A Double Portion of Grace

He said to them, "This is what I told you while I was still with you: Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets, and the Psalms." --Luke 24:44

The entire Law is summed up in a single command: "Love your neighbor as yourself."  --Galatians 5:14

A dear friend of mine studies numerology, and infuses meaning to everyday occurrences based upon the numbers with which they are associated.  For example, this year, 2015 in the Gregorian calendar, is also the year 5775 in the Jewish calendar.  The number "5" is repeated three times in those two sequences, or names given to the current calendar year.  "5" is the number associated with grace.  So my friend believes that this is the year of Grace, meted out in double- or triple-portion: Grace in giving, Grace in receiving, Grace in our relationships and in our business dealings and in our budgets.  This is the year, he believes, that God will truly open the windows of heaven and bless us abundantly more than we could ever ask or think.

So in my quiet time this morning, I was reading a passage in the Old Testament Law that reminded me of a New Testament story with which we are all familiar.  I will remind you of it here.

On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. "Teacher," he asked, "what must I do to inherit eternal life?"  Jesus replied, "What is written in the Law?  How do you read it?"  The man answered, "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind; and, Love your neighbor as yourself."  Jesus replied, "You have answered correctly.  Do this and you will live."  But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, "And who is my neighbor?" In reply Jesus said: "A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he fell into the hands of robbers.  They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead.  A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side.  So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side.  But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came to where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him.  He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine.  Then he  put the man on his own donkey, took him to an inn and took care of him.  The next day he took out two silver coins and gave them to the innkeeper. 'Look after him,' he said, 'and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.'  Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?"  The expert in the law replied, "The one who had mercy on him."  Jesus told him, "Go and do likewise."  --Luke 10:25-32

We have all heard this story from the time we were in Children's Church.  There was, indeed, mercy shown by the Samaritan to the Jewish traveler.  There are some deeper meanings, as well, that we may have learned as we grew in the Lord: that Samaritans were considered unclean outcasts by the Jews, yet this Samaritan man was more merciful than the priest and the Levite, who were Jewish religious leaders.  The concept of "neighbor" was effectively expanded to include many more people than just those who live and work in our community, but may also include strangers, as well.

But I want us to take a fresh look at this passage, maybe expanding the meaning a little bit, to show what law the "expert in the law" may have been thinking of as he heard this story.  We may get a glimpse, too, of the ministry and work of Jesus, as well as the character and grace of God.

The scripture I read in my quiet time this morning was from Exodus 21.  You will recall that the Ten Commandments are listed in Exodus 20: you shall not commit murder; you shall not steal; etc.  In the rest of the Torah, the books of the Law, there are some 630 laws that God set out for His people to follow.  The expert in the Law would certainly know all 630 of them, inside and out.  The one most appropriate to our story in the parable may be in Exodus 21:18-19.

If men quarrel and one hits the other with a stone or with his fist and he does not die but is confined to bed, the one who struck the blow will not be held responsible if the other gets up and walks around outside with his staff; however, he must pay the injured man for the loss of his time, and see that he is completely healed.

In the scenario that Jesus described, the ones He called "robbers" were guilty of striking the man, either with their fists or with a tool, such as a stone. Under the law, these men would have been guilty of murder if the man had died.  But if he did not die, according to the verse we just read from Exodus 21, they would not be held responsible (for his death), but would owe him compensation for his lost wages and his medical expenses.

When the priest and the Levite in the story came by the man and saw him, they may have thought of other laws in the Torah, the ones that dealt with keeping themselves ceremonially clean.  There are laws that said a man with open sores or seeping wounds was unclean, and that anyone who touched such a person would be unclean, as well.  A practicing Jew would not want to touch a woman who was on her monthly menstrual period, as during that time she was considered unclean and anyone who touched her would be unclean, as well.  So in order to remain eligible to perform his priestly duties, the Priest would not be in a position to help.  The Levite, on the other hand, was of the priestly tribe, but was not scheduled to do any priestly duties at the time.  The Law gave a schedule of rotating shifts where the Levites were expected to cleanse themselves and be holy for a number of days, then after their rotation in the Temple they were given a rest, so that other Levites could perform the priestly duties.  By helping the man, the Law says that the Levite would be unclean until evening, that he could wash his clothes and bathe, and that the next day, he would be considered clean again.  But in our story, he didn't want the hassle.

