Year 7, Day 273: Judges 12

Theological Commentary: Click Here

No good deed ever goes unpunished.  I’ve found that’s a pretty true saying in my life.  When you compliment one person, others around you get jealous of why they didn’t get a compliment.  When you invest in the life of another, other people wonder why you didn’t invest in their life.  When you buy a small gift for another person, people wonder why you didn’t get one for them or even ask them to so in on the gift and make it from a whole group.  It seems like no matter what good we do, there is always a place that others can be critical should they seek to find such a place.

That’s not too far from what happens to Jephthah here. Jephthah goes out and frees the people from the Ammonite oppression.  When he comes back, the people of Ephraim are angry that they don’t get to participate in the glory.  Rather than celebrate the freedom from oppression, their worried about the fact the others might notice that they didn’t help out.  Jephthah feels the brunt of their wrath because they didn’t come out to help when called.

What’s worse is that this feeling escalates to war between the people of God.  Thousands of people die over a matter of social standing.  People die over a dispute of who gets honor and glory.  People die because Jephthah is the son of a prostitute who became a leader and did a great thing and others were unable to accept it as God’s hand of salvation at work.  People die because others are blind and ignorant.

Human jealousy is a terrible thing.  Our own envy can cause us to taint our perspective of God’s hand at work.  Our own envy can infect other people and bring them into destruction.  As I said, no good deed ever goes unpunished.  When we do good, we are just as open to criticism and strife as when we do evil.  The sad part is in that case it is for all the wrong reasons.

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Year 7, Day 272: Judges 11

Theological Commentary: Click Here

Much has been said about the end of this chapter because of the startling story which it contains.  I remember the first time that I read this chapter.  I was rather shocked to hear this content in the Bible!  While appalled at Jephthah’s ignorance, I remember feeling drawn more into the truth of the Bible because there would be no reason to include this story otherwise.  It isn’t a story that is likely to impress too many people.

However, not much is said about this story’s beginning.  Look at where Jephthah gets his start.  He is the daughter of a prostitute.  He is the product of a man and a woman outside of the bond of marriage.  Naturally, that isn’t Jephthah’s fault.  We can’t hold that against him.  But he is certainly a product of a sinful union.

In fact, his family does hold it against him.  His culture holds it against him.  They drive him away.  They tell him that he’s not welcome.  They remove him from their presence.  We don’t know why, but it isn’t unreasonable to think that they didn’t want the black mar of sin hanging over their family’s head.

That being said, God doesn’t hold it against Jephthah.  God still empowers Jephthah to defeat the enemies of Israel. I’m sure that there were plenty of people in good communal standing who could have stepped into the role of leadership.  However, God picks Jephthah.  We don’t have to be perfect.  We don’t even have to come from the right side of the proverbial tracks.

What does God want of us?  He wants a heart that is willing to follow.  He wants a heart that is focused on obedience.  He simply wants someone who is willing to follow His desires.  He gets that is Jephthah, the son of a prostitute who is reviled by his own family.

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Year 7, Day 271: Judges 10

Theological Commentary: Click Here

Here’s a fun little chapter on humanity.  Once more we see that when life is good, people abandon God.  They follow the frivolous passions of their hearts.  They chase after their gods.  They leave the straight and narrow and follow what is right in their own eyes.

Get the next part of the story right in your understanding.  God lifts His hedge of protection.  He allows them to fall into the hands of the surrounding nations.  They begin to be oppressed.  Persecution falls upon them.  This happens not because God forces it, naturally.  It happens because God doesn’t protect them.  It happens because God allows the people to follow the natural course of action from their choices.

Furthermore, take notice of how long the people were under persecution.  They were oppressed eighteen years!  Sometimes human beings are really slow to pick up on wrongdoing.  This is even more true when it is a cultural issue and not an individual issue.  It’s hard to change a culture that is happy doing what’s right in their own eyes.  It takes them eighteen years to figure it out!

After eighteen years, they final turn to the Lord.  After eighteen years they finally repent. After eighteen years of oppression they final begin to see their error and how the pursuit of their own desires wasn’t as satisfying as it could have been.

That kind of explains why God seems so resistant to taking them back, doesn’t it?

In the end, though, God does hear them.  Above all else, God forgives.  He will allow us to walk away.  He will watch us live in the consequences of our own sin.  But He does hear repentance and forgive us.

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Year 7, Day 270: Judges 9

Theological Commentary: Click Here

I know that I’ve read Judges 9 before.  I can even look on my blog and see the posts that I’ve written about it.  Yet it doesn’t feel like I’ve studied this passage before.  With the vivid description of human sinfulness throughout this story, I should remember it more than I do.

This story starts out with human ambition.  Abimelech wants to take over the leadership of the people when his father dies.  For the record, this tells us something about Gideon.  Gideon may not have said he was a king, but he certainly lived enough like a king so that Abimelech felt he should take over as leader.

