This morning I was catching up on reading my One Year Bible (OYB). In "March 23"s readings we begin the book of Deuteronomy, and it is there that I read this interesting phrase:
"(It takes eleven days to go from Horeb to Kadesh Barnea by the Mount Seir road.)"--Deut.1:2.
What an interesting way to begin the 5th book of the Torah.
Curious. Mainly because I forget the names of people and places I've never visited or experienced in person.
I read on:
V.6--"The LORD our God said to us at Horeb, 'You have stayed long enough at this mountain...'"
V.19--"Then, as the LORD our God commanded us, we set out from Horeb and went toward the hill country of the Amorites through all that vast and dreadful desert that you have seen, and so we reached Kadesh Barnea." (--ah! this is the point... got it... 11 day trip.)
V.25-- Israel explores the promised land and SEES that it is FULL of goodness.
V.26--"But you were unwilling to go up..."
V.34-35-- "When the LORD heard what you said, he was angry and solemnly swore: 'Not a man of this evil generation shall see the good land I swore to give your forefathers, [except Caleb & Joshua]...'"
Oh boy... another reminder: same song, different production company.
O God, make me trust You!
Make me take that step!
Close the sea behind me so I can't turn back!
Goad my backside SO that I will move past my stupid fears and ENTER INTO YOUR FULLNESS.
O LORD, I realize I have just invited pain and infliction into my life if I do not pay attention to what You have for me, to what Your promise is for me.
Dear Abba, I recognize the good Father disciplines his children because He loves them and wants their best.
Dear Jesus, show me your ways. Show me how to surrender. Show me the steps to the cross. Show me how to converse with our Abba, how to do battle with the flesh, how to speak Truth into situations, how to risk obedience, how to shift the atmosphere through the Spirit's power and not rely on my own limited resources.
Amen.
Saturday, March 24, 2012
Saturday, March 10, 2012
Getting your goat? Numbers 15
"...After you enter the land I am giving you as a home..."
I hate reading about Israel, for autobiographical reasons.
To find Chapter 15 in the Book of Numbers is not unlike discovering a wrapper of girl scout Thin Mints in the freezer after thinking my supply has been depleted.
There is something about the annual reading of Numbers in my OYB that conjures that sense that comes from waiting to see the dentist-- you're there for a reason, but is it worth the wait?
Today's reading starts with Ch.14 and that reality does nothing but reinforce my angst... Israel... really? [Jim... really?]
Recap for biblical neophytes:
God knew that a deadly famine was coming that could do great harm to His chosen people, so he used brotherly snarkiness to propel Joseph into a cascade of events, not unlike a Pachinko game, that lands the golden boy as big dog of Egypt. Having set that piece in place, Abba brings over Israel into a protected, fertile land to chase ungulates for a couple centuries... long enough to put their homeland back in shape and make the locals REALLY unpleasant to hang out with. [FYI- sometimes Abba uses jerks and mean people to prepare your hearts to leave a bad situation, so you can experience the MORE-ness He has for you... stop settling for pig slop... Jim.]
By now the locals have enjoyed using/abusing these migrant workers and so Abba raises up Moses by putting him into Pharaoh's own household, educating him in leadership, then sends him out into the wilderness to practice leading huge flocks of clueless Sheep, then at the right time sends Moses back and does a truckload of over-the-top miracles by God's power, demonstrating that he is a worthy leader and has an "in" with God. Because Pharaoh is an entitled jerk and a sorry leader-- because his arrogance and false sense of self is so corrupt, God simply uses that factor to wipe out Egypt's firstborns, which makes the overlords so eager to loose the migrants that they end up subsidizing their exit with bundles of loot.
This is to get Israel back to their homeland, and away from their comfy little slave-life of Less-ness. To help in motivating His people get moving, he puts Pharaoh's army into chariots with lots of scary implements and has them chase Israel through a giant gap through an inland sea, just to make sure they get going.
Once through the middle of the sea, God makes pastry rain down daily for breakfast to feed his people, making water appear in crazy ways in order to take care of Moses' new Flock in the wilderness. Israel continues to be stupid. Continually. Stupid. Finally God brings His people to the gates of the promised land, and send some scouts to go see that it really is a luxurious place with GI-normous amounts of fruit. The scouts gather up the amazing fruit, bring it back to the people, and convince the entire NATION that trusting God is a bad idea. They still have fruit on their breath. That takes us to Chapter 14.