But nowhere in the story is anyone concerned about the robbers and their culpability.  No one but Jesus (and perhaps the expert in the Law) would be concerned about them.  Let me show you what I mean.

By giving the injured man assistance and medical aid (pouring oil on his wounds, giving him wine as an anesthetic or antiseptic agent), the Samaritan kept the man from dying, thus absolving the robbers from responsibility for his death.  Look at Exodus 21:19 again:  "The one who struck the blow will not be held responsible if the other gets up and walks around with his staff."  By taking the man to the inn and nursing him back to health, the Samaritan saw to his healing, absolving the robbers of the medical responsibility outlined in the law.  By leaving money to see to the man's needs (food, shelter, new clothes), the Samaritan made sure that the man was compensated for his loss, again absolving the robbers of that responsibility in the Law.  The last part of verse 19 says, "However, he (the attacker) must pay the injured man for the loss of his time and see that he is completely healed."

This kind act by the good Samaritan was more than just an act of mercy for a stranger left bleeding and half dead by a band of robbers; by the strictest reading of the Law, this good deed was also an act of grace extended to the robbers themselves, whether they knew it or not.  Their sins had been atoned for by the act of one man.  Were they still guilty?  Of course.  They had broken the law against theft, and had almost broken the law against murder (if the man had not been rescued, he would have surely died).

If the band of robbers had been arrested and charged, and brought before a judge, they would certainly have been found guilty under the Law.  I would imagine that the judge would have made them pay a pretty hefty price for their sins.  But imagine if, at the time of their sentencing, the good Samaritan had stood up and interrupted the court proceedings.  Imagine him saying, in all truthfulness, "Judge, I have paid the penalty for these men's sins.  They are not to be held responsible in this case."  No condemnation would then be placed on the robbers, since their sins had been atoned for, their penalty had been paid.

I have written in prior postings about the word picture painted in Zechariah chapter 3.  In that chapter a man, Joshua, stood before God, with Satan standing at his right side to accuse him before God, and with Jesus at the right hand of God.  Satan accuses, and Jesus defends.  Joshua, who has nothing to say for himself, is given a white robe and clean standing before God, because Jesus' defense is greater than the accuser.

Isn't this a picture of what Jesus did for us?  It is a small measure of grace, representing the bigger and greater picture of grace that is Jesus Himself.  See, Jesus did not just pay the debts of one man who was beaten and stripped and left for dead.  He also paid the debt for murderers and thieves, and for all the sins of the whole world.  He paid the debt for you.  And He paid the debt for me.

The parable in Luke does not mention it, but if the man who had been beaten realized his hopeless state, he may have called out to the passers-by.  He may have called out to the Priest, who did nothing for him.  He may have called out to the Levite, who passed him by.  And he may have called out to the Samaritan, who stopped and ministered to him.  In the same way, we may call out to clergymen, but they cannot heal us.  We may have called out to religious leaders, but they cannot make things right.  But as we call out to Jesus, we can say with confidence, "Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered him stricken by God, smitten by Him and afflicted.  But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we were healed."  (Isaiah 53;4-5).

What about the robbers?  Weren't their penalties under the Law paid in full as well by what the Samaritan man had done?  Yes, but if they did not call upon the Samaritan to testify or defend them at trial, they would be convicted and sentenced for their crimes.  Similarly, if we die in our sins without Jesus, without His blood to cover our sins, we will be doomed.

Friend, I urge you to call on Jesus.  He is the firstborn of righteousness, the one and only sacrifice for our sins.  "Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we are saved." (Acts 4:12).