After all, Abimelech does mean “My dad is king.”  Learn this lesson well, especially if you are a parent or someone who works with shaping young minds.  How we raise our children will impact how they behave when they are older. Abimelech is named to reflect that Gideon was a kingly leader among the people.  Abimelech lived into that self-fulfilling prophecy.

Furthermore, Abimelech goes out with a plan to kill his brothers (half-brothers, really).  He wants to be king so bad that he is willing to kill to get it.  This is really an act that is all about removing the opposition.  If none of Gideon’s children remain, nobody can challenge Abimelech for the role.

Notice, though, that we get more than just a self-fulfilling prophecy of kingship.  We also see that those who act dishonestly to get what they want often end up being bit by the same sword they used.  Abimelech is killed after a short reign.  Unlike Gideon, who followed God’s will and was allowed to live out his life in full, Abimelech kills to get into power and he is killed in order to get him out of power.

The way we are raised affects how we live.  The way we live affects the way we will live.  The way we live will affect what we can do in this life and how we can follow God’s will.  When we get it right, it can be a beautiful thing for parents and mentors to watch.  When we get it wrong, it can all come crashing down around us.

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Year 7, Day 269: Judges 8

Theological Commentary: Click Here

Before beginning Judges 8, I want to highlight some information in the commentary that I wrote six years back.  It has to do with exactly where Gideon’s heart rested with respect to ruling the people.  While he denies ruling them, he doesn’t exactly refute it by his lifestyle.  You can read more about it by following the link above and looking in the Gideon's fault section.

For the rest of this blog, I want to focus on the passage of Gideon.  Remember what Gideon has done.  With God’s help, he has freed the people from the grasp of the Midianites.  He has scattered incredibly large armies.  He has hunted down their kings and killed them.  He has brought freedom from oppression to the Hebrew people.

You would think that the people would be gracious, wouldn’t you?  You would think that the people would learn their lesson and realize how much they need God.  However, this isn’t what the Bible tells us happened at all.  As soon as Gideon dies, the people turn away from God and turn their eyes to other pursuits.  Their faith isn’t legit.  They are feigning faith while Gideon is around just to appease God and Gideon.  Their true colors show as soon as they can.

I think we all need to be careful or we fall into the trap of the Hebrew people.  It’s easy to turn to God when we are oppressed.  It’s easy to look like we believe when we are being watched.  It’s easy to say all the right words when people ask questions.  But how do we live when nobody is looking?  How do we live when the decision is ours to make and the consequences don’t appear to affect anyone but ourselves?  What is the true quality of our life?  What is our character?  What ethic do we hold ourselves to, if any?

These are really important questions.  Sometimes we get it right; sometimes we get it wrong.  The only way that we’ll improve and be the person God wants us to be is to admit our faults, watch out for them, and ask the hard questions of ourselves to see what truth really says.

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Year 7, Day 268: Judges 7

Theological Commentary: Click Here

In Judges 7 we see how God takes care of the Midianites through Gideon.  The part of this passage that I think is really neat is that while Gideon is the physical hero, clearly God is the power behind the action.  After all, what human being would come up with a plan that involves sending away 99% of the people who come out to fight with you?  God is the power here in this chapter.

Look, though, at the process that God walks Gideon through.  Gideon starts out with 32,000 men for battle.  God tells Gideon to send everyone home who has a bit of fear within them.  22,000 people leave.  God looks at Gideon, who is a bit timid and fearful himself, and sends away the timid.  God is telling Gideon that while fear is human nature, it can be successfully put aside.

Next, God sorts out the people who live by instinct versus those who think.  Gideon has the people drink from a stream.  300 of the people dip their hand in the water and bring the water up to their mouth.  The other 9,700 kneel down and bring their face to the water like animals drink.  God sends those who lap up the water like animals away.  God is sending another message to Gideon.  God casts away out instinct and wants us to think.  God has empowered us to be able to rise above our natural instincts.

With those 300 men, God has Gideon explain his plan.  Imagine attacking a whole city of thousands of people with a mere 300 men.  Then, imagine doing it with clay pots and candles as your major strategy.  This is why the fearful and the instinctual had to be sent away.  This plan is ridiculous; it takes a thinking man and a God-fearing man to see the brilliance in it.  The brilliance is that it is all about God, not about us.

In the end, the city is set into panic.  People flee.  They turn on each other with their swords.  As they flee, more Hebrew people join the fight and hunt down these Midianites.  God has won through His power and Gideon’s obedience.  God didn’t mind Gideon’s timidity and doubt.  Obedient people can be timid and doubt.  They just need to be obedient in their timidity  and doubt.

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Year 7, Day 267: Judges 6

Theological Commentary: Click Here

Today I’m going to split my time between two thoughts, neither of which is new to the study of Judges or the study of the whole Bible.  For the first thought, we look at how this chapter opens.  The people had fallen away from God’s ways.  The Midianites were running amok with the Hebrew people.  They were stealing their food.  They were taking their possessions.  They were such a threat that the Hebrew people had caves to dwell in to protect them from their raids.