In today's reading we find Israel wanting to kill Moses and Aaron for leading them to the land of milk and honey, instead wanting to go back to life in the slave camp.The people are listening to the Goats and becoming what they listen to (reminds me of the donkey-boys of Pinocchio.. the goat-boys of Israel?), except for Caleb and Joshua who remind the people that God has done EVERYTHING He promised up to that point, with flair, and thus: what's a tall person to the Almighty?
Seriously.
Meanwhile God has had it with these rebellious, unappreciative, blasphemous Goats; He starts warming up the spank ray, when Moses once again does his pastoral intervention thing and wins forgiveness for the Flock. Nonetheless: they pay for their blasphemy with a fatal 40 year hike until all the Goats eventually drop dead. Their blasphemy changes God's initial plan, but being Goats they think they can just use God's immutable nature as an excuse for self-actualization: the Amalekites and Canaanites handed them back their buttocks on a platter-- God was not interested in goatly faith.
Which leads us to Chapter 15.
Here we see a switch: this is a chapter of repeated promises that drip hope like a saturated honeycomb.
"After you enter..."-- you WILL enter, so afterwards...
"..a grain offering of fine flour.."-- crops? that means fields.. that means no more wandering around...
"..prepare a quarter of a hin of wine..."-- wine? that means vineyards... that means grapes, and grapes are fruit, and THAT is what the Father is like.
He does not give up on His people, but it's a REALLY BAD idea to rebel against plan A... at least for you it's a bad idea-- don't miss what Abba has for you, and for God's sake: don't pull somebody else down to your goat-ness.
Don't mess with cursing Daddy's character; listen to Caleb, listen to Joshua-- Abba is good, and He is greater than any supposed giant.
Worldly fear is just a stupid waste of joy and the Blessing that awaits those faithful and courageous enough to stand with Stephen... or Paul... or Jeremiah... or James... or Peter... or (you?)...
I hate reading about Israel, for autobiographical reasons.
There is something about the annual reading of Numbers in my OYB that conjures that sense that comes from waiting to see the dentist-- you're there for a reason, but is it worth the wait?
Today's reading starts with Ch.14 and that reality does nothing but reinforce my angst... Israel... really? [Jim... really?]
Recap for biblical neophytes:
God knew that a deadly famine was coming that could do great harm to His chosen people, so he used brotherly snarkiness to propel Joseph into a cascade of events, not unlike a Pachinko game, that lands the golden boy as big dog of Egypt. Having set that piece in place, Abba brings over Israel into a protected, fertile land to chase ungulates for a couple centuries... long enough to put their homeland back in shape and make the locals REALLY unpleasant to hang out with. [FYI- sometimes Abba uses jerks and mean people to prepare your hearts to leave a bad situation, so you can experience the MORE-ness He has for you... stop settling for pig slop... Jim.]
By now the locals have enjoyed using/abusing these migrant workers and so Abba raises up Moses by putting him into Pharaoh's own household, educating him in leadership, then sends him out into the wilderness to practice leading huge flocks of clueless Sheep, then at the right time sends Moses back and does a truckload of over-the-top miracles by God's power, demonstrating that he is a worthy leader and has an "in" with God. Because Pharaoh is an entitled jerk and a sorry leader-- because his arrogance and false sense of self is so corrupt, God simply uses that factor to wipe out Egypt's firstborns, which makes the overlords so eager to loose the migrants that they end up subsidizing their exit with bundles of loot.
This is to get Israel back to their homeland, and away from their comfy little slave-life of Less-ness. To help in motivating His people get moving, he puts Pharaoh's army into chariots with lots of scary implements and has them chase Israel through a giant gap through an inland sea, just to make sure they get going.
Once through the middle of the sea, God makes pastry rain down daily for breakfast to feed his people, making water appear in crazy ways in order to take care of Moses' new Flock in the wilderness. Israel continues to be stupid. Continually. Stupid. Finally God brings His people to the gates of the promised land, and send some scouts to go see that it really is a luxurious place with GI-normous amounts of fruit. The scouts gather up the amazing fruit, bring it back to the people, and convince the entire NATION that trusting God is a bad idea. They still have fruit on their breath. That takes us to Chapter 14.