I had a debt I could not pay,
He paid the debt He did not owe,
I needed someone,
To wash my sins away.
And now I sing a brand new song,
“Amazing grace” all day long,
Christ Jesus paid the debt,
That I could never pay.

I hear the Savior say, 
Thy strength indeed is small;
Child of weakness, watch and pray, 
Find in Me thine all in all.

Jesus paid it all,
All to Him I owe;
Sin had left a crimson stain, 
He washed it white as snow.

Lord, now indeed I find 
Thy power and Thine alone,
Can change the leper's spots 
and melt the heart of stone.

Jesus paid it all, 
All to Him I owe;
Sin had left a crimson stain, 
He washed it white as snow.

And when before the throne 
I stand in Him complete,
Jesus died my soul to save,
my lips shall still repeat

Jesus paid it all, 
All to Him I owe;
Sin had left a crimson stain, 
He washed it white as snow
Sin had left a crimson stain, 
He washed it white as snow

O Praise the one who paid my debt
And raised this life up from the dead
O Praise the one who paid my debt
And raised this life up from the dead
O Praise the one who paid my debt
And raised this life up from the dead
O Praise the one who paid my debt
And raised this life up from the dead
O Praise the one who paid my debt
And raised this life up from the dead

Jesus paid it all, 
All to Him I owe;
Sin had left a crimson stain, 
He washed it white as snow
Sin had left a crimson stain, 
He washed it white as snow
He washed it white as snow

 https://ouvirmusica.com.br/gateway-worship/grace-that-wont-let-go/

State of the Union

Let not the wise man boast of his wisdom or the strong man boast of his strength or the rich man boast of his riches, but let him who boasts boast about this: that he understands and knows me, that I am the Lord, who exercises kindness, justice, and righteousness on earth, for in these I delight, declares the Lord. --Jeremiah 9:23-24

Tonight the President of the United States delivers his seventh State of the Union address.  He will doubtless say that the Union is strong, but that we can be stronger; that we have done well, but there are things we can do better; that there are things in our history that we'd better not repeat, and there are things in our future for which we must prepare.  The opposition party will take the stage for rebuttal, to say our present is not so good as our past, to say the way we have gotten here was the wrong path to take, and that we'd better watch our steps or we'll hasten our demise.

As we finish our character study of Joshua, we find him hitting on many of the same themes.  When he was young, God used him mightily.  He was one of the 12 spies that went into the Promised Land, and one of only two who believed that God would give it to them.  During the next 40 years, Joshua was mentored by Moses, and when Moses died looking across the Jordan into the Promised Land, Joshua led the people in.  Under Joshua's leadership, the sons of Israel conquered many kings.  They followed the commands of God as heard by Joshua, and were successful in their campaign, many times without having to lift a finger.

Even so, they still had work to do.  "When Joshua was old and well advanced in years, the Lord said to him, 'You are very old, and there are still very large areas of land to be taken over'." (Joshua 13:1). Joshua began to assign sections of land to each of the tribes.  The sons of Levi, the priestly tribe, did not receive an allotment of land, for the other tribes were to pay tithes to the Levites for their service to the Lord.  But Joseph, one of the twelve sons of Israel, had two sons of his own.  Ephraim took the towns in the highlands, the ones that had already been vacated during the military campaigns.  Manasseh had some towns that were still occupied by their enemies.

Yet the Manassites were not able to occupy these towns, for the Canaanites were determined to live in that region.  However, when the Israelites grew stronger, they subjected the Canaanites to forced labor but did not drive them out completely.  The people of Joseph said to Joshua, "Why have your given us only one allotment and one portion for an inheritance?  We are a numerous people and the Lord has blessed us abundantly." --Joshua 17:12-14

Joshua must have stood there shaking his head. He must have thought, "Oy!  These people.  Do I  have to do everything for them?"  If you have ever been in charge of a group trying to reach a goal but not quite making it, you know how he must have felt.

