In my devotional reading I have moved back into the Minor Prophets. I always joke that these are the easiest part of any Bible to find because the pages are usually still stuck together. It is sad that these are so overlooked by the average Bible reader—seldom read except as part of an organized Bible reading program. The Minor Prophets have much to say to us today about major questions we have in life.

One such question is my philosophical favorite—the question of evil. The question of evil is one that has inspired generations of unbelief from people seeking but failing to find an answer. It is asked in various ways:

“Why do bad things happen to good people?”

“Why would an all-powerful, all-knowing, all-loving God allow evil to exist?”

“Why would God permit sin, especially some of the more horrendous sins?”

If you think you are the first to ask this, rest assured that you are not alone. If you would like to consider my answer, check out my article here. This question has been asked from time immemorial. In the Minor Prophets we find it addressed in Habakkuk. The prophet starts by asking God why He seems to not listen to calls for help (1:2), and why it seems the law is paralyzed and justice never prevails (1:4). We’ve all felt this way at times and we want to call God to task for it, just as Job did and as Habakkuk does here. God responded to Job by showing his own smallness in asking the question. God responds to Habakkuk by declaring the intent to make things even worse.

God tells Habakkuk that He is going to answer the question of why evil succeeds and good fails, by calling up and bringing forth a far more evil nation—Babylon—to sack Judea and carry God’s people into captivity. In other words, God is going to answer the question of evil by sovereignly calling into service those who are far more evil. An evil nation will prosper and those under God’s covenant are to be scourged by them.

Habakkuk’s response is beautiful: “O Lord, are you not from everlasting? My God, my Holy One, we will not die. O Lord, you have appointed them to execute judgment; O Rock, you have ordained them to punish” (1:12). He sees that God, who is their everlasting Lord, has a different time frame from mankind. While mankind wants an answer and delivery now, God has His own plan, agenda and schedule. God will follow that and not be held to a creature’s standards. The prophet knows that God’s plan includes the eventual delivery of his people and their purification. Habakkuk trusts God to make the right decision and understands that whatever God does is within God’s right to do.

When you look at the world around and wonder why evil seems to flourish and good seems to fail, understand that God is in control. His schedule is working. His plan is succeeding.

I love the interaction of Boaz and Ruth. Boaz has heard about Ruth and what she sacrificed for her mother-in-law and pronounces a blessing on her (2:12 NIV), “May the Lord repay you for what you have done. May you be richly rewarded by the Lord, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to take refuge.” He could have stopped there as we too often do. It is easy to proclaim a blessing upon someone, wish them well and encourage them to go with God—key word “go.” When we find ourselves around the sad stories, destroyed lives and distraught sufferers it can be easier to pull away. Of course we don’t want to sound callous so we proclaim some blessing on them, “May God bless you,” or promise, “I’ll pray for you.” We appear spiritual while ignoring their pleas. This is the easy way to handle hurting and suffering around us, but as with most of the Christian life, God seldom expects to take the easy way.

Instead of simply verbally blessing Ruth, Boaz knows that it is up to him to be that blessing for her. He encourages her to stay in his fields, eat his food and drink from the same vessels as his servants. He also tells those who would be guarding his interests to not harm the woman and to secretly make it easier for her to glean (2:16NIV)—“Rather pull out some stocks for her from the bundles and leave them for her to pick up and do not rebuke her.” Boaz understood that God blesses through the actions of His people. While He could miraculously provide for Ruth, God had ordained Boaz as her miracle. In the same way, when God brings people your way, it is for you to help them. For too long the Church has forfeited blessings they could only receive through blessing others. We all get busy and tied up in life; however, this too often masks apathy.  Don’t be the person that says, “Go with God and be blessed.” Be the person that says, “Here I am God, bless others through me.”

