Negative Equity

In those days Israel had no king; everyone did as he saw fit.  --Judges 21:25

Last week I wrote about Samson, and how messed up his life really was until he emptied himself and allowed himself to be used by God.  This week I want to kind of go in that same direction, but make some comparisons between ancient Israel 1000 to 1200 years before Christ against the times we live in today.  Follow me, and I think you'll find some striking similarities.

Upside Down
I owe more on my car than what it is worth.  That is the consequence of getting as low a car payment as possible by stretching out the term of the loan as long as I could.  About seven years ago during the "housing bust", the same thing happened in the Real Estate market.  People discovered that they could not sell their homes for what they still owed.  This situation caused a slow-down in the purchase of new homes, which led to layoffs in the construction industry.  A whole lot of other economic consequences occurred, which I have neither the time or the expertise to fully explain.  It took a few years for the market to fully turn around.

We see the same thing in the Bible.  When God spoke directly to Moses about how property was to be divided in the Promised Land, he spoke clearly about the right of a family to hold onto their property for generations.  If a person or family fell on hard times and had to sell the property, or sell themselves into indentured servanthood to pay off crushing debt, at the end of seven years there was a year of forgiveness of that debt.  Every 50th year (after seven sets of seven years), there was a Year of Jubilee in which all property that had been sold outside the clan would be returned to the family who had sold it.  (Of note, the coming year--beginning September 13, 2015--is the 70th Year of Jubilee since Joshua led the Sons of Israel into the Promised Land.  What glory we will behold during the upcoming twelve months!)

There was one tribe, however, which did not get a portion or inheritance out of the Promised Land.  This was the priestly tribe of Levi.  The people descended from Jacob's son Levi are often called "Levites".  In God's perfect economy, the Levites would live to administer the Temple.  Their food would come from the sacrifices brought by the other tribes in worship of God.  Their income would be solely provided by the tithes and offerings brought by the people of Israel in devotion to God, their Provider.

Just a few generations later, however, there was a Levite who was apparently out of work.  Judges chapter 17 speaks of a man named Micah who made some idols out of silver.  Never mind the fact that idol worship was expressly forbidden in the Law of Moses.  This fellow Micah has some idols, and he builds a shrine for them.  He installs his son as the priest of this shrine.  Then along comes this Levite, travelling from Bethlehem in search of work.  Micah hires the Levite to be the priest of his shrine, thinking that a professional priest would do a better job than Micah's son, who had no experience in priestly duties at all.

How upside down is this story?  God gives Moses the Law, explains how it is all supposed to run.  Then Moses dies.  Joshua takes the nation of Israel into the Promised Land, and apportions territories to each of the tribes (except for the Levites), and then Joshua dies.  At some point after that, there are no sacrifices being made, and the Levites have to fend for themselves.  One of them hires on as a mercenary priest, but he does not teach the Law or serve the one true God; instead, he serves at the shrine Micah had built for his idols made out of silver.

From Bad To Worse
In Judges chapter 18 we read of the tribe of Dan, who still had not conquered the territory that Joshua had alloted to them.  The tribal leaders send spies into the land to scope out the competition.  These five spies meet up with the Levite at the shrine of Micah's idols.  They offer a job to the Levite.  "Isn't it better that you serve a tribe and clan in Isreal as priest rather than just one man's household?" (Judges 18:19).  This turned out to be an offer that the young Levite could not refuse.  So he gathers up the idols that Micah had made, and takes them with him to serve in the tribe of Dan.

Micah calls together a small band of warriors to take back his idols, but the army of Dan beats them back and warns him to go home.  "Then they took what Micah had made, and his priest, and went on to Laish, against a peaceful and unsuspecting prople.  They attacked them with the sword and burned down their city." (Judges 18:27).  Who do you think they credited their victory over the city of Laish? It probably wasn't the God of Abraham--at least not solely Him.   "They continued to use the idols Micah had made, all the time the house of God was in Shiloh." (Judges 18:31)

Let's review.  During the life of Joshua, all of the tribes that had been faithful to God established their territories.  They defeated the heathen people, drove them out of the cities.  They lived in cities they did not build, and ate from vineyards they did not plant (Joshua 24:13).  But the tribe of Dan was still struggling to overcome the fortified cities that God had promised them.  So they send in spies, just like Joshua and Caleb had done generations before.  They found a Levite whom they hired, who brought the gods that Micah had made out of Micah's shrine, then they overtook a peaceful city, an unsuspecting people who had no defenses.  Post hoc, ergo propter hoc.  The fall of Laish into their hands was right after they had appropriated Micah's silver idols and hired his mercenary priest. Doesn't it make sense that they would credit their good fortune to the Levite?

God had promised the land to the tribe of Dan.  When it was delivered to them, however, they gave credit to gods made with hands, to idols made of silver, and to a mercenary priest who forgot his heritage.  How messed up is that!