"If you are so numerous," Joshua answered, "and if the hill country of Ephraim is too small for you, go up into the forest and clear land for yourselves there in the land of the Perizzites and Rephaites."  The people of Joseph replied, "The hill country is not enough for us, and all the Canaanites who live in the plain have iron chariots, both those in Beth Shan and its settlements and those in the Valley of Jezreel."  But Joshua said to the house of Joseph--to Ephraim and Manasseh--"You are numerous and very powerful.  You will have not only one allotment, but the forested hill country as well.  Clear it, and its farthest limits will be yours; though the Canaanites have iron chariots, and though they are strong, you can drive them out." --Joshua 17:15-18

It appears that Joshua was having trouble getting his message to sink in with the sons of Joseph.  Back in chapter 11, the northern kings had been given into their hands, and the sons of Israel were ordered by God to hamstring the horses and to burn the chariots.  But now, the sons of Joseph were complaining because their foes had iron chariots.  Iron can't be burned, so they must somehow be superior to the chariots belonging to their earlier foes.  Or were these men afraid of chariots now that they only had one tribe to fight against instead of all twelve?

I am reminded of the movie, "Hoosiers".  When the basketball team from the tiny Indiana village advanced to the state championships, they entered the huge arena with awe and wonder.  There were more seats in that arena than they had ever seen in one place.  Why, their whole town could be swallowed up in just one section near the exit.  The wise coach, played by Gene Hackman, pulled a tape measure out of his jacket pocket.  He asked the team to measure the distance from the goal to the floor.  "It's just ten feet, Coach."  He smiled and told them that all of the other measurements were the same, as well--it was the same distance from the baseline to the foul line as their gym back home.  It was still basketball.  And though they were small, they were still very good at basketball.

Joshua was trying to convey the same message.  Unfortunately, the half-tribe of Ephraim and the half-tribe of Manasseh did not get the message.  Beth Shan, one of the cities in the territory they had been given, was a fortified city that was not conquered by them.  In 1 Samuel 31:10, it says that King Saul, the first king of Israel to reign instead of God, was killed by the Philistines, and that his body was fastened to the wall at Beth Shan.

What is the message, then, for us? Ephraim and Manasseh knew that they had been blessed by God, because they were given many offspring, and were great in number.  Joshua was trying to get them to see that if God blessed them in this way, He would surely care for them: He would give them places to live, and raw materials to build new cities ("go up into the forest and clear the trees".)  But they either wanted to inhabit cities already built (laziness), or they were afraid that the Canaanites had tanks and large bore weaponry (iron chariots).  Either way, their disobedience to God limited God's blessing them in other ways, both militarily and territorially. How often do we do the same thing.  We hold on to God's blessing in one area, but fail to gain victory over what He wants for us, due to our own whining and laziness and fear.

As Joshua was approaching the age of 110, he summoned the people together, their elders, leaders, judges and officials, and said to them:

I am old and well advanced in years.  You yourselves have seen everything the Lord your God has done to all these nations for your sake; it was the Lord your God who fought for you....Be very strong; be careful to obey all that is written in the Book of the Law of Moses, without turning aside to the right or to the left.  Do not associate with these nations that remain among you; do not invoke the names of their gods or swear by them.  You must not serve them or bow down to them.  But you are to hold fast to the Lord your God, as you have until now.  The Lord has driven out before you great and powerful nations; to this day no one has been able to withstand you.  One of you routs a thousand, because the Lord your God fights for you, just as He promised.  So be very careful to love the Lord your God....Now I am about to go the way of all the earth.  You know with all your heart and soul that not one of the good promises the Lord your God gave you has failed.  Every promise has been fulfilled; not one has failed.  But just as every good promise of the Lord your God has come true, so the Lord will bring on you all the evil He has threatened, until He has destroyed you from this good land He has given you.  If you violate the covenant of the Lord your God, which He commanded you, and go and serve other gods and bow down to them, the Lord's anger will burn against you, and you will quickly perish from the land He has given you."  --Joshua 23:2-16

 He went on to remind them of their history, and how God had blessed Abraham, their father.  He blessed Jacob in Egypt, but when they became oppressed by the Egyptians, He sent Moses and Aaron to bring them out.  He blessed them in their battle with the Amorites, east of the Jordan.  These were the people who hired Balaam to put a curse on them, but God spoke through Balaam's donkey to dissuade him from that purpose, and to reinforce God's blessing on them.  God made the walls of Jericho fall down before them; He made the kings of the southern regions fall before them, and the armies of the northern regions fell.

