The LORD protects and preserves them—they are counted among the blessed in the land—he does not give them over to the desire of their foes. – Psalm 41:2

Today's Scripture Reading (September 23, 2022): Psalm 41

“Conquer the angry one by not getting angry; conquer the wicked by goodness; conquer the stingy by generosity, and the liar by speaking the truth.” These instructions are given in the Dhammapada, a collection of sayings attributed to Siddhartha Gautama, better known to most of us as Buddha. The Dhammapada is believed to be a collection of sayings where each statement was made on a different occasion and as a response to a unique situation that had arisen in Buddha’s personal journey through life. It is these situations that make up most of the legendary life of Siddhartha Gautama and his responses to real life situation that makes the Dhammapada one of the primary scriptural books of Buddhism.

Sometimes, as Christians, we become very focused on our scriptures and we often seem to believe that we alone possess the only truth. As far as understanding that Jesus is our truth, then we are correct. But if we believe that the other world religions have nothing to teach us, then we are wrong. And this comment, which is from verse 223 of the Dhammapada, is a good example. We can almost hear these words emerging from the mouth of Jesus as he taught us to turn our other cheek to the one who has slapped us and to pray for those who choose to persecute us. We should solve the problem of anger in the world by refusing to give into anger, defeat evil by doing good, conquering selfishness by being generous, and beat the lies by speaking only that which is true. All of these things were lessons taught by Jesus.

But, maybe the real problem of our contemporary society is that we don’t even recognize the problems of anger and we rarely see evil in it most common forms. Lies have become so prevalent in our society that it has obscured from our view the possibility of truth. And in a society that overflows with riches, we have lost the ability to see generosity as an essential need of life. Maybe that is why the poor in our society are often the most generous of people; they understand first hand what it means to live without and so they are more than willing to give out of their lack in an effort to conquer stinginess with their generosity.

The Psalmist asserts that the poor, a word here that indicates economic poverty but is much broader and meant to include all kinds of poverty including the lack of power, are important to God. He protects them and refuses to give them over to the desires of the rich. And we, as the children of God should follow in His footsteps. Those who are active in protecting the poor trust in God, and therefore are more willing to give out of their own resources. Those who protect the weak are willing to help those who will probably never be able to return the favor. Those who protect those who do without have a generous heart, and give to make this world a better place rather than to improve their own status among the wealthy. Those who protect the poor truly are the children of God.

Today’s Scripture Reading: Psalm 55

When Ahithophel saw that his advice had not been followed, he saddled his donkey and set out for his house in his hometown. He put his house in order and then hanged himself. So he died and was buried in his father's tomb. – 2 Samuel 17:23

Today's Scripture Reading (September 22, 2022): 2 Samuel 17

Benedict Arnold, Guy Fawkes, and Marcus Junius Brutus headline a list of people who share one distinction; they are all considered to be traitors. For Arnold, it was a betrayal of the United States during the Revolutionary war. Many have tried to figure out why a decorated American Revolutionary Army general would cross the lines and begin to fight for the hated British military. But the answer might be as simple as he was married to the wrong person, in this case, Peggy Shippen. Shippen grew up in a loyalist family in Philadelphia and exerted a significant influence on her husband. Guy Fawkes was involved in the Gunpowder Plot of 1605, a failed attempt to assassinate King James I. Guy Fawkes failed attempt is remembered every year on November 5, made immortal by a simple poem that begins with

            Remember, remember the fifth of November

            The gunpowder treason and plot

            I see no reason why the gunpowder treason

            Should ever be forgot.

Marcus Junius Brutus was involved in the successful assassination of Julius Caesar on March 15, 44 B.C.E. (Beware the ides of March), and his treason was immortalized by the playwright William Shakespeare in his play "Julius Caesar." Even if you haven't read the play, you probably remember one of the plot points written with three simple words; "Et tu, Brutus?" (You too, Brutus)?

Of course, the greatest of betrayals for Christians was Judas Iscariot's betrayal of Jesus Christ. And that was a decision with which Judas simply couldn't live. After the arrest of Jesus, Judas committed suicide by hanging himself, an action that we still struggle to understand. Maybe he finally realized that his betrayal was wrong, and in the aftermath of that betrayal, he basically found himself on the wrong side of what he believed. Or maybe his betrayal was simply a ruse to try to force Jesus into a confrontation with his enemies. If that was his motive, it didn't turn out the way he had hoped, and therefore, Judas saw no way out other than to hang himself.