The Final Straw, Then Justice
The last three chapters of Judges talk about a Levite, as well.  We are not sure whether this is the same Levite as we saw in chapters 17-18, but it could be.  We read that this Levite had taken a concubine to himself.  I don't know why she wasn't his wife--maybe he didn't have a dowry, or maybe he did not want her to have the same rights and privileges as a married woman would have.  In other words, she could have been used merely for sexual gratification.  In any case, she got tired of it, and went back to her father's house.  The Levite went after her.  The girl's father threw a big party.  This feast lasted seven days.  Perhaps the father was trying to appease the Levite's anger.  Perhaps he saw that the Levite now had money (or at least 200 shekels of silver, which Micah had used to melt into an idol--if it was the same Levite).  Perhaps the father thought that the Levite would reconsider, and marry the poor girl.

In any case, the Levite took the woman and left.  They went to a town in the tribe of Benjamin.  An old man invited them to stay with him, and implored them not to spend the night in the town square.  Very soon, we discover why.  Just like the story of Sodom in the book of Genesis, the men of this town came to the house of this old man and demanded that the Levite be sent out to them.  They wanted to have homosexual relations with him.  The old man sent out his virgin daughter, and the Levite sent out his concubine to appease these sexual predators.  We don't know what happened to the old man's daughter, but the concubine was gang raped until she could not walk.  In the morning, she died.

The Levite sent a message to the heads of the twelve tribes of Israel.  Eleven tribes sent soldiers to stand against this town where the attrocity had occurred.  However, the tribe of Benjamin defended the city, because it was in their borders.  So the eleven tribes of Israel made war against the tribe of Benjamin, and almost wiped them out.  There were only 600 fighting men left alive from the tribe of Benjamin.  The rest of Israel refused to give their daughters in marriage to this remnant of the tribe of Benjamin, because of their sin.

In a hilarious twist, the remaining tribes of Israel remembered the Law of Moses, and how he had guaranteed each family would have an inheritance out of the land God had given them.  This was to keep one tribe from having a concentration of wealth and power.  But what could they do?  The men of Israel had made a vow not to give their daughters as wives to the men of Benjamin.  But they did not want the tribe of Benjamin to die out.  So they threw a feast, and invited all the young virgin daughters to the feast.  With a wink and a nudge, they let it be known to the Benjamites that their virgin daughters would be dancing and feasting on this day.  So the men of Benjamin came and snatched the daughters away for themselves to marry.  In this way, the men of Israel could say that their daughters had been kidnapped, and that they had not "given" them in marriage to any of the men from Benjamin.

Lessons For Our Time
We read this ancient history, and shake our heads.  Thank God, we say, that our culture has evolved.  We would never be so barbarous as these people were.  We would never be so cavalier with our women's lives, bodies and personal freedoms.  Our women are liberated, you see, and can think for themselves.  And all this violence!  We should probably ban the book of Judges from our schools and not let our children read it.  It should probably even be edited out of the Bible.

Before we pick up pitchforks and torches, let me draw some parrallels to our modern day.

1.  God has a perfect plan.  The book or Revelation promises that all evil men will perish, and that the Son of God will rule over the earth for a thousand years.  During this time, there will be no war.  There will be no sickness.  There will be no sadness or tears.  Jesus will reign supreme.  His kingdom will be established on Earth.  His perfect will shall be done.

2.  Man's sin has taken us down a road that is far afield from God's perfect plan.  We are upside-down in our morality, in our judgments, and in our actions.  Just like the last verse in the book of Judges says, "There is no king, and everyone does what is right in his own eyes."  We have removed God from the public square, including education.  We teach in science that children are products of evolution, which is a series of accidents occurring through billions of years, and that it is only by "natural selection" that we exist.  We teach in biology (and in our culture) that children are the by-product of the lustful desires of their parents; and if they are fortunate enough not to be aborted in utero, then they should continue to support the government that allows them to lust after whomever they want without consequences.  Do you want to hook up with someone of the opposite sex?  Be sure to wear protection, and if that fails, we can always abort the fetus so that you will not have the consequence of a baby born from that hookup.  Do you want to hook up with someone of the same sex? Go ahead, love is love and we can't judge.  And then we wonder why our children need lessons in self esteem?

3.  There are consequences to an upside-down existence.  As I said at the beginning, I cannot buy a new truck right now because I owe too much on my current SUV.  The consequences are that I will have to continue making payments on a car I do not want and cannot sell.  In three years' time, I will be able to make the choice of whether to continue to drive without a car payment, or to take a loan for a new truck.  If my car breaks down between now and then, I will be left without.  In the same way, when all people do what is right in their own eyes, there are consequences.  Those who stray from God's teaching wander out from under God's protection.  Those who act violently will have violent actions taken against them.  Those who perform sexual sin (promiscuity, adultery, homosexuality) will be in danger of emotional pain, broken homes, unwanted pregnancies and one parent households, not to mention STD's, AIDs and a host of as-yet undiscovered physical ailments.  Those consequences will be in force up until their debts are paid in full, or until acted upon by an outside source.  There could be a benefactor, willing to pay off my car note, so that I can be debt free.  There may be an inheritance that will allow me to drive the vehicle I want without paying the price.  Friend, you are stuck where you are because of sin.  The Bible says the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Who doesn't want eternal life?