So I gave you a land on which you did not toil and cities you did not build; and you live in them and eat from the vineyards and olive groves that you did not plant.  Now fear the Lord and serve Him with all faithfulness.  Throw away the gods your forefathers worshiped beyond the river and in Egypt, and serve the Lord.  But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your forefathers served beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living.  But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord. --Joshua 24:13-15

O, that we would have leaders today who would speak with such conviction.  We must not sacrifice faithfulness on the altar of diversity.  We can respect all people, but not buy in to their religions.  We must remember our history, and recognize how God has fought for us and given us victory.  But we must not return to the way we were before we knew God.  We must work for good, and not rest on our laurels.  We must give God the glory for what He has done in our lives; for if we boast in ourselves, we will surely fail.  We must build on the blessings that God has bestowed upon us, and not box up His gifts without using them to advance His kingdom.   We must make that choice, and make it today--will we serve God, or not?  As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.  That, my friends, is the state of the union.

His ways are not our ways

The Lord said to Joshua, "Do not be afraid of them, because by this time tomorrow I will hand all of them over to Israel, slain.  You are to hamstring their horses and burn their chariots." --Joshua 11:6

Last week we began a study of the book of Joshua.  He was leader of a group of men, women and children who had just completed a 40 year trek through the wilderness between Egypt and Canaan.  This trip could have been made in four days, but God thought it best to lead the people at His own pace, through hardships that would teach them to trust in Him.  "When Pharaoh let the people go, God did not lead them on the road through the Philistine country, though that was shorter.  For God said, 'If they face war, they might change their minds and return to Egypt.'  So God led the people around by the desert road toward the Red Sea.  The Israelites went up out of Egypt armed for battle." (Exodus 13:17-18).

See, the people wanted to do it on their own.  They thought they were prepared.  They thought they would need to fight the Philistines who were in the coastal area between Egypt and Canaan, what is today known as the Gaza Strip.  Is it any wonder, then, that Moses instructed the people, "The Lord Himself will fight for you; you need only to be still." (Exodus 14:14).

Now, 40 years later, the men who were armed for battle had all died.  Moses, their leader, had also died.  It was up to Joshua to prepare the people to invade and conquer the land that had been promised to their forefathers.  But Joshua did not teach the men to fight.  He did not arm them for battle.  He told them to trust in God, and to take the city with a shout, and with the sound of the trumpet.

In this season of New Year's resolutions, our church is doing a study of First Fruits.  We are being taught how tithing is an act of faith as well as an act of obedience.  See, God blesses our finances when we give our tithes and offerings first, before we spend the remaining 90%.  If when the first check we write is to God (in care of our local church body), then God is free to show us His blessing with the remainder of our finances.  We do not pay the bills first, and buy the groceries, and then give whatever is left to the church.  People who do that, and I was one of them for decades, are at best grudging givers; at worst, they are folks who fail to give to God what He asks for and deserves.  Think about it--if we pay the bills first, the money is all gone, and the few bucks we have left over we might put in the offering plate, but not without thinking of all the other things that money could be used for.  Then there are always unexpected bills, and we fight guilt because we had told ourselves we would give offerings this year, but there never seems to be any money left by Sunday.  On the other hand, if we offer God the First Fruits of our labors, then we are happy when the bills are all paid; we are happy when we have a little left over for ourselves.  In the Bible, "blessed" means "happy".