Ruth Gleaning

I’ve moved to one of the most beautiful stories of scripture for my devotional reading, the book of Ruth. This story moves me as I think of an old woman and her daughter-in-law reduced to harvesting grain left over in the fields and then go on through the story and discover how God cares for them. The story begins with the heart breaking story of a Jewish family moving to Moab to escape a famine in their homeland. While there the father dies and the two sons take Moabite wives. In time, the sons die. In the world view of Naomi, the old woman, God has greatly stricken her. For what sin was she stricken? She gives no indication of knowing, but insists that the actions of God have been for her harm. It is easy for us to fall into this same pattern. We assume bad things are a punishment from God. This book should dispel that habit.

Had these things not happened we would not have the beautiful story of an outsider being accepted into the people of God. Not only was Ruth accepted into Israel, a relative by marriage overlooked her place and condition taking her as wife (another saw this as too much). In time she went on to become the grandmother of the King of Israel. This of course made Naomi the great grandmother of the king, and when Ruth was blessed Naomi was blessed as well. When bad things come our way, it is natural to assume the worst, to complain that God is unfair or to assume he is punishing us. Perhaps he is pushing us along to get us into the area where he intends to bless us. Perhaps his blows are not affliction, but the wind driving us into the land of blessing. When life seems to punch you in the head, take a quick look back to see if God is showing you an area to repent. If there is such, then repent quickly and turn from your sins. However, realize that God is pointing you forward, not back. He is the God who makes what was into what will be. He is working on you, through good and bad. They are not meant to simply grind you into the ground, but to make you stronger.

While reading the book of judges one theme runs throughout, “At that time Israel had no king; everyone did as he saw fit.” Israel was a peculiar nation led by priests, with each person in a covenant to obey God’s law. Their King was God and they were to need no other. Yet, as we read the book of Judges we are reminded of how sinful people can be.

How bad things were is displayed in the latter chapters of the book. In chapter 17 and 18 we meet Micah. Apparently Micah had taken a sum of eleven hundred silver shekels from his mother, which he returned to her after overhearing her declare a curse upon whoever took it. She responded by declaring a blessing over her son and consecrating the silver to YHWH. So what does she do with her newly consecrated silver? Does she take it to Shiloh to give to the Lord? No. Does she donate it to a local Levite or a local priest? No. She gives a portion to a silversmith to manufacture idols. These were put in Micah’s house as a makeshift temple. Eventually they lead a Levite astray to be their personal priest.

The final example is of the Benjamites in Gibeah. We see a replay of the story of Sodom except a woman is raped to death by the crowd. This event leads to war between the tribes and the alienation and near destruction of an entire tribe. This story is hard to read and very discouraging, but starts with the same words seen throughout the book of Judges, “In those days Israel had no king.” It seems to be assumed that with a strong king Benjamin would never have ill-treated the Levite.

A similar condition can be said to be present among God’s people today. There are similarities and differences. First, we are similar in that we have no overlord in the church deciding all issues of doctrine and practice. Such was attempted at one time in the person of the pope, but this resulted in far more heresy and abuse than it was intended to stop. Lord Acton’s adage—“Power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely”—was well proved by those sitting on the “throne of Peter.” This actually shows that a human king cannot restrain the evil within men (The papacy was a human effort to establish Plato’s Philosopher King). Today, as in their day, each man does as he sees fit—this includes both genders. As a result we find ourselves in a vile society where evil is called good and good is called evil. But there is a difference.

We are different in that the Holy Spirit comes to live, personally, within each of us who calls on the name of Christ. He teaches us; restrains us; liberates us; guides us. The Holy Spirit has been given as a seal guaranteeing our acceptance by God and as the tool making us acceptable to God. Through reliance on the Holy Spirit we can know the truth and walk in it. The next difference is the presence of God’s Word. The ancient Israelites had so few copies of the law that at one point they will discover the law while remodeling the temple (2 Kings 22) and the king, upon reading it, will be saddened to discover how far they strayed from it. Today we have the Bible, both Old and New Testaments, cheaply available. They are so available that we no longer see them as being special. Availability has bred indifference.