Why is this happening?  This is happening because the Hebrew people had abandoned God’s ways.  God had lifted His protection from over the Hebrew people because they were no longer following Him.  The people are not listening to God.  The walked away from Him; God is letting them get far enough away that they recognize their need of Him.

Look at how this plays out in reality.  The Hebrew people have embraced other gods.  The Hebrew people have built the Asherah poles and the altars of Ba’al.  The Hebrew people are simply doing what we all do to be successful.  We look at the strong and popular people around us and imitate them.  When we are emulating godly people, this can be a good thing.  But when we are emulating the world – or emulating godly people for the wrong reasons – it will actually lead us away from God.  The Hebrew people are actually walking away from God because they are looking to emulate the success around them instead of acknowledging that true and satisfying success comes from living out our identity that comes from God.

The second thought for today takes us to Gideon.  Remember how often we think about the judges and see them as bold and vibrant personalities?  Deborah was bold, but Barak was a bit of a chicken in need of encouragement.  Now we see Gideon.  Gideon is often thought of as a war hero because of this story.  Tomorrow we’ll see the hero.  Today we see the humble beginnings.

Do you hear the doubt in Gideon’s voice?  Gideon s visited by an angel of the Lord and told to go out and conquer, yet Gideon’s response is to ask God how he can possibly beat them with his obvious lack of power.  When God convinces Gideon that he needs to rely upon God’s power, Gideon still needs to test God to make sure He’s serious.  When God passes the test, Gideon needs him to pass another test.  This is not the sign of a bold man.  This is the sign of a man who is cautious, timid, and uncertain.

Believe it or not, I actually think this is a good thing.  I’m not trying to slam Gideon here.  I’m certainly not trying to diminish Gideon’s reputation.  I’m lifting this up because I think that it has more to teach us than we think.  Most of us have moments of uncertainty.  Most of us have moments of timidity, especially just before we do something big or challenging.  It’s common for us to question and doubt.  It’s human.  When we have moments of question and doubt, we are being normal.

The cool thing about this is that God accepts it.  God still works with Gideon. God answers Gideon’s challenge.  God doesn’t dismiss Gideon for his doubt; God still works His power through Gideon.  God will accept our bravery.  He also will accept our hesitation.  He will accept our doubts.  He’s bigger than our weaknesses.  That’s our God.

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Year 7, Day 266: Judges 5

Theological Commentary: Click Here

As we continue the story of Deborah in Judges 5, we see a familiar continuation of the themes from the last chapter.  Deborah sings a song about the victory.  Do you hear who the main characters are in the praise?  Deborah and Jael get the praise throughout the whole hymn.  Of course, it is most proper to say that Deborah and Jael get the praise because they are the hands of God’s will.

Naturally, the soldiers who came out behind Deborah and behind Barak also get praise.  Ephraim, Benjamin, Issachar, Zebulun, and Naphtali came.  These are the people who responded to the call.  These are the faithful who allowed themselves to be led.  These were the followers who were willing to risk life and death for the completion of God’s calling.

However, there were also timid tribes.  There were those who did not answer the call.  There were those who hesitated when others acted.  Reuben struggled to respond.  Gilead stayed behind.  Dan stayed with their ships.  Asher stayed in the comforts of home.  There are those who rally for God.  There are also those who seek their own will when things get tough.

The real question is where our loyalties lie?  When push comes to shove, are we God’s leader?  If not God’s leader, are we at least prepared to follow and accomplish God’s will under the guidance of others?  Or are we likely to look for our own interests and stay where it is comfortable when God’s call arrives on our doorstep?

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Year 7, Day 265: Judges 4

Theological Commentary: Click Here

One of the things that I love about the Old Testament is just how often the text causes us to grow and stretch.  Human beings really prefer to read the Bible and think that they have it all figured out.  We really like to put God in a box.  We like to think that we can put God in our bulleted lists and our quaint little platitudes.  The truth, however, is that God is bigger than our conceptions.  We’ll never figure out God.

For example, take this story about Barak.  We like to think that God’s appointed leaders were bold and fearless defenders of the faith.  That’s not what we see today.  Barak knows God’s will.  Deborah tells him that she has told him to go up and be bold.  She reminds him that God has told him to go.  Even when he is reminded, Barak is hesitant and declares that he will only go if Deborah goes with him.  Fortunately for Barak, Deborah agrees.  Barak also only goes out when he manages a huge force against his enemy.  In all of this, we can see that Barak is not the bold defender that we would expect.  He does go, but it isn’t what I would call boldly.

Who is bold?  Jael, the woman.  Jael goes out to meet Sisera.  She invites him in.  She plans his death and executes him.  The enemy leader of the Hebrew people die at the hands of a woman.

We are called out of our comfortable understanding of God by hearing that the only reason Sisera dies is because Jael goes out.  The only reason that Barak comes to battle is because Deborah agrees to go with him.  It isn’t Barak who is the bold defender but these two women!

