them to win. He rejoices when they are having fun and are victorious over their opponent.
God rejoices in our victories. “I will rejoice (God speaking). . . over Philistia I will triumph. . . Through God (David speaking) we shall do valiantly.” When we are victorious, it is really His doing. Verse one says, “O God, my heart is steadfast; I will sing and give praise, even with my glory.” What is his glory? He would have no glory if the Lord had not worked through him. David is recognizing the source of his glory; it is the Lord. He trains us for life. He trains us for victory over sin. He trains us to triumph. If we respond to Him, He develops us to our fullest potential. He causes us to win for His glory, and He rejoices in it. That is His glory! Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john

Isaiah 16
Moab and Edom were ancient relatives of Judah and enemies as well. Moabites were the descendants of Lot, Abraham’s nephew. Six hundred years after the birth of Moab, his descendants were antagonistic toward Israel as they passed through Moab on their way to Canaan. They hired Balaam to prophesy against Israel. God, in the law, forbade any Moabite from entering the temple up to the fourth generation. This set the stage for a long history of antagonism between the two nations. During the time of the judges, a few Moabite kings severely plagued Israel. David’s grandmother, Ruth was a Moabitess. It was only by his mercy that the Lord allowed David to enter the tabernacle. David subdued the Moabites and they remained under Israel’s control for many years. Under the divided nation, Omri subdued Moab. But when the Syrians and Assyrians were hassling Ahab, the Moabites rebelled and gained independence. This incident was celebrated by Mesha king of Moab on the now famous Moabite stone on display in the Louvre. Ahab’s son Jehoram talked Jehoshaphat into helping him once again subjugate Moab. The King of Moab sacrificed his son to Chemosh in a last ditch effort to get the gods to support him against Israel and Judah. The sacrifice rallied the Moabite troops and scared the Israel & Judah troops, so the expedition failed. On other occasions the Moabites invaded Israel. When we come to the time of Isaiah, the Assyrians are conquering Moab. Yesterday and today’s passage is the prophetic lament of Moab’s defeat.
So where is the glory of Christ in this lament? “Send the lamb!” to Jerusalem is a command to make peace with Jerusalem for the purpose of gaining deliverance from the Assyrian invasion. Sela was the capital of Edom which later became known as Petra. It was a magnificent natural fortification. The Moabites had fled there to escape the invading Assyrians. If you have ever seen Indian Jones and the Last Crusade, you have seen part of Petra or Sela. It is the temple at the end of the movie where the medieval knight keeps guard over the Holy Grail. Verse five indicates that in the millennial kingdom the Messiah will bring justice and righteousness into the land. At that time Moab will be able to come to Him for relief from those who seek to destroy it. In the meantime, Isaiah says, “We have heard of the pride of Moab.” He has probably heard of what we call the Moabite Stone which boasts of its victory over Israel. Moab is warned to cease its boasting.
The enemy of our souls is at war with us seeking to destroy us. We have one hope of victory. It is the Lamb of God. He is also the One that will one day be seated upon the throne of David in Jerusalem. In the meant time we need to cease boasting in our own strength. We need to realize that we have no strength but His. Ours is an exchanged life. We die to our self in exchange for His life. Now that is glory! Moab illustrates those who cling to their own glory rather than the glory of Jesus. That is why I need to seek Him in His word every day. Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john

Luke 14:25-35
It Takes a Thief, Maverick, Mission Impossible, Ocean's Eleven, Ocean's Twelve etc. for some reason we love to watch TV shows & movies about ingenious ways of gaining something that really does not belong to us (better known as stealing). Okay, Okay, I used the plural we. Maybe I should have said, "I." Well even if you won't admit it, there must be others other than me, because these all made money from people watching them. Okay I admit it. I enjoy watching them because I want things that cost more than what I have.
Jesus offers us something that costs more than what we have. He offers us a relationship with Himself. In one sense it is free. In another sense it is not. He says, "Come, take up your cross and follow Me." Now there is only one reason to pick up a cross. It is so you can take it to the place of execution and be nailed to it. There you will hang until dead. Yeah that's right, Jesus wants to leave us hanging-until dead. It is a living death. Doesn't sound too pleasant, does it?
But what do we get in exchange? We get life. We get a moment by moment experience of His beautiful presence. Is it worth it? What little I have experienced of His precious presence in the midst of suffering, I would say, "I will do it all over again for His presence." Of course, I would say, "Lord, can't we do this without the pain?" But for some reason He says, "Not now." By faith I reckon that His life is worth more than this life. In the process of dying, He shows me more of His beauty. It is worth the cost. Have you counted the cost? He calls us to abundant life. But the path to abundant life is found through living death to self. Why would I want to do that? Because His glory is worth it! Danny Ocean might steal and connive his way into millions of dollars, but he loses it all when he dies. I might die to the things I wanted out of this life, but when this death is complete, I will have walked with the King of Glory along the way and I will have riches that cannot be taken away. Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john