Today, as then, we are free to do as we see fit. No morality police reins us in; no moral courts make decisions for us. We are free to believe what we want and to live accordingly. While most of us celebrate this freedom, we must remember it can produce evil as easily as good. However, we as the church have God living in our hearts, the word of God instructs in righteousness, and our king rules from the throne room of heaven. As a result we can live a life pleasing to God and beneficial to ourselves and our fellowman. So spend time in the Word and learn to discern and listen to the still, small voice of the Holy Spirit guiding you in life.

Much ink has been shed over the hardening of Pharaoh’s heart in Exodus. While the Calvinist has no problem seeing God acting to assure Pharaoh would not listen, those who hold to a certain view of free-will see this as unfair to Pharaoh and not in keeping with a just, loving God. While I am not going to take the usual tack here and join in this fray, I will share some thoughts on the interchange between Moses and Pharaoh. Out of this I am sure you will conclude that, Calvinist that I am, I see no problem with the idea that God would sovereignly ordain Pharaoh’s disobedience, so I might as well admit that up front. For those who interject a cry of foul and unfair I will point to the words of Paul (Romans 9:20f NIV): “But who are you, a human being, to talk back to God? Shall what is formed say to the one who formed it, ‘Why did you make me like this?’ Does not the potter have the right to make out of the same lump of clay some pottery for special purposes and some for common use?” For now lay aside these thoughts as we look at the events, as recorded.

In Chapter 7, God lays out his plan to Moses. Moses and his brother Aaron are to go to Pharaoh and tell him to release the children of Israel. God will harden Pharaoh’s heart so that he will not release them until terrible plagues have cost the Egyptians dearly. Before you judge the events too harshly, look at the next passage (Ex 7:5) where God gives his reason: “And the Egyptians will know that I am the Lord when I stretch out my hand against Egypt and bring the Israelites out of it.” God wants to demonstrate the truth about himself to the people of Egypt as the true God; the one God; the universal God. He must strike their gods—which the plagues accomplish. The greatest obstacle between YHWH and the Egyptians is the “Son of Ra,” Pharaoh himself.

In our society of equality before the law and democracy we don’t grasp details of monarchy quickly. In a theocratic monarchy, where the monarch is not only chosen by God, but seen as a god in his own right, there is one will that matters, and in Egypt that will was Pharaoh’s. YHWY demonstrated to the Egyptians the futility of worshipping false gods, those of flesh or those of stone. So why would God make such a demonstration to the people of Egypt? God intended to take his people from Egypt and plant them in Canaan—they would border the Egyptians in a land long contested by Egyptians and Hittites. Imagine you are a nation holding a minority people as slaves. The slaves secure their freedom against your will and a few years later you find they have settled within easy reach of your army. For the sake of His people God must make the Egyptians fear Him and them. In such an autocratic society, as Egypt, one touches society by touching the king. If God wants to teach the Egyptians a lesson he must teach it through their king. For the sakes of Israelites and Egyptians, God must harden the heart of Pharaoh. This is confirmed in Ex 9:16, where God raised up Pharaoh for the specific purpose of showing His power to the world.

Before you conclude that such an act would still be unfair, let’s look closer at the hardening itself. In each of the first miraculous signs and plagues (Ex 7:8-13, 14-24; 8:1-15) we see Moses demonstrate power to Pharaoh (staff turned to snakes, water turned to blood and the plague frogs) and each time the Egyptian magicians were able to mimic the miraculous act and then we read: “But the Egyptian magicians did the same things by their secret arts, and Pharaoh’s heart became hard.” While this example from Ex 7:22, shows Pharaoh’s heart being hardened by seeing his magicians doing the same deed, understand that Pharaoh’s hardness of heart was already a fact, but these actions confirmed, justified and intensified the hardness. From this point on the magicians are outdone with ever more dreadful plagues, but still Pharaoh’s heart remained hard.