Here’s the deal for today.  To the people who say that women can’t be called into leadership over men, I present Deborah who clearly led Barak.  To the people who think that women can make powerful moves and save others, I present Jael.  To the people who think that God gives up on people who are timid, I present Barak.  God is in the business of using the unusual suspects to accomplish His will and to bring salvation to His people.

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Year 7, Day 264: Judges 3

Theological Commentary: Click Here

In Judges 3 we get a perspective of God that may make us uncomfortable.  God allowed some of the Canaanites to continue to live in the land.  The disturbing part is why.  Don’t get this point wrong.  The Bible is pretty clear on this point.  The Canaanites who are left are left there so that the Hebrew people would be tested.  God allows them to remain to see whether the Hebrew people would be faithful or not.

The Bible is also clear on the reality that God discovers.  The people do not remain faithful.  It isn’t long at all before the people rebel.  The Hebrew people mingled with the Canaanites, meaning that the Canaanites families – more importantly their gods – became a part of the Hebrew culture.  It isn’t long before the lines blur between God-fearing and those who are walking apart from God.

Again, though, we learn the point from yesterday.  God isn’t abandoning the people.  When the Hebrew people fall away into their selfishness, self-centeredness, and their sin God does not walk away.  God sends judges among the people to intervene.  God sends judges to remind the people where their focus should be.  Rather than abandon and start over, He calls and recalls.

I find that this truly speaks to the nature of forgiveness.  Those who do not forgive are completely able to abandon.  Only those who are willing to forgive cannot abandon.  To put it another way, if we want to be a forgiving people, we cannot be a people who abandon.  God is setting a precedent for us to follow.  People will walk away from us, just like we walk away from God.  We don’t need to actively pursue them; God lets us walk away from Him.  But it is up to us to make sure that there is a way back through forgiveness.  That is vital.  That is largely the overarching premise of the book of Judges.  Truthfully, that’s pretty much the overarching premise of the Bible, too.

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Year 7, Day 263: Judges 2

Theological Commentary: Click Here

We get more of a glimpse at humanity as we look to Judges 2.  The pattern that is about to lay out before us comes clear in this chapter.  We have a faithful generation followed by an unfaithful generation.  God raises up a judge and we have more faithful people.  The next generation falls away.  Then a judge comes.  Then people fall away.  Human civilization is always ebbing and flowing in faith depending on whether on our circumstances.  That’s just who we are.

That being said, we learn a good bit about God in this chapter.  God doesn’t abandon us.  He knows our faith ebbs and flows.  But He stays with us.  He doesn’t walk away permanently.  He sends judges into our lives to remind us of faith and faithfulness.

But, that doesn’t mean that we are completely protected from the idiocy of our decisions, either. When the Hebrew people fall away, God doesn’t force them to come back.  He doesn’t force them to endure goodness.  God allows them to experience the pain of failure and the consequences of walking away from His ways.  He does give them judges to help bring them back, but not before they have to deal with the results of their self-centeredness.

The same is true with us.  God is always speaking to us and trying to get our attention.  He will never abandon us.  However, He will allow us to walk away and deal wth the consequences of our actions.

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Year 7, Day 262: Judges 1

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Judges is one of my favorite books of the Bible.  I tend to gravitate towards the books of the Bible that have a fair portrayal of humanity.  In Judges we will see the good and the bad.  We see success and failure and often in the same passages.  I love books like Judges because of its honest portrayal of life in general.

In this first chapter, we start out strong.  At the beginning of the chapter, we hear about hos Judah and Simeon rise up and take on the Canaanites after Joshua dies.  The land must be under conquest.  These two tribes try and take the leadership role in pursuit of conquest.  They are largely successful.

However, they are not fully successful.  We hear in a few places that the Canaanites stick around.  The Judahites aren’t actually able to accomplish the goals.  We can’t fault them for their effort.  Even still they are not successful.

Then we hear about the experience of the other tribes.  They aren’t successful, either.  Granted, all of the tribes experience some measure of success.  They don’t experience total success, though.  There are cracks in what they are able to accomplish – and in some cases absolute holes!

This feels like life to me.  In some cases we try and find success.  In other cases we try and find marginal success.  In other cases we try and fail.  We seldom ever go in and do something so absolutely perfectly that it cannot be improved upon.

Note that God doesn’t abandon the Hebrew people because of their inability.  Their inability will even come back to affect them, but God doesn’t hold that against them.  God stays by their side.  He continues to call them His people.  The same is true for us.  God will not abandon us.  We need to try as hard as we can and for His sake.  But God will no more abandon us as His people as He abandons the Hebrew people in their moments of failure.  God will stick by His people regardless.

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Year 7, Day 261: Acts 28

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As we finish up the book of Acts, the focus is right where it should be.  No, it’s not on Paul.  We know it isn’t on Paul because the story doesn’t continue with Paul’s life.  We don’t know what happens to Paul.  It is one of the more frustrating elements of this book, in fact.  But it shows us that the emphasis isn’t really on Paul.  If it was, we’d know what happens to him.

The focus is on God and God’s hand at work. 