Now this is not meant to be a study on tithing, but one about God's ways not being our ways.  Just like God's blessing (and our happiness) is made manifest when we give of the First Fruits of our labor to God, God's blessing on the Sons of Israel came after the first few cities in the Promised Land were totally destroyed.  Follow me here, this is very interesting to me:  When Joshua led the people across the Jordan, the first city they took was Jericho.  When Jericho fell, it was given totally to God.  They did not take any spoils from the city.  Everything there was burned.  The same thing happened to Ai, the second city they defeated.  God told Joshua, and Joshua told the people, that Ai was to be burned, just like Jericho had been.  They were to take no spoils of war, no silver or gold, but everything was given over to God by destroying it completely.  A man named Achan disobeyed that order.  We see his confession in Joshua 7:20-21:

Achan replied, "It is true!  I have sinned against the Lord, the God of Israel.  This is what I have done:  When I saw in the plunder a beautiful robe from Babylonia, two hundred shekels of silver and a wedge of gold weighing fifty shekels, I coveted them and took them.  They are hidden in the ground inside my tent, with the silver underneath."

You probably know the story.  Achan paid for his sin with his life; not only his, but his family's as well.  Everything there was consecrated to God, and by taking it, Achan sinned.  The moral that is most often taken from this story is to be obedient to God's commands; that disobedience means death.  But I want us to look a little deeper into the story.

Joshua continues his campaign in the southern region of the land, and the five city-states that are left band together against the Sons of Israel.  By God's power, Israel is victorious.  But nowhere does it say that the cities of Jerusalem, Hebron, Jarmuth, Lachish, and Eglon were destroyed.  The people of Israel were free to take all the plunder and riches that these cities had left when the inhabitants all died.  The 11th chapter of the book of Joshua describes how many more cities in the northern areas were all defeated. "Yet Israel did not destroy any of the cities built on their mounds--except Hazor, which Joshua burned.  The Israelites carried off for themselves all the plunder and livestock of these cities." (Joshua 11:13-14a).  In the 12th chapter of the book of Joshua, it recounts all of the cities that Joshua was victorious over: 31 in all.  Three of the cities were given over to God, and were completely destroyed by fire.  The people did not gain anything from the cities of Jericho, Ai, and Hazor.  But they grew rich off the plunder of the 28 other cities.

If you are reading this and thinking of raiders, marauders, or violent warriors, you are missing the point.  What I am trying to show is the principle of the tithe, giving a tenth of everything over to God, as He commanded them.  You know what? God gives us the same command.  Malachi 3:10 says, "Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house.  Test me in this, says the Lord Almighty, and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it."  Think about how effective the churches of God could be if every member gave the tithe.  Why, the Church could have the resources to take care of the poor and needy, so there would not be a need for government welfare programs.  The Church could meet the physical needs of the community, as well as the spiritual needs.  Pastors would have more time to pray and prepare their sermons if the churches they served could hire caretakers and hospice workers and community outreach leaders.  Imagine the possibilities!

Okay, I'll get off finances again.  But I do want to go back to being obedient to God.  Joshua is again our example.

The Lord said to Joshua, "Do not be afraid of them, because by this time tomorrow I will hand all of them over to Israel, slain.  You are to hamstring their horses and burn their chariots."  --Joshua 11:6

Wait, what?  I've never been in the military, much less in combat.  But I would think that if I had defeated an army, I would want to go through and take their weapons, especially if their weapons were superior to mine.  First, I wouldn't want those weapons to find their way into the hands of enemies yet undefeated.  But second, can you imagine how much more effective the Isrealite army could have been if they had commandeered the chariots and horses?  They would have been a force to be reckoned with.  But God said to hobble the horses and burn the chariots.  Why?  Because He did not want them to rely on their own strength.  Because He wanted them to rely solely on Him.  Because, "Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God." (Psalm 20:7).