While God sovereignly hardened the heart of Pharaoh for the sake of his people, the people of Egypt and the people of the world, Pharaoh played a part in this. He trusted his magicians, with their tricks and incantations. He chose to be deceived by them and to close his ears and eyes to what God was showing. Most amazingly he chose to believe his own press. He chose to keep believing his own divinity no matter how bad things got for him. It was not until the death of his own son—heir to the throne and of equal divinity to himself—that he would bend his will to that of YHWH. The true God had won the battle.

All her adult life, since the first night of her marriage, Leah had to compete with her sister for the attention of her husband. While Rachel received the love of Jacob easily and without effort, Leah—knowing her place in the family—struggled for attention and love.

She had every right to expect the privileges of being the first wife (this was centuries before the law required a husband treat multiple wives equally). This along with his own natural larceny contributed to Laban’s insistence that the first daughter marry before the second. She was to be the first bride, with pride of place. Besides this, it seemed God had decreed she was to be the first wife—He gave her a son right away while her sister was unable to conceive. Was it Jacob’s upbringing in a home where mom and dad each had their own favorite child that caused Jacob to forget tradition and favor Rachel? Was it simple male insensitivity?

Though we will never know why, we can see the result. Leah gave every effort to win her husband’s affection. Rachel didn’t have to try, since she was the favorite. Leah could have become despondent and bitter. She could have decided that without her rightful place as the first wife, she would make Jacob’s life difficult. She didn’t respond this way though. Instead she kept working for the love she sought. In the end, culturally, Leah won.

Without getting bogged down in the minutia of afterlife studies and what happens to us after death, realize that that this subject was not as developed in the time of Jacob and Leah. Much has been revealed about the afterlife since the time of Leah and Jacob. The patriarchs thought of the afterlife as leaving this life and going to God in Sheol (the grave). Scripture tells us (Gen 49:31) that Jacob was to be buried with Leah, while Rachel was buried on the road to Ephrath (Gen 35:19). Leah’s bones would rest by Jacob forever, while Rachel was buried far off from the family tomb. Leah was finally in her rightful place. After a life of obediently seeking the best for her husband and family, in the end, she won; she was victorious over her sister.

This week’s reading brought me to Potiphar’s wife. Her husband was Captain of the Guard. As such he would be responsible for protecting the body of the pharaoh and empowered to kill, imprison or enslave anyone who might be a threat to Pharaoh. She would have been very aware of her husband’s status, because his status defined hers. The power he wielded established their social standing as a couple and hers as a woman and wife.

We see that she was used to getting what she wanted in the affair with Joseph. She was not a woman to take no for an answer and she was going to get Joseph into bed whatever it took. When she realized this was not going to happen and it appeared her husband might find out she accused Joseph so he was imprisoned. At this point, so far as she knows, the situation is under control.

Imagine her surprise when not many years later this young man, brought from prison, is elevated to be second only to “the Son of Ra.” Her husband would now be responsible to Joseph and responsible to guard his person as well. When we read that they placed Joseph in a chariot and had those before him bow, we overlook that it would have been Potiphar’s men who would have gone before and commanded the people to bow.

This woman whose husband gave her great social elevation suddenly finds the slave she mistreated elevated above her husband and as a result elevated above her. She must have understood the power that Joseph now wielded. One wonders if she feared retribution from Joseph. Would he have her husband executed or imprisoned? Would he seize their property? Would she be publicly exposed?

Fortunately, he was a man of God, who saw God at work in the background. This makes it easier to put up with mistreatment and injustice. When we are in bad times, the knowledge that God is in control and working his will and plan in our lives makes it possible to hold on and to keep moving forward without getting bitter or seeking revenge.

As I read the Pentateuch again, I am finding the events surrounding the women’s lives fascinating. These women often come across as extras in the story of redemption, but we see things in their life that can be very real and inspiring of emotion.