The shipwreck victims land on Malta and find a group of people who are willing to help hundreds of shipwrecked victims.  In fact, they take them in because the weather is turning poor.  What is the result of this?  The people are blessed by God’s presence.  Because of their kindness to the shipwrecked victims, God blesses them and their sick are healed.  The people who are shipwrecked are blessed by God because of their willingness to listen to God through Paul.

When Paul gets to Rome, he defends himself.  God goes before him.  The Romans are willing to listen to Paul, acknowledging that the Christians don’t have the best reputation.  As they listen, some believe and some don’t.  God’s Word spreads among those in Rome.

In fact, we do know that Paul stays in Rome for a few years, preaching and teaching. He continued to teach at his own expense.   God’s Word spreads in Rome.  Now we look back and see the end of chapter 26 in the correct light.  Yes, Agrippa was right.  Had Paul not declared that he wanted to go to Rome, he could have been sent free.  But had Paul been sent free, would he have ended up in Rome with a two-year mission to proclaim God to the people? 

This is what Acts is all about.  This is what Paul is all about.  We are to be about doing whatever it takes to get the message out.  We are to be willing to proclaim whenever and wherever God leads us.

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Year 7, Day 260: Acts 27

Theological Commentary: Click Here

I think that Acts 27 boils down to wisdom and faith.  Paul is full of wisdom, and I choose to believe that he has his wisdom because he is in relationship with God throughout this journey.  Paul seems to know when to sail, when they shouldn’t sail, and how to keep the people alive when the people are in danger.  Proximity to God tends to allow us the ability to make good choices.

The interesting dynamic in this chapter is how the people around him respond to the wisdom.  The pilot of the boat seems to have no regard for Paul at all.  His mind is on the profit that can be made through the journey.  Safety is on seemingly no concern.  It is dangerous for us when we partner with or even put ourselves in proximity t people whose primary concern is profit.

The centurion in charge of Paul seems to have a growing respect for Paul’s wisdom.  At first, he seems focused simply on doing his job, which makes sense.  He wants to get to Rome, deliver his charge, and accomplish the task.  However, the centurion does show that ultimately he respects living more than money.  As the situation grows more and more dire, he stops listening to the pilot and starts listening to Paul.  Here is a man who can garner some respect.  When there is a chance of success, the centurion pursues his obligation.  But when threatened, he knows enough to abandon the obligation until such a time as it can be properly pursed without walking headlong into danger without a care.

In the end, Paul carries the day and the people are all saved through the storm by God’s hand.  The centurion wins the day through Paul’s advice and keeps his soldiers from killing all of their prisoners.  The centurion listens to Paul and has the boat cut away so that everyone would remain under God’s protection through Paul.  The people listen to Paul, have a good meal before abandoning ship, and then make their way to an island where they might find refuge.  Wisdom does occasionally carry the day in human circles.  When it does, the credit should go ack to God as it does here in this chapter.

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Year 7, Day 259: Acts 26

Theological Commentary: Click Here

Once more we see Paul making his defense.  Once more, he tells the story as it happens.  This time, Festus tells Paul that he is out of his mind.  Festus, of course, is a Roman unfamiliar with God.  He isn’t familiar with a personal God who has relationship with His followers.  Of course, Paul sounds insane to Festus.

Notice, however, that Paul doesn’t let that bother him.  In fact, he doesn’t really even defend himself other than deny the charge.  Paul puts Festus in his place by turning to and appealing to Agrippa, who is familiar with God.  Paul lets Festus know that he’s the only person in the room who thinks the tale is strange.

I think there is a piece of wisdom in this story.  How prepared are we to accept and speak to God’s hand in our life?  Do we shrink from the amazing nature of it and assume people will think us crazy?  Or are we willing to speak and send a message to the world that it truly they who are missing out?  Do we compromise the truth for our public image or are we willing to risk our image for the sake of truth?

Before I leave, I have one small comment.  I used to read the conclusion of this chapter and feel sad.  It seems like Paul would have gotten free had he not appealed to Caesar.  As I’ve studied this year, I’ve lost that sensation.  Remember that the Jews wanted to kill him.  Festus would have probably put Paul in a position to be killed by the Jews.  In truth, the only reason that Paul is alive right now is because of his appeal.  Furthermore, Paul’s appeal is what eventually gets him to Rome, speaking God’s message as he goes along the way and even into the court of Caesar himself.  There is no reason to be sad that Paul doesn’t go free at the end of this chapter.  Paul is once more on a mission; that’s a good thing.

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Year 7, Day 258: Acts 25

Theological Commentary: Click Here

Festus is governor now.  As we hear from Festus’ own words, he views Paul as an inherited problem.  He has no personal investment in Paul.  In fact, we see that Festus views Paul as an opportunity to make friends with the Jews.  Here is where we find Paul. He a captive in a home that doesn’t value him except as a negotiating pawn.