4.  We need a Savior.  God has promised a great inheritance to His children.  The only thing that stands in the way of our claiming that inheritance is unrighteousness.  God cannot abide sin.  God is holy; we are not.  So if we desire to be in His presence through time and eternity, then we need to be made righteous.  Jesus took all our sin upon Himself when He died.  His sacrifice allows us to stand before a holy God.  We can be covered by the Blood of the Lamb if we choose to be.  Think about that--we can avoid the consequences of our sin by believing in Him who bore those sins for us.  We can be forgiven, all debts wiped clean.  We can be set right again, and dwell in the house of the Almighty, in the way that He has ordained for us to live.  By His grace, we can be made perfect.

5.  There will come a time when the army of the Living God rises up to mete out Divine Justice.  Anyone who is not right with God will be cast into utter darkness, where there is weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth.  Only those who are covered by the Blood of Jesus, who have put on His righteousness, will be invited to be with God for eternity.  I believe the time is short.  We cannot wait much longer.  We must decide now which direction we want to pursue: either that of perfection and piety with the Prince of Peace; or that of deception, division, and damnation with the Devil and his demons.

God Uses Broken People

I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me.  The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.  --Galatians 2:20

I have been meditating quite a bit on several words and concepts this week.  One is pride.  Another is humility.  "God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble." (James 4:6; 1 Peter 5:5).  Who among us doesn't want more grace?  But we despise being broken.  We prefer pride.  We are taught to take pride in our work, meaning to do our very best.  But if someone else gets the credit, we feel like we have been robbed.  The hardest thing to do, at least for me, is to give my very best and then give God the glory.

The past few weeks I have been studying the life of Samson.  Everyone knows of Samson's great strength.  Yet few know of his sin.  Many may know of his relationship with Delilah, but few know that he accomplished more when he died than he ever did while he was alive.

Samson was set apart by God.  He was to be a Nazirite from birth.  The Bible speaks of three prominent Nazirites--Samson, Samuel, and John the Baptist.  Each was born at a special time, in a special place.  Each one was used mightily by God.  Of the three, however, only Samson failed to live up to his potential.

Let's look at John for a moment.  He was set apart for God's service before he was even born.  When the angel told the priest Zechariah that he would have a son, the angel told him, "He will be a joy and delight to you, and many will rejoice because of his birth, for he will be great in the sight of the Lord. He is never to take wine or other fermented drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit even from birth." (Luke 1:14-15).  We know that John grew up to be like Elijah in his own generation, preparing the way of the Lord.  Because of his obedience to God from birth, many came to repentance.  His message was all about humility:

John said to the crowds coming out to be baptized by him, "You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath?  Produce fruit in keeping with repentance. And do not begin to say to yourselves, 'We  have Abraham as our father.' For I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children of Abraham." --Luke 3:7-8

The crowds asked him, "What shall we do then?"  John told them to share the wealth: if you have two coats, give one to someone who has none.  If you have plenty to eat, give some food to the hungry.  Tax collectors, he said, should not overcharge or collect more than they are required to collect.  Soldiers should not extort money or accuse people falsely to collect bribes--they should be content with their pay.  The people thought that because of his message, John might be the promised Messiah.  He denied that he was.  "I baptize you with water.  But one more powerful than I will come, the thongs of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie." (Luke 3:16).  What a humble person!

Next let's look at Samuel.  His mother promised God before Samuel was even conceived that she would set him apart for God's service.  1 Samuel 1:11 says, "And she made a vow, saying, 'O Lord Almighty, if you will only look upon your servant's misery and remember me, and not forget  your servant but give her a son, then I will give him to the Lord for all the days of his life, and no razor will ever be used on his head.' "  Samuel was born, and true to her word, Hannah presented him to the Temple as soon as he was weaned.  He served the Lord as a prophet (1 Samuel 3:19), as an intercessor, praying for the entire nation of Israel (1 Samuel 7:5), and as a king-maker--he anointed both Saul (Israel's first king), and David (Israel's greatest king, and ancestor of Jesus the King). Samuel served the Lord in a transition period between the time of the judges and the time of the kings of Israel.  Yet he himself did not dwell in the courts of the palace.  He did not appoint himself as Regent, or as Prime Minister to Saul or to David.  He humbly did what God told him to do, only approaching the king with the message that God had given to him.