In today's reading we find Israel wanting to kill Moses and Aaron for leading them to the land of milk and honey, instead wanting to go back to life in the slave camp.The people are listening to the Goats and becoming what they listen to (reminds me of the donkey-boys of Pinocchio.. the goat-boys of Israel?), except for Caleb and Joshua who remind the people that God has done EVERYTHING He promised up to that point, with flair, and thus: what's a tall person to the Almighty?
Seriously.
Meanwhile God has had it with these rebellious, unappreciative, blasphemous Goats; He starts warming up the spank ray, when Moses once again does his pastoral intervention thing and wins forgiveness for the Flock. Nonetheless: they pay for their blasphemy with a fatal 40 year hike until all the Goats eventually drop dead. Their blasphemy changes God's initial plan, but being Goats they think they can just use God's immutable nature as an excuse for self-actualization: the Amalekites and Canaanites handed them back their buttocks on a platter-- God was not interested in goatly faith.
Which leads us to Chapter 15.
Here we see a switch: this is a chapter of repeated promises that drip hope like a saturated honeycomb.
"After you enter..."-- you WILL enter, so afterwards...
"..a grain offering of fine flour.."-- crops? that means fields.. that means no more wandering around...
"..prepare a quarter of a hin of wine..."-- wine? that means vineyards... that means grapes, and grapes are fruit, and THAT is what the Father is like.
He does not give up on His people, but it's a REALLY BAD idea to rebel against plan A... at least for you it's a bad idea-- don't miss what Abba has for you, and for God's sake: don't pull somebody else down to your goat-ness.
Don't mess with cursing Daddy's character; listen to Caleb, listen to Joshua-- Abba is good, and He is greater than any supposed giant.
Worldly fear is just a stupid waste of joy and the Blessing that awaits those faithful and courageous enough to stand with Stephen... or Paul... or Jeremiah... or James... or Peter... or (you?)...
Tuesday, March 06, 2012
Spring Forward
My favorite season used to be the Fall.
Perhaps it was the promise of dove season after the first cool front blew down from the high plains, bringing with it hummingbirds and butterflies?
Perhaps it was the advent of my favorite sedentary sport: football viewing with friends.
Perhaps it was the reprieve from the brutal Texas summer?
I'm not sure anymore.
My backyard is astir with life: it is the Spring.
Flowers are blooming, the ash tree is replete with green, and the crippled old mulberry tree digs deep to begin the process of soon making mulberries.
The dove are ridiculous in their amorous advances, while other feathered friends begin their own forms of persuasive speech, that annual festival of plumage and performance that echos millennia of fitness to a listening female audience.
In the midst of this expression of life is this thing: Lent.
It is something that spurs the pilgrim towards self-flagellation, a fitting counter to the indulgences of a fat Tuesday much like that post-holiday penance perpetuated on the parish: New Year's resolution... Except it is deemed more sacred. The story goes that Passover draweth nigh, a time of remembering and feasting: perhaps this Lenton season is the backdrop behind which such festivities are better appreciated, a contrast of bright upon grayness? And in this metamorphosis of chrysalitic emergence blossoms the pinks, yellows and purples of Easter-- an important, important reminder that, like Lent, the grayness of life will pass into something beyond, a hope unimagined except in the purest of dreams.
Two friends bury their wives this week.
Perhaps it was the promise of dove season after the first cool front blew down from the high plains, bringing with it hummingbirds and butterflies?
Perhaps it was the advent of my favorite sedentary sport: football viewing with friends.
Perhaps it was the reprieve from the brutal Texas summer?
I'm not sure anymore.
My backyard is astir with life: it is the Spring.
Flowers are blooming, the ash tree is replete with green, and the crippled old mulberry tree digs deep to begin the process of soon making mulberries.The dove are ridiculous in their amorous advances, while other feathered friends begin their own forms of persuasive speech, that annual festival of plumage and performance that echos millennia of fitness to a listening female audience.
In the midst of this expression of life is this thing: Lent.
It is something that spurs the pilgrim towards self-flagellation, a fitting counter to the indulgences of a fat Tuesday much like that post-holiday penance perpetuated on the parish: New Year's resolution... Except it is deemed more sacred. The story goes that Passover draweth nigh, a time of remembering and feasting: perhaps this Lenton season is the backdrop behind which such festivities are better appreciated, a contrast of bright upon grayness? And in this metamorphosis of chrysalitic emergence blossoms the pinks, yellows and purples of Easter-- an important, important reminder that, like Lent, the grayness of life will pass into something beyond, a hope unimagined except in the purest of dreams.
Two friends bury their wives this week.
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