What does Paul do?  To be honest, I think Paul is very shrewd here.  Paul couldn’t escape Felix; Felix wanted a bribe on way or the other.  Paul isn’t likely to survive Festus, who wants to please the Jews.  Paul does the only thing he can.  As a Roman citizen, he appeals to Caesar.  He avoids the trap of the Jews by asking to be transferred to Rome, where the Jews have little influence.

Here’s why this is actually a neat idea.  We’ve heard very little about the ministry of Paul over the last two years of his life.  That doesn’t mean he hasn’t had any; it just means that we haven’t heard about it.  Therefore, it probably has been fairly minimal.  Paul is an evangelist.  He’s cooped up with no chance of getting out.  By appealing to Rome, he puts himself on the move again.  He opens up his life to new people to whom he can talk and relate.  Sure, Paul is interested in escaping the grip of the Jews; but this act is also about him getting back into what he does best.

This is a unique perspective on life.  Sometimes we have to make unique decisions in order to keep going.  Sometimes we have to choose to look for creative solutions.  In the end, though, it is about being the person that God has made us to become.  It is about willing to do whatever it takes to live out the will of God for our life.  In this situation, Paul does that by appealing to Caesar and voluntarily being taken to Rome as a prisoner.

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Year 7, Day 257: Acts 24

Theological Commentary: Click Here

There are certain parts of this chapter that amuse me.  For example, notice that the Jews from Asia who came to cause trouble for Paul didn’t stick around long enough for his trial before the governor.  I find this rather odd.  It’s almost like they were dismissed by the Jewish leaders because they knew that having them around would only cause trouble for their side of the argument.  I am amused by the way that people manipulate circumstances so that their side of the conversation is always presented in the best light rather than the truth.

Speaking of the truth, I am also amused by the very brief – not to mention nondescript – accusations that those Jewish leaders bring against Paul.  They make focus on the riot that ensued because Paul was in the temple.  They don’t mention that it was their own people that started it.  They don’t mention that Paul was just going about his business.  They focus the Roman authority upon the fact that there was a riot.  Let’s face it, that’s really what the Roman leaders are truly worried about.  They could care less about the Judaism; they just want there to be peace in their city.  I find it interesting that people will lie about circumstances to evoke sympathy.

I am also amused by Paul’s defense.  He’s not elaborate.  He corrects a few of the lies.  He then also tells a truer version of what happened.  He doesn’t flourish his words.  He doesn’t retaliate with more lies.  He states his case simply and honestly.  Sometimes the best defense is the simple and honest one.

Finally, a point by which I am not amused at all, is the realization that Paul was stuck in the custody of the Roman governor for two years.  The governor was waiting for a bribe.  Granted, Paul used the time wisely to talk about Christ and His Way.  But that doesn’t take away the fact that Paul was stuck there for two years.  I can only imagine what went through his mind.  He no doubt was convinced that he could have been out witnessing about Christ.  He could have been out helping people find truth in their Creator.  Instead he’s stuck in custody of a Roman governor waiting for his future to come about.  I can only imagine the doubt and helplessness that must have come upon Paul.  Still, he remains faithful. 

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Year 7, Day 256: Acts 23

Theological Commentary: Click Here

Yesterday we saw the human heart turn cold.  The heart of the Jewish mob grew dark at the mention of God’s offer of relationship to the Gentiles.  It was a sad chapter; but an insightful one.

Today we hear more of the same.  A plot is made against Paul.  The Jewish leaders plan to lie in order to get Paul out in the open and away from Roman protection.  They plan to assassinate Paul under the guise of simple wanting to talk.  They deceive and manipulate in order to get their way.

We also are allowed to peer into God’s response.  As these Jewish leaders make plans, they are foiled by a boy.  In fact, they are foiled by Paul’s nephew.  The boy overhears their plan, reports it to Paul, and then reports it to the tribune.  The triune makes plans for Paul to be kept safe, removing him from Jerusalem entirely.

I think that it is rather neat to see that not only is Paul kept safe from the machinations of the Jewish leaders, but that God foils the plans of those leaders through a boy and a group of Gentiles.  Don’t get me wrong.  I’m not saying that this is a sign that God has turned His back upon the Jews.  That won’t ever happen.  Even when the Jews went into exile God did not turn His back.  What I am saying, though, is that this is proof that God is bigger than us and our plans.

We often want to see the world through our black-and-white lens of right and wrong.  When we do that, we are prone to putting God in a box.  When we put God in a box, we tend to miss His hand at work.  When we put God in a box, He comes around and frequently uses the very people, whom we are so sure to be wrong, to do something grand.  God uses a boy and Gentiles to save Paul from the hands of the Jewish leaders.

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Year 7, Day 255: Acts 22

Theological Commentary: Click Here

I find the motivations of the human heart compelling.  I find it amazing to fathom what the human mind will accept and what it won’t accept.  We can be completely willing to be rational about the most irrational things and then be absolutely irrational about the most rational of things.