John had a give of communication, of attracting large crowds with his preaching.  Samuel had the give of prophecy, hearing the very words of God and giving them to the people, as well as to King Saul and to King David.  Samson, as we know, had the gift of great strength.  Like John, Samson's birth was foretold by an angel.  Like Samuel, Samson was consecrated to God before he was even conceived.  But unlike the other two Nazirites in the Bible, Samson was not humble.

When the angel told Samson's parents that he was to be a Nazirite from birth, they both knew what the angel meant.  Numbers chapter six talks about three rules for those who take a Nazirite vow; and two of them we have already talked about.  First, he or she must abstain from wine or strong drink. "If a man or woman wants to make a special vow, a vow of separation to the Lord as a Nazarite, he must abstain from wine and other fermented drink and must not drink vinegar made from wine or from other fermented drink.  He must not drink grape juice or eat grapes or raisins.  As long as he is a Nazirite, he must not eat anything that comes from the grapevine, not even the seeds or skins." (Numbers 6:2-4).  Second, he must not cut his hair.  "During the entire period of his vow of separation no razor may be used on his head.  He must be holy until the period of his separation to the Lord is over; he must let the hair of his head grow long." (Number 6:5).  Third, he must not touch a dead body.  "Throughout the period of his separation to the Lord he must not go near a dead body.  Even if his own father or mother or brother or sister dies, he must not make himself ceremonially unclean on account of them, because the symbol of his separation to God is on his head." (Numbers 6:6-7).

Samson's great strength was a testament to God's power in his life.  His long hair was a symbol of his consecration to God.  Yet Samson was anything but godly.  His great strength gave him great pride.  One by one, he broke the vows of the Nazirites.  We see God's grace after the first two vows were broken.  We see Samson's humility after the third and final vow took away his great strength.  It was only after Samson humbled himself that God used him in a way He had never been able to use him in his life.

Samson lived during a period of Philistine occupation and oppression over Israel.  How God could have used him to gather an army and throw off the oppressors.  He could have set Israel free, and led them back to their one true God.  Yet because of his pride, everything that was done to the Philistines he had to do himself.  His first encounter with the Philistines was in Timnah, where he saw a young woman.  Samson demanded that his father pay the dowry for the young woman, and to get her for  him as his wife.  His father argued that he should marry an Israelite woman, but who can argue with the world's strongest man? "(His parents did not know that this was from the Lord, who was seeking an occasion to confront the Philistines.)" --Judges 14:4.

While he was taking his parents to meet his fiancee, Samson killed a lion.  The Spirit of the Lord came upon him in strength, and he was able to do this with his bare hands.  Later, Samson saw the dead lion carcass with a bee hive inside it.  He scooped out some honey, oblivious to the bee stings.  This was the first breaking of the vow--he should not have gone near the carcass of the lion.  Remember, he was not to touch anything dead, or go near anything that would make him ceremonially unclean.  But because of his pride, he disregarded that law.  Yet God showed him grace, in that His Spirit did not leave Samson, and he retained his great strength.

The second breaking of the Nazirite vow, I think, happened when he went to marry this woman.  Judges 14:10 says, "Now his father went down to see the woman.  And Samson made a feast there, as was customary for bridegrooms."  I believe it was customary to serve wine at these wedding feasts.  Remember Jesus' first miracle in John chapter 2?  Whether Samson drank the wine, or just the juice, or ate the grapes we don't know.  But any of those things would have been available at a wedding feast, and all of them were forbidden to Samson as a Nazirite.  Yet God showed more grace to Samson, in that His Spirit did not leave him, nor did God take his strength.

I will let you read how the unnamed young woman died, and how Samson took revenge upon his father-in-law who had given her to another man, and how he burned the crops of the Philistines using foxes and torches.  Judges chapter 15 is an exciting read.  We finally meet Delilah in chapter 16, but only after Samson went in to a prostitute.  Funny how being sexually promiscuous was not a part of the Nazirite vows; although we would think it would make him unclean, it is not specifically mentioned in Numbers 6.  So Delilah tricks Samson into telling her the final vow that gave him his strength.  She cuts his hair, and then wakes him up with a shout: "Samson, the Philistines are upon you."  Now, you would think he would have known that his hair had been cut.  After what might have been two decades of growth, the difference in the weight of his head would have been a clue.  Perhaps the wind touching his bald head.  Whether he realized it or not, he had to know that Delilah would betray him, because three times before he had told her lies about binding him up, and three times she had tried it on him.  He had to know that she would cut his hair when he told her about it.

Yet in his arrogant pride, he thought the strength was still his.  He did not credit God with giving him physical power.  After Delilah had lulled him to sleep (perhaps with alcohol--how else would he have been in such a deep sleep that he could not hear the Philistines in the same house?), she woke him up.