Ahithophel was a young advisor to King David. Despite his youth, he possessed great wisdom, and his advice was highly sought after by those who ruled the nation. But during Absalom's rebellion, the young advisor changed sides, betraying David in favor of the young prince. Maybe, he was trying to back the winning side, believing that Absalom's rebellion would be successful. But when Absalom rejected his advice, he seemed to be a soldier without an allegiance. He had betrayed David, and now he had been excluded by Absalom. The advisor had no place to go, so he committed suicide by hanging himself.

Alexander Kirkpatrick (1849-1940), Religious Professor of Hebrew at Cambridge University, calls Ahithophel's suicide the first suicide on record. Christian biblical teachers see a parallel between Ahithophel and Judas; both followed a similar pattern and suffered a similar outcome, one betraying David while the other betrayed the Son of David.

Today's Scripture Reading: Psalm 41

You, God, are my God, earnestly I seek you; I thirst for you, my whole being longs for you, in a dry and parched land where there is no water. – Psalm 63:1

Today's Scripture Reading (September 21, 2022): Psalm 63

Decades ago, I had an opportunity to sit with a Hindu believer for a conversation. The discussion was about many things, but eventually, it turned to religion. And my friend had a question; "You believe that there is only one God?" I nodded. I wasn't well versed in Hindu beliefs, but I knew they worshipped a pantheon of gods. There was a slight pause in our conversation before my Hindu friend decided to continue. "We believe there are many gods, but I think that you might be right; maybe there is only one." After this slight confession, our conversation moved on to other topics, and regardless of how I tried to bring the discussion back to one God, for my friend, that part of the discussion was closed, and he was not ready to open it back up again.

Years later, I was privileged to attend a local Hindu Temple for a special worship service. The Temple is intentionally designed to bring both humans and the gods together in one place for a time of worship, sacrifice, and devotion. I was welcomed into the Temple and seated with the elders at the back of the worship area. From where I sat, men sat on the floor to my right, and women gathered on my left. And at the front were various representations of the gods we were to worship. Worshippers would bring in their sacrifices, usually in the form of fruit, and lay them in front of the gods. Later, these sacrifices were gathered and cut up to be shared among the worshippers. At the end of the evening, I started to leave only to have one of the worshippers exclaim, "Praise the Lord!" It brought a broad smile to my face as my new Hindu friends tried to build a bridge between their beliefs and those of their Christian visitor.

The First Commandment declares that Yahweh is God alone, and there should be no one else in his orbit or placed anywhere near his level. It might be surprising to some that there has never been opposition between many of these believers in multiple gods to add Yahweh to their pantheon. The resistance is ours; as believers in one God and followers of the First Commandment, we believe that Yahweh should not be placed on a pantheon with any other gods.

There is a world of difference between saying "Praise the Lord," acknowledging the existence of Yahweh, and saying that "Yahweh is my God." Some have looked at the first verse of this Psalm and recognized the poetic dualism in the phrase "You, God, are my God." But it is really more than that. First, David acknowledges that God exists. "You are God." The statement is similar to my Hindu friend's declaration of "Praise the Lord." But then David takes an additional step that my Hindu friends could not take; he declares, "You are my God. There is no room in my life to follow other gods. It is only you that I desire. Earnestly I seek you; I thirst for you, my whole being longs for you just like my body longs for drink in a dry and parched land where there is no water." David declares that there are no other gods in your orbit and no pantheon on which you would fit. There is only you, and there are no other gods to whom I am willing to share the worship and devotion that belong to my God.

Today's Scripture Reading: 2 Samuel 17

But the king said, "What does this have to do with you, you sons of Zeruiah? If he is cursing because the LORD said to him, 'Curse David,' who can ask, 'Why do you do this?'" – 2 Samuel 16:10

Today's Scripture Reading (September 20, 2022): 2 Samuel 16

In our contemporary world, there seems to be an increasing temptation to exist in our echo chambers where everyone agrees with us and dissenting voices are never heard. Critics are all around us. I have my share. And sometimes, it is hard for us to listen to what they have to say. We are often too quick to discount their words. But listening to our critics is an important task. It is a way that we can see ourselves from the point of view of someone else and maybe make the changes in our lives that we need to make.