Even after they rested from war, and established themselves as a people with a land of their own, God set up a unique form of governance.  They did not have a king, as other peoples had.  They were governed by the Lord their God.  They had priests who would teach them the way that they should live. They had Judges or Prophets who would interpret the laws and execute justice, and who on occasion would lead them into battle against their enemies.  This was God's desire for them as a people.  I believe it is God's desire for us, as well.  The book of Revelation speaks of a Millennial reign of Christ after the Battle of Armageddon.  Like the purge of Canaan, God's army will again destroy all who stand against Him.  Then Jesus will be enthroned in Jerusalem, reigning over the entire world for a thousand years.  Those who are faithful to Him will be rulers over cities.  I had a pastor once who said he hoped his reward would be to rule over Las Vegas.  What joy it will be to live in harmony with one another and in obedience to the Savior.

God wants to change our culture.  His best is hard for us to imagine.  Isaiah 55:8 says, "My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts, says the Lord, and my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine." (New Living Translation).  1 Corinthians 2;9 says, "No eye has seen, nor ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love Him."  Let's give ourselves totally and completely to Him, and see what happens.

Be Careful What You Wish For

Well, I didn't win the lottery again this week.  And that's probably a blessing.  Like it says in Luke 16:10, if I can't make it on a little bit, I probably can't be trusted with a lot.  So I will not quit my day job (which, in itself, is a blessing).  

You see, lots of us wish we could win the lottery, or maybe get a call from a probate attorney advising us that we are the beneficiaries of great wealth.  But we don't wish for the responsibilities that go with it--the taxes, the bookkeeping, the investments, and the unending solicitations from charities, causes, and poor relatives you didn't know you had.  It's no wonder that most lottery winners are dirt poor again within two short years of claiming their winnings.

My daughter and I went to see the movie Into The Woods last week.  We'd missed the opportunity several years ago to see it performed on stage by our local theatre group.  As I watched the movie, I tried to imagine the people I knew, the theater major my son went to school with, my daughter's junior high school choir teacher, and others, in the roles I saw on the big screen. The major theme of the musical production is Be Careful What You Wish For.  The opening song introduces each of the characters individually singing, "I wish, I wish..." and then stating something they don't have.  The Baker and his Wife wish for a baby.  Jack wishes that his cow would give some milk.  Ella wishes she could go to the Festival and meet the Prince.  Jack's mother wishes that her son was not a fool, that the house was not a mess, that the cow would give some milk, and that the walls were full of gold--she wishes for a lot of things.  But as the story unfolds, the things these characters had to do to make their wishes come true were always fantastic and even unbelievable, but sometimes unethical, sometimes illegal, and sometimes even fatal.

It was a good show, and left me thinking.  We all have dreams that are too outlandish to even share with our closest friends.  But what would we be willing to do to actually make them happen?  That's probably what makes them seem outlandish--we know that we couldn't, or shouldn't, do the things that would put us in a position to realize our fondest wishes.  Like quit our jobs, or leave our families.  And part of us realizes that if we do end up getting everything we wished for, it won't make us happy or fulfilled.  It could leave us scarred, or ashamed, or alone.

Last Sunday the guest speaker at our church was Dr. Jack Hayford.  While I don't ascribe to all of his theology (he was president of The International Church of the Foursquare Gospel) or to all of his teachings, I do confess I have read some of his books and have enjoyed singing his songs (he wrote the worship chorus "Majesty", and he also wrote the hymn "Worship Christ the Risen King").  Anyway, he shared with us from his own personal study of the book of Joshua.  From the very first verses, God gave Joshua and the people of Israel a call to obedience.  

The first step in obedience was to cross the Jordan.  God told them to get ready to cross in Joshua 1:2.  He described how it would happen in Joshua 3:8.  The priests were instructed to go before the people, and to carry the Ark of the Covenant right up to the edge of the river.  "Tell the priests who carry the Ark of the Covenant: 'When you reach the edge of the Jordan's waters, go and stand in the river'."  They were actually told to go right up to the edge of the water, and take one more step.  Sometimes we are told to face the obstacles in our lives, and to dip our toe into the roiling waters.  When we do what He asks, in faith, God removes the obstacle.  In the Joshua narrative, the water stopped flowing; it piled up in a heap a great distance away, at a town called Adam. (see Joshua 3;16)  The people could then walk across on dry ground, just as their fathers had done with the Red Sea.