Then she called, "Samson, the Philistines are upon you!" He awoke from his sleep and thought, "I'll go out as before and shake myself free.:  But he did not know that the Lord had left him. --Judges 16:20

When you rely on your own strength, you are sure to fall.  But if you rely on God's strength, He will fight for you.  You remember the rest of the story.  The Philistines poked Samson's eyes out.  They held a feast for their god Dagon, whom they credited with giving Samson into their hands.  They called for Samson to be brought out before them, to entertain them.  Perhaps they wanted to ridicule him, for having once been so strong but now being so weak.  Perhaps he was still strong in human terms--maybe he could bend iron bars or lift huge weights, but he was no longer supernaturally strong enough to overcome the soldiers that guarded him.

For the first time in the story, Samson prayed.  "Then Samson prayed to the Lord, 'O, Soveriegn Lord, remember me.  O God, please strengthen me just once more, and let me with one blow get revenge on the Philistines for my two eyes." (Number 16:28)  God did strengthen him, and he was able to topple the pillars that held up the structure.  "Thus he killed many more when he died than while he lived." (Number 16:30b).

Here's the point.  While Samson was living for himself, he missed God's purpose for him.  Pride made him sin against God and believe in his heart that there were no consequences.  Only when he humbled himself and prayed, and sought God's face, and turned from his wicked ways did God hear from heaven and forgive his sins and use him mightily.  As I said before, we can only imagine what God could have done with Samson had he humbled himself sooner.  He could have delivered Israel from their oppressors.  He could have set himself up as a Judge and a Ruler over them.  Yet even in his sinful conduct, God was able to work out His will through Samson.  What did Paul say? "And we know that in ALL things God works together with thos who love him to bring about what is good--with those who have been called according to his purpose." (Romans 8:28).

When we live for ourselves, we cannot possibly live to our potential.  But if we humble ourselves--if we allow ourselves to be broken by Him, if we crucify our own fleshly desires--then we can truly know what God can do for our good and His glory.  A diamond can only be made when a lump of coal is placed under extreme presure.  A crystal can only be seen in all its glory when it is broken in two, and the colors are visible in the light.  Brokenness is not what we want, but it is what He wants.  Only then can we be used mightily by Him.

One day a plain village woman
Driven by love for her Lord
Recklessly poured out a valuable essence
Disregarding the scorn

And once it was broken and spilled out
A fragrance filled all the room
Like a prisoner released from his shackles
Like a spirit set free from the tomb

Broken and spilled out
Just for love of You, Jesus
My most precious treasure
Lavished on thee

Broken and spilled out
And poured at Your feet
In sweet abandon, let me be spilled out
And used up for Thee

Lord, You were God's precious treasure
His loved and His own perfect Son
Sent here to show me the love of the Father
Just for love it was done

And though You were perfect and holy
You gave up Yourself willingly
You spared no expense for my pardon
You were used up and wasted for me

Broken and spilled out
Just for love of me, Jesus
God's most precious treasure
Lavished on me

Broken and spilled out
And poured at my feet, in sweet abandon
Lord, You were spilled out
And used up for me

God Knows Your Heart

Change my heart oh God, 
Make it ever true.
Change my heart oh God, 
May I be like You.

You are the potter, 
I am the clay, 
Mold me and make me, 
This is what I pray.

All kinds of people go to church.  Some truly participate in worship.  Others go through the motions.  God knows your heart, and what motivates you.

This week I was reading Psalm 50, and it really struck me how God loves people who are committed to Him, and how much He hates hypocrisy.  It also struck me how hypocritical I have been at various times in my life, and how indebted to God's grace I really am.

Let's go through the Psalm together.

The Mighty One, GOD, the LORD, speaks out and summons the earth from the rising of the sun to the place where it sets.  From ZION, perfect in beauty, GOD shines forth.  Our GOD comes and will not be silent; a fire devours before Him, and around Him a tempest rages.  He summons the heavens above, and the earth, that He may judge His people:  "Gather to Me my consecrated ones, who made a covenant with Me by sacrifice," and the heavens proclaim His righteousness, for God Himself is judge.--Psalm 50:1-6

God is calling all His peoples together.  He is about to make an announcement.  He is sitting in judgment over all who proclaim His name.  Everyone who enters the Temple and participates in the sacrifice is on trial.  Jesus described this event in Matthew 25:32 as separating the sheep from the goats.  The Message translates it this way:  "He summons heaven and earth as a jury, He's taking His people to court: 'Round up my saints who swore on the Bible their loyalty to me.' "

There is none like God.  As Creator, He alone is qualified to call His people to account.  From the east to the west, He is over all.  His throne is in Jerusalem, and He shines in splendor there.  He will not sit idly by and watch as those who claim to be His own people engage in all kinds of activities.  His presence is like a fire that will not be quenched; it is like a hurricane force wind.  The heavens and the earth are called in as the jury as God sits in judgment over His people.  "Hear ye, hear ye," He says.  "Calling all people who are set apart for me.  I have kept my part of the covenant, the bargain I made with you.  Let's see how well you have kept your part of the covenant of God Almighty."  The jury (both heaven and earth) is sworn in by His righteousness, and He is the one true God, and His judgments are true.