After the death of Jesus, the early Christian community was thrown into disarray. Even though Jesus had been resurrected on the third day, everything was still – different. It wasn't the same as it had been. The disciples had gone from being students of Jesus to being "Jesus with skin on" to the emerging Christian community.

And they had their critics. Sometimes the record seems to indicate that they were continually threatened with jail or some other kind of punishment. To say "continually" is likely an overstatement, but the disciples felt they were often under a threat of some sort. Once, while on trial, some wanted to kill some of Jesus's disciples until one man stepped up with an important observation.

But a Pharisee named Gamaliel, a teacher of the law, who was honored by all the people, stood up in the Sanhedrin and ordered that the men be put outside for a little while. Then he addressed the Sanhedrin: "Men of Israel, consider carefully what you intend to do to these men. Some time ago Theudas appeared, claiming to be somebody, and about four hundred men rallied to him. He was killed, all his followers were dispersed, and it all came to nothing. After him, Judas the Galilean appeared in the days of the census and led a band of people in revolt. He too was killed, and all his followers were scattered. Therefore, in the present case I advise you: Leave these men alone! Let them go! For if their purpose or activity is of human origin, it will fail. But if it is from God, you will not be able to stop these men; you will only find yourselves fighting against God" (Acts 5:34-39).

It was good advice. If the apostles were false, God would deal with them. But if they are telling the truth, then there is nothing that those who opposed the disciples could do to fight against God.

David seems to have had a similar epiphany. David would listen to his critic, Shimei, and see if his words had some truth. But in the end, the King was quite willing to let God deal with Shimei and the rest of his critics. Ironically, if David had the personality of Shimei, he would have been killed. But luckily for Shimei, David proved that he was not the bloodthirsty man that Shimei expected him to be.

Today's Scripture Reading: Psalm 63

In the course of time, Absalom provided himself with a chariot and horses and with fifty men to run ahead of him. – 2 Samuel 15:1

Today's Scripture Reading (September 19, 2022): 2 Samuel 15

I am not a big fan of putting on a show. I have never wanted to draw attention to myself. I am the one that goes to a restaurant on my birthday horrified that someone might find out it's my special day. I have never been comfortable in the limelight, always valuing any chances I might receive where I can stay behind the scenes. Some years ago, the church I pastored hosted a Southern Gospel/Country Music Concert. Besides being the church's Pastor, I had nothing to do with the concert. And so, I traded my pastor hat for another hat that I rarely get to put on, that of a sound engineer. I looked forward to an evening of sitting at the soundboard, balancing the music, and making sure the right mics were turned on and off at the right moments. I didn't dress like a pastor but put on a pair of jeans and a T-Shirt as I set everything up for the concert and then took my position at the soundboard. But when the concert started someone came up with the bright idea that the Pastor should introduce our musical guests. I shook my head but to no avail. The sound guy was dragged up on stage to introduce a music group about whom he knew very little.

Being able to put on a show and possessing the power to bring about change are two very different things. Maybe I have been just a little suspicious of people who want to draw attention to themselves. Every time I watch a president or king put on a military parade, the question that comes to my mind is, "what is it that you don't want us to know that causes you to put on such a show?" A military never wins a war on the parade ground; they win it on the battlefield. Life is not about titles or awards; it is about having the ability to get something accomplished.

Absalom was David's son, and he had designs on attaining the throne of Israel. But he wasn't content to wait until his father died and then fight it out with the possible successors. He intended to take the throne from his father. And so, Absalom provided himself with a chariot and horses, symbols of the ancient world for power. But then he performed a kind of parade, having fifty men run ahead of his procession. That last detail reminds us of the purpose behind the march. Horses and chariots were important because they could strike fast and retreat quickly if needed. Placing the soldiers to run in front of the horses defeated their purpose, making it more of a show than anything else. I love how Pastor David Guzik sums up this passage.

Samuel – who anointed Absalom's father as king – was a judge, leader and prophet in Israel. Yet Samuel never went around with horses and chariots and an entourage. Samuel traveled on foot – and as a man, Absalom wasn't worthy to be mentioned in the same breath as Samuel (David Guzik, italics his).