The second step of obedience was to conquer Jericho.  In Joshua 1:3, God promised, "I will give you every place where you set your foot, as I promised Moses."  When they approached Jericho, however, they found it protected by high, thick walls.  We see the story in Joshua chapter 6.  Under Joshua's direction, again following the priests and the Ark of the Covenant, the people did not wilt before the walls.  Instead, they encircled the place with praise.  Six days they marched around the city, listening to the shofar, or ram's horns, as the priests were trumpeting them.  On the seventh day, they marched around the city seven times.  When Joshua gave the order, they all shouted.  What do you think they shouted?  The Bible doesn't say.  Some may have just made loud, unintelligible sounds, like "AAAAAUUUUUGGGGGHHHH!!!!"  Some may have shouted something else, like "For the Lord and for Joshua!"  Whatever they said, I'll bet that as they witnessed the walls crumbling before them, their shouts of war turned into shouts of praise.  This, too, is instructive to us.  If we trust the Lord to fight for us, we can shout his name at the gates, and they will open for us.  Jesus told Simon Peter, "Upon this Rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell will not prevail against it." (Matthew 16:18)

The third step of obedience was to continue the journey.  Let's look again at Joshua 1:3 and following:

I will give you every place where you set your foot, as I promised Moses.  Your territory will extend from the desert to Lebanon, and from the great river, the Euphrates to the Great Sea on the west.  No one will be able to stand up against you all the days of your life.  As I was with Moses, so I will be with you.  I will never leave you nor forsake you.  Be strong and courageous, because you will lead these people to inherit the land I swore to their forefathers to give them.  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 the left, that you may be successful wherever you go.  Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; 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.  --Joshua 1:3-8

God knew before the battle was even fought that they would conquer the land.  He knew before they were born what portion of the land would be theirs.  He knew before Creation itself what lot or portion he would generously give each family.  And as long as they obeyed, and went forward in the light of faith and obedience to His words, they would be blessed.  In the same way, God has always known what your portion would be, and what my lot would be.  He set the boundaries before the beginning of time.  We are blessed when we work within our boundaries.  That is why God gave Joshua the instruction about keeping the laws of God in His Word.

Be careful what you wish for.  Too many times we want to go outside the boundaries, and we get caught in the thorns.  When we ignore what God has given us to do in the place where He has put us, we will eventually find ourselves in tattered clothing, with cuts and scars that were not His will for us. But if we are faithful to the work He has given us, in the place He has appointed for us, we will be blessed.  He wants to bless us as we live within the boundaries of His blessing.

Be careful what you wish for.  Proverbs 5:15 says, "Drink water from your own cistern."  In context, it is talking about a marital relationship.  We are to have and to hold "the wife of your youth," it says in another place.  When we think the grass is greener on the other side of the fence, we end up poisoning the relationship, and finding our blessing greatly diminished.  God's perfect will for us is stolen by our lustful desires; we may regain fellowship with Him, but it will be in a much smaller lot.  He wants to bless us as we live within the boundaries of His blessing.

Be careful what you wish for.  There is nothing wrong with praying for our boundaries to increase.  Many Christians are familiar with the prayer of Jabez: in 1 Chronicles 4:10, a righteous man named Jabez prayed to God, "O, that you would bless me and enlarge my border."  Because of his faithfulness, God answered the prayer of Jabez.  He did bless him. He did enlarge his borders.  But that was because Jabez was faithful and obedient.  He did not go ahead of God, and try to get rich on his own.  He did not sacrifice his family in pursuit of the almighty dollar.  He did not look covetously at his neighbor's possessions (or his neighbor's wife), because acting upon those lusts would have taken him through the thorns.  God wants to bless us as we live within the boundaries of His blessing.