Hear, O my people, and I will speak. O Israel, and I will testify against you:  I am God, your God.  I do not rebuke you for your sacrifices or your burnt offerings, which are ever before me.  I have no need of a bull from your stall or of goats from your pens, for every animal of the forest is mine, and the cattle on a thousand hills.  I know every bird in the mountains, and the creatures of the field are mine.  If I were hungry I would not tell you, for the world is mine, and all that is in it.  Do I eat the flesh of bulls or drink the blood of goats?  Sacrifice thank offerings to God, fulfill your vows to the Most High, and call upon me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you will honor me.  --Psalm 50:7-15.

 When a judge holds a preliminary hearing, he will often say that he has read the Complaint and the Answer, or that he has read the depositions that were taken beforehand.  This is the basis upon which the remainder of the Hearing will stand.  In these verses, God is the judge, but also gives testimony, because His testimony is true.

Next He says He has seen the sacrifices that they bring.  They are in compliance with His laws.  He will not condemn them, because they are under the sacrifices that are always being made in the Temple.  Under the New Covenant, we are under the Blood of the Lamb, the perfect sacrifice that God Himself provided for us so that we can come into fellowship with Him.  Jesus said in John 3:18 says, "Whoever believes in Him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son."

There is a word of warning, though.  His people serve Him through their works, through their lives, and not in the sacrifices they bring to Him.  God is not powerless to care for Himself.  He is not like the idols made of stone and wood that others serve--those other gods need constant attention, because they cannot do anything for themselves.  God asks a rhetorical question: If I were hungry, would I really call on you to feed me?  Didn't I make everything on earth, He said, and don't I have all the animals in the forest and in the fields at my disposal?  Everything is mine, God says, so I don't need any help from you.  So don't think your service means anything to me.

Instead, the obedience of sacrifice means that your heart is right with God.  The acts of worship are for your benefit, not His.  Jesus said in Luke 19:40, "I tell you, if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out."  The mountains and the hills will break forth in singing (Isaiah 55:12) when His people stop praising Him.  It is for our benefit that He gives guidelines for worshiping Him.  Our hearts are made whole when we worship and praise Him.

Verse 14 makes reference to "Thank Offerings".  In Leviticus chapter 7, God gives instructions for a special kind of offering for the people to bring to God.  If he offers it as an expression of thankfulness, verse 12 says, he can bring cakes of bread made without yeast along with the meat (bull or ram) to offer to God.  But verse 13 of Leviticus 7 says that he can also bring cakes of bread made with yeast, to be shared with the priest.  In other words, the Law allows for a Thanksgiving Feast, including yeast rolls, to be eaten with the priest before God.  As the meat is being cooked, it is accepted by God as a savory smell, and the unleavened bread is for Him to share in the fellowship.  I think of this every Wednesday night when my wife and I take a covered dish to our home Bible study.  We all share a meal, in fellowship with each other and with God, giving thanks to God for His blessing on our lives.  You may do a variation of the same thing, either in your church or maybe once or twice a year on Thanksgiving and Christmas.  As long as we truly give thanks to God, the fellowship we have with like-minded people is a blessing to each one of us.

But to the wicked, God says: "What right have you to recite my laws or take my covenant on your lips?  You hate my instruction and cast my words behind you.  When you see a thief, you join with him; you throw in your lot with adulterers.  You use your mouth for evil and harness your tongue to deceit.  You speak continuously against your brother, and slander your own mother's son.  These things you have done and I kept silent: you thought I was altogether like you.  But I will rebuke you and accuse you to your face."  --Psalm 50:16-21

The Righteous Judge testifies against those who call themselves His children, but their hearts do not know Him.  Jesus said, "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven." (Matthew 7:21).  How does God know their hearts are not into worship?  He says they hate His instructions and throw away His words. How many people in the pews on Sunday forget the sermon as soon as they get into the parking lot?  Many may have been raised in the church, but do not attend regularly; some are only seen in the church on Easter and at funerals.  "When you see a thief, you join with him."  Instead of doing good whatever the cost, many times we take a little for ourselves, a little "sumpin' sumpin'" for me because, "everybody does it."  We find loopholes in tax laws, and where there are no loopholes we make some up.