As an example, take a look at what Paul gives as his defense.  Paul starts with his own account of how he persecuted the followers of Jesus.  Of course, I understand that this is a predominantly Jewish audience and they would have understood Paul.  But let’s step back a second.  Paul is talking about how he tortured and imprisoned people based on what they believed to be true.  Furthermore, Paul is talking about how he tortured and imprisoned people for believing in the same God as he believed but in just a different way!  We should be able to disagree with people, of course.  But there is something wrong when our disagreements lead to outright persecution of the other!  I am amazed that a whole culture – a large portion of it in reality – could stand and accept, much less applaud, the account of such actions.

Paul then begins to speak about the trip to Damascus.  He tells the crowd about how God comes directly to him and speaks.  Don’t get me wrong.  I don’t mean to cast any shadow of doubt as to whether it happened or not.  But I find it interesting to note that the crowd doesn’t seem to bat an eyelash at this, either.  Paul’s portrayal of the supernatural event doesn’t cause them to even flinch.  They accept that part of the story, too.

Up until this point, the people are willing to listen.  So long as Paul is talking about the persecution of the Gentiles, he has done nothing to upset them.  Things change.

What is this great event that causes the crowd to turn on Paul?  Paul starts talking about how God caused him to bring the message of salvation to the Gentiles.  That’s it.  That’s the great catastrophe.  The Jews want to lynch Paul as soon as they hear about God bringing salvation to the Gentiles.

I’ve got something rather harsh to say.  Hate is easy to create within humanity.  The second half of Acts demonstrates this loudly and clearly.  I assert that any time we hate a group of people so much that we cannot bring ourselves to at least accept the message of salvation going out to them then the fault lies within us.  We are to blame when we hate so much that we are disgusted by the very notion that God could be in relationship with them.  We should be desiring people to find God, not revolting against those who would bring relationship with God to them.

We may have differences.  We may even have disagreements about how things get done.  But at no time should the proposal of a person’s relationship with God generate disgust within us.  When that happens, we are in the wrong.

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Year 7, Day 254: Acts 21

Theological Commentary: Click Here

Acts 21 is an interesting study of human reactions.  We can start with Paul.  As I said yesterday, his mind is on going back to Jerusalem. He wants to go and report about what God is doing among the Gentiles.  He also has a collection of money that has been collected by the Gentiles for the support of the orphans and widows in Jerusalem.  He wants to complete that mission.

On the other hand, we have the whole of the rest of the people that Paul meets.  They know what will happen if Paul returns.  In fact, we can read into the words of this chapter to say that the reason they know is because the Spirit of God has warned them.  They don’t want bad things to happen to Paul.  They urge him to not go to Jerusalem.  They urge him to stay away for his own security.

These two positions often cause an internal debate in my mind.  Is Paul being stubborn when God tries to warn him?  Or is the flipside true: are the people encouraging Paul to take a path other than what God has ordained for him?

I don’t think that either are necessarily right or necessarily wrong.  Has God called Paul to Jerusalem?  Certainly.  Has God warned the people about Paul’s future should he go?  Certainly.  Could God continue to use Paul if he had chosen to go elsewhere besides Jerusalem?  Absolutely.  I don’t think that this has to be a case of choosing one over the other.  Paul goes to Jerusalem, which I personally feel is the higher calling.  He is willing to cast his life aside for the opportunity to proclaim what God is doing among the Gentiles.  But that doesn’t mean that the people are wrong in warning Paul about the danger, either.

We know the end of the story.  We know the incredible ways that God continues to use Paul to reach people at every step of his journey ahead.  Certainly, the right choices are made along the way.  The right thing happens.  We should be careful to not be too critical when looking at those people around Paul who are offering caution.  Nobody wants to see people inherently make tough decisions; and certainly nobody wants their friends to endure hardship.

It should also be an illustration as to how hard it is to follow God.  Being obedient to Him is a tough calling.  Encouraging others to be obedient, especially when it means making a tough decision, can be even more difficult.  We need God’s help in this.  We will also likely make mistakes along the way.  We need God to guide, encourage, and forgive.

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Year 7, Day 253: Acts 20

Theological Commentary: Click Here

Acts 20 starts the beginning of the end.  Here we see Paul make his way back to Jerusalem knowing that it could be the beginning of the end.  Since we know the story, we know that the trip to Jerusalem is the beginning of the end – sending Paul to Rome to be tried before Caesar.

Paul knows this, too.  Beginning in verse 22, Paul’s speech begins to be fairly dark.  He doesn’t know what will happen to him.  He knows that imprisonment and persecution awaits him wherever he goes.  He does not count his life as having value.  He is focused only on completing what God has asked of him.

I think this is a phenomenal claim.  How many of us consider our lives as forfeit?  How many of us are willing to make any sacrifice so long as God’s will is done?  How many of us are willing to go wherever God asks and do whatever He asks regardless of the cost?

Paul has that focus.  That is why he can go anywhere and say the message that God lays on his heart.  Mind you, Paul isn’t looking to sacrifice his life.  But he is willing to do so.

It takes a special person to be willing to look at their life as forfeit while they are still in their prime.  It takes someone who is trying to be like Jesus.