Today's Scripture Reading: 2 Samuel 16

This is the list of the Israelites—heads of families, commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds, and their officers, who served the king in all that concerned the army divisions that were on duty month by month throughout the year. Each division consisted of 24,000 men. – 1 Chronicles 27:1

Today's Scripture Reading (September 18, 2022): 1 Chronicles 27

Mercenary soldiers are often regarded as soldiers who fight for money instead of a country's honor or belief system. Quite simply, mercenary soldiers fight for whoever pays them, not because they believe in the rightness or wrongness of a campaign. They are often foreigners hired to wage certain battles or attain certain goals. But not all mercenary soldiers are uninterested in the morality of a conflict. There are always exceptions if we are willing to look for them. Mercenaries have been active all over the world, helping to fight many of the earth's military conflicts.

The presence of mercenary soldiers involved in Russia's conflict with Ukraine is assumed to be a reality. But not all mercenaries are created equal. And here, it is not true that all mercenaries are foreign. Enter the Wagner Group. The Wagner Group is a mercenary force of Russian origin fighting on the side of Russia. The Wagner Group Mercenary Force is believed to be President Vladimir Putin's private army. But they are not ideologically driven; the Wagner Group is a mercenary organization that fights because they are paid to fight. They are made up of soldiers with various ideologies, including elements that have been linked to Neo-Nazis and other far-right groups. The Wagner Group is a Private Military Group, but, officially, like many fictional Special Forces military groups, it does not exist.

In Ukraine, mercenary groups like the Wagner Group are thought to have been responsible for various false flag operations. These operations are designed to look like they are being carried out by the Ukrainian Military Forces when they are planned by and accomplishing the Russian goal of discrediting the enemy.

Chronicles includes a list of Israelites that served in the army. The army was divided into twelve units, consisting of 24,000 soldiers in each division. All the divisions were on call and could be called into action at a moment's notice if the need arose. But in time of peace, only one division would be activated. Each division would serve for one month and then would be furloughed until the same month of the next year. As a result of these divisions, David never, and many of the kings that followed him rarely, had to employ mercenaries in defense of the nation. The Army of Israel was made of soldiers who fought for their country and their king because they believed in them and could do so at no additional cost to the state or king.

Today's Scripture Reading: 2 Samuel 15

Guard was alongside of guard: - 1 Chronicles 26:16b

Today's Scripture Reading (September 17, 2022): 1 Chronicles 26

In "Ender's Game," Orson Scott Card writes, "If you try and lose then it isn't your fault. But if you don't try and we lose, then it's all your fault." I have always been attracted to team games. I love challenges where it isn't all about you but where it takes a team to win. I am also pretty competitive; I don't mind losing as long as I feel that the team gave everything it had in the effort to play the game. So, I agree with Card; there is no shame in failure unless you fail because you don't try. I don't think that we fail often enough, usually because we are afraid to try things at which we might fail or refuse to push our boundaries. I have always hated the phrase "it's only a game" because it was usually used as an excuse for not trying. But more importantly, I get a lot of satisfaction about achieving something that could not be accomplished outside of the team. Accomplishing something because I tried is satisfying, but not nearly as satisfying as doing something that could not be achieved unless the team is working well and pulling in the same direction.

I have always believed that our spirituality is not an individual pursuit but something we do together. However, we have lost that concept in our individualistic society, where everything seems to be about us. But the most satisfying pursuits are those we do with other people (and I write this as one who actually enjoys the idea of "alone time").

As a result, I have always believed that we should do "everything by team." Regardless of how small, every task should be done by at least two people. Success is never a matter of I; it is because we tried and succeeded. If we try and fail, I am okay with that. But if we succeed, it will only be because we did it together.

The various tasks of Jerusalem were chosen by lot. The great served alongside the small as various gatekeepers were assigned to the gates, but they were never posted alone. Guard served alongside guard, and watchmen served alongside watchmen. Families served together, and the Levites were assigned in even numbers so that no one would have to carry out any task by themselves. The team would experience every success, and every failure would have a backup. These teams gave the nation great strength, supporting an idea that the author writes of in Ecclesiastes. "Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken" (Ecclesiastes 4:12).

Today's Scripture Reading: 1 Chronicles 27