"You throw in your lot with adulterers."  This is one of the most damning indictments against so-called religious people.  Statistics show that there is as much divorce in the church as there is in the world.  A major cause of divorce and dissatisfaction among married men is pornography.  It is everywhere--freely available, and seemingly secret.  Men think they can get away with it, because as long as nobody finds out, they are in the clear.  The wife knows something is not quite right; she may search your browser history or scroll through images on your cell phone when you are not looking. God knows your heart.  He knows when you are being unfaithful with your eyes.  He knows when you are comparing physical attributes of your wife with other women.  When Paul wrote in Ephesians 5:25, "Husbands, love your wives as Christ loved the Church and gave Himself up for her," to what was he comparing us?  Do you think that Jesus professes love for Christians, but secretly looks longingly at other religions?  Does He think, "Wow, look at those breastplates," or, "What a great looking assembly."  Of course not.  I'm being ridiculous.  But isn't that exactly what men do to their wives?  Throwing your lot in with adulterers is acting the same way as the world does, to disrespect and demean women, who are themselves created in the image of God.  One more thing to think about: how do you know that those women whose photos you see were giving their consent?  Some of them may have been manipulated into taking compromising pictures of themselves.  Some may have even been taking part in human trafficking and sold as sex slaves.  Do you really want to be a part of that, dude?

Consider this, you who forget God, or I will tear you to pieces, with none to rescue: He who sacrifices thank offerings honors me, and he prepares the way so that I may show him the salvation of God.  --Psalm 50:22-23

There is good news.  If you saw yourself in the description of the wicked, there is hope.  If God's Holy Spirit has convicted you of doing activities which God hates, there is still time.  If you don't want to spend eternity in hell, apart from God forever, then repent and accept the sacrifice that has been made on your behalf.  1 Peter 3:18 says, "For Christ also died for sins once for all, the just for the unjust, so that He might bring us to God, having been put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit."  Turn your hearts to God, so that He can forgive you.  Bring thanks to Him, and share His blessing with others in His family, so that you can be in fellowship with God.  Honor God, and turn your desires toward Him so that He can show you His great salvation.

Of Wounds, And Scars

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 are healed.  --Isaiah 53:5

Two weeks ago I was helping my wife in the kitchen.  She asked me to slice some zucchini, and she set up the Mandolin Slicer.  "Be careful," she told me.  "It's very sharp."  I started slicing the squash long-ways, and found it inconvenient to use the guard, leaving my hand unprotected.  Sure enough, I sliced off the tip of my middle finger.

The pain was sudden, immediate, and excruciating.  It bled for several seconds until I could grab a towel and apply pressure.  Then I wrapped it in gauze, and put a bandage over the wound.  The next day, I was trying to change the gauze, but the scab had fused with the mesh.  Pulling it off was almost as painful as the original injury.  It did not bleed quite as much the second time, but pulling off the gauze meant I was re-opening the wound.   Once I was able to properly bandage the wound, I placed a finger guard over it.  That kept me from inadvertently striking it against something and causing more pain.

Eventually, I took off the guard, and the bandage, and let the wound air out.  The sore became less sensitive, and the scab gradually dropped off.  It is amazing how God made us, so that when we are wounded we can begin the process of healing by ourselves, without any outside intervention.  We are not like machines with replacement parts.  We are human.  We experience pain.  We bleed.  And yet we can witness the process of restoration within our own bodies.

You can still tell that there was a sore place, and the outer layers of skin will still need to cover over it.  There will be a scar there for a long while to remind me to be more careful around sharp instruments.  The scar lets me know there was a wound, but that it has healed.

In the introduction to the Gospel of John, the Apostle describes how the very Word of God became a Man in every way.  "The Word became flesh, and made His dwelling among us." (John 1:14a).  God, having striven with man since the Creation, knew how sinful we were.  He knew that dealing with humans would result in wounds.  Men have continuously found new ways to hurt one another: physically, verbally, mentally, and emotionally, people have always hurt people.  And yet God became a man, and lived among us anyway.  It was the only way He could reconcile Himself with us.

Knowing us as the Creator, the architect and engineer who designed us, put us together, and placed us in Eden only to have us spit in His face--that's one thing.  But knowing us by becoming one of us, well that is quite another.  Philippians 2:6-8 says of Jesus:

 "Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.  And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and become obedient unto death--even death on a cross."

There are some things, I think, that Jesus wants us to know about wounds.

People Will Hurt You
Wounds are inevitable.  There is no one who is immune to them.  We can act like Superman, and pretend not to be affected, but deep in our hearts we know that we are all in the same boat.  Shakespeare, in The Merchant of Venice, said: "If you prick us, do we not bleed?  If you tickle us, do we not laugh?  If you poison us, do we not die?  And if you wrong us, shall we not revenge?"  Yet Jesus did not seek revenge.

He did, however, warn us to be careful.  Like my wife, who warned me that the slicer was sharp, Jesus taught us to be wary of those around us.  Matthew 10:16 says, "I am sending you out like sheep among wolves.  Therefore, be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves."