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Year 7, Day 252: Acts 19

Theological Commentary: Click Here

The standard themes of Acts continue.  Paul goes out and does mission.  He starts making disciples.  People get upset.  Trouble comes to Paul’s doorstep.  There really is a pattern of behavior here.  When you speak truth, you are going to upset the status quo and bring trouble upon yourself.  It’s just reality.

That being said, I’d really like to focus on the sons of Sceva.  I find this story really amusing.  First of all, remember that it is primarily the Jews who bring trouble upon Paul wherever he goes.  Yet in this particular story, there are some Jews who decide to imitate Paul.  They start using the name of Jesus.  Isn’t it interesting that people who don’t like you and what you stand for will still imitate you when your methods prove successful!

The second neat point is that the name of Jesus works.  When these Jews start using the name of Jesus, even the demons take notice!  This is important because it reminds us where true power resides.  When God uses me to do something neat, it isn’t me that deserves the credit!  Neat things happen through me because God decides to use me.  It is His decision, His plan, and His power.  His name is far more powerful than anything I can bring to the table.

That being said, the third really neat thing about which we can take notice is that while the name is powerful, it won’t necessarily save us without the relationship with God behind it.  The demons know the name and respect it.  They don’t however, know the sons of Sceva.  They do know that these sons of Sceva have little relationship – if any – with Christ.  The demons tear into these sons of Sceva because the relationship with God is not genuine.

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Year 7, Day 251: Acts 18

Theological Commentary: Click Here

We continue into one of my favorite stories.  In Acts 18 we see the humanity of Paul.  As we read through Acts it is very easy to idolize Paul; this chapter helps us to avoid this.

Paul heads to Corinth.  While in Corinth, Jews rise up against him.  This isn’t anything that we haven’t seen before and certainly I’ve praised Paul before for standing up against this very thing.  In Corinth, however, we see Paul get fed up.  He walks away from the Jews and swears to only focus on Gentiles.  Paul has had enough.

I really enjoy this story because it shows us that Paul is a human.  He is tired of the fight.  He’s tired of having to defend himself against the same accusations in every city.  He’s worn down.  He breaks.

Here’s the neat thing, though.  Even though he reacts out of his human frustration, his ministry continues.  God allows him to continue to focus on the Gentiles.  People continue to come into relationship with God.  God still allows Paul to work in the kingdom even though he is clearly thinking about himself instead of God’s calling.

That being said, God does chastise Paul.  God comes to him and tells him to stop being afraid.  He tells Paul to continue going on speaking, teaching, and preaching.  While God does allow Paul’s ministry among the Gentiles to prosper, He also doesn’t let Paul get away with doing his own thing, either.

In the end, we are all human.  In moments of glory, it is easy to be confident.  Sometimes we can be overconfident.  In moments of frustration, it is easy to focus on our own irritation and lose sight of where God really wants us.  In the end, though, God can continue to use us even in the moments where we may lose focus on His will.  That’s the neat thing about this chapter.  Paul shows his humanity; God continues to use him.

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Year 7, Day 250: Acts 17

Theological Commentary: Click Here

Mixed bag.  Those are often the words that I hear in my mind when I think about Paul’s missionary trip to Greece.  In fact, those are the words that I often think about when I consider the whole scope of Paul’s missionary trips.

Allow me some time to clarify my words, though.   I don’t mean them judgmentally.  So often we hear the expression “mixed bag” and we think it is an insult.  I absolutely don’t see any reason to insult Paul’s work.  Paul was a masterfully fearless evangelist.  His missionary trips inspire awe within me at every step.  He faced rejection, persecution, and arguments at every turn.  He was constantly defending his faith and what God had called him to teach.  His trips are incredibly inspiring.

Why, then, do I call it a mixed bag?  I call it a mixed bag because I can only imagine how hard it was on Paul.  Here is a man who is pouring his heart into his ministry.  He is risking all.  He is calling people out of their normal life and into a true and genuine relationship with Jesus Christ.  He is discipling.  He is being a part of God changing people’s lives.  At the same time, people are refuting his teaching.  They are refusing to listen.  They are choosing the ease of tradition over grace and love and challenge.  I can see the joy of Paul’s work; but I can feel the rejection of Paul, too.  In almost every place that Paul goes, people rise up and make conflict with him.  In many places, they drive him out of town.

Paul’s ministry is certainly not a mixed bag.  His ministry is awesome.  His ministry is inspiring and motivational.  The fact that he faces rejection and conflict again and again and continues to rise up, move on, and do it all over again is incredible.  The mixed bag comes because of the realization of all of the blood, sweat, and tears that happens when he is rejected.

In the end, I think this is a very prudent message to hear.  When we want to reach into the lives of people, we should expect that there will be joy and excitement and all kinds of reason to give glory and praise to God.  At the same time, we need to expect to face rejection from the world, frustration over the roadblocks, and sores from the persecution.  That’s part of what ministry is all about.  On one hand, there is nothing better.  On the other hand, there’s nothing more difficult.  I think Paul’s experience in Greece plays this out.

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