In the story of Rachel and Leah we see two sisters used by their father and thrust into a competition for the affection of their husband. When Jacob worked for seven years to earn the right to wed Rachel her father, Laban, switched the sisters in the dark giving Jacob the older less attractive sister. Leah starts her married life as a trick of her father. In the morning light Jacob is angered to find Leah in his bed instead of Rachel. She would have seen the anger in his eyes, the disappointment in his words and the rage in his demeanor. Morning would have wiped out any tenderness experienced the night before. In order to get Rachel, Laban requests Jacob to complete the marriage week with Leah and then he will get Rachel—he can work another seven years for her afterwards. For an entire week dedicated to the bride and groom together consummating their relationship was instead spent by Jacob in anticipation of the wife he really wanted and by Leah in expectation of the loss of any possible love sprouting within her husband’s heart for her. She was reduced to a body for him to use until he got the woman he wanted. She will spend the rest of her life trying to be a good wife and earning her husband’s love.

I have had the opportunity to talk to several women from a polygamous culture. I asked one woman how it would be if her husband decided to marry another woman and you could see the sadness come over her face. At that moment I was looking into the face of Leah.

After many years of hard competition between the sisters and the giving of their maidservants to Jacob to father children with we see Jacob re-enter the land of Canaan. He is scared because his brother is approaching with hundreds of men. We see again the life of Leah in how he divides up and sends out the families. The hope being that if Esau attacks the forward groups the latter groups would be spared. Jacob sends out first two groups made up of the maidservants and their children, followed by Leah and her children and lastly Rachel and her one son. Even at the point of possible death, after everything Leah has done, Jacob loves Rachel more. I feel deeply for Leah.

A couple weeks ago I returned to the Pentateuch for my devotional reading. During this time, my attention was drawn to several characters found within these well-known stories, and got curious about their participation in the events surrounding them. Over the next few weeks I’d like to look at several of these.

Sarah (Sarai) was told by her husband on two occasions to claim to be his sister upon entering a foreign land. I found myself wondering about her view of these events. In Genesis 12 as they enter Egypt her husband says, “I know what a beautiful woman you are. When the Egyptians see you, they will say, ‘This is his wife.’ Then they will kill me but will let you live. Say you are my sister, so that I will be treated well for your sake and my life will be spared because of you.” Abraham did this again when entering the land of Abimelech, king of Gerar (Genesis 20). Read the rest of this entry »

As the people near the Jordan and prepare to enter the land, God’s chosen leader send’s spies to gather intelligence. Unlike forty years earlier, when Moses had sent out twelve spies publicly, this mission will be very different. This will not be the people’s spies, but the leader’s personal spies. Joshua was not about to relive that. He secretly chose and sent two men with instructions to concentrate on Jericho. In Joshua 2 we can follow this mission.

The differences are evident from the beginning. In the first mission twelve men were chosen, one from each tribe, to spy out the land and bring back information on the people, the land and the strength of the cities. The tribes knew spies had gone out and saw this group as being their eyes and ears on the ground. They believed their report was for the purpose of determining whether they should try to take the land. This time was different—the people had nothing to do with picking, or sending out the men. They were hand selected by the man who would lead them into the land—a man, who had been one of the twelve earlier spies, and had been one of two not cowed by what they found. The people were not to be allowed to interfere with plans and were to be given no excuse for disobedience.

This mission also differs because he only sent two men. The earlier group of twelve was unwieldy, but probably necessary because they were to spy out the whole land. This small band was to concentrate on the first target—Jericho. With two there is less chance of the herd mentality when it comes time to report. Joshua was not going to risk another forty years in the desert. Another benefit of sending two—the two were able to get into a city and speak to the people. Twelve strangers showing up are likely to set off alarms so the earlier party probably had to stay outside the cities, simply seeing their strength from without. They had no way to determine the morale of the enemy as this smaller detachment did.

The conclusion of the spy mission is the most telling. While the first mission concluded with fear that they would be unable to take the land. This smaller, more direct, secret mission reported to Joshua: “The Lord has surely given the whole land into our hands; all the people are melting because of us.”