Both of our children were delivered by Cesarean Section.  The scars that my wife bore to give our children life pale in comparison to the wounds our children inflicted on their mother's heart as they grew older.  The defiance, disobedience, and disregard for her feelings hurt her much more than the pain of childbirth*.  In the same way, the sins that mankind has committed against God were the reason He sent His Son to die a sacrificial death.

Do Not Pick At the Scab
Jesus wants to be there for us.  He wants to heal our hearts, to restore us to health, and to show His power over sin and death through us.  But if we constantly relive the past, sulking and whining to anyone who will listen to us about how deep our wound is, and how wronged we were, then God cannot heal us.  It is like my pulling off the gauze that was infused with dried blood--painful.  The wound made me bleed once.  Pulling off the scab made be bleed again.  The first one was caused by the blade; the second was caused by me.

I think this is what Jesus meant when He told us to "turn the other cheek." (Matthew 5:39).  If we take our revenge by ourselves, we are in danger of infection and making the wound worse.  Deuteronomy 32:35 says, "It is mine to avenge; I will repay.  In due time their foot will slip; their day of disaster is near and their doom rushes upon them."

No, the Old Testament does not teach the concept of Karma.  What it does tell us is to keep ourselves under the protection of the Almighty.  Think of it this way:  What is a scab, anyway?  It is dried blood, clotted and fused to the wound so that the wound can heal.  As long as the wound is protected by the blood, it will heal.  In the same way, if we place ourselves under the shed blood of Jesus, we will overcome. Ephesians 1:7 says, "In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace."  The part about "forgiveness of sins" means both His forgiving our sins and allowing us to have the hope of heaven, and the forgiveness that we show to those who have wounded us, so that the person who wounded us may have a chance for repentance and redemption through the example we have of Christ's love.

Scars Are Beautiful Things
There will come a time when the wound will heal enough that the scab falls off.  In that area, the body no longer needs to be covered by the blood.  But what is left, depending on how deep the wound, is a discoloration or mark that shows the effects of the wounding, long after it is healed.  Many people try to hide their scars.  They will cover the scars with clothing (like wearing long sleeves in the summer time), with make-up (especially if the scar is in a highly visible place, such as the face or neck), or with hair (some women intentionally cut their hair in bangs, even when bangs are not in style, to cover a scar on the forehead).  They feel that the scars make them stand out, that the difference in appearance from everyone else somehow makes them inferior to everyone else.

Scars to not make you inferior.  They make you unique.  How did Jesus prove His bodily resurrection to Thomas, the doubting disciple?  John 20:27 says, "Then He said to Thomas, 'Put your finger here; see my hands.  Reach out your hand and put it into my side.  Stop doubting and believe."  Jesus invited Thomas to examine and touch His scars, so that by seeing, he would believe.  In the same way, we may carry scars that tell a story of redemption and restoration.  Yes, the scars were caused by sin, but by the blood of Jesus we were made whole again.

When Our Scars Fade Away In the Light of His Glory
This morning in my quiet time I was reading in the Book of Revelation.  Toward the end of the chapter, where it tells of the final victory that the Lamb of God possesses over the world and the power of darkness.  Even when He comes in His glory, He will be identified by the Blood.

I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True.  With justice He judges and makes war.  His eyes are like blazing fire, and on His head are many crowns.  He has a name written on Him that no one knows but He Himself.  He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and His name is the Word of God.  The armies of heaven were following Him, riding on white horses and dressed in fine linen, white and clean.  Out of His mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations.  He will rule them with an iron scepter.  He treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God Almighty.  On His robe and on His thigh He has this name written:  KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.  --Revelation 19:11-18

When a general leads his army into battle, he may have a mark on his uniform to differentiate his rank.  It might be a plume on his helmet, or silver stars on his shoulders.  In the final battle of good versus evil described above, the armies of God are all dressed in white linen and riding white horses.  But the Leader has His robe dipped in blood, to signify His pre-eminence.  The wounds He endured on the cross 2000 years ago still identify Him as the Lamb who was slain before the foundation of the world.

Some of you may recognize the latter part of verse 17 as being a part of the Battle Hymn of the Republic--"He is trampling out the vintage where the grapes of wrath are stored."  The writer of the Battle Hymn knew the scripture was full of war imagery.  He chose this passage in Revelation because he knew God's cause is just, and that the Rider who is called Faithful and True will overcome.  He will be victorious.  And so will we, who are washed in His blood.  Like the heavenly warriors riding behind the Lamb, our covering will be washed white as snow.

Our scars will fade away in the light of His glory.  Even if the wounds are still fresh, they will pale in comparison to the blood that was shed for our sins.  For that reason we identify with the Tribulation Saints:  "They overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony." (Revelation 12:11).

*For the record, our children are great kids.  They have grown up to be fine Christians, well-educated and not afraid of work.  The reference to their growing up with disagreements between them and their parents was used as an example only, and should not be construed to mean that we are not both very proud of both our children.  Now, if we can know when we might expect